The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to continue their string of success at home with their match against the struggling Vancouver Canucks at Air Canada Center on Saturday. The game is an early 6pm start(due to travel considerations for players, coaches and media to the Olympics in Sochi) and will have a ceremony in recognition of the 1964 Maple Leafs on the 50th anniversary of their Stanley Cup win over the Detroit Red Wings in seven games.
The game could not have two teams going in more different directions, as the Canucks have lost six straight, including the first four games of a five game Eastern road swing and have been passed by Phoenix for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Maple Leafs are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, having ended a three game road losing streak with a 4-1 victory in Tampa Bay on Thursday and have won six games in a row at the ACC.
The Maple Leafs have long struggled against their Western Canadian rivals, having not defeated them since November 2003. The clubs previous meeting was a 4-0 Canucks victory at Rogers Arena on November 2nd, which was the starting point of nearly two months of subpar play by the Maple Leafs.
The game was also notable for the loss of veteran Dave Bolland, who suffered a lacerated ankle tendon after colliding with winger Zack Kassian. Although it was deemed to not be a purposeful incident on the part of Kassian, it will be interesting to see if someone on the Leafs tries to drop the gloves with young Canucks winger.
Injuries are having an impact on Vancouver, as center Henrik Sedin has a painful rib injury and announced earlier in the week that he would not be joining Team Sweden in Sochi.
Forward Mike Santorelli is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery and defensemen Andrew Alberts (concussion), Chris Tanev (hand), Kevin Bieksa (foot) and Yannick Weber (upper body) are also out.
Those in the lineup are also having their share of problems, as Daniel Sedin is pointless in his last eight games and Alexandre Burrows has yet to score a goal in 27 games.
Roberto Luongo, who is expected to be the starting goalie in Team Canada’s opener against Norway on Thursday, will be between the pipes for Vancouver, while Jonathan Bernier will be in goal for Toronto. Bernier is making his sixth straight start and has won his last five games on home ice.
Peter Holland, Trevor Smith and Dave Bolland are all out for Toronto. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle may go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen as he did on Thursday, but will likely have to insert Colton Orr or Jerred Smithson in place of Frazer McLaren, who did not return after taking a shot off of his skate.
*******
Speculation has increased in recent weeks that Vancouver GM Mike Gillis is open to making some major roster moves in hopes of retooling the aging Canucks and avoiding a complete rebuild. The team has begun to show it’s age and might be prepared to trade a number of players who were major contributors to the Stanley Cup bid in 2011.
Doing this may be easier said than done, since most of the Canucks veteran core are protected by no trade or no move clauses. The Sedin twins, who both signed four year, $28 Million contract extensions last November are reported to be the only players safe from this possible purge.
If Gillis does put out feelers that he is open for business at the deadline or over the summer, it is not a stretch to think that Leafs GM Dave Nonis would have interest in a couple of his former players, as he did with former Canuck Mason Raymond.
Ryan Kesler is the big bodied center that the Leafs have been looking for since the departure of Mats Sundin. Although not a top line playmaker, the former Selke Trophy winner is a two-way beast and would be a perfect fit on a Randy Carlyle coached club. Adding the 29-year-old Michigan native would address a weakness up the middle if Dave Bolland decides not to re-sign with the Leafs. The US Olympian is locked in for two more years at $5 Million per season.
Toronto’s other area of need has been a right hand shot defenseman who could play on their top two pairings. The hard hitting Bieksa would fit that description perfectly. The Grimsby, ON native is 32 and is under contract for another two seasons at $4.6 Million per year, but is currently on LTIR with a bruised foot.
Both Kesler and Bieksa played for Carlyle with the Manitoba Moose during the 2004-05 NHL Lockout.
INTERESTED IN TICKETS TO THE GAME???: Get Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets For Any Game At FanXchange.com.
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.*******
For Those on Twitter:
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information
click here.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»