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HEAD COACH
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Pat Quinn
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ROSTER
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C - Mats Sundin, Darby Hendrickson, Steve Sullivan, Alyn McCauley.
LW - Fredrik Modin, Steve Thomas, Todd Warriner, Derek King, Kris
King, Igor Korolev, Garry Valk. RW - Sergei Berezin, Tie Domi, Mike
Johnson, Adam Mair, Lonny Bohonos. D - Bryan Berard, Sylvain Cote,
Dimitri Yushkevich, Alexander Karpovtsev, Jason Smith, Daniil Markov,
Glen Featherstone, Tomas Kaberle, Yanick Tremblay. G - Curtis
Joseph, Glenn Healy, Francis Larivee, Jeff Reese.
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INJURIES
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Alyn Maculey, Alexander Karpotsev and Glenn Healy all are
desperately hoping to be healthy enough to be in lineup for
last game at MLG 2/13/99.
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TRANSACTIONS
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February 2nd - Dallas Eakins, sent to minors (St. John's, AHL).
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GAME RESULTS
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01/28 at Pittsburgh L 6-0
01/30 Washington W 5-3
02/02 at Tampa Bay W 3-0
02/03 at Florida L 5-2
02/06 at New Jersey W 3-2
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STANDINGS
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Northeast Division GP W L T PTS GF GA
Toronto 51 30 18 3 63 165 149
Ottawa 50 28 15 7 63 148 110
Buffalo 50 24 18 8 56 135 108
Boston 51 21 21 9 51 130 120
Montreal 53 20 25 8 48 120 139
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TEAM NEWS
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by Jonah A. Sigel, Toronto Correspondent
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IF ONLY IT ENDED TODAY
At the beginning of the season any pundit would have claimed that any
improvement on last seasons record would be a struggle. Well, this past week,
the Leafs equaled their win total of last season. In fact, the Leafs are one pace for
a, gulp, 100 point season. When, I ask with all seriousness, was the last
time we could ask that?
The Leafs of '99 seem to be a team that just won’t lose. Sure they will get
thumped one night 6-0 to the Penguins, but then they rebound with two nice
victories, one against the Capitals and the other against the Bolts. Further
evidence of their ability to bounce back is documented as well. First they get stoned at
the hand of Pavel Bure and Sean Burke of the Panthers, yet after being down
2-0 at one point they are able to bounce back and defeat the Devils in New Jersey.
The Leafs of past would somehow beat the teams they shouldn’t on some nights,
and yet manage to blow the games they should win. It is hard to figure this
team out. The media, like many of us fans keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It just doesn’t seem to happen. No matter how bad they may look on a given night,
and it says here there have not been too many stinkers, they bounce back the
next night. There are nights when they show the mistakes of old - horrible outlet
passes, un-timely giveaways, retaliatory penalties etc. - and one starts to think
uh huh, here it comes, the 7 or 8 game slide. Yet then, they bounce back.
The Leafs are also starting to prove quite resilient. Alyn Maculey got
injured at a time he was playing his best. Steve Sullivan and Todd Warriner,
who had been playing both irregularly and poorly that his agent had permission
to shop him, both turned it on big time. Sullivan was the best player on the
ice next to CUJO against the Devils. He played so well that he earned a spot
alongside Sundin. Sergei Berezin who spent a great deal of time in Mike Murphy’s
chateaux bow wow last season has also become quiet an offensive threat. On
the point, Alexander Karpotsev has been most impressive when healthy (about all the
games he has been a Leaf) and Jason Smith’s play seems to have improved with trade
talk surfacing. Brian Berard has been as advertised. His offensive play is
remarkable. His ability to move the puck either up the wall or via a pass on
the breakout is something the Leafs have needed for some time. However he
has made some mistakes on the point as well. Against the Caps, with the Leafs
nursing a comfortable lead, he failed to get the puck deep on a penalty kill, and
instead turned the puck over at the Caps blueline, resulting in a goal. Quinn,
however has been quick to point out that Berard’s deficiencies are no worse
than anyone else’s.
The Leafs are, like other teams entering the stretch, keeping an eye
on the trading deadline and the prospect of swinging a last minute deal for the
playoff rush. Currently so many teams are in the hunt that it is hard to see what they
will do. There have been rumors of a possible play for Fleury by the Leafs.
One can only hope that the ever so patient Smith and Drained have not become
delusional in their success and repeat the mistakes of the past. Recall the
early success in the Fletcher regime. Early success led to a rapid sell off
of young talent and draft picks, resulting in a barren cupboard. The farm system
is still weak but it is improving, the Leafs can’t afford to deal anymore
early draft picks for some time, there simply is not enough talent on the farm yet.
It says here that a deal or two may be made to add some size and that next to
nothing will be dealt away. In the past, the Leafs have traded
the likes of Jamie Maccoun and Larry Murphy for next to nothing, lets hope that
this year Smith too can add a rugged winger or perhaps a physical defenceman
without mortgaging the future.
This Saturday will be the end of the Leafs tenure at Maple Leaf Gardens. A huge
celebration is planned leading up to the first game at The Air Canada Center the
following Saturday. Chicago who was the first team to play in Maple Leaf
Gardens against the Leafs will close out the great building and
Montreal will help open the new one. Look for features and much more after
the big games.
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