Is Justin Pogge Ready?

I've heard a number of people question whether Justin Pogge should be brought up to the NHL to shake up the Leafs. I believe the answer is no. Although the Marlies have a winning record, his stats do not reveal that he is someone who can help the Leafs right now. He would face a lot more shots in playing on the Leafs.

Wins: 5
Losses: 1
OT/SO losses: 2
goals against: 2.68
saves percentage: 0.899

Whats Happening with the Maple Leafs

Got back to town last night and there was no talk about the Grey Cup game - only that the Maple Leafs had lost another 2 games. There is speculation and rumours regarding a new president, general manager and/or coach. The Toronto Sun suggests that JFJ tried to fire Paul Maurice last week but was not allowed to. But within the organization it appears calm.

So whats really going on? Here are some questions and answers that I've put together that reflects my uninformed perspective.

Is it true that MLSE doesn't care about winning a Stanley Cup and only cares about the bottom line?

I don't think so. Sports leagues have many owners who want to win but have no clue how to build a winner. They are also all owned by business people who like to make money. And some have no clue how to make money owning a franchise. That isn't a problem here. The Leaf owners were one of the top spenders before the salary cap which conveniently papered over years of weak ownership and management. The Chicago Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908 but not from lack of trying.

Are the Leafs really that bad?

Definitely. They are near the bottom of the league in most statistical areas. No matter who is in their lineup, they play the same sloppy hockey that every team in the league hungry to play the Leafs. Don't be fooled by the occasional strong game. As they say, "even a blind squirrel finds the occasional nut."

Why are the Leafs so bad?

Hard to know but like everyone else I have my theory. Five or six years ago they Leafs were tough team to play against with Gary Roberts, Tie Domi, Shane Corson, Travis Green, Wade Belak, Darcy Tucker and Bryan McCabe. They were dirty, mouthy and irritating. Pat Quinn was an offensive minded coach who hated the trap. So he directed an offense oriented team that had lots of irritating players and great goaltending (Joseph and then Belfour) to cover up all their defensive mistakes. Today they are a soft team that plays the same likes to play wide open with just ordinary goaltending. Even the defensemen are offense oriented. It's a formula for disaster.

Who is to blame for this mess, Ferguson, Maurice or the players?

Everyone has to share in the blame. The manager doesn't have the right mix of players to win but thinks he does. No physical players, no strong defensive players. After the lock out he stated that he would hanging onto draft picks because young players were critical to building a winner. He has failed to keep that commitment. But even worse, the assets he has received in exchange for younger players and picks have not helped the team. The coach seems to have lost the players despite their vocal support. If he has a defensive system he isn't evident. Every expansion team coach goes with trap to survive until the franchise develops some good players. It's easy to execute with marginal players and keeps the scores down. Finally, the Leaf players seem to be unable to respond to their coach. I can't explain it. You need to be in the dressing room itself to understand.

But if you want to know where to start, its moving Richard Peddie out of the president's position. It was his idea to bring in an inexperienced GM and he continues to stand by him. The same thing happened to the Raptors when Peddie hired Babcock until they both pushed aside with the hiring of Bryan Colangelo.

Why hasn't Ferguson and/or Maurice been fired and players traded?

I can understand why there has been no firings yet. The most qualified candidates already have jobs. You can get permission to approach them in the off season but not during the season. Still the papers have bounced around all kinds of names and something may still happen. The worse the team does the more likely the organization will have to do something, even if it means bringing in some people on an interim basis. Also, the ownership doesn't need to act quickly because every ticket for the remainder of the season is sold. So that isn't a factor to consider. Which also feeds the perception among fans that the ownership is not interested in winning the Cup.

What would fix this team?

I think only blowing it up will work. The chemistry is all wrong here. Trade away players with big salaries for draft picks and use the money to buy some good free agents next summer. But this is a difficult thing to do in the Toronto market because their is a perception that you need to always ice a competitive team when you are charging the highest ticket prices in the league. However, once the team sinks to the bottom of the standings, the option of tinkering to maintain a competitive team is taken away from you. Also, trading players in this market is a real challenge. High priced players are virtually untradeable until the trade deadline. And the Leafs have at least 4 players with no trade contracts. The next guy has his work cut out for him.

So who would you keep?

Well no one is that good on this team to make them untouchable. The theory for rebuilding under a salary cap is keep underpaid players which provides more money to work with in the future. Not too many players on the Leafs fall into that category.

In Other Hockey Tournament New

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CHILDREN'S HOCKEY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT.

Six hockey players and two coaches were suspended following a brawl between two teams of eight-year-olds in Guelph Friday.

Three players each from the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder Novice AAA teams, and their respective coaches, were ejected from the Guelph Power Play Tournament after a brawl during a game at Exhibition Arena. Guelph Police are reviewing videotape of the incident and criminal charges may be laid.

A small fight had broken out between players on the ice, he said, and both coaches sent more players from the bench to join in the fracas. A member of the Niagara Falls coaching staff approached the Duffield bench and allegedly spit in the face of a Duffield coach. Police seized video footage from parents who were recording the game and will review it.

Lots Of Similarities Between Leafs and Cowboys

I checked out Maple Leaf GM John Ferguson's blog to read the latest exercise in denial. Here is the latest entry from Dallas.

Lots Of Similarities Between Leafs and Cowboys

John Ferguson GM Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club
Nov 23, 2007, 3:20 PM EST

Thursday was the American Thanksgiving. Our team spent the afternoon at Texas Stadium, watching the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Jets. It was a great time. Many of our players had never seen an NFL game before, let alone one at Texas Stadium. But it was also a great point of comparison. The building was sold out and there is talk the new Cowboys stadium will cost over $1 billion. Everywhere there were signs of the tradition and excellence the franchise has enjoyed. It was a great chance for our group to see that type of fan excitement from within. The excitement, the passion, the anticipation, the spotlight and even the media coverage is very similar to what our players experience in Toronto. Playing in Toronto isn’t like playing anywhere else in the NHL. We think it’s the best place in the league; you’re on the big stage every night, playing in front of a sold-out crowd. We work very hard on making sure that the player’s entire family experiences everything the city can offer, from first class medical coverage to access to the best fit in schools. All that said, we know that playing in Toronto isn’t for everyone. The level of fan interest and the expectation of performance are intense. We are very open in our discussions with players and agents. You need to be excited about the possibility of playing here. When we signed Jason Blake as a free agent this summer, we talked a lot about our commitment to the players and their families and how we support them away from the rink. Jason was attracted by the challenge of playing here and by how we as an organization welcomed and helped families. Those things, as well as the excitement in the market are what make Toronto unique in the NHL. It was fun, for a day, to compare the life of a Cowboy with that of a Maple Leaf.

Note: The only similarity between the Cowboys and Leafs are the cost of tickets. Any others are a product of JFJ's creative mind.

Congratulations to Sheri - We are 'Crazy4U' too

Kanata Results

The Midget B Finals have not been posted yet and I doubt its because they are still in overtime. I'm sure the tired people in Kanata will get around to it. Here is the link.

The final game was between Ottawa Ice and Perth Wings. Ottawa had defeated Burlington Barracudas (undefeated in regular season play) 1-0. Perth defeated Nepean Wildcats also by a score of 1-0.

For the Storm is it was a great learning experience...and lots of good times.

Storm Nation Alumni Come to Kanata

Storm Rebound But Come Up Short

The Storm finished the Kanata tournament with their most inspired game of the season but failed to capitalize and numerous scoring opportunities. The result was a 2-1 loss. The game was played with considerable intensity by both teams and showcased some excellent end-to-end action. Both goalies made sharp saves to keep their respective teams in the game. Kendra made some incredible stops but unfortunately, a rising shot beat her over her shoulder in the third period and turned out to be the game winner.

The Storm got strong performances from quite a number of players including Kendra, Maryssa, Marley, Rebecca, Petra, Jessica B and Genevieve. What is most noticeable is the steady improvement in every player on the team. And playing two great games in a tournament at this stage of the season is a great accomplishment despite what the scores were. Let's hope the momentum can be carried over to the game next Saturday evening in Aurora.

Almost as important, the weekend provided a wonderful opportunity for people to get to know each other better. Special thanks to Sandy to not only does a great job managing the team but acting as a social coordinator.

As well, it was so nice to have so many ex-players come out to support the team. Lesley, Stephanie, Vanessa, Heather, Rebecca and Paige, it was great to see you!

Some ugly sites in Ottawa you should avoid

Try locating David Green from high school

Bryan McCabe Highlight Reel

Watch it after you've had a bad game. Guaranteed to make you feel better.




From Bryan's biggest fan.

At least they're sorry

Game 2...not so good

As Coach Willie pointed out before the start of game 2, your legs aren't going to feel as good as they did earlier in the day. The team's success depends on how many people can play as hard as they did against Oshawa. Unfortunately now enough people were able to as the Storm lost to Perth by a score of 5-1.

It was certainly evident that the Storm was less able than Perth to skate hard just 6 hours after previous game. Still there were some positives. The defensemen are gaining confidence and caring the puck more. The team in also getting more shots on net and generating more sc0ring opportunities. Clearly the effort was there even the legs weren't. The only Storm goal was scored by Amanda who picked up the puck in the corner and then skating to the front of the net to slip it past the goalie.

The good news is that Oshawa lost to Napean which elminates Oshawa from tournament. So all we have to do is beat Napean to advance into the semis.

Storm Blows into Kanata

So the Storm blew into Kanata on Friday afternoon and took out Oshawa. The Storm showed the same tenacity that they exhibited earlier in the week against Clearview and kept coming back to squeak out a 4-3 win over he Oshawa Generals. It was clearly the best effort of season and a big step forward for the team. They scored a season high 4 goals and 3 were on the powerplay. The team also registered 37 shots on net.

Scoring for the Storm was Mari with 2 goals while Jackie and Lauren N each had one. Lauren scored the game winner on the power play late in the 2nd period on a hard wrist shot that went just under the crossbar. There was some confusion on the play as one referee called no goal but he was over ruled by the second referee who clearly saw the puck go in the net. The 2nd period was wide open with the two teams scoring 5 goals but both teams failed to score in the final period. The Storm had to kill off a 5 on 3 situation for 1:12 of the final period to preserve the win.

Winning the game certainly provides a great start to the tournament and provides a good opportunity to advance to the semi-finals on Saturday.

Next game is against Perth.

Is Andrew Raycroft the new Tom Kurvers?

Looking at Tuukka Rask beating the Maple Leafs last night in his NHL debut reminded me of the Tom Kurvers trade.

Early in the 1989-90 season, Leaf GM Gerry MacNamara brought Kurvers to Toronto from New Jersey for a future 1st round pick. As you may note, trading draft picks has been standard Leaf practices for decades. Kurvers at the time was a pure offensive defenceman and good on the powerplay. Management of the day thought that they had a pretty good collection of players and that someone like Kurvers would put them over the top. That season he scored 15 goals for the Leafs and 52 points. But in the playoffs he was a bust and the Leafs were knocked out of the first round in 5 games.

Management decided the team was too offensive minded and couldn't get through the grind of the playoffs. So the team was dismantled the next season and Kurvers was shipped off to Vancouver. He retired 2 years later. The bottom fell for the Leafs that season and they finished second last which happened to be the year the Devils had the Leafs' first pick. Quebec drafted Eric Lindros first overall and the Devils followed with Scott Niedermayer. He turned out to be a pretty good player. Last time I checked he was on 4 Stanley Cup teams and had won the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Jump forward to the 2005-06 season. Leaf GM John Ferguson thinks he has a pretty good team but needs more consistent goaltending. He trades a Finnish goaltending prospect, Tuukka Rask to Boston for Andrew Raycroft. The Leafs don't make the playoffs and management concludes that Raycroft doesn't appear to be the answer to their goaltending problems.

This story is beginning to sound familiar.

Kanata Weather

Warnings

Ottawa North - Kanata - Orléans

11:57 AM EST Wednesday 21 November 2007

Snowfall warning for Ottawa North - Kanata - Orléans issued ..10 to 20 centimetres of snow likely by Thursday night..

An approaching winter storm from Missouri will bring the first winter storm of the season tonight and Thursday. Many regions extending from Lake Huron east to the Dundalk Highlands is currently seeing rain but as the temperature falls to near freezing the rain will quickly change over to wet snow and ice pellets this afternoon and then snow tonight. Near 10 centimetres of snow is expected to fall tonight with an additional 10 centimetres to follow on Thursday. Higher snow amounts are expected to fall over higher terrain.

Regions across eastern Ontario including Ottawa have already received snow from a previous disturbance and will continue to see snow fall tonight and into Thursday. Total snowfall amounts near 15 centimetres by Thursday night are possible as the winter storm slowly moves east across the lower lakes tonight into New England by Thursday night.

Discovered 7 People Shorter Than Bianca

The seven surviving Munchkins from the 1939 movie classic "The Wizard of Oz" received their star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame.

Storm Fight Back For Tie

Last night against Clearview. the Storm fought back twice to finish with a 2-2 tie. The game was clearly one of the team's strongest games of the season in contrast to Sunday when the Storm played with little energy following an extended layoff. The Storm out skated Clearview for much of the game and dominated in the final period.

In fact, Lauren N had a terrific opportunity to score the winning goal in the final few minutes during a powerplay. The puck came loose at the top of the right faceoff circle and Lauren swooped in and tried to fire it into the top corner, just missing. Genevieve and Rebecca also had great scoring opportunities late in the game.

There was a huge improvement in the defensive zone coverage resulting in few scoring chances for Clearview. In the first 5 games of the season, opposition defensemen were able to pinch and keep pucks in the Storm end of the rink. Last night the forwards neutralized some very good Clearview defensemen and won a lot of battles along the boards. It was great to see players responding to the coaches.

Goals were scored by Mari on the powerplay and Jackie on a great individual effort.

So off we go to Kanata for the first tournament of the season.

Blue Jays have a new starting pitcher

Bear Market for Goalies

The inability of Anaheim to trade Ilya Bryzgalov indicates that the bottom has fallen out of the goalie market. Anaheim was only looking for a middle round draft pick and since 1/4 of the season has been complete, only $900,000 remains on his contract. So Phoenix picks up a starting goalie for nothing.

So don't expect the Leafs to be trading Andrew Raycroft real soon. His salary is almost double that of Bryzgalov. In fact, Phoenix was one of the teams interested in Raycroft.

The question is why did Ferguson give up so much for Toskala since he and Brizgalov are relatively equal in ability. It's become obvious that he overpaid.