TORONTO – Claimed off waivers from Tampa at the start of the regular season, Richard Panik has scored three times as many even-strength goals as Phil Kessel since the middle of November. Wizards Jerseys 2020 . Kessel trails only Steven Stamkos with 81 even-strength goals since the start of the 2011-12 campaign, but he has just one during the Leafs booming 9-1-1 run. Eight players on the Leafs actually have more such goals than Kessel in that span (including one defenceman), indicative of the new wave of depth thats come to rise in Toronto. The Leafs are the highest scoring team in hockey right now and, while the 27-year-old Kessel still leads that bunch with 31 points in 30 games, hes gotten a whole lot of help, a dramatic change from seasons past. Its been a strength of our team all year, said Joffrey Lupul, who has six goals in 18 games. In wins over Detroit and L.A. over the weekend, the Leafs had six different players score seven goals. The group has boomed with nearly four goals per game since they were thrashed at home by Nashville in mid-November, riding that offence to the edge of an Atlantic division lead. Good teams have depth, Peter Horachek, one of the teams assistant coaches said Monday. You need secondary scoring. You need secondary play through everybody. Thats what pushes you. Its a good, healthy kind of pressure coming from everybody, that people are pushing and going in the right direction and theyre all providing something to the team. Even Strength Offence Since Nov. 18 Player Goals Points Richard Panik 3 3 Leo Komarov 3 3 Peter Holland 3 4 Joffrey Lupul 3 5 Morgan Rielly 2 2 Mike Santorelli 2 9 David Clarkson 2 4 James van Riemsdyk 2 4 Nazem Kadri 1 5 Cody Franson 1 4 Jake Gardiner 1 3 Phil Kessel 1 2 Tyler Bozak 1 4 *Not including empty-net goals This was not the Leafs model last season or in recent years. But in opting for a balanced, four-line approach under a revamped management team (and coaching staff), the club has gotten away from leaning entirely on Kessel and the teams top line for offence. The Leafs fizzled out when that line cooled off down the stretch of last season. That unit, oddly, has actually been the clubs worst in recent weeks, both in terms of production and possession. Much of the offence from Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak has come on a power play unit thats pushing the top-10 in hockey this season with nine goals during the month-long hot streak. The trio has a paltry possession mark of less than 40 per cent in the past 11 games. Instead, the Leafs continue to find contributions from those like Panik, Mike Santorelli and Peter Holland. Teams that rely on scoring from one line dont usually have success at the end of the year, Horachek said. Its good growth. Its healthy for our team. Panik is a prime example of a player pushing for more ice-time. The 23-year-old has already set a career-high with six goals, doing so in fewer than nine minutes per game with not a lick of power play time. Santorelli, too, is pushing Kessel for an unlikely share of the team-lead in even-strength offence, already with 18 such points. Luck has certainly worked in the Leafs favour. Toronto has the highest on-ice shooting percentage at even-strength during the month-long run – well above 13 per cent – while boasting the second-worst possession in the league. Such luck is likely to turn in the other direction at some point. But with improved depth, a potent power play and a top unit that figures to get going at some point (though perhaps in need of a tweak), theres no reason the Leafs wont remain a dangerous offensive team. Its all the other stuff that remains a question. Greg Ballard Jersey .Y. - Through three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets could not shake the NBAs worst team. Bradley Beal Jersey . Beanballs were the theme Friday night as the Red Sox and Rays had another AL East rumble, with Boston earning a 3-2 victory on A.Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Robert Upshaw made a putback jumper to put 17th-ranked Washington ahead with 1:27 remaining in the game and the Huskies held on to beat Eastern Washington 81-77 on Sunday. Upshaw finished with a career-high 21 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for the Huskies (8-0), who rallied from a 14-point deficit to remmain unbeaten. Caron Butler Jersey. Nigel Williams-Goss had 19 points and Andrew Andrews scored 18 with seven rebounds for Washington, which is off to its best start since opening the 2005-06 season with 11 straight wins. Tyler Harvey led the Eagles (8-2) with 21 points, followed by Drew Brandon with 16 and nine rebounds. ' ' '
TORONTO – Claimed off waivers from Tampa at the start of the regular season, Richard Panik has scored three times as many even-strength goals as Phil Kessel since the middle of November. Wizards Jerseys 2020 . Kessel trails only Steven Stamkos with 81 even-strength goals since the start of the 2011-12 campaign, but he has just one during the Leafs booming 9-1-1 run. Eight players on the Leafs actually have more such goals than Kessel in that span (including one defenceman), indicative of the new wave of depth thats come to rise in Toronto. The Leafs are the highest scoring team in hockey right now and, while the 27-year-old Kessel still leads that bunch with 31 points in 30 games, hes gotten a whole lot of help, a dramatic change from seasons past. Its been a strength of our team all year, said Joffrey Lupul, who has six goals in 18 games. In wins over Detroit and L.A. over the weekend, the Leafs had six different players score seven goals. The group has boomed with nearly four goals per game since they were thrashed at home by Nashville in mid-November, riding that offence to the edge of an Atlantic division lead. Good teams have depth, Peter Horachek, one of the teams assistant coaches said Monday. You need secondary scoring. You need secondary play through everybody. Thats what pushes you. Its a good, healthy kind of pressure coming from everybody, that people are pushing and going in the right direction and theyre all providing something to the team. Even Strength Offence Since Nov. 18 Player Goals Points Richard Panik 3 3 Leo Komarov 3 3 Peter Holland 3 4 Joffrey Lupul 3 5 Morgan Rielly 2 2 Mike Santorelli 2 9 David Clarkson 2 4 James van Riemsdyk 2 4 Nazem Kadri 1 5 Cody Franson 1 4 Jake Gardiner 1 3 Phil Kessel 1 2 Tyler Bozak 1 4 *Not including empty-net goals This was not the Leafs model last season or in recent years. But in opting for a balanced, four-line approach under a revamped management team (and coaching staff), the club has gotten away from leaning entirely on Kessel and the teams top line for offence. The Leafs fizzled out when that line cooled off down the stretch of last season. That unit, oddly, has actually been the clubs worst in recent weeks, both in terms of production and possession. Much of the offence from Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak has come on a power play unit thats pushing the top-10 in hockey this season with nine goals during the month-long hot streak. The trio has a paltry possession mark of less than 40 per cent in the past 11 games. Instead, the Leafs continue to find contributions from those like Panik, Mike Santorelli and Peter Holland. Teams that rely on scoring from one line dont usually have success at the end of the year, Horachek said. Its good growth. Its healthy for our team. Panik is a prime example of a player pushing for more ice-time. The 23-year-old has already set a career-high with six goals, doing so in fewer than nine minutes per game with not a lick of power play time. Santorelli, too, is pushing Kessel for an unlikely share of the team-lead in even-strength offence, already with 18 such points. Luck has certainly worked in the Leafs favour. Toronto has the highest on-ice shooting percentage at even-strength during the month-long run – well above 13 per cent – while boasting the second-worst possession in the league. Such luck is likely to turn in the other direction at some point. But with improved depth, a potent power play and a top unit that figures to get going at some point (though perhaps in need of a tweak), theres no reason the Leafs wont remain a dangerous offensive team. Its all the other stuff that remains a question. Greg Ballard Jersey .Y. - Through three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets could not shake the NBAs worst team. Bradley Beal Jersey . Beanballs were the theme Friday night as the Red Sox and Rays had another AL East rumble, with Boston earning a 3-2 victory on A.Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Robert Upshaw made a putback jumper to put 17th-ranked Washington ahead with 1:27 remaining in the game and the Huskies held on to beat Eastern Washington 81-77 on Sunday. Upshaw finished with a career-high 21 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for the Huskies (8-0), who rallied from a 14-point deficit to remmain unbeaten. Caron Butler Jersey. Nigel Williams-Goss had 19 points and Andrew Andrews scored 18 with seven rebounds for Washington, which is off to its best start since opening the 2005-06 season with 11 straight wins. Tyler Harvey led the Eagles (8-2) with 21 points, followed by Drew Brandon with 16 and nine rebounds. ' ' '
