NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Tuesday March 23, 1999 7:19PM EST
Tuesday March 23, 1999 Leafs acquire Perreault from Kings, Oilers send draft picks to Leafs for defenceman
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired centre Yanic Perreault from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday in exchange for right-winger Jason Podollan and a third-round pick in this year's draft.
The Leafs were looking for a centre after long-term injuries to Alyn McCauley and Igor Korolev.
Perreault, a former Leaf, had 10 goals and 17 assists in 64 games this season.
Podollan has spent most of the season with the AHL's St John's Maple Leafs.
The Edmonton Oilers toughened up their blue-line at the NHL trade deadline Tuesday, picking up defenceman Jason Smith from the Toronto Maple Leafs for two future draft picks.
To land Smith, Edmonton surrendered a '99 fourth-round pick and a 2000 second-round selection.
Smith, 25, had trouble adapting to Toronto coach Pat Quinn's run-and-gun offensive gameplan that requires defencemen to be fast and good with the puck. Edmonton was actively pursuing a rugged defenceman like Smith plays a physical game.
"We've always liked Jason Smith," said Oilers spokesman Bill Tuele. "I don't think it's any secret that he's a big, solid, tough defenceman with some skill.
"He's been an all-star virtually everywhere he has been. He was considered Toronto's best defenceman last year and for whatever reason there were circumstances (in 1999) that he was sitting out.
"And we're darn glad."
Smith's arrival likely means less playing time for veteran defenceman Marty McSorley, who has struggled lately.
The Calgary-born Smith, a strapping six-foot-three, 210-pound defenceman, was selected 18th overall by New Jersey in 1992.
(con't) go to Mar. 23
Tuesday March 23, 1999 Trouble looms if Toronto doesn't fill its holes today
Just in case the Toronto Maple Leafs brain trust wasn't exactly sure what it needs to do before this afternoon's trade deadline, the Philadelphia Flyers spelled it out last night.
The Flyers manhandled the Leafs in the second period to erase a one-goal deficit and roll to a 3-1 victory, exposing some of the Leafs' glaring weaknesses in the process.
The Leafs' injuries are no excuse. Granted, Toronto is missing two of its three centres -- Alyn McCauley and Igor Korolev -- but the Flyers were without Eric Desjardins, the key player on an otherwise highly suspect defence. Furthermore, they lost winger Mark Recchi with a concussion in the second period.
Yet the Leafs were unable to capitalize, even though Mats Sundin showed in the first period that attempts at creativity likely were to be well rewarded. He danced around Karl Dykhuis and snapped the puck into the upper corner before Flyers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck could react.
But none of the Leafs got the message -- if you put pressure on this Philadelphia defence, it will crack.
The Flyers got the message though. By the time the second period rolled around, they were aware their best tactic was to keep the play in the Toronto end.
So they did -- and they made the most of it.
They went to the net with abandon and not a single Toronto defenceman was able to do anything about it, either by matching the power, or by using finesse to take possession -- the latter tactic being the one the Detroit Red Wings used during the 1997 Stanley Cup final.
The Flyers set up camp in Curtis Joseph's territory, prompting Leafs coach Pat Quinn to charge that the Flyers are the worst team in the league for running goalies.
"He said that the last time we won," countered Flyers captain Eric Lindros, a goalie-runner of some renown. "We cycle the puck and we go to the net. We're not a finesse team. We crash the net and that happens."
Acting Flyers coach Craig Ramsay agreed. "We're a big team and when you shoot it and then crash the net looking for rebounds, good things happen," he said.
So that's the first lesson for whoever is making the Leafs trades today. This defence cannot handle power forwards -- and there is no way to make a long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs without encountering a few of them.
And it's not as if the Flyers are a truly dominant team at the moment. General manager Bob Clarke has been shuffling players in and out of town with remarkable regularity, but the team doesn't seem to be improving.
Perhaps this is not surprising. The Tampa Bay Lightning has been the worst team in hockey for three years yet Clarke has managed to acquire a quarter of his team from Tampa.
The other hole the Leafs might try to fill today is the one created by the glaring absence of an elite penalty-killing forward. Two of the Flyers' three goals were on the power play.
Granted, in this case, injuries do provide a bit of an excuse. Both McCauley and Korolev are on the penalty-killing units but, let's face it, even when they were in the lineup the penalty killing wasn't great -- not as bad as last night, certainly, but not great.
While it may be difficult to pick up a physical defenceman who can keep up with the Leafs' high-speed offence, it is not that hard to get penalty killers.
There is, for instance, Rob Zamuner in Tampa Bay. As a veteran, he's available for the right price -- namely a decent young player.
The Leafs are wary about giving up young players, but on the other hand, they did say they would make a serious run at the Cup this season.
They didn't think other teams simply were going to give them the players they wanted, did they?
Good deal
And in Zamuner's case, the Leafs wouldn't simply be renting a free agent who won't be seen again once the playoffs are over.
Zamuner is under contract for two more full seasons and reasonably priced -- $2.1 million US and $2.2 million.
In the playoffs, goaltending and special teams tend to make the difference. The Leafs have the goaltending, but they certainly don't have the special teams.
There are serious holes on the Leafs roster and if they don't get filled today, this team won't be going very far in the playoffs.
Sunday March 21, 1999 Whack attack lands Leafs' Korolev in hospital
The Devils delivered another Toronto player to a long-term stay in the infirmary.
Seventeen days after New Jersey defenceman Sheldon Souray knocked Maple Leafs centre Alyn McCauley unconscious with a rough-house hit into the end boards, Devils forward Bobby Holik broke the left index finger of Igor Korolev.
The speculation is Korolev will miss the next six to eight weeks and was likely to undergo emergency surgery early this morning to repair his damaged hand.
"I can't recall a finger or hand injury that bad in the 10 years I have been with the Leafs," team doctor Michael Clarfield said.
"The finger was badly displaced and he may have to have a plate put in."
Leafs coach Pat Quinn said the Leafs will send a videotape of the incident to the league for review.
"Under the circumstances, we will," Quinn said. "He has a fractured finger and it is dented. It was uncalled for and vicious."
NHL vice-president and chief disciplinarian Colin Campbell was in attendance last night.
Quinn also sent in a videotape of the Souray hit two weeks ago, but no action was taken by the league.
Korolev left for the hospital following the Leafs' impressive 3-1 victory at the Air Canada Centre.
The injury occurred 7:21 into the final period when Holik and Korolev chased a puck into the corner to the left of the Leafs goal. As Korolev got to the puck, Holik whacked the Leafs centre right in front of referee Dan Marouelli.
Marouelli nailed Holik for a five-minute slashing major and an additional 10-minute misconduct.
Holik thought the penalty was too harsh.
"Definitely," Holik said. "It happens all the time. You receive it, you give it.
"He was trying to get control of the puck. I hit him. It happened so quickly."
Maybe Holik, whose Devils saw their four-game win streak come to an end, was displaying some frustration. He hasn't scored in more than a month.
"He is a feisty player," Leafs tough guy Kris King said. "But Holik was swinging his stick pretty good all game. I think he meant to hit his hand. I knew right away Igor wasn't coming back for this game."
With both Korolev and McCauley out for a while, this will put the pressure on Leafs general manager Ken Dryden and associate GM Mike Smith to make a move for a centre before Tuesday's 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline.
Saturday March 20, 1999 Injured Leafs back, Smith might be too
The struggling Maple Leafs will receive a boost from some old faces returning to the lineup tonight against New Jersey at the Air Canada Centre.
Fredrik Modin definitely will be back after he was out of the lineup for 15 games with a broken collar bone.
There is a very good chance Steve Thomas will return after missing three games with a broken toe.
There is a good chance defenceman Jason Smith will be released from the doghouse to play against his former team.
When asked about Smith's possible return, Leafs coach Pat Quinn said, "We might. We should make some changes after the way we have played the past few games. But it is something that will be decided upon (today)."
The cloud over the confusing Smith controversy appears to be lifting.
Quinn told The Toronto Sun on Thursday that he hoped the Leafs don't deal Smith, who requested a trade if the Leafs weren't going to use him.
Since the trade request, Smith has been a healthy scratch for the sixth and seventh consecutive games.
But the defensive defenceman did attend the club's charity casino night on Thursday. Earlier in the week, Smith failed to show up for Tie Domi's celebrity dinner, which caused speculation that Smith no longer was part of the team.
With Modin and Thomas returning, Leafs captain Mats Sundin will be reunited with those linemates for the first time since the Gardens finale on Feb. 13, the night Modin broke his collar bone.
Sundin has just one assist in the three games Thomas has been out.
"I think I'm ready to go," Thomas said yesterday, following his first full-length practice. "But the final decision will be made by the coaches."
It should be an easy decision. After all, without Thomas, who also missed the March 3 game against New Jersey because of back spasms, the Leafs have gone 1-3 this season.
But then again, this is the same coaching staff that has sat Smith for the past seven games.
"I'm not going to win games by myself," Thomas said. "But I certainly will help out."
Thursday March 18, 1999 Leafs, Devils on tube
Hockey Night In Canada plans to hurdle past CBC's labour unrest again on Saturday to bring viewers the Maple Leafs-New Jersey Devils game from the Air Canada Centre.
CBC spokesman Chuck Thompson said yesterday the network will use the international feed of the game provided by the NHL, as the strike by CBC technicians continues.
Bob Cole and Harry Neale, as they have done twice already during the strike, will call the action off a monitor from a remote location, this time in Philadelphia where the crew will remain to call the Detroit-Philadelphia game on Sunday.
FAMILIARITY
Ron MacLean and Don Cherry will be hosts of the Hockey Night show from Philadelphia.
The network plans to use a management team to produce the second half of its Saturday night doubleheader between Vancouver and Edmonton. Chris Cuthbert and Kelly Hrudey will call the action. CBC's Don Wittman will be in St. Louis to provide updates on the Blues-Ottawa Senators game.
All of the plans hinge on the result of a strike vote tomorrow by members of the media guild, which includes several members of the CBC's on-air crew.
"If they vote to strike, there's a chance the whole network could go to black," a TV source said.
Wednesday March 17, 1999 Pressure is on pathetic power play
That standard excuse "If I knew what was wrong I'd fix it" no longer applies to the Maple Leafs power play.
It's ugly, the players know it and they also seem to understand why.
But there is a significant gulf between recognizing a problem and being able to fix it -- and just because defenceman Bryan Berard has joined the group, hasn't guaranteed power-play success.
The club even may be guilty of a "watch Bryan do it" mentality. The Leafs, four years ago, rode down that path with Larry Murphy, who was supposed to provide an instant fix to another woeful Toronto power play.
It didn't happen. Murphy later was traded to Detroit, where he helped the Red Wings win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
"Berard is just one guy," said coach Pat Quinn, whose Leafs face the Boston Bruins tonight at the Air Canada Centre. "We're standing around too much. I've been saying that for four months. We have to figure it out before the playoffs."
Pumping a couple of power-play goals behind the Bruins would be a start. Boston leads the NHL in penalty killing with an 89.1% success rate.
Conversely, the Leafs have scored on just 7% of their power play opportunities over the past dozen games (3-for-42).
Berard yesterday pinpointed several problem areas.
"We have trouble breaking out (of our end) ... and getting set up," the former Islanders defenceman said. "Once we have the faceoff in their zone we're fine, because Mats (Sundin) usually wins the draw."
Yet while the Leafs have been able to mount some fairly sustained pressure after winning faceoffs, they're not finishing.
Berard, for one, is convinced he has to start shooting the puck more.
"I get frustrated a lot when things aren't going too good," he said. "A lot of times I do feel pressure. I'm thinking I have to get the puck to those guys -- Mats or Steve (Thomas) -- and I pass up the shot."
But Berard also admitted that if the Leafs don't crowd the goal more, it won't matter how may times he rifles it from the blue line.
"A lot of times you have a shot, but there's no one in front of the net," he said. "The goalies are too good (in the NHL). You're not going to blow a shot through them."
What worries Quinn even more is that Toronto's lack of aggressiveness in the offensive zone has started to manifest itself in other areas.
"For the past month, we've been standing around too much -- five-on-five, as well," said Quinn, whose Leafs are an unremarkable 10-9-2 since the NHL all-star break.
"We hold the puck too long. The whole basis of our attack is moving the puck to the open guy. When one guy is standing, they're all standing.
"There's no grand scheme. Hockey is played in a transition and transition is about change. When you don't move, you don't get open."
Meanwhile, Toronto's penalty killing has been in a season-long rut, too. It ranks 24th (80.9% success rate) among 27 clubs.
"We're not aggressive enough, we're not assertive," Quinn said of his penalty killers. "We can change (our system) to the old style where you're in a tight box, you let them shoot and hopefully you clear the rebound.
"But in order to be successful at penalty killing, everyone has to play aggressively.
"We just don't seem to get it, yet."
Sunday March 14, 1999 Berezin aims for 50
Someone else might be satisfied leading their club in scoring, but Maple Leafs right winger Sergei Berezin is a lot more ambitious.
Berezin, who has been on a tear since January's all-star break, hopes next season to become just the fourth Leaf to score 50 in a season.
"Why not?" Berezin said before last night's game against the Canadiens. "You have to believe in yourself and, with the type of team we have, it gives you that much more confidence."
While Hall-of-Famers Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald each flirted with 50-goal seasons, only Rick Vaive, Gary Leeman and Dave Andreychuk reached the elusive milestone for the Leafs.
But Berezin, who four years ago scored 49 goals in 45 games with the Cologne Sharks of the German Elite League, figures if the Islanders' Zigmund Palffy can get 50, he can too.
With 12 goals in his past 20 games, Berezin has been on a 49-goals-a-season pace. He leads the Leafs with 27 goals.
"He's the classically trained Russian winger that's the attack guy," coach Pat Quinn said. "He gets the puck and all he can think about is zeroing in on the net.
"The downside is he probably doesn't (pass) the puck enough. He has been involved in a couple of two-on-one situations lately where nothing has happened. You can be too predictable."
Berezin, 27, had registered a team-leading 199 shots on goal before last night's game.
"If I have a chance to shoot, why pass?" Berezin said. "If you shoot there's a better chance to score."
His centre, Igor Korolev, doesn't appear to mind, nor does the unit's resident shift-disturber, Garry Valk.
"That's probably been our most consistent line all year," Quinn said.
Berezin, who last season scored 16 goals despite spending long stretches in ex-coach Mike Murphy's doghouse, said new league rules designed to increase scoring haven't helped him that much.
"It's Pat Quinn. He's the new rule," said Berezin, who also gave credit to Korolev and Curtis Joseph.
"Korolev sees the ice very well and he's an excellent defensive player," Berezin said. "(And) if you know the guy behind you can make the saves, you can be a little more (daring)."
Thursday March 11, 1999 Thomas injured; Smith wants out
The Maple Leafs yesterday were suffering from an affliction millions of Canadians can relate to: Stress.
Their upsetting morning began with news that Steve Thomas had broken a toe in his left foot and would be sidelined from one week to 10 days.
It ended with a disenchanted Jason Smith hinting strongly that he wants to be traded. The defenceman's Calgary-based agent, Art Breeze, was even more direct.
"Jason's a guy who could be a (No.) 2, 3 or 4 defenceman on virtually any team in the league, including the Leafs," Breeze told The Toronto Sun.
"If he doesn't fit into (coach) Pat (Quinn's) plans, it behooves the Leafs to try to do something."
In fact, the Leafs are trying to move the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender as part of a package for a Peter Zezel-type centre.
One of the players they have targeted is gritty Tampa Bay Lightning forward Darcy Tucker, who won 50% of his faceoffs in Tuesday night's 6-1 loss to Toronto.
LEAFS TAKE TIME
But, as everyone knows, the Leafs hate to rush. It took them six months to move Felix Potvin. So, it's unlikely they would be too distraught if a deal wasn't completed by the March 23 deadline.
Of course, to delay in this matter also could have a negative impact in the dressing room where Smith is a popular teammate.
"I know I can play in the league and I want the opportunity," said Smith, who has been a healthy scratch in six of the past eight games.
"I might not be the fanciest player but when I do play, I go out there, work hard and give what I can to the team."
Smith apparently asked the Leafs to trade him after he was pulled from the lineup during the pre-game warmup in St. Louis last week.
Meanwhile, after managing to avoid the injury bug for the first 60 games of the season, Thomas has been shelved for the second time in a week.
Thomas, who ranks second in team scoring to Mats Sundin with 55 points, broke the toe blocking a shot midway through the first period against Tampa.
While he completed the game, x-rays revealed "three chips off the end of my toe," Thomas said.
"Trying to get a skate on it is really the major factor."
Thomas had also been battling back spasms, although he missed only one game.
Todd Warriner, who suffered a mild knee strain last week in St. Louis, is expected to replace Thomas in the lineup tonight against the Islanders.
It's the Leafs' second visit to the Nassau County Coliseum in as many weeks.
They were 4-1 winners on Feb. 25.
"We've been strong any time we've been hit by injuries (in the past)," said Sundin, who is Thomas' linemate. "Hopefully, we can keep playing that way."
Despite the Leafs captain's optimism, Quinn isn't pleased with the way his team has performed recently.
The Leafs are a mediocre 6-6-2 in their past 14 games and 2-3 in the past five.
Their most recent troubles began with a 5-2 loss on March 3 against New Jersey, after leading 2-0 late in the first period.
The following night, Toronto escaped St. Louis with a 4-0 victory, despite getting just nine shots on goal.
After falling 3-1 in Ottawa on Saturday, the Leafs blew another 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers on Monday in New York.
No wonder Quinn was abrupt with reporters before boarding a plane for Long Island.
However, he did try to put a positive spin on Thomas' injury.
"It might be beneficial in that it will give him a week or so to rest," Quinn said of his 35-year-old winger. "Maybe it will pay dividends in the long run."
Tuesday March 9, 1999 Costly Broadway play: Bad acting by Bohonos, ref brings down curtain in OT
The day that began with the Big Apple mourning the loss of the Yankee Clipper ended with the Rangers clipping the Maple Leafs in overtime.
Much to the dismay of Leafs coach Pat Quinn, Rangers centre Petr Nedved's deflected shot from the slot on a power play dribbled past backup goalie Glenn Healy to give New York a 3-2 win with 13.7 seconds remaining in OT last night.
The shot appeared to deflect off either Leafs defenceman Dimitri Yushkevich or Rangers forward Adam Graves.
Quinn was furious with referee Paul Devorski, who called Leafs winger Lonny Bohonos for boarding Rangers defenceman Chris Tamer with 1:53 remaining.
The Leafs coach wasn't so upset with the call on Bohonos as he was with Devorski's non-call on a similar hit by Rangers winger John MacLean on Daniil Markov during the ensuing power play.
Following Nedved's game winner, Quinn kicked a pile of stuff off the bench, then overturned a section of the Leafs bench and gave Devorski an earful as he walked down an adjacent hallway.
"It was not a very good call," Quinn said. "And if they call the one (on Bohonos) they should have called the (hit on Markov)."
The Leafs' run on Broadway during the 1990s has been one sorry act. They now are 0-7 at Madison Square Garden since a 4-1 win on Dec. 19, 1990.
Bohonos also questioned Devorski's call.
"I'm in shock," Bohonos said. "I was just holding (Tamer).
"I thought he fell. Then all of a sudden the referee's hand went up."
Mike Johnson and Derek King set up each other 44 seconds apart in the first period to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead. But blowing leads has been a trend with the Leafs in the new year.
"Of course it is (alarming)," Quinn said.
The Rangers pulled within 2-1 when Kevin Stevens scored on the power play at 14:41 of the first, with Leafs captain Mats Sundin serving a high-sticking double-minor for whacking Nedved in the face.
That was another call that Quinn disputed.
Sundin's stick was being held by Nedved and the Leaf was just trying to shake it loose. But Sundin admitted to being responsible for his stick.
Nedved tied the game 2-2 by deflecting in a Brian Leetch shot at 5:55 of the third period.
The Leafs lost King in the final minute of the third period when the winger injured his left wrist after being hit into the sideboards by Graves, but it wasn't thought to be serious.
"It's an old injury," King said. "It's throbbing a bit, but it's nothing."
The Leafs, 35-23-6 overall and 1-3 in March, dropped seven points behind the first-place Senators in the NHL's Northeast Division as Ottawa dusted the lowly Lightning 9-3 last night.
The Leafs take on Wendel Clark and the Lightning at the Air Canada Centre tonight for their fifth game in seven nights.
The Rangers, who outshot Toronto 35-26, continued their impressive play without Wayne Gretzky. They improved to 5-0-1 since Gretzky went down with a disc protrusion in his neck two weeks ago.
Gretzky was examined again last night and the Rangers learned that his ailment has not improved. He will get a cortisone shot within the next 48 hours and then be re-evaluated one week later.
Healy, now 4-2, turned in another strong effort. He was at his best in the third period, stopping 14 shots.
Tuesday March 9, 1999 Leafs' McCauley riding high again
Alyn McCauley was sick and tired of pedalling a stationary bike last month as he rehabilitated his sprained knee.
But riding the bike the past two days suddenly feels pretty good to the injured Maple Leafs centre.
McCauley was given the go-ahead to begin light workouts on Sunday, four days after he was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion following a hard bodycheck from New Jersey's Sheldon Souray.
"I rode for 30 minutes on Sunday and felt a little dizziness, but (yesterday) was better. It's a good sign," said McCauley, who also suffered hairline fractures in his sinus cavity and cheekbone from the hit. "I'm going at my own pace, but I worked up a bit of a sweat."
There is a chance McCauley could go for a light skate on Friday, but that will depend on a neurological test he will undergo that morning.
McCauley's latest neurological exam showed he is functioning at 85% capacity compared to the results from his baseline test during training camp.
"The headaches and the pain come and go, but it's been explained to me that the muscles in the back of my head are still dealing with the trauma of the injury," McCauley said.
McCauley has seen the hit on videotape and read newspaper accounts of the incident.
"I don't remember anything that happened at the arena," he said. "I don't remember Tie (Domi) and Derek (King) saying things to me. "I was told later that, at the arena, I was asked if I knew where I was and I said: 'New Jersey.' At least, I had the opponent right." Only the next day could McCauley begin to recall details of his scary night, about two hours following the hit when he was still in the hospital. McCauley was upset at reports he suffered as many as five concussions during his junior days with the Ottawa 67's. "My last concussion was more than two years ago," McCauley, who will wear a visor when he returns to action, said. This was his fourth concussion. The young forward believes Souray's hit was not dirty. He also revealed that Souray called him last weekend to apologize. "We went through two (New Jersey) training camps together so I know him," McCauley said. "I wasn't home when he called, but he left a message saying we would talk when the Devils come to Toronto (March 20). "He wasn't even looking at me when he made the hit. My hands were in close to my body, so I had nothing to brace myself. It's hockey and these things happen."
McCauley's road to recovery is a four-stage process. He has to be symptom-free at four different stages -- rest, light workouts, medium workouts and strenuous workouts -- in order to be cleared to begin practising with the Leafs. He currently is in the second stage of light workouts. Meanwhile, left winger Todd Warriner missed his second consecutive game with a knee strain last night. He returned to Toronto for treatment on Sunday and did not accompany the Leafs to New York. Warriner has skated the past two days, but is listed as day-to-day. There is a good chance he will play against Tampa Bay tonight.
Thursday March 4, 1999 McCauley released; out indefinitely
Toronto Maple Leafs centre Alyn McCauley was released from hospital early this morning after suffering a concussion in Wednesday's game against the New Jersey Devils.
McCauley is resting at his Toronto home and is out indefinitely, a Leafs spokesman said today. He will be re-evaluated on Friday.
The Leafs have called up Lonny Bohonos from their AHL affiliate in St. John's, Nfld., for tonight's game in St. Louis.
McCauley was taken from the ice on a stretcher after being checked hard into the boards early in the third period.
McCauley was driven heavily into the end boards by Devils' defenceman Sheldon Souray at the 6:51 mark of the third period. McCauley's left shoulder and head took the full brunt of Souray's hit against the glass next to New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur.
McCauley appeared to lose consciousness and lay motionless on the ice for several minutes. He was attended to by four emergency personnel including Leafs' team doctor Leith Douglas who directed the crew to fit McCauley with a neck brace. McCauley was lifted onto a stretcher and taken along with his fiancee to hospital.
It been a tough season for McCauley, who was playing in just his fourth game after missing 22 with a knee injury.