LATEST STORIES FROM BITTER LEAF FAN
MLSE and H1N1: Give a Shot, Take a Shot
4 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Much has been made by the media of MLSE arranging H1N1 vaccinations for players from the Leafs, Raptors, and Marlies.The City of Toronto Public Health Unit has been clear in stating that H1N1 vaccines are currently restricted to special populations (children under 5, those under 65...
Paul Maurice: Death of a Salesman?
5 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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I’m trying to think of bright spots from the Leafs 2008-09 season and not many are coming to mind.Big comeback wins over the Rangers and Flyers, the emergence of Ian White, a first round pick that softened the blow from each loss, all the pre-trade deadline day chatter (back when...
Instant Karma: Kessel Makes his Leaf Debut
6 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Every hockey trade needs a bit of distance to be properly evaluated. I thought the Leafs had erred when they acquired Dimitri Yushkevich for a first round pick way back in 1995. The pick turned out to be a bust and Yushkevich became one of my all time favourite Leafs.Tonight Phil Kessel...
Toronto Maple Leafs: November's When it Matters
23 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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I play shinny early Saturday mornings. Good bunch of older guys. The ice is full of their young kids skating laps while we assemble our gear and try to remember to put our jerseys on before our helmets (it's not as easy as it sounds at 6:30 AM).Each week we look at who showed up...
An Ambulance Only Goes so Fast
26 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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I missed the Leafs game against Colorado as I was busy losing a hockey game of my own.The winning (losing?) goal in my 2-1 game was scored from out near the red line. It beat our goalie clean from 60 feet out. I've always dreamed of playing for the Leafs and for one magical night...
Toronto Maple Leafs: Ugly numbers
27 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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After playing three hundred and four minutes and forty seven seconds of hockey this young season, the Leafs have held a lead for all of six minutes and forty seconds. That's about 2% of total time on ice.The Leafs trailed Montreal for 7:12, Washington for 58:43, Ottawa for 33:15...
On the Leeds side-streets that you slip down
29 days ago by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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I wonder how much of the Leafs’ dreadful start is due to the strength of opposition?The Leafs played well and deserved to win game one against Montreal. It took two bizarre calls and some bad officiating to lose the game against the Sens. Losses to Pittsburgh and Washington shouldn’t...
Leafs and Goaltending: Playing the Percentages
October 05, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Even though the Leafs are just two games into the season the team is dealing with a so-called goaltending "controversy."Fresh from off-season hip-surgery, Toskala has looked decidedly sub-par in pre-season and regular season action. He's surrendered 14 goals in his last...
Leafs: 2 games down, Eighty to go
October 03, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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When the Leafs lost the opening game of the 2006 season 4-1 to the Ottawa Senators the reaction from the media was swift.Game 2 of that long-ago season was decreed a "must-win" for the Leafs.Must-win.In October.It always seems peculiar to me that the majority of so-called...
Pre-season Fever - Avoid It!
September 22, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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What we should talk about when we talk about pre-season:What prospects get a look early and, ultimately, get into more games.How prospects play and perform as the pre-season progresses and the competition gets tougher.What’s the waiver status on the bubble guys, who’s got manageable...
Leafs Camp Cuts: And then there were 34
September 21, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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The Globe and the Sun are reporting that the Leafs have made another round of cuts at training camp, paring the roster down to 34 players.Forwards1. Allison, Jason2. Blake, JasonBoyce, Darryl 3. Bozak, Tyler 4. Brent, TimChampagne, Joel Devane, Jamie Deveaux, Andre Foster, Alex Giliati...
Phil Kessel is a Leaf
September 18, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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The Leafs acquired Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins for two first round picks, a second round pick and a reported five year $27.2 million deal that carries a $5.2M cap hit.Kessel is coming off shoulder surgery and will be out until November, possibly December.By the numbers, Kessel...
Cox Bloc II: Damien's Revenge
September 13, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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One of my favourite sites in the Barilkosphere was Cox Bloc - don't look for them, they're not there anymore. When Godd and Till called it quits last June, I thought it was a real loss for Leaf fans.When they came calling on me a few weeks later and asked if I wanted to start...
Burke, Kessel and the Long Term Injury Exception
September 11, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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There seems to be a commonly held perception that Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs hold the leverage in the on-going saga of Phil Kessel. I’m not so sure.Kessel, a restricted free agent (RFA), is looking for a multi-year deal north of $4 million annually while the Bruins have...
Toronto Maple Leaf Roster: Waiver Status
September 02, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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I don’t think the much discussed (and increasingly tiresome) term “truculence” will be the big issue for the 2009-2010 Maple Leafs. The Penalty Kill (discussed earlier here) and waiver rules are likely to have a far bigger impact on this team than their new found ferocity.As...
Competition at Leafs Training Camp?
September 01, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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One of the most common Leaf storylines this summer is the "more competition in Leafs camp" angle (other than at least half-a-dozen or so ridiculous trade rumours - Brayden Schenn to the Leafs? Canuck please.)With 23 roster spots to fill and maybe 28 NHL-ready bodies the Leafs...
MLSE Compensation: My Expert Says...
August 30, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Walter Sobchak:You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me. The Dude: Yeah, but Walter... Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish. These ******* amateurs....
Maple Leafs Annual 2009-10
August 07, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Good news for those of you who are tired of reading my leaf-centric writing for free on this blog (or tired of paying to read my non-leaf corporate writing in such trade magazines as Liv, Hospital News, and Commercial Shipping Monthly).Alec Brownscombe and the fine folks at Maple Street...
Leafs Trade Stralman
July 28, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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To Calgary: Colin Stuart, Anton Stralman, 2012 7th round pickTo Toronto: Wayne Primeau, 2011 2nd round pick.What this deal is all aboutAcquiring yet another less-talented sibling.I predict Nicolas Cage will star in a movie as a Leafs' GM who finds a secret book. The book dictates...
Toronto Sports: The Blame Game
July 24, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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With not much going on with my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs, I thought I'd make a decision tree for some of Toronto's sports reporters who might be looking for easy story ideas. Unfortunately, this came out a little blurry - you can click on the image for a bigger, clearer, look.
The Leafs in Six Words or Less
July 22, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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One of the more interesting books I read this year is Smith Magazine's Not Quite What I was Planning. The magazine asked people to submit a six word memoir and collected some of the best in a book. These memoirs demonstrate just how powerful six well chosen words can be.A small...
Leafs Nation Demographics and Media Partners
July 20, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Given last year’s posts around the ‘Net on the future of the Leafs fan-base and the challenges of marketing an, ahem, less than successful franchise I thought it was fascinating to note the Leafs’ media partners for this season’s free exhibition game.The Back StoryThe dominant...
Leafs Nation Demographics and Media Partners
July 20, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Given last year’s posts around the ‘Net on the future of the Leafs fan-base and the challenges of marketing an, ahem, less than successful franchise I thought it was fascinating to note the Leafs’ media partners for this season’s free exhibition game.The Back StoryThe dominant...
Leafs Nation Demographics and Media Partners
July 20, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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Given last year’s posts around the ‘Net on the future of the Leafs fan-base and the challenges of marketing an, ahem, less than successful franchise I thought it was fascinating to note the Leafs’ media partners for this season’s free exhibition game.The Back StoryThe dominant...
Leafs, Tampering and a Modest Proposal
July 10, 2009 by
Bitter Leaf Fan
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In 1986, the Detroit Red Wings were so bad they might as well have played in boots.Coach Harry Neale got the team off to a 8-23-4 record before being fired. His replacement Brad Park was even worse, going 9-34-2 the rest of the way.At the end of the '86 season, Red Wings GM Devellano...
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A life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...
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