Toronto Maple Leafs Are Playing Out the End of Season, Allsports Is Not Excited.

If your following the sport of hockey on the web or any other media you know that with April showers the NHL regular season finishes up and the new playoff season begins. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be on the outside looking in again this year, the 4th year in a row. At least this year was not a surprise, but the kicker is that it is the first time in the history of the franchise that they have missed the playoff’s four straight years.

It must be hard for the players to get up for these games when they’re just playing out the string, I know it is tough to watch on my end.

So for those who care, here is what happened this past week in Leaf land.

Montreal was in town last Saturday night and it was a case of turn about being fare play. A couple of weeks back Toronto went into Montreal and spanked the home side.

Well this time around the Canadians did the spanking by a score of 6-2 and looked like a totally different time than the last time they played. I am sure Bob Gainey is breathing a little easier these days because the Hab’s may have their game together in time for the playoffs.

On a bad note for the Canadians, their top defence pair of Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider were injured in the game. Markov’s injury was caused from a hit by Montreal’s favorite son Mikhail Grabovski. Neither of them were available for the Ottawa last tonight, which they lost.

Markov is gone for about three weeks with a knee injury and it looks like Schneider is gone for the year and will require shoulder surgery. Needless to say they won’t play against New York on Tuesday, April 7th. This could hurt them as they are still not a lock for the playoffs and Tuesday is a big game because the Rangers are neck and neck with them, fighting for a playoff spot.

The Leafs split a home and home series with the Flyer’s last week. Last Wednesday April 1st, Joseph played a good game for the Leafs and Biron was pulled after the 3rd Leafs goal in what eventually was a 3-2 Toronto win.

Then in the rematch Friday in Philly, Joseph came in to replace Gerber after he let in three goals on nine shots and the game was only nine minutes old. Joseph then let in a soft one and the score was 5-0 for the Flyer’s after one period. The score was 6-0 before Toronto rallied slightly to make it 6-3 after two periods.

Gerber came back out to start the 2nd period. The Leafs ended up loosing the game 8-5, but did not mail it in. They made the score respectable when it could have turned into a laugher. Christian Hanson made his Leafs debut, but was uneventful in his first NHL game.

If I am the Flyers, I would be a little nervous with my goal tending going into the playoffs.  Marty Biron has been named as the go to guy for the playoffs, but in the two games against the Leafs he has looked pretty uncomfortable in the net and exhibited some rather poor rebound control. Philly won’t be around long in the playoffs unless Biron can find his game.

The Maple Leafs close out there schedule with a game in New Jersey tonight, followed by Buffalo at home on Wednesday, and finish the season with Ottawa at home.

Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Friday that the hockey club has signed free agent forward Tyler Bozak to a two-year entry level contract.

“No Guts No Glory”

Walt Webb

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