Sabres @ Leafs: Positively Pogge-licious
by Chemmy on Feb 17, 2009 1:30 PM EST
in Maple Leafs Game Previews
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Justin Pogge's getting the nod tonight. After a solid effort by the boys against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, hopefully the Leafs can put together a halfway competent defensive effort in front of the kid, unlike his last two starts where the Leafs absolutely hung Pogge out to dry. He'll see the Sabres for the third time this year, playing them once in the preseason and once in Buffalo with an 0-2 record.
Previous matchups between the teams:
That's pretty ugly actually, the Leafs are averaging 1.00 goals per game against the Sabres right now, yet actually have a win. Taking two points from Buffalo tonight would even the season series between the clubs and bring Pogge back to .500.
Things I'd like to see from the Leafs tonight:
- A strong outing from Pogge, especially if the team in front of him looks bad. It sounds like I'm asking for a miracle and in a way I am, but it'd be good to see Pogge start to play with some fire while up with the big club.
- Competent defensive zone coverage from the Leafs. The 5-0 pasting in Buffalo was largely due to how completely awful the Leafs looked in their defensive end.
- Jason Blake to continue his dominant play as of late. The more he lights the lamp, the better the chance some desperate GM overpays for him at the deadline.
The Leafs are without two key defensive contributors, but the Sabres are without Thomas Vanek, 5th in the NHL with 32 goals scored. Die by the Blade suggests that the Leafs might see Patrick Lalime instead of Ryan Miller.
The pieces are in place for a great game tonight, let's hope it's a good one for PPP who will be in attendance. Go Leafs go!
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i may not even watch
leafs are atrocious on Tuesday nights.
Toronto’s record on Tuesday nights going back to 07/08:
Primary team Toronto: 8-15-5-4 in these games.
Goals for Toronto: 81
Goals against Toronto: 130
Compared to Saturday nights…
Primary team Toronto: 23-16-1-1 in these games.
Goals for Toronto: 126
Goals against Toronto: 122
it’s like they can only get their act together for the big national audience. i mean i appreciate them not ruining my weekend, but i don’t need so much mid-week rage either.
shoutouts to www.shrpsports.com for this info. you should check it out… unbelievable historical database of game results (go to NHL – results/schedule).
Dammit
Can’t get tickets to Saturday’s game but I have one for tonight…
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Pogge-licious? Fuhhhhh realllllz? We all know there is one licious. And that is Spurgalicious.
Ain't nothing but puck drops and poke checks, babydoll.
by Wrap Around Curl on Feb 17, 2009 3:11 PM EST reply actions
Lalime?
I’m all over that shit.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
I guess the Sabres are not students of history.. isn’t Lalime totally brutal against the leafs? All those playoff de-pantsings spring to mind..
by LeafFanInVan on Feb 17, 2009 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
"but it'd be good to see Pogge start to play with some fire while up with the big club."
Come on, last time Pogge did put out a very credible game. He made a bunch of tough stops.
Oh I agree, I thought he played well in Minnesota.
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He didn’t play to shabby against Buffalo, I am hard pressed to blame any of those goals on him
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 4:00 PM EST up reply actions
He should have had that Stafford goal.
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Van Ryn should have not let Stafford make him look like a beeotch
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
Right but look at the approach, if Pogge gets his glove hand up that’s an easy save.
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his glove hand worries me a might, I think there might be some anti-trapper bacteria in the TO water
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
I blame the goalie coach. There’s no way we can have that many goalies consecutively with a bad glove hand.
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
I think he had a chance on it, but was probably as dazzeled as the rest of us for the move on van ry
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
More "Keeping it real" Burke styles
“He has not earned the right to be here,” Burke said on AM640. "We are force-feeding this kid into the NHL. We need some kind of push on our starting goaltending, some realistic alternative (to Vesa Toskala).
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/588720
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
he’s looked like a rookie goalie to me, with more flashes of good than bad. He’s not going to become the next Brodeur overnight or anything, but what I’ve seen has been more promising than what Toskala’s been giving us…
also, I think Ronnie is not trying with Pogge in net, to see what it takes to rattle the kid. May as well do it now, when there’s nothing much at stake.
lastly, there was a second shooter in the grassy knoll.
/takes off tin foil hat
"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Feb 17, 2009 3:50 PM EST up reply actions
I just hope he turns out more Luongo in Florida than MAF in Pitts
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
also, I think Ronnie is not trying with Pogge in net, to see what it takes to rattle the kid. May as well do it now, when there’s nothing much at stake.
I have to say, if Wilson is willfully making his team lose that is grounds for firing. We vilified players for not being a “team player” or instilling a winning mentality (one of the biggest criticisms that hounded Mats Sundin throughout his career), it should be regarded as even worse if Ron Wilson bred a mentality of selective effort.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
want a tin foil hat?
"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Feb 17, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions
Burke is like a cat that way.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
The Habs Are falling Apart
- Kovalev told to stay home
- S. Kostitsyn sent down to the AHL
- They traded for 1,000,000 year old Mathieu Schneider
Big Smoke Sports - We Burn The Buds, Roll The Raps, and Smoke The Jays
Wow.
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=267501&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl
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I am laughing very hard and very loudly, I hope my Habs fan neighbour can hear
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
Ah, this brightened my day considerably.
by LeafFanInVan on Feb 17, 2009 4:24 PM EST up reply actions
wooooo
Ottawa’s passed us in the standings, the Habs are imploding… now, for Burke to get an incredible haul of picks/players/prospects to turn the ship Leafs around, and it’ll be wonderful!
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
indeed, the Ideal end to the season is reaching the critical point. Habs / Sens 9th / 10th, leafs, bottom 5, Kabby and Kubby with trade lists.
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
i don’t care what anyone says, this season has been very satisfying for me as a leaf fan (and hab/sen hater).
i wonder if they’re going to riot?
Nah, Mass suicide at the arena during he final game of the season
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 4:34 PM EST up reply actions
i wonder if they’re going to riot?
That’s a rhetorical question, right?
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
Outta breath
I’ve been running around to all the people I know that are habs fans (I refuse to call them friends) rubbing this shit in their stupid faces.
This is such a glorious day for me. And Pogge getting his first win will be the cherry on top.
Pogge already got his first win. :(
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Holy brain fart batman
Well I’ll be damned. Good though. Can’t believe I forgot that. I blame the habs.
James
has a photo up on his site and a nice little piece about the Habs implosion. Including how it’s similar to what happened to the Sens last year.
And he’s speculating that Kovalev’s gone by trade deadline.
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 6:12 PM EST up reply actions
i will never stop laughing
Bitches on my stick but my name ain’t Harry Potter.
by tugboats and arson on Feb 17, 2009 6:22 PM EST up reply actions
Just imagine if Stralman and Tlusty develop well. They’re both real young.
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Tlusty’s coming around in the Marlies, too. He’s at a point per game pace ever since he was sent down a month or two ago.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
I'm still a believer
Lets leave him there until the end of the year, with first line minutes and PP time. He’s what, 20? 21? Still a great prospect.
April 4, 2009
The night that a rag tag collection of young’uns with promise put the Habs out of the playoffs and put an end to the mythical fairy tale that was the 99th season for the team and Mathieu Schneider
I was at the 3/29 game last year where Tlusty and Stralman each scored a pair to beat Montreal in the ACC on a Saturday night.
What a feeling
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The ironic thing about Habs sucking is that I just saw a finnish NHL related article about Koivu and the headline was something like “Saku’s big opportunity”. I almost choked to my tea
Как же так может быть?
Saku: He’s no Mikko™
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
I actually feel sorry for Mikko...
He’s great player, maybe better than Saku but Saku is pretty much like semi-god here. And until latest Worlds, Mikko was the Saku’s brother Koivu. Now he’s the one who saves us when Saku gets too old. Which was like few years ago…
Как же так может быть?
Mikko is a better player than Saku. But even though Saku has his moments of douchebaggery (kicking Grabovski in the head as a recent example), Saku is very much the emotional leader for both the Habs and Team Finland. The injuries have really affected him, but he does have good playmaking skills and an underrated skill set. I do respect Saku, truth be told, even if he is a Hab.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
I am sad
because I just realized that there’s noone left on the Sabres that I really, really hate. Derek Roy’s diving is annoying, but that’s the most emotion I can come up with for that team.
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 5:03 PM EST reply actions
Koleta
I hate him so very much
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 17, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions
Koleta
Right! I just need to see him more, and I will hate him.
I think it’s because such hate is born out of playoff series, mostly.
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
Who did you hate before? There weren’t a lot of players I singularly disliked from the Sabres, but rather, I wasn’t too fond of the entire team for being divers and exhibiting a lot of Lindy Ruff’s immature tendencies.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
lindy ruff. that bastard.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
Peca, Hasek, Ray…. long time ago, but that hate’s still there. Especially Hasek.
I also found Briere incredibly annoying.
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 5:21 PM EST up reply actions
Ah, yes, Hasek. But I’m not sure I disliked him because he was a Sabre though. Same for Chris Drury – it was more I disliked him than because he was a Sabre.
I think my affinity for Alex Mogilny and Rick Jannetty blinded my hate for the Sabres, however. They were just another team to me. Albeit a team that has almost as long of a drought as the Leafs (can’t beat the Blackhawks though!), but I certainly don’t relate to them.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
i love Drury…although, the Rangers overpaid for him dearly.
"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Feb 17, 2009 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
yes
I didn’t get that contract. Sure, Drury is a captain figure that you win championships with, but he’s not the central player you build a team around. Neither is Gomez.
I hate Hasek. One of the first Leaf games I remember in detail is a playoff game with Buffalo that we lost…. oh how I hated him from that point on.
by Karina on Feb 17, 2009 5:45 PM EST up reply actions
Drury is so overrated. Though the lustre of him certainly fell big time with that massive contract of his that he was signed to a few years back.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
i don’t think he’s overrated, just overpaid.
i mean, he’s versatile, can play wing or center, has leadership, a cup, a calder, a hobey baker, kills penalties, scores goals. just makes about $2M more than he should.
"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Feb 17, 2009 6:02 PM EST up reply actions
Does a Hobey Baker get your team extra points in the NHL?
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it didn’t hurt Paul Kariya
"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Feb 17, 2009 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
As A Petes fan
I love Kaleta. If he were on the Leafs, he’d be a folk hero here. God, we loved him in Peterborough. The game we beat London for their third loss of the year, two line brawls, the Hunters kicked out, one scratched Knight fighting fans in the seats, Kaleta thumping local boy Corey Perry to a huge pop…
The best game I’ve ever been to live.
I still remember him coming up to the mic after their loss to the stars and saying “no goal”. All I could think was.. what a whiny bitch.
by LeafFanInVan on Feb 17, 2009 5:21 PM EST up reply actions
Dear Leafs,
Please win.
Sincerely,
Stanley C. Panther
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
Um, gulp, er, “Cup”.
I just report it.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 17, 2009 6:20 PM EST up reply actions
Dear Stan
We can’t handle even one “McCabe leaves Leafs behind, leads FLA into playoffs” story. Sorry.
Kisses,
Leafs Nation
Took all of 90 seconds for a McCabe comment. You guys are slipping.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 17, 2009 6:19 PM EST up reply actions
Might help the Grand Cause.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 17, 2009 6:20 PM EST up reply actions
Horton...
please
"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Feb 17, 2009 6:34 PM EST up reply actions
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