Maple Leafs 3 v. Devils 2 (SO): Jason Blake's 360 Fist Pump Special
A strong defensive effort from the Maple Leafs was rewarded with a win in the shootout on Jason Blake's amazing spinerama.

Photo courtesy of Maple Leafs Official Site
The Leafs put on a shot-blocking clinic as the players made almost as many saves as Vesa Toskala. Jeff Finger led the way with eight blocked shots while Pavel Kubina and Mikhail Grabovski added four a piece. The latter is great to see as Grabbo's scoring pace has slowed down over the last few games.
Hagman's injury has cause a shake-up in the lines but out of the rubble has emerged the new Beamer Line of Blake-Moore-Williams. Tonight they put the Leafs up 2-1 as Williams potted his third score in consecutive games on a hard wrister that got between Clemmensen's catching arm and his body. They then scored on back-to-back shots in the shootout to give the Leafs a rare (but not a statistically significant amount) victory in Bettman's gimmick.
In seven of their last nine games the Leafs have kept the opposition to two goals or fewer. Their record in those six games (because they obviously lost the two where they gave up more): 5-1-1. Not surprisingly, the good record has come about just as the Leafs have married their Wilson-imposed discipline (least penalized team in the league) to the revamped penalty with a touch of timely goaltending (to say the least). It looks like maybe Wilson' defensive systems are catching on with the team.
Antropov answered my call for a better performance. He was a force of nature on most shifts and used his reach to pot the Leafs' first goal. Matty Stajan and Nikolai Kulemin filled out an impressive top line. Kulemin especially continued his strong work off the puck and used his strength on the forecheck very well. The Vesa made a ridiculous save with tenths of a second left in overtime as the Devils got a breakway from their own blueline after the Leafs butchered a four on two. All in all, it was exactly the kind of game that Ron Wilson promised us when he arrived.
Of course, the mittenstringers are getting excited. They can almost smell the articles that they are going to write exhorting the Leafs to go for the playoffs. Working Class Howard jumped the gun tonight by asking if (to paraphrase) "being .500 29 games into the season is a surprise and whether that might make Burke take a short-term outlook". Ron Wilson barely suppressed a laugh as he pointed out that .500 is the level of mediocrity and he doesn't think that that is anything to get excited about.
Blake's shootout winner. There were not nearly enough fist pumps after this goal.
Game in Six Minutes
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Comments
Definitely not enough fist pumps
when he could have gotten away with a couple real super soakers.
The awesomeness of the spinorama made me spill my beer!
We are now 1-8 in the shootout at home! I bet Ron eats a big steak to celebrate.
The PK is officially pretty damn good, headers notwithstanding.
This highlight on NHL Network made me spit my beer
And that is not hyperbole. Literally! I spit my beer down my shirt. Made the dog bark. Wife ran away.
How did he not punch through the glass right then and there? How did he restrain himself? Those fist pumps don’t just go away when not used — the pump has to go somewhere, lest he get bluefists.
Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.
They'll come out
The next time he scores a mercy goal in a beating he’ll toss them out.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
things are getting scary...
Blake may be worth the money soon, and Ian White is quite possibly our most consistent player and the backbone of this team.
could you imagine saying that at the beginning of October…?
everything feels so wrong but so right…somebody hold me
"You do dat, you go to da box, you know, uh, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know, and then you get free."
The Left Coast Lock
Dont forget the Vesa is finally starting to live up to expectations! Hes looking real consistent out there, at least for now.
Williams has been awesome, but I never would have imagined Blake being the hero.
I dont know whats more surprising on blakes part-that awesome spin move, or the lack of fist pumps. This night was full of surprises.
The Maple Leafs News Ticket. Yes, its another Leafs blog.
I came here to make a fanshot with the youtube clip- silly me, thinking PPP wasn’t all over it like Kyle Wellwood at a timbits buffet.
Good to see you guys win one in the shootout for once. I’m hoping that Working Class Howard (whoever the hell he is) gets his wish come late March.
Fear The Fin: Where The Second Round Is Overrated
Howard Berger
Don’t google that name as it will actually cost you brain cells. Just trust us: he’s an idiot.
Kyle Wellwood at a timbits buffet.
+ 1 for the Canadiana
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
a timbit buffet
sounds like 7 different kinds of awesome
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Dec 17, 2008 8:59 AM EST up reply actions
off-topic slightly
does anyone else get Ol’ Grandads donuts, or is this a Hammer-only thing?
They’re awesome. Like Tim Hortons from 10 years ago, when they were a lovable giant, as opposed to a puzzling and consistenly terrible behemoth.

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