Toronto Maple Leafs
James Reimer Records Back-to-Back Shutouts
The story of the battle of Ontario continued last night when the Toronto Maple Leafs traveled to Ottawa to face the Senators.
But even playing in Ottawa, the Senators had no control over what James Reimer and Phil Kessel were going to do to them Saturday night.
Reimer continued his spectacular performance from three nights ago and recorded back-to-back shutouts, after only playing one game during the month of January. Reimer’s 25 save performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and a whopping 49 save performance over the Senators yesterday, were two important wins for the Maple Leafs as the Senators continue to slide down the standings with six straight losses.
The Maple Leafs, who are on a timely roll, now sit one point back of the 7th place Senators and the 6th place New Jersey Devils.
You can watch Reimer’s post game comments after the win over the Senators here -
http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=-6&id=155230
Reimer gave …
Reimer makes 49 saves for second straight shutout
All-Star Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists and James Reimer made
49 saves for his second consecutive shutout as the visiting Toronto
Maple Leafs breezed to a 5-0 victory over the provincial rival Ottawa
Senators on Saturday.
Reimer was spectacular in earning his third shutout of the season and sixth career.
Cody Franson capped the scoring at 12:17 of the third period when he beat Craig Anderson for his fourth goal of the season.
Luke Schenn scored his second of the campaign earlier in the third period.
Despite being outshot 21-9 in the middle session, Tyler Bozak gave
Toronto a 3-0 lead after Kessel sent him in on a partial breakaway.
Bozak fought off defenseman Jared Cowen and flipped the puck over
Anderson.
Captain Dion Phaneuf gave the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead in the first
period with a power play marker – his eighth of the season – when he
snuck into the Ottawa zone and snapped home a pass from Kessel.
Kessel scored his 27th of the season at 13:47 when …
Maple Leafs 5, Senators 0
James Reimer posted his second straight shutout, and Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak each had three points to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-0 rout of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Kessel and Bozak each had a goal and two assists, while Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn and Cody Franson also scored for Toronto. Reimer stopped 49 shots for his third shutout of the season and has now made 74 saves in his last two games.
Craig Anderson, making his 17th straight start and 50th appearance, had little help from his teammates as he faced 40 shots.
Ottawa fell to 3-2-0 against Toronto this year.
Ken Beckett: Capital Punishment – Reimer Earns Another Shutout as Leafs Blowout Sens
The game may have been played in the nation’s capital, but the Toronto Maple Leafs in their throwback blue sweaters looked right at home on Saturday night, beating the Ottawa Senators in a rout 5-0 for their fourth win in five games.
The Maple Leafs received several impressive performances on the night, but it was James Reimer who earned first star of the game honours, stopping 49 shots to earn…
Los Angeles Kings show interest in Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings are in need of a top six forward if they have any chance of beating the upper echelon of their respective conferences. If the playoffs started today, the Maple Leafs would face the New York Rangers, while the Kings would be playing the Vancouver Canucks.
Would these two teams be good trading partners?
I’m saying no.
Looking at the Kings roster, players Maple Leafs (or any team for that matter) could benefit from are; Anze Kopitar, though he is the Kings best player, so he is not going anywhere. Mike Richards would a nice addition, but just like Jeff Carter, a long contract does not suit Brian Burke’s taste.
Jarret Stoll would be a great addition if Mikhail Grabovski is still in Toronto this summer and does not re-sign. Looking at the free agent pool, Stoll the only viable center this summer who could fit in with the Maple Leafs system. Yes Zach Parise, one of the better free agents this off-season would be a nice addition,…
Lineup Remains the Same as Leafs Take on Senators
(REUTERS/Mike Cassese)
By Lukas Hardonk (@LukasHardonk)
The Maple Leafs are back in Ottawa tonight for a game against the Senators. It will be the first of a tough stretch of games for the Leafs that will see them play six of their next eight contests on the road.
Game time tonight is 7:00 PM EST. You can watch the game on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, listen to it on Toronto radio AM640, or follow along on Twitter, @LukasHardonk.
Leafs’ lineup
Forwards
Lupul-Bozak-Kessel
MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin
Lombardi-Connolly-Crabb
Brown-Steckel-Armstrong
Defencemen
Gunnarsson-Phaneuf
Liles-Franson
Gardiner-Schenn
Goalies
Reimer
Gustavsson
Notes
- After a strong performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, there are no changes to the Leafs’ lineup for this evening.
- Tonight’s game could have huge playoff implications; the Leafs sit just two points inside of eighth and four back of a Senators team that has dropped five in a row.
- The Leafs scored j…
Travis Yost: Gameday: Battle of Ontario on Hockey Night in Canada
Make sure to follow Travis on Twitter and Facebook!
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Fans in both Toronto and Ottawa expected the Battle of Ontario rivalry to heat up in the future, but few could’ve imagined the importance of the final two games in the 2011-2012 edition as both the Maple Leafs and Senators chase down playoff births in the Eastern Conference.
It’s been quite some time since the games actually have mattered…
Crucial Stretch of Games Approach for the Maple Leafs
(Julio Cortez/AP)
By Lukas Hardonk (@LukasHardonk)
Over the course of a season, there is always a certain stretch of games that can make or break a team’s final standing after all 82 games have been played. In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, that stretch just about to begin.
When the NHL released its 2011-2012 regular season schedule in the summer, not many people were impressed by how it looked. Some even called the worst schedule they had seen in recent memory, stating travel and long periods of time spent either at home or one the road at once as two big problems.
The Maple Leafs are about to experience what it’s like to play too many games away from home while battling for playoff contention. Over their next eight contests, the Buds will play just twice at home, where they have been dynamite this season.
In 27 games at home, the Leafs have gone 15-8-4, earning an impressive points percentage of .630. Compare that to their success on the road, an 11-11-2 record a…
Is Jeff Carter a good fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
A supposedly unhappy Jeff Carter could fit the bill for Toronto Maple Leafs’ long desired number 1 center they have been looking for ever since Mats Sundin left.
It looks like the Columbus Blue Jackets have indeed put their star player out on the trade block;
“Multiple sources confirmed to The Dispatch that Carter has been put on the trade block by the Blue Jackets, barely seven months after he was acquired from Philadelphia and deemed the No. 1 center the club has always needed.”
But how good of a fit is Carter if he were traded to Toronto?
Pros; Carter, at age 27 is in his prime. Carter could come as an easier transaction for the Maple Leafs than player’s such as teammate Rick Nash or Anaheim Duck star Ryan Getzlaf because of the situation Carter is in. The Maple Leafs are in dire need for a center and having Carter in the middle of Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul would be dynamite. I personally like that Carter ($5.27 annual cap hit) makes around $500,000…
Whale Release Aaron Voros from PTO
HARTFORD, February 2, 2012: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has released forward Aaron Voros from his Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.
Signed November 15, Voros skated in 23 games with the Whale, notching four goals and three assists for seven points while serving 23 minutes in penalties.
The Whale finish off a five-game homestand tomorrow night, Friday, February 3, when they take on the divisional-rival Albany Devils at the XL Center in a 7:00 PM game.
Tickets to that contest, and all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to ta…
The Importance of Mikhail Grabovski
When the Maple Leafs re-signed John-Michael Liles, the prevailing thought was that Mikhail Grabovski was about to become a cap casualty. Liles took less than $4 million to stay in Toronto, putting next year’s cap space at slightly over $11 million. The problem was that Keith Aulie, Cody Franson, and Nikolai Kulemin become restricted free agents in line for raises, and Jonas Gustavsson becomes an unrestricted free agent. Grabovski will likely make close to $5 million, so to keep Grabovski in the fold the Leafs need some creative cap management, especially if they hope to make other improvements to the squad. Because of the shrinking cap space and Grabovski’s soon-to-be free agent status, his name has inevitably popped up in trade rumours. And unless there’s some unlikely fantasy scenario where Ryan Getzlaf comes back the other way, in no way does a Grabovski deal help the Leafs. Grabovski is the only quality two-way centre on the Leafs. He’s the team…
The Importance of Mikhail Grabovski
When the Maple Leafs re-signed John-Michael Liles, the prevailing thought was that Mikhail Grabovski was about to become a cap casualty. Liles took less than $4 million to stay in Toronto, putting next year’s cap space at slightly over $11 million. The problem was that Keith Aulie, Cody Franson, and Nikolai Kulemin become restricted free agents in line for raises, and Jonas Gustavsson becomes an unrestricted free agent.Grabovski will likely make close to $5 million, so to keep Grabovski in the fold the Leafs need some creative cap management, especially if they hope to make other improvements to the squad.Because of the shrinking cap space and Grabovski’s soon-to-be free agent status, his name has inevitably popped up in trade rumours. And unless there’s some unlikely fantasy scenario where Ryan Getzlaf comes back the other way, in no way does a Grabovski deal help the Leafs.Grabovski is the only quality two-way centre on the Leafs. He’s the team’s best offensive…
When will Toronto’s revolving door in net conclude?
By Dan BerlinWith their first playoff berth in almost a decade in sight, it’s February and the Toronto Maple Leafs are still without a clear-cut number one goalie. For the past month, it looked like Jonas Gustavsson was going to be it. Heading into the All-Star break, the “Monster” had been just that — a beast between the pipes, starting 10 of 11 games for Toronto since the New Year, while posting an impressive 7-2-1 record, with three shutouts to boot. He had seemingly gained the confidence of head coach Ron Wilson and wrestled the starting gig away from consensus pre-season starter James Reimer. Or so we thought.Then Tuesday night happened. In the team’s first game back after the break, Gustavsson reverted to the shaky “Monster” of old, from beast to bust. Staked to a three-goal lead in the third period at Pittsburgh, the Penguins managed to come all the way back, tying the game with under seven seconds left to play. Thanks in no small part to…
RECAP: MacArthur’s Court. PENS LOSE.
@tradeneal
Guaranteed if you know a guy named Clarke, he’s an asshole. He probably borrows money and doesn’t pay you back. He probably doesn’t turn off his high beams when he sees you approaching from the other direction. Clarke MacArthur is no different probably. MacArthur scored the game-winner and only goal of the game right after James Neal deflected a puck off the crossbar.
The Pens were lucky to pull one out two nights ago, so we can’t get greedy. If you’re looking for something to take from this game, it’s Brent Johnson’s performance. Nice to see him back to his usual form after his extended stint on the bench.
Three big-time games coming on the road. This one was the start of the longest road trip for the rest of the season (4 games).
@Boston
@New Jersey
@Montreal
The Pen…
MacArthur tally in third wins it for Leafs
James Reimer stopped all 25 shots he faced and Clarke MacArthur scored in the third period to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 on Wednesday night.
The win gave the Maple Leafs a split of a home-and-home set with Pittsburgh one night after the Penguins erased a 4-1 deficit in the third period before pulling out a 5-4 shootout win.
It looked as if overtime would again be necessary Wednesday until MacArthur took a pass from Mikhail Grabovski and deked around Brent Johnson with 6:05 to go in regulation.
It was the second shutout this season for Pittsburgh.
Reimer, who was starting for only the second time in 14 games, registered his first shutout since opening night against Montreal in October. It was also a rare appearance for Johnson, who gave Marc-Andre Fleury a rest for the second time in 19 games.
The game featured decidedly less energy than what was on display 24 hours earlier in Pittsburgh, when both coaches were left with some defensive concerns.
The players clearly received the message.
Even with NHL scoring leader Evgeni Malkin on the ice, there were very few quality scoring chances at either end.
Pittsburgh did manage to get a puck over the goal-line early in the second period, but that goal was overturned because Chris Kunitz was ruled to have kicked it into the net.
The Penguins generated more offense in the middle period, but Reimer kept it scoreless by denying Malkin twice from the side of the net.
Each team had a power play early in the third but couldn’t break through. The closest Pittsburgh came was a James Neal shot that rang off the post.
MacArthur broke the deadlock with his 16th goal of the season.
Notes: In 19 career games against the Leafs, Malkin has nine goals and 38 points … Mike Komisarek and Jay Rosehill were scratched for the Maple Leafs … Pittsburgh claimed center Cal O’Reilly on waivers Wednesday but he didn’t dress.
