TORONTO – No team may have leaned harder on one line last season than the Maple Leafs. Because of insufficient depth and a reluctance toward regular employment of a fourth line, Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk ended up as some of the most taxed forwards in all of hockey. All three posted new career-highs in average ice-time a year ago, right in there amongst the likes of Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Ryan Getzlaf. It was likely a detriment in the end. Over-used and likely worn down, Torontos top guns faded down the stretch as the club spiraled disastrously out of a once certain playoff position. Its obviously a long season and you get worn down, Bozak acknowledged. Nearly a quarter of the way into this new season, the Leafs reliance (or overreliance) of their primary offensive weapons has been altered. With increased depth and more accepting use of that depth, Kessel, Bozak and van Riemsdyk are seeing fewer minutes in a shift that may end up benefiting the Leafs in the long run this season. After each pushing nearly 21 minutes a night a year ago, Kessel, Bozak and van Riemsdyk have all dipped below the 20-minute average through 20 games this fall, the ice-time of Kessel and Bozak in particular cut by about two minutes per night. That may not seem like much, but come March those 160-plus saved minutes of wear and tear (or nearly three full games) could mean just that much more energy when the race to the postseason heats up. Obviously we want to play as much as we can every night, said Bozak, playing less than 19 minutes per game, but I think later in the season if you do play maybe two, three minutes less a night that you will be a little more fresh coming down the home stretch. Average Ice Time 2014-15 2013-14 Difference James van Riemsdyk 19:48 21:03 1:15 Tyler Bozak 18:53 20:56 2:03 Phil Kessel 18:34 20:30 1:56 Average Even-Strength Ice-Time 2014-15 2013-14 James van Riemsdyk 15:13 16:27 Tyler Bozak 15:09 17:03 Phil Kessel 15:10 17:30 I think it does make a big difference, said head coach, Randy Carlyle, but you talk to the elite players they say you play me more Ill play better. Thats the reality of what happens with it. Carlyle, though, is not only using his top line less this season, but less frequently in the most demanding of situations against other top lines – though to mostly success against Steven Stamkos on Thursday – and more frequently in the offensive zone. His history of heavy usage from top players dates back to Anaheim. Like Kessel and company, Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the Ducks two top weapons, were extended heavily while Carlyle was in charge, their ice-time scaling back since he was fired in the winter of 2011. For me Im not the biggest, strongest guy so I think a few less minutes a night will save me a little bit extra strength and stuff by the end of the year, Bozak said. Carlyle has had to change his ways some with new management in Torontos fold. Before Brendan Shanahan was hired as the Leafs president, the head coach had a habit of dressing one and sometimes two enforcers, players who garnered little ice-time and produced almost nothing offensively. He sometimes went even further, dressing an additional defenceman in lieu of that 12th man up front. All of which meant increased reliance and dependence on the top line, which provided a heavy chunk of Torontos offence last season. Come March those players predictably slowed down. Kessel had only four goals and 10 points. van Riemsdyk had eight points in 15 games and only one goal and three points in April. Their fall-off may have had something to do with their participation in the Olympics for Team USA, but returning from that Sochi adventure to play nearly 22 minutes a night – in a condensed schedule no less – probably didnt help much to keep them fresh down the stretch. Towards the end of the year its tough to feel fully healthy, but I mean, there was a lot of different guys that were dealing with the same thing so its tough to make excuses about that, van Riemsdyk said, noting the relaxed schedule this season, one with no lockout or Olympics and thus no condensed pace of play. Under Shanahans direction, the Leafs went about improving their depth in the summer, adding versatile forwards like Daniel Winnik, Mike Santorelli and Leo Komarov in free agency – each of whom has been a positive in some regard so far. Carlyle has changed his tuned slightly with those players at his disposal, veering toward use of nine forwards on more even terms. We felt if we could develop some trust in all nine forwards [that we could] expand a little bit more minutes from an offensive standpoint, said Carlyle following practice Friday. Hes even gotten some use out of a once forgotten fourth line, one that relies on skill rather than toughness and grit. Richard Panik has already scored four times in 19 games and is on pace for an astounding 17 goals despite averaging only nine minutes a night. Carlyle might even want to consider using the 23-year-old and his linemates – 21-year-old Josh Leivo and veteran, Trevor Smith – more often given their decent possession numbers and potential for additional offence. Smith has helped trim van Riemsdyks ice-time recently. Hes absorbed the 25-year-olds minutes on the penalty kill since being recalled from the Marlies earlier this month. For all the positive indicators, however, theres every chance the minutes for Kessel, Bozak and van Riemsdyk rise some in the second half, especially if the Leafs are chasing a playoff spot. Youll see that when you dont have success those minutes will go up because youre always pushing to have your offensive players on the ice, if youre playing catch-up in the games, Carlyle said. Lets face it, in the last 20 games of last year we were trying to catch up. Its a fine line because weve got to win games so youve got to take each game as it comes, said van Riemsdyk, who played more than 23 minutes 16 times last season, doing so only once so far this fall. There is some strategy to it, but if theres a situation where we need to be on the ice then were going to be on the ice. It all depends on the situation. . First reported by FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, its unknown if the impetus for the deferral proposal came from players or management, but it never left the preliminary stages. . Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the club. Clemons spent his first five NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson.
https://www.cheapbucksonline.com/. - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday. . Which is to say, the top of this years draft class is not as dynamic or exciting as the 2013 class of Nate MacKinnon, Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones and its not as strikingly promising as the highly-anticipated 2015 slate of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. .com) - John Wall had 15 points, 12 assists and four steals as the Washington Wizards defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 92-85 on Monday night.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Tiger Woods never shot a score this high in his 1,267 official rounds as a pro.He never looked more lost on a golf course.Woods hit wedges fat and thin, but never close. He hit one drive into the water, another into the base of a desert bush. And when he missed a 10-foot par putt on his final hole Friday in the Phoenix Open, he had the worst score of his career — an 11-over 82.Woods was in last place when he headed home to Florida to try to fix a game in disarray, even behind Arizona club pro Michael Hopper, who had yet to tee off. It was the first time in his career that he missed the cut in consecutive PGA Tour events, the most recent one in August at the PGA Championship.About the only thing he didnt lose was his sense of humour.Im just doing this so I dont get fined, Woods said with a smile as he faced the media, repeating Marshawn Lynchs only line at Super Bowl media day.Even so, this round might have been more painful than getting his tooth knocked out last week in Italy.His previous worst score was an 81 in the third round at Muirfield in the 2002 British Open, where he caught the brunt of whipping rain in 40 mph wind. There was only a light drizzle in the Valley of the Sun, and Woods hit a low point in his career.We all have days like this, Woods said. Unfortunately, mine was in a public forum. We take the good with the bad, and the thing is, even on bad days like this, just keep fighting. On the good days, youve got to keep fighting, as well.He attributed his shocking play to his latest swing change, which he described in December as new but old, although this game resembles neither. He left Sean Foley during his four-month break to fully heal from back surgery and now has California-based Chris Como as a swing consultant.I was caught right between patterns, just old pattern, new pattern, Woods said. And I got better, more committed to what I was doing on my back nine and hit some better shots. But still got a lot of work to do.He scrapped plans to go to the Super Bowl and headed home to Florida to practice before returning next week to Torrey Pines.The most glaring weakness remains the short game — chips, bunker play and putting.Nothing was uglier than the par-3 fourth hole when his tee shot went over the green. The chip was difficult because he short-sided himself and was only 35 feet from the flag. Woods hit it 47 yards, the ball shooting low and hot all the way across the green and into a front bunker. He blasted oout to 20 feet and two-putted for double bogey.ddddddddddddThat was on his back nine, and by then, the only question was whether he would post the highest score of his career.The damage came early.Woods pulled his tee shot into the desert on the tough 14th hole and it turned into a scavenger hunt. He headed toward a ball on the left side of the desert only to realize it wasnt his — it was Mike Weirs tee shot on the 13th hole. He stepped into a bed of cactus, reached gingerly through the needles to get the ball and realized that wasnt his, either. His was found at the base of a bush, and he had to take a penalty stroke to remove it.Then, a stock pitch shot from short of the green barely reached the putting surface, and he two-putted from 40 feet for double bogey.In the grey morning sky of light drizzle, he didnt realize until after his tee shot on the 15th that it never cleared the water. Woods hit a mid-iron for his fourth shot into a left bunker, and then bladed that out so far over the green that only the rough on the other side kept it from going in the water. He flubbed that chip and took triple bogey.The atmosphere on the par-3 16th was slightly muted, though that didnt keep a row of rowdies in the bleachers from wearing ski masks over their faces, a tribute to the mask Woods was wearing in Italy to hide his missing tooth. He was watching girlfriend Lindsey Vonn win a record 63rd World Cup race.Jordan Spieth, playing in the group with Woods and Patrick Reed, had a 68. Both are among several young players who grew up watching Woods dominate golf with 14 majors and 79 wins on the PGA Tour. They did not see him shoot 82.Sure, its odd, Spieth said. But its his second tournament in six months. Hes really revamping his golf swing and just seems like he needs some more repetitions. From the looks of it, he looks very healthy, looks like nothing was bothering him. So he should be able to get out there and get a lot of practice in. I would look for him to make a strong comeback this year.Woods played the Phoenix Open for only the fourth time, and the first time since 2001. He still managed to generate plenty of memories. There was the hole-in-one on the 16th hole in 1997, the fans moving a 1,000-pound boulder for him in 1999, a teenager throwing an orange across the green as he was putting in 2001.And now an 82.The support remained strong, but the message changed. What began on Thursday as Welcome back, turned into, Thanks for coming. ' ' '
