NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Thursday April 1, 1999 10:57AM EST
Wednesday March 31, 1999 Leafs lack playoff experience
When it comes to post-season experience, only the Ottawa Senators have less than the Toronto Maple Leafs among playoff-bound teams.
But Leafs coach Pat Quinn isn't worried.
"We don't have a lot of playoff-experienced players," Quinn told the Toronto Star. "But that doesn't mean that just because you don't have it you don't expect to do something.
"Experience is a great asset, but when you don't have it, what do you do? You don't worry about it."
The Leafs veterans maintain that playoff experience is not something that can be taught on a blackboard or a video or a team meeting. It has to be learned by playing every second night under intense circumstances.
Some, such as goalie Curtis Joseph, elevate their play. Others don't.
"In Edmonton nobody was sure what we had because a lot of guys hadn't been in the playoffs," said Joseph, who almost singlehandedly won two first-round series for the Oilers the last two seasons. "But you find out pretty quick. Some guys played unbelievable and other guys struggled."
Wednesday March 31, 1999 Thoughts of playoffs have Joseph excited
It takes the subject of the playoffs to make a low-key guy such as Curtis Joseph get hyped.
The Maple Leafs are on the verge of qualifying for the post-season for the first time in three years. And that was a hot topic when Leafs goaltender Joseph was featured on the NHL's weekly conference call yesterday, the same day the tentative schedule was posted for this year's Stanley Cup tournament.
"There's a lot of excitement on our team," Joseph said. "We can use the momentum we've built up (a 23-point improvement in the standings over last season) going in. We have a lot of young guys who have not experienced the playoffs before. It's a high-energy time."
The Leafs will start the playoffs either Wednesday, April 21 or the following day, depending on such factors as home-ice advantage, building availability, television and travel. Games are scheduled every second day in the first round.
The Cup final would start June 8 and wrap up June 22 at the latest. The longest the Stanley Cup final has raged was June 24 after the labour-disrupted 1994-95 season.
A new wrinkle in this year's format will see the three division winners protect their high seeds throughout the playoffs. Until the increase from two divisions to three this season, the division winners were re-seeded following the first round.
The previous time the Leafs made the playoffs as members of the Eastern Conference, in 1981, they were on the links by April 11, eliminated in three consecutive games by the New York Islanders.
Friday March 26, 1999 Thomas is a Master-ton
Steve Thomas was taken aback when told he had been voted the Maple Leafs nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
"I just hope it's not the beginning of the end," Thomas said jokingly.
That was either in reference to the award frequently being won by players in their twilight years or to its curse in Toronto, where almost all nominees the past few years found themselves traded within days or weeks.
But Thomas, 35, wasn't going to give it back. The award, named after the late Minnesota North Star, is given to the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
With an assist on Mats Sundin's goal on Wednesday, Thomas now has as many points this year as the 58 he totalled in two disappointing seasons with the New Jersey Devils. The Markham native is accomplishing everything he wanted to in his second coming with the Leafs, the team that signed him as a free agent from the Marlboros in 1984.
He is on the first line and is second in team scoring to Sundin.
"I'm completely honoured," Thomas said of the nomination. "It has been a good fit here."
Thomas knew it would be a good day when he scored a couple of pretty goals on Curtis Joseph in practice and the pain in his broken toe was subsiding. He has played through various injuries this season, including back and hand problems and survived a skate blade slicing his lip.
Meanwhile, Joseph can expect lots of action heading into the playoffs, but insisted he was not disappointed that the decision to play Glenn Healy in goal last night cost him a chance at a third consecutive 70-game season. The best he can do is 69.
"It's not a sticking point, not a number I value," Joseph said. "I would just as soon play 60 or less, as long as they were all quality games."
Wednesday March 24, 1999 Perreault happy to be back in blue
For Yanic Perreault, Peaches and Herb could not have said it any better: Reunited and it feels so good.
The former Maple Leaf was pleased to escape Los Angeles yesterday in a deal that sent him back to Toronto in exchange for farmhand Jason Podollan and a 1999 third-round pick.
"It has been a tough year for the Kings," Perreault said. "We had struggled through a lot of injuries. I wasn't getting the job done offensively.
"It's going to be good for me to get a change. I'm glad to be in Toronto."
Perreault, who turns 28 on April 4, fell out of favour with Kings coach Larry Robinson this season.
The former Quebec junior scoring champ was coming off a career high 28-goal season. He began this season poised to surpass that total by collecting four goals in his first four games. But he has scored just six times in his past 60 games, including a 21-game goalless streak last fall.
As a result, Perreault's ice time was reduced. The past few games he was shifted to left wing.
"They moved me around quite a bit this year," Perreault said.
Initially selected 47th overall in the 1991 entry draft by the late Pierre Dorion, who was the Leafs chief scout, Perreault had trouble cracking the veteran-laden Toronto lineup. He finally played 13 games for then Leafs coach Pat Burns during the 1993-94 season.
Burns, however, had a little use for young players at that time, even though Perreault had three goals and six points during his stint.
On July 11, 1994, the native of Sherbrooke, Que., was dealt to the Kings for a fourth-round pick.
"The situation was a lot different (in Toronto then)," he said. "They had an older team. I was young and they were not willing to be patient."
Perreault, whose biggest knock is his skating, credits then St. John's coach Marc Crawford for developing him into a more complete player.
This season, Perreault has two short-handed goals. But he hasn't killed penalties since Christmas.
Perreault, who has only four games of NHL playoff experience, found out about the trade as he was preparing to step on to the ice for the Kings' practice yesterday morning.
"A trainer came up to me and told me I had a phone call from (Kings general manager) Dave Taylor," he said. "I knew something had happened. I had heard my name a few times this year. I was a little bit surprised to hear it was Toronto."
Tuesday March 23, 1999 Leafs acquire Perreault from Kings, Oilers send draft picks to Leafs for defenceman
(con't from Mar 4-23)
He played sparingly for the Devils from 1993 until February 1997 before being sent to Toronto in the deal that saw the Leafs part with centre Doug Gilmour.
Smith has two goals, 11 assists and 40 penalty minutes in 60 games with Toronto this season.
Edmonton is flush with good puck-handling defenceman -- Roman Hamrlik, Janne Niinimaa and Tom Poti -- leaving Smith to handle the dirty work. The Oilers also obtained promising young defenceman Christian Laflamme and forwards Ethan Moreau and Daniel Clearly from Chicago last weekend.
Tuesday's deal with Toronto caps a busy few days for Edmonton general manager Glen Sather, who also obtained goaltender Tommy Salo from the New York Islanders.