Maple Leafs fans wake up to a Burkie Blast

Toronto Maple Leafs fans went to bed last night with a bitter taste in their mouths after watching their beloved Leafs blow a 3-0 lead against the Vancouver Canucks on Hockey Day in Canada. This morning many started their Sunday as they normally would but what most fans did not expect was to get hit all of a sudden by a Burkie Blast. Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke had seen enough and today many players got the "pink slip", when it was all said and done Burke has sent off six players on the current Leafs roster and taken back four in two separate trades completed today. 

The time to trade Kaberle has come

The time to trade defensemen Tomas Kaberle has come in the Brian Burke era. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their free fall in the NHL and Burke can not sit back and continue to watch this without doing nothing, his ego would not allow it, his passion to win will not allow this and his commitment to right the Leafs ship will not let this happen. 

The Maple Leafs biggest asset is Kaberle, he knows, we know it and Kaberle knows this. Tomas Kaberle has on most nights done his best for this organization, a team he loves, a city he adores. The Leafs general manager knows that Tomas Kaberle has a no movement clause at least until it opens again in the summer but will Burke get as much for Kaberle if he waits for this time? I think not. 

What the Maple Leafs should do at the deadline

The NHL trade line is set for March 3rd 2010 and the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their spiral through the NHL this season. The deadline is closer then many might think with the NHL ready to close shop for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver in three weeks then when it starts up again there is only three days for the deadline. 

This will be Brian Burke's time to put his biggest stamp on the club roster, as the Leafs will have nine unrestricted free agents when the season concludes and four restricted that could be a total of thirteen new faces on the Leafs squad a complete overhaul is not out of the question for this sorry bunch. 

Selecting the NHL All Stars for 2009-10 season

The NHL would be having an All Star game around now if not for the season closing down and heading to the Olympics next month in Vancouver. I have decided to take a look at the teams around the league and select an All Star team for both the Eastern and Western Conferences based on this seasons performances.

The Leafs waddling through their worst month since lockout

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue on their waddling days of January which has been the teams worst month statistically since the lockout, if the team is to succeed in its quest to make the playoffs again then they need to come to grips with one of the coldest months of the year in Canada. 

The team is 1-5-0 so far this month and continue to struggle in their penalty kill and scoring goals in general. Leafs Nation is not impressed and for all the knocks on Phil Kessel who's scoring has dried up, this is more then a one player problem as is always in team sports one player alone does not make or break a teams fortunes, all wheels need to be moving in the same direction.

What is fun about being a Leafs fan right now

The Maple Leafs continue their tail spin away from a post season spot and currently sit nine points back of the eighth and final spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Maple Leaf fans around the globe continue to suffer from various negative emotional feelings in the early weeks of 2010 whether it is anger, rage, fury, sadness or frustration there has been little to be content about as one decade has ended and another has begun. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to struggle to score goals even though they are the league leaders in shots per game, what this tells us is that the Leafs lack finishers, who would have though it? The Leafs have the worst penalty killing unit in the NHL and are close to being the worst of all time, placing your sticks into passing lanes while killing penalties seems to be some sort of artistic form for this bunch, who would have though it?

NHL Awards at the Half Season mark

The NHL season has just passed the halfway point in the season and we at TML Fan Fury have decided to take a look at who deserves to win the NHL Awards at the halfway mark of the season. There have been a few surprises and some things have stay status quo but for the most part this season, after watching numerous games this season this is our call.

Agree or Disagree?

Jack Adams Award (presented to the leagues best coach)

Winner- Joe Sacco (Colorado Avalanche)
Finalists- Dave Tippett (Phoenix Coyotes), Jacques Lemaire (New Jersey Devils)

Frank Selke Trophy (presented to the top defensive forward)

Winner- Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)
Finalists- Rene Bourque (Calgary Flames), Mike Richards (Philadelphia Flyers)

Lady Byng Trophy (given to the league's most gentlemanly player)

Winner- Martin St Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Finalists- Brad Richards (Dallas Stars), Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)

Calder Trophy (given to the rookie judged top in the league)

Winner- John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Finalists- Matt Duchene (Colorado Avalance), Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres)

Norris Trophy (awarded to the top defensemen in the league)

Winner- Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)
Finalists- Duncan Keith (Chicago Black Hawks), Mike Green (Washington Capitals)

Vezina Trophy (presented to the league's top goaltender)

Winner- Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
Finalists- Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils), Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes)

Hart Trophy (awarded to the player judged best in the league)

Winner- Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
Finalists- Marian Gaborik (New York Rangers), Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)

First Team All Star

G- Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
D- Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)
D- Duncan Keith (Chicago Black Hawks)
RW- Marian Gaborik (New York Rangers)
C- Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)
LW- Alexei Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)

Second Team All Star

G- Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)
D- Mike Green (Washington Capitals)
D- Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
RW- Patrick Kane (Chicago Black Hawks)
C- Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)
LW- Dany Heatley (San Jose Sharks)

Maple Leafs turn for Winter Classic and we know where

The Winter Classic has come and gone once again and this time at Fenway Park was another spectacle to watch, there is nothing like watching professional players, playing outdoors in what can come across to us as a game of shinny. 

We can all relate to that growing up and going into our backyards or the local community rink with temperatures below zero, the frost coming out of our mouths as we spend hours every day and week through the winter months, not so much chasing a dream but in love with a game.