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Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:07 pm EDT

Teammate tussles and rookie failures? Must be the Leafs

By Greg Wyshynski

It's been a while since we checked in with the 1967 Stanley Cup champions, so it's good to see things are status quo for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They're just bad enough to miss the playoffs and just good enough to screw their lottery chances. Their players are feuding in practice. Their goalie of the future can't handle the AHL.

Mikhail Grabovski and Jason Blake had their second altercation in a month yesterday at Leafs practice down in Tampa Bay, where they face the Lightning tonight. Grabovski, obviously mistaking Blake for a Kostitsyn brother, hit him from behind and sparked a scrum amongst the players. As Blake said: "Here I am, a 10-year vet ... I just don't know what he's trying to do."

Maybe Grabby's bitter about getting jobbed out of hat tricks, despite evidence to the contrary. Although we prefer Far Away Leaf's prediction on the root of the altercation: "Though I can't vouch for the actual reason for the dust up, I would imagine it had something to do with who had the longer scoring drought recently and this didn't make either one of them laugh."

Today, Grabovski made his amends by hugging Blake before a television interview and offering this unintentionally humorous apology:

"I played just a little bit hard," Grabovski said earlier today. "(Blake) is the best player on the team. The next time I will go a little bit slower. ... It's OK. I'm young."

Meanwhile, Justin Pogge stinks. The young goalie is currently toiling in the AHL, and post-deadline call-up restrictions would make his return to Toronto unlikely. That didn't stop Coach Ron Wilson and Ruler Of All He Surveys Brian Burke from openly criticizing the kid's recent play. From the Toronto Sun:

"He has not performed well since he went back to the minors," Wilson said. "He has to play better. ... We're not going to reward him for poor play."

General manager Brian Burke said management still has high hopes for Pogge. "Would I like to have seen him play better? Yes," Burke said this afternoon. "He hasn't actually kicked the door down for another shot (at the NHL). He's been just OK. But we haven't given up on Justin Pogge yet. ... We may have called him up if it wasn't for that stupid asinine Four Callup Rule. That's ridiculous."

Curtis Joseph gets the start tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Forty-one-year-old Curtis Joseph ...

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28 Comments

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  1. Zorro caliente
    1. Posted by Zorro caliente Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:23 pm EDT

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    I bet tickets to Leafs practise will attract more buyers than the actual games.
  2. Death by Leafs
    2. Posted by Death by Leafs Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 pm EDT

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    silently loads barrel...
  3. Brian S (brianguy)
    3. Posted by Brian S (brianguy) Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    Puck Daddy star / honorary Devil fan Liam Neeson's wife, Natasha Richardson is in the hospital in critical condition from a serious skiiing accident. please hope for the best
  4. yerry.take
    4. Posted by yerry.take Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

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    Meanwhile, Justin Pogge stinks.
    ahaha best intro to a paragraph EVER! nice touch Wysh
  5. Phil Wood
    5. Posted by Phil Wood Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:03 pm EDT

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    I can't say I particularly like Grabby - he's got a bit of an attitude problem which helped him out of Montreal. He'll need to find some sort of sanity... the excuse of being young (i.e. stupid) gets old quick.
    Toskela is the future of Leaf for now. I don't think Pogge has been THAT bad, but he definitely hasn't been that good. No Steve Mason over here. The criticism is a bit harsh, but what are you going to expect from Wilson and Burke? They speak their minds and are in a town where the media is going to ask all manner of questions to blow up into some sort of full blown crisis before they are done. It sure will be interesting over the next two years.
  6. N. Y. NIGHTMARE
    6. Posted by N. Y. NIGHTMARE Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    grabovski is a fat acne riddled communist! oh yea and he sucks at hockey. hes got avagrad Omsk written all over him
  7. GT
    7. Posted by GT Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:14 pm EDT

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    Grabovski is a self centered player (a dink if you will). Just ask yourself why Montreal let him go for so little, to a rival team no less...they knew he would cause trouble for his new club. I kinda feel bad for Pogge though, would have been nice for it to have been a success story.
  8. beer_man_beer_here
    8. Posted by beer_man_beer_here Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:25 pm EDT

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    The Leafs
    LOL
  9. Paul91
    9. Posted by Paul91 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:10 pm EDT

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    "The next time I will go a little bit slower. ... It's OK. I'm young."
    That's what she said.
  10. Garth the Hoser
    10. Posted by Garth the Hoser Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    NY Nightmare +1 for the "he's got Avgard Omsk written all over him" bit.
  11. habs1rule
    11. Posted by habs1rule Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    I love it when my fellow Habs fans say ..this player has an attitude, and That player wasnt a fit for us..Like we;re the 1950's Canadiens telling Jean Beliveau to wait his turn! Pleeease, Reality check time!!
  12. habs1rule
    12. Posted by habs1rule Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    #7.,, Montreal also "Let Go"..Chelios, Desjardins, Leclair, Ribeiro, Souray , Steeit, Garon, Theodore, Danis....I would finish the list, but my finger caught a cRAMP..Like our current GM.
  13. W.F
    13. Posted by W.F Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:12 pm EDT

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    I see a small sliver of hope through the recent play of Jiri Tlusty.
    Although since he's on the leafs he'll probably have to retire due to a heart ailment.
  14. James S
    14. Posted by James S Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:02 pm EDT

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    Anyone else Wonder Why Canadiens players have problems in Montreal, get traded, and have excellent years on their new teams? Maybe its Not the players.....But Montreal! Yann Danis, anyone.
  15. Wrap Around Curl
    15. Posted by Wrap Around Curl Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:49 pm EDT

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    The only response I have for Mickey Grabs' quote is THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!
  16. James S
    16. Posted by James S Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:02 pm EDT

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    Habs fans need to quit diss the Leafs, We have them like three more times, and they need fishing partners..
  17. Fox
    17. Posted by Fox Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:24 pm EDT

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    I don't understand the file photo of Jason Allison? I can't find any mention of him in the story, and Burke is months away from working that far down his finger-pointing chart.
    And, maybe Grabovski is a tool, but with whom, exactly, is he not getting along? A couple of Perestroika goodfellas and Jason Blake? Does ANYONE like Jason Blake? Anyone? Bueller?
  18. Johnny Appleseed
    18. Posted by Johnny Appleseed Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    Wysh, that bobblehead is your new headshot. I won't take no for an answer.
  19. Wyshynski
    19. Posted by Wyshynski Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    @ Johnny Appleseed --
    You know, in my heavier days, I used to get compared to Bob's Big Boy. Mostly because of my Irish rosy cheeks. And because I used to carry a burger with me at all times.
  20. habs1rule
    20. Posted by habs1rule Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    James. Montreal plays the Leafs Twice more, buddy. The Habs look at the Leafs as four more points., The Leafs look at the Habs as a 'Foursome", Golf, anyone..Tee!
  21. Brian S (brianguy)
    21. Posted by Brian S (brianguy) Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    Sean Burke was 41 once
  22. Homer J
    22. Posted by Homer J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    Gave away Rask, kept Pogge. Yet another Leaf gem a la giving up the first round pick that became Scotty Neidermayer to get Tom ****ing Kurvers!
  23. Fact Finder
    23. Posted by Fact Finder Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:57 pm EDT

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    Alright PISH, you have won the award for dumbest sports blogger ever. All you do is poke fun at the Leafs and worship your beloved Devils like an Egyptian Idol worshipper. When will you stop with your garbage? The Leafs have been playing very well over the last 2 months, and this has been done without star players. your Hell boys barely survived without brodeur - a french Canadian...Have you ever seen Pogge play? I have dozens of times and he has the ability to be an outstanding goalie. Every player goes through tough times - even brodeur - so stop your crap. and players on a team always have spats with each other, just most dont get reported. Joseph played very well after giving up 3 goals (2 on the powerplay) and was the reason the Leafs won in the shoot out against Tampa.
  24. Fact Finder
    24. Posted by Fact Finder Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:57 pm EDT

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    Alright PISH, you have won the award for dumbest sports blogger ever. All you do is poke fun at the Leafs and worship your beloved Devils like an Egyptian Idol worshipper. When will you stop with your garbage? The Leafs have been playing very well over the last 2 months, and this has been done without star players. your Hell boys barely survived without brodeur - a french Canadian...Have you ever seen Pogge play? I have dozens of times and he has the ability to be an outstanding goalie. Every player goes through tough times - even brodeur - so stop your crap. and players on a team always have spats with each other, just most dont get reported. Joseph played very well after giving up 3 goals (2 on the powerplay) and was the reason the Leafs won in the shoot out against Tampa.
  25. rileydog
    25. Posted by rileydog Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:41 pm EDT

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    #
    Paul91
    10. Posted by Paul91 Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:44 pm EDT
    "The next time I will go a little bit slower. ... It's OK. I'm young."
    That's what she said.
    LOL ...Hilarious

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