You could see that the message pounded into them for a week by coach Ron Wilson got to them. The Leafs played better defensively and with more snarl in their own zone. Luke Schenn played his best game of the season, stacking up a couple Canuck players behind the Leafs net like a pile of firewood and getting involved in a bit of fisticuffs. Instead of Jason Blake managing to injure his own goalie with a dangerous play, he actually attempted to injure the opposition’s goalie, Roberto Luongo by kneeing him in the back of the head. Joey MacDonald also played an effective game, making key saves in the 2nd and 3rd period to keep the Leafs within striking distance. Those factors kept the Leafs in the contest with the Vancouver Canucks last Saturday. Unfortunately, increased effort and improved goaltending are not the only reasons for this team’s comatose start. The Canucks were without the services of Sami Salo, Mathieu Schnieder, Daniel Sedin and Pavel Demitra, but still managed to look more dangerous than the Leafs.

One factor that has caused so many problems for the Leafs has been their propensity to take penalties, which exposes their league-worst penalty killing and allows the team to fall behind early in games. The Leafs gave the Canucks 6 opportunities on the power play throughout the game, two of which ended with goals, by Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler. The Leafs managed 36 shots on Luongo, but there were none that required a “ten bell” save, as Joe Bowen would put it. They had chances, but really have no finishers, 15 goals in 8 games is a perfect illustration of that. On one particular odd man rush, a streaking Lee Stempniak broke towards the net unhindered and shot the puck easily 4 feet wide. Until the talent on hand scores with the regularity that Brian Burke and his staff expected, this team will continue to wallow and suffer.

The Leafs continue on their 5 game road swing with a trip down the coast to play Brian Burke’s last employee, the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are 3-5-1 so far this season, but still have an impressive roster with young stars like Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Rookie Jonas Gustavsson, from all indications is healthy enough to at least be the backup to Joey MacDonald tonight, so James Reimer was sent back to the AHL Marlies. There is speculation that “The Monster” will get the start. It would be unfair to expect the 24 year old Swedish netminder to be the team’s savior, but these are desperate times and the Leafs need one of those games where the goalie stands on his head.

From the desk of Mike “In Buffalo” Augello

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