Maple Leafs and Ducks to meet in the Stanley Cup

Every team in the NHL has now played 36 games so it's time for another of my mid-season playoff previews. That's where I take the standings with every team having the same number of games played and simulate the playoffs based on the season series to this point, which occasionally results in some surprising upsets. I initially did this at 32 games but it was boring as Pittsburgh was so dominant in the East. Now, however, New Jersey has slipped into the 8th spot and they actually lead the season series against the Penguins. That changes everything, as you can see below. ROW is Regulation/Overtime wins, the first tiebreaker when teams are tied in points.

East            Pts     ROW
Pittsburgh      56      26
Boston          52      19
Winnipeg        38      17
Montreal        51      20
Toronto         44      20
Ottawa          44      15
NY Rangers      39      15
New Jersey      39      13

West            Pts     ROW
Chicago         58      22
Anaheim         53      19
Minnesota       44      17
Vancouver       44      15
San Jose        44      13
Los Angeles     43      19
St. Louis       42      17
Detroit         41      16

The playoffs would work like this, with season series records in brackets:

East:
NJ over Pittsburgh (2-1)
NYR over Boston (2-1)
Ottawa over Winnipeg (2-1)
Toronto over Montreal (2-1)

Yes, all four matchups in the East would be won by the lower seed.

Toronto over NJ (1-0)
Ottawa over NYR (3-0)

Toronto over Ottawa (3-1)

The Leafs win the East!

Much less intriguing in the West:
Chicago over Detroit (3-0)
Anaheim over St. Louis (2-0-1)
Minnesota over LA (1-0)
San Jose over Vancouver (3-0)

Chicago over San Jose (3-0)
Anaheim over Minnesota (3-0)

Anaheim over Chicago (3-0)

So Anaheim will take on the Leafs, who fired Brian Burke unceremoniously just before the season started. Burke is now a part-time scout for Anaheim, so if karma plays a part, look for the Ducks to win the Stanley Cup, again beating a team from Ontario.

And if you think this is all bunk, remember that back in 2011, I predicted a Boston-LA final, and those were the teams that won the next two Stanley Cups.

Update: Well, New Jersey has been eliminated, so Pittsburgh takes the East at the 45-game mark, while Chicago takes the West as Anaheim is losing the season series to San Jose at the moment.

Best,

Sean

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Bye-Bye Brian

So the Leafs have fired bombastic GM Brian Burke, ensuring that this season will be the least entertaining in some time. Depending on which sources you read, the firing was due to Burke's failure to make the playoffs during his 4-year tenure, his unwillingness to trade for Roberto Luongo, or a personality conflict with the new owners (I fear the name George Cope may become this decade's equivalent to Harold Ballard).

Whatever the case, there is an air of expectation in Toronto. Although I am self-righteously boycotting the NHL this season, there is always a concern that the Leafs will suddenly become contenders and draw me back in. With Burke's firing seeming to indicate meddling owners though, I think this is more unlikely than it was last week.

Dave Nonis is the new GM and faces the challenge of bringing Toronto another winner. The city is now used to winning championships after the Argos claimed the 100th Grey Cup back in November and Nonis either has to match that (with meddling owners) or be deemed an unqualified failure. Good luck Dave.

Finally, I wanted to mention a story that explains why I will always support Brian Burke. You all know about his work with LGBT causes after the death of his son Brendan, and what I am about to relate is insignificant beside that, but it illustrates how Burke always kept an eye out for the little guy. When my occasional roadtripping buddy Sharpy and I were in Nashville to see the Leafs in January, 2010, we ended up with post-game passes to the basement of the Sommet Center (as Bridgestone Arena was known back then). This allowed us to stand behind a barrier and watch the Leafs walk to their bus. The sight was doubtless pathetic: two middle-aged men in Leaf jerseys waiting for their heroes to pass by. The Leafs had won 4-3 but even then, those players who passed by seemed distracted and did not acknowledge us. Only when Burke emerged did we get some validation; as he walked by he said gruffly, "Thanks for coming, guys.". Just four words that made the entire two-week roadtrip worthwhile, even though the Leafs lost all three games that we saw after that.

For now, Burke is still employed by the Leafs as a consultant, but I'm guessing he is already looking for other options where he can be in charge again. When that happens, I'll send him a message: "So long, Brian, and thanks for coming to Toronto".

Best,

Sean

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Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Edmonton Oilers 3 (OT) - February 15, 2012

It was a quiet ride up Highway 2 as we left Calgary and the horrible memories of that 5-1 loss behind and hoped for better things in Edmonton. Edmonton calls itself the City of Champions, and it ain't bragging when you can back it up, which they do with 5 Stanley Cup titles and 13 Grey Cup championships as well. Yeah, it has been a over 20 years since the last time Lord Stanley's mug was raised here, but until the Leafs win one, I'm not going to criticize. Still, the Oilers are struggling and I was hoping the Leafs could salvage this two-game Alberta excursion with a win.

Rexall Place

Located northeast of downtown in a rather hardscrabble neighbourhood, Rexall Place was opened in 1974, making it the third oldest rink in the league (only the two New York arenas are older). It was originally named the Northlands Coliseum after the non-profit organization that owns the arena, but naming rights have since been sold to Rexall, who runs drugstores in Canada among other interests. There is an LRT stop here, as well as parking lots surrounding the facility. I stayed at the hotel across Wayne Gretzky drive so don't know how much the parking is.

Despite its age, the arena has been renovated on a regular basis and has some of the best atmosphere I've seen in the league, helped no doubt by the thousands of Leaf fans. Before you enter, make sure to check out the Wayne Gretzky statue next to the east entrance.

There is only one row of suites so the second tier is very close to the ice and gives great views. The club level is mostly underneath the first level of seats so it doesn't impact the seating bowl.

We had club seats and spent some time wandering around here, but there isn't much other than an $18 buffet before the game. You can watch the Oilers come out of their dressing room (that's the door below), but that wasn't something I particularly wanted to see.

The main concourse is flush with concessions but there wasn't much outside your typical offerings. I had poutine which was surprisingly good but is now commonplace in western arenas. Perhaps the only unique offering were the perogies as Edmonton boasts a large population of Ukrainian heritage. A Mediterranean burger, which seemed to be a monthly special, was also tempting.

It is easy to walk around the venue, although the concourse does get busy as game time approaches. There is a smaller concourse above the second seating level which is much less crowded, but has fewer concessions as a result.

There is a third seating level which is still reasonably close and there is a small standing area at the very top,but no concourse. Go up here, if only to take some pictures.

One unique touch is the 30-foot high oil derrick that is lowered before the game so the Oilers can skate through it as they enter the ice.

The Oilers have a storied history and the banners to prove it (below). But as I walked around the concourse, I was disappointed that there weren't more displays dedicated to those great teams of the 1980s. There were a few pictures of record-breaking moments, and even pictures of some concert performances, but nothing more impressive. I really think they should do a better job of honouring these players who made Edmonton the City of Champions.

That would be my only complaint though. I really like this place; it maintains an old-school feel without sacrificing the modern amenities. The location is certainly not the best, and there is talk of building a downtown arena to replace Rexall Place, so if you haven't been here yet, try to stop by soon.

The Game

After being spanked in Calgary, Toronto had to come out strong and they did that when Joffrey Lupul scored just 4o seconds in,beating Nikolai Khabibulin (above) on a great give-and-go with Phil Kessel.

Just 58 seconds after that, Matthew Lombardi received a perfect pass from Cody Franson and broke in alone on Khabibulin, deked and slipped the puck through the five-hole to make it 2-0. The Oilers called timeout and responded with their own goal after 54 seconds when goalie James Reimer negated an icing by touching the puck, allowing Edmonton's Lennart Petrell to pass the puck out to Ben Eager (below, beating up Mike Brown0, who had no problem putting in the open net.

Three goals in less than three minutes and it certainly looked like we would be in for a lot of goals, but that was in until midway through the second with Taylor Hall tipped in a pass from Sam Gagner to tie the game. Edmonton dominated the period outshooting the Leafs 13-3, but Remier was strong and kept his team in the game.

In the third, Oiler Ryan Jones dumped the puck over the glass and sheepishly headed to the penalty box, a victim of the dreaded delay of game infraction. The Leafs wasted no time converting when Jake Gardiner blasted a point shot that beat Khabibulin, who appeared to be screened by Ladislav Smid (below).

This set up the countdown. Could the Leafs hold on? The answer, as usual when I am in attendance, was no. With just over 4 minutes to go, Jordan Eberle stole the puck from David Steckel and wristed a perfect shot over Reimer's arm to tie the game.

Fortunately, the Leafs didn't collapse and managed to get it to overtime. The last two Toronto victories I have seen were both in shootouts, so I confidently predicted that the trend would continue, but Toronto was even better. After Dion Phaneuf broke up an Oiler rush, Lupul and Tim Connolly broke down the ice on a 2-on-1. Lupul fed Connolly with a perfect pass and Connolly tipped it in, his first goal in 18 games. Leafs win!! A huge victory to stop a 4-game slide and keep their tenuous grip on that final playoff spot in the east.

This was a great game, end-to-end action, and some fantastic goals. All four Leafs' tallies were right in front of us too, which made things even better. Sitting in the first row of an NHL game when your team wins on the road is an experience that cannot be duplicated in any other sport. This will be one of the greatest memories of my lifetime and will definitely be the highlight of the trip.

Notes

We had the same seats as for the Calgary game, first row in the home team's zone , looking at the face-off circle, goalie on our left. An interesting coincidence that those seats were available at both venues. I doubt I'll ever sit that close again though, it's just too expensive.

Luke Schenn was a healthy scratch for Toronto, leading to more speculation about his future with the club. He's a +8, so yeah, need to get rid of him and keep Komisarek.

I have now seen the Leafs on the road 19 times in 17 NHL venues. Their record is 6-12-1.

Next Up

I'll be visiting family in the small town of Camrose today and checking out an Alberta Junior Hockey League game that evening. It will be a huge difference from these last two nights, but I'll post a small update in a couple of days.

Best,

Sean

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Toronto Maple Leafs 1 at Calgary Flames 5 - February 14, 2012

After a day off to visit some friends here in Calgary, it was time for the first of two Maple Leaf games in Alberta. My friend Sharpy flew in on Monday night to join me for a week, which meant that we needed two tickets. I had been checking TicketMaster regularly but there were no pairs until a couple of days before the game, when two seats were released in the first row in one end zone. The tickets are ridiculously overpriced, but there are times when you have to take the plunge and damn the consequences (such as being left destitute). As you can see from the photos, these were pretty good seats. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the game.

Scotiabank Saddledome

The Saddledome is a unique venue among all sport. The name is no accident, the building is shaped like a saddle and adds a western flavour to the Calgary skyline. It was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral (below), the Flames' home rink for their first three seasons in Calgary, as well as to host hockey and figure skating for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Along with the Flames, the venue hosts the WHL's Hitmen and the NLL's Roughnecks.

The Saddledome is located on the grounds of the Calgary Stampede, one of the world's largest rodeos that is held every July. The easiest way to reach the venue is by using Calgary's LRT system, known as the C-Train. The Victoria Park/Stampede station is linked to the Saddledome via an enclosed pathway with posters for each past Stampede along the walls. It is really interesting to see the changes in the style of these posters over the years.

When you get to the main entrance of the rink, you will see the ticket windows and fan store. If you get there before the gates open, you can have something to eat at Dutton's Canadian Lounge, a sports bar underneath the main entrance; you'll need to have your ticket scanned in and out.

The arena has three levels of seating with the third level being called "Press Level" in an attempt to make it seem like sitting far away is actually cool. To be fair, the first three rows here are reasonable, but as you near the top, the scoreboard is obscured by the sloping roof and you might find yourself watching the game on a couple of large screens rather than the ice. Tickets here were $47 for the game I saw, and much higher for the lower levels.

There is only one concourse which gets rather crowded as game time nears, but with gates opening 90 minutes prior to the game, you can spend about an hour walking around before it gets too busy.

There are a number of displays on the walls commemorating Calgary's hockey history as well as the 1988 Olympic Games; take the time to read them as they are quite interesting.

There were a number of good food options here as well. My choice was the chicken breast wrap from Jugo Juice, reasonably priced at $7 and pleasing to the palate as well. I saw a few other specialty options, including Vietnamese Subs and Noodle Bowls at the Taste of Asia stand. There are also two restaurants above the second seating level on either side: the Saddleroom on the East and the Alumni Lounge on the west. I did see tickets for the Alumni Lounge available on TicketMaster but at $240 they are rather overpriced, even if food is unlimited.

The Flames have several banners on display, including the one commemorating their 1988-89 Stanley Cup championship. As well, Lanny McDonald's #9 and Mike Vernon's #30 have been retired.

Overall, the Saddledome is a great venue that has aged well over nearly 30 years. The staff are very friendly even to us visiting fans and with history on display throughout, it is more than just a hockey rink. I'd like to visit again and see a game that doesn't leave me despondent.

The Game

The Leafs lost 5-1. The difference was Miika Kiprusoff (above, note the retro 3rd jersey), who stopped 41 of 42 shots. It was 2-1 Flames after one, but when Calgary's Paul Byron scored on a penalty shot in the middle frame (below), it made the comeback that much more difficult.

Calgary added two late ones to complete the soul-crushing defeat. Really, do I need to recap the rest of this nightmare? No. Read it here if you wish, I'm going to cry quietly for a while. A few more pictures are below.

Olli Jokinen in the warmup, he scored the second Flames goal

Joffrey Lupul

Phil Kessel and Jarome Iginla (he scored the final goal)

Byron on the faceoff

The Leafs scored off this faceoff when Bozak banged home his own rebound

Tim Connolly

This was the scene I saw the most, Kiprusoff skating out of his net while the Flames fans celebrated a goal. Ugh.

Notes

During the intermissions, the Flames' ice girls clean the glass of any spray that may mar the view. A nice touch. The team also announces when there are three minutes left in the intermission to encourage fans to get back to their seats. Not that the fans needed much encouragement the way their team was playing.

Kiprusoff recorded his 301st career win. He used to compete with Vesa Toskala for the back up position in San Jose. Toronto ended up with Toskala. Sigh.

Next Up

I'm driving to Edmonton for tonight's Leafs-Oilers tilt. Yet again we have first row seats, but I'm so depressed that I don't care. Regardless, check back tomorrow for more on that one.

Best,

Sean

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Maple Leafs in the Winter Classic?

It has been rumoured for a couple of days that the 2013 Winter Classic, to happen a mere 352 days from now, will take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan and feature the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. The venue will be Michigan Stadium, usually home to the University of Michigan's football team. Still, the stadium was used for an outdoor hockey game between the Wolverines and Michigan State in 2010, a game which set the record for most spectators at a hockey game with over 104,000 fans braving the elements. Naturally, when the NHL comes to town, that record will be shattered; estimates are that they will be able to sell 115,000 tickets. Even then, I'm sure demand will far outstrip supply and I'd guess an average price in excess of $300 for this one. Time to start saving!

Doubtless this game will be the centerpiece of a trip to Canada around Christmas. I'll also catch NHL games in Boston, Carolina, and Buffalo, thus completing all 30 active rinks, and if things work out, a few NBA and NFL games as well. Obviously finalized schedules are months away from being released, but I'm already excited. I expect a number of my sports road tripping brethren will make the journey so it will be good fun for all.

Update: Unless of course, the morons who run the league decide to cancel the whole thing. Buh-bye NHL. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Next Up

I've decided to check out a bj League game in Chiba next week as it has been a month since I last saw a live sporting event. The following weekend sees the Asia Ice Hockey League offer a couple of weekend doubleheaders in Tokyo, and I might try to catch one day of action. One week after that is the final weekend of the Top League Rugby season and 4 of of the top 5 teams will be in action at the Chichibunomiya Stadium in central Tokyo, so I'll pay another visit to one of Tokyo's best sporting venues.

Shortly after that, I'm off to my 2012 Prairie trip which sees over two weeks watching hockey in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with two stops in Los Angeles on either end to keep warm. It's going to be a busy month, so check back often for updates.

Best,

Sean

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Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Dallas Stars 3 (SO) - November 25, 2011

Black Friday was anything but for me. Although I did a bit of early shopping, I spent most of the early part of the day touring a couple of attractions in Fort Worth, including a fantastic Caravaggio exhibition at the Kimbell Art Museum.

After that, I headed back to Dallas to enjoy the evening's entertainment: the Leafs taking on the Stars. It would be the 17th time I would witness the Buds on the road, and with a cumulative 4-11-1 record up till now, I was desperately hoping for a victory. As I walked to the American Airlines Center, I was happy to see plenty of other Leaf fans; there were so many of us that the building was sold out for the first time this season.

American Airlines Center

Located on the edge of downtown Dallas in Victory Park, the AAC is home to the defending champion Dallas Mavericks (no banner yet though, thanks to the just-finished lockout) as well as the Stars. It opened in 2001 and is still a great place to watch a top-notch sporting event.

There is plenty of parking around the stadium for $15. I drove around a bit before the game and didn't find any free parking in the immediate vicinity, but since I was staying in a hotel about a mile away, I didn't look very hard. There is also transit available, with DART's Victory station mere steps away from the stadium.

From the outside, the stadium is very impressive. As I drove north on 35E, the AAC majestically appeared on my right. It could be an old train station or airport terminal, and with the naming rights purchased by American, the locals often refer to it as "The Hangar".

There are entrances on each side of the building, but it is the south side that includes AT&T Plaza, which is where various events are held and a large screen shows highlights and other videos both before and after the game (above).

Tickets for hockey are not cheap but not ridiculously overpriced, particularly for the upper deck. I found a seat in third row at the blueline for $45 which was more than reasonable. Considering that lower bowl seats range from $70 to $300, the upper bowl is the better choice. Sightlines from here were perfectly fine.

The two seating levels are separated by the luxury boxes and club seats. The concourses are spacious enough as you can see below.

There are few bells and whistles once inside. On the lower concourse, one atrium has some small model AA airplanes hanging (above), and there is a cool exhibit illustrating just how high Dirk Nowitzki can jump (138") and testing your vertical leap as well (below). There is also the Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Club which offered appetizers and seemed popular with the locals.

The upper concourse is more limited, with the Dr. Pepper Plant (below), a small eatery with a bit of history about the beverage invented in Waco back in 1885.

Food options are plentiful and there are concessions everywhere. I had an Italian sausage from Sheriff Blaylocks which I would recommend, it was piled high with peppers and onions and made for a full meal for the three hours I was there.

The end zones have scoreboards that show other statistics on a continuous basis, something that I really appreciate.

Overall, AAC is an excellent venue for hockey. There isn't a lot of history yet, but they do have plenty of banners celebrating their success, including that one Stanley Cup banner that Buffalo fans refuse to acknowledge. The place is clean, staff are friendly, and the fans were great, even to a visit team supporter like myself. If you haven't been here, put it on your to-see list.

The Game

The Leafs and Stars had both started strongly but had faded of late, with Toronto lying 5th in the East at 12-8-2 while Dallas was 4th in the West at 13-8. This was the third of a 4-game road trip for Toronto, who had thrashed Tampa Bay 7-1 three days earlier behind a suddenly potent power play. The Stars were finishing up a 4-game homestand in which they had won the last two.

Given that the previous day was Thanksgiving, I expected a lethargic start but Dallas jumped out quickly when Eric Nystrom took a pass from Michael Ryder, deked around Phil Kessel and beat Jonas Gustavsson (above) with a low wrist shot to make it 1-0 after just 4 minutes.

In past seasons, I would have expected the Leafs to fold but this team is different and they fought back quickly. Just after the midway mark of the period, Joey Crabb deflected a Dion Phaneuf (above in the warmup) point shot on a play that looked to be offside and then Phaneuf himself added a power play tally 4 minutes later that just got under Kari Lehtonen (below, also in the warmup). The period finished with the teams level in shots at 7, so it wasn't a barnburner by any means.

The second period was highlighted by a fantastic Dallas goal. The puck began behind the Stars net and was moved forward via just four passes, with each player on the ice touching the puck once. It went Grossman to Daley to Benn to Dvorak to Nystrom who tipped the puck past a helpless Gustavsson. I don't like seeing the Leafs scored upon, but in this case, I had to admire the brilliance of the play. It's worth checking the highlight out here.

There were further problems in the second with two Leafs getting knocked out of the game. Both David Steckel and Carl Gunnarson were hit on the hand by shots and had to leave. Coincidentally, I was taking pictures when Gunnarson got dinged, which you can see below.

The third period was tough for Toronto. Down two men and on the road, I was hoping they could hold out for overtime as Dallas completely controlled the play, outshooting Toronto 6-0 in the early going. Only a couple of miracle stops by Gustavsson kept the Leafs in the game. Then against the flow, Tim Connolly threw what appeared to be a blind pass to the front of the net where a streaking Clarke MacArthur tipped it home with 13 minutes to go. The play was reviewed and emphatically called a "good goal".

However, the Leafs were visibly flagging and couldn't stave off the relentless Dallas attack. Eventually Dvorak tied it after the Stars had maintained possession in the Toronto zone for at least a minute. It was obvious that the Leafs were tired and when they drew a stupid penalty with 3:38 to go, I was sure it would be the end. Again though, this squad is different and they managed to kill the penalty and even get a power play in the process. Although that did not yield any goals, it did bring us to the end of regulation and the Leafs had secured a point.

Overtime was scoreless with the Leafs gaining the only two shots to finish the contest down 29-23 in that category. That brought on the shootout, the third in four games for me at a Leafs game. The Leafs had won the previous two, so I was quite hopeful as Gustavsson had been solid all night.

After the first two shooters for each team missed, Joffrey Lupul beat Kari Lehtonen to the short side to give the Leafs the advantage (below, the puck is in the net already).

The Stars' last shooter was Mike Ribeiro, who has a patented move that was highlighted during one of the intermissions. In that move, he turns sideways and brings the puck from his backhand to the forehand, trying to flip it over the netminder. Gustavsson must have seen the video because he was prepared and although the puck dribbled to the line, it didn't go in.

Leafs win! Leafs win! It was the first time I had seen a Leafs road victory by myself, as in the past other fans had joined me. I was a bit sad to not have anyone to high-five with, but the whole trip to Dallas was worth it just to see the scoreboard below.

Notes

The Stanley Cup was in the house as the Stars had it brought to town for a local tournament. It was at Cowboys Stadium the day before and then here, drawing a line of fans who wanted a picture of themselves with Lord Stanley.

After the game, I paid a visit to the nearby Fan Sports Lounge, where I was offered the grand sum of $40 for my vintage #7 Greg Terrion jersey. Needless to say, I refused the offer. Nothing less than $40,000 for those interested.

I flew back on Sunday, missing the Leafs 5-2 win in Anaheim. Three in a row on the road?! Seriously, this team is good and so much more fun to watch than two years ago. Already planning my trip to Alberta in February.

Best,

Sean

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