Saturday Night Special
- Saturday, March 8/03
Toronto Maple Leafs (37-26-4-1) vs. Vancouver Canucks (39-18-10-1)
by Rink Rat
The Vancouver Canucks have transformed themselves into an interesting team which has to be taken seriously this season. Last year they made a mad dash for the play-offs, squeaking in on the second to last night, then delivered on that potential this year. They are easily the best road show in the National Hockey League, winning 21 games to date. They play a high-tempo game, score in bunches, and do the job on defense. The Canucks have demonstrated an ability to get on a roll and hold it, having had a ten game winning streak and a 14 game unbeaten run this season.
While entertaining and leading the Northwest Division, worries persist. Four times a win would have given them the conference lead yet on each occasion they lost, suggesting the maturation process is yet to be completed. They can be lazy as a sub-standard record against poor teams attest. They fall asleep and concede consecutive goals in quick succession - witness their performance in Columbus on Thursday night and Boston on Monday. There is quality throughout the line-up. Forwards Naslund and Bertuzzi are as potent a duo as there is in the league; Naslund is leading the league in scoring in a tight race with Lemieux of Pittsburgh. They have speed throughout the forward lines, with the exception of the Sedins, and they can hit a little. The defense is encouraged to attack and leads the league in scoring from the blue line. Goaltender Cloutier is serviceable and occasionally brilliant. He'll never have outstanding numbers because of the team's style of play. Five a-side this team is good with a 70-52 goal scoring record. Their 105 total road goals is first in their conference, the defense is fourth (81 goals against, 2.38), penalty killing is also fourth (142/168, 84.5%), and the power play now sixth (28/150, 18.7%). Goalkeepers have produced a good .916 save percentage. This is a team others view with alarm when it walks into their building. Vancouver is 6-2- 1-1 in their past 10 games, and 2-1-1-1 in their last five road games.
The Maple Leafs exist in the white-hot atmosphere of perennially demanding Toronto, where every year is supposed to be a Stanley Cup-winning year. This attitude is remarkable since the Leafs haven't been to the finals since the two- thirds mark of last century. Toronto played the Canucks once this season, winning 5-3 in Vancouver New Year's Eve. They have an exceptional home record (22-12-2) and are themselves a strong even strength team (78-55). The Leafs lost in Buffalo Thursday night, 4-2 in another fight-filled game. They are 5-5 in their past 10 games, 3-2 in the last five home games. Toronto is tied for fourth in goals for (107, 3.06) and sixth in goals against (86, 2.46). Their power play is unremarkable (26/159, 16.4%, 8th) but their penalty killing is good (151/177, 85.3%, 3d). The team wobbled at the beginning of this season as they and their new goalkeeper, Belfour, figured out how to deal with each other. Once the kinks were eliminated they marched up the standings.
Lately however they have shown signs of weakness. They were thrashed 7-2 by Detroit, didn't show up against Florida, blew apart in Ottawa with the result Tucker and Domi were suspended, and then lost in Buffalo with another string of fights. The return of inspirational winger Roberts was supposed to generate more goals and wins, not broken noses. Now the club has traded for San Jose hardrock Nolan, another tough as nails winger who can score. That is when he's in the mood. The Leafs are a team built to win in the play-offs, with some skill and lots of grit and a Stanley Cup-winning netminder. They will be flying Saturday with Nolan in the line-up for his first game.
The Canucks however, will arrive in disarray for the first time this season. Their goaltending has fallen apart, with starter Cloutier back in Vancouver riding a stationary bike, backup Skudra parked on the end of the bench having collapsed in successive games, and the likely starter rookie Auld having played all of 160 minutes in the NHL. This should have been a marquee game, a late season test between two Cup hopefuls. Not this time because the outcome is obvious - Belfour beats whichever unfortunate the Canucks park in their crease and the Leafs go on to win this one easily.
Leafs on the Money Line !!!
the Rat can be reached via email @ rsbookiekiller@hotmail.com
- Saturday, March 8/03
Toronto Maple Leafs (37-26-4-1) vs. Vancouver Canucks (39-18-10-1)
by Rink Rat
The Vancouver Canucks have transformed themselves into an interesting team which has to be taken seriously this season. Last year they made a mad dash for the play-offs, squeaking in on the second to last night, then delivered on that potential this year. They are easily the best road show in the National Hockey League, winning 21 games to date. They play a high-tempo game, score in bunches, and do the job on defense. The Canucks have demonstrated an ability to get on a roll and hold it, having had a ten game winning streak and a 14 game unbeaten run this season.
While entertaining and leading the Northwest Division, worries persist. Four times a win would have given them the conference lead yet on each occasion they lost, suggesting the maturation process is yet to be completed. They can be lazy as a sub-standard record against poor teams attest. They fall asleep and concede consecutive goals in quick succession - witness their performance in Columbus on Thursday night and Boston on Monday. There is quality throughout the line-up. Forwards Naslund and Bertuzzi are as potent a duo as there is in the league; Naslund is leading the league in scoring in a tight race with Lemieux of Pittsburgh. They have speed throughout the forward lines, with the exception of the Sedins, and they can hit a little. The defense is encouraged to attack and leads the league in scoring from the blue line. Goaltender Cloutier is serviceable and occasionally brilliant. He'll never have outstanding numbers because of the team's style of play. Five a-side this team is good with a 70-52 goal scoring record. Their 105 total road goals is first in their conference, the defense is fourth (81 goals against, 2.38), penalty killing is also fourth (142/168, 84.5%), and the power play now sixth (28/150, 18.7%). Goalkeepers have produced a good .916 save percentage. This is a team others view with alarm when it walks into their building. Vancouver is 6-2- 1-1 in their past 10 games, and 2-1-1-1 in their last five road games.
The Maple Leafs exist in the white-hot atmosphere of perennially demanding Toronto, where every year is supposed to be a Stanley Cup-winning year. This attitude is remarkable since the Leafs haven't been to the finals since the two- thirds mark of last century. Toronto played the Canucks once this season, winning 5-3 in Vancouver New Year's Eve. They have an exceptional home record (22-12-2) and are themselves a strong even strength team (78-55). The Leafs lost in Buffalo Thursday night, 4-2 in another fight-filled game. They are 5-5 in their past 10 games, 3-2 in the last five home games. Toronto is tied for fourth in goals for (107, 3.06) and sixth in goals against (86, 2.46). Their power play is unremarkable (26/159, 16.4%, 8th) but their penalty killing is good (151/177, 85.3%, 3d). The team wobbled at the beginning of this season as they and their new goalkeeper, Belfour, figured out how to deal with each other. Once the kinks were eliminated they marched up the standings.
Lately however they have shown signs of weakness. They were thrashed 7-2 by Detroit, didn't show up against Florida, blew apart in Ottawa with the result Tucker and Domi were suspended, and then lost in Buffalo with another string of fights. The return of inspirational winger Roberts was supposed to generate more goals and wins, not broken noses. Now the club has traded for San Jose hardrock Nolan, another tough as nails winger who can score. That is when he's in the mood. The Leafs are a team built to win in the play-offs, with some skill and lots of grit and a Stanley Cup-winning netminder. They will be flying Saturday with Nolan in the line-up for his first game.
The Canucks however, will arrive in disarray for the first time this season. Their goaltending has fallen apart, with starter Cloutier back in Vancouver riding a stationary bike, backup Skudra parked on the end of the bench having collapsed in successive games, and the likely starter rookie Auld having played all of 160 minutes in the NHL. This should have been a marquee game, a late season test between two Cup hopefuls. Not this time because the outcome is obvious - Belfour beats whichever unfortunate the Canucks park in their crease and the Leafs go on to win this one easily.
Leafs on the Money Line !!!
the Rat can be reached via email @ rsbookiekiller@hotmail.com
