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Toronto Maple Leafs News

Mats Sundin returns for Maple Leafs tribute with no regrets
February 11
Toronto Star
 columnist Rosie DiManno
"For someone so exquisitely deft with his hands, Mats Sundin is suddenly all thumbs. He jabs clumsily at the keypad of his smarty-pants phone. It's been buzzing incessantly. Swedish TV is demanding an on-camera interview. Officials from the University of Toronto need to confirm details for a press conference. Former teammates from out of town want to coordinate arrival times. Friends are checking in. There's a speech to write, nearly two dozen relatives and intimates to corral — the Sundin Travelling Posse from Sweden — and a wife, Josephine, who can't be ignored. It's chaotic, this being honoured stuff. And Sundin is, essentially, a simple man. Complications have never rested comfortably"
When the NHL takes it outside, everyone wins
February 10
Detroit News
 columnist Bob Wojnowski
"It takes imagination to think big. It takes creativity and compromise to make it work. Based on sheer numbers of people and tickets and spilled cups of Canadian beer, this will be huge. And entertaining. And much needed. While Michigan is off playing in a bowl game on Jan. 1 (theoretically), the Big House will be hosting the Maple Leafs and Red Wings in the NHL's biggest Winter Classic. The way it unfolded is a prime example of the art of compromise, and the benefit of thinking bigger. The NHL wanted to smash attendance records in Michigan Stadium. Mike Ilitch and his family naturally wanted to reward Red Wings fans and Detroiters by playing at Comerica Park."
Former foes Wings and Leafs look forward to reliving storied rivalry
February 10
Detroit News
 columnist John Niyo
"Welcome to Hockeytown, eh? Those are fighting words. Or at least they used to be, as Ted Lindsay and Red Kelly and other former NHL greats were more than happy to remind us all Thursday. And that, to me, was the best part of the league unveiling its plans for next year's Winter Classic, with the marquee game between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings scheduled for Michigan Stadium and a whole host of events on tap at Comerica Park. With so much rich history shared between these hockey franchises — and so much passion for the game in these cities — it didn't take long to rekindle the old rivalry."
Burke: Trade talks 'very quiet'
February 10
Toronto Sun
 
"Could the trade deadline on Feb. 27 come and go with no big moves made by Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke? It's a possibility. Not only have the Leafs been playing well enough to possibly convince Burke that a significant trade does not need to be made, it appears there simply is not a lot happening on the trade front. "It's very quiet," Burke told reporters in Detroit at the Winter Classic announcement. Burke is past his usual trading time. Two seasons ago, he got Dion Phaneuf on Jan. 31, and Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the trade that brought Joffrey Lupul from Anaheim. Burke still would like to make an improvement at forward. But he's not going to make a trade"
Leafs willing to mug for the cameras
February 10
Toronto Sun
 
"Two things came to mind when Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf learned officially that the Leafs would be playing in the 2013 Winter Classic against the Detroit Red Wings. "One, the crowd, the amount of people that are going to be in the building will be very special," Phaneuf said. "Two, you are playing outdoors. I know being from Edmonton and growing up and having a rink in my backyard, playing with my buddies on that, and the community rink, playing a lot outdoors. You have those two aspects — the amount of people and playing outdoors — and you put into it an Original Six matchup, it is an exciting thing to be a part of." The Leafs and Wings will play on Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium at the"
Alumni eye a fair shake
February 10
Toronto Sun
 
"Mike Pelyk hopes the Winter Classic Alumni Showdown between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings doesn't become a duel about allocation of profits to oldtimers. The unexpected success of the alumni game, a component of the Winter Classic's main event, has led to questions about the veterans getting a fair shake when the final numbers are tallied. Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, the site of the alumni game, seats 41,000 at present. "I think there will be more discussion with the league, the players association and the NHL almuni association as to what the financial horizon would be," said Pelyk, a board member of the Leafs Alumni. "I don't think any of that has been discussed yet. "I've said to"
Flyers beat Leafs to snap three-game skid
February 10
CSN Philly
 
"Every player in the NHL has his own way of celebrating a goal. First pump. Stick held high. Marching rapidly in place. Then there's the odd bird, like Scott Hartnell, who decided to drop his gloves and throw down with Toronto's Dion Phaneuf after scoring Thursday night during the Flyers 4-3 victory over the Maple Leafs at Wells Fargo Center. "That was probably the best celebration of a goal I've seen," teammate Max Talbot offered. "I told Scott, this was amazing. It's pretty cool. No fist pump, no nothing, just drop glove and go.""
Lupul's not-so-happy anniversary
February 10
Toronto Sun
 
"A loss in the City of Brotherly Loathe wasn't the anniversary gift Joffrey Lupul had in mind. But even with the bitter taste in his mouth of a 4-3 setback at the rugged hands of the host Philadelphia Flyers, Lupul did everything in his power to make this a special evening. Exactly one year after coming over from the Anaheim Ducks along with defenceman Jake Gardiner and a 2013 conditional fourth- round pick in exchange for veteran blue-liner Francois Beachemin, Lupul scored a goal and added an assist at the Wells Fargo Center, a rink he knows well from his brief stint as a Flyer. As colleague Terry Koshan points out, Lupul's strong performance on Thursday night gives him 31 goals and 45"
Varying views on Hartnell-Phaneuf scrap
February 10
CSN Philly
 
"Everyone seemed to have a different viewpoint on why Scott Hartnell threw down with Toronto's Dion Phaneuf a millisecond after scoring a goal. "Dion had hit him near the goal line and the other guy fell into the boards," offered Leafs coach Ron Wilson. "I think it had to do more with that hit earlier then it had to do the goal. That is why [Hartnell] player slashed him after he scored the goal. That is why they got the extra penalty." Claude Giroux liked what he saw."
Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn and his brother shrug off trade rumours
February 10
Toronto Star
 
"When Luke and Brayden Schenn sat down to dinner on Wednesday night with various members of the Maple Leafs and Flyers, they ate steak. But there was also something generally meatless on the evening's menu: The Saskatoon-born brothers spoke about the trade rumours that would have Luke, who currently plays for Leafs, being shipped to the Flyers, for whom Brayden plays forward. "(The Luke-to-Philly rumour) has obviously been tossed around for the past month and a bit," Brayden said. "It's hard to go around naive and don't read anything or hear anything or watch TV. You come to the rink the next day and there's going to be someone talking about it. Obviously (Luke's) name has been tossed out"
Winter Classic game excites Toronto Maple Leafs
February 10
Toronto Star
 columnist Dave Feschuk
"Shortly after it was announced the Maple Leafs and Red Wings will face off in the 2013 NHL Winter Classic at the University of Michigan's gargantuan football stadium, Dion Phaneuf cast his mind back to a slightly smaller fresh-air rink. "Being fron Edmonton, having an outdoor rink in my backyard, playing with my buddies on that . . . You grow up playing outside," the Maple Leafs captain said. "Now we get to do it in front of 100,000-plus people. It doesn't get any better than that . . . It's an honour to be a part of a game like this." As the Maple Leafs prepared to play the Flyers in a Thursday-night matchup at Wells Fargo Center, there was plenty of talk on the game they'll be playing,"
Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings all set for NHL Winter Classic
February 10
Toronto Star
 
"The Maple Leafs have finally found a big, scoring centre who will suit up for them next season. His name is Mats Sundin, and he can't wait to play in the Leafs-Wings alumni game that's part of the festival of hockey that paired with the NHL's Winter Classic. "I'd love to play in that (Winter Classic), I'd love to be there, count me in," said Sundin, speaking earlier this week at a public appearance. Such is the growth of the Winter Classic that the hype machine is already in full gear and the game in the 109,901-seat Michigan Stadium — a.k.a. The Big House — is still 11 months away."
Leafs center 'sad' about Pronger
February 10
Courier-Post
 
"Toronto Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski felt terrible the moment his swinging stick clipped Flyers captain Chris Pronger in an Oct. 24 game at the Wells Fargo Center. He feels worse now. Grabovski heard what originally was thought to be a scary right-eye injury has turned into prolonged concussion symptoms that ended Pronger's season and has his career in jeopardy. "It's accident," Grabovski said from the Leafs dressing room Thursday following a morning skate that preceded his first game against the Flyers since Pronger's injury — a 4-3 Toronto loss. "I have so many shots in my face, too. A hundred percent, I didn't do it on purpose. I'm really kind of sad because (Pronger's) such a"
Leafs thinking out of the box
February 9
Toronto Sun
 
"Remember the theme from that old cop show Barreta, the part about 'don't do the crime if you can't do the time'. The Maple Leafs must be watching re-runs, as they've gone from one of the most irresponsible NHL teams and the worst in penalty-killing, to model citizens. From New Year's Day approaching this Thursday's match in Philadelphia, the Leafs killed 24 straight penalties and have earned gold stars for general behaviour, moving up among the 10 least short-handed clubs in the league. "We pay attention to that very well," defenceman Cody Franson said on Tuesday night after two more notches on the penalty-killing unit's belt. "Staying out of the box is one of the details. We try really"
Wings, Leafs set for 2013 Winter Classic
February 9
Toronto Sun
 
"About four months ago, NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins called Richard Peddie, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, to see if the Leafs wanted to play the Red Wings on New Year's Day in front of the biggest hockey crowd in NHL history. The quick response time was a record-breaker alone. "I said absolutely, but wanted to run it by Brian Burke to make sure the team was cool with it," Peddie said Wednesday. "Of course Brian was. I just asked that the league make sure our Leaf season seat holders and our wait-list get a first crack at tickets." The details will come out Thursday in two press conferences to be held at the 110,000-seat Big House at the University of Michigan at"
Will Philly take a Flyer on Schenn?
February 9
Toronto Sun
 
"Luke Schenn has a natural inclination to watch out for his kid brother Brayden. And while that task would be a lot easier if both were on the same bench for the Philadelphia Flyers, that's not quite the close proximity that Luke is thinking of right now. While gainfully employed by the Maple Leafs, there continues to be speculation Luke will somehow join Brayden in orange and black by the Feb. 27 trade deadline, if not elsewhere. Something with the Leafs and Flyers was cooking a few weeks ago for forward James van Riemsdyk, before the Flyer winger suffered a concussion. He remains out of their lineup, while Philly is still looking for depth on defence after losing Chris Pronger. For"
Leafs Locker: Playoff pace
February 9
Toronto Sun
 
"Thursday's game in Philadelphia will mark the third of 15 games Toronto will play in a 31-day period. But defenceman Cody Franson expects no sympathy from the other 29 NHL teams. "That's a schedule that everybody goes through and ours just happens to be the last (February-March) portion of it," Franson said after the Leafs looked flat in a 2-1 loss in Winnipeg. "But if we plan on making that excuse right now, then it's not going to go very well for us (at the end). "We have to get over that, accept what's coming to us and learn to play well in those situations." Franson also sounded an optimistic note about how playing an average of almost once every two days might help down the road."
Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings to enjoy Winter Classic Week
February 9
Toronto Star
 
"It's not just a Winter Classic day. It's now a Winter Classic week. More details about what the NHL plans for its Jan. 1 outdoor game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings — perhaps the worst-kept secret in sports — are beginning to leak out. There'll be two news conferences, one at 10:30 a.m. at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, another at 1:30 p.m. at Michigan Stadium, a.k.a. the Big House, where the league hopes the big game will draw upwards of 100,000 people. The league intends to draw on the population of Leaf Nation — the main reason a Canadian team has been invited to what has been an exclusively American event — to help reach its record crowd levels at the"
Reality check: Ryan Malone and the Maple Leafs trade rumour of the day
February 9
Toronto Star
 
"The Ryan Malone trade rumours are again starting to heat up and the Maple Leafs are among the teams that could be in the hunt. The much-sought after forward from the Tampa Bay Lightning could provide that nice healthy dose of the truculence that Leafs GM Brian Burke covets. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman has been at several Toronto games. He's expected to decide soon whether to keep Malone. Los Angeles, Detroit and Vancouver are also rumoured to be targeting the winger. Tampa has a 6-1-1 record over the past eight games but remains 10 points out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. If they become sellers, Malone is expected to be jettisoned."
Regents OK $3 million lease of Michigan Stadium for Winter Classic: Leafs vs. Wings
February 9
Detroit News
 
"The University of Michigan is in final negotiations with the NHL to hold the Winter Classic outdoor hockey game at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1, 2013. Michigan stands to gain $3 million from the NHL lease to host the game between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at noon on New Year's Day. The NHL hopes to break the hockey attendance record of 104,173, set Dec. 11, 2010, when Michigan hosted Michigan State. Michigan's Board of Regents approved the proposal during a special meeting Wednesday morning that most regents attended via conference call. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said the contract, that he's been working on since November, should be finalized "soon.""
Sundin a great teacher: Antropov
February 8
Toronto Sun
 
"When Nik Antropov came to the Maple Leafs in 1999-2000 as a shy newcomer from Kazakhstan, Mats Sundin was there to help him adjust to North American life. The transplanted Winnipeg Jet couldn't be happier that Sundin's No. 13 banner will be raised on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre, prior to the Leafs' game against the Montreal Canadiens. "Obviously, he was a great role model for everyone he played with, from old guys to young guys," Antropov said Tuesday. "I learned a lot from him on ice and off the ice. The way he takes care of people, I haven't seen so many guys do that. The Toronto market is tough to play in, and some guys were hiding from the media and stuff like that. "He was a"
Leafs still looking good to crash the playoffs
February 8
Toronto Sun
 
"We'll let them lock up a playoff spot before we get to the crazy talk, but how high should the mostly hot Leafs be aiming the rest of the way? Not only is the Eastern Conference playoff tight at the bottom, it's getting that way in the middle as well, meaning that an extension of their recent form could allow the Leafs to put some heat on a few teams in front of them as well as holding off those chasing. Though they let one get away in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, their second game in as many nights, the Leafs only lost a point on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, two teams not so far in front. Thanks to the continuing free fall of the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs remained in seventh"
Jets defeat Leafs 2-1
February 8
Winnipeg Free Press
 
"A five-year-old could do this arithmetic, it's so simple. The Winnipeg Jets picked a very good night to go back to this fundamental: Two is better than one The Jets put up more than one actual goal for only the second time in seven games and made them both count for a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs 15,004 ecstatic fans at the MTS Centre on Tuesday night. Plenty has changed since the Toronto Maple Leafs last left town, also with a one-goal loss on New Year's Eve. Toronto has gone 10-5-1 since then and is in an Eastern Conference playoff spot."
Reality check: Tuomo Ruutu and the Maple Leafs trade rumour of the day
February 8
Toronto Star
 
"Like most teams, the Maple Leafs could use a big, gritty forward, who can score. Tuomo Ruutu fits that peg nicely. With the Feb. 27 trade deadline fast approaching, the 28-year-old Carolina Hurricanes winger continues to be mentioned as a player, who could soon be on the move. In recent weeks, various Internet reports have the Leafs among the teams kicking the tires on the 6-foot, 205-pound physical centre/forward, who leads the Canes in goals with 16 this season."
Former Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin remains fan favourite in Toronto
February 8
Toronto Star
 
"Mats Sundin stepped onto a stage at Real Sports Apparel Tuesday night looking like he could still play in the National Hockey League. The former Leafs captain is one of the most beloved Leafs ever and looked great, but a return to hockey is not on his agenda. "I haven't," Sundin said, when queried if he had been asked to step into a role in the NHL, less than two years after he hung up the blades on a Hall of Fame career, one that included 13 seasons as Toronto's captain. "It's been nice to take a couple of steps back and let my Leafs career sink in. My wife and I, we're building a house," he said. "It's nice to rest and let your body heal.""
Winnipeg Jets shoot down Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1
February 8
Toronto Star
 
"When Phil Kessel scored goal No. 30 on the season, his teammates left the puck on the ice. It wasn't the only thing the Maple Leafs left behind at the MTS Centre as they left scoring chance after scoring chance, a shot at two points in the standings, and maybe a little bit of pride. Kessel got the lone Leaf goal in a 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets haven't scored more than two goals in their last seven games and the hot-shot Leafs — who'd won three in a row — might have taken their opponents for granted."
Winnipeg Jets shoot down Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1
February 8
Toronto Star
 
"This is where things get interesting. The Maple Leafs flew into Winnipeg riding a hot streak but it was the low-flying Jets that came away with a victory. The Jets, a low-scoring team struggling to stay in the playoff race, produced just enough offence to ride off with a 2-1 win Tuesday night over the Maple Leafs. The season series ended 2-2-0, with both teams perfect at home. The Leafs head to Philadelphia for a game Thursday."
A plea for civility from Senators, Leafs fans
February 7
Ottawa Citizen
 columnist Wayne Scanlan
"Let's suppose a visitor is new to the city, if not new to the planet. His name is Frank and he's in town for the NHL all-star weekend, and then sticks around for several days, long enough to take in the Ottawa Senators-Toronto Maple Leafs game at Scotiabank Place on Saturday. At the all-star fest, Frank is bowled over by the adoration, bordering on deification, of Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. The mere sight of Alfredsson's countenance on the new arena scoreboard, let alone the sight of him scoring two All-Star Game goals, results in standing ovations and cheers that threaten to blow the roof off the building."
Leaf prospects: Kadri working way back
February 7
Toronto Sun
 
"Dallas Eakins knows that Maple Leafs fans wanted Nazem Kadri to be a star yesterday. But as the Leafs build depth — Ron Wilson has more talent now than at any time in his three-plus seasons behind the bench — there's a trickle-down effect throughout the organization. And you can bet Eakins, the coach of the Toronto Marlies, views that as a positive. "As that big club has got better as a group, it is harder to make it, and that's how we want it," Eakins said on Monday. "We want it to be very hard to make that NHL club because it means they are good and in the playoffs and going in the right direction. "Here, in the past, there were guys playing in the NHL that got the spot because there was"
Lupul has new life
February 7
Toronto Sun
 
"This isn't the same Joffrey Lupul the Edmonton Oilers had a brief love-hate relationship with. The Toronto Maple Leafs' version, is older, more mature and healthier. He's also an NHL All-Star, and the type of player expected to develop into, having been selected seventh overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. "A lot of it is just being healthy," said Lupul, prior to facing the Oilers Monday. "I went a couple of years without being 100% healthy. To be back and to be 100% is a big confidence boost for me and I'm getting the opportunity to play a big role on this team." Lupul, 28, spent a tumultuous year with the Oilers, having been acquired in the deal that sent Chris Pronger to the Anaheim"
Reimer socks it to superstitions
February 7
Toronto Sun
 
"Don't look for James Reimer to avoid the 13th floor of a hotel, refuse to walk under ladders or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks. Reimer goes out of his way not to be lumped in with superstitious goaltenders. "The funny thing is that if I do (get caught in a routine), I try to change it up so that I know I'm not superstitious," Reimer said Monday morning. "I hate superstitions. I think they cheapen everything about an athlete. If it just takes a pair of (lucky) socks, then why do I work my butt off all summer (to prepare)?""
Leafs hotter now than ever before in the Wilson era
February 7
Toronto Sun
 
"It couldn't have come at a more significant time, really, but the Leafs are as hot right now as they've been at any point in the Ron Wilson era. By prevailing in the wide-open sprint that Monday's 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers turned out to be, the Leafs have now won five of their past six giving them a huge early push in the playoff race. That lone loss, the frustrating shootout failure to the Penguins last Tuesday in Pittsburgh, still allowed them a point, giving them a big 11 in their past six contests. Such a streak has only happened once since Wilson started here in the 2008-09 season. The Leafs got similarly hot from Feb. 22, 2009 through March 5, 2009 in a late-season playoff"
Toronto Maple Leafs beat Sam Gagner and Edmonton Oilers 6-3
February 7
Toronto Star
 
"James Reimer expects to get a night off Tuesday when the Leafs face the Jets in Winnipeg. Since returning to the net Reimer has posted three straight wins, including Monday's 6-3 verdict over the Edmonton Oilers at the Air Canada Centre. The recent success is a credit to the soft-spoken goalie's work ethic after he took the initiative to work with a personal trainer over the all-star break. The Leafs are expected to go with Jonas Gustavsson in Winnipeg. That could change — and Reimer is certainly showing a hot enough hand to work back-to-back starts — but the bottom line is that the Leafs have faith in both goalies right now."
Toronto Maple Leafs' win over Edmonton Oilers raises trade questions
February 7
Toronto Star
 columnist Dave Feschuk
"There were about 30 NHL scouts at the Air Canada Centre for Monday night's Leafs-Oilers game. There are less than three weeks remaining until the Feb. 27 trade deadline. The talk of swap, the gossip of possibility, is only beginning to round into its annual crescendo. But there's some slightly less predictable noise threatening to drown out the din of would-be deals. The Maple Leafs banged off their 10th win of 2012 on Monday. And given that their 6-3 win over a previously hot Edmonton club brought Toronto's record to a sparkling 10-4-1 since the turn of the annum, it's a distinct possibility that, contrary to the popular thrust, Brian Burke's best pre-deadline trade will be the one he"
Leafs blast Oilers 6-3, Jets next
February 7
Toronto Sun
 
"If Phil Kessel keeps feasting on Canadian opponents like this, the next two weeks stand to be a virtual buffet for the gifted winger and his Maple Leafs. After lighting up the Ottawa Senators for a goal and two assists in a 5-0 drubbing in the nation's capital on Saturday, Kessel followed up that performance with another three- point night in the Leafs' 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at the Air Canada Centre on Monday night. In just a 48-hour span, Kessel produced a total of six points in back-to-back games against Canadian teams. Given the Leafs' coming schedule, he'll have plenty of opportunity to keep up that pace."
Leafs Locker: One tough Swede
February 6
Toronto Sun
 
"Nary a bruise was left on Carl Gunnarsson on Saturday night. Only because of a little bit of luck, mind you. The Maple Leafs defenceman blocked eight shots during a 5-0 victory against the Ottawa Senators, equalling the entire Sens team in that department. In total, Gunnarsson has blocked 117 shots this season, the most among Leafs and a number that only six other NHLers had bettered going into Sunday's games. "It's nothing I really think about during the game," Gunnarsson said. "I guess (James Reimer) is not too happy because I am screwing up his save percentage." That's unlikely, considering Reimer made 49 saves against Ottawa."
Leafs' D deadly at both ends of rink
February 6
Toronto Sun
 
"The kind of defence that Ron Wilson saw when he peered into his crystal ball in training camp last September has evolved into reality. The Maple Leafs' group is not only helping to keep the puck out of the net, to the tune of 27 goals against in 14 games in 2012, but also is adept at contributing at the other end. Leafs defencemen, led by captain Dion Phaneuf's 30 points, have accounted for 119 points in 2011-12, third most in the National Hockey League behind the Ottawa Senators (127) and the Vancouver Canucks (123). Last season, when the Leafs missed the playoffs yet again, their defencemen totalled 109 points. There's a lot more happening with the blue-line group than simply thrusting"
Leafs' Reimer focused on Oilers — but dreaming about Jets
February 6
Toronto Sun
 
"Two shutouts and the NHL third star of the week honour might not be enough to get James Reimer another start in his home province. While Reimer is set up to play the Edmonton Oilers on Monday at the Air Canada Centre, coach Ron Wilson is thinking big picture and at present, wants Jonas Gustavsson to get back in action on Tuesday in Winnipeg. That was a game Reimer had circled after losing his first game there on New Year's Eve. But Reimer is a victim of his own success, with back-to-back shutouts that likely erased what would have been Gustavsson's home start on Monday. Under the right circumstances, the Morweena, Man., native might play Tuesday, but that depends on the Edmonton game. "I"
Edmonton's Sam Gagner brings high-scoring act to Toronto
February 6
Toronto Star
 
"Leafs defenceman Cody Franson had a notion of Sam Gagner's potential back in 2007, when they were teammates for Canada at the world junior championship in Sweden. Most hockey fans will remember that WJC for Jonathan Toews' amazing display in the shootout. Gagner's impact was less dramatic, but his notoriety has forever changed over the past four days. "He's on fire now, and good for him," Franson said of Gagner, who has 11 points in his last two games — an offensive explosion unheard of since Wayne Gretzky's heyday in Edmonton. The Oilers are in town to face the Leafs Monday night. "It's quite the thing to accomplish. We have to do a good job taking away his time and space.""
Maple Leafs extend Senators' losing streak to six
February 5
Ottawa Citizen
 
"The Battle of Ontario turned decidedly blue on Saturday. Blue as in the colour of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Blue as in the mood of the Ottawa Senators. That's what an ugly 5-0 romp on home ice will do. The Senators losing streak is now at six games and they're holding on to a playoff spot only because they've played more games than their closest pursuers. The Maple Leafs are a single point behind the Senators, but have played three fewer games. As the Senators are sliding south, the Maple Leafs are suddenly on a roll, with a 4-0-1 record and a red-hot goaltender. James Reimer stopped 49 Senators shots in the victory, posting his second consecutive shutout. Phil Kessel was the offensive"
Leafs skate to second straight shutout
February 5
Toronto Sun
 
"Joffrey Lupul couldn't help but wonder aloud on Saturday night. A week after the Maple Leafs' trio of Lupul, Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf were booed and ridiculed during all-star festivities in the nation's capital, the three helped shove it back down the throats of Ottawa Senators fans, combining for six points in a 5-0 Toronto triumph at Scotiabank Place. "I'm not sure where all those fans were tonight," Lupul said. "It looked like all blue and white as far as I saw. That was probably the best standing ovation we got all season at the end of the game. That feels pretty good in the someone else's building, for our crowd to dominate like that." The latest game in the Battle of Ontario was"
Schenn shows why he shouldn't be on the trade block
February 5
Toronto Sun
 
"Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn usually plays a quietly effective game, and perhaps that's why there hasn't been a big fuss in Leafs Nation over reports that Schenn may be traded this season. But if the Leafs do swap their former fifth-overall pick from 2008, even if it's for a big, talented forward, a player like James Van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers, they'll still miss Schenn, big time. The Saskatoon native has had an up-and-down season, but when he's on his game, he's a top-line defensive defenceman and is always among the league leaders in hits. Schenn played a strong game on Saturday night in Toronto's 5-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Not flashy, but solid. He scored"
Maple Leafs knock out Senators
February 5
Toronto Star
 
"Phil Kessel's assessment of his mini-slump buster night here Saturday was brief. "Nothing, the puck went in," Kessel said about his three-point night, which saw him score his 27th goal and add two assists in a one-sided 5-0 Leaf win over Ottawa at Scotiabank Place. Kessel's verbiage when it comes to talking about himself has been succinct of late. He was the game's second star — James Reimer was first for his second consecutive shutout — but his post-game comments were limited. Kessel, instead, is letting his actions speak loudly on the ice, where it matters. "He had a lot of energy and his legs were going early in the game . . . it's huge if he gets something going early, you can see the"
Leafs dominant in victory over Senators
February 5
Toronto Star
 columnist Damien Cox
"This is the team Brian Burke thought he had assembled. And it apparently travels best with lots and lots of noisy friends. Five months into the 2011-12 campaign, the Maple Leafs are again injury free. On this Saturday night at least, that made them a dominant hockey club. This 5-0 triumph over the Ottawa Senators was more than a 5-0 triumph. It was an emphatic statement that came just 19 days after the Sens, at that point arguably the charming surprise team of the season, strolled into the ACC and emerged with two points via a gritty comeback. Since then, the Leafs have lost once while the Sens, suffering through the frigid winter the GTA isn't having, have won once. The once-sizeable"
'Incremental steps' for Leafs PK
February 4
Toronto Sun
 
"The feat wasn't big enough for the Maple Leafs penalty killers to high five and chant: 'We're No. 29!' But it beats being 30th in the NHL, where they were sentenced for almost all of the first half for their frequent failings with the man advantage. Then came a major strategy session on Jan. 2, with meetings, videos and special drills. Since that date, they are 17-for-17 in 13 games and slightly better than Columbus, at least before Friday night (75.4% to 75.3%). "Hey, it's all about incremental steps," winger Joey Crabb said. "We feel really good about doing that. I read a stat (in the Toronto Sun) that we're the first team since 1974 not to allow a power play goal in one month of games."
Reimer starts in net for Toronto Maple Leafs against Ottawa Senators
February 4
Toronto Star
 
"James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson sat side-by-side in their stalls at the MasterCard Centre when a reporter asked which one was starting Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators. They both laughed. "We both are," said Reimer. "We're going with four skaters and two goalies." Truth is, Reimer is getting his second start in a row. He just shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday — just his second start of 2012 — and Leaf coach Ron Wilson figures the goalie deserved the chance. "It's who we feel most comfortable with, and who's playing well," said Leafs coach Ron Wilson. "Reimer deserves to back up that shutout he had the other night by getting another start.""
Reality check: James van Riemsdyk and the Maple Leafs rumour of the day
February 4
Toronto Star
 
"There was a ton of speculation last month about the Maple Leafs being interested in forward James van Riemsdyk from the Philadelphia Flyers. Then the talk died down but according to the likes of TSN's Darren Dreger and ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, rumours persist that Leafs GM Brian Burke could take another run at the 22-year-old future star. The scuttlebutt last time was that the Leafs would have to ship defenceman Luke Schenn to the Flyers — and maybe more — in order to land the big power forward, who suffered a concussion earlier this month but is now skating although not yet cleared to practise. There's no doubt the Flyers need another solid defenceman with captain Chris Pronger gone for the"
Reimer, Gustavsson in sharing mood
February 3
Toronto Sun
 
"So a Monster and a Minister walk into a bar ... and come out smiling. Where some NHL teams have had to keep their goaltenders separated in the dressing room and even trade one to keep the peace, Jonas (the Monster) Gustavsson and James (Reim Minister of Defence) Reimer have learned to co-exist in their battle to be the No. 1 on the Maple Leafs. It helps that each are in the formative stage of their career, instead of two gnarled veterans used to having things their own way. A few years ago, the Red Wings loaded up with Curtis Joseph and Dominik Hasek, who barely spoke. Manny Legace, then a third stringer, was moved to the dressing stall between them where teammates promptly nicknamed him"
Kessel, Lupul bound to get back on track
February 3
Toronto Sun
 
"Every time it seems Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul are losing steam, they get back to being coal-stokers and goalscorers. So no one in the engine room was fretting much on Thursday when the numbers were tallied, Kessel with two goals and one assist the past 10 games, Lupul one goal and four helpers. You don't hang out with the NHL's top 10 scorers all season by staying in those funks very long. "We thought our line played really well in Pittsburgh," said Tyler Bozak, the centre for the duo. "We could have had four or five goals and we had one called back. It's nothing to worry about, we're still getting our chances. It's only a matter of time." But defenceman Luke Schenn said the whole Leaf"