Goodbye Alpo Suhonen...Hello WENDEL CLARK??!! Yep, I read in the paper that IF Suhonen should go to the Blackhawks and be the Big Cheese there (in other, sane, words, head coach) Wendel Clark may take over behind the bench! I hope he will...if he can't play for Toronto, he can coach! I think he'll be a great Assistant Coach, he'll make sure that the Leafs will go and get their noses dirty and SHOOT THE PUCK! The Leafs try waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard to make the goals look pretty...if the Stanley Cup is on the line...it could bounce off five guys' heads and go in for all I care! You hafta shoot to score...and the Leafs didn't shoot the puck, and that's why they're golfing! They can beat Brodeur, they've proved that by scoring 12 times on him in 3 games. The math is easy, it averaged 4 goals a game. Yes, I know the hockey world is filled with "If onlys..." but I have to say it, If only the Leafs would've shot the puck...If only they didn't lose Berard, Perreault, and Antropov! There, I said it. The Leafs need to have that good old fashion hockey as part of their game...hits, hits,and more hits. (Here I go with the "If onlys..." again) If only the Leafs came out hitting Jersey like they did against Ottawa...That Battle of Ontario was something else eh? It was a great series, but I wish they could've faced ANYONE but Ottawa! Ottawa are Leaf killers plain and simple. Anyhoo...enough of my "Ottawa-Senators-Kill-the-Leafs" theory. I hope the Clarkie gets to be an Assistant Coach...if he can't play...I just hope he'll be a part of the organization...hell, maybe he can be a scout or something! GO LEAFS GO!
Okay...nobody overreact or anything, but I've *HEARD* news on the Bryanator! Okay, I'm not sure if this is true or not...someone posted it on a message board, so it may or may not be true. This person said that she heard that Bryanator is skating now! He can now see letters from 5 feet away...that I knew for awhile. But none of this skating business! Of course, he'd be taking light skates by himself, but if this is true...it's progress! WOOHOO BRYAN BERARD! I hope he gets well enough to play in the NHL again. I know he'd be allowed to play in the AHL, but he skated with the "Big Boys" and I'm sure playing in the AHL would not be a huge thrill for him...But hey, he'll be playing hockey again! I have a feeling that we may see him back again in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. There's a chance, and I'm not giving up on it. It may not be this year, it may not be next year, but some day. Speaking of Bryan Berard, as we know, the expansion draft is coming up soon...and I read an article in the TO Star and it said that the Leafs may leave Berard umprotected in hopes that no one will take him over doubts of his eye. Okay, the guy may never play hockey again, and the team he plays for may leave him open to the expansion?? But then again, people, this is media speculation. I hope Darcy Tucker becomes an Assistant Captain for the Leafs in the future. Maybe he can be a future Captain! This guy is "a little fireball" as my mom describes him. And he is. Tucker never stops trying, the team could be down 10-0 and I bet he'd be out there every shift throwing a hard hit or create a chance by his forechecking ability. I think Tucker gave the whole team a new energy that wasn't there before he came. The Leafs were never big on forechecking, they'd come dancing off the rush and put the biscuit in the basket. As we all know, they're still that kind of team, but it may just be my imagination, but the team seemed to have gotten more keen on forechecking when Tucker was added. Tucker has added a whole new dimension to the team that Johnson couldn't. Johnson was a "finesse" player, Tucker is a "get-your-nose-dirty", feisty little mouth peice that is always nice to have on your side! Moving along now...has Jeff Farkas impressed any of you as he has impressed me? This guy is fast like Berezin, and has a creative mind too. From watching him in the three games he's played with Toronto thus far, he's the kind of guy who likes to dazzle the crowd. He makes nifty drop passes, and is great with the puck. He has good hands too, he makes some nice tape-to-tape passes. The only disadvantage he has is his size, he should gain 10-20 pounds or so, to ensure that he can take the physical beating of a full season. Whether or not he'll be in the line-up next year, he'll be a great addition to the team. Alrighty, that's all I hafta say. Like I said, don't get too excited over the news about Berard, it may not be true, I'm trying my hardest to get the official word on the situation, mmmkays? Alrighty...See yas all!
Alrighty...I have a few things to vent about...I'll start with this...I HATE GARY BETTMAN!!!!!!! Bryan Berard is NOT exempted from the expansion draft! First, the guy gets a possibly career-ending injury, and he gets this for an added kick in the pants! I mean...he will not likey get drafted or anything, if he's left unprotected, but now the Leafs are faced with a decision...Leave Berard protected and leave someone else unprotected, that would not have been if Berard was exempted. And take the risk about the question of his return? Or, leave him unprotected and hope that Columbus or Minnesota don't pick him up because of the doubt over his future? I strongly believe that if a player's career is in serious doubt, they should be exempted from the draft. But, as we all know...Bettman is an idiot. I'm appalled at this decision...I really am. And speaking of expansion drafts...Why is the league expanding so much when there's so many problems with the teams they have now? I mean, Canada's teams are suffering, and the violence in the league is ridiculous (I'll get to this issue later...)...The league needs to open their eyes and take a look at what the NHL is becoming. And how many teams can the league get? I mean, hockey fans are biting their nails and pulling their hair out by the end of this season...Who's protected? Who's open? Who got picked? On to the violence issue...the stickwork is disgusting...Mcsorely clubbing Brashear, Neidermayer konking Worell, Barrasso slashing Perreault, Hossa's errant stick...the league needs to come down harder on these offenses. Mcsorely got a pretty hefty sentence, can't complain too much about that. But Neidermayer gets less than half of Mcsorely's sentence for pretty much the same offense. And Barrasso gets four games for breaking Yanic's arm, thus missing 23 games...FOUR! And I know some may disagree with this, but Hossa should have been suspended...His hockey stick is his responsibility, not Berard's, his. It was clearly an accident, but Berard may have lost too much sight to play. The league is too soft, and that has to change, NOW. Not two seasons from now, after someone else gets seriously injured...now. Anyhoo, that's all I hafta say....if you want to debate anything said in here, go post something in my guestbook! I'm going to try and get a message board for such debates, but the guestbook can be used for the same purpose for the time being.
Dmitri Khristich #8, Toronto Maple Leafs...Kevyn Adams #42, Columbus Blue Jackets?! As we all know, the Maple Leafs sacrificed a good, solid young player who has yet to fully make his mark in the NHL ice to protect someone whose mark...well...was made a long time ago. Does anyone else find anything wrong with this picture?! I mean, the Leafs signed Khristich for his offensive talents...he comes along and scores 12 goals all season?! TWELVE STINKING GOALS! When Quinn was asked about how he feels about Khristich, he said that they like Khristich's defensive skills. True, Khristich is an effective Penalty Killer, but he was brought here to score goals. You'd think that coming to an offensive-minded franchise like the Leafs would "unleash" someone who's SUPPOSED to be a goal-scorer, like Khristich. Khristich played for a more defensive sound team in the Bruins, and scored 29 goals...Comes to a fire-wagon style team in the Leafs and scores 12...Odd, but I guess that's how it goes in sports. This move by Pat Quinn really disappointed me...Quinn always complained that the Leafs are not gritty enough, thus he brought Tucker, and shipped out Johnson. Yet he goes and exposes one of the grittier players on the team who will no doubt get snatched up by an expansion team, and keeps a guy who wouldn't hit if his life depended on it. It's good to have a finesse player or two...players who rely on their speed, agility, puckhandling, and creativeness are entertaining, and they get their job done, which is scoring that goal, making that pass. A guy like Sergei Berezin...Okay, okay...he doesn't pass, but the guy can play! Anyways...I'm going off topic...what I was trying to say was that guys like Kevyn Adams get overlooked, their attributes to the team are different than from those like Mats Sundin, Steve Thomas, Sergei Berezin. Okay, so Kevyn Adams probably won't be the guy to score 20-30 goals...But he's the guy to get his nose dirty, defend his teammates no matter who the opponent is. He's the guy to take a bullet for anyone...This kind of thing really makes me doubt that the Leafs management wants to bring the Stanley Cup to Toronto. They threw away a key player who did all the little things right...he finished his man, he killed that crucial penalty, he took that punishing hit to make that play. Kevyn Adams is the type of player who'll never truly get appreciated in the NHL today. It's sad, but true. Why would people appreciate a guy like Kevyn Adams when there's Jaromir Jagr, Pavel Bure, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne? Those guys dazzle the crowds with their fancy moves, their skill, their speed, and their offensive talents. The gritty players are more basic, they don't go out on the ice each night to make that breath-taking play, they go out there to throw the big hit...Fans do appreciate the hits, but it'll never be the same as scoring that big goal. But, that's the way hockey is, I love the game, I can't complain about the game...I love the goals, the fancy plays, everyone does...But it's heartbreaking to see someone like Kevyn Adams go..someone who could really make an impact on the Leafs if given the chance...but maybe in Columbus he'll make the impact that he should have been able to have made in Toronto. Good luck to Kevyn, I wish him all the best, as for Dmitri Khristich...Leafs NEED to get rid of this guy! A total deadbeat! (I'm not bitter, really...I'm not!)
Alrighty...I have to let out some steam about Wendel Clark retiring. Some Wings fans were saying "It's about time he retired...he did crap for us." Or something along the lines of that. HELLO???!!! They didn't really expect Wendel Clark to bring up the big numbers like Brendan Shanahan, or Steve Yzerman, did they? If they did, they were being extremely unrealistic. Wendel Clark today, was not the Wendel Clark of the late 80's, early 90's...and to expect that of him is just ignorant. Have they forgotten how the injuries have taken a toll on his body? Or how at one time, his hands were so injured and broken from fighting, he couldn't fix a fence on his farm, yet they expect him to score 30 goals? Jeez! When Wendel Clark returned to Toronto, I was happy, not because I thought he'd add offense, but I was happy because he'd bring leadership, as well as some grit; but nothing like the Wendel of old. I took the Wings fans comment as an insult. They were completely insensitive...but I guess that's what happens when you have players like Brendan Shanahan, and Stevie Yzerman on your team. You get spoiled, you expect every newcomer to score as many goals and get as many assists...I thought they were being extremely rude, and unfair...but I guess every team has fans like that...and we all know...Leafs fans can get pretty ignorant too...Anyhoo...that's all I hafta say...(P.S. This is NOT intended to rip Wings fans whatsoever, I'm implying this message to the people who were saying those things, who happened to be Wings fans...I know this sounds like a Wings fans bashingpost, but it is not intended to be...I apologize to any Wings fan who reads this and gets offended by it...this message was to express my exasperation that people can be so ignorant...) Sorry Maggles!! This is not directed at you, because I know how much you love your Redwings! You're not an ignorant fan! But again, like I said, EVERY team has ignorant fans, the people who said such things just happened to be Wings fans...Hey, maybe I'm a hypocrite and I'm the ignorant one! Who knows? Heehee.
In other news, Danny Markov's agent and Bill Watters are negotiating his contract...and are expected to make a deal soon...WOOOOOOHOOOOO! If you want full news on Leafs free agents..go to www.thestar.ca
Okay, sorry I haven't been here in awhile, especially with the goings on so far this off-season. First off, as we all know, Leafs signed free agents Shayne Corson and Gary Roberts. They're both respected guys in the NHL for their grit and determination, but we have to ask ourselves this question...Can they stay healthy for the majority of the season, and most importantly, the playoffs? I'm not disagreeing with the Leafs in any way...I wanted this to happen. Leafs got beaten up in the playoffs but Corson and Roberts will add some grit, and them combined with Darcy Tucker, Garry Valk, and Tie Domi (providing they all remain on the team) the Leafs can compete with the "bruising teams" of the NHL. And I'm sure there'll be a time when Adam Mair will be needed. This guy has good size and a mean streak to match, but he has to reduce the unnecessary penalties he's taken. Steve Thomas is also one to throw his weight around when he sees fit. This has been bothering me, with the absence of Kevyn Adams, who'll be our fourth line centre? I mean, Alyn McCauley will probably be thrown in there, but he isn't gritty enough to be on a checking line, and he doesn't seem to fit on any line higher than that. As a result, with the return of Yanic Perreault, and Nik Antropov he could be seeing time in the AHL. Or should the Leafs make a trade for a fourth line centre? I'm sure someone will take McCauley, and maybe a draft pick. Also, can Danny Markov and Tomas Kaberle fill Bryan Berard's skates? Tomas Kaberle is pretty reliable offensively, as well as defensively, as long as he's not deflecting pucks in his own net; and although Markov has the speed, the shot,and puckhandling abilities to add more offenseon the blue, he plays a more defensive, gritty game. I'm not complaining, I think Markov is excellent, but we need a blue liner for the powerplay. If Danny can settle his shot down and hit the net, I think he'll net a few goals. But before he can do that, Leafs need to SIGN him! And they'll need to sign Karpovtsev as well. Maybe they won't keep Karpovtsev...maybe they will trade him for another defenseman. He's known around the league for his professional approach to the game, as well as his careful, positionally sound game. But this is all under the circumstances that the Leafs re-sign him. Speaking of re-signing, Leafs have re-signed Yanic Perreault (1 year), Jonas Hoglund (1 year + option), and Alyn McCauley (1 year). I think the Leafs could trade Hoglund, or use him in a package for another gritty forward. Hey, you never know. Anyways, these are just random thoughts of mine, if you have anything to say, E-mail me!
Sorry for the lack of updates...been so busy lately. Anyways, a few things: THANK GOD THEY RE-SIGNED DANNY MARKOV!!! Okay, moving on...Dave Manson will add some grit to the blueline, hopefully will stop opposing forwards who take liberties with Curtis Joseph and Glenn Healy, but he has to stay out of trouble...If I'm correct he was suspended three times last season! So if he can cut down on the PIMs, the suspensions he'll be okay...Hey, he's better than Cory Cross or Chris McAllister isn't he? And another thing which inspired me to type all this...Dmitri Khristich the flop signing of the SEASON said this in a Toronto Star article after being asked what he has to prove..."I don't have to prove anything to anyone," or something like that. EXCUSE ME???? the Leafs lost promising centre Kevyn Adams for him, when he SUCKED (pardon my french) last season. Adams played extremely well last season which is more than I can say for the guy who costs WAAAAAY too much for what he's worth. AND HE HAS NOTHING TO PROVE???!!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think ANY of the Leafs fans are satisfied with how he played. He's darn lucky he's playing for such a famous and storied franchise that most players would kill to play for, yet he has NOTHING to prove? PUH-LEEZE! Oh I'm so mad...Shows what a team player Khristich is... I'm so angry I can't even type coherent sentences here! I can't believe he had the NERVE to say he doesn't have anything to prove! Thus, I unnofficially ban him from the Leafs...he may wear the jersey, but he's not a Leaf...I don't care if he scores FIFTY goals next season, I don't like him. Nothing to prove, my foot! Kevyn Adams proved himself worthy as a fourth liner...Khristich didn't prove himself worthy of even THAT in my opinion. Sure Khristich had some good years...He's past his prime! He's not gonna be as good as he was, yet Adams still hasn't reached his prime and I hope he scores TEN more goals than Khristich to rub it in his face. (Not that I'm vindictive or anything.) You really gotta wonder about someone's character when they say they don't have to prove anything. Many kids are foaming at the mouth at the very THOUGHT of skating on NHL ice yet this guy Khristich is there, and says something totally LUDICRIOUS like "I don't have to prove anything to anyone." Jeez...He should hang his head in shame. Grrrr...Khristich is an over-paid, washed up hockey player who has the heart the size of a lima bean...just what the Leafs need in the Cup race. I'm so ticked off I can't even write about Karpovtsev.
September 3rd, 2000
Okay, you know you suffer hockey withdrawal when you dream that there are 366 players unsigned and they march around in army gear and their Gms are shooting at them! Confused? Don't blame you, I'm confused to. As pathetic as it sounds, yes, that was my dream. I saw Mats Sundin screaming "We'll never surrender!" and then I remember yelling "Don't shoot Mats!" at the General Managers. I could only see Mats SUndin, Darcy Tucker and Curtis Joseph, the other 363 unsigned NHLers were all blurry. Then all of a sudden, I saw Cujo catching a puck in a game and he throws off his catcher and screams in agony. Yup, Cujo broke his finger. Then back to the scene with the unsigned players and Mats is the leader of the pack of angry, unsigned NHLers. Then I woke up and literately said "What the hell?" Weird huh? Thank God off-season's almost over, as you can see no hockey drives me crazy! Lol...But I'm really pysched for this season...Leafs have more muscle up front, and *hopefully* more mature on defense, and I can't forget to mention Curtis Joseph's heroics. ANyways, that's all I hafta say except, why would the Leafs management insult Karpovtsev's abilities? God, that didn't do anything but make things worse. But both sides are wrong...Leafs shouldn't have insulted him, and Karpovtsev and Mark Gandler are stupid to even ASK for 3.5 million dollars! Karpovtsev is a good defenseman, solid, safe and very precise, but 3.5 million dollars??? Please! My solution? Sign him, then trade him, along with Khristich, and Cross, not all in one deal of course, and I'd hate to see Potsie go, but I think he's gonna demand a trade anyway so just trade him for a good, solid defenseman. And Khristich and Cross can get traded for a bag of pucks, a half used roll of hockey tape and a hockey stick for all I care! Lol... :)
October 5th, 2000
Oh it's that time of year again. The air has become colder (oh darn, guess that means I'll hafta wear that Maple Leafs winter coat now! *grin*) The time has come, my fellow Leaf fans. The puck has been dropped a few times already, and October 7th, the day we see our Boys in Blue grace the ice with their swift skating, goal scoring, goaltending heroics, and smooth transition presence that we all know and love. BRING ON THE HOCKEY SEASON BAYBEE!!! The Leafs are tougher, Cujo has seemed to recover from injury, and we have exciting young prospects in Don McLean and Petr Svoboda for this season, at least the start of it, so bring it on! I'm almost in agony over this wait until I see the Leafs amazing rushes, Cujo's mind boggling saves, and Joe Bowen's spine-tingling shrieks of "HOLY MACINAW!" Hockey season lasted way too long and let's hope the Leafs lengthen their season by a month or so and bring home the prize we've all been waiting for! Can they do it? Okay, maybe I'm looking too far ahead...I mean anything can happen right? Injuries, bad trades, bad signings....ARE YOU KIDDING??? GO LEAFS GO!!! Party hard then party some more cuz the Leafs are bringing it home!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO!! *knocks on wood* (Hey, EVERYONE'S a little superstitious, right Darcy?) Okay...looking at this year's Leafs so far... Mats Sundin still needs his big time Left winger....Quinn has teamed Hoglund/SUndin/Thomas to start the season as the #1 line...that may have worked last season in the regular season, but come playoffs...Sundin NEEDS that LWer...so Pat, Roberts and Sundin didn't exactly mesh well in the preseason on the ice...neither did Hoglund and Sundin, until the regular season and they both started off on fire...Give it a try!!! Will Sergei Berezin score 40 goals this season? There's no doubting he has the desire and talent to do it...but can he stay healthy? Can Danny Markov remain healthy and lay off of the strange injuries? Let's hope so! Yushkie should smack him upside the head next time Danny has the desire to stick his ankle infront of a 100 mph slapshot! USE YOUR HEAD DANNY!! (Lol...corny joke, sorry...think: playoffs vs Sens) Can Cujo win the Vezina? He should've had TWO by now!!! Will Mats prove he is worthy of the C? To me, he already has. Enough of that...moving on now...The Potsie trade *dun dun dun* Personally, I like it. Bryan McCabe will add some more offence to the Leafs blueline if he lives up to his scouting report. He's big, a good skater, and will stick up for his teammates. He's also risky, meaning Bryan Berard-like...still has to work on the defence. Overall, I like it because it is better than losing Karpovtsev for nothing after this season to free agency, and McCabe brings some more youth and spunkiness to the Leafs lineup. GO LEAFS GO!!!
Yipes...I am trying to restrain myself here...ah what the heck... HOW CAN YOU WASTE A 5-0 LEAD IN THE THIRD PERIOD AND THEN LOSE IN OVERTIME????!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *Breathe....Breathe...* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I'm done...wait...one more...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay...that's better...well...Leafs should wear some paper bags over their heads after this pathetic performance in the third...HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO GIVE UP 6 UNANSWERED GOALS???? SIX!!!! SIX GOALS!!!! Okay, you get the point...Okay...now I have the chance to single out Tomas Kaberle...good skater..creative with the puck...HELLO TOMAS! BE CREATIVE ALL YOU WANT WITHTHE PUCK BUT NOT IN THE DEFENSIVE ZONE!!!! YOU JUST DON'T DIPSY DOODLE AROUND YOUR NET WHEN YOUR DEFENSE PARTNER IS OPEN!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! And note to the other Leafs...You cover the OTHER team's players!!! The OTHER blue guys!!! You know...the ones with the music symbols on it?? Yeah? You got it? THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT????? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! What's the matter for you??? That was one of the most PATHETIC, EMBARRASSING, and SLOPPY hockey games I have witnessed... I stand corrected...it WAS the most PATHETIC, EMBARRASSING and SLOPPY Hockey game I have witnessed. If Leafs put out an effort like that every night, then kiss Stanley goodbye! Ayecarumba! I am sooooo mad.... stupid Leafs...stupid Kaberle...stupid refs...WHERE WAS THAT OFFSIDE CALL HUH??? AND HOW ABOUT WHEN St. LOUIS HAD EIGHT MEN ON THE ICE??? WHERE'S THE CALL??? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Okay okay...not ENTIRELY refs faults...actually wasnt them at all...BUT EIGHT MEN???? EIGHT!!!!! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...EIGHT FRICKIN MEN ON THE ICE!!!! IT IS NOT SHINNY HERE!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Well...I am going to go...I'll continue this tomorrow after I am sedated...and maybe even get into the Lindros propaganda. Yes, it's a propaganda. ANyhoo...SHAME ON YOU LEAFS!!!
