Old Time Hockey: Leafs sign Hanson
March 31, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Miscellaneous
The Maple Leafs have signed Notre Dame centre Christian Hanson to a two-year entry level contract, the team announced on Tuesday. Hanson’s father Dave is part of the famed “Hanson Brothers” trio from the 1977 movie Slap Shot
“We are excited to have Christian signed to a contract, and look forward to seeing him play for our organization,” said Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke in a press release. “He is a very intelligent hockey player who has good size and a solid scoring touch around the net.”
Hanson collected 31 points in 37 games with the Fighting Irish this past season.
Links: Toronto Star | TMLfans.ca message boards
Tuesday news: Ian White gets Leafs’ Masterton nod
March 31, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Daily Round-Up
Leafs defenceman Ian White was named as Toronto’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded for perseverance and dedication to hockey. White has emereged as the team’s second-place leader average time-on-ice (behind only Tomas Kaberle), after being a healthy scratch for the first eleven games of the 2008-09 season.
Kaberle stands a good chance of returning to the lineup tomorrow when the Leafs host the Philadphia Flyers.
Around the NHL, the Flames dropped their eighth game in the past 12 outings, while Sean Avery and the New York Rangers had the last laugh in their rematch against New Jersey, blanking the Devils 3-0.
Marlies forward Darryl Boyce was named the team’s Man of the Year in recognition of his outstanding community work.
In OHL action, the Ottawa 67’s staved off elimination, forcing a Game 7 against the Niagara Ice Dogs and extending the career of legendary coach Brian Kilrea for at least one more game.
Here are the headlines of stories relating to the Leafs and the Marlies in the news this morning:
Leafs News
- White earns team’s Masterton nomination Toronto Sun
- Leafs’ White nominated for the Masterton Toronto Sun
- Leafs’ White nominated for Bill Masterton Trophy National Post
- White is Leafs nominee for Masterton The Globe And Mail
- Kaberle ready to go Toronto Sun
- Wilson hopes to turn Leafs into club of fitness Toronto Sun
- Wilson positive on gloomy fate Toronto Star
- Slap Shot star’s son set to sign with Leafs Toronto Star
- Leafs Notebook: Wilson prefers Stralman, Frogren represent Marlies, not country National Post
- Leafs embrace role of spoiler The Globe And Mail
- Dreger: Maple Leafs close to signing Hanson TSN.ca
- Pogge Needs To Reconnect With His Game MapleLeafs.com
Marlies News
- Generous Boyce man for Marlies Toronto Star
- Boyce Named AHL Man of the Year TorontoMarlies.com
NHL and Hockey News
- Colaiacovo happy to be a Blue Toronto Sun
- Surging Bluenotes play winning tune in St. Loo Toronto Star
- Flames left clinging to Northwest lead Calgary Herald
- NHL contenders ratchet up the intensity National Post
- 67’s stay alive, Kilrea gets at least one more game Ottawa Citizen
- Team Canada: In position CTVOlympics.ca
- Gainey’s tinkering begins to pay off The Globe And Mail
- Avery-Brodeur revisited MaxHockey.com
- If the Stanley Cup playoffs started today NHL.com
- Monday’s scores NHL.com
Off The Post: Pogge not living up to the hype
March 30, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Off The Post
Pogge not living up to the hype
Justin Pogge had his most celebrated success in his goaltending career wearing the red and white maple leaf.
But his tenure in the colours of the blue and white uniform of the Maple Leafs – the team that drafted him in the fourth-round in 1990 – has been anything but triumphant.
When Pogge backstopped the Team Canada World Juniors to a gold medal on home ice in 2006, he earned the praise of an entire nation. Upon claiming the title as the country’s top major junior goaltender later that spring, the expectation was for the Fort McMurray, Alberta native to become the Leafs’ goalie of the future.
Three years later, the experiment has been nothing short of a flop.
Pogge has just a single victory in seven NHL appearances this season. While his teammates have often left him out to dry, Saturday’s defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins provided ample evidence that he is far from the caliber of a big league goaltender.
His movement is inefficient; expending too much energy with his lateral motion.
He is positionally unsound, often too deep in the net. He has a tendency to go down early.
The biggest foreshadowing of Pogge’s misadventures came in last year’s Calder Cup playoffs when AHL Marlies coach Greg Gilbert named veteran Scott Clemmensen as his starting netminder. While Pogge’s and Clemmensen’s statistics were almost identical, Gilbert rightly chose experience over youth, but was vilified by many fans for not giving the youngster the chance to gain some playoff action.
The Marlies’ bench boss proved his critics wrong by advancing his team to the Western Conference Final, ignoring the naysayers who had prematurely anointed Pogge as the Leafs’ future saviour.
This year, not even the most optimistic of Pogge’s supporters can dispute that his NHL numbers are abominable; a 1-4-1 record with an alarming 4.35 goals against average and porous save percentage of .844.
With the Leafs having played this entire season virtually out of the playoff race, general manager Brian Burke and head coach Ron Wilson have used Pogge on as many occasions to date, not because he has earned a promotion from the AHL, but because the opportunity was present for the one-time junior star to showcase his talent.
The results have been unspectacular.
With Pogge set to turn 23 next month, and with three seasons of above average – but not stellar – years of AHL experience under his belt, the expiry date at which the “highly touted prospect” becomes a “minor league journeyman” is rapidly approaching.
It would be to no one’s surprise if Burke finds another destination for Pogge, once he becomes a restricted free-agent this summer.
Rob Del Mundo is the author of Off The Post, a regular column at TMLfans.ca
Monday news: Alexei – not just a one-trick Poni
March 30, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Daily Round-Up
Leafs forward Alexei Ponikarovsky is Toronto’s hottest sniper as of late, collecting 19 points in twelve games since his linemate Nik Antropov was traded to the Rangers. Ponikarovsky has thrived on Saturday nights, earning 11 points in the Leafs’ past three outings on that particular day of the week.
The Toronto Marlies lost a pivotal shootout game to the Syracuse Crunch at Ricoh Coliseum yesterday afternoon, falling out of the final playoff position in the North Division. The two teams are currently tied in points, but Syracuse holds the tiebreaker advantage with more victories. Both teams have five games remaining.
Around the NHL, the Sens’ Brian Elliott posted his first NHL shutout as Ottawa blanked Tampa, while Canucks’ star goalie Roberto Luongo was equal to the task in Vancouver’s 4-0 whitewash of Chicago.
Here are the headlines of stories relating to the Leafs and the Marlies in the news this morning:
Leafs News
- Ponikarovsky thrives after assuming leadership role Toronto Sun
- Offside Monday – Leafs are a little net defective Toronto Sun
- Leafs ‘won’t throw Pogge under bus’ Toronto Star
- Leafs send Pogge down to the minors National Post
- Goaltending The Name Of The Game MapleLeafs.com
Marlies News
- Marlies get crunched CP
- Harrison comeback helping out the Marlies Toronto Star
- Marlies Edged in Shootout TorontoMarlies.com
NHL and Hockey News
- Monday Morning Puck Shot Toronto Sun
- Long-eliminated teams are making contenders and wannabes think twice Toronto Sun
- Habs sale hits legislature Toronto Sun
- Rangers, Tortorella feel playoff heat in Big Apple Toronto Star
- OHL playoff glance Toronto Star
- Two out of three not bad for V-Reds Toronto Star
- Elliott records first NHL shutout in win over Lightning Ottawa Citizen
- Luongo notches seventh shutout of the season AP
- OHL playoff glance Toronto Star
- If the Stanley Cup playoffs started today NHL.com
- Sunday’s scores NHL.com
Sunday news: Pogge shaky in Leafs loss
March 29, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Daily Round-Up
Leafs goalie Justin Pogge was yanked after giving up six goals on 20 shots in Toronto’s 7-5 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at ACC. While three of the goals that Pogge surrendered were tipped, it’s clear that the former World Junior gold medalist’s development is far beyond where many observers hoped that it would be, at this point in his career.
Around the NHL, the Sabres kept their playoff hopes alive with a shootout victory over the Habs, while the Flames earned an important victory over the Wild.
The Marlies dropped a 5-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre Penguins, setting up an important showdown this afternoon at Ricoh Coliseum against the Syracuse Crunch. The two teams are in a dog-fight for the final playoff spot in the AHL North Division.
In OHL playoff action, the London Knights, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Plymouth Whalers all advanced to the second round.
Here are the headlines of stories relating to the Leafs and the Marlies in the news this morning:
Leafs News
- Porous Pogge pulled Toronto Sun
- Hagman back in action Toronto Star
- Pogge not ready for prime time with Maple Leafs Toronto Star
- Pogge’s NHL struggles continue against Bruins National Post
- Goaltender-challenged Leafs fall to Bruinst The Globe And Mail
- Time Running Short For Pogge FAN 590
Marlies News
- Two Leafs sent to Marlies Toronto Sun
- Minard powers Pens past Toronto Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
NHL and Hockey News
- Elite scorers quickly drying up in the new NHL Toronto Sun
- Norris in Chara’s crosshairs TOronto Sun
- Sabres gain point on eighth-place Canadiens Montreal Gazette
- Sutter disappointed Calgary Sun
- Flames end slide with win over Wild AP
- Loss to Thrashers all but ends Senators’ playoff hopes Ottawa Citizen
- Knights advance Toronto Sun
- Women win tuneup CP
- Western, New Brunswick advance to CIS hockey final CP
- Gaborik’s return gives Wild hope MaxHockey.com
- If the Stanley Cup playoffs started today NHL.com
- Saturday’s scores NHL.com
Game Summary – Mar. 28: Boston 7 at Toronto 5
March 28, 2009 by RobDM
Filed under Leafs Game Recaps
Leafs scorers: Kulemin (14), Mitchell (10), Ponikarovsky 2 (23), Hagman (20)
Bruins scorers: Kobasew (19), Ryder (26), Recchi 2 (19), Thornton (6), Krecji (22), Wheeler (19)
Links: Game Summary | Stats | Discussion boards
Forward lines: Ponikarovsky-Grabovski-Kulemin, Blake-Mitchell-Hagman, Devereaux-Stajan-Stempniak, May-Mayers-Hamilton
Defence pairings: Kubina-Harrison, Schenn-Finger, White-Oreskovic
Goaltenders: Pogge (Loss 32:44 minutes played, 14 saves, 6 GA), Joseph (25:40 minutes played, 10 saves, 1 GA)
Noteworthy:
-The Bruins are 23-0 in games in which they have held a three-goal lead.
-Niklas Hagman scored his 100th career NHL goal.
-Alexei Ponikarovsky has compiled 11 points in his past three Saturday night games.
-Two players both extended their point scoring streaks to five games: Ponikarovsky (4 goals, 6 assists) and Nikolai Kulemin (2 goals, 8 assists).