Sport-scan daily brief

Carlyle said such a crackdown was “news to me”, while Raymond said he’s used that move for years without censure from the league and only busted it Saturday because he thought an Eastern Conference goalie such as Craig Anderson would not be wise to him.

Mason, with Bolland on the wing and Troy Bodie on the right side, was an effective line. Bolland and Kadri once again rotated between second- and third-line duty at centre.

“Mason has world-class feet and world-class skills,” Carlyle said. “I coached against a lot of games when I was in Anaheim and have a leg up on watching him. With Bolland, in my previous job with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, (Chicago coach) Joel Quenneville always chose to have Bolland or Jonathan Toews match up against them. So a little light goes on and you remember those things, the respect Dave earned from Joel and those two Stanley Cups.”

The Leafs overcame the home opener curse of the Sens, who had beaten them five straight times at the ACC, twice in extra time.

With almost 80 shots in regulation and overtime, the Leafs finally got some timely power play goals when foiled at even strength and are now 11-for-12 so far when down a man.

In the morning, Carlyle was asked about all those projected lineup jottings he made on napkins at summer barbeques, now crumpled up and tossed because of early-season injuries and other unforseen events.

Such plans rarely survive to October he said as he surveyed a lineup that included unknowns Spencer Abbott and Jamie Devane. Abbott was a late replacement for Nikolai Kulemin (fractured ankle) and Devane in for Carter Ashton in case there was a yen for fighting.

Reimer’s stellar record of 8-1-1 against the Sens dissolved, including two goals in a terrible 15-second span of the middle period. Bernier likely gets the start Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche.

How that one rolls is anyone’s guess.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.06.2013

719858 Toronto Maple Leafs

Ankle takes out Leafs' Kulemin

By Ian Shantz ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 07:19 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, October 05, 2013 07:27 PM EDT

TORONTO - Already missing off-season acquisition David Clarkson to a 10-game suspension, the Maple Leafs' depth up front took another hit when it was revealed Saturday following the morning skate that top-six forward Nikolai Kulemin will be on the shelf for at least two weeks because of an ankle injury.

According to head coach Randy Carlyle, Kulemin, who didn't take part in the game-day skate Saturday, suffered a chipped bone in his ankle Friday when he was hit by a puck during practice.

"It's just a small bone broken in the ankle," the coach said before adding, "To say it's not a significant injury would be incorrect."

To fill the hole Saturday prior to the home opener against the Senators, the Leafs summoned forward Spencer Abbott from the Marlies to go along with towering winger Jamie Devane, who was recalled a day earlier.

Abbott, an undrafted 25-year-old Hamilton native with exactly zero NHL games on his resume prior to Saturday, appears to be in the big club's plans for the duration of Kulemin's recovery.

"We needed a player who is going to come in and play higher in our lineup than what we have here," Caryle said.

Abbott, who played his junior-aged hockey with the University of Maine program, is thrilled to oblige.

"I wasn't really expecting it," the 5-foot-9, 170-pound forward said. "I've had to fight for everything I've got in hockey. It's taken awhile, but I'm finally here."

Abbott had 13 goals and 33 points in 55 games with the Marlies last season.

Devane, a 22-year-old Mississauga native, had two goals and 41 penalty minutes in 22 games with the Marlies last season.

RIELLY RILED UP

Blue-chip prospect Morgan Rielly, who made his NHL debut on the Leafs' blue line on Saturday, was asked prior to the game about any comparisons he draws between his junior team in Moose Jaw, Sask., and his current team in Toronto.

"In Moose Jaw, everybody knows you," the 19-year-old said. "But it's not quite on this scale."

That seems like a fair assessment considering 3,506 fans packed into Mosaic Place on Friday to see Rielly's Warriors beat the Red Deer Rebels. Following Saturday's morning skate, it might have felt like 3,000 reporters were in the Leafs dressing room.

"It's a huge pro hockey town. It's obviously a big change."

MAC COMES BACK

Returning for the first time to the place he called home for two seasons, former Maple Leafs winger Clarke MacArthur was well-prepared for life on the other side of the Battle of Ontario on Saturday.

"We used to have battles with these guys when I was with Toronto," said MacArthur, who signed as a free agent with the Senators in the summer. "It was my choice to come to Ottawa and have to come back and face the music. I'm looking forward to that."

MacArthur, who started his career with the Sabres before joining the Leafs, started his revenge tour off well on Friday, setting up the game-winning goal for his Senators in Buffalo.

DION'S A GOOD SLEEPER

In a recently published ESPN poll, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf was voted the most overrated player in the NHL by his peers. It's not the first time a poll has shed an undesirable light on the defenceman.

If it bugs Phaneuf, he hides it well.

"To be completely honest with you, I don't lose too much sleep over it," Phaneuf said when the topic was brought up Saturday following the game-day skate. "It's an anonymous poll and I don't pay too much attention to it."

LOOSE LEAFS

Phil Kessel has more goals (21, entering play Saturday) and points (39) against the Senators than against any other team in his career. Ditto for Nazem Kadri, who has six goals and eight points against the Sens ... Saturday was the 96th home opener in Leafs history. The team came into the game 44-33-15-3 over that span, including a 0-3-0-2 record in home openers against the Sens.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.06.2013

719859 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs coach Carlyle and Gardiner need to get on the same page

By Steve Simmons ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 06:16 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, October 05, 2013 06:19 PM EDT

TORONTO - Of all the challenges Randy Carlyle faces as coach of the Maple Leafs, none may be more difficult than finding a common ground between coach and the immensely talented defenceman, Jake Gardiner.

In a way, it is like having a race horse who needs to be tamed and disciplined.

But without breaking spirit along the way.

An NHL scout, who watched the Leafs first two games in Montreal and Philadelphia called Gardiner’s play erratic through the pre-season and start of the regular season. In the report he filed to his team, he referred to his style of play as “shinny.”

The challenge is both for Carlyle and Gardiner and the trust that needs to be built between them.

Carlyle has to believe in Gardiner to give him more freedom and thus more ice time. Gardiner has to think the game better and adapt more to what the coaching staff wants of him. All this being reminiscent of a great Harry Neale line: “He has to play better to play more or he has to play more to play better.”

It is an unintentional tug of war, but one that needs to be settled for both parties to eventually succeed. The Leafs don’t want to waste Gardiner’s gifts, but there has to be some give and take here.

And if it all works out, the big winner in the end is the hockey club. But there is doubt whether it can work out.

THIS AND THAT

The smartest thing the Leafs could do during the season: Signing Cody Franson long term. He sure looks like a player on the rise ... Quick question: Name the past three cities to host the NBA all-star game? Next question: Name the MVPs of the past three all-star games? That’s how important the NBA all-star game is in the big picture ... PS: What did hosting the MLB all-star game do for Toronto in 1991? If you don’t remember, you’re not alone ... I’m certain that MLSE wouldn’t have housed the NBA all-star game if not for the $500,000 kicked in by the Ontario government. That’s bottom-roster player money for MLSE but it does make them look terrible here, doesn’t it? ... My three stars Thursday night in Philadelphia: 1. Jonathan Bernier; 2. David Bolland. 3. Carlyle. The coach had a masterful night behind the bench, manipulating his lineup, winning matchups on the road, something he doesn’t get enough credit for being able to pull off ... Welcome to the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Eakins. That 4-2 lead ended up as a 5-4 defeat on opening night. Old Oilers habits don’t die easily ... There is a tension around the Philadelphia Flyers that belies the early schedule. When they lost their home opener to the Leafs in a game they had no business losing, there was a sense around their dressing room and management staff that there is already deep concern about this group.

HEAR AND THERE

Leo Cahill, who has moved from Sarnia to Atlanta, won’t make his way to Toronto later this month to be inducted in the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. His health prevents him from travelling. He still isn’t in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and may never be, which remains a great injustice ... Is there anything more boring than the daily conversations that have already begun: Will he get suspended? Will there be a hearing? Will there be a phone call? Ahhhhhhh ... The $10 million Phil Kessel will be paid next season is the highest single-season salary in Leafs history. The previous high: Mats Sundin at $9 million. Kessel’s salary-cap hit comes in at $8 million beginning next season ... For those who keep track of such important matters, Kessel will be paid $40,650 per period next season. If he plays all 82 games, that is ... The day after the frightening George Parros incident in Montreal, the NHL sent out a memo to teams asking them to de-emphasize fighting on their arena scoreboards. The tone of the memo: Let’s try and tone things down, people ... The Blue Jays can’t play but they sure can broadcast. Buck Martinez is doing post-season colour on television, Dirk Hayhust is doing studio and Mark DeRosa, who has a long post-season history as a player, is doing panel work.

SCENE AND HEARD

Years ago, when Robert Baker surrounded me — along with other receivers in the Argos locker room — in an attempt to intimidate, one of the Argos PR people whispered in my ear afterwards that he was the wrong person to pick a fight with. I took the advice. “He’s the kind of guy who could be carrying a gun at any time,” an Argos voice told me then. Not surprised this week to learn that Baker, who had previously done time in prison, stands to spend considerable time in jail after pleading guilty to trafficking heroin and gun charges in Georgia ... Some thing never change: Mike Komisarek was a healthy scratch in his first game with the Carolina Hurricanes ... Two words to describe Patrick Roy as of Saturday afternoon: Undefeated and unapologetic. Roy is in Toronto on Tuesday night with the Avalanche ... Bolland will get his Stanley Cup ring in two weeks when the Leafs play the Blackhawks in Chicago ... Ex-Leaf Mike Kostka made his debut with the Hawks on Saturday night, taking the place of Michal Rozsival. Rozsival isn’t hurt, but Hawks wants to see what Kostka can add while at the same time limiting Rozsival’s playing time ... Reason No. 4,538 why believing in backup quarterbacks as starters is dangerous business: Matt Flynn. For reason No. 4,537 see Kevin Kolb ... A question for Scott Milanovich: Why do the Argos have so many lousy first halves? Why aren’t they ready to play at the beginning of games? ... As things turned out, maybe the Buffalo Bills should have kept quarterback Tarvaris Jackson after giving him a $500,000 signing bonus in the winter before letting him go?

AND ANOTHER THING

If you watched Thursday night’s football game in a bar, without sound, you would have had difficulty identifying who made the terrific Cleveland punt returns. The reason: Travis Benjamin’s hair is so long and bushy it covers up the name on the back of his jersey. Normally, I could care less how long anyone’s hair is. But in this case, a scissors might have been appropriate ... Maybe it’s an optical illusion, but doesn’t it look like the inside receivers in the CFL are just a tiny bit offside on almost every play? ... Strange start to the post-season with baseball scores like 12-2, 9-1, 7-1, 6-1, 6-2. And in between a close game or three ... Will Ricky Romero ever pitch for the Blue Jays again? My bet is no ... Why are the owners of sporting teams always referred to as Mr. As is Mr. Illitch or Mr. Steinbrenner. The commissioner isn’t Mr. Selig or Mr. Bettman. The general managers and players are called by their names. But it’s always Mr. Kraft or Mr. Wilson ... Happy birthday yesterday to Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy. Happy birthday today to Bruno Sammartino (78), Nazem Kadri (23), Pokey Reddick (49), Darren Oliver (43), Daniel Briere (36), Kenny Jonsson (39) and Tony Dungy (58) ... And hey, whatever became of Homer Bush?

PAN AMS A WASTE OF MONEY

What if they held the Toronto International Film Festival next September and not a single star showed up? Not an actor you’d heard of? Not a director or producer of consequence?

Would you go to see movies you weren’t sure about, acted and directed by those you weren’t familiar with?

And if that was the case, what would happen to one of the great Toronto events on the calendar?

TIFF would become the Pan-American Games, a hugely expensive, taxpayer-funded, basically unwanted event, demanded really by no one. And as we’ve found out this week — and will continue to find out for the next two years — the spending historically on these kind of events borders on the out of control.

The Pan-Am Games is a 100-metre race without Usain Bolt, a swim meet without Michael Phelps, a triathlon without Simon Whitfield. A sporting festival without recognizable sporting stars.

STEVIE Y NO HYPOCRITE

I don’t believe Steve Yzerman is being hypocritical regarding his view on fighting in the National Hockey League. I believe he is being progressive in his thinking.

It isn’t at all uncommon for former athletes to view their jobs and their professions differently upon retirement than they did when they played. Ask most athletes about coaches when they played for them and then ask them again years later and the answers will in now be similar.

That isn’t hypocritical of them: It’s growing up, finding perspective, seeing there is more than one side to any story.

When Yzerman calls for change regarding fighting in hockey, he is not slighting the late Bob Probert or forgetting where he came from and was made available to him with the Detroit Red Wings. He is looking at the game, through a different prism, at a more advanced age, but as general manager of Tampa Bay as one of the game’s caretakers. In this case, he and Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford should be listened to, if only to get meaningful discussion going on the place of fighting in hockey and where the game goes from here.

AINGE NO FAN OF WIGGINS

Without mentioning Andrew Wiggins, Boston general manager Danny Ainge made it clear that he doesn’t believe the Canadian will be the next great star in the NBA. In fact, he went out of his way, without naming Wiggins (which he isn’t allowed) to distance himself from the apparent No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

“If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was out there to change your franchise forever, or Tim Duncan was going to change your franchise for 15 years? That might be a different story,” Ainge said when asked about tanking the season, which appears to be the Celtics strategy. “I don’t see that player out there.”

Ainge is right about one thing, but it may not be Wiggins. He is right about the difficulty of tanking. And a lot of that depends on the year. His Celtics could end up with the worst record in the NBA and because of the lottery system, still not end up with first pick.

That way you’ve tossed the season away and the first pick. There are NBA people, though, whose view on Wiggins is different than Ainge’s. He may not be a big man a la Abdul-Jabbar or Duncan, but there are those who see him as a franchise-changer. It will be intersting to see what happens should Boston wind up with first pick next June: Wonder what Ainge will say then?

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.06.2013

719860 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs' blue line looks bright

By Steve Buffery ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 10:22 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, October 05, 2013 10:26 PM EDT

Dave Poulin, the Maple Leafs VP of hockey operations, was approached at the MasterCard Centre this week and asked about some of the talented young defencemen in the Leafs system.

“You’ve got two with the Leafs in Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly,” he was told. “And guys like Stuart Percy and Jesse Blacker with the Marlies.”

“Keep going,” Poulin interjected. “There’s Andrew MacWilliam, Petter Granberg, Matt Finn ... and two that you don’t know (as much) about as well, Viktor Loov and Tom Nilsson in Sweden.”

The fact is, the Leafs have more quality young defencemen — many with tremendous offensive upside — in their system than they’ve had in years. In Toronto’s opener against their Battle of Ontario rivals Ottawa on Saturday night, Leafs fans got to see two of the more advanced youngsters, Gardiner and Rielly, both of whom have a chance to become special players in the NHL.Rielly got off to a shaky start (was a minus-3 against the Senators) mostly because the sub-par play of his partner, the normally steady Cody Franson. But it’s obvious that he has an exceptional skill-set.

“You can never have enough defencemen. Ever,” said Poulin. “(Leafs pro scout) Mike Penny told me that my first year working with the Marlies. It seems they’re always the most sought-after commodity.”

How the Leafs came to stockpile so much blueline talent is simple. If there was a quality D-man on the board when it was Toronto’s turn to draft, they were delighted to oblige. As it was, Poulin said the best player available in recent years when it was Toronto’s time to pick was a defenceman. And with quality scouting, the Leafs are drenched in young blueline talent. Of the players mentioned above, only Gardiner is older than 22 and wasn’t drafted by the Leafs (acquired in the Francois Beauchemin trade from Anaheim).

“Not a conscious decision (to go after defencemen), best player available,” Poulin added. “But from a stand point of the puck-moving part of it, there has been a focus on that as the game has become really mobile. (Director of amateur scouting) Dave Morrison’s group has done a great job of identifying puck-moving guys. You’ve got to be able to move the puck.”

Poulin said at the end of the day, no matter how much talent players like Rielly and Gardiner possess, if they don’t learn how to look after their own end of the ice, they won’t spend much time in the NHL. That’s the challenge. Poulin said none of the young D-men will be rushed and all will have to learn to be responsible defensively. Rielly may end up back in junior when Mark Fraser returns from injury. As of now, Granberg, MacWilliam, Blacker and Percy are with the Marlies. Finn is back with the Guelph Storm of the OHL while Loov and Nilsson are both playing in Sweden. The Leafs also have a couple of quality D-men in the their mid-20s with the Marlies in T.J. Brennan, who scored a hat trick in the Marlies’ opener Saturday, and Korbinian Holzer. Pretty well all their young D-men have good size and though many were late picks, all have been developing nicely. Nilsson, for instance, was picked 100th overall in 2011 but was considered the best defenceman on a quality Swedish team at the 2013 world juniors.

“From a development stage of it, there’s not a definitive time limit on these guys,” said Poulin. “MacWilliam was a four-year college player. Granberg was two years in Europe, plus a year in Europe burning a year of contract playing in an Elite league. Tommy Nilsson is doing the same thing right now. You’ve got some options for how long these guys can develop before you accelerate them into your own system.”

As for Gardiner and Rielly, they certainly have the right coach in Randy Carlyle, a former Norris Trophy winner. Carlyle understands how tough it is for young defencemen, no matter how much talent they have, to learn how to play at the NHL level.

“The No. 1 thing that has to happen with any young defenceman is the confidence,” said Carlyle. “If you’re confident that you can go back and retrieve that puck, find the man and make the right play, you start to build confidence out there. And the game’s dramatically different now with the no-hooking and holding and no-interference, the hold ups ... all that stuff has changed, so it’s even more difficult for the youngsters.

“I look at it along the lines as don’t put them in situations that they have a chance to fail. Put them in situations where they have the best chance for success,” he said. “The defence are the ones who transfer the puck to your forwards and they handle it more often, and they’re under pressure with it more often.

“But generally I think defencemen are smarter hockey players,” added Carlyle, with a laugh.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.06.2013

719861 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs lose Nikolai Kulemin for two weeks

By Ian Shantz ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 04:58 AM EDT | Updated: Saturday, October 05, 2013 01:13 PM EDT

It's a game of give and take for the Maple Leafs, who will debut some promising future and do without a prominent forward in the team's home opener tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

While touted prospect Morgan Rielly and forward Spencer Abbott will be making their respective NHL debuts with the Blue and White, winger Nikolai Kulemin won't play. The second-line player is expected to be shelved two weeks with an ankle injury sustained during Friday's practice.

"To say it's not a significant injury would be incorrect," Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said following his team's morning skate leading up to the season's first installment of the Battle of Ontario. "Other people have to step up."

One of those players is Abbott, a 25-year-old Hamilton native who was recalled on Saturday morning and will potentially play on the second line alongside Dave Bolland and Joffrey Lupul as the Leafs aim to go 3-0 to start the season.

"I wasn't really expecting it," Abbott said of the promotion from the Marlies. "It's taken awhile, but I'm finally here."

Still, all eyes will undoubtedly be on defenceman Rielly, picked fifth overall by Toronto in the 2012 draft and seen as a potential future cornerstone.

He was the first player on the ice for Saturday's skate and the last player off — and admittedly the bundle of nerves you'd expect from a 19-year-old about to step onto one of the world's biggest professional sports stages.

"I have a chance to play in the Toronto Maple Leafs home opener against Ottawa. That's a pretty good place to start," Rielly said following the morning session. "It's a pretty cool opportunity. I'm just pretty anxious to get the game going.

"Obviously, pretty nervous about it, but I've just got to play my game, play with confidence and hopefully it goes well."

It has gone well for James Reimer against the Senators in the past. The Leafs goaltender brings an 8-1-1 record and .949 save percentage against the hated rivals into the game, his second start of the season.

"You prepare the same for every team, regardless of whether you've had success, or the opposite" Reimer said. "It's a big game for us in the sense that it's your home opener and you want to come out and play well. It's just fitting that we play obviously one of our biggest rivals."