Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.24

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Just as he did so many times over his thirteen years in Toronto, ending the night as the game’s first star amid thunderous applause from the Air Canada Centre faithful, once more on February 21st, this time as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, Mats Sundin ended the night in familiar storybook fashion to a similar warm ovation, finally allowing him to take a bow on the stage he had owned for so long.

It almost seemed scripted, fairytale like, the kind of moment that has been far too infrequent an occurrence this season at Air Canada Centre. But then, it was the special moments that Mats Sundin specialized in - his 500th NHL goal against the Calgary Flames, in overtime to finish a hat trick effort on October 14th, 2006; his game winning goal in overtime in game one of their first round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators on April 14th, 2001 giving the Leafs a 1-0 win; his goal to send game six of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, a game they would eventually lose, into overtime to prolong the magic just a little bit longer and so many others on his way to becoming the most productive Maple Leaf of all time.

So much was made in the days leading up to his return about whether fans would cheer him or boo him and frankly the fans at Air Canada Centre could not have handled it better. A standing ovation delaying the game several minutes following a tribute on the video board nearly brought Sundin to tears. When he was announced as the game’s first star after scoring the shootout winner, the reaction from the crowd was as if he was still a Leaf. During the play, a few boos to let him know that it was his house no longer.

In the end, a fitting conclusion from a world class player and a classy response for an equally classy player. Well done Toronto, well done Mats and most of all, thank you. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.23

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After seeing Justin Pogge for the fourth time in National Hockey League competition against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night, it is time the Toronto Maple Leafs seriously reassess their goaltending situation, not just presently but over the long term. Through his brief time thus far in the NHL, Pogge has looked exactly the same as he has in the AHL, not very good and certainly nowhere near the “goaltender of the future” moniker that has been placed on his shoulders since he led Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2006.

Earlier in the week, GM Brian Burke indicated that Pogge has not earned the right to be in the NHL but nevertheless the organization wants to take advantage of the fact they are not in contention for a playoff spot and evaluate what they have in Pogge. Despite allowing three goals on his first eight shots against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night, he rebounded in the final two periods allowing just one goal on twenty two shots, drawing praise from Head Coach Ron Wilson for his ability to bare down and recover after a difficult start.

Let’s be honest though, if that is what we are praising about Justin Pogge, it’s really no different than giving everybody a trophy in house league, regardless of winning or losing, so that nobody feels bad.

Now nearing the end of his third year as a professional, he has shown no indication that he is ready to assume full time duties in the NHL next season. If Pogge is indeed the Maple Leafs’ goaltender of the future, it has to be about wins and losses when he is in the net, not small victories like battling hard after a poor start.

Heading into restricted free agency this summer, Brian Burke has a difficult decision to make as he clearly is not happy with where Pogge is in his development as a professional and I think you could confidently say neither is Pogge himself. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.22

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Heading into the season, many prognosticators were suggesting that the Montreal Canadiens, who are commemorating their hundredth year of existence this season, would be the favourite to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. However after getting off to a good start, now two thirds of the way through the season, it appears that something is amiss in Montreal.

Earlier this week, Head Coach Guy Carboneau debuted four new line combinations in an effort to spark his club but instead saw his team lose 7-2 against the Edmonton Oilers – arguably their worst effort of the season.

Alex Tanguay has missed a month and is not scheduled to return until late February. Saku Koivu has lost a step this season and Alexei Kovalev appears to be in the midst of one of his disinterested campaigns. Worst of all, Carey Price is going through a full blown sophomore slump with his confidence as fragile as Robert Lang’s Achilles tendon will be when he returns.

It’s become clear that the Boston Bruins are the class of the Eastern Conference and likely will not be caught by any team before the end of the season. Montreal, however, must now worry about merely securing a playoff spot as they just five points up on the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes. With several gaping holes that have revealed themselves in the Montreal line up over the past few weeks; expect GM Bob Gainey to be an active player at the NHL trade deadline.

The rumors continue that Vincent Lecavalier will end up in a Habs’ sweater by the end of the season and you can be sure that if their play does not improve soon; those rumors will reach a fever pitch until after the NHL’s trade deadline on March 4th.

It would be inconceivable and frankly catastrophic in Montreal if the Canadiens missed the playoffs after being viewed as a serious Stanley Cup contender prior to the season but with all the injuries they are dealing with, not to mention inconsistency in goal, missing the playoffs is certainly not out of the question. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.21

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With the NHL’s Trade Deadline less than a month away, Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke is going to have to face a number of questions regarding personnel on the roster right now that have been being asked even before he took over the job. This trade deadline represents a crossroads for the Maple Leafs that is simply far too important for the future of the franchise for the right things not to be done.

A year ago, a number of inconsequential trades were made by Cliff Fletcher but the real opportunities he had to significantly help the Maple Leafs improve in a shorter amount of time - Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina, Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin – were unable to be moved.

When you hear of some of the deals available for Kaberle that were left on the table – Bobby Ryan and a first round pick from Anaheim or Jeff Carter and a first round pick from Philadelphia - one only begins to wonder what if. If similar scenarios come across Brian Burke’s desk this trade deadline, he cannot afford not to get those deals done.

Burke has already said when he is a seller; he likes to wait as close to the deadline as possible as the closer you wait, the higher the return you often receive.

Nik Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jason Blake, Pavel Kubina, and Tomas Kaberle are prime candidates to be on the move. But don’t be surprised though if lesser thought of targets such as Dominic Moore, Niklas Hagman, or Jeff Finger get included in transactions as well if general managers of contending teams are looking for a little bit more depth.

One thing is for sure though, by the day after the trade deadline, if the future of the Maple Leafs is to be a positive one, the current state of the roster will have to look much different. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.