Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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November 7

Toronto Sun

"You have to go way back to late February to find the last time the Maple Leafs swept back-to-back games. Beating the Detroit Red Wings tonight in the Hall Of Fame Game at the Air Canada Centre would accomplish that for the first time this season, but it's obviously a tall order. The Stanley Cup champions/finalists of the past two seasons will be just as motivated as the Leafs, with former teammates Steve Yzerman and Brett Hull among the new Hall inductees to be honoured before the game. "Steve impacted our careers and made us better players," veteran Wings' forward Kris Draper said this morning at the ACC. "We were all fortunate to be with him." Draper said the 2002 title team, in which ..."

Blake hopes for best as Kessel's linemate

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November 7

Toronto Sun

"Jason Blake can't remember ever having played with a linemate who can skate as fast as Phil Kessel. Now the Leafs winger is hoping to get his own game up to speed. The team's leading scorer from 2008-09 got a boost last night with just his second goal of the season. It was a big one at that, coming late in the third period of the team's 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Even better that it was the game-winner for Blake, who led the team in that category last season with five goals. As Kessel works his way back into game shape, might he be the spark Blake needs? "I think it has him celebrating," Blake said with a laugh when asked of the benefits of being on a line with the renowned ..."

Leafs finally grab second victory of season

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November 7

Toronto Star

"Rare as it was, the Maple Leafs hope they achieved more than just a victory here Friday. Mixed amidst the palpable relief at squeaking out just their second win of the season was a belief among the players that this could, finally, be the building block on which they can start to construct a much better stretch of hockey."

Of boys and men

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November 6

Toronto Sun

"Nazem Kadri has the skills of a man and the body of a boy. So, just imagine, Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson said yesterday, if the organization had opted to keep Kadri at the NHL level. What if some bruising veteran had wallpapered the Leafs' first-round pick from this past June? Would it be any different from the scenario in which Erie's Michael Liambas, 20, crushed the Kitchener Rangers' Ben Fanelli, 16, earning a season-long suspension from the Ontario Hockey League? From the standpoint of men playing with boys, Wilson says no. Make no mistake. Wilson is not commenting on the incident itself, one that left Fanelli with a fractured skull and broken orbital bone. But in response to the ..."

The battle for 29th

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November 6

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"The basement door is open, with a sliver of light peeking through the crack. The Maple Leafs can see it. An escape from the NHL outhouse is there for the taking. All that is needed is a victory tonight over the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center in Raleigh and the Leafs will find themselves in 29th spot in a 30-team league. Hey, folks, you have to learn how to crawl before you walk. And for the Leafs, mired at the bottom of the standings since the beginning of the season, any step up is monumental right now. If you want to nit-pick, the Leafs, tied at seven points with the free-falling Hurricanes, technically are ahead of Paul Maurice's club because Toronto holds a game in hand. ..."

Injuries, losses piling up for Maurice's 'Canes

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November 6

Toronto Sun

"With all due lack of respect to their opponent tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes wake up this morning as the worst team in the NHL. From the Eastern Conference final to the bottom of the standings in five short months, the 'Canes face the Maple Leafs at the RBC Center, rocked and woozy from a horrid 10-game losing streak. "We just have to keep working on what's not working," Carolina coach Paul Maurice said following the team's morning practice yesterday. "When you have a problem, you can complain or you can try to fix it. "Having this start, coming off where we were, in the final four .... that's where it's unacceptable." How bad is it? Carolina is at the bottom of the standings (tied ..."

Hurricanes try to weather storm

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November 6

Toronto Star

"Definitive statements by any member of the Maple Leafs' brass have a way of sticking, either to haunt or immortalize. So former Leafs coach Paul Maurice understands exactly where he's treading when he dredges up an old ghost to describe the current plight of his Carolina Hurricanes. "I know you're going to mock me for this but I'm going to give it to you anyway," he said Thursday. "Our feeling is that our goal is to make the playoffs and compete for a Stanley Cup.""

Leafs in battle to crawl out of NHL basement

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November 6

Toronto Star

"At least Niklas Hagman smiled just a little when it was mentioned to him that it will have only been two days between monumental sporting events: baseball's World Series clinching game and hockey's Battle for 29th overall. Hey, the Maple Leafs haven't had that much to play for lately and Friday night's game looms large: If they can't beat the Carolina Hurricanes – a team that has lost seven in a row – who can they beat? "It's huge for both teams," said Hagman. "They haven't played that well. We've played fairly well the last few, even though we managed only one win. For us, we've just got to concentrate on our own game, if we can do that I'm confident we can beat anybody in this league."

Mitchell gets shot at centring Kessel, Blake

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November 5

Toronto Sun

"Come to Maple Leafs practice today and you might see Rickard Wallin, Wayne Primeau or even Darryl Sittler centring Phil Kessel. That seems to be the coach Ron Wilson's state of mind about trying new people with the talented right winger, whose career 10-shot night in Tuesday's impressive debut opens up a world of possibilities for the goal-starved club. A day after saying he'd be patient with Matt Stajan in the role, giving he and Kessel some time to create sparks, Wilson put John Mitchell with Kessel and left winger Jason Blake. Wilson saw something in the closing minutes when Mitchell and Kessel were paired. "I like the way Mitchy played last night ... his speed matches up," Wilson ..."

Lightning steal Kessel's thunder

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November 4

Toronto Star

"Phil Kessel may have been gasping for air after he finished his 23:50 of ice time in his first game back after almost six months. But it was his teammates who were left breathless after his performance, where he led the Leafs with 10 shots and was a force around the Tampa net."

Leafs lose in debut by Phil Kessel

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November 4

Boston Herald

"Ryan Malone scored at 2:21 of overtime last night, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory in Toronto and spoiling the Maple Leafs debut of Phil Kessel. Kessel received a loud ovation each time he touched the puck. Acquired by the Maple Leafs in a September trade with the Bruins for two first-round picks and a second-round selection, he had been sidelined while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The speedy 22-year-old looked strong on the puck and showed no fear going into the corners when he had to. Kessel, who signed a $27 million, five-year deal after he was acquired, took Jiri Tlusty's spot in the lineup. The winger was not-so-warmly welcomed back into action by Lightning ..."

Mattias Ohlund's hit gives Tampa Bay Lightning spark in 2-1 OT defeat of Toronto Maple Leafs

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November 4

St. Petersburg Times

"Lightning defenseman Mattias Ohlund said he knew who he had lined up for a bone-crunching check: Phil Kessel, the Maple Leafs' prized free agent in his first game after healing from summer shoulder surgery. But Ohlund, who drove Kessel into the ice with a clean double-punch to the chest, said it wouldn't have mattered who was skating toward him. "We try to play hard, and sometimes you get the right timing and get those hits," Ohlund said. "It wasn't a big deal." Oh, but it was, as a catalyst 13:20 into the game, and as a punctuation mark on Tampa Bay's much-needed 2-1 overtime victory Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre, the team's first win in six road games. "You're looking for guys ..."

Stajan gets first chance centring Kessel

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November 3

Toronto Sun

"Ron Wilson isn't fibbing when he says the best candidate the Maple Leafs have to play centre with new winger Phil Kessel is not likely yet in the NHL. But until Nazem Kadri graduates from junior, the Toronto coach is giving the important assignment to current Leafs, starting with Matt Stajan, tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be Stajan in the middle, Jason Blake on the left side and after a six-week wait, Kessel on the right flank after shoulder surgery and a lot of hype since a trade with Boston. "Matt's the most experienced guy we have, he's been in the league five or six years and he deserves first shot," Wilson said after practice this morning. "He's more of a passer and ..."

Perch on point paying off for Stempniak

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November 3

Toronto Sun

"Tomas Kaberle may have copped NHL "first star of the week" honours, but somewhere along the line Lee Stempniak deserves an assist for the award. Having led the NHL in scoring last week with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in four road games, Kaberle beat out runner-up Pekka Rinne, goaltender with the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who copped third star honours. Lending a helping hand in Kaberle's success was Stempniak, who recorded three goals and three assists in that same four-game period. Many of those points were accrued while manning the point alongside Kaberle on the Leafs power play, which entered play yesterday as the No. 1 unit in the league. ..."

Wilson endorses ban on head shots

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November 3

Toronto Sun

"Ron Wilson feels head shots should be banned, even if contact is made with the shoulder. And that goes for the hit delivered by Andrew Ladd of the Chicago Blackhawks, who flattened an unaware Matt D'Agostini of the Montreal Canadiens during the Hawks' 3-2 victory Friday. "(Ladd) was trying to rip his head off," Wilson, the Maple Leafs coach, said yesterday. "You should not be allowed to target the head. That's not a clean hit.""

Toronto can't lose this contest

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November 3

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Finally, a win for Toronto. With the city's half-dozen professional sports teams in a wee bit of a slump, T.O. clearly has earned the title of Loserville, Canada. But is Toronto in contention to be Loserville, North America? The folks at the Washington Post suggest that their city would put up stiff competition. "As sports towns go, Washington has become Loserville, U.S.A.," Paul Farhi writes. "None of Washington's franchises in the three most popular team sports - football, baseball and basketball - leads in anything except futility.""

Stamkos sizzles in Hogtown

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November 3

Toronto Sun

"A first overall NHL draft pick coming home to Ontario to play the Maple Leafs is a match made in heaven. Or hell, if you're wearing blue and white. In the tradition of Eric Lindros, Dale Hawerchuk and Joe Thornton, here comes Markham-born Steven Stamkos in tonight with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 2008 top pick has 16 points in 12 games and two points in a pair of ACC dates already. "I still have a lot of friends and family coming to the game (about 50 tonight), so it's definitely one I had circled on the calendar," Stamkos told the St. Petersburg Times. "I know there's going to be a lot of media. But having gone though that first year, I kind of know what to expect now.""

Leafs and their history involving first-round picks

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November 3

Toronto Star

"Phil Kessel is no Tom Kurvers, nor is he Mathieu Schneider or Dmitri Yushkevich. But when Kessel finally laces up for the Maple Leafs, he may be haunted by the ghosts of trades past. The Leafs have surrendered first-round picks for all those names, passing on chances at drafting Scott Niedermayer, Roberto Luongo and Dainius Zubrus."

Kaberle NHL's star of the week

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November 3

Toronto Star

"A lot of work has gone into Tomas Kaberle, and that has paid off with him being named the NHL's first star of the week. And much of that work came off the ice. The Leafs defenceman arrived at training camp in the best shape of his career. "He worked hard in the summer, and I told him he's competing hard in the offensive zone," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. "We can put him in every situation now. I told him last year I didn't think his conditioning was good enough, and that he sometimes saved himself for offence only.""

New city, new start for Leafs' young Phil Kessel

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November 3

Toronto Star

"Phil Kessel steps into hockey life without Marc Savard today. He's confident he can go it alone. The 22-year-old Maple Leaf winger is all but ready to go, needing to pass one last test of his surgically repaired left shoulder before getting clearance to play. The Leafs received the test results from doctors on Monday, but won't announce Kessel's status until Tuesda"

Burke to Maple Leafs fans: Kessel's only one guy

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November 2

Toronto Sun

"Phil Kessel has a surgically rebuilt shoulder which has healed to the point that he is about to be cleared to play NHL hockey again. But don't for a minute think it's strong enough to pick up a struggling team and transform it into a contender by Christmas. That's the plea from Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke as Kessel readies to make his Toronto debut, likely tomorrow at the Air Canada Centre against Tampa Bay. "One player seldom has a dramatic impact on a team's performance," Burke said yesterday as his team had a day off following a five-game road swing. "And this young man hasn't played a game in six months. "So we are cautious and ask our fans to be patient if there is an ..."

Can Phil Kessel shoulder burden?

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November 2

Toronto Star

"Shoulders aren't like cats. They only get two lives. So for now, he should be fine, but if Phil Kessel tears the labrum in his left shoulder a second time, he'll be prone to more shoulder problems – such as dislocations – later in his career. "You're never quite the same (after the first surgery), but he's pretty close," said Dr. Ivan Wong, an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor at McMaster University specializing in sports medicine. "(A second injury) makes it more difficult to repair the second time around.""

Improving Leafs prove a point

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November 2

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"It's a good thing for the Maple Leafs the NHL isn't just about winning. No, that ended some time ago. Now it's about getting points, something a team can do by winning, yes, but by losing as well. Theoretically, 12 regulation wins would be enough to get an NHL team into the post-season. Yes sir, a snappy 12-0-70 record would accumulate 94 points under the modern NHL system, a total that would be enough to claim that eighth and final playoff berth in either conference most years."

Habs beat Leafs in shootout

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November 1

Montreal Gazette

"Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez beat Vesa Toskala in the shootout, while Jaroslav Halak shut the door on Lee Stempniak and Tomas Kaberle to give the Canadiens a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night at the Bell Centre. The win extended the Canadiens' unbeaten record in extra-time games this season to 6-0 with four overtime wins and two shootout victories. And the Canadiens have won five in a row at home. This was a game the Canadiens should have put away in regulation time, but the Leafs – who scored a last-minute goal Friday night in Buffalo only to lose in overtime – came back from a 4-2 deficit with two goals late in the third period. Alexei Ponikarovsky scored his second goal ..."

One point not good enough

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"You've got to be lucky to be good, right? Well, last night embattled Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala wasn't enough of either at the Bell Centre in his return to the Leafs net for the first time in nearly three weeks. For the third consecutive game and the second in as many nights, the Leafs had to settle for an extra-time loss as a Halloween party erupted onto the streets of Montreal following the Habs' 5-4 shootout win. A pair of rotten goals, the type that have tortured Leafs fans throughout the past two seasons, plus two more that came off terrible bounces spoiled a wild late rally in which Toronto scored twice in the final 3:24 to force overtime. "I could throw out all the ..."

Kaberle shines in team loss

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"Tomas Kaberle has a surefire solution to upgrade moral victories into real ones. "Don't get behind," said the Maple Leafs defenceman, who has had the offensive touch lately including the last-minute goal to force overtime against the Canadiens last night. "Most of the games we've been behind one or two goals and we have had to fight back just to tie it. We have to be the team that's leading. Maybe then we will get some breaks." With a goal and three assists last night, Kaberle has two and 15 on the season for 17 points and is easily the Leafs scoring leader. Helped by a career high five-point effort earlier this week against Anaheim, Kaberle is off to one of the quickest starts of his ..."

One point not good enough

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"You've got to be lucky to be good, right? Well, last night embattled Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala wasn't enough of either at the Bell Centre in his return to the Leafs net for the first time in nearly three weeks. For the third consecutive game and the second in as many nights, the Leafs had to settle for an extra-time loss as a Halloween party erupted onto the streets of Montreal following the Habs' 5-4 shootout win. A pair of rotten goals, the type that have tortured Leafs fans throughout the past two seasons, plus two more that came off terrible bounces spoiled a wild late rally in which Toronto scored twice in the final 3:24 to force overtime."

Leafs succumb in shootout

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November 1

Toronto Star

"While the Maple Leafs continue to lead the NHL in moral victories as they search for a second real win, they can take solace in that help is on the way. All signals continue to point to a Tuesday return to action for Leaf sniper Phil Kessel, who has been out six months after a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder."

Leafs' Stempniak opens up his wallet

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October 31

Buffalo News

"Being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs brings Lee Stempniak home a lot more. It costs him a lot more, too. Stempniak, the West Seneca native traded from St. Louis to Toronto last spring, used to visit Buffalo once every other season or so with the Blues. Because the Leafs are a Northeast Division rival, he'll be coming to town three times a year. The first trip Friday taught him a lesson about the Sabres' variable pricing plan. Stempniak purchases tickets for his immediate family when he visits HSBC Arena, and his game with the Blues last season was a value game. The appearances by the Leafs fall in the gold or platinum range, which costs the 26-year-old two or three times as much per ..."

Sabres grind out win over Maple Leafs

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October 31

Buffalo News

"Tim Connolly called it the best win of the year. Why? Because the Buffalo Sabres probably should have lost. The first-place Sabres admitted this week they won't be the best team every night. There will be stretches in which the opponent takes control and dominates. What matters most is who's ahead at the end. The Sabres certainly were not the best team Friday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs were. But when the crowd of 18,300 filtered out of HSBC Arena, all that mattered was the Sabres had secured a 3-2 overtime win. Connolly had two goals and three points, including the game-winner 1:04 into overtime to drop a hard-charging Leafs squad. "That's a huge win for us," Connolly said. "We've been ..."

Habs sniper Cammalleri could have been a Leaf

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October 31

Toronto Star

"Mike Cammalleri was almost a Maple Leaf. Twice. The mere thought of the first time Cammalleri slipped through Leaf fingers makes the Richmond Hill native – who grew up a Leaf fan – chuckle. "Aki Berg," Cammalleri said over the phone from Chicago where the Habs played Friday night. The Leafs traded a second-round pick in 2001 to the Los Angeles Kings for Berg, a middling defenceman at best. With the pick, the Kings chose Cammalleri, a 5-foot-9 centre who emerged as a point-a-game player. "It said on the draft board, `L.A. from Toronto,'" Cammalleri recalled. "It was just the draft, so it's not like I was ever (Toronto) property, but obviously there was a lot that appealed to me about ..."

Leafs go unrewarded again

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October 31

Toronto Star

"Call them the Toronto Maple Beliefs. At least that's all the Leafs were left with – belief in themselves – after their third overtime loss of the season, a 3-2 set back to the Sabres on Friday night. The Leafs worked hard and, despite another bout of ill-advised penalties and poor decision-making, the club scrambled to tie the game 2-2 with 37 seconds remaining in regulation time. That goal demonstrated the character the Leafs feel they've shown on this five-game road trip, which concludes Saturday night in Montreal. Mikhail Grabovski tipped in a Tomas Kaberle wrist shot from the point to earn a point, and a measure of success, against Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, the league leader in ..."

Komisarek glad to be teammate of Kessel

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October 31

Toronto Sun

"When Phil Kessel takes his first shift for the Maple Leafs, Mike Komisarek, for a change, won't have to fight the urge to lay Kessel out. Komisarek, before leaving the Montreal Canadiens to sign with the Leafs last July, was an arch-rival of Kessel and the Boston Bruins and used to hate trying to fend off the gifted goal-scorer. "After playing against him for a few years and trying to take his head, you see that he is a pretty good kid," Komisarek said. "And an even better hockey player. He's always moving his feet, and is one of the quickest and most agile guys out there." The Leafs are keeping their fingers crossed that Kessel will start earning his five-year, $27-million US contract ..."

Goalies rule the roost

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October 31

Toronto Sun

"The Maple Leafs have the Monster on Halloween and, after a month of frustration, a bit of a pulse. The Leafs' inability to finish last night in an overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres likely haunted them during their flight to Montreal. But when they clash with the Canadiens tonight at the Bell Centre, they will do so with a sense of confidence. Though Toronto fell to 1-7-3 when Tim Connolly ripped a shot over the shoulder of rookie netminder Jonas Gustavsson at 1:04 of overtime for a 3-2 Sabres victory at HSBC Arena, the Leafs weren't completely discouraged. "Nobody can say we are not playing well and not giving 100%," coach Ron Wilson said. "We've got points in the last three games, ..."

No Kessel tonight, but Tlusty is pumped

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October 30

Toronto Sun

"While the Maple Leafs wait for their most talented player to make his Toronto debut, Jiri Tlusty will have to do. There were rumours during the morning at HSBC Arena that Phil Kessel wanted to play against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night, but Leafs coach Ron Wilson shot those down. "There is no truth to that," Wilson said. "I don't know where rumblings like that would come from." The plan remains for Kessel to get into the lineup next week, likely at home on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kessel is almost recovered from off-season surgery on his left shoulder. Versus the Sabres, Tlusty will skate on a line with centre Matt Stajan and winger Lee Stempniak. The Leafs hope Tlusty ..."

Going 10 for 10

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October 30

Toronto Sun

columnist Gary Loewen

"Ten observations of the Maple Leafs, 10 games into the season: Phil Kessel: Based on the play of the past week, the Leafs are one Kessel away from being a reasonably adequate team. Colton Orr: Averaging one fight every two games, the rugged winger seems to have overdeveloped malebeast tissue. Jonas Gustavsson: Rookie JoGus at least gives the team a chance to get to overtime instead of losing 5-3 in regulation. Vesa Toskala: Don't you get the feeling this guy would be really good at dodgeball? Lee Stempniak: A capable point man on the power play ... who knew? The Frat Pack: A sharp-looking line during pre-season, Viktor Stalberg, Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson have been reunited ... with ..."

Schenn's former roomie catches full-time gig with Sabres

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October 30

Toronto Sun

"Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn remembers the day during the 2005-06 season that a gangly kid showed up to play for the Kelowna Rockets. The scrawny kid, defenceman Tyler Myers, has grown to be a 6-foot-8 rookie stud for the Buffalo Sabres and yesterday was told by general manager Darcy Regier he can move out of a downtown hotel and find a place to live. Myers won't be returned to the Rockets of the Western Hockey League. "The first time he was called up, he lived with me when he was 15 and I was 16," Schenn said. "He was probably 6-foot-6 at the time, but he had troubles with the overall speed of the game. To see how far he has come, it's pretty amazing how he has put it all ..."

Wilson ponders Kessel's debut

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October 30

Toronto Sun

"Phil Kessel could be just days away from making his Maple Leafs debut and already coach Ron Wilson is wondering. Who is going to play with the young man who will be pressured to carry the Leafs' offence on his surgically repaired shoulder? "We have Kessel coming next week, so we're just trying to figure out where Phil is going to fit in," Wilson said yesterday after the Leafs practised at a suburban Buffalo arena. Wilson said there is "a good chance of that, yeah," when asked whether Kessel would be ready to play on Tuesday night at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kessel didn't say much as he was hustled to the Leafs' bus by a team staff member, but acknowledged he has been ..."

Leafs' Kessel could play Tuesday against Tampa

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October 30

Toronto Sun

"The Maple Leafs could get a large offensive boost on Tuesday night. Phil Kessel is almost done recovering from shoulder surgery and could make his Leafs debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Air Canada Centre. "(There's) a good chance of it, yeah," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said on Thursday afternoon after the Leafs practised at a suburban Buffalo arena. Kessel didn't say much as he was hustled to the team bus by a Leafs staff member, but acknowledged he has been cleared for physical play in practice. As for suiting up versus Tampa, the 22-year-old took a wait-and-see approach. "It's a few days away," Kessel said. "I'll see how it feels. I don't know yet.""

Kessel poised to give Leafs offensive boost

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October 30

Toronto Star

"The Leafs should find out how quickly they can climb out of an early-season mess over the next few weeks as sniper Phil Kessel makes his highly-anticipated debut in blue and white. That sense of anticipation is now in full bloom, with Leafs coach Ron Wilson indicating Thursday that Kessel is likely to make his Leafs debut Tuesday when the club hosts Tampa. "There's a good chance of it ... yeah," Wilson said of the 21-year-old Kessel's first game, as the team practised at the Pepsi Center in Amherst, on the campus of the University at Buffalo."

Home ice heats up just in time in Dallas Stars' 4-3 overtime win

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October 29

Dallas Morning News

"It took a while for the Stars to shake the dust from American Airlines Center on Wednesday night. But once they did, the place looked pretty shiny. Battling to find some kind of rhythm on home ice, Dallas looked lost for half the game. But the Stars finally emerged with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The ending was frenetic, as James Neal shoveled in a rebound goal with 2:03 remaining in the extra period to give Dallas its first overtime win of the year. "Any tight game ... that's the type of hockey you want to play in the playoffs," said defenseman Stephane Robidas, who assisted on the game-winning goal. "They were trying to slow the game down, and we really ..."

Tomas Kaberle's future anything but certain

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October 28

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"Considering they don't meet very often, the Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars have been locked in fierce competition a fair bit in recent times. The focus of that competition, oddly enough, has been free agent Swedes. Two summers ago, the two clubs were finalists for the services of forward Fabian Brunnstrom and the Stars, for better or worse, won that particular derby."

Ducks help Maple Leafs end their winless streak

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October 27

Orange County Register

"Just how low can a hockey team go? If you are the Ducks, you hope you've hit rock bottom after an embarrassing 6-3 loss to the sad-sack Toronto Maple Leafs, who came into Honda Center the NHL's only remaining winless team Monday night. If this isn't as low as it gets, then it could be a long season for a team that envisioned itself as one that could get back among the Western Conference's elite and challenge San Jose for the Pacific Division. Instead, the Ducks are an unqualified mess at the moment. "It was an ugly game," said goalie Jonas Hiller, who made 33 saves in a shaky outing. "Two teams playing the worst in the league right now. We never thought we would be in that situation but we ..."

No high-fives for Kaberle

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October 27

Toronto Sun

"Tomas Kaberle didn't care that he had posted a career-high five points. Nor was he aware that he was just one shy of the Maple Leafs team record for points in a game by a defenceman, a mark established on Jan. 8, 1944 when Walter (Babe) Pratt recorded six. Kaberle was just relieved that his Leafs had finally put the worst start in team history behind them, thanks to a 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center last night. "No one in this room ever expected that it would take us until Oct. 26 to get our first win," said Kaberle, hoping the win would wipe out the memory of the team's awful 0-7-1 record out of the gate. "It's such a relief."

Ducks GM likes Burke's game plan

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October 27

Toronto Sun

""Crappy." That's how Bob Murray describes how the Anaheim Ducks played during the first few months of the Brian Burke era in southern California. It was the 2005-06 season and the Ducks came out of the gates limping, much in the same manner that the Maple Leafs have kicked off the 2009-10 campaign. "No one really remembers how much we struggled," said Murray, who took over from Burke as Ducks GM last season. "We really had a tough time coming out of the gate. "People forget about that. They forget success didn't come overnight in Anaheim. Come Christmas, we were doing pretty crappy." So, what changed? "Brian stayed the course," Murray said. "We got lucky on a couple of trades, and ..."

Pogge watches, waits

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October 27

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Zeisberger

"About 160 kilometres north of the bright lights and soupy smog of Los Angeles is the sleepy city of Bakersfield, home of the East Coast Hockey League's Condors. And Justin Pogge. In just a handful of months, the kid once called the Maple Leafs "goalie of the future" has gone from the hotbed of Toronto to this hockey hinterland, where the sport, while supported at the ECHL level, is hardly woven into the community's cultural fabric. In Toronto, Pogge couldn't walk to his car without being recognized. In Bakersfield, he can stride into any 7-Eleven and be just another customer eyeing the Big Gulp machine. Pogge's exit from Toronto came in August when general manager Brian Burke shipped ..."

Leafs finally get it right

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October 27

Toronto Sun

"When it was over, when the Maple Leafs had become the final NHL team to hit the win column this season, a team official gave Jonas Gustavsson one of the game pucks to mark his first National Hockey League victory. If he keeps this up, you can bet there will be plenty more of them. Buoyed by the Monster's spectacular stretching save off Erik Christensen in the first period, the Leafs skated to a well-deserved 6-3 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. "It was special, sure," Gustavsson said. "I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but that's a good thing. "The biggest thing is, the team got the win. That's the most important part." The Monster, for the record, claims he is no ..."

Leafs get their Ducks in a row

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October 27

Toronto Sun

"The Monster claims he's no saviour. For one night, anyway, the entire city of Toronto might disagree. With coach Ron Wilson constantly preaching that solid goaltending would prove infectious for his struggling Maple Leafs, Jonas Gustavsson did exactly that. Buoyed by some big saves by the Monster early on, the Maple Leafs finally accomplished something last night they hadn't done since April 11. They won a game. Take a deep breath, Leafs Nation. It's over. After the worst start in team history (0-7-1), the Leafs finally hit the win column for the first time in 2009-10 with a 6-3 decision over the Anaheim Ducks last night, becoming the final NHL team in the 30-member league to record a ..."

No hard feelings says Pogge after life in Leaf crease

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October 27

Toronto Star

"Justin Pogge had few words of advice for Jonas Gustavsson. "Just be ready for anything," said Pogge Monday. After being the latest in a long series of young goaltenders to be chewed up and spit out by the Maple Leafs, Pogge has landed in Orange County as No.3 on the Ducks netminding depth chart behind Jonas Hiller and Jean-Sebastien Gigure."

Leafs end nightmare with Monster win

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October 27

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"Hours before game time, Ron Wilson gave his explanation on how improved goaltending could, somewhat counter intuitively, help his club's anemic offence. "It goes together," he explained Monday morning. "If you believe you're going to get some saves, you're not as edgy with the puck and the offence will come." Well, rookie netminder Jonas (The Monster) Gustavsson didn't deliver a dazzling shutout or an acrobatic 40-save effort against the Anaheim Ducks Monday night."

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