The Maple Leafs eventually lost to the Canadiens 3-1, meaning the first true win of Toronto’s Babcock era will have to wait a little longer. But the effort was better, the product entertaining, and a feeling of hope has replaced one of emptiness.
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There were plenty of blocked shots and the Leafs were certainly playing a better defensive game under Babcock (SSS I know) but the first ended 1-0. You have to make sure you’re reliable on both ends. “You got to win games, that’s the bottom line”. “It’s real simple that way”.
Babcock went on to praise Price. I may have yelled at my television quite a lot, but the Habs won so everything is well in the world. Parenteau’s performance was mediocre, putting up just 22 points in 56 games for the Canadiens. He was on the ice in the game’s final minute when the Leafs pulled the goalie in a failed attempt to tie. Understandably that would be hard to believe after what happened last season, but Babcock is different from Randy Carlyle, and Peter Horachek.
“Personally I think, the first half of the game I wasn’t very strong”, said Bernier.
His biggest area of concern is the offensive zone. In this league, the main thing is to get the shot off quick. Once Vancouver waived him, he flew home so he could prepare to get his vehicle to drive to of the AHL if he wasn’t claimed and wound up sticking around.
James van Riemsdyk had a power-play goal for Toronto early in the second period.
Habs defenceman P.K. Subban appeared to suffer a left leg injury a couple of minutes later when he was boarded by Leo Komarov. Hopefully with a coach that can instill a lot of confidence in his players can do the same for a player that has seen a rapid decline since he broke out with the Calgary Flames years ago. It’s a new wrinkle this year.
“It’s going to take us a while”, Lupul said. “(Brewer) yelled in (assistant) Jim Hiller’s ear and Jim Hiller said we’re challenging. They [the Habs] don’t even know over there that he made huge saves. It’s not like I said I’m going to challenge something. The review was the result of a Maple Leafs challenge. The Leafs carried the play, outshooting Montreal 37-30.
An impression that was rekindled at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays were feted, getting a video tribute and had their own private box.
Not everyone is high on the Montreal Canadiens to start the 2015-16 National Hockey League season. By noon, a few seats were still available. Cup contending teams always have a number one goalie, and if the Leafs want to be successful in the long run they might have to rethink their goalie situation. That notion forwarded by the Montreal bench boss must come as music to the ears of long-suffering Leaf fans, who pretty much had resigned themselves to the rebuild, retool, reload, whatever you want to call the Leafs long-term program. “The great thing work about working with (Detroit Red Wings general manager) Kenny Holland (during Babcock’s tenure as coach of the Red Wings) was we would be together on decisions even if we didn’t always agree”. Dion Phaneuf is the captain and he is one of the steady players left after the changes to the team this offseason.
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“We just started jumping around and hugging each other”, Corrado said. “If you look halfway down the road and halfway down the season, I don’t think that’s fair to anyone”.
