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POOR POOR TORONTO
Topic Started: Mar 24 2006, 06:38 PM (160 Views)
4CUPZ
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HEAD OF SECURITY
MONTREAL (CP) - Mats Sundin slammed the door shut during practice Friday, an image worth a million words in a season gone wrong for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

''We try to find reasons and excuses, I wish I knew (what's wrong),'' the Leafs captain said after practice. ''We have the talent to be a playoff team, so that makes it even more frustrating. We're not where we think we should be.''

That would be six points out of a playoff spot currently occupied by Atlanta, and five points behind the ninth-place Montreal Canadiens.

The Leafs really needed a pair of wins from their two-game set in Montreal. Now they'll be lucky to leave town the same way they arrived, three points behind the Canadiens. All the hope that was created with Tuesday's big win over Carolina was replaced by despair after Thursday's 5-1 thumping by Montreal.

A loss Saturday night and you can say goodbye to the 2005-06 season.





''If we drop that one Saturday it's definitely going to be devastating,'' said winger Jeff O'Neill.

It's been a strange 24 hours for the Leafs, with GM John Ferguson and head coach Pat Quinn having to shoot down speculation of a communication breakdown between the two over Ed Belfour's season-ending back injury. Quinn was at practice Friday but didn't meet the media, with a Leafs spokesman citing a lunch function the veteran head coach had to attend.

Rumblings persist that Quinn, who has another year left on his deal, may be gone at the end of this season if his team doesn't make the playoffs. Ferguson may be feeling the heat as well.

Wins Saturday against the Habs and Sunday night at New Jersey would help ease the tension surrounding this franchise, at least for a few days.

''If you don't know the importance of these games now, you're not that smart of an individual,'' said O'Neill.

Meanwhile, a brooding Tie Domi tried to bite his lip as he discussed being a healthy scratch for two straight games. He first told reporters he wanted to take the ''high road'' and not complain about his situation, but with a little prodding he revealed his frustration with Quinn's decision.

''The biggest game of the year and I definitely was in shock for sure,'' said Domi, the second-longest serving Leaf behind Sundin. ''I love playing against Montreal, I thought I had a great practice the day before.''

Instead he was told Thursday morning he'd be out again. He couldn't even bear coming to the Bell Centre for the start of the game.

''To be quite honest, I stayed at the hotel for the first period. I needed time for myself,'' he said. ''When I saw the score after the first period (4-0 Montreal), I knew I had to come down here. I'm with these guys all the way. We're like a family. This is a good group.

''Unfortunately we're having the year we're having but there's still life. No one's writing it off. We just want to get a win tomorrow.''

Domi was also scratched for Tuesday's game, another tough pill to swallow.

''I was told on my voice mail in the afternoon when I was sleeping,'' he said. ''Luckily I didn't come down to the rink, it may not have been the same dressing room.''

Domi was among four forwards wearing the same coloured jersey at practice Friday, joined by Chad Kilger, Clarke Wilm and recent call-up Alexander Suglobov. One of them won't dress Saturday, and Domi wasn't sure who.

''No, I don't sense anything, I haven't sensed much at all this year to tell you the truth. It's been one of those years, it's been a real interesting year.

''I can assure you this,'' he added. ''I'm not expecting too much because I thought I was playing last night. I'm not holding my breath. If I get in there, great, I'll do the best I can.''

Quinn shuffled his lines Thursday. Sundin was at centre with Darcy Tucker and Jason Allison on his wings. Kyle Wellwood centered Alexander Steen and O'Neill, while Alexander Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan, Ben Ondrus and Nik Antropov were grouped together with no clear indication which one of them wouldn't make the cut Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the Leafs hope to score a goal five-on-five, which they haven't done for five straight games.

''If it wasn't for our power play, we might not score,'' lamented Sundin.
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Webb20
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Godfather
Oh what a shame. :cry:

:rofl: :rotflmao: :rofl:

It's the titanic going down.

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''To be quite honest, I stayed at the hotel for the first period. I needed time for myself,'' he said. ''When I saw the score after the first period (4-0 Montreal), I knew I had to come down here. I'm with these guys all the way
the hotel room? I mean come on, "I'm with these guys all the way", ? I show it by not being at a rival game with the playoffs on the line. Quinn was crazy for sitting him in a big game, Domi for all he's done for them would certainly come to play. But come on Tie, it's still your team and your watching it from a hotel room.
I sold it all, retired and moved to Fabulous Las Vegas!
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Ben Franklin
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."-Ronald Reagan
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EricN11
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All Star
ehh F THE LEAFS :finger:
"We're not in a bind at all," Burke said. "I'd say of the 29 teams, we don't talk to Edmonton, so of the 28 other teams, there's plenty of interest in making this predicament go away. I could hang up the phone and solve this."
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mauiluau
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I'll take Mats Sundin on my team.
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