[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

The Leafs visit New Jersey for their 5th game of the season.

Toronto continued to look like a team under Paul Maurice

After Andrew Raycroft's solid performance in Monday's game vs. the Florida Panthers, back-up netminder, J.S. Aubin is expected to be getting the start tonight to do battle against Martin Brodeur and the Devils. new Jersey is currently 1-1, having lost their last game to the Dallas Stars.

Stopping 47 of 48 shots, Panthers goaltender Alex Auld was actually the surprise in that game. Mats Sundin and Darcy Tucker came through in the end to finally end Toronto's shootout woes and give them the extra point in the victory, spoiling the homecoming of former Leafs Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, and the benched Ed Belfour.

Kyle Wellwood also had another strong game, scoring the Game-Tying-goal in the last hallf fo the 3rd to continue leading the team in Points.

The story of the game however, was not a win, but a loss.

Defenceman Pavel Kubina, who had been solid for the Leafs so far, went down to a knee injury late in the game after a collision with Panthers forward Todd Bertuzzi in front of the Leaf net.

With Toronto's defence already missing Carlo Colaiacovo, Staffan Kronwall, and Brendan Bell, another injury (and one to one of their better defenceman at that) could prove to be a very big pill to swallow.

Wade Belak will be on the blueline to take his place, and Aleksander Suglobov is expected to take Belak's spot in the last forward position.

Andrew Raycroft is expect to start on Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

 

[imported_shookem]

It should be a good game.

The most interesting stuff may be how the D responds to the added pressure and how they play with Aubin. However, it's basically the same thing as the end of last year except with Hal Gill.

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

Aubin played well against New Jersey in their last game against them last season, and the Leafs won all 4 meetings too... kind of odd.

Aubin's time to shine

By TERRY KOSHAN -- Toronto Sun

Many problems plagued the Maple Leafs in 2005-06 as they tumbled out of the playoff picture for the first time in eight years.

Playing the New Jersey Devils was not one of them.

The Leafs were 4-0 against the Devils, beating future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur all four times. Their final win against the Devils last year was March 26, when Jean-Sebastien Aubin won for the first time in a Leafs uniform and started a personal 9-0-2 streak to end the season.

Aubin will make his first start of the 2006-07 campaign tonight at Continental Airlines Arena.

In all honesty, I'm not exactly sold on Aubin. I've always seen him as a goalie that struggles.

I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see. I was really hoping for Telly to have the role, though I guess he hasn't exactly taken the job and run with it either.

There wouldn't have been reason to trade for Andrew Raycroft if he did. That last game in the pre-season against Ottawa probably put him out for the time being.

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

Ugh. That's a tough game to lose.

Toronto had a 6-3 lead going into the 3rd period, and blew it.

The Devils tied it up 6-6, and won it in the shoot-out.

I don't know why, but somehow I knew that 3 goal lead wouldn't hold up. Maybe the combination of no Kubina but Belak on the blueline and Aubin in net did it. :dunno:

Aubin was weak on some of the first few goals, but the rest were gaffs by the defence. They started running around too much, especially the Kaberle-McCabe tandem. They seem to get overwhelmed too easily.

Brodeur wasn't so great either though. He was flipping and flopping and letting in some weak ones from the point. Not up to Marty B standards IMO.

Overall, it sucks that they lost. They get a point, but I'd of preferred 2.

Stajan played well, as did Darcy Tucker, and Jeff O'Neill finally broke through. He was much more comfortable in the offencive zone than he's been for a while. Still looked like he was floating a bit here and there, but hopefully he'll find his game and get going.

Mats Sundin has to start scoring goals now though. He's getting a ton of chances, and 5 games in he only has goal to show for it. He needs to start burying them.

That deal for Gionta is looking good for New Jersey though, that's for sure.

Next up is Calgary. I hope they can keep the goals against down, because little by little defencive play is beginning to look like a problem again.