Yardbarker: Toronto Maple Leafs

Jason Blake on playing with Phil Kessel.

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:16:00 -0500

Interesting interview with former Sioux Jason Blake, nice to see the Maple Leafs putting the two offensively gifted players on the same line (a Sioux and a Gopher on the same line). I also wonder why the person conducting the interview would compare Kessel to Hull, their two different types of players in my opinion.

Monday Morning NHL Papers (Eastern Conference): Panthers netminder puts blames team’s defense, Twitter-gate and Lightning/Oilers talking trade?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:17:15 -0500

This morning in the Eastern Conference, recapping the Twitter controversy in Montreal, John Mitchell's opportunity, Lindy Ruff's changes, Brian Leetch and Lou Lamoriello get honored and much more after the jump.

Canes show interest in Toskala?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:35:00 -0500

With Cam Ward still in the hospital, it was announced today that Carolina is looking at adding goaltending depth to their team. I was told by a source today that one player the team has looked at is Vesa Toskala. Toskala is in the final year of a $4 million per year deal, and is one of the few potential starting goaltenders available on the trade market. To offset the cost, the Leafs would take one of three players in return: Walker, Samsonov, or Cullen. While these tlaks are in the very earl...

Jason Williams Suffers Broken Leg In Loss to Toronto

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:00 -0500

by Adam GretzFiled under: Red Wings, NHL Injuries, NHL VideosNot only did the Detroit Red Wings suffer a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, ending a three-game winning streak, they also lost yet another forward when offseason acquisition Jason Williams slid awkwardly into the end boards and fractured his right fibula. According to head coach Mike Babcock, he could be out for as long as eight weeks, joining forwards Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula who are also out of th...

Wings' Williams breaks fibula, may miss 2 months

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:39:49 -0500

Detroit Red Wings forward Jason Williams could miss two months after fracturing his right fibula in a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Williams crashed hard into the boards during the second period. The 29-year-old right winger was on the ice for several minutes before being helped to the dressing room. Williams was off to a relatively slow start with two goals and seven points through 14 games, but was still fifth on the team in scoring.

Blake's late goal vaults Leafs to 2nd win of year

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:56:27 -0500

RALEIGH, N.C.(AP) Jason Blake scored on a power play with 8:24 left and Jonas Gustavsson made 34 saves to help the Toronto Maple Leafs win for the second time in 14 games this season, 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

Blake's power-play goal lifts Leafs over Canes

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:46:19 -0500

Jason Blake scored on a power play with 8:24 left and Jonas Gustavsson made 34 saves to help the Toronto Maple Leafs win for the second time in 14 games this season, 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

'Canes lose 11th in row, off to worst start in club history

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:41:00 -0500

Puck Previews: The battle for the basement; Hedman hurt

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:50 -0500

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished. Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. EST. Both teams enter the game with seven points, so they're playing for last overall in the NHL. Jonas Gustavsson(notes) is in goal against the Staal-less Hurricanes. Chemmy on PPP said it: On Nov. 6, it's a must-win for Toront...

Ron Wilson's 15-point plan for fixing the Maple Leafs

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:19:00 -0500

It could be worse.[Checks standings.]Wait, I was wrong.OK, so maybe October didn't go quite as well as it could have.But that's fine, because now it's November (when it matters). And while some might point out that the Leafs have already fallen so far behind a playoff pace that the rest of the season if essentially futile, I remain optimistic. Because the Leafs still have Ron Wilson, and Ron Wilson has a plan.How do I know? Because I've seen it. DGB spies found it in his offic...

Huzzah! It's finally Phil Kessel time for the Maple Leafs

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:55:54 -0500

Inexplicably continuing our tour of the worst hockey teams in existence this morning, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that the long-awaited debut of savior star special right winger Phil Kessel(notes) will occur at home on Tuesday night.From the Globe & Mail:The high-scoring forward, acquired by general manager Brian Burke from the Boston Bruins before the start of the 2009-10 NHL regular season, practised this morning on a line with Matt Stajan(notes) and Jason Blake(notes). Kessel, wh...

For Sale, One Toilet Trained Fan

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:35:53 -0500

The Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL have done something to a fan that is rare. It is so rare that it was actually news worthy. A life long fan of the Leafs was so sick of his team’s poor performance on and off the ice that he decided to auction away his allegiance to [...]

Teen's death hits Blake hard.

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:17:00 -0500

Former Fighting Sioux hockey player and current Maple Leaf Jason Blake apparently knew the 13-year-old hockey player Evan Frustaglio that died from H1N1 last week. This young kid was healthy and yet this virus took his life, it breaks your heart. I think this really puts things in perspective. I just hope that we can beat back this damn virus.

The death of 13-year-old Evan Frustaglio from the H1N1 flu virus hit hard for one Toronto Maple Leafs player.

Two years ago, Leafs forward Jason Blake was new to the team and the city and struggling to deal with the news he had chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer. However, the little boy next door who loved hockey always made him smile.

“‘I can’t imagine what they are going through,” Blake said Wednesday morning of his former Etobicoke neighbors, the Frustaglio family, two days after Evan died from the flu. “They are a great family with great kids. Evan was a hell of a hockey player.

“It’s tough. My prayers and thoughts go with them.”

Blake, his wife Sara and their three children lived in the house next door to the Frustaglios for the 2007-08 season, his first in Toronto after signing a five-year $20-million (U.S.) contract with the NHL team. It was a difficult year for Blake, as his illness weighed heavily on his play. While the disease was treatable with regular medication, Blake went from 40 goals the season before with the New York Islanders to 15 with the Leafs.

Things were a little better at home, though, as Paul and Ann-Marie Frustaglio welcomed the Blake family to the neighbourhood.

“We became good friends with them,” Blake recalled as the Leafs got ready to play the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. “They showed us the ropes when we got to town. They were our next-door neighbours, their kids came over and played driveway hockey. We had dinners together.
[Globe and Mail]

Colton Orr Faces Suspension After Shoving Official During Fight

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:25:00 -0500

by Bruce CiskieFiled under: Ducks, Maple Leafs, NHL Fights, NHL Videos, NHL DisciplineMonday night's Maple Leafs win over Anaheim featured plenty of penalties. In fact, five of Toronto's six goals were scored with the extra attacker. Besides Anaheim's trademark undisciplined play, there was also a pretty intense fight. During the first period, Toronto's Colton Orr hooked up with Duck George Parros for an impressive heavyweight bout. While the fight was clean, Orr risked suspen...

Future uncertain for former Shark Vesa Toskala in Toronto

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:37:00 -0500

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS GOALTENDER VESA TOSKALA - PHOTO JON SWENSON Friend of the blog James Mirtle took an interesting look at the future of former Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala for Toronto's Globe and Mail: Has Toskala run out of chances? It seems only fitting that, on the weekend the Toronto Maple Leafs head to Vancouver, general manager Brian Burke’s struggling hockey team is embroiled in a goalie controversy. It was with the Canucks, after all, that Burke stood by his man in the creas...

Maple Leafs Finally Get a Win

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0500

by Adam GretzFiled under: Ducks, Maple LeafsNewsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the story lines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.Maple Leafs 6, Ducks 3: It took nearly a month, but after eight consecutive losses to open the season the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally on the board with their first win thanks to a 6-3 victory in Anaheim...

Monday's Three Stars: Leafs win! Leafs win! Leafs win!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:01:51 -0500

No. 1 star: Niklas Hagman(notes), Toronto Maple LeafsJust in case you were thrown off by the subtle headline, once more with feeling: The Toronto Maple Leafs, mired in the worst start in franchise history, improved to 1-7-1 on the season with a 6-3 victory at the Anaheim Ducks. Niklas Hagman's hat-trick, all scored on the power play, provided half the offense for Toronto. Hagman gave the Leafs the lead in the first period on a 5-on-3, built it to 3-1 in the second and then put the cherry...

Today in Philly Sports History: The Streak Begins, 1979

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0500

It probably seemed like a pretty ordinary win when the Flyers dispatched the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 at home on October 14th, 1979. Reggie Leach, Paul Holmgren and Brian Propp all scored in the first period, and the defense held off a late Toronto push to squeak away with the victory. It was only the third game of the season, and coming hot on the heels of a 9-2 beatdown from the Atlanta Flames, it couldn't have seemed like that big a deal. But that victory would end up going down in Fly...