Bleacher Report - Articles by Thayne Hallyburton

2009 NHL Mock Draft: The First Round in Pictures

Thayne Hallyburton — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:53:56 -0400

Thayne Hallyburton's 2009 NHL mock draft 1-30 I take a look at the 2009 NHL Entry draft and break down the first 15 selections of all of the teams. Each team's General Manager is named followed by what I think the team will do and what I think the team should do. The rankings are purely my interpretation of what will Happen Friday night in Montreal and are not a reflection of the overall rankings. For those visit Hockey's Future Boards and TSN.ca. Please read and enjoy as I take you through the first round.

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NASCAR Notes: "Victory Lap" Gone, Pemberton Finds a New Home

Thayne Hallyburton — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:42:29 -0500

—Ten NASCAR Sprint Cup cars, eight thousand horsepower, one million dollars. Trying to stop with slicks on icy roads? Priceless.

The "victory lap" has been going on during the annual New York week of celebration for the past four years. The top 10 in the points standing would all hop in their race cars and drive them around times square, drawing thousands of fans out of their offices to watch.

It was commonplace for NASCAR to receive complaints from people for having them close down the centre of Manhattan and the backlash received, plus the one million dollar price tag to put it on was enough for NASCAR to cancel this year's "victory lap."

This was a neat addition to Champions Week, but is not what made it special. There are still many events planned throughout this week, culminating in the champions banquet Friday night where the top ten will all have a chance to choke during their speeches as bad as Kyle Bush did, just two years ago.

—Ryan Pemberton has been named the new crew chief for Brian Vickers and the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry.

Pemberton, 39, last worked at Michael Waltrip Racing as the crew chief on the No. 44 UPS Toyota Camry. Pemberton’s first victory came in 2004, at Kansas Speedway, as a crew chief for Joe Nemechek.

With Pemberton, Jay Frye and the entire Red Bull team are expecting wins and a run at the 2009 Sprint Cup.

—Jeff Gordon went to Brazil over the weekend to race in a charity go kart race that was organized by Felipe Massa. Gordon failed to finish either of the two races, due to mechanical reasons, after starting in 25th place.

Rubens Barrichello who beat both Massa and Michael Schumacher won the event. This was the fourth edition of the “International Challenge of the Stars.”

“It was all too new for me,” Gordon told the local media. “It was fantastic to see the guys fighting each other for position throughout the races.”

I will be posting the recent NASCAR news bi-weekly throughout the off season and more prominently during the 2009 NASCAR campaign, along with writing other features. Contact me through my profile.

It's Official: Brian Burke Signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Thayne Hallyburton — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:05:57 -0500

Sportsnet is reporting that the that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brian Burke have agreed to terms on a six-year deal, worth in the range of $18 million dollars.

Burke will be given complete autonomy as president and general manager, with a contract that is very close to that of Toronto Raptors President and General Manager Brian Colangelo.

A press conference has been scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

More to come.

What Should NASCAR Be Thankful For?

Thayne Hallyburton — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:03:58 -0500

It is Thanksgiving in the United States today. Everyone is or will be gathered around their respective dinner tables saying thanks to the troops, friends, and family but what are NASCAR and their teams saying thanks for?

Joe Gibbs Racing

They have Joey Logano to be thankful for. Nicknamed "Sliced Bread" by his friends, this kid is the next big thing to come into NASCAR. Logano will be shooting for top 20's early on, but do not be shocked to see the No. 20 Home Depot Camry in its usual place at the front before too long.

Hendrick Motorsports

They have Chad Knaus and full-time primary sponsors for all four cars to be thankful for. Firstly, Knaus is the straw that stirs the drink for NASCAR's three-time champion.

Not to take anything away from Jimmie Johnson, but there is a reason Chad is the first crew chief to win three championships in a row.

Secondly, having a primary sponsor in this economic climate is great, but having all four cars fully funded for 2009 is impressive.

Roush/Fenway Racing

Mike Mittler. Mittler is the man who first gave Carl Edwards a shot in NASCAR truck. Edwards was out of work and hanging around race shops looking for a ride when he gave Mittler his card.

Mittler gave him a call purely to do some testing and went up with his driver, Tony Roper, to see him. Roper was killed shortly thereafter as we all know in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway.

After failed races with another driver, Mittler called Carl, and the rest is history. Without Mittler, Roush would not have their superstar and Edwards would still be slinging dirt in Missouri.

Richard Childress Racing

Austin Dillon. Richard Childress' grandson, is a fantastic shoe and an upcoming star. When you can be thankful for the future of your business and family at the same time it is special.

Richard Childress can be proud of his grandson and rest easy knowing his company is in good hands now and into the future.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

The two former entities can be thankful for each other. Both operations were looking at the possibility of shutting down without one another, so they can be thankful for partnering up with one another.

Stewart Haas Racing

Stewart Haas Racing (SHR) can be thankful for a clean-shaven Tony Stewart. Tony started the season looking like Grizzly Adams, and not a race car dirver who is trying to represent his sponsors well.

With Tony no longer looking like he just survived six weeks in the Alaskan wilderness, SHR announced the addition of new sponsors (Office Depot, Old Spice, Army) and new additions to his organization. Plus, he looks like a sponsorable driver now.

Hall of Fame Racing

Hall of Fame Racing can be thankful for the support they have received over the past few years from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). The help from one of the best organizations in the sport doesn't hurt.

JGR even loaned them Joey Logano for a few races to try and get them into the top 35 and keep their sponsor.

Red Bull Racing

Scott Speed. The newest hothead to enter the sport will bring Red Bull the exposure they desire. Handsome, well spoken and with a temper, Scott Speed will bring the new blood needed into NASCAR.

If he can drive like he says he can, they will also be a contender before too long.

Michael Waltrip Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) is thankful for Toyota. The two-year-old team has received the full, unwavering support from Toyota, even though they have yet to get the kind of results on the track that merit such support. MWR is really thankful for Toyota and the support they have given.

Bill Davis Racing

Tommy Baldwin. One of the last few employees left at the Bill Davis Racing (BDR) Sprint Cup shop has shown the willingness to stick it out, even though the sponsorless team is not even certain if they will be racing next year at the Sprint Cup level.

Baldwin is one of the most respected guys in the Cup and truck garage and could find employment elsewhere, but chose to stick it out at BDR hoping for better days ahead.

Penske Racing

Penske Racing can be thankful for longtime sponsor, Miller Lite. Miller Lite has been with Penske for a long time and is used to winning.

Since Rusty Wallace has left the team, they have won one race which was rain-shortened and won on pit strategy and luck.

It is a wonder that the Miller Lite sponsorship has lasted over the last few seasons, as they have been so used to winning and running at the front.

Wood Brothers Motorsports

Wood Brothers can be thankful for Bill Elliott and his 1988 NASCAR championship. Without Bill, the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford would have found it hard to make races and stay in the hunt for the top 35 in owners points, guaranteeing a spot in the race.

Gillette Racing

Kasey Kahne will be the saving grace of Gillette Racing. Kasey was the person who snagged the Bud sponsorship, not the race team.

Budweiser wanted the perfect face for their product and chose Kasey, and for that, Gillette has Kasey to be thankful for.

Furniture Row Racing

Furniture Row Racing can be thankful for the beautiful Denver scenery. Unfortunately, with the announcement of a reduced schedule for 2009 and the release of Joe Nemecheck, there is very little to thankful for in the Denver-based race shop.

Yates Racing

Both teams raced last year without a full-time primary sponsor for all of the 2008 season. Many races, especially at the beginning of the season, saw the cars show up white, with no businesses on either car.

Along comes Paul Menard with his father's money. Now Yates has a car fully sponsored for 2009 and the race team, thanks to the Menards, is on much more stable footing.

NASCAR

NASCAR is thankful for the fans. In a year where the economy hit just about everyone hard, the fans never quit on the series.

Yes, there were more empty seats than before but, being 90 percent full every weekend, not to mention selling out numerous events, the fans still came and supported their beloved sport.

NASCAR has to thank the fans because without them there are no sponsors, no teams and there is no NASCAR.

The sport had a rough year with the economy going in the dumper and teams having to build fleets of new cars because the "Car of Tomorrow" became the "Car of Today" and was run full-time in 2008.

What 2009 will bring for NASCAR and the teams is unknown, but the fans will come, they showed that this year, and just like every other professional sport, that is the most important thing.

A Look Ahead to the NASCAR Offseason and 2009: The Economy Takes Its Toll

Thayne Hallyburton — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:25:28 -0500

The "Big Three" are in shambles financially, teams are merging and folding, more than 1000 NASCAR-related jobs have been lost in the first week following the end of the 2008 season and teams are searching for sponsors like never before.

The current economic downturn has hit our favourite sport even worse than we might have originally expected. Sponsors are being given spots on cars, by NASCAR teams, for far below market value and have been for the past year, just to get the sponsor exposed to the sport and to get even a little extra money coming in.

In 2008 there were 45 full time teams vying for 43 starting positions, every weekend. This year NASCAR can expect to have races where the maximum amount of spots open will not be filled.

The only good news, as far as teams expanding or starting up, is out of Richard Childress Racing. They are adding a fourth team the No. 33, which will see Clint Bowyer in the driver's seat and will feature General Mills cereals on the hood, who left Petty Enterprises.

Fans may be saying, "hold on! Tony Stewart is starting a team!" This is true he does now own half of a NASCAR team, but the team is neither starting, nor expanding. Stewart is now a partner in Haas CNC Racing, which is now called Stewart-Haas Racing. In 2008 Haas fielded two cars with sponsorship from State Water Heaters.

The team will again field two cars, but the team size, numbers, drivers are all changing. Tony Stewart will run the Office Depot and Old Spice sponsored No. 14 Chevrolet Impala. Joining Stewart will be Ryan Newman in the Army sponsored No. 4 Impala. This team expects to take on 13 more people than they employed in 2008.

That little bit of good news is over-shadowed by all of the downsizing, merging and possible folding that has taken place and will continue to take place over the next little while.

Let's recap:

Dale Earnhardt Incorporated merges with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates to form Chip 'n' Dale racing. Well, it will actually be called Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, but I like the other name better! They are going from a combined car count of seven to just four and currently have just two sponsors signed.
Ray Evernham sells his stake in Gillette-Evernham Motorsports and leaves the sport.
more than 1000 jobs have been lost since Monday November 17, 2008.
Furniture Row Racing releases Joe Nemecheck and Announces reduced schedule for 2009.
BAM Racing ceased operations and released Ken Schrader.
Ford Announce a smaller support package for NASCAR teams and pull out of the Camping World Truck Serie. They will provide technical support to their truck teams.
Dodge completely pulls out of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Bill Davis Racing cut it's entire staff save for a handful of people.
rumors of a GM and Dodge merger.

This all comes just one week into the off season and more bad news is sure to come. The biggest reason for all of this is attributed to the manufacturer side of the sport and how hard it has been hit of late. According to Bloomberg News Service, sales in the United States dropped 32 percent last month alone becoming the lowest monthly total since 1991.

GM sales plunged 45 percent, Ford fell 30 percent and even Toyota slid 23 percent. Chrysler LLC was down 35 percent.

If you adjust for population growth, it's the worst sales month in the post-World War II era'' for the industry, Mike DiGiovanni, GM's chief sales analyst, said on a conference call with investors and the media. "Clearly we're in a dire situation."

With only two extra full time cars in 2008 and the already confirmed loss of five full time teams, (DEI-two, Ganassi-one,Furniture Row-one, Bill Davis-one) and more surely to follow, it is unrealistic to think that all 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup races next year will have full fields.

*The opinions expressed here are solely of the author's*

Sharks-Flames: Time to Turn Up the Heat

Thayne Hallyburton — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:42:53 -0400

The San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames resume their series Thursday night and are tied 2 games a piece.

This series was the pre-playoff pick for the best first round match up and is not disappointing thus far.

Both teams feel like they should be up 3 games to 1 at this point as they have each had leads collapse on them.

In game 3 the Sharks built a quick 3-0 lead and chased Flames goalie Mikka Kiprusoff from the Calgary goal. The Flames then went to work, crawling back into the game and in the last few minutes of the third period, Toronto Maple Leaf castoff, Owen Nolan scored the go-ahead goal to give the Flames the win.

In game 4 the Flames took a 2-1 lead into the final 6 minutes, only to see it collapse. Joe Thornton scored with just under 7 seconds remaining on a neat deflection in front of the net to give the Sharks the win and knot the series at 2 games a piece.

This sets the stage for Thursday night as the two teams head back to the shark tank in California for game 5 of the 7 game series.

Thornton seems to have finally woken up and Jerome Iginla is looking to be in top form in the series.

Thursday night will be important for Kiprusoff who has looked human the last two games and will need to find his 2004 form when he lead the Flames to game 7 of the Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning where they lost.

The Sharks will look to get Cheechoo and Marleau going. Cheechoo was bumped off the first line for game 4 and early reports have him remaining there for game 5.

Pat Marleau and Ryan Clowe have been workhorses thus far for the Sharks while the Flames top players have been Iginla and Phaneuf.

Watch the game tonight on CBC in Canada and VERSUS in the United States.

My Prediction: Calgary wins 3-1

2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Living Up to Hype

Thayne Hallyburton — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:27:14 -0400

Although Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has yet to win a points-paying race in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, he has accomplished what was expected of him.

Hendrick Motorsports has admittedly struggled thus far this season, and they have been working diligently to find out why and how to get back on track.

Last season, Hendrick Motorsports took home 18 wins in the 36 races on the Sprint Cup schedule, but are still without a win in seven races this season.

Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are the four drivers making up the most talented stable of drivers in the series. No one at the start of the season would have pegged them to be winless this far into the Sprint Cup schedule.

Listening to NASCAR radio driver channels this past weekend, and a few before it, you would routinely hear Earnhardt, Jr. cursing his race car and the way it was handling.

This past weekend in Texas, he radioed to his crew chief, Tony Eury, Jr.

"This car is *bleeping* terrible,” Earnhardt, Jr. said. “I can barely hang onto it. Just do something and get me a top ten car.”

All year, conversations have been going on like this, and still he continually drives the car into the top 10. It currently sits fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings.

Last year many said teammates Johnson and Gordon were better drivers than Earnhardt, but they currently sit sixth and 14th in the points respectively.

Earnhardt has out-performed his teammates all year.

The car quality is out of his control, but any questions about his driving ability have all been silenced.

NHL Playoff Preview: Round One

Thayne Hallyburton — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:18:53 -0400

The 2008 National Hockey League playoffs will kick off Wednesday night with 8 teams taking to the ice.

This is the time of year that the players play for the love of the game. There are no more pay cheques coming, only a gruelling two-month test of attrition, commitment and ability.

A few of us Bleacher Report regular hockey contributors are engaging in a friendly competition. In each of the four rounds we will write a story revealing our picks, including the amount of games it will take our picks to win the series in. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the playoffs.

The playoff match-ups breakdown like so:

Eastern Conference

Montreal vs. Boston

A match-up of two original six teams and one of the oldest rivalries in sport will be renewed.

In goal, the two teams are even, with Carey Price, the rookie, in net for the Habs and Tim Thomas in goal for the Bruins. The defensive edge has to be given to Boston as Zdeno Chara is a beast and will see 30+ minutes a night.

Up front the edge easily goes to the Habs as Kovalev, Koivu and Higgins will carry the offensive load. The Bruins will get Patrice Bergeron back, but his condition and effectiveness is questionable at best. He has been out for too long to come back and be productive.

Season Series: 8-0 Montreal

Prediction: Montreal wins in 5 games.

Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa

This series will feature a pair of teams with scoring to burn, but big question marks in goal. The Senators will be without offensive juggernaut, Daniel Alfredsson and defensive specialist, Mike Fischer.

Pittsburgh will have more than enough offensive fire power in Marian Hossa, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to take down the Sens in the first round. Marc-Andre Fleury will be between the Penguin's pipes and if his play down the stretch is any indication, he will be fine. If Fleury were to falter, Ty Conklin has had an impressive season and is ready to step in.

Season Series: 3-1 Senators.

Prediction: Pittsburgh in 6 games

Washington vs. Philadelphia

Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals rode an impressive streak from the hiring of head coach Bruce Boudreau up until the playoffs seizing home ice advantage and a playoff spot from the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Caps have the edge in goal-tending, offence and defence over the Philadelphia Flyers and with the roll they are on, this will be a very tough team to stop. Mike Richards will have his hands full with Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin and the rest of a fiery Capitals team. Cristobal Huet is a great addition to this team and the tandem of Huet and Kolzig will be very good.

Season Series: 2-2.

Prediction: Capitals in 6 games.

New Jersey vs. New York Rangers

The New Jersey Devils have a rookie head coach, play the most boring hockey in the NHL and have a very one-dimensional offense, but, they also have the best goalie to ever play the game in Martin Brodeur.

The Rangers are getting hot at the right time and Jaromir Jagr decided to start trying with 6 weeks to go. These are both great signs heading into the playoffs. The Rangers also boast one of the top goaltenders in the Eastern conference in Henrik Lundqvist.

In the end, the Rangers just have too much firepower and will overcome the Devils and Brodeur in a long series.

Season Series: 7-1 Rangers.

Prediction: Rangers in 6 games.

Western Conference

Detroit Vs. Nashville

This, on paper, is the easiest series to call. Nashville does not have the goal-tending, offense or defense that Detroit has; but don't tell them that.

Nashville have been the team on the outside looking in on most of predictions for this year's playoffs but managed to sneak in on the heels of superb goal-tending by Chris Mason and Dan Ellis and play by Jason Arnott, JP Dumont and Alex Radulov.

Detroit should still easily handle Nashville, but Datsyuk and Zetterberg have to be better than they have been in past playoffs.

Season Series: 5-3 Red Wings.

Prediction: Detroit in 4 games.

San Jose vs. Calgary

This series has all the makings of being as good, or better than the previous ones between these two teams in the past. San Jose have been on fire since the trade deadline acquisition on Brian Campbell and Calgary has been far from it down the stretch, going 5-5 in their last 10 games.

Mikka Kiprusoff has been average this year, but we all remember the run he put together when the Flames went to the finals in 2004. He is still a great goalie and will look to regain that form.

Jarome Iginla will be his usual amazing self and Dion Phaneuf should be the modern-day Scott Stevens. The 7 vs. 2 series lends itself well to upsets and with the usual folding of Pat Marleau and Jon Cheechoo, the Flames should come out on top.

Season Series: 3-1 Flames.

Prediction: Flames in 7 games.

Minnesota vs. Colorado

The Wild find themselves in a peculiar place this year; ahead of the Colorado Avalanche in the standings. The Avs at one point were almost out of the race altogether, but played great down the stretch to get in.

The Wild play a suffocating defensive style of play and it takes speed to break that. The Avs have that speed in the young guys and captain Joe Sakic is still capable of turning the jets on.

The Wild may have home ice, but look for the same result, an Avalanche win--4 of them to be exact.

Season Series: 5-3 Wild.

Prediction: Avalanche in 6 games.

Anaheim vs. Dallas

Last year's Stanley Cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks boast the best defense corps in the NHL and a great, young offensive corps. Goal-tending in this series is interesting. J.S. Giguere is always a playoff juggernaut, but Dallas net-minder, Marty Turco is known as a choker in the post season.

Look for Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider and Francois Beauchemin to take control of the series. Todd Bertuzzi will crash the net at will and Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will provide the offense. The Ducks should easily move on.

Season Series: 5-3 Stars.

Prediction: Ducks in 5 games.

There are great match-ups in both conferences this year, even making this Toronto Maple Leaf fan interested.

I look forward to beating my fellow scribes in the inaugural Bleacher Report NHL playoff showdown.

The other competitors previews:

Derek Harmsworth

Danielle Marchell

Bryan Thiel---CLICK HERE

Moving Forward: What's Ahead for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Thayne Hallyburton — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:48:21 -0400

With the impending fire sale that Maple Leaf's General Manager Cliff Fletcher says is on the way, now is the time to look at the Toronto Maple Leaf's options moving forward.

Coaching

Up first on the agenda is the decision about what to do with current Maple Leafs' coach, Paul Maurice.

Maurice is the youngest coach in the National Hockey League and already has a Stanley Cup final appearance to his name from his time spent as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

He is well equipped to handle a young inexperienced team that is also lacking in talent, and next year's squad looks to be headed that way. Maurice should be kept as head coach and given an extension.

Goaltending

In goal, Vesa Toskala, has shown that he has what it takes to be a top goalie in the NHL and really solidify the position for years to come.

Andrew Raycroft was this year's backup and saw very limited action in the Leaf net. He is on the books for $2 million next year, which is a hefty price for a backup goaltender.

Next year the Maple Leafs should resign Scott Clemenson for $800 thousand for one year and give him 20 starts.

Defense

The defensive corps will see some retooling as Anton Stralman has cemented his spot in next year's lineup. Pavel Kubina, who had a stellar last quarter of the season, should be on his way out; his trade value will never be higher.

A defensive blue-chip prospect and a top pick are not out of the question. Kubina has a six-week window in his no-trade clause starting on draft day because the Leafs were not able to make the playoffs.

Bryan McCabe has a no-trade clause, and there is talk of him possibly willing to waive it to go back to the New York Islanders. The Leafs would have to take on salary back in this deal for it to go through.

The value that McCabe has at $5.75 million is a lot better than anything coming back, and with Kubina gone that salary is easier to take.

Look for:

Kaberle-McCabe
Colaiacovo-White
Stalman- FA(Bryce Salvador)

The Free Agent cupboards are rather bare on defense this year, but the Leafs will need to go that avenue to fill a hole. My pick would be Bryce Salvador. He will sign at a cap-friendly price and would fit in nicely in the 5-6 whole.

Forwards

The forward corps will have a drastically different look come next September. Sundin will come back because he will not want his last game to be played on the injured list. Signing for $6 million would be a fair price for Mats.

Tlusty and Williams have won a spot on next year's roster and will be joined by Nikolai Kulemin.

The big areas of change are going to be with the veterans. Darcy Tucker should be kept. You will not be able to dump the salary, and anything Toronto gets back in return will be a huge downgrade. Jason Blake still has value and can be dealt, but will be traded for next to nothing.

The big shocker will be the Leafs having to decide to trade either Matt Stajan or Alex Steen. Steen would be the one to try and keep.

They are both No. 2 centers, but will never be No. 1 centers. Neither will replace Sundin when he goes, so trading one now for a good pick in this year's draft is key. We have no need for both and after the last few games their value has never been so high.

Resigning Dominic Moore is a must as he will fill the No. 3 centre role well. Kyle Wellwood should be getting another shot, but it will be his last. Mark Bell should be dealt if possible; if not, buy him out.

The lineup should look like this:

Ponikarovski-Sundin-Antropov
Tucker-Steen-Tlusty
Kulemin-Moore-Williams
Devereaux-Newburry-Wellwood

The key here depends on who comes back in trades. Free agents are not needed; it is time to let the kids have their shot.

The 2008-09 version of the Toronto Maple Leafs will look different than this version but it is important to have a youth movement in Leaf Land.

Total cap hit: $37.833 million

Sabres-Maple Leafs: Buffalo Downs Toronto in Shootout

Thayne Hallyburton — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:33:36 -0400

Johnny Pohl?

How can you let Johnny Pohl shoot in the shootout?

Paul Maurice blew the game for the home side tonight in front of 18,000 strong at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

The game was tied 3-3 and the game and season was on the line for the Buffalo Sabres, who had to win Tuesday night to dodge elimination from the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Maxim Afinogenov had the game on his stick and delivered, when he deked the Toronto Maple Leaf goaltender, Andrew Raycroft, out and slid the puck home on his forehand.

This great play by Afinogenov was preceded by perhaps the worst coaching call I have seen Paul Maurice make in his tenure with the Maple Leafs. Maurice elected to send out call up and defensive specialist, Johnny Pohl to take a penalty shot for Toronto.

Needless to say, Pohl missed, allowing Afinogenov the opportunity to win the game.

The game was dominated by the Buffalo Sabres as they out-shot the home side 41-22. Andrew Raycroft was the reason the score was as close as it was, as he made great save after great save to keep his team in the game.

The Leaf's took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission after goals scored in both the first and last minute of the period by Darcy Tucker and Tomas Kaberle respectively.

Derek Roy would get the Sabres back to within one goal on a goal 4:22 into the second frame.

The teams went into the second intermission with Toronto leading 2-1.

The Sabres came out firing with their season on the line and tied it up on a goal by Steve Bernier 9:48 into the third frame.

That was short-lived however as Alex Steen potted the go-ahead goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs at 12:03 of the third.

The Sabres, with their season in the balance, would tie the game up thanks to Thomas Vanek, on the powerplay at 14:39 of the third period.

The teams would remain deadlocked through the overtime frame, winning it in the shootout on a Maxim Afinogenov goal.

Buffalo will play its two remaining games on the road, Thursday night in Montreal and Saturday night in Boston, while Toronto has meaningless games against Ottawa on Thursday night and in Montreal on Saturday night to round out their schedule.

Toronto Maple Leafs: It's Over

Thayne Hallyburton — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:39:19 -0400

Those two words say it all.

Phil Kessel and the Boston Bruins ended all the Maple Leafs fans hopes Tuesday night with a 6-2 romp of our beloved blue and white.

I was not even in attendance and could hear the collective sobs of 'Leaf's Nation'.

Did we think we had a realistic shot at post season play? No, not really. But we sure hoped the Toronto Maple Leafs could find a way in.

It's been 4 seasons, 286 straight games, including the lockout year, where playoff-starved Toronto Maple Leafs fans have not been able to see their boys play in the playoffs.

Four season's without a single glimmer of hope that we may actually hold a parade in June, welcoming Lord Stanley's Cup to Toronto, where all Leaf fans think it belongs.

Running the table the last 9 games is unheard of, unless you are the San Jose Sharks.

It was an impossible task that the Maple Leafs had to perform, but we all be-leafed in our boys.

No Mats Sundin, no Nik Antropov, no Carlo Colaiacovo, no problem...how ignorant of us.

Then again, we are Toronto Maple Leaf fans.

Toronto Maple Leafs Still Have a Shot at the Playoffs

Thayne Hallyburton — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:52:46 -0400

Somehow the Toronto Maple Leafs keep finding ways to win.

Pavel Kubina, a player the Leafs had attempted to cast off, scored goals in both games against Philadelphia. He has continued to play very well since then.

Now Matt Stajan and Alex Steen have turned into Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov by taking the team on their collective backs and carrying them towards the postseason.

Plain and simple, in order to make the playoffs the Leafs have to run the table the rest of the way.

Their chances of making the playoffs are around five percent, meaning they are not good. But as the New York Giants have taught us, anything is possible.

Vesa Toskala is going to have to stand on his head the rest of the way. Mats Sundin is going to have to become the "six billion dollar man" by healing quickly in the next few days. And Paul Maurice is going to have to become Scotty Bowman overnight.

But hey, anything can happen, right?

An Alternative to NASCAR's Top 35 Rule

Thayne Hallyburton — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:41:04 -0400

NASCAR's biggest mistake of the new era, and there have not been many, has been the inseption of the top 35 rule. Any time the subject is brought up on NASCAR Sirius radio the phone lines light up like a Christmas tree. But how can it be changed to be more fan and competitor friendly?

Firstly, I do like the idea of having the big guys have a spot in every race. This si to keep the majority of the fans happy as most NASCAR fans are fans of the top 10 drivers int he sport.

NASCAR can’t have Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt JR. miss any races. Ratings go down when one of the two miss the "chase", (the last ten races where the top 12 in points have their points wiped out and start from scratch, the winner of those ten races wins the NASCAR championship. It is like NASCAR’s version of the playoffs) imagine what kind of uproar would happen if one of them were not competing in an event at all.

The following is my solution to the mess that NASCAR has created with the 'top 35 rule'.

1: top 20 in drivers points are guaranteed a spot in that weekends NASCAR Sprint cup race.

2:One provisional per win in the previous 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

3: Use drivers points only to decide the top 20

4: qualify the go or go homer’s before the top 20 in case of rain. If it rains after the qualifying of the go or go homers is done, line them up in the order of their qualifying from 21^st on back. Treat the two sets of qualifiers as separate sessions if rain is threatening.

5: add a 5-point bonus to the top finishing driver outside of the top 20 just like the lead lap bonus and the most laps led bonus.

Positives to my system:

With only allowing driver's points to count, this will eliminate the switching of points between cars, letting cars originally outside the top 35, take the points of a car inside the top 35, thus letting them into the race without having to get in through qualifying.

Past champions provisionals are ridiculous as racing is a what have you done for me lately kind of sport. Having Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte in the race is great as it is a throw back to the old school days, but if they deserve to be racing in NASCAR's premier series then they should have to qualify in on time to prove it. If they can't go race in the old school racing series with the rest of the legends of yesteryear.

Having the top 20 rule still gives safety to the biggest names in NASCAR. This is necessary because, even though I do believe everyone should have to qualify in on time, what would happen to NASCAR if Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., or Jimmie Johnson miss a race? NASCAR would lose a lot of fans really quick. People pay the outrageous admission prices to see the top guys race.

Qualifying all of the go or go home racers (guys not in the top 20) first, before the guys locked into the race is the smart thing to do because in case of rain, NASCAR can get their session in before the rains hit and not worry about the other 20 drivers. On Sunday, start the top twenty, 1 through 20 and then as the other cars qualified put them in 21 through 43.

Finally, the advantage to giving a 5 point bonus to the best-finishing car outside the top 20 will give more focus on the driver in that position from a media perspective and will help them get into the top 20 a little faster.

Negatives to my system:

The rain can still affect the system, but hopefully with them going first it will eliminate this factor as much as possible.

This system could hurt the racing as a whole because less teams will be able to spend Friday’s practice sessions concentrating on race setups only, but it may create tighter racing further in the pack.

If only we could get FOX or ESPN to show these battles, but that is another topic.

You need to make sure that the big guys, with the big sponsors are in the race, then have the rest of the field need to qualify on time into the race, to keep the fans happy.

If NASCAR makes a change like this it will make qualifying worth watching again, create a more fair qualifying system and will keep NASCAR's middle of the road teams honest.

Leafs Win; Still 6 Points Out of Playoffs

Thayne Hallyburton — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:29:19 -0400

The Toronto Maple Leafs left Long Island, New York Tuesday night after taking two points from the New York Islanders.

Toronto did it on the back of Pavel Kubina, who has been the horse the Maple Leafs thought they were paying for two summers ago, since the deadline.

Kubina scored his third game-winning goal in the last four games for Toronto, becoming a fantasy hockey dream.

Wellwood also scored in the third period to start the comeback for Toronto who have all but been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

It was a solid effort tonight by the blue and white who played without their two best offensive players in captain Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov.

The bad news on the night was that the Philadelphia Flyers, who currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot also won, keeping the six point gap between the Leafs and the Flyers that was there when the night started.

Anyone hoping that there is still a chance that the Leafs will make the playoffs need only to look at Saturday night's game and know that there are better teams ahead of them trying to get into that eighth spot as well.

Toronto coach, Paul Maurice, is coaching for his job here down the stretch and is throwing everything he can at trying to make the playoffs.

Andrew Raycroft hasn't seen the ice since January and will not see the ice again until the Leafs are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Whether the Leafs make the post-season or not, Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher, still says that he will be dismantling this team over the summer and rebuilding it which is welcome news to most Maple Leafs fans.

Toronto for all intents and purposes is done like dinner. Just don't tell Paul Maurice.

To Switch or Not to Switch: That is the Question

Thayne Hallyburton — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:47:45 -0400

Kyle Petty finds himself having to qualify on time next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

This is a task that is almost impossible, seeing as he has been at the bottom of the standings and the speed charts in the first five Sprint Cup races of the 2008 season.

Petty currently sits 40th in the standings and only the top 35 in owner points are guaranteed spots in the race each weekend.

Sometimes the fight for the 35th points position is as thrilling as the battle for the lead.

The dilemma Petty is facing is whether or not to swap drivers and put veteran Bobby Labonte in Petty's No. 45 car and have Petty drive the Cheerios sponsored No. 43 car that Labonte has positioned 18th in the Sprint Cup standings.

Labonte should have little problems getting the No. 45 into the race at any track, especially a short track like Martinsville, where the series is headed to next.

Petty enterprises have already said that they will not be switching drivers because of their contract with General Mills cereals, the main sponsor on the No. 43 car.

The morality of such a thing is questionable at best. There should have to be a real reason for a driver switch, either injury or the firing of the driver. Other than those two reasons, owner points should not be allowed to be carried over.

At the start of the season Kurt Busch gave Sam Hornish Jr. his owners points from the previous season, guaranteeing Hornish a spot in each of the first five races, as he already had his champions provisional (which allows former champions a free pass into six races a year) to fall back on. Ironically he needed to exercise this at the first race of the year, the Daytona 500, where he crashed out of qualifying and needed it to get a spot in the race.

Swapping owner points is one of the few things that I hate about NASCAR. I even dislike the top 35 rule, but I will save that for another article.

To swap points in the middle of the season is not only unfair to the other 50-plus drivers and teams competing in the series but is also a nightmare for sponsors who have millions invested in advertising campaigns using the driver's name in their adds.

If Petty were to take over Labonte's ride, even for two races or however long it takes to get the #45 into a top 35 position, General Mills' add campaigns and merchandise, for that matter, would be worthless.

In the end it is dishonorable for Petty Enterprises or any other team to make such a move and honor is what this sport was built on from the beginning.

Leafs-Sabres Preview: Loser Is Done

Thayne Hallyburton — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:46:12 -0400

A grave will be dug Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, but the team who will lay in it will not be chosen until sixty minutes is up.

It's unrealistic to think that the Toronto Maple Leafs have a hope to make the playoffs, but it is not mathematically impossible, so we will continue to have faith, but with the sabres at 75 points and the Leafs at 74, the loser is pretty much eliminated from the playoff picture.

The Leafs, who have been very hot of late, will take on a Sabres squad who is young and rides the play of goaltender and team leader, Ryan Miller. As Miller goes, so go the Sabres.

Look for the Maple Leafs to get as many shots on net while going to the net with authority early in Saturday's contest, trying to get the Sabres netminder off his game.

The Leafs, on the other hand, will depend on their goaltender to keep up his superb play and keep the sabres off the scoreboard as much as possible.

This game can be won 2-1 or 5-4 as these two teams can both put the puck in the net, but both goaltenders have the ability to shut any team in the National hockey League down.

For the Leafs, they may be without captian Mats sundin, who has been sidelined since Wednesday nights game with a groin strain. Sundin is treating this as a playoff game and will go if he can play at even 60%.

If he is kept out of the lineup it will show how bad the injury really is.

Toronto will have to bring its 'A-game' and play their cycling/forechecking/speed game to shut down the lightning quick and explosive Sabres squad.

Buckle up, because this has all the makings for a great game!

Dale Jarrett's Last Hurrah

Thayne Hallyburton — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:44:37 -0400

We all knew this day would come, as it comes for all major athletes in sports.

The day Gretzky retired he had this enormous ovation in New York and it took him 45 minutes to undress out of his gear. Who can forget Michael Jordan's press conference not once, not twice, but three times and of course the recent announcement that football great Brett Favre has called it quits in a tear-filled press conference.

Unfortunately the NASCAR community did not get the chance to give Dale Earnhardt his proper send off but now they get a chance to do it to one of the true greats, Dale Jarrett. A second generation driver who dazzled NASCAR fans for 24 years at the sport's highest level.

Jarrett, in his prime, was one of the best the sport had to offer, even winning a points championship in 1999. Perhaps, his most incredible feat was winning a race, each year consecutively, for eleven straight years.

DJ, all together, took 32 checkered flags, three of them were the crown jewel of the series, the Daytona 500, ranking him 20th on the all time wins list in NASCAR's top series.

Dale's last victory was in 2005 at Talladega and since then he has struggled to even make races, but this year he has had an average finish of 28th through the first four races.

Dale will turn the #44 over to David Reuttiman after the Food City 500 at Bristol this weekend and in doing so will be ending his illustrious career.

Dale's last ride will come in the #44, Michael Waltrip Racing, UPS sponsored, Toyota.

But I will always remember him as the guy that wanted to race the truck.

MLB: Home to Good Clean Fun—No, Really!

Thayne Hallyburton — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:26:18 -0400

This is the first year that I have not had legitimate concerns that an MLB all star is doping going into a new season and I have been a hardcore baseball fan since 1996.

It looks like Barry Bonds will be in jail sooner or later, rather than patrolling left field for any Major League Baseball teams and Roger Clemens will never step foot on a mound again.

Do I think these men broke any rules?

Simply put, no, they did not. When they used steroids, there was no ban in place because baseball, without admitting as much, wanted to have their players juicing so they could hit the ball 500 plus feet.

They had an unfair advantage over the other major leaguers who did not use performance enhancing drugs and that, in my opinion, really elevates the stats of guys like Alex Rodriguez.

It is just a nice feeling to head into an MLB season without that large cloud overhead, distracting sports fans from what really matters—the baseball that is played on the fields, not in the courts or elsewhere.

I don't want a reason to believe that my boys of summer are gaining an unfair advantage over fellow players.

There will still be suspicions as long as there is media, which, from what I hear will be a long time.

Jose Canseco is making millions off the topic by writing books and pointing fingers at fellow players. To be honest, I doubt Jose wrote a thing, as he is not the sharpest tool in the shed.

There will always be the Greg Zauns of the world who are relative no-namers but will use steroids to try and improve his positioning on the totem pole, but he will never see all star consideration...

I can live with these types of guys using because there are some in every sport, but the big names, the heroes, the guys kids look up to—they should not be involved in these conversations.

And for once, it's nice and quiet!

All I hear is that man dressed in blue yelling "Play ball!" to start another exciting season of Major League Baseball.

Maple Leafs-Flyers: Toronto Loses Sundin but Wins in Philadelphia

Thayne Hallyburton — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:39:52 -0400

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3 to 2 Wednesday night at the Wachovia Centre in Philadelphia, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Toronto is now just five points behind Philadelphia for the final playoff spot and have only ten games remaining to the Flyers eleven. The Leafs are still in control of their own destiny however, because if they keep winning, the rest will take care of itself.

Iain White, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Pavel Kubina were the goal scorers for the buds, while Jeff Carter and Mike Knuble replied for the Flyers who move to 16-14-6 on home ice this season. The Philly faithful also serenaded their team with 'boos' on their way off the ice.

Toronto, 9-3-1 in their last ten, has a couple days off and will face the Buffalo Sabres, another team they are chasing in the standings, at home on Saturday, before embarking on a three game road trip which should either eliminate the Leafs all together or put them right back into the race for eighth.

The Good

Leafs nation and Cliff Fletcher may have had their minds changed on the Pavel Kubina situation after the performances he put on, in the home and home series against the Flyers as he potted three goals, two being game winners.

The veteran defender was blatantly targeted at the post-trade deadline press conference by Cliff Fletcher for going back on his word.

Fletcher was under the impression that Kubina was waiving his no trade clause and had him all but on a pane to San Jose when he found out that Kubina had chosen to exercise his right to stay in Toronto. Since then Fletcher and Leafs Nation have been looking to throw the blue-liner under the proverbial bus.

Oh how things change in forty-eight hours.

The Bad

Toronto Maple Leafs coach, Paul Maurice, sent out arguably the teams' two worst defensive forwards in Kyle Wellwood and Jiri Tlusty onto the ice with 1:40 remaining in the third period.

This was a questionable move and it almost cost the blue and white as a Wellwood give-away nearly ended up in Toronto's net.

I would not want to be Paul Maurice at the post-game press conference had that give-away ended up in the back of the Leafs' goal.

The Ugly

Toronto captain Mats Sundin went down with a muscle strain in the first period of Wednesday night's game and did not return.

The Toronto captain was on a nine game point streak and was pivotal in the clubs record over those games. We will have to wait and see how much hockey, if any, Sundin will miss down the stretch.

If it is bad, this might just be the dagger through the heart of the Leafs' playoff run.

Let's not forget last year though, when the Leafs went on the improbable run over the last 20 games without Sundin recording a single goal.

Let's hope the Leaf captain can come back sooner rather than later and lead the Leafs to the post season.

Sign of the Times: Dan Cleary Gets Five-Year Deal from Detroit Red Wings

Thayne Hallyburton — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:06:13 -0400

Dan Cleary was invited by the Detroit Red Wings three years ago during training camp for an open tryout. No contract, little hope of making the team.

Now three years later, the 29-year old is the beneficiary of hard work and a goal-scoring touch once thought to be gone.

Cleary has had back-to-back twenty goal seasons and this year he was injured February 9 in Toronto.

After the fifty-seven games that Cleary has played this year, he has already matched last years points totals with twenty goals and twenty assists.

He is a great character player and a fine penalty killer, but worthy of a five year contract?

I was even dead set against the Darcy Tucker deal this past summer and Cleary is the same exact player with an extra two years on his deal.

Character players are a dime a dozen and in the salary cap age, tying up money for five years on a not-so- perennial twenty goal scorer is never a good business move. Look where it got the Leafs this year.

The deal is a $14 million contract over five years with a cap hit of $2.8 million per year. Just like Tucker's contract, Cleary also got a no-trade clause but it lasts only part of the contract, expiring after the first three-and-a-half years.

Detroit will regret this decision in the next couple of years when Cleary goes back to his five goals and twelve assists per year like before. Players always feel comfortable when protected by a no-trade clause and a large contract. Comfort leads to sub par performances.

Just ask the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toyota's spending creating unfair advantage in NASCAR?

Thayne Hallyburton — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:39:24 -0400

Toyota has brought about a lot of change in the NASCAR garages. Just ask Jack Rousch.

"They've spent maybe more money and spent it in areas that other teams haven't, and with that they've gotten the result that you might get from working harder and expending more resources," Roush said. "There is a limit to what you can reasonably afford to spend, given the traditional level of sponsorship and the traditional level of support that comes from the manufacturers, and the traditional level of support that comes from the decal sponsors on the car."

"If Toyota is upsetting that, if they're spending more money, which I'm given to believe they are, then they've got an advantage. But it's not unfair, because if we wanted to spend or could spend that much money, we could do the same thing," explained Roush.

This is where I disagree with Jack Roush. It is an unfair advantage, as they have more money than anyone to spend. I think Roush is not being candid enough here because he knows there is no one in the garage that can spend money like Toyota. Heck, he probably has more money in his bank account than his manufacturer (Ford) does.

Gone are the single car teams with small sponsors. It takes major money, a major sponsor, or both to compete in NASCAR's upper echelon. Big name team owners such as Jack Roush and Ray Evernham had to look for outside partners to keep paying the bills.

For Rousch it was the Fenway group who own the Boston Red Sox and for Evernham it was George Gillette who also owns the Montreal Canadians and perenial European Football powerhouses, Arsenal.

The power that Toyota is putting out has been attributed to the amount of money that they have spent of late on engine development. Claims of more than a 20 horsepower advantage are out there. I think the number is probably around 8-12 horsepower, otherwise Toyota would be killing everyone, but that is a substantial number.

This past weekend's Kyle Busch Toyota-powered win, has brought the argument of whether or not Toyota is good for the sport to the forefront.

With America's economic downswing and major sponsors being harder and harder to find, the future for NASCAR is not as bright as it once was. Toyota is just adding to this financial pressure, so much so, that former Winston cup champion owners, Moirgan McClure Motorsports, who used to field the most feared cars in the sport have had to close their doors.

This is just one of many names.

Other teams are seeking mergers to keep their heads above water. Rousch and Robert Yates Racing have joined forces in the motor department and GINN Racing basically folded and molded into Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, but it was called a merger at the time.

In the end, Toyota's spending will do nothing but hurt the sport that has become America's real pastime.