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Marlies eliminated from Calder Cup playoffs

May 21, 2013 in Blogs, Marlies Report 0

May 21: Marlies 3 vs. Grand Rapids 4

Marlies scorers: Ashton (3), Ranger (2), Acton (4)
Griffins scorers: Tatar 2 (8), Mursak (5), Glendening (5)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines:: Hamilton-Zigomanis-McKegg, Ashton-Colborne-Scott, Abbott-Acton-D’Amigo, Ross-Ryan
Defence pairings: Ranger-Yeo, Mottau-Holzer, Marshall-Blacker, Rielly

Goaltenders: MacIntyre (Loss, 58:29 minutes played, 27 SV, 4 GA ), Sparks (0:00)

It’s been a horrific eight days for Toronto hockey teams, particularly where third period leads are concerned.

With the epic Leafs collapse against Boston still fresh in everyone’s mind, the Marlies took to the ice Tuesday night at Ricoh Coliseum looking to stave off elimination against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Goals by Carter Ashton, Paul Ranger and Will Acton had the home team up 3-1 with ten minutes in regulation time.

And then, faster than you can say “Patrice Bergeron”, the cushion evaporated.

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Anatomy of a collapse

May 21, 2013 in Blogs, Off The Post 0

(Editor’s Note: After being institutionalized following last week’s Leafs meltdown, I have been granted a day pass, allowing me to write this column).

Shock. Anger. Disbelief.

Those were the emotions felt by a team, an entire city, and its legion of fans following the Toronto Maple Leafs’ stunning collapse at the hands of the Boston Bruins in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final.

When Nazem Kadri extended Toronto’s lead to three goals early in the third period, sending TD Garden into a funereal silence, not even the most devoted of Bruins fans could envision that their team would find a way to extend its season. ““When you’re down 4-1, you start thinking about the season being over,” said Boston defenceman Dougie Hamilton.

So how did the Beantowners stage their epic rally, forcing overtime late in the third period and then unexpectedly punching their ticket to the second round with a goal in the extra session? Or from the Leafs perspective, who bears responsibility for the gut-wrenching defeat?

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Stunning collapse ends Leafs season

May 13, 2013 in Leafs Game Recaps 0

May 13: Leafs 4 at Bruins 5 (OT)

Leafs scorers: Franson 2 (3), Kessel (4), Kadri (1)
Bruins scorers: Bartkowski (1), Horton (4), Lucic (2), Bergeron 2 (3)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines: van Riemsdyk-Kadri-Kessel, Lupul-Colborne-Frattin, MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin, McClement-Komarov-Orr.
Defence pairings: Phaneuf-Gunnarsson, Liles-O’Byrne, Franson-Gardiner
Goaltenders: Reimer (Loss, 66:05 minutes played, 30 saves, 1 GA), Scrivens (0:00)

Such was the dichotomy of the Leafs playoff season.

The underdogs stayed long enough in the Eastern Conference Final to force a Game 7. And played well enough to win the decisive game. For 58 minutes.

When Nazem Kadri extended Toronto’s lead to 4-1, the TD Garden in Boston was deflated. The Bruins defence looked worn out, with Zdeno Chara’s shifts being overextended due to the absence of Dennis Seidenberg who was injured earlier in the game.

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Kessel scores game winner as Leafs force seventh game

May 12, 2013 in Leafs Game Recaps 1

(Monday’s game in Boston will decide series)

May 12: Leafs 2 vs. Bruins 1

Leafs scorers: Phaneuf (1), Kessel (3)
Bruins scorers: Lucic (1)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines: van Riemsdyk-Kadri-Kessel, Lupul-Colborne-Frattin, McClement-Grabovski-Kulemin, MacArthur-Komarov-Orr.
Defence pairings: Phaneuf-Gunnarsson, Liles-O’Byrne, Franson-Gardiner
Goaltenders: Reimer (Win, 60:00 minutes played, 29 saves, 1 GA), Scrivens (0:00)

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final was an exorcism by the Leafs of the demons that have plagued them against their Original Six rivals from Boston.

The gritty 2-1 performance squared the playoff series at three games apiece, forcing a decisive game to be played at TD Garden in Beantown on Monday night. This is a scenario that the team would have gladly accepted after either the Game 1 domination by the Bruins on April 30, or the Game 4 overtime heartbreaker five days ago.

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Reimer, Leafs hang on for Game 5 win

May 10, 2013 in Leafs Game Recaps 0

(James Reimer made 44 saves as Leafs extended the series)

May 10: Leafs 2 at Bruins 1

Leafs scorers: Bozak (1), MacArthur (2)
Bruins scorers: Chara (1)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines: Lupul-Bozak-Frattin, van Riemsdyk-Grabovski-Kulemin, MacArthur-Kadri-Kessel, Komarov-McClement-Orr
Defence pairings: Phaneuf-Gunnarsson, Liles-O’Byrne, Franson-Gardiner
Goaltenders: Reimer (Win, 60:00 minutes played, 44 saves, 1 GA), Scrivens (0:00)

Dear James Reimer.

I was wrong.

My preseason prediction on January 19, the opening day of the shortened NHL regular season, wasn’t flattering to you. “The tandem of Ben Scrivens and the 2011-12 version of James Reimer doesn’t instill confidence, “ I said in my forecasting that had your team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, finishing tenth in the Eastern Conference.

Now in my defence, I did say 2011-12 version. I’m probably not the only skeptic that had doubts about whether you’d return to the form that you had exhibited prior to the well-documented Brian Gionta hit earlier that season.

But there you were at TD Garden on Friday night, in a scoreless goalie duel with a fellow John Ferguson draft pick, Tuukka Rask. The host team, the Boston Bruins, had at least a margin of error with a 3-1 series lead. Your team had no such insurance.

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Krejci’s overtime winner puts Leafs to the brink

May 8, 2013 in Leafs Game Recaps 0

(Cody Franson had one goal in a losing cause)

May 8: Leafs 3 vs. Bruins 4 (OT)

Leafs scorers: Lupul (3), Franson (1), MacArthur (1)
Bruins scorers: Bergeron (1), Krejci 3 (5)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines: Lupul-Bozak-Frattin, van Riemsdyk-Grabovski-Kulemin, MacArthur-Kadri-Kessel, Komarov-McClement-Orr
Defence pairings: Phaneuf-Gunnarsson, Gardiner-O’Byrne, Franson-Fraser
Goaltenders: Reimer (Loss, 72:51 minutes played, 41 saves, 4 GA), Scrivens (0:00)

In sports, there are no moral victories.

It’s an especially painful truth for the Leafs to absorb after suffering a gut-wrenching 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. David Krejci’s hat trick goal at 13:06 of the extra session put Toronto on the brink of elimination as the series heads back to Beantown with the Leafs trailing the best-of-7 affair three games to one.

The result spoiled the most complete effort assembled by Leafs coach Randy Carlyle’s squad during these playoffs. Forty-eight shots were directed at Boston goalie Tuukka Rask. The go-ahead goal to cap a Bruins rally in the second period was answered in less than a minute by Clarke MacArthur, back in the lineup after being scratched for two games.

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