Burke closing in on deal, Winter Classic Update, Jake Gardiner going down?

As Per Brian Burke on "Prime Time Sports" on The Fan 590, he is currently involved in trade talks and feels something will get done soon, the Leafs currently are looking for a top 6 forward (with size) with nose for the net.

He also made it clear they are not looking for a goaltender, feeling Gustavsson & Reimer can carry the load.

Who would you like to see the Leafs go after?

In other news:

Jake Gardiner will join the Marlies soon if not inserted back into the line-up.
Nazem Kadri has likely played his way onto the team for good.

During Tuesday nights broadcast, Joe Bowen, voice of the Leafs, mentioned that Toronto he was hearing there is a VERY good chance Toronto will be in involved in the Winter Classic with Detroit next season.

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NHL Who-Stars Game?

The voting is in for the 2011-2012 NHL All-Star Game, are you ready to watch your favourite NHL players start the puck drop!? oh wait.. who are these guys?

Daniel Alfredsson (currently 69th in NHL Scoring, a travesty), Milan Michalek (has 19 goals, but not a league leader), Jason Spezza (decent bounce back season, but not starter worthy), Erik Karlsson (perhaps the one Sen worthy of the starter nod), Dion Phaneuf (decent season so far, imo), Tim Thomas (thank you! 2 out of 6? HAH) will be lining up as your starting 6 All-Stars.

Where are Kessel, Giroux, Stamkos, Lidstrom, Lupul etc. the list can go on for ages.

It seems the NHL format of fans voting the starters has some MAJOR kinks to work out, as we will now be watching the 2011-2012 Ottawa Senators Skills Competition, which by all accounts, is enough to make me watch a Seinfeld marathon that day.

Congrats to Dion Phaneuf, and a big thumbs down to the soon to be changed All-Star voting format.

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Leafs would love to "Getzlaf"

There are rumours swirling this morning that Anaheim Captain Ryan Getzlaf is on the block, along with the other two forward in Anaheims "Big 3", Bobby Ryan & Corey Perry.

Between the three of them, Getzlaf would be the perfect fit for the Leafs, bringing size, scoring and winning track record, Getzlaf is off to an awful first half this year (who isn't on the Ducks?) and a change of scenery could be just what the Burkey ordered!

The cost would definitely be steep, think Kadri + Gunnarson + ?

Would you do it?

Also just in: Columbus forward Rick Nash has stated e would waive his No-Trade Clause if the Jackets asked. Food for thought!

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2011-12 Leafs vs Jets Gameday, Game #40

Toronto takes on the Winnipeg Jets tonight at the Air Canada Centre
Puck Drop: 7:00 pm EST Thu Jan 5, 2012

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a New Year’s resolution to clean up their much-maligned penalty-killing unit.

The Maple Leafs’ special teams were stellar in their first game of 2012, an effort they’ll look to build on Thursday night against a Winnipeg Jets team that scored a pair of power-play goals against them on New Year’s Eve.

Toronto (19-15-5) opened January on Tuesday with an impressive 7-3 win over Tampa Bay. Joffrey Lupul led the way with a goal and three assists while Phil Kessel scored his 22nd goal in the Leafs’ highest-scoring game since a 7-1 victory over the Lightning on Nov. 22.

The Leafs killed all five of Tampa Bay’s power plays, including a 5-on-3 disadvantage. It was an encouraging performance for a team that came in last in the league on the penalty kill at 72.3 percent.

“We have a mindset now that we’re starting fresh in 2012,” forward Darryl Boyce said. “Regardless of how well we do until the rest of the year - we’re not going to bring 73 percent up to the 90s by any means - our mindset is we’re just going to start fresh and we’re going to put our best foot forward.”

The Leafs had allowed a power-play goal in each of their previous six games, and had killed just 60 percent of their penalties (27 of 45) in their final 11 games of 2011. They lost their final three December games.

“For us to win games we’ve got to keep getting better in that area,” defenseman Dion Phaneuf said. “We know that. We’ve been open and said that we’ve got to get better. We’ve taken responsibility that we need to be better.

“I thought we did that, and we’re going to use that game and move forward.”

The Leafs will quickly get to see if they’ve made any improvements against the Jets, who went 2 for 6 with the man advantage in a 3-2 home victory over Toronto on Saturday. Zach Bogosian and Blake Wheeler each scored power-play goals for Winnipeg, which won its third in a row.

The Jets (19-15-5), tied with the Leafs for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, were unable to build on that victory, losing to Montreal 7-3 on Wednesday. Winnipeg went into the second intermission trailing 3-2 before surrendering three goals in the first 3:31 of the third.

“We started to turn the puck over and that was the key,” goaltender Ondrej Pavelec said. “You can’t play that way, especially in the third. We made the mistakes and they scored the goals.”

Pavelec stopped 18 of 24 shots before being replaced by Chris Mason 6:39 into the third. Mason allowed one goal on seven shots.

Pavelec stopped 22 shots in Saturday’s win over Toronto and made 20 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Air Canada Centre on Oct. 19, while Mason is 2-1-0 with a 1.66 goals-against average in three career starts against the Leafs.

Toronto’s Jonas Gustavsson did not appear in either of the first two games of the season series but is expected to start Thursday. He made 21 saves Tuesday, and is 1-2-0 with a 3.30 GAA in three career games against the Winnipeg franchise.

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Connolly elbow on Downie dead issue.

The league has reviewed the elbow on Steve Downie by Tim Connolly and ruled it was a defensive measure and the 2 minute minor was sufficient, no further discipline will be enforced.

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Kadri, Colborne named to AHL All-Star Game

Nazem Kadri (currently with the parent club) and Joe Colborne have been named to the AHL All Star game.

In NHL All Star news:

Phil Kessel continues to lead all vote getters, Dion Phaneuf is currently #2 in Defensemen and James Reimer sits #2 behind Tim Thomas in goal.

The voting ends tonight @ 11:59 PM et.

head over to NHL.com to vote for the Leafs!
http://vote.nhl.com/:b=chrome/#/ballot&cmpid=nhl-rxl-twt

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Leafs vs Red Wings Winter Classic 2013

The Toronto Maple Leafs will visit Detroit for the 2013 Winter Classic at Ann Arbor Stadium, the official announcement is expected shortly.

It is also expected that Toronto and Detroit will feature on HBO's 24/7 next season.

Brian Burke recently commented on Twitter that he was not in favour of the 24/7 model stating "in Toronto it's always like 24/7" but admitted they would go along with the show if asked.

and who wouldn't want to see Burke on HBO?

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