Draft sans 1st Rounder

The 2010 NHL Draft is complete and what a sad day it was for yours truly. The Leafs didn't have a pick in the first round because of a previous deal, which I will not repeat here. If we had our pick and everything stayed constant, we might have had a nice Leafs jersey on one of the boys in the picture above.

The Leafs have some strong players and building a championship team in the NHL takes time and I understand that. Sometimes I do wish we could just sign and trade for a combo of players like the Big Three in Boston (Pierce, Allen, and Garnett) and be legit Stanley Cup contenders in one off-season. Dreaming never hurts.

It hurts to see the Leafs struggle year in and year out, especially at this time of year. The draft is suppose to be a promise of better things, a brighter future, a time when positives outweigh all the negatives but not with the Leafs. Not having a first round pick hurts and not seeing a high profile draftee, beaming with joy, putting on a Leafs jersey took a little out of me.

I do believe the Leafs have a bright future but the lack of a first rounder in the this year's draft took some wind out of my sails.

A New Leader

Good luck Mr. Phaneuf! I'm hoping you can lead the Leafs into the playoffs and eventually, sooner rather than later, bring us the Yonge St. parade we Leaf fans have been itching for since, well you know the year. The Leafs need some guy to take charge and lead while being the lightning rod for criticism that the big smoke is notorious for. Dion, I hope you know what you are agreeing and getting yourself into because this is no easy task. Good luck my friend!

Losing SUCKS

It was Sunday, January 3rd and after enjoying a wonderful Christmas dinner, New Year's dinner, and of course all the rest that comes with the festive season it finally hit me, losing is what surrounds me from countdown to countdown.

Sports is a wonderful thing and over the years it has taken up most of my waking/sleeping hours in many different forms. From playing to watching highlights to reading almost every article out there that includes rumours, trades, and even what players do in the locker room. Didn't expect a gangsta throw down though, via Arenas.

As the NFL year ended for my beloved Rams with another freakin' loss, this time to the 49er's, it hit me, losing sucks! Look at what I have endured with the Rams in the past 3 years. My Rams have put together 6 wins out of the possible 48 games and we all know most of those losses were complete blow outs.

What the heck happened?!? It was only 2004 when they had a great group of guys that had the potential to do some damage deep into the NFL playoffs. I don't know what sucks more, their 6 wins in the past 3 years or the upcoming 2010-2011 season. At least the NFL is known for their competitiveness in which teams can turn things around in a few seasons. Oh crap, uncapped salaries on the horizon? Damn!

How about the Leafs? Just another tough few years at the Air Canada Centre. Even before the 03/04 season (the last year the Leafs made the playoffs) we really didn't have a team on the ice that could make a run at the cup. People are going to bitch and moan about that statement but sometimes the truth hurts. We had the money and we spent it but I didn't see the value behind the moves. Signing free agents or trading youth/picks for stud names that were on the decline is not my cup of tea.

The years keep adding up for the Leafs and me but unlike the Rams, the Leafs have a brighter future. Adding some youth and keeping them will hopefully turn the ACC into a playoff arena where the real corporate fans can cheer them on. Seriously, we need to put some real fans in the platinum seats because watching a game of hockey and seeing suits behind the glass is pathetic. We need guys like Puddy with painted faces and letters on their chests pounding the ACC glass.

Gotta support the team

Moving down the street in the shadow of the CN Tower the boys of summer aren't really making me feel so great either. Having not seen the playoffs in almost what feels like forever doesn't hurt as much as the Rams and the Leafs. Maybe since I haven't seen/experienced the MLB playoffs in so long I'm numb to the 3rd place finishes in the tough AL East. We all know that the big time spenders in our division is the reason why the Jays aren't in the playoffs as a wild card team and you know what that is how life goes.

It was great how we spent the money and went for it with the signings of Wells, Rios, BJ, AJ, and to a lesser extent Overbay and Glaus. Again, it sucks that we have to compete against the boys who sign the elite FA's in their primes. Life is life. I'm not really sure if the Jays are going to be alright in the near future, it is just too early to tell especially with a new GM.

I wanted to talk about the Raptors and their situation but I'm a little depressed with all this talk about losing so I'm going to just stop.

In sports, like a roller-coaster, there are ups and downs. If this is how it feels during the downs, I'm hoping the ups will feel the opposite and some because I'm not sure how long I can endure the losing streaks year in and year out.

Seriously, losing sucks.

A Sports Fan

If you are a hockey fan you will appreciate the above video.

Even though I am a born Torontonian and have never once cheered for the Habs, I still had a second of awe when I saw this. Seeing all the greats who once laced up their skates and found a spot on the TV every Saturday night in our living rooms made me think how lucky we are to have lived to see them.

I missed out on seeing some of the greats play in hockey, and in every other sport, but just think about how lucky we are right now to have lived to see Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras, Pedro Martinez, Joe Montana, and the list could go on and on for days.

With all the writers out there that bitch and moan about their team and how much they suck, why not write about the game itself. The players who make your night entertaining and just take in the great thing most of us take for granted.

Let's enjoy the thing we call sports.

On The Rise

Wings visiting the Leafs

After a terrible start to the season in October, the Leafs have made a 180. After walking in and taking a win from Paul Maurice and the Hurricanes, the Leafs came back home to a tough Red Wing team. Who cares, we have Kessel and Gustavsson. The Leafs were in control for the entire night leaving the ACC with a 5-1 victory. What impressed me the most was the balance in scoring with 12 guys registering a point in the game, that to me is a sign of good things to come.

November brings 13 games and if the Leafs can leave the ACC on Nov. 30 with 7 to 9 wins, you'll see me with a pretty big smile. You won't see me planning a parade down Yonge or Bay (not too sure where they would hold it) but with the Leafs winning and rising up through the standings, it gives me hope that the Leafs have started their path to the ultimate goal, raising the Stanley Cup.

#2

Win number two! Clawing our way back into the playoffs. One win at a time.

I never would have thought that the Leafs would get their second win of the season in November. I hope the return of Kessel to the ice will add some needed offence.

81 to Go

Opening night at the ACC and the Raptors gave the fans of Toronto something to cheer about. The Raptors opened the new NBA season with a victory over the Cavs, who are favoured by many to take it all this year. What a game it was down at the ACC.

The city of Toronto and their loyal fans are in need of a team we can all rally behind and support for an entire season. The other tenants at the ACC are brutal and not showing any sign of playoffs, albeit it is still early. The Blue Jays had a great opening to their 09 season but faded quickly and descended to the bottom of the AL East. The Argo's, which I barely even notice, are 3-13. Enough said.

Toronto needs a team and the Raps, for one night, gave them some a team to support. I know it is only 1 game and bringing your A-game for opening night is not unusual, keeping it over the next 81 games is where the contenders stand in front of the pretenders.

Be honest, did any of you honestly, think the Cavs would come in and leave with an 0-2 record to start the 09-10 NBA season? Great night for Raps fans.

10/28/09 - Raptors vs. Cavs In 6 Minutes

About Time

The Leafs are finally in the win column!!!

It took a few games, 9 games to be exact, to register a win and finally give us the fans something to cheer about. More importantly, it get's that ugly monkey off the backs and hopefully will give the Leaf dressing room some needed energy, enthusiasm, and of course the taste of victory.

I have been waiting for the Leafs to finally win a game before making a post and at one point I thought it wouldn't happen for another few weeks. It took a 5 point night from Kaberle to break the Leafs out of their disgusting start to the season in which many thought wouldn't look this ugly. Did anyone think the Leafs would be the last team in the NHL to have a win?

Just looking at the box scores and browsing the reports, it seems the Leafs shouldn't be in panic mode since the season is only 9 games old but I don't agree. I think the Leafs need more fire and play with some sort of urgency NOW. All the players are saying the right things about guys learning to play with each other, it is only a few games, bad luck with the puck, and all that other crap but I don't buy it. For the Leafs to win, everyone in that locker room needs to step up and take every shift they have like it's their last (very cheesy but true).

If the Leafs stepped on the ice and played their asses off, opponents might not have that relaxed feeling when they suit up against them. Have you ever played against a team you knew you were going to beat? It is a great feeling because you really have no feeling. Makes sense, read on. A good team will always show up relaxed and let their skill and muscle memory take over when push comes to shove. When ever I played a weaker team I would step into the batter's box relaxed and focused, never did I have a tense muscle muscle in my body.

The win is done and no one can take it away. Now, let's hope that the 2nd comes Wednesday night in Dallas.

One More

Just browsing the box scores and reading through all the stories on ESPN and TSN when I happened to bump into the NHL playoff section on Yahoo! Sports. Can you believe the 08-09 NHL season is going to be over on June 12th?!?! Where the hell does time go...it just seems like yesterday that the season started. To be honest, I lost interest in November. The NBA this year was absolutely amazing. The fierce battles didn't start when the playoffs started but right when the season began. Remember when KJ was taunting Calderon during game seven of the regular season.

I can't seem to find a reason for why I didn't keep up with hockey this year. I always keep up with hockey and the day to day life that surrounds the league. If you asked me who the leading scorer was I would be puzzled. If you asked me who finished first in each conference I would be puzzled. If you asked me...you get the picture.

Maybe it was the Leafs that kept me from watching. The Leafs kill me. They have all the resources in the world but still can't find a way to compete in the NHL. Almost every kid who grows up in Canada wants to play for the Leafs or the Canadiens but they still can't seem to sign a free agent, who isn't over the hill, to play and contribute. It baffles me everyday!

Just read somewhere that Dany Heatley of the Senators wants out of Ottawa. He still has 5 years left on his contract extension and it's pretty hefty in price, I think $7.5 mil each year, but still worth a look. If the Leafs wanted to sign and bring in a player who can score and understands the game, this would be a guy they need to sign.

As a Leafs fan, I'm used to saying, "Maybe next year, maybe next year."

Guess we'll see how I feel when the 09-10 season rolls around.

552

552.

It just reminds me how much I miss having a true game changer in the back. Martin Brodeur now holds the record for most career wins by an NHL goalie, passing Patrick Roy for first place. It is incredible to think that someone can stay this dominant for this long. Just go to his career stats and see for yourself. What hits me the most about this accomplishment is how the Leafs need someone like this to be their game changer. A man who can win games that matter the most. A man who takes the team and gives them a realistic chance to win every night he laces up the skates. I hope the Leafs find a way to draft or some how trade for a premium goalie in the near future. The more and more I see Brodeur succeed the more I think about only if the Leafs had someone like that. Time to day dream.

Expensive Night Out

"The Passion That Unites Us All"
More like
"Thanks for your money, suckers!"

We all know that going to a game at the ACC when the Leafs are playing is not one of the cheapest and most friendly things you can do to your wallet. So, as I read the daily news, I bump into a little piece about how the Leafs are going to hike their tickets prices 3.5% for next season. The first thing that comes to my mind is, man, Torontonians are a bunch of F*CKING idiots!!!

Why are we so stupid and continually give MLSE our hard earned dollars when all we get back in return is a product that is defective. Would you ever continually purchase something even though it hasn't satisfied you in years? Would you keep going to the same grocery store knowing that there were rats roaming freely? Even though the food hasn't killed you just yet. That is going a little overboard but it does relate with the Leafs situation. Leafs have a terrible product but the fans of Toronto keep paying and going to this "grocery store" and contually buy and buy.

As I have expressed to my friends on numerous occasions, the only way the Leafs are going to put a winning team on the ice is when they are forced to, not by management, not by MLSE, and not by their true owners, the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan. The only way the Leafs are going to field a winning team is when their profits are hit! What motivation do the Leafs have to put a winning team on the ice. They charge the highest average ticket price in the NHL, $95.33, but they continually sell out the ACC on a nightly basis. I would love to own a business like that. Produce a sh*t product and still have tremendous demand for it year in and year out.

I don't go to Leafs games because it is too expensive.

I don't go to Leafs games because I don't believe in their product.

I don't go to Leafs games because I would rather spend time sitting at home watching other NHL calibre hockey teams.

Yes, I do have to admit I do watch them on TV, once in a while. I don't watch from start to finish because they just don't do it for me anymore.

People of Toronto should start to realize that the Leafs are running a business and have a goal and sadly to say, it isn't winning a Stanley Cup and bring a parade to Yonge Street. It is to rake in the profits and give the owners, Teacher's Pension Plan, a nice gain in their investment. Come on, think logically here and check your loyalty for the Leafs at the door, why are the Leafs going to change their business plan when it continually succeeds? At this point in time, making profits and not the winning the Stanley Cup is their top priority.

B U T...

If the profits start to dry up management will be forced to put a contender on the ice. For all of you people who keep complaining about the price increases, STOP GOING TO THE GAMES!!! Talking all the smack about how expensive the prices of the tickets are is going to do nothing but fall on deaf ears.

The simple solution is to stop giving your hard earned dollars to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto Transactions

I begin with the trade of Hassan Adams of the Raptors to the Clippers. Breakdown. Raptors send Adams and some cash to the Clippers for a future second round draft pick. The Clippers then, a few hours later, decide to waive Adams. Let me get this straight. The Clippers gave a way a second round draft for the right to waive Adams? How the hell does this make sense. Please, someone come out and explain this to me because I have looked at this from many angles and it all comes down to, WTF?!?!

Yes, there could be some other little part of the agreement that isn't being reported for example, the Raptors doing the Clippers a favour later down the road. Anyways, just one of the weirdest things I've seen in a while.

Moving onto the Maple Leafs trade for Brad May. Breakdown. Leafs give up a conditional 6th round draft pick in 2010 and, as mentioned, receive Brad May. Tell me why we made this trade? Are we trying to unload contracts for expiring ones? No. Are we acquiring someone with upside that some other team just lost faith in? No. Are we trading for a future draft pick? No.

Why the hell are we doing this trade? Didn't the Leafs lure Burke into the GM office for a reason, as in building a winning hockey team. Burke better have something up his sleeve because this, yet another trade, makes no sense to me. According to Mr. Burke, May should bring some veteran presence to the locker room. Why the hell do we need to give up a draft pick for this? Yes, it's a 6th round pick but still, it could be one of those needle in a haystack guys. A draft pick is a draft pick. We should be accumulating and piling up the draft picks so we can rebuild.

The Leafs are not going anywhere this year and bringing in a guy for veteran leadership doesn't do anything for the team except bring some attention to the team and show us Mr. Burke is doing something with his time.

Oh why do the Leafs do this to me.

Sundin a Canuck

It is finally official, the former Maple Leafs captain is now a proud member of the Vancouver Canucks. I am a little sad and weirded out with the fact Sundin will be wearing another jersey with something different than the white and blue of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can you see Jordan in a uniform other than the Bulls? Yes, there was the Wizards but come on. What about Jeter with something other than pinstripes?

In professional sports, players want nothing more than the chance to compete for the championship and for Sundin, the lure of competing for the Stanley Cup was enough for him to sign with another team instead of staying put in Toronto. I am happy to see him back on the ice and I hope he succeeds but there is a still a side of me that wished he signed with the Leafs.

As the season progresses I hope Sundin doesn't find himself on the sidelines because of injuries since he did skip training camp and the exhibition schedule. He's been working out but nothing can keep you prepared for the rigirous play found in the NHL.

Good luck Sundin. Too bad the Leafs couldn't provide you with the home and Stanley Cup chance you deserve.

Mark your calendars, Sundin will be back at the ACC on February 21, 2009!


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.

Leafs Win?

Well, the Leafs are finally victorious after beating the AHL-quality guys from Long Island. People can argue the Leafs belong in the AHL right now and honestly, I wouldn't argue with you. They are just going through the motions when it comes to defence. Someone on this team needs to step up and block some shots, Toskala I'm looking straight at you!

Since I rarely see a highlight reel end with a victory, when it comes to the Leafs, I felt compelled to show this one to the world. Yeah, Leafs win!

Sad note

Again, the topic of hitting in the NHL is up front and centre due to the violent and illegal hits that seem to happen way too often.

In the Leafs game, Kostopoulos absolutely crushes Van Ryn into the boards. I know that the game of hockey is fast and players are in constant movement but there are points when you see a guys back you just shouldn't throw him into the boards so heavily. Giving him a push/contact is ok in my eyes as long as you are not crunching his face into the boards.

Another thing that pisses me off is when players purposely turn their backs when they get near the boards knowing someone is coming for them. Some players are taught this because it will draw a penalty but at the same time you might be asking for time on the injured list.

The one factor that needs to be addressed is not the helmets or penalties but something even easier to learn and remember...RESPECT! Players need to have more respect for their fellow NHL'ers because if you respect someone will you go out and hit them from behind and force them onto the injured list?

You be the judge about the hit.

Leafs vs. Canadiens

Nice to see an Original 6 match-up.

Another plus is seeing the Leafs on the winning side!

Leafs win 6-3.