Maple Leafs 0 v. Flyers 2: Mailing It In

by PPP on Apr 7, 2010 1:40 AM EDT in Game Recaps

You know what would be better than a half-assed salute? A win.

In honour of the Maple Leafs' performance in their final home game of the season I am going to mail in this game recap. The Toronto Maple Leafs were shutout by Brian Boucher and a Philadelphia Flyers team that is once again in a tailspin. They wasted an excellent performance by Jean-Sebastien Giguere who is the only Leaf worth mentioning by name. Actually, Colton Orr too for beating up Aaron Asham after the shrimp took offence to Orr blowing up Darrol Powe at the Flyers' blueline. Here is how some Flyers fans saw it:

With the Flyers up just one measly goal late in the third period, the pesky Leafs were swarming. The puck was thrown out in front, it bounced off of Braydon Coburn and toward the empty goal. Boosh threw his paddle out and got a piece of it to deflect it just wide of the cage. It preserved the victory. It preserved our sanity. Quite possibly, it preserved the playoffs.

...

Jean-Sebastien Giguere played great for the Leafs, but in the end, the difference was Boucher. Giggy was no match. He looks confident, he sounds confident, and that one save may have hoisted a city full of fans behind him again. You can't downplay the importance of that at this time of year.

Poor Travis. You are going to be so ridiculously disappointed. Onto the 700 Level:

Right now, thousands of Toronto Maple Leafs fans are leaving their home arena for the last time this season. There will be no playoff hockey for Toronto. After the road win tonight, the Flyers are that much closer to making sure their fans don't meet that fate on Sunday at the Wachovia Center.

Well, at least for two more weeks.

Corsi and Fenwick | Head-to-Head TOI | EV Face-Offs
Shift Charts | Game Summary | Event Summary

What about the local rags? James Mirtle unearthed a little know fact - Brian Boucher is a zombie:

Asked yesterday if he agreed that Philadelphia has become a goalie graveyard, he simply laughed.

"If it’s a graveyard, I mean, I’m back," Boucher said. "I’m still alive, I guess. The second go-around. But you know what, they haven’t won and when you don’t win, they’re always looking for answers. And I guess the easy guy to point out is the goaltender."

While Bruce Arthur wonders what truth can be found in the Leafs' post-deadline play:

And to answer that, Burke will have to ascertain what is ice and what is water, what is real and what is not. And the answer, more than ever, isn't clear.

As noted by espn.com, before last night's waste of everybody's time, Toronto had accumulated the eighth-best winning percentage in the NHL in its first 18 games after the Olympic break, with a 10-5-3 record. And on the season, they're 29th in the league

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Comments

Lousy game. Stalberg’s starting to play a lot stronger on the puck.

I hate the Flyers.

by Kohma on Apr 7, 2010 1:51 AM EDT reply actions

glad I missed it.

A Nation of Masochists Don't blame me. I voted Blurr/WAC.

by furcifer on Apr 7, 2010 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Worse hands?

Wayne Primeau or Victor Stalberg?

My money’s on Victor. Exhibit A: Victor firing it 10 feet wide of the net on a 3-1 rush about 6 feet from the goal. Puck rims around the boards and leads to an odd-man rush the other way with the other Leafs crashing the net for a rebound or pass that never came. I’m sorry, but watching that made me wish for Jason Blake back so he could fire it into the goalie’s midsection and prevent a counterattack like that. No explanation needed for the sheer offensive ineptitude shown by Primeau despite possessing decent wheels.

by brewerm on Apr 7, 2010 2:06 AM EDT reply actions

Stalberg has 8 goals to Primeau’s 3 in 20 less games. Stalberg is a rookie. I don’t think he has bad hands. He also lit up preseason.

October 25, 1966. Thank you Lord Kelvin

by Chuck Diesel on Apr 7, 2010 8:46 AM EDT up reply actions

But Bowen did mistake Wayne for Keith last night by saying that Wayne played for the Flyers previously so I’ll give you that.

October 25, 1966. Thank you Lord Kelvin

by Chuck Diesel on Apr 7, 2010 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Primeau: Ya, I always feel like I’m in my brother’s shadow.

Wilson: Cool! I didn’t know you had a brother Keith!

Classic Bloge.

by general borschevsky on Apr 7, 2010 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions

I bet he golfs with Brett Lindros and Billy Baldwin in the offseason.

Didn’t the movie “Fred Claus” with Vince Vaughan do a thing about a support group for brothers of famous people?

Phaneuf Phever, an upgrade in skill and alliteration!

by Shield on Apr 7, 2010 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions

I slept through most of the game

And apparently I didn’t miss a thing after Orr and Asham went at it.

by RJinSoCal on Apr 7, 2010 2:42 AM EDT reply actions

Well

I had time well spent injuring and maiming the Flyers in NHL 10 after this mess of a game.

A 140-Character Exhibition in Anger.
Truculence is Everything: A Rarely Updated Leaf Blog.

by Marc Pilgrim on Apr 7, 2010 3:11 AM EDT reply actions

That always makes me feel better, too.

Not even the Toronto Maple Leafs could kill my optimism

Tyler Ennis: Freed from Portland!

by Ubiquitous on Apr 7, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Go London Knights.

That’s really all that’s left to be said.

Resident Capologist
Toskala Cap Counter - RIP

by clrkaitken on Apr 7, 2010 9:23 AM EDT reply actions

You’re not kiddin’
Go Knights!

Wendel Killer Joseph

by MapleLeafMole on Apr 7, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Disagree.

Go Kadri.

The rest of the Knights are welcome to listen to the chants of “waaaaaaaaaaaaaaterbooooooy” from fans of the defending Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires, such as myself.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Apr 7, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions

I guess I shouldn’t turn my back on Mitchell and Ryan either.

Wendel Killer Joseph

by MapleLeafMole on Apr 7, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions

All sorts of pluses and minuses last night:

MINUS: I was at the game.

PLUS: I was with a Flames fan attending her first-ever non-Flames game, and she had to suffer through the indignity of watching Dion Phanuef play for another team.

MINUS: the team mailed it in.

PLUS: for the first time ever I saw the point of Rickard Wallin.

MINUS: Andy Frost: “The next Leafs home game will be a preseason game in September.”

PLUS: leaving the ACC to watch the Flames not make the playoffs. Epic Calgary fail!

That is all.

by NWOntario on Apr 7, 2010 11:37 AM EDT reply actions