McCabe (2g) not enough as Maple Leafs score three unanswered, win 3-2 in regulation
by Donny Rivette on Jan 5, 2010 9:54 PM EST
Email
Print
And the forwards were...where? Forget the buzzing which took place at the end (and there was a gaggle of it) - another case of too little, too late as Toronto cruised.
Ex-Leaf Bryan McCabe scored the Cats' only two goals early in the first period, but it was only just beginning for the home team.
The Panthers leave Air Canada Centre with no points, and please spare us the "played well at the end" talking point. Yes, typically it's the third frame which Florida fails to show for, but so what: they hav shown no ability to play consistently for 60 minutes.
Nathan Horton looked good, though. Just a thought.
And let go of the 6-2 bombing of Pittsburgh on Sunday: the Pens were redefining the term "suckiness" with their lack of anything resembling effort. Hell, Malkin himself took the blame for his club playing like drugged lab mice.
Losing to a Toronto club which is now two points behind the Panthers - for 14th in the East - is inexcusable.
The Leafs played a smart, responsible, disciplined game following the McCabe goals; Florida was never prepared to respond.
I'll be labeled - once more - as purveyor of pain and doubt, but really...should the Cats really have lost this one?
NOTES: Both Tomas Vokoun and Jonas Gustavsson faced 31 shots. Kaberle, Stempniak, and Ponikarovsky scored for the Leafs, while McCabe netted both Florida goals. Kaberle and McCabe were the only multipoint players. Phil Kessel (0 points) led the game with 6 SOG (Michael Frolik paced the Cats with 5 and zero points).
11 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
No appropriate thread to put this under yet, but:
USA, USA, USA!!! O’er the land of the freeeeeee, and the home of the brave! OW OW!
Go Cats and Go Canes!
Was trying to pigeonhole that one myself…USA!
A.J. Jenks!
by Donny Rivette on Jan 5, 2010 10:50 PM EST up reply actions
If this team is going to have ANY chance at all going forward, someone not on the top line is going to have to find something resembling a consistent scoring threat. Dvorak is the only one who looks like he could score on a game-to-game basis, and he’s the old man on the team. Stillman\Reinprecht\Olesz look like they should be scoring more, but they aren’t. Kreps and Campbell are hopeless. Oreskovich works his ass off and has earned his spot as a 4th line grit guy. Wait, do we even have a 4th line? I swear, I’ve never seen a team work so hard in the offensive zone, cycling, board play, puck possession… and get so little actual offense.
For every Pittsburgh game, there’s usually 3 or 4 Boston\Toronto type games close behind, and it’s not gonna work. I know the distance between 13th and 7th is only a handful of points, but we’re still 13th, and closer to 14th than anything else…
For every Pittsburgh game, there’s usually 3 or 4 Boston\Toronto type games close behind
Prescisely my point, Karl.
by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2010 7:35 AM EST up reply actions
I wonder...
does Booth improve the forward situation? He didn’t fly out of the gates, but nobody did early on.
Bettman's Nightmare: A Blog Where Hockey Aficionados Dismantle That Mighty Empire, One Balsillie at a Time
http://bettmansnightmare.blogspot.com/
by Bettman's Nightmare on Jan 6, 2010 12:42 AM EST reply actions
I’m not planning on seeing him until September. Anything earlier is an obvious “plus”, but realistically – and as I’ve stated before – his absence is the least of the organization’s worries going into spring.
by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2010 7:38 AM EST up reply actions
Really hope I’m wrong, but the sudden reinsertion of David Booth into this lineup is not going to inspire a playoff push of epic proportions.
by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2010 7:40 AM EST up reply actions
No, it won’t. If he manages to make it back, he’s going to be a step behind probably the rest of the season. He’s been out too long for it to be otherwise. The only possible exception I can see is if he’s back before the Olympic break and the team uses it as a chance to get a couple days of rest before doing some seriously aggressive practicing for the last quarter of the season. Then, maybe. But if he’s not back before then, best case is he gets his legs back the end of the season and is ready to go out of the gates next season.
Florida Panthers: Giving the league a punching bag since 2000.
turnovers
One of the main things which bothered me last night was seeing all those turnovers. Specifically in the defensive third, players would just be giving the puck away as if they were in a world of their own. Lack of concentration and spacial awareness is killing us at the moment.
Thought Horton played really well yesterday – all over the ice & working hard, and some exciting ‘skill’ moments. He looked extremely confident all game. But sometimes, dare I say, he was trying to do too much? A couple of times when set up in an attacking formation he would start trying to weave in and out of Toronto players on the blue line, and ended up giving up the puck with nothing but open ice behind him. Or is this not him doing too much, and simply a case of none of his teammates getting open for a pass?
Last night's game
was eerily similar to Florida’s last loss in Toronto. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead then too and Toronto came back to win 3-2. In that game, Craig Anderson was in goal and the Maple Leafs scored in the last minute of regulation to win.
Campbell had a huge opportunity last night and couldn’t come close to scoring. I make a bet Matthias would have have gotten the goal. Why is Matthias in Rochester again and 0 goals in 43 games Campbell eating up 10 minutes of ice time? DeBoer coached Campbell in a junior league.
I’ve already said there will be no playoffs for Florida this year at the sports blog I write at. The Panthers, who I haven’t missed one of their games on television(FSN or Center Ice) this year, aren’t the only focus of my blog but I’ve done 100+ posts on the team in the last 3 years.
Thanks for jumping in, Bill. Definitely seen your fine work before.
Playoffs are looking far off at this stage, unless a solid “something” takes place (trades? demotions? coaching changes?)
And you’re not alone in question Campbell’s futility. He posted two assists against the Pens and receives a line promotion immediately thereafter? Curious to see where he lands tomorrow.
by Donny Rivette on Jan 6, 2010 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
55 | 27 | 17 | 11 | 65 |
|
Washington
|
56 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
57 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
55 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 54 |
|
Carolina
|
57 | 21 | 25 | 11 | 53 |
(updated 2.13.2012 at 10:29 PM EST)
Eastern Standings
| GP | W-L-OT | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
New York Rangers
|
54 | 36-13-5 | 77 |
|
Boston Bruins
|
53 | 34-17-2 | 70 |
|
Florida Panthers
|
55 | 27-17-11 | 65 |
|
Philadelphia Flyers
|
56 | 31-18-7 | 69 |
|
Pittsburgh Penguins
|
56 | 32-19-5 | 69 |
|
New Jersey Devils
|
55 | 31-20-4 | 66 |
|
Ottawa Senators
|
58 | 28-22-8 | 64 |
|
Toronto Maple Leafs
|
56 | 28-22-6 | 62 |
|
Washington Capitals
|
55 | 28-22-5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg Jets
|
57 | 26-25-6 | 58 |
|
Montreal Canadiens
|
56 | 23-24-9 | 55 |
|
Tampa Bay Lightning
|
55 | 24-25-6 | 54 |
|
New York Islanders
|
55 | 23-24-8 | 54 |
|
Buffalo Sabres
|
55 | 24-25-6 | 54 |
|
Carolina Hurricanes
|
56 | 20-25-11 | 51 |
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
