Joel Ward - An up and down playoff

Joel Ward will be fine.

He handled the racist tweets that were fired in his direction after eliminating Boston in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

And he will bounce back after taking a careless penalty that cost his team from going up 3-2 in the series against the New York Rangers.

Full disclosure here: I've known Joel since 1997. He was the 260th overall pick of the Ontario Hockey League draft that season.

I was doing some work for the Owen Sound Platers at the time, and when the Platers announced they had picked Joel I figured there was NOOOOO way he would still be at a nearly empty Maple Leafs Gardens.

But moments after his name was called, here came this rather thin young man. He introduced himself and I couldn't believe he was still at the draft.

I gave him his shirt and cap and figured I would never see him again.

Wrong.

Ward has overcome several hurdles in his life: His father passing away when Joel was 11 years old forcing his mother working several jobs so Joel could stay in hockey.

So making the OHL as the longest of long shots was no surprise. The fact that played 4 years in the league and was a productive player was again no surprise.

It also came as no shock when Joel wasn't drafted into the NHL. No big deal. Joel went to UPEI and carved out a successful 4 year career in CIS hockey.

A few years in the minors didn't deter Joel from his NHL dream, so you see the latest stuff won't bother Joel who really made his mark in the playoffs last season with Nashville.

So again it did not surprise me at all that after the heart breaking loss to the Rangers, Ward was in the dressing room waiting to talk to the media. No ducking or hiding with Joel Ward.

“It’s definitely a letdown,” Ward told reporters. “I definitely let the squad down and cost us a game with a terrible play. And it happened pretty quick.”

The 31-year-old from Toronto was sent to the penalty box after his stick caught Rangers forward Carl Hagelin in the face after a defensive zone draw. It drew blood, and the extra penalty.

Brad Richards tied the game with 6.6 seconds left and with Ward still in the box, Marc Staal scored the game winner in OT.

It comes as no surprise that the Capitals defended Ward after the game.

Capitals forward Matt Hendricks told reporters: “It was a tough play. He’s doing everything he can to box that guy out like he’s supposed to, doing his job. Unfortunately, those things happen, with high sticks and a penalty. Joel’s done an outstanding job. There’s nothing you can do there.”

“It’s a tough break for Joel," said Mike Knuble. "We all feel terrible for him. It was a shot. It was the moment they needed, and they took advantage of it.”

Capitals defenceman Karl Alzner added “That’s the way with any sport. One time, you do something great, and the next time, you don’t. It’s happened to me a number of times, where I’ve tipped pucks into my own net or done something stupid. I mean, I know a game where I’ve had a goal and an assist in the first period, and two goals against my own net in one period. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

I would expect Joel and his Capital teammates to respond with a strong effort in game 6. After all, Ward has surprised before. Don't bet against him doing so again.

Reimer gets needed shutout

Goalies never say they lack confidence.

 They will never say they are in a slump.

And you almost never hear a goalie say he is doubting himself.

Except if his name is James Reimer.  The 24 year-old Maple Leafs goalie has had a tough season since Brian Gionta ran over him in an October game.

Reimer first struggled with concussion like symptoms.

Then when he returned to action he struggled finding his form.

That’s why after picking up a shutout in only his 2^nd start of the 2012 calendar year, Reimer spoke like a new man. Spoke like someone who needed a win.

“I mean it’s big,” said Reimer Thursday morning, after a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. “It’s been tough not being able to play and I thought when I did I wasn’t getting the breaks. The shutout was nice on top of that. But to get some of those breaks was really nice.”

The Penguins hit at least 2 goalposts. There was a crossbar late too. It was the kind of performance Reimer hasn’t enjoyed much of in his second NHL season.  Yes, he had some doubts.

“Any walk of life when things don’t go your way there’s always doubts,” said Reimer. “So sometimes there’s doubts. I felt like I was practicing well and working hard and knew that if given the chance that I would get results. You just try to shake off negative thoughts. “

Easier said than done.

But for Reimer his effort on Wednesday could go a long way towards him returning to the form that made him such a fan favorite last year and earned him a 3-year contract extension this summer.

A year ago, Jonas Gustavsson was in the same situation Reimer finds himself in today. The two are friendly off the ice and want to be the # 1 guy in Toronto.

“We get along. He’s a cool guy to hang out with,” said Reimer.  “We both want to play and play our best but we realize there’s more to the game. He’s a good guy. He supports me when I’m in there and I do my best to support him when he’s in there. We both want the team to do well. It’s been good so far.”

With 31 games to go the Leafs don’t have a # 1 goalie, although it looks like Gustavsson is the guy. But if Reimer can continue to show the steadying form he did in his last start that will go a long way for the Leafs as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

“He wanted so badly to have a great game and it couldn’t have turned out better,” said Luke Schenn of Reimer’s 25 save effort for his first shutout since blanking Montreal in the first game of the season. “He had a great game last night and I think it will do a lot for his confidence. We have 2 goalies at the top of their game right now.”

Who will carry the builk of the load down the stretch? Stay tuned.

Colby Armstrong out with a concussion

Was Colby Armstrong wrong in not telling anyone he was feeling light headed after he collided with Vancouver's Ryan Kesler in a game Saturday?

It's a question that is being asked now that Armstrong has been sidelined indefinitely with a concussion.

On the collision with Kesler, Armstrong suffered a cracked toe. But he also felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Remember, he missed 2 months with an ankle injury, and was playing in his 4th game since his return when he suffered the toe/concussion.

Armstrong has suffered pretty much every injury you can think off while he's been a Leaf: hand, knee, groin and eye injuries have meant Armstrong has played in 50 % of the games while he's been in Toronto.

That frustration - and the culture of hockey - played a large role in Armstrong deciding to try and hide his symptoms for a couple of days.

"If a guy doesn't tell you he has any symptoms, it's no different than 90 % of men who never go in for a checkup," said coach Ron Wilson. "We have all of these issues and that's just the way a lot of us were brought up: Unless you think you're dying you don't say anything, you don't see the doctor, you don't tell anybody."

It is a mindset that Wilson admits should change, but in a sport where competition is fierce and there are always people looking to take your job away, it's understandable in the eyes of the coach.

"Colby I think was trying to be noble," said Wilson. "He’s had a lot of injuries and he doesn't want to be known as fragile or injury prone so he didn't alert anybody until he felt really bad."

Armstrong skipped practise on Sunday because of his toe injury. He took part in the morning skate ahead of Monday's game vs. the Kings. It was early in the afternoon when he felt quite ill and was then diagnosed with a concussion.

"I talked to him after that game on the phone for quite a while and he never had a concussion before and he thought it was one of those things that he could shake off the next day," said defenseman Luke Schenn. "He probably thought a good night’s rest and hopefully it would go away."

It didn't and now the Leafs have lost Armstrong once again, and his hockey future may be in doubt. He has one more year on his $3 million a year contract.

"From talking with him that's what it sounded like, he didn't really know he had a concussion," said defenseman John-Michael Liles. "I don't think he was hiding anything from anybody. It’s not exactly something that jumps out a lot of times."

Whether he was hiding anything or not can be debated and discussed. But there is no doubt Armstrong knew he wasn't right and didn't respond to the situation immediately.

“If you don’t feel right, then you’re probably not right,” Keith Primeau told the National Post. Primeau's career was cut short by repeated concussions. “And that’s one of the most powerful messages in the education process: It’s imperative that you listen to your body.”

"From his point of view it's a normal reaction," Wilson said of Armstrong's decision to not say anything right away. "That's old school right there where you don't tell anybody and you hope you can fight through it. At least he realized even if it was late in the day he couldn't fake his way through the feelings he had."

Darryl Sutter: Right fit for underachieving Kings?

The LA Kings are set to name Darryl Sutter head coach in the next few days.

“He’s going to bring character, an attitude I think we need in here,” said Kings forward Jarret Stoll this morning ahead of the game against the Leafs on Monday. “Our attitude some games is right, some games it’s not.”

Sounds like a team that hasn’t played with much heart, passion or grit this season, doesn’t it?

“I heard he’s a bit of a yeller and that’s a good thing,” added defenceman Drew Doughty. “We need someone who is going to push us, to get the best out of us every night. He’s going to be a great fit for our team.”

We need someone who is going to push us? Really?

He brings an attitude we need in here? What?

This LA Kings team seems to have plenty of young talent, but it also seems to be missing something that can’t be measured in goals, or wins. 

The Kings sit 10th in the Western conference, having scored just 69 goals on the season. They find themselves 5 points out of the last playoff spot in the Western conference. 

Is this a team that is much like the southern California lifestyle itself: laid back, easy going, care free?

“We are going to be lot harder team to play against under Darryl,” said Stoll.

“We need to take control, every single one of us,” said Doughty. “Right now we are so down emotionally that things aren’t going well. Everyone has to look at the mirror.”

The Kings have scored just 68 goals on the year. They haven’t scored more than 2 goals in any of the last 11 games they have played. They are coming off an 8-2 beating in Detroit.

Darryl Sutter last coached in the NHL in 2006. His record behind an NHL bench: 409-320-131.

Can his no nonsense approach work with a young team that is apparently craving that type of leadership?

We should have a good idea soon enough.

Ricky Ray ready to lead Argos

When asked why he dealt Ricky Ray, Edmonton GM Eric Tillmam said "it's better to trade a quarterback a year too early rather than a year too late."

If the Edmonton Eskimos GM is right, than the trade for Ricky Ray will turn into a good one for his CFL team. Maybe not this year but sometime down the road.

If Tillman is wrong, the Toronto Argonauts will be able to compete for a chance to play the Grey Cup on home soil in 2012. And could be a good team for a few years after that.

Ray - the 32 year old two-time Grey cup champion - was introduced as the Toronto Argonauts quarterback on Wednesday, a couple days after a blockbuster deal from Edmonton.

"I was definitely a little bit surprised," said Ray about the trade. "The more I thought about it, it seems like a good fit to me. Once the shock wore off thinking about moving forward and this opportunity here, I'm excited."

"You always have something to prove," added Ray. "I'm not going to draw any extra motivation from those guys (Edmonton) because I'm already motivated enough and look forward to my time here."

"This is about the future of the organization," said Argos GM Jim Barker who dealt quarterback Steven Jyles, kicker Grant Shaw and the Argos 1st pick in the 2012 CFL Canadian draft for Ray. "Toronto is a star town and a guy like Ricky Ray brings us that. I think it's vital to where we're going."

Ray will get to work with Argos head coach Scott Milanovich, who for years was the offensive coordinator in Montreal making Anthony Calvillo seemingly ageless. He plans on having similar success with Ray.

"We want to build a team that plays with poise and courage and we wanted to build a team that represented the Toronto Argos with professionalism and class," said the Argos head coach. "Ricky Ray personifies these qualities."

"I've been able to see first hand what they've been able to do in Montreal," said Ray of the Milanovich-Calvillo relationship. "It excites me to come in and lean from coach Milanovich. Hopefully I can have some of that same success."

"He's going to fit in perfectly," said Milanovich. "We'll tweak it to where he can be able to utilize his abilities. I have no doubt that Ricky has 4 or 5 or 6 more good years of good football left and play at a high level. I have no doubt about that."

The Argos sure hope so.

Jake Gardiner playing well for the Maple Leafs

It's hard not to be impressed by the way Jake Gardiner has played this season.

At 21 years of age, the University of Wisconsin product has not only surprised many by being a mainstay on the Toronto Maple Leafs blueline, but by the way he has shown no problems adjusting to the pro game.

He has averaged more than 23 minutes of ice a game this month, and in the last 7 games has played at least 20 minutes each and every time.

For a kid you hasn't played more than 41 games in a season, you would think he would be hitting the proverbial rookie wall. Not so.

"Hes one of those types of kids who is never going to get tired," said his coach Ron Wilson. "I haven't seen him have an off day even in practice. He's out there flying around- even in practice, and he's gong to get better with experience."

"I just try to keep playing my game and playing the way I have been," said Gardiner, who has 8 assists on the season. "I can get better each day. Right now I feel pretty good."

Give an assist here to his roommate Matt Frattin for helping - in part - make sure Gardiner is eating right.

You see Frattin's father ran an Italian bakery so Frattin knows his way around a kitchen.

"I gave him a couple of opportunities early," said Frattin. "But it wasn't up to par so I decided to take the reins in the kitchen."

Good thing cause Frattin is able to cook up steak, pasta and chicken - all staples for any young hockey player. Gardiner's speciality? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The smooth skating defenceman was a 1st round pick of the Anaheim Ducks. But with Cam Fowler playing so well, the Ducks felt they could make a move and dealt Gardiner last February to Toronto for Francois Beauchemin. The Leafs also got Joffrey Lupul in the transaction. Let's call this a win for the Leafs shall we.

It really has been quite a year for Gardiner who a year ago at this time was a junior in college playing hockey and wondering when he would make the jump to the pro ranks.

Still property of the Ducks at that time, the team sent up Scott Neidermayer to Wisconsin to meet up with Gardiner. The two talked about all things hockey - with Neidermayer telling Gardiner to keep working hard and he would be in the NHL sooner rather than later.

That meeting helped Gardiner realize he could make the jump to the pros.

"In my sophomore year in college I would let things get to me and get inside my head and I realized I couldn't play like that," said Gardiner. "I would be down the rest of the game. the only time I played well is when I got off to a good start. Now I try to let things go."

And that attitude has served Gardiner well.

Ask Frattin if he's surprised by Gardiner's early season success, and the answer is quite bluntly "no."

"He carries himself well with a lot of confidence and if he does that he plays to his best potential," said Frattin.

That has been good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Matthew Lombardi expects to return to the NHL this season

Matthew Lombardi realizes he has come a long way in his attempt to return to the NHL. But he has a long way to go and remains determined to play in the NHL again this season.

"That's my goal," Lombardi said as he wrapped up his 3rd on -ice session with his new Toronto Maple Leafs teammates. "I want to keep getting better and be in there as soon as I can."

The 29 year-old Lombardi last played in the NHL October 13th of last year for the Nashville Predators. He suffered a concussion in that game. He was just recently cleared and while he is still not taking part in contact drills, Lombardi is progressing.

"I wish I could have a date and that in mind," said Lombardi. "We'll see how I progress over the next few days and go from there. "

"I want to keep getting better and be in there as soon as I can. "
"The last time I played was the second game of (last) year, and since then I haven't felt as good as I am now. It's looking real good."

The Toronto Maple Leafs will open training camp on Friday before exhibition games start next week. Lombardi was acquired by the Leafs this summer.
"The worst thing is you are sitting on the sidelines and watching your teammates and seeing how much fun they are having. Little things - going for a walk I couldn't really do that. it wasn't really a matter of getting back to exercise. I just wanted to get back to my everyday life and being healthy again. Here I am now and I'm out there with the guys and it's a great feeling."

"You definitely have too much time to think about things and a lot of negative things get into your head. I have a great family and they are there for me every day. It keeps things in perspective and we don't have it to bad."

In seventy-eight games with Phoenix two seasons ago, Lombardi picked up a career-high 53 points along with 19 goals.

If he is healthy - and that is a big if - Lombardi would help the Leafs up the middle. The Leafs acquired Tim Connolly as well this off-season.