Leafs Not Ready To Panic, Despite Two Losses
Posted October 5, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
After dropping their first two games, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t buying into the ominous sports headlines that seem to already suggest another lost season.
“Leafs: Wait ‘Til Next Year”, one local paper boldly blurted on the front page.
Newcomer Jason Blake has been warned about the media that follows, taunts, and often haunts the Leafs, but this time he thinks the worries are unfounded.
“We played great both nights,” said Blake. “Obviously, you don’t come to the rink to play good, you come to the rink to win but, I mean, there’s some positive signs there.
“If we could just capitalize on one of those power plays both nights it’s a whole different ballgame, but would’ve, could’ve should’ve. Let’s just move on.”
They’ll try to do so on Saturday night when they face another classic rival, the Montreal Canadiens.
“We’re not panicking at all,” said Blake. “We’re fine.
New goalie Vesa Toskala made his debut in Ottawa Thursday night and played well despite the loss.
“I felt pretty good,” he said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t get any points out of that game. We deserved at least one point.”
If there’s one thing the Leafs know, it’s that a big win usually erases the bad memories, and Matt Stajan thinks that victory should come on Saturday against the Habs.
“We just have to get a bounce here and there and hopefully our power play can get rolling,” said Stajan, who scored a goal in each loss. “I think our penalty killing has been doing a good job.
“A lot of these games are going to come down to special teams. We’re happy with the work ethic and how our team played for the most part, but we can’t be satisfied. We’re a zero-for-two hockey team. That’s not good enough. We know that. We’re going to go to the rink (Saturday) with everything we have and make sure we get a win.”
