Big Test In Swamp For Leafs

The Maple Leafs will embark on their five game road trip tomorrow in New Jersey without one of their most offensively skilled players in the lineup. Alex Mogilny will, more than likely, not be available for tomorrow’s game. The Leafs have had trouble scoring goals so far this season and without Mogilny, the Leafs also may find goals hard to come by tomorrow as the Devils are a proficient team when it comes to a boring, yet effective, defensive style known as the trap.

Early prognosis on Mogilny’s injury suggests that he may be out for up to two weeks recuperating from the groin pull he suffered during the third period in the tie against the Washington Capitals on Monday. With Mogilny out of the lineup for an extended period of time, it puts the Leafs at a severe offensive disadvantage as goals have been hard to come by this season. Players like Sundin, Nolan, Renberg, Tucker, Nieuwendyk and Antropov will have to start contributing to the Leafs offense. With the exception of Nik Antropov who scored a bizarre goal during the tie against Washington, none of these aforementioned players have recorded a point. This is a trend that will continue to grow in concern as the pointless games continue to pile up for these players.

Taking Mogilny’s place in the lineup for tomorrow’s contest against the Devils will probably be Tom Fitzgerald who recently recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in training camp.

The Leafs better find a way to start to score goals quickly as a poor road trip could land them in quite a deep hole in the eastern conference standings by the time they return home on October 25 to face the Washington Capitals.