Ride Captain Ride

Facing another must win game to tie their Eastern Conference semi final series at two wins each, the Maple Leafs did not back down from their latest challenge. Mats Sundin, who has improved steadily with each game he has played in since returning to the lineup, was tonight’s catalyst as he netted two goals and came a crossbar from getting a hat trick. After his team fell down to an early one goal deficit, Sundin picked his teammates up on his back and as any captain should, he carried his team to victory.

The Leafs got another strong contribution from their grinders, role players and foot soldiers as they were able to maintain a solid forecheck and a good physical effort throughout the game. Darcy Tucker scored his second goal in two games and seems to be getting his scoring touch back. One of the key factors for the Leafs tying this series has been the good effort from these aforementioned groups of players. The Leafs, especially in the last two games, have been getting secondary scoring from players like Ponikarovsky, Tucker, Domi and Kilger to help complement the always strong outputs from players like Mogilny and Sundin. Conversely, the Flyers have not been getting much scoring from anybody and this includes their big scorers like Recchi, Roenick, Primeau, Handzus and LeClair.

Ed Belfour had a strong game as usual for the Leafs as he made numerous key saves to keep the Leafs in the game early on in the first period. After falling down 1-0, Belfour made a remarkable save by reaching back behind his body and saving the day for the Maple Leafs when a second Flyers goal may have put the Leafs in a hole too deep to climb out.

The Leafs will now travel to Philadelphia for game five on Sunday afternoon. The Leafs must win a game in Philadelphia in order to advance past the Flyers so logically, it would be best if the Leafs won game five and returned home in a position to finish the Flyers off.

Ole Ole – Go Habs Go

The Montreal Canadiens’ season came to an end this evening at the hands of a 3-1 Tampa Bay Lightning win giving the Lightning a 4-0 series sweep. The Canadiens, however, should be commended for their exceptional and determined play all season long. After facing a 3-1 series deficit in the first round against Boston, the Canadiens, who could easily have packed it in at that point, refused to give up and eventually fought back to win that series in seven games; a feat which few had thought possible.

Coming into the regular season many thought the Canadiens were a long shot even to make the playoffs at all. Instead, they responded to these pessimists with a solid regular season in which they finished comfortably in seventh spot in the very competitive Eastern Conference. A team that did not have a direction at the beginning of the year turned themselves into a serious contender and feared opponent by the end of the season. Along the way, they provided fans, not just in Montreal but hockey fans all over the country, with some very memorable moments, many of which came out of the Heritage Classic Game in Edmonton. The Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers showed us the way hockey was meant to be played and most importantly, they showed us how much hockey means to Canada. From the Hall of Famers sweeping the ice during breaks in their game in the afternoon to the superstars toughing it out and providing a superb game in freezing conditions at night to Jose Theodore satisfying all the hockey moms in the world by wearing a toque over his helmet, the Canadiens gave hockey fans one of the most memorable and feel-good days of hockey in recent memory.

Despite being swept by Tampa Bay, the Canadiens fought hard right until the end, never giving up on the chance of coming back in the series. Congratulations Montreal on a great season filled with wonderful memories, determined efforts and for showing true Montreal Canadiens spirit right until the end. Go Habs go!

Leafs Get Back Into Series With Gutsy Win

With their backs up against the wall facing a must win situation, the Maple Leafs put forth their best effort of the playoffs in the most important game of the year thus far. Several players who had been struggling in the playoffs came through with huge performances to help get the Leafs back into contention in their Eastern Conference Semi Final matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. With one big game out of the way with a successful outcome in the bag, the Leafs face another game of equal importance tomorrow as they will look to tie the series at two wins each.

Alex Mogilny looked as dangerous as he has looked in this year’s playoffs. Mogilny was playing very physically and was creating some excellent scoring chances. He eventually got the Leafs on the board first with a beautiful breakaway goal midway through the second period. Darcy Tucker and Alexei Ponikarovsky also netted their first goals of the postseason while contributing to the Leafs physical attack of the Flyers.

The Maple Leafs did several things much better last night which eventually helped them come out on top by a score of 4-1. They were able to physically outwork the Flyers in the corners and win battles for loose pucks which helped to get successful forechecking started. Players who typically do not play a physical game were doing so last night inspiring all of their teammates to play hard. Alex Mogilny and Aki Berg were among the most noticeable non-physical players throwing their weight around along with the usual cast of gritty characters including Darcy Tucker, Gary Roberts, Tie Domi and Wade Belak who was inserted into the lineup for last night’s game.

The Leafs also made a conscious effort to go to the front of the net and cause problems infront of Flyer netminder, Robert Esche. The Leafs were rewarded with two goals from going to the net as Alexei Ponikarovsky and Chad Kilger were able to tip point shots past Robert Esche.

With the Leafs home record in the playoffs now at four wins and one loss, they have shown they are taking advantage of home ice. The Leafs must play as determined as they did last night in order to tie the series up in game four. A loss to go down 3-1 would quite likely be a crippling blow so expect to see another strong effort from the Leafs.

Leafs In A Tight Spot With Game 2 Loss

After playing one of their best games of the playoffs last night in which they were able to generate constant offensive chances, the Leafs left the ice experiencing the same feelings that the Senators undoubtedly were feeling in the first round. It seemed like whatever the Maple Leafs tossed at Robert Esche was not good enough as they could only net one goal on a great deflection by Tie Domi. The Leafs outshot an opponent for the first time this playoff season but ended up losing the game by a score of 2-1.

The Leafs now sit in a bit of a predicament down two games in their best of seven series. Coming home for the next two games, the Leafs will need to win both games in order to have a chance of advancing past the Philadelphia Flyers. Having played one of their best games of the postseason, hopefully the Maple Leafs will be able to build upon what they were able to accomplish last night throwing some quality shots on the net that only resulted in better saves from Esche.

Mats Sundin made his return to the lineup and played fairly well despite looking noticeably slower than normal. Sundin, though not at full strength, gave the Leafs a good boost offensively helping to create some chances with his strength down low. The Leafs really struggled last night on the power play failing to score when given opportunities at key times in the game. An improved power play is one aspect the Leafs must improve if they hope to come back against the Flyers.

The Leafs will now have two days off before game three on Wednesday, hopefully allowing enough time for Joe Nieuwendyk to recuperate and return to the lineup.

Leafs Drop First Game of Second Round

The Leafs came into Philadelphia last night, after having just finished a tough seven game series against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday evening and played a well rested Flyers team that had been off since Saturday. While the game was fairly close in the first two periods, the Leafs clearly looked physically tired in the third period and were unable to generate any quality scoring chances to tie the game. The Flyers eventually got the insurance goal near the end of the third period putting the game out of reach.

If last night’s game showed the Leafs anything, it showed them they can definitely compete with the Flyers. They certainly were not overmatched physically, in fact, for the most part, the Flyers were unable to push the Leafs around as seriously as one may have expected. The Leafs were at a large disadvantage playing a well rested team. The two teams will now meet only once twice in the next six nights giving the teams a few days to rest and recuperate. These rest days will likely benefit the Leafs more as their older players can really use the rest. Also, if the series goes long enough, there is a possibility that both Sundin and Nolan could return which would give the Leafs a big boost.

The Leafs got two early power plays before the game was three minutes old; however, they were not able to score on either of them. Had the Leafs been able to put one past Robert Esche, it may have given them a little extra energy to get through the game and perhaps win it. A good sign was the seemingly improved play of Alex Mogilny. He scored one goal and had a few other chances including a shot off the goal post, while displaying a bit more of a spring to his step.

This is a game that could have gone either way; the result depended on which team got the breaks. The Flyers did and so they hold a 1-0 series lead, but fear not Maple Leaf fans, the Leafs will be a much more rested and determined team on Sunday. This will be a long series.

Here Is What You Think!

After conducting our round two predictions pole, here is what you think will transpire in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jeff In Toronto

Montreal in 7
Leafs in 6
Detroit in 7
Colorado in 6


Matt In Toronto

Toronto Over Phily
Tampa Over Montreal
San Jose Over Colorado
Calgary Over Detriot


Greg In Toronto
Philiadelphia vs. Toronto
Philly in 5. Unless Belfour keeps up his stellar play this will be a short series.

Tampa Bay vs. Montreal
Tampa in 6. Tampa plays a similar style of hockey with Montreal just better. No upset here

Detroit vs. Calgary
Detroit in 6. Calgary just does not match up to the firepower of the might Red Wings.

San Jose vs. Colorado.
San Jose in 7. There is a reason why San Jose finished second in the Western Conference, because their that good. Goaltending will be the deciding factor.

Readers Picks

Email daveintoronto.blogspot.com with some of your second round predictions by clicking on the “Email Me” link to the right of the page in the links list. Pick the winners of the second round series and perhaps who you think will go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. On Thursday, I will post an article of some of the predictions we receive. Be sure to mention your first name and city so that I can include it with your opinions and picks.

Second Round Playoff Predictions

Eastern Conference
After the first round of the playoffs, several very strong teams which could have gone all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals were knocked out of playoff contention. The New Jersey Devils, a team that always seems to be competitive in the springtime, went down to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games. The Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, two teams that some had predicted would win the Stanley Cup, also lost out in the quarter finals succumbing to the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively, both in seven game series. The New Islanders lost out to the Tampa Bay Lightning; however, the Islanders were never really considered serious contenders.

Tampa Bay Lightning (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (7)
After locking up top spot in the Eastern Conference guaranteeing themselves a playoff series with the number eight seed, the Tampa Bay Lightning easily disposed of the New Islanders in a relatively painless five game series. The Lightning come into this series with a great deal of speed and skill from some of the best young players in the game including Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. They also have some excellent playoff experience brought forth by Dave Andreychuk. Despite their excellent regular season and strong first round of the playoffs, the Lightning really have not faced any adversity this season which causes one to wonder how they will react to a curve thrown their way. It could be anything from a key injury to a controversial call.

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off an emotional high defeating the heavily favoured Boston Bruins in game seven on the road. This achievement is made even more remarkable as they pulled off this upset after falling to a 3-1 series deficit. Until this season, fighting back after being down 3-1 in a playoff series is something the Canadiens had never done in the long and illustrious history of their franchise. The Canadiens played strong defensively, especially in the latter games of the series. Despite a shaky start from Jose Theodore, he really turned up his level of play in games five, six and seven. Recently acquired Alex Kovalev, who was more than abysmal in the handful of games he played for Montreal in the regular season, came up with huge contributions late in the series finishing tied for the lead in first round scoring with five goals. Saku Koivu played with heart and determination that one would expect from players born in Canada. While being continually tossed about the ice by a much bigger Bruins team, Koivu refused to let his team loose. He finished tied for the lead in first round scoring with ten points. Look for Montreal to win this series in seven games.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (4)
Both teams are experiencing the absence of some very important players in their lineup going into this second round match up. The Flyers are without arguably their best defender in Eric Desjardins and power play specialist Kim Johnsson. The Leafs still say Mats Sundin is unlikely for the first game of the series and Owen Nolan remains sidelined with a knee injury although he is expecting to return in ten to fourteen days should the series last that long. The Flyers finished their series against the New Jersey Devils in five games while the Leafs had to grind it out in seven games against the Ottawa Senators so the Flyers will benefit from a few extra days off.

The Flyers have big forwards that enjoy going to the front of the net to either screen the goalie or shovel in rebounds. This is something the Ottawa Senators seemed to avoid at all costs; therefore, the Leafs will have to make an adjustment to their defensive plan of attack. The Leafs clearly posses the upper hand in goal with Ed Belfour coming off one of his most brilliant goaltending performances of his career. Though Robert Esche played well in his playoff debut, he has not faced any adversity and has little experience.

If the Leafs can keep the front of the net clear for Belfour to work his magic and can keep their offence going from game seven, they certainly have a good chance to knock off the Flyers. Look for the Leafs to win in six games.


Western Conference
In the Western Conference, several strong teams were eliminated from contention. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars went down far easier than anyone would have expected to the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, perhaps showing that they were not as good as many may have thought they were. The Vancouver Canucks were upset by a hungry Calgary Flames team. Nashville gave Detroit a tough series but the Red Wings eventually won out in six games.


Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Calgary Flames (6)
The Detroit Red Wings avoided any first round humiliation this season by eliminating the Nashville Predators in six games. However, Nashville came within a few breaks of taking this series from the Red Wings perhaps showing that Detroit can be beaten by hard work and determination, two qualities the Calgary Flames certainly posses. The Flames just came off their first series win since 1989 in a thrilling overtime victory on Canucks ice in game seven. The Flames are getting clutch goaltending from Miikka Kiprusoff and exceptional leadership out of their captain Jarome Iginla, who finished tied in first round scoring along with Alex Kovalev and Joe Nieuwendyk with five goals. While Detroit will be favoured in this series, it will be a far more competitive series than many people will think. Look for the Flames to win in seven games.

San Jose Sharks (2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (4)
The Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues in commanding fashion showing many people that they are not to be taken lightly. Their goaltending has been solid and they have been getting decent offensive production. Colorado played extremely well in their first round match up defeating their opponent, the Dallas Stars, easily as well. Look for the Sharks to win in seven games.

Leafs Send Senators Home Wondering

For the fourth time in as many tries, the Toronto Maple Leafs have ended the Ottawa Senators season, this time with a convincing game seven victory at Air Canada Centre. By now the Senators must be thinking what they must do to beat the Maple Leafs. All the hype going into the game was whether or not Mats Sundin would skate out with his teammates for the biggest game of the season but following the conclusion of the game which was played without Sundin, all the excitement of the Leafs Nation was pouring out onto the streets of downtown Toronto to celebrate the Maple Leafs victory in the Battle of Ontario IV.

The Maple Leafs got off to a great start in the game by putting two goals on the scoreboard by the ten minute mark of the first period. By the time the end of the first arrived, the Leafs had built their lead to 3-0. Ottawa would net a quick goal themselves early in the second period to cut the score to 3-1 but the Leafs defensive attack took over for the rest of the game not allowing the Senators any hope of salvaging the game. Ed Belfour was again spectacular making thirty six saves, many of them coming at key times in the game. Bryan McCabe would at an insurance marker in the third period to give the Leafs a 4-1 victory and thrust them into a second round match up with the daunting Philadelphia Flyers.

All players in tonight’s Leafs’ lineup made a solid contribution to the victory. As a team, the Leafs undisputedly played their best game of the series and again made it very clear why the Senators will never have any postseason success with their current lineup. The Leafs were without their best player in Mats Sundin and Alex Mogilny is in the midst of a heavy slump. The Leafs do not live or die with their marquee players though as the Senators do. In a game where it was clear right from the beginning that the Leafs were not going to get huge performances out of their “goal scorers”, their foot-soldiers and heart and character players took over. The fourth line of Robert Reichel, Tie Domi and Chad Kilger was outstanding producing the Leafs’ first and fourth goals. Joe Nieuwendyk, who is playing like a twenty-five year old, made a huge contribution with two goals. Guys like Reichel, Fitzgerald, Antropov and Ponikarovsky were outstanding on the penalty kill. All the little things from the “lesser known” players allowed the Maple Leafs to jump past a Senators team that still lacks these types of players after having that fact shoved in their face for the last five seasons.

The Maple Leafs will now take on the Philadelphia Flyers in their Eastern Conference Semi Finals matchup beginning on Thursday night

Sens Win Double OT Thriller

For most of game six, it looked as though the Leafs were guaranteed a spot in the second round. The Senators, as in game five, were unable to get any kind of offensive attack going against a Leafs team that seemed content to sit back on their one goal lead and hold on until the end of the game.

Five minutes into the third period, Zdeno Chara tied the game for the Senators on a bad angle shot from the corner that squeaked in on the short side of Ed Belfour. Despite a couple of chances at the end of regulation, the Leafs were unable to get another goal to retake the lead. In overtime, the Senators got the majority of the quality scoring chances and eventually netted the winner seconds into the second overtime period.

A game seven that will decide the Battle of Ontario IV is now set for Tuesday at Air Canada Centre. Theoretically, this is why the Leafs won a big game on the road in their last regular season game so that they could play another big game at home. Indeed, home ice advantage is always a benefit in a game seven where the crowd can certainly have a large impact on the result of the game.

In order to be successful in the seventh game, the Leafs, who will likely be without Mats Sundin, must again play strong defensively and wait for their chances to come. They must; however, shoot more often when they get a chance at the Senators goal. Being outshot heavily in this series, the Leafs must concentrate on going to the net to help capitalize on any chance they get. They will also need a strong performance from Ed Belfour as they are not likely to score a lot of goals.

Leafs Jump Ahead In Battle of Ontario

Just when you least expect it, the Maple Leafs jump up and steal games that they, theoretically, have no business winning. With all star centre Mats Sundin out of the lineup with a reported hip injury suffered in game four, going into game five against a Senators team that had picked up a lot of confidence and momentum with their convincing win in the last game did not seem to be a very good situation for the Maple Leafs. However, as they did two years ago in the playoffs with Sundin not in the lineup, the team rose to the challenge and shut the Senators down to jump ahead to a 3-2 series lead.

With Sundin out of the lineup, it looked as though the Leafs really attempted to simplify the game and concentrate on doing the little things on the defensive side of the game that can help to win games. Each player stepped and made a strong contribution in game five by doing the things that they are good at. Nobody tried to start a run and gun style of game against a Senators team that surely would have beaten them if the Leafs had given them enough room to manoeuvre. The Maple Leafs also did a fairly good job of cutting down on the time spent in the penalty box, especially Nik Antropov who managed to go the entire game without taking a penalty.

The game was extremely tight checking and conservatively played by both teams throughout the first two periods. In fact, the Leafs had only managed six shots after forty minutes of play. In the third, Tie Domi caught an early break as his shot deflected off Senators’ netminder, Patrick Lalime’s pad and hit Bryan Smolinski’s skate redirecting it into the Senators goal for a 1-0 lead. The Leafs seemed to intensify their tight checking style on this night after that goal allowing the Senators few quality scoring chances down the stretch. The play opened up as Ottawa defensemen continued to pinch into the offence attempting to create chances. Tomas Kaberle and Joe Nieuwendyk took advantage of this extra space on a two on one with five minutes left as the two combined for the insurance marker for the Leafs. With that goal, the Leafs have won three games in this series, each by a score of 2-0.

Several lineup changes were made for tonight’s game as well. Mikael Renberg, Mats Sundin and Calle Johansson were scratched in favour of Joe Nieuwendyk, Matt Stajan and Aki Berg, each of whom had strong games. The Leafs will now travel back to Ottawa for game six on Sunday night with the opportunity to wrap up the series with the Senators.

Senators Tie Series; Leafs Loose Sundin

Nearing the end of the first period of game four holding a 2-1 series lead, a 1-0 lead in the game and playing infront of a goaltender who had not allowed a goal for over seven periods of hockey, everything seemed to be in order for the Maple Leafs to bring the Senators to their knees in the series with a win in game four.

With a faceoff in the Leafs’ zone late in the first period, everything came tumbling down. The puck was won back to the corner where it was thrown around the boards for Tomas Kaberle who miss played it allowing the Senators to start a forecheck. He let his man, Daniel Alfredsson, go to the net and a quick pass from behind the goal was tapped in for the game tying marker. This goal probably could not have come at a worse time for the Leafs. Had they taken the lead into the first intermission, the Senators would likely have been very discouraged after again outplaying the Leafs but coming out on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Instead, this goal allowed them to gain confidence and saw them come out like a team determined to tie the series. The Leafs were unable to generate any kind of a response to the Senators’ energized play and consequently lost by a score of 4-1.

The Leafs medical room is suddenly beginning to fill up again as well. Joe Nieuwendyk did not start tonight’s game and had flown back to Toronto earlier this afternoon with what is thought to be a recurrence of his back pain. Darcy Tucker got banged around as well tonight and is clearly labouring in pain despite showing incredible determination and heart which he should be commended for. He left midway through the third period with an undisclosed injury. Perhaps the most concerning injury though was the apparent knee or ankle injury Sundin suffered in the third period after sliding heavily into the boards. Sundin did not return after struggling to the bench but did walk out of the Corel Centre on his own after the game. It is tough to speculate as to what might be wrong as it could be anything from a bad sprain or twist which would be a good scenario to something terrible like ligament damage which most certainly would spell the end of Sundin’s season. Not to be forgotten is Owen Nolan who is also on the shelf with a knee injury.

Loosing Sundin for a great length of time would be a huge blow to the Leafs as they have not been getting production from any other lines. Whether or not Sundin is out of the lineup, more players must step up and contribute offensively or the worst could be in sight.

The Leafs will return home for game five and try to retake the lead of the series on Friday.

Eddie Shut The Door, Thirty Seven Times

After the first two games of the Battle of Ontario IV, many thought the series would go seven games before being decided. The first two games displayed the strong qualities of both teams which made it look very unlikely for one team to pull ahead from the other and win the series in five or six games. However, after game three of the series last night in Ottawa, Eddie Belfour looked as though he may be intent on a few extra days of rest in between series.

The Leafs were defeated handily on the shot clock thirty seven to seventeen but won on the scoreboard by a score of 2-0 thanks to perfect goaltending from Belfour. After Joe Nieuwendyk got the Leafs on the board first in last night’s game, Belfour took over making many saves on both initial and secondary chances. The Leafs hung on to their one goal lead until the 14:16 mark of the third period when Mats Sundin potted an insurance marker through the legs of Patrick Lalime.

Making matters even worse for the Senators, their league leading power play during the regular season has gone dry going zero for nine in the past two games. Helping that out was the Leafs’ improved discipline avoiding lousy penalties. Apart from an early hooking call on Nik Antropov, the Maple Leafs did a fairly good job of staying out of the penalty box. With the hooking call; however, Antropov has now picked up at least one minor penalty in each game of the series, something he must concentrate on stopping. The Leafs do not want to give up any power play chances to an Ottawa team with such a potent power play.

The Leafs will take on the Senators in game four of their Eastern Conference quarter finals match up on Wednesday where they could find themselves in the driver’s seat with a win.

More of Your Opinions

The following article is submitted by Matt in Toronto.

In a game where Leaf fans everywhere were dreading an unimaginable home game sweep by the Sens, all eyes turned to the return of Darcy Tucker and Ken Klee, to spark a renewed fire behind the Leafs. In game two, the Leafs showed up to play, and used Tucker’s return to spark better physical and defensive play. As well much credit must go to the gritty heart-filled play of Gary Roberts who last night found his scoring touch, notching two goals.

The Leafs however cannot consider this a huge step forward from last game; for much deception of improvement is in fact the result of the best playoff performance we have had by Eddie Belfour since joining the team. Eddie stopped all shots for his first shutout as a Leaf as well.

Like every hockey nut knows, to win you need your best players to be your best players; and last night this was the case for the leafs. Aside for Alexander Mogilny, who has pretty much been a shadow this series thus far; Gary Roberts, Mats Sundin, and Belfour found there A-games, and brought them last night.

The Leafs came away with an impressive victory blanking the Sens, yet still have room to improve before heading to Ottawa. The Leafs penalty kill was much better last night but most of this is due to the play of Belfour. If the Leafs are going to hope to win this series because of anything more then Belfour’s play, the Leafs will have to step up there penalty kill and try and control the speed the Senators have shown.

Heading back to Ottawa the Leafs must now look to take back home ice advantage, and look to play the firey physical play they showed last night. If the Leafs continue to get the best of Belfour, and continue to improve, Ottawa will be pulling out the clubs and heading down the fairways in no time.

Leafs Even Up The Series

In recent memory there has not been a game where three players made such integral contributions to the success of the Maple Leafs. The leadership of this veteran group of players really came through when it was clear the Maple Leafs were in desperate need of a win.

Gary Roberts started to take on his one man wrecking crew persona he had two season ago when he basically single handily won the series between Toronto and Ottawa in the second round of the playoffs. Tonight, he exhibited his unwillingness to be defeated all throughout the game especially early on. His early goal and determined forechecking helped his teammates realize they could either help out or he was going to do it all by himself. Roberts scored twice and helped propel his team to a victory to even the best of seven series at one game a piece.

Darcy Tucker made his return to the Leafs lineup after an extended absence with an abdominal strain; however, it was difficult to tell it was his first game back. He certainly was not staying on the outside as he came away with two black eyes for his efforts on the forecheck in tonight’s game. Playing on a line with Mats Sundin and Gary Roberts, Tucker really seemed to energize the line and pick them out of their slump they were in during game one.

Ed Belfour was absolutely sensational tonight making thirty one saves, most of which were of the difficult variety. Belfour was on top of his game bailing the Leafs out of every chance they gave up to the Senators. Perhaps his best stop was off Daniel Alfredsson in the third period when Belfour picked out his shot with his glove from no more than ten feet away. That save could well have been the turning point of the game as it would have given Ottawa a lot of energy and momentum with lots of time still left.

The Leafs will look to take the lead in the series on Monday when the two teams will meet in Ottawa for game three of this, so far, excellent match up.

Poor Effort Leaves Leafs Down A Game In The Series

Many fans would have been willing to put money on the Leafs in game one of this series. Surely they would come out like a determined group of veterans, stick to their game plan and avoid lousy penalties that could cost them the game, right? Wrong. Instead, all the small things like forechecking, discipline and good skating that the team was doing very well down the final stretch of the season seemed to just mysteriously disappear. The Maple Leafs put forth a very poor effort and got away from their game plan allowing the Ottawa Senators execute theirs to perfection in the first game of this series.

Over the last few games of the season, the Leafs had really paid good attention to their discipline problems and had managed to curb their overwhelming excess of needless penalties. They really got away from that tonight at just the wrong time and despite some of the calls from the referees being questionable, the Leafs took too many penalties that were clearly their own decisions to commit.

The Leafs failed to generate enough scoring chances on Patrick Lalime who was making his return to the lineup after hurting his knee eleven days ago in Toronto. The Leafs managed only seventeen shots and maybe four good scoring chances, certainly not enough to give Lalime any kind of difficult time in his return to the lineup.

Perhaps the most concerning aspect that was lacking from the Leafs’ game tonight was their unwillingness to go into the corner and possibly take a hit to dig the puck out and clear it from the defensive zone. There were far too many guys, Kaberle, Berg and Johansson most notably, who were just gliding in and poking at the puck before pealing off to avoid being hit. In the playoffs where so much is at stake, this kind of play is intolerable as it makes it far too easy for the opposition to generate scoring chances.

The Leafs will be back at it for game two on Saturday night. It will be a must win game for the team as falling down 2-0 and heading back to Ottawa would put the Leafs in a very tough situation. Looking back on the Leafs uncanny ability to bounce back after poor efforts, look for the Leafs to come out with a much more determined effort on Saturday night.

What You Said

In response to an article posted last Sunday, here are your opinions on the outcomes of the eight series making up this season's first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Jeff in Toronto
East
Leafs - Sens
Leafs in seven. Home ice advantage will pay off in the seventh game.

Devils - Flyers
Devils in six. Brodeur will prove to be the deciding factor.

Lightning - Islanders
Tampa in six.

Bruins - Canadiens
Boston in seven. I hate to predict this, but I don't know if Montreal can pull it off.

West
Avalanche - Stars
Avs in six.

Canucks - Flames
Vancouver in five.

Sharks - Blues
Blues in seven

Wings - Predators
Detroit in six. This is really the only series where an upset could happen.

Greg in Toronto
Detroit in 5
Calgary in 7
San Jose in 6
Colorado in 7
Leafs in 7
Montreal in 6
Tampa in 6
Philadelphia in 6

Gary in Toronto
Western Conference:
Detroit over Nashville
San Jose over St. Louis
Vancouver over Calgary
Dallas over Colorado

Eastern Conference:
Tampa over New York
Montreal over Boston
New Jersey over Philadelphia
Toronto over Ottawa

Gregg in Toronto
Ottawa in 7
Philadelphia in 6
Tampa in 4
Boston in 5

Detroit in 4
Colorado in 6
San Jose in 5
Calgary in 7

Steve in Toronto
Wings in 6
Sharks in 7
Vancouver in 5
Colorado in 5
Tampa in 4
Bruins in 6
New Jersey in 7
Leafs in 5

What Do You Say

Email daveintoronto.blogspot.com with some of your playoff predictions by clicking on the “Email Me” link to the right of the page in the links list. Pick the winners of the first round series and perhaps who you think will go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. On Wednesday, I will post an article of some of the predictions we receive. Be sure to mention your first name and city so that we can include it with your opinions and picks.

Western Conference Playoff Predictions

For the first year in a quite a while, the Western Conference as a whole looks weaker than the Eastern Conference which is why the Stanley Cup winner will likely come from the East this year. There are simply too many question marks in the West and too many teams who have unproven players in key positions. Let’s take a look at this year’s first round playoffs match ups with conference seeding in brackets.

Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Nashville Predators (8)
After last season’s humiliating loss to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the Red Wings will certainly not be taking the Nashville Predators lightly. Detroit has been guaranteed a playoff position for quite a while and have not played too many important games in the last two months. This is probably the only thing the Nashville Predators have going for them as they have been in a dog fight all year for a playoff position. Detroit’s only question mark (and it’s a big one) is in goal. With Dominek Hasek long gone, Curtis Joseph with a wonky ankle and Manny Legace coming off a few shaky starts, it will be interesting to see who Coach Dave Lewis will start in game one. Look for Detroit to win in five games.

San Jose Sharks (2) vs. St. Louis Blues (7)
This could be one of the best series in the first round of the playoffs. The Sharks have exceeded all expectations this season by winning the Pacific Division after missing the playoffs last season. The St. Louis Blues have underachieved all year but seem to be coming together at just the right time. The Sharks’ overachieving and the Blues’ underachieving should average out to a hard fought series between two very solid hockey teams. Look for this series to go seven games with the Blues winning it.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. Calgary Flames (6)
Here are two teams that both want it really bad. Vancouver wants to redeem themselves after a humiliating collapse in last year’s playoffs which saw them surrender a three to one series lead to the Minnesota Wild. They also want to show the rest of the hockey world that they did not fall apart after the Todd Bertuzzi incident. The Calgary Flames have not been in the playoffs since 1995. In a hockey city like Calgary, it was nine years of agony for the fans. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is a big reason why the Flames qualified for this season’s playoffs. Jarome Iginla finished in a three way tie for the Rocket Richard Trophy and he will be counted on to do the bulk of the scoring. As Iginla goes so do the Flames. The Canucks have much more depth up front with players like Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, Geoff Sanderson, Martin Rucinsky and the Sedin twins. Look for Vancouver to win this series in six games.

Colorado Avalanche (4) vs. Dallas Stars (5)
This is another series where one really good team will have their season cut short. Both teams are candidates to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup final. The Avalanche have underachieved this season and have a big question mark in goal. The Stars have struggled as well but have played much better of late and have arguably the better goalie. Look for this series to go seven games with the Stars winning it.

Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions

This season saw one of the tightest races for the top eight positions in the Eastern Conference in years. The top six positions were separated by only five points. Six teams in the Eastern Conference had over one hundred points with the sixth place team, the New Jersey Devils, finishing with an even one hundred. It will be difficult to classify any upsets this season as all eight teams have an opportunity to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup final. Let’s take a look at this year’s first round playoffs match ups with conference seeding in brackets.

Tampa Bay Lightning (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
The Tampa Bay Lightning just capped off a franchise season winning the Eastern Conference with one hundred and six points. They have one of the most riveting young players in the game in Martin St. Louis, who will win this year’s Art Ross Trophy and will also be a serious candidate for the Hart Trophy. The Lightning have one of the best veteran players in the game as well in Dave Andreychuk who finished the season with twenty one goals, his nineteenth twenty goal season. The only possible question mark for the Lightning will be in goal as Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame have not proven themselves to be solid netminders deep into the playoffs. The Islanders will play a very tight checking game out of necessity as they lack the kind of offensive firepower Tampa Bay has. Look for Tampa Bay to win this series in five games.

Boston Bruins (2) vs. Montreal Canadiens (7)
The Boston Bruins just capped off their second Northeast Division title in three years and have surprised many with their outstanding play this season. Andrew Raycroft, who is one of the best young goalies in the league, has filled the hole many thought they had in goal extremely well. He is also a serious candidate for the Calder Trophy. When they are healthy, Joe Thornton, Glen Murray and Mike Knuble give the Boston Bruins one of the best lines in the league; however, Thornton recently injured his wrist and his status for game one is still up in the air. The Montreal Canadiens also have some outstanding young players of their own. Michel Ryder has led all rookies this season in scoring and will challenge Raycroft for the Calder Trophy. Jose Theodore has proven he can be a game breaking goalie, something Raycroft has not done yet. Many Montreal players who had been in a slump had a breakout game offensively last night against Buffalo and it could not have come at a better time. The Canadiens will need strong contributions from their best players if they have intentions of moving on to the next round. Look for this series to go seven games with the Montreal Canadiens moving onto the second round.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) vs. New Jersey Devils (6)
New Jersey has one of the two best netminders in the game right now in Martin Brodeur. He can steal a series on his own if he gets in a groove. Despite being the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Devils have struggled at times this year, especially with their offensive production. Patrick Elias, Scott Gomez and Scott Niedermayer will be counted on heavily to produce the bulk load of the scoring for the Devils. The Flyers have a big question mark in goal which may lead to their downfall. In Sean Burke, they have a goaltender who has played so-so since coming over from Phoenix and has not won a playoff round in over thirteen years. In Robert Esche, the have a goaltender who has approximately thirty minutes of playoff experience. The Flyers have a number of guys who can put the puck in the net but, as a team, they are nowhere near as good as New Jersey at team defense. Look for New Jersey to win this series in six games.

Toronto Maple Leafs (4) vs. Ottawa Senators (5)
Well, here we go again. This is the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams in the last five years. The Leafs have won all three previous meetings and there is no reason why they should not win the fourth. They have one of the best teams they have had in years. Ed Belfour is a big game goalie and is one of three goalies in this year’s playoffs to have won a Stanley Cup. A potent offensive attack mixed in with a solid defensive core gives the Leafs an excellent shot at this year’s Stanley Cup. The Senators have not proven they can consistently go deep into the playoffs and when they have gone deep, they have choked. Until they start producing consistently in the playoffs, it will be tough to consistently pick them to win playoff series. Look for the Maple Leafs to win this series in six games.

Leafs Lock Up Home Ice; Loose Out On Northeast Title

For everybody who thought yesterday’s match up between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators would be a playoff preview, it was indeed just that. With a commanding 6-0 win against the Senators, the Maple Leafs locked up home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs but lost out on the opportunity of winning the Northeast Division as the Boston Bruins defeated the New Jersey Devils this afternoon jumping ahead of the Leafs to win the division.

Since the humiliating 7-2 loss to Tampa Bay on home ice on March 23rd, the Maple Leafs have redoubled the attention paid to defense. In the last five games after that loss to conclude the regular season, the Leafs have allowed only four goals in those five games, while mixing in three shutouts against Boston, Buffalo and Ottawa. The defensemen have done an excellent job of identifying their assignments and the forwards, especially in the last two games, have made a real solid commitment to backchecking in their own zone to help break up quality scoring chances. Solid team defense is essential to success in the playoffs and the Leafs seem to have ironed out all the defensive kinks going into game one.

The injury situation for the Leafs also has some optimism as Ken Klee is expected to return to the lineup for the first game of the playoffs. Darcy Tucker may not be ready for the first game but he seems to be targeting somewhere in the middle of the first round for his return. Owen Nolan is still out indefinitely which makes a return to the lineup any earlier than at least until the third round very unlikely. Getting Tucker and Klee back will be a help to the Leafs. Klee has been very dependable on the backend all season and Tucker is the type of player that opponents hate to play against.

The Leafs will begin the playoffs on Thursday night at Air Canada Centre against the Ottawa Senators.

Leafs Win Two in A Row In Buffalo – Are You Kidding Me?

Going into last night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Leafs were faced with a must win situation if they still wanted to entertain thoughts of home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs and maintain an outside chance of winning their division. The Leafs came through with an excellent effort playing solid defensively and took care of the defensive zone first. Chad Kilger eventually scored the game winning goal late in the third period by jamming in a rebound at the side of the goal. In the process, Ed Belfour played tremendously registering his seventy-fourth shutout of his career and his ninth this year. Last night’s win also marked the first time in over ten years the Maple Leafs had won two games in a row in Buffalo.

With last night’s win, the Leafs have the control of home ice advantage in their hands. A win tonight in Ottawa will clinch home ice for the Maple Leafs. To win the division, a win tonight is mandatory. The Leafs would also need some help from the New Jersey Devils by defeating the Bruins in their home and home series that will be played tonight and tomorrow. Last night’s game also marked the end of the road for the Buffalo Sabres as the New York Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes last night clinching themselves a playoff spot.

Yet another major event in last night’s game was that it would be the final regular season game for two of the NHL’s legendary officials. Ray Scampinelo, who officiated his twenty-five hundredth game last night and Terry Gregson will both be retiring at the end of the season. Gregson did his final game last night while Scampinelo will still get a few playoff games to do. It certainly will be different next year without two of the best officials the game has ever seen.

The Leafs will finish out the regular season tonight in Ottawa with home ice advantage and possibly the North East division title on the line.