SB Nation - Carter Ashton

Obviously #44 Should Be Unretired, Just Not Right Now

Sean Keeley — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:00:24 -0000

So the Syracuse Orange world got itself into a tizzy again when the Syracuse Football Facebook page posted a photo of a current SU jersey with the No. 44 on it.

Obviously, this is the jersey used in that promotional video that's going to premiere Saturday and is not actually a jersey that someone will wear this year. Still, we needed clarification (via Dave Rahme).

That sparked a host of comments from fans wondering if the jersey, last worn by Orange fullback Rob Konrad in 1998, was being brought back. An email sent to SU just to be certain the number was being used as a promotional tool only was answered with the obvious: "There is no No. 44 on the roster."

I've made my case for why I think it's silly to retire No. 44 in the long-term and you can go read it here. I don't think there always needs to be a No. 44 but the option should be available if a player worthy of the honor wants to wear it.

That said, all due respect to the guys on the 2012 roster, I don't exactly see anyone who should be wearing it even it were available.

A little harsh, sure, but, you know... Delone Carter was probably the last guy who would have been 44-worthy and even then it's a tricky dance. Do you wait until someone has proven they have star potential before you give it to them or do you give it to them as a freshman based on potential and desire to wear it?

Ashton Broyld doesn't fit the mold of the bruising RBs that made the number famous, but perhaps the hype he carries with him would make him a worthy owner. Then again, he's probably going to be playing quarterback in a year or two so it's a moot point.

My guess is that it's going to take someone really special for DOC Gross to relent and bring No. 44 back on the field. Like a five-star RB who's choosing between Syracuse, Ohio State and Florida State and by offering him 44 it tips the scales. Of course, if Doug Marrone gets enough juice as coach here and wants to reinstate it (as I think he secretly does), maybe he can make it happen as well.

Until then, we'll keep rooting for the No. 32s and the No. 34s and the No. 1s all the same.

NHL Mock Draft 2012: The French-Canadian Connection

BReynolds — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:00:28 -0000

We here at Hockey Wilderness love us some Canada. Well, most of Canada. We sometimes need to turn to our French-Canadian Connection, JS, to get a lesson from a real hockey fan. After all, while Minnesota is as close to being Canadian you can get without saying "eh" all the time, we sometimes need a little maple syrup, moose tracks, and... [insert other Canadian stereotype here] to straighten us out.

Right now, enjoy the romantic stylings of the man, the myth, the legend... the one and only... Hypotamoose. If you have complaints, please address them to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC.

1. Edmonton Oilers: Nail Yakupov: Since there are no trades in a mock draft, Yakupov is a no-brainer at #1. A lot of people think the Oilers will pick Yakupov anyway, which would suggest the Oilers will just try to mindlessly outscore everyone instead of trying to build a balanced team.

2. Columbus Blue Jackets : Ryan Murray: The Blue Jackets could use some defensemen who can actually play defense. Murray's their best bet.

3. Montreal Canadiens: Filip Forsberg: Not too sure they want more players with knee problems and they've had more than their share of floaters who all ended up leaving (Grabovski, the Kostitsyns, Perezoghin) so Forsberg trumps Grigorenko and Galchenyuk.

4. New York Islanders: Alex Galchenyuk: They would have loved Murray, but they'll ''settle'' for Galchenyuk

5. Toronto Maple Leafs: Mikhail Grigorenko: It would make very little sense for them to draft a defenseman and goalies in this draft aren't worth picking at 5th. Will they risk Grigorenko? They could. His talent level is hard to pass up. Maybe he'll mesh well with Grabovski?

6. Anaheim Ducks : Matthew Dumba: I had initially picked Teravainen for Anaheim. People disagreed. I still think guys like Holland and Devante Smith-Pelly won't be top 6 guys and the departures of Koivu and Selanne will hurt someday. However, it's true that their prospect pool is rather thin on defense (especially if Justin Schultz leaves) and guys like Beauchemin, Visnovsky and Lydman aren't getting any younger. Dumba is arguably the best choice after Murray, but it's a really tight race.

7. Minnesota Wild: Griffin Reinhart: The next Brent Burns? There sure are a lot of similarities.

8. Carolina Hurricanes: Tuevo Teravainen: Their defense is fine, so I'm thinking they're going offense. Teravainen is the way to go at this point.

9. Winnipeg Jets : Jacob Trouba: It's not that they need defense, but it's hard to see them skip on Trouba or Rielly.

10. Tampa Bay Lightning: Morgan Rielly: While trading Carter Ashton kind of hurt their forward depth, Rielly is hard to pass up on. Plus, more defense couldn't possibly hurt the Bolts right now.

11. Washington Capitals (from Colorado): Cody Ceci : I know I picked Radek Faksa in this spot in our staff mock draft, but right now, I'm scratching my head as to why I made that choice. Sure, he's arguably the best player available, but the Caps are more than fine at center. I still maintain that they'll draft a winger with their other1st round pick, but for now, Cody Ceci looks like the better non-center choice.

12. Buffalo Sabres: Radek Faksa: Best player available, happy coincidence that it's a center.

13. Dallas Stars: Brenden Gaunce: The Stars are quite thin at center and it couldn't hurt to have one with as much heart as Gaunce.

14. Calgary Flames: Hampus Lindholm : They have holes everywhere, but they at least have Granlund and Baertschi. Lindholm is one of the best defensemen still on the board.

15. Ottawa Senators: Pontus Aberg: I can't really envision them picking a defenseman here, so Aberg it is.

16. Washington Capitals: Sebastian Collberg: With Aberg gone, Collberg will be the winger I said the Caps would pick.

17. San Jose Sharks: Olli Maatta: While Bryan's gut tells him the Sharks pick offense, my tells me the Sharks would go for a defensive defenseman. I think their offense is fine, even though they had their hiccups this season. Plus, Murray, Demers and Vlasic are coming off the books after next season, so Maatta would be nice insurance in case they lose one or more of them.

18. Chicago Blackhawks: Malcolm Subban: I agree with most here: The Hawks need goaltending depth. They don't really need anything elsewhere, and even so, second rounders and third rounders could cut it.

19. Tampa Lightning: Zemgus Girgensons: With their second 1st round pick, I couldn't see the Bolts pass up center Girgensons. He'd make a fine 3rd liner behind Stamkos and Lecavalier, and could potentially take Vinny's place when he's done.

20. Philadelphia Flyers: Derrick Pouliot: Losing Pronger and potentially Carle will have the Flyers looking for D. Pouliot is their man. His offensive upside will help ease the pain of losing two big producers.

21. Buffalo Sabres: Colton Sissons: Versatility's the word here.

22. Pittsburgh: Cristoval Nieves: High risk, high reward is what I've been reading about this guy. I think the Pens can afford to take that risk. Plus, he can play center and left wing, so if Staal actually does get traded for some reason, Nieves could fill the void.

23. Florida Panthers: Slater Koekkoek: They have good depth at forward and decent depth at defense, but I'm thinking defense is the way the Panthers' balance will tip.

24. Boston Bruins: Tomas Hertl: Probably the best player still on the board.

25. St. Louis Blues: Brady Skjei: I know what some of you are thinking: ''But the Blues have a great defensive corps!''. Sure they do, but not on the prospect front. Plus, with Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo's contracts ending after next season, insurance in case they lose one of them would probably be nice (although they're both RFA, so not too much risk of losing them...never know though).

26. Vancouver Canucks: Dalton Thrower: Can't help but be reminded of Stoner when I read about Thrower. The Nucks don't really have that kind of defenseman, so Thrower it is.

27. Phoenix Coyotes: Tom Wilson: Big, physical winger that could help a team like the Coyotes forget they ever had Raffi Torres.

28. New York Rangers: Mark Jankowski: Kind of a tough one. They have Tim Erixon and Dylan McIllrath waiting on D, they're in no hurry to replace Lundqvist and they have oodles of young talent of front. I'm thinking they go with Jankowski because of his long term potential. The Rangers can afford to let him grow a few years.

29. New Jersey Devils: Andrei Vasilevski: The only reason I can see for the Devils to take this pick and not forfeit it is to pick a goalie or make a trade, but the pick is very likely to have had a better value next year.

30. Los Angeles Kings: Matthew Finn: Pretty much one of the better d-men remaining in the draft. They have good forward and goaltending depth and Thomas Hickey hasn't panned out. Might as well try Finn.

AHL Calder Cup Final Game 3 recap: Norfolk 1 at Toronto 0

Nolan Whyte — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 04:51:56 -0000

The puck was in the net for two seconds before the crowd realized it-- then came the boos.

It was a fluke end to a long defensive battle, an overtime goal scored off a simple dump-in, with Norfolk Admirals defenseman Mike Kostka slinging the puck in from center ice and heading to the bench for a change. With Toronto Marlies goaltender Ben Scrivens heading to the corner, the puck took a bounce and headed directly into the net. The game was over, and the Admirals flooded onto the ice to mob winning goalie Dustin Tokarski, while the Marlies and the fans in the Ricoh Coliseum wondered what the hell just happened.

I arrive late at the Ricoh, coming straight from work (what? you mean you're not a full time blogger?), and I miss the first five minutes of the game. When I show up, I find the Admirals hemmed into their end, with five minutes gone off the game clock. The Marlies carry the play, pushing and holding the Ads in their end, until the puck comes back down and Scrivens is forced to make a save off a tight shot from the slot. The whistle blows and the teams barrel in to push and shove, and when everything is untangled, former Admiral and curremt Marlie Carter Ashton is heading to the penalty box for a slashing minor.

The Admirals set up for the power play, but there was not much power; most of the time was spent knocking the puck clumsily around, banging it around in the corners and back to the point, without actually threatening Scrivens.

So it went through the first period: the teams traded power plays but could not set up significant scoring chances. Fourteen minutes in, with Toronto having had three power plays and Norfolk two, the shots were only 5-3 for the Marlies.

The action was good, with both teams chasing hard and banging along the boards, but serious scoring threats are few. Most plays are broken up, and few shots are attempted through clogged shooting lanes. Most of the the shots that are taken are high and off the glass.

It's a clattering, hitting game. It's actually my first AHL game, and I'm impressed by the pace and the skating. The noticeable difference for me between this and an NHL game is in the hands-- often passes don't work or pucks leave the zone because the players lack the soft touch to make things work.

When the Admirals are able to set up in the Marlies zone, they work the corners and get the puck back to the point, but no effective shots follow. The few actual shots come from in closer, but Scrivens is rarely seriously tested. The standout offensive moment in the first period comes when Cory Conacher is able to break away from a check and set up behind the Marlies' net, waiting Gretzky-like to make a play. Nothing presents itself, however, and he is forced to carry the puck out into traffic where it is lost to the banging bodies.

Conacher is one of the most noticeable players on the ice. He is small and susceptible to being rubbed out on the boards, but given room he is a quick and nimble skater. He offensive skills are apparent, even when nothing comes of the play. Is he ready for more? The NHL next year perhaps?

It's interesting to be in the rink, after spending so many years only watching games on TV or online. The building is great, with the crowd perched over the ice. Sightlines are good. There is an intimacy that is absent in the bigger buildings, and the crowd is engaged.

The game is scoreless after the first. The best chance for the Marlies was a ping off the post at the 15:15 mark. The penalty killers were the heroes for each side.

With Norfolk forward Brandon Segal in the box to start the second, it is Scrivens who makes the save of the game, stopping an incredible chance on a breakaway by one of the Admirals penalty killers (I couldn't see his number). The Ad broke in alone and went to his back hand, with Scrivens dropping and flashing his glove hand to prevent the short-handed goal.

The pace of the second period is much more furious than the first, although quality chances are still few and far between. The teams rush back and forth, with Marlie Colton Orr getting a look at Tokarski, but seeing only a solid pad save in close.

Conacher, with a huge number of supporters in the crowd, breaks in on Scrivens at the 9:35 mark, but without a chance to score he instead decides to go Lucic-Miller and crashes straight into the Marlie goalie, popping his mask and taking a two-minute minor for goaltender interference. It makes no difference either way though, and the period plays out without a goal being scored.

There is, however, a furious rush in the dying moments of the period, with the Admirals ringing the puck off the post to Scrivens' left. The goal light went on, and a no-goal review was made before the players returned to their dressing rooms.

The third opens without many chances, although the shot clock has gradually tilted the Admirals way. They are now getting more quality looks, and appear to be dominating the offensive zone time as well.

The line of Trevor Smith, Pierre-Cedric Labrie, and Richard Panik is very noticeable for the Ads, especially with their determined forecheck. Labrie is a big body who can move, and he uses his size to defend the puck. Panik is noticeable for his speed and hands, although no goals come of his dancing.

At the midpoint of the third, the Admirals have taken the lead in shots.

The Marlies take a late penalty, with Mark Fraser called for holding in the scoreless tie with about five minutes left. Scrivens keeps the door shut, however, and the game heads to overtime.

In the intermission I connect with a gang of the fans wearing Cory Conacher t-shirts. They are from Burlington, Ontario, which explains why there would be a few hundred people wearing Norfolk Admirals t-shirts with "Conacher 89" on the back. They welcome me into their fold because of my Lightning jersey, although I have to explain to them that yes, I live in Toronto, but no, I'm not originally from Toronto, so it's okay that I don't cheer for the Leafs.

I also start getting chirped by one goofy Marlies/Leafs fan, who calls me "ginger." People, if I'm ginger, so are many, many of you, including those of you who are obviously not ginger. People are weird.

Norfolk opens the overtime period by taking a too-many-men bench minor, and then killing it, because power plays don't work in this game. The puck goes back and forth between the points, in and out of the corners, but real chances are nil. Tokarski is good, but he is not called upon to be great.

Then, at the 10:51 mark, Mike Kostka dumps it into the Marlies' end and surprises himself and everyone else in the building by scoring off the funny bouce. Game over, Norfolk 1, Marlies 0.

Admittedly, I was watching the players change, and I didn't see the puck go in the net. I knew it was over because of the Marlies player chopping his stick over the crossbar, while the Admirals all swamped Tokarski.

And that was my first ever AHL game. A hell of a game, but I didn't see a single goal.

To hell with it. Game Four goes Saturday. Good night.

Nolan Whyte blogs about the Lightning at Frozen Sheets Hockey and sometimes here at Raw Charge. He does other stuff too. Follow him at @nolanwhyte.

Marlies Drop Game 1

JP Nikota — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 14:08:44 -0000

Yes, the Marlies started the final series for the Calder Cup last night, but unfortunately lost 3-1. Ben Scrivens stopped 39 of 41 shots, and, by most accounts, was Toronto's best player.

Over at the Leafs Nation, Andrey Osadchenko has a preview of the series, just in case you're not sure what to expect from the Norfolk Admirals. They're a very, very good team.

Jeffler has a recap of the game at Marlies HQ, as well as a few notes. Also, here's the post-game reaction from Dallas Eakins via the Marlies website. The Game In Six is available here.

Jump for more links.

Lidstrom does it his way, Feaster on the spot: 30 Thoughts
The latest from Elliotte Friedman at CBC.

Misfit Toys: Market Inefficiencies and the LA Model
The latest from Ellen Etchingham at Backhand Shelf.

Arctic Ice Hockey's First Annual NHL Mock Draft: Pick #10
Arctic Ice Hockey's mock draft has the Leafs taking Filip Forsberg.

A brief history of Nicklas Lidstrom
Down Goes Brown remembers a 20-year career.

I’ll be watching ex-Leaf Keith Aulie...
Sounds like Michael Langlois wasn't wild about the Keith Aulie / Carter Ashton deal.

Pre-offseason assessments: Leafs team needs
Cam Charron gets a jump on the off-season at The Leafs Nation.

AHL Playoffs, Anyone?

JP Nikota — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:00:37 -0000

Even if you're not usually a Toronto Marlies fan, I think you have to pay some attention to what's about to go down at Ricoh Coliseum. I know, I know, the first round of the NHL playoffs is an exciting time for hockey watchers, but for Leafs fans, the AHL playoffs will hold much more relevance.

Danny Gray (@ACatNamedFelix) and I (@JPNikota) were joined this week for our podcast by Jeff Veillette (@Jeffler) to set up the playoff scenario at the AHL level. The Marlies, as you may or may not be aware, are poised to take a good run at the Calder Cup this season, and their lineup will only be further bolstered by the likes of Jake Gardiner, Matt Frattin, Carter Ashton, and Ben Scrivens. For many of these players, this really is an extended tryout.

Naturally, in the course of the podcast, we get to chatting about the beginning of the NHL playoffs and make a few predictions as well, so go over to The Leafs Nation and have a listen.

Jump for articles by all the usual suspects.

Q&A With Ben Scrivens
Andrey Osadchenko with a nice interview at The Leafs Nation.

Maple Leafs goalie Reimer says his injury is neck-related
From the CP at TSN.

Tank Schmank!
John Lofranco doesn't believe there's been any tanking this year. I disagree. From The Leafs Nation.

How many Leafs are "must keep" under Carlyle?
From Michael Langlois at Vintage Leafs Memories.

Marlies Hot & Cold: April 2nd-8th
Kyle The Reporter with some info on a team you should be following.

Western Conference Playoff Preview
From David Shoalts.

Eastern Conference playoff preview
From James Mirtle.

Pending UFAs on Canadian Teams
Not a lot of exciting names, here. From the Globe.

Leafs ownership apologizes to fans for ‘unacceptable’ end to season
Tanenbaum pens letter saying sorry to ‘greatest fans in the world’. Story from James Mirtle.

Toronto Maple Leafs Season In Review
Dirty Dangle with a few notes.

Dream and Nightmare Outcomes for the 2012 Entry Draft
Curt S at Blue Chip Prospects has a few ideas.

It's a Bonanza! NHL Draft Lottery
Again at Blue Chip Prospects, Darren K takes a look at the players who might be available at the Leafs' 5th overall draft position.

Backhand Shelf Podcast
The latest instalment from Rob Pizzo, Justin Bourne, & Co.

The Bitter End
Over at Backhand Shelf, Ellen Etchingham pleads with readers to stick with their teams.

Coaching
Tyler Dellow muses about why there appears to be so much indecision over whether to fire Tom Renney.

A Good Night For Tanking

JP Nikota — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:00:41 -0000

In case you missed it, Peter Budaj put in a spectacular effort last night to help his team in the #greatesttankbattle, but was eventually foiled by his teammates, who pumped five goals in on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Here's hoping that the Habs can surpass the Leafs in the standings.

For those of you who, draft pick or no, can't stop vomiting at the idea of cheering for Montreal, I'd encourage you to start cheering for the Toronto Marlies. I think Danny Gray is on to something here when he says that we might as well focus our attention on whatever playoff hockey we can get in Toronto:

This is your chance to watch guys like Jake Gardiner, Carter Ashton, Nazem Kadri, Ben Scrivens and Joe Colborne play some exciting and meaningful hockey. Add in players like Jerry D’Amigo, Jesse Blacker, and Marcel Meuller and you have a team full of potential Leafs playing playoff hockey. Plus you’ll get to see Mike Zigomanis do whatever it is he does that gets Don Cherry so hot and bothered. (be from Ontario?) You’ll also be able to see Spencer Abbott and Josh Leivo play their first games with the franchise maybe they’ll be Leafs one day and you can say you’ve like them since they were Marlies.

Jump for more.

Carl Gunnarsson done for season with separated shoulder
James Mirtle tells us that Gunnar will probably also miss the World Championships.

Marlies Clinch North Division

Story from Jeffler at MarliesHQ.

Goaltender Independent +/- rates for the Leafs
From Cam Charron at The Leafs Nation.

With average goaltending, the Leafs would have made the playoffs
Something of a contradiction to his other post, but Cam Charron again discusses the impact of shooting percentage and save percentage on the Leafs' playoff hopes.

Now the Maple Leaf GM has a persecution complex
Michael Langlois ponders some of Brian Burke's more recent comments.

Toronto Marlies Roundup: April 4th-Update
The latest from Kyle The Reporter.

Defensive Zone Coverage Part 1
A nice, basic breakdown from dawgbone98 at The Copper & Blue.

It’s not just a cliche – you have to take the hit to make the play
Justin Bourne uses the Mike Komisarek The Unfortunate as a case study.

Parity - It's Not Just A Myth
The latest from Tyler Dellow is good stuff.

Backhand Shelf Podcast
They discuss the Leafs-Sabres game, among other things, but also recommend, not for the first time, that you follow @67Sound. I second that.

The Montreal Canadiens' application form for the vacant GM job
From Down Goes Brown.

Other Great Pierre McGuire Awkward Moments
The latest from Dirty Dangle.

The "Anatomy" of a Good Hitter
From Bettman's Nightmare at Arctic Ice Hockey.

Glendale mayor fires shot across NHL’s bow
Complaining at this point about a deal she agreed to just seems dumb. I mean, it was dumb to agree in the first place, but really. From David Shoalts at the Globe.

Mayor rips Devils owner after ruling in rent spat
Yeah, the mayor of New Jersey ain't happy with the NHL, either. From David Porter at the Globe.

New York Islanders 5 (EN), Toronto Maple Leafs 2: Pouncing on the Infirm

Dominik — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:55:54 -0000

The New York Islanders had to play catch up twice, erasing one-goal Maple Leafs leads with -- brace yourself -- secondary scoring. But in the third period, it was the top line that took it away to create a three-goal margin of victory in a game that provided zero comforting answers for the home team.

At 13:08 of the third period, Matt Moulson finished a nice bit of John Tavares tenacity behind the net, and just 48 seconds later P.A. Parenteau found a walk-year surge of backup fuel to turn a Leafs offensive zone turnover into a breakaway goal. Moulson capped things off with an empty net goal, his 32nd of the season.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

The secondary scoring came courtesy of Josh Bailey (who, granted, finished a sweet Tavares setup made possible by Parenteau's zone entry) and David Ullstrom, who finished a sweeter Michael Grabner backhand feed made possible by Casey Cizikas' entry. (That Cizikas line was lovely, actually.)

But so much of this game is hard to figure: Credit to the Isles for also holding the shots against down, but ... the Leafs only managed 14. Back-to-back or not, that's unconscionable coming off the 8-0 drubbing in Boston. The chorus of boos as the clock wound down was well earned.

Game Highlights

Faceoff Oddities: Frans Nielsen was 6-1 on faceoffs tonight. Casey Cizikas was 1-7.

What's Going On? I have no idea what Travis Hamonic was doing on the Leafs' first goal. He left his station to pursue ... hmmm, not even sure if it was the puck, really -- but the guy he left open was none other than Phil Kessel. Rare brainfart for Hamonic.

Bailey tied it five minutes later, but early in the second Matthew Lombardi took advantage of another bit of puck-watching by the Islanders defense, capped off by Evgeni Nabokov failing to block the ice for Lombardi's quasi-wraparound. Perhaps Nabby was still in shock that Dylan Reese and Mark Streit weren't around to provide resistance.

What is this Odd Feeling? The Islanders had not won by more than one non-empty-net goal since winning 4-1 in Philadelphia Jan. 19.

Scare: John Tavares (three assists) drove hard around Dion Phaneuf, who chopped at the puck and at his feet. The resulting blender of momentum appeared to cause a toe pick (maybe in part a trip?) that sent Tavares somersaulting into the boards with his leg bent behind him. No damage though. It's good to be young.

Almost: On a mostly unthreatening (like most of them) second-period powerplay, P.A. Parenteau set up Matt Moulson for a beauty at the doorstep, but Moulson mostly whiffed, and as the rebound dribbled toward the goal line, James Reimer was able to sweep it to safety with his glove.

Almost, II: Similarly, Evgeni Nabokov robbed Carter Ashton of what would've been his first NHL goal after Mark Eaton inexplicably chopped a clear directly to a Leafs forechecker.

Speaking of which: They called some penalties on the Leafs! I know, right? Odd.

Not that it mattered: The powerplay was pretty sloppy. Lots of bouncing, jumping pucks all night really -- not that this is an excuse, but there weren't a lot of smooth puck paths for either team.

When it's not going your way, it's not going your way: Nino Niederreiter ended up minus-2 (as did Marty Reasoner), pushing Nino to minus-24 on the season. His countryman Mark Streit helped out by going minus-1 himself though, so Streit hits minus-25 on the season. None can match the minus-31 of Milan Jurcina, who sat this one out as Steve Staios played his 993rd NHL game.

Streit, by the way, picked up two assists to rise to 42 points on the season. He had 48 in his last healthy year.

* * *

Who knows what the Leafs will look like when Carlyle settles in with his team and his approach. But this was nothing like the Leafs team that got past the Isles three times earlier this season. For some reason Ron Wilson's speedy counterattack approach confounded the Isles, but tonight's opponent was, well, inert. Nothing much to learn about the Leafs here, but credit to the Isles for taking the opportunity put before them.

The Islanders pull to 71 points, tied with Tampa Bay, one behind the Leafs and two behind Carolina. They also push ahead of the once-first-overall Western foe Minnesota Wild (70 points), if you're eyeing the tanktastic standings.

The road string continues, but the Isles should stop home first before heading to Florida for a pair this weekend.

The Carter; Tampa Bay Lightning versus Toronto Maple Leafs preview

John Fontana — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:51:29 -0000

WHERE: Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
WHEN: 7:30 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Sun Sports (cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Pension Plan Puppets

The Toronto Maple Leafs obtained Carter Ashton from the Tampa Bay Lightning a little more than two weeks ago for defenseman Keith Aulie. We've heard from former GM Brian Lawton that Leafs GM Brian Burke was all hot for Ashton as early as 2010 (and that Lawton had been offered a terrible deal at the 2010 NHL trade deadline in Burke's attempt to obtain Ashton).

Now Tampa Bay gets a first-hand look at what they gave up. Ashton was promoted to the Maple Leafs on March 7^th and made his NHL debut that night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since then, he's played four games, recording a total of 6 shots on goal and is minus-1 while averaging 12:12 in ice time a night.

The promise of the future may be the bright spot for the Leafs to focus on at the moment. They fired Head Coach Ron Wilson earlier this month, replacing him with Randy Carlyle, and are winless in their past five games. They come to Times Palace tonight on the second half of their spring break sojourn through Florida.

Meanwhile, Keith Aulie - you know, the other half of the Ashton deal? He's being brought along at a steady pace in Tampa. He's currently plus-1 and averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time in his six games with the Bolts so far this season. His physical side has been unveiled from time to time. While he hasn't been afraid to drop the gloves, he hasn't been reckless about it, either.

It's a game of young stars tonight in Tampa...that or a game of Toronto trying to play the spoiler. The Leafs playoff chances live at just less than half a percentage point right now (according to Sports Club Stats). The Lightning isn't much better off, but they are still breathing. A lot of things have to go right in order for the Bolts to remain in playoff contention much longer.

But the Leafs season is all but toast and local media is picking at the scabs of the season. Note that, Toronto Media, not necessarily the fans. Sure, fans are discontented and a bit bitter about how the season had so much promise and then flamed out... But no one is stupid enough to call for the trading of Phil Kessel in order to rebuild the team!...

...Except Damian Cox, who thinks dealing the 24-year-old center (who is among league leaders in points and goals) would be ideal for Toronto. The establishment of a young centerpiece isn't enough for Toronto because Kessel hasn't done it all. It's time for the Leafs to throw more crap against the wall and see if that sticks better than the sticky Kessel (who isn't crap).

But let's not fault Cox too much for being a troll; it's just more of the same stupidity.

Dustin Tokarski starts in for the Lightning once again, and James Reimer will likely be between the pipes for the Leafs... Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn and the Maple Leaf defense will be charged with stopping Good Ontario Boy^TMSteven Stamkos. Stamkos leads the league in goals-scored with 50 - 12 more than 2nd place Evgeni Malkin. Stammer is also tied for the league lead in points with 84 - sharing that first-place standing with Malkin.

Other Previews

Tampa Bay Lightning official team preview

Tampa Bay Times

Full game coverage on SB Nation

Tickets

Check Availability

Tuesday Against the Southeast: Leafs 2, Florida 5.

Bower Power — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:00:12 -0000

The Leafs set the tone early in tonight's game, allowing a goal 59 seconds into the first. Mike Komisarek went for a tour of the defensive zone - a bad game of "Where in the defensive zone is Carmen Sandiego?", with the role of Carmen being played by "a mediocre, inconsequential hit", and Komisarek playing hockey like a 12 year old contestant (yes, this makes Randy Carlyle the Chief). A soft deflection takes a weird bounce off Reimer's pads, which he loses track of, and then it's a tap in as the Leafs get beat to the rebound.

And that was it. That was the end of the game. Nothing else happened.

Or at least, it kinda felt that way. In truth, four Leafs players watched Jason Garrison drop a pass to the half boards, then waltz through a PK box as the penalty expired, sending a perfect tip to the far post. In the second, Clarke MacArthur fired a shot off the far side of Theodore, which Tyler Bozak puts home to get the Leafs on the board. A slap shot from Garrison goes off Tomas Kopecky's pants and in, Carl Gunnarsson flubs a risky pass which turns in to a 2-on-0 (James Reimer's too deep, but nothing was keeping that puck out), and Grabbo crashes the net and cleans up Schenn's rebound. An empty netter from Bergenheim seals the loss.

Garrison's goal counted as even strength but Carter Ashton hadn't gotten back into the zone and in reality it was a 5v4 play. With that in mind, the Leafs' PK went 1/4 and the PP went 0/2, so we've still got our special teams problems. The stats paint a good game from Liles - he led the team in Corsi and tied for second in Scoring Chances On, despite getting just 2 offensive zone starts. Just when I'd decided to really not like the guy.

A normally boring game against the Panthers, this was, to me, one of the slowest of the season, not because the Leafs were horribly outplayed - they weren't, really - but because it just felt like going through the motions. Despite outshooting the Panthers 11-5 in the second and Bozak cutting the deficit to 1 - and outchancing the Panthers 16-9 through the game - I never really had that feeling of "we're back in this!" Shitty defense and poor goaltending sunk the Leafs' game. This is a recording.

It turns out that no matter how much you talk about stats, projections, and the Leafs' play being above their collective heads, it's little consolation for the team's late season failures failures. I had, however briefly, gotten used to the idea that a 2 goal lead was actually defensible - or, if it wasn't, we could outscore the issue. Now we're back to the days when I seem to get that gut feeling of inevitable defeat, though as the Leafs have either set or are in the middle of setting a franchise record for awful stretches of play, I'm getting that feeling before the puck even drops.

Shift Chart - Zone Starts - Corsi/Fenwick