Toronto Maple Leafs Playing Well, But Shootouts Are Still A Problem

The Toronto Maple Leafs earned a hard fought point tonight in Madison Square Garden, though they ultimately dropped another shootout decision to the Rangers. Despite the heartbreaking result, the Maple Leafs played a solid game overall, and there were plenty of reasons for Leafs fans to feel good about their young team coming away from this game. The biggest story was obviously Vesa Toskala. The Leafs netminder made 32 saves-many of which were down right spectacular-and didn't allow a single regulation or overtime goal. This kept the Maple Leafs in the game, when most of the 3rd period was played in their own end. Though he eventually lost in the shootout, Toskala will get credit for a shutout. At times during the final period, it seemed like the Toronto Maple Leafs were trapped in a shooting gallery, with Toskala being shelled from all angles. Though he did get a bit of help from a pair of goalposts, he stood his ground and stunned every Rangers fan in the building with some impossible-looking saves. Every top goaltender in the league combines stellar play with a little bit of luck, and Toskala had both tonight. It is clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs do in fact, have elite goaltending, despite some recent claims that Toskala is overrated.

Another reason for Maple Leafs fans to be excited is the ever-improving play of Luke Schenn. He was named the 3rd star of tonight's game (Toskala was 1st) in recognition of his outstanding play. His presence was most notable on the Leafs penalty kill, when he was able to clear the puck time and time again with his long reach. His play might be the single biggest reason the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to completely shut down the New York powerplay unit. He didn't shy away from throwing some hits either, but probably the best part about his game was his willingness to block shots. Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson has stressed recently that his team needs to block shots, and Schenn's ability to do that was a big help to Toskala, and a huge reason the Leafs earned the shutout and escaped New York with a point. It is safe to say that Luke Schenn has been one of the Maple Leafs top defenders, and was on the ice for well over 20 minutes tonight. He is getting top-pairing ice time, and showing he is worth every bit of it. I can't help but wonder if there are still any Leafs fans who think he should be sent back down to the juniors. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be keeping him right where he is at for the remainder of the year-he is just too good to go back down.

Other Maple Leafs who deserve recognition for their efforts are Jonas Frogren, Pavel Kubina, and Niklas Hagman. Frogren showed Leafs fans why he was brought over from Sweden, by putting his body on the line tonight for his team. He played physical all night long, and was absolutely fearless in blocking shots-the most notable of which came right before the final buzzer and likely prevented a game winning goal. Though he was slow getting up after the block, Frogren didnt appear injured. The Toronto Maple Leafs have found a tough-as-nails defender in this guy who isnt afraid to take some punishment-or dish it out. Pavel Kubina threw his weight around as well, and won several key positional battles in his own end. Surprisingly, he even broke through two Rangers d-men and got in all alone for a one-on-one against the opposing goalie. Though his shot was stopped, it was easy to mistake him for a skilled forward on the play, rather than a hulking defenceman! Niklas Hagman showed his phenomenal stick handling skills, and often blew right through the opposing blueliners as if they were standing still. He was easily the hardest-working Maple Leafs forward, and it is surprising that he didn't come away from the game with a goal or two. All in all, a solid overall effort from the young Toronto Maple Leafs, and quite frankly, they deserved the win that eluded them tonight.

Maple Leafs Need To Work On Shootouts

The Toronto Maple Leafs have now dropped two games in a row to the dreaded shootout. Though there are many aspects of their game that have improved from last year, the shootout is still an area of concern. Leafs fans must be baffled at their teams consistent ability to throw these events. Hopefully the loss of two in a row will convince Ron Wilson that the Maple Leafs need to address this issue more in practice. However, the challenge facing any new coach is that he must first become familiar with his lineup, before he can get a feel for which of his players will perform best in this situation. So far, he seems to be rotating through the lineup giving every Leafs player a chance. Surprisingly, the veterans on the team have come up short. Kubina, Antropov, Stajan, and Blake have all been misses in the shootout. However, the Maple Leafs do seem to have a shootout sniper in Nikolai Kulemin, who scored in both losses to the Blues and Rangers. My guess is we will now see Kulemin earn a permanent spot in the shootout lineup, and Wilson will continue to shuffle through his lineup to find two more guys who are just as consistent. Personally, I would like to see the Maple Leafs give Niklas Hagman a chance, and I imagine that will happen shortly. His stickhandling skills and smooth puck movement could be very useful in any shootout. I predict he will shine in this event. If I am right, the Maple Leafs will still need to find another sniper they can count on at the end of the game. With some time, Ron Wilson should get a better feel for his roster, and hopefully field a more consistent shootout lineup. If he can solve that puzzle, he will be able to earn some valuable extra points for the Toronto Maple Leafs-points which have cost the Leafs playoff spots in the past.