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Four Honored on HHOF Night, Battle of Ontario, Part III

November 12, 2011, 4:56 PM ET [ Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Doug Gilmour, Joe Nieuwendyk and Ed Belfour; three former members of the Maple Leafs, along with defenseman Mark Howe will be honored tonight in the annual Hockey Hall Of Fame Game at the Air Canada Center.

Joe Nieuwendyk’s storied career includes three Stanley Cup victories with Calgary, Dallas and New Jersey, a Calder Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Olympic gold medal, 564 career goals and two 50 goal seasons. His tenure in Toronto lasted only one season, but his contribution was memorable, leading the team with six goals during the 2004 Playoffs.

Ed Belfour’s 19 year career included a Stanley Cup victory with Dallas in 1999, a Calder Trophy and multiple Vezina and Jennings Trophy wins to go along with 484 career victories, 76 shutouts and a goals against average of 2.50. Belfour faced the unenviable task of replacing Curtis Joseph, one of the most popular Maple Leafs in the post-expansion era in 2002. At the age of 37, he provided Toronto with two exceptional seasons between the pipes.

The memories of Doug Gilmour in blue-and-white are nearly all great. After winning his only Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989, he was brought to Toronto by GM Cliff Fletcher in early January, 1992. His performance in 1993 could easily be the best performance we will ever see from a Leaf player in our lifetimes, 127 points (32 goals, 95 assists), 35 playoff points, a Selke Trophy winner and nominated for the Hart Trophy. The following year he led the club to a second consecutive Western Conference Finals, in spite of fighting through injuries for most of the playoffs. Even three years later when he was traded to New Jersey, he brought back three young prospects in Jason Smith, Alyn McCauley and Steve Sullivan that allowed the team to rebuild.

After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002, GM Pat Quinn believed Toronto was only a few key additions away from winning the Stanley Cup. To that end, he traded for San Jose power forward Owen Nolan, stay at home defenseman Glen Wesley from Carolina and to the thrill of Leafs Nation, Gilmour from Montréal for a measly sixth round draft pick.
Unfortunately, his comeback to Toronto lasted two shifts as a collision with Calgary's Dave Lowry tore his ACL and ended his career. Instead of the last memory being glorious, it was bittersweet.

It should be a very special night for four very deserving players.

******
The Maple Leafs face the Ottawa Senators for the third time in the young season tonight. In the previous two match ups, both teams have held serve at home; a 6-5 Leafs victory on October 8 and a 3-2 Senators victory on All Hollow' s Eve.

Toronto(10-5-1) ended their two-game losing streak with a 3-2 shootout victory in St. Louis on Thursday night. Phil Kessel, who leads the NHL with 12 goals scored a power-play goal in the first period and the only shootout goal to earn the Leafs their tenth victory of the season.

The Senators(7-9-1) have been streaky so far, losing five of their first six games, then ripping off six victories in a row to end the month of October and losing all of their five games in November, including a 5-1 loss to the Sabres last night.

Toronto rookie Ben Scrivens, who made 38 saves on Thursday night for his second career victory, will make his second consecutive start. Veteran netminder Craig Anderson, who was pulled after giving up two goals on six shots in Buffalo, will get the start for the Sens.

Mike Komisarek and Joffrey Lupul, who both sustained hand injuries in St. Louis on Thursday, will be in the lineup tonight.

Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, who had missed five games with concussion symptoms after being rocked by Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski, returned to the lineup last night.

Veteran instigator Chris Neil is not expected to play due to an ankle injury.

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