Care to guess at the only NHL team not to have at least one defenseman with more than one goal this season?
Here's a hint: the name of their storied franchise comes from the objects off the same trees as maple syrup. And their fans throw other objects on the ice that you usually lather in maple syrup.
That's right, your Toronto Maple Leafs. The only team in the NHL not to have a defender with more than one goal.
The Leafs have used nine different defenseman this season for at least two games, and not one of them has managed to muster up more than one goal. It's no wonder they're ranked 28th in the league in Goals For with just 73-that's 43 goals less than the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.
There is no denying that the offense of the Leafs needs to be better this season, but to put all the blame on them after looking at the numbers would not be entirely fair. Plain and simple, the Leafs blue line has been utterly useless in the opponent's zone this season.
Tomas Kaberle, Luke Schenn, Dion Phaneuf, Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, and Carl Gunnarsson all have one goal each. That's it.
That's w ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jon Neely
Defensive Duds: Maple Leafs Blue Liners Deserve Some Blame For Offensive Woes
December 22nd, 2010 by Jon Neely Leave a reply »
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