Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Komisarek went under the knife Wednesday, while Christian Hanson and Fredrik Sjostrom are thankfully no longer under the weather.

Komisarek, who was shut down for the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, was slated to be operated on by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala. His recovery period is expected to be 4-6 months, which should leave him ready for training camp in September, barring any setbacks.

Komisarek’s right shoulder has been wonky ever since he scrapped with Boston’s Milan Lucic back in November 2008. Komisarek was a member of the Montreal Canadiens at the time.

Meanwhile Hanson and Sjostrom were back at Leaf practice today, having recovered from a bout of food poisoning they acquired on Sunday. According to coach Ron Wilson, both players ate at the same restaurant.

“I’ve always told people: ‘Don’t eat seafood if it’s flown further than you to get there,’” Wilson quipped. “I know they don’t get that shrimp out of Lake Ontario.

“They just ate some bad shrimp.”

Both players were too ill to play in Monday’s 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. They also could not accompany the team to Canton, Mass. Tuesday for the funeral of Brendan Burke. son of Leafs general manager Brian Burke.

After all that, each was upbeat at the opportunity to be back out on the ice again today and should be in the lineup when the Leafs meet the St. Louis Blues Friday in Missouri.

Click here to read the full article – By Toronto Sun

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Dion Phaneuf made quite a first impression with his new fans in Toronto.

Physical on the ice and chatty in the dressing room between periods, the rugged defenseman helped lead the Maple Leafs to a 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.

Toronto snapped a six-game losing streak in Phaneuf’s debut.

“It was a great honor to put this jersey on and to be a part of this organization,” he said. “The fans were unbelievable. To be on this side and playing in front of them wearing this jersey, it meant a lot to me. It was a very special game in my career.”

Jean-Sebastien Giguere also made the most of his Maple Leafs debut. He finished with 30 saves and became only the second Toronto goalie to record a shutout in his first outing. Ed Belfour beat Pittsburgh 6-0 on Oct. 10, 2002.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Jonas Gustavsson throws himself on the puck like a doughboy falling on a grenade: as if the lives of his trench-mates depend on it.

This is the stuff of combat – what the Toronto Maple Leafs had been missing in a backstop, a netminder who literally had their back.

In a fairer world, the team would have more to show for that stop-frame moment, on the overall effort of Monday’s mano-a-mano with the Buffalo Sabres. But here, as it turns out, was evidence of the Leafs’ misfortune in a microcosm.

A spectacular goaltending episode for Gustavsson midway through the second period of Monday night’s game had the young Swede hurling his body at rubber, just one of many heart-thumping scrums around the Leaf crease all evening. But the puck squirted loose, no Toronto skater could control the bouncing bugger, and Gustavsson, though lithe and limber with split-leg lunges at either post, inadvertently knocked the disc into the net in a deflection that went post-skate-twine.”

Click here to read the full article – By Rosie DiManno of Toronto Star

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Hockey players don’t often experience the luxury of getting a do-over in the midst of a rigorous season.

The Leafs’ big catch on the free-agent market last summer after he was lured from the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens with a five-year, $22.5-million US contract, Komisarek wants to erase from his memory his first 16 games in a Leafs uniform. His next Toronto chapter will begin tonight, when he is slated to return to the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres after a small quadriceps tear kept him out nearly three weeks.

“It was good to take a step back and re-evaluate,” Komisarek said. “You can’t change what has happened. It’s a fresh start, a clean sheet, and forget about what has happened.

“It doesn’t matter what it was. I don’t know — trying to make an impact, trying to make your presence felt, trying to do too much. I would not say it was one exact thing. I have to simplify my game and, most importantly, try to have some fun.”

Komisarek originally targeted tomorrow’s game in Montreal to come back, but coach Ron Wilson saw no reason that he would not play tonight.

Click here to read the full article – By Toronto Sun

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The Monster did his part last night, but the rest of the Maple Leafs aren’t scaring anyone in the NHL.

What the Leafs must be dreading this morning, after a deceptively close 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, mostly down to Jonas Gustavsson’s 26 saves, is what coach Ron Wilson has plotted as punishment at practice.

“We stunk. We had no offence at all,” Wilson said of his 0-2-1 club. “I mean, that was almost embarrassing from seven or eight guys who we are counting heavily on. They only showed up when it was too late (a third-period Matt Stajan power-play goal).

“Playing on the perimeter, not wanting the puck, not willing to take a hit to make a play. Jittery when we do have the puck. We need a much better effort.”

Click here to read the full article – By Lance Hornsby of Toronto Sun

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The hits just kept on coming for the Maple Leafs last night at the Air Canada Centre. Unfortunately, so did the penalties.

The much trumpeted feistiness attached to an off-season bulk up came with a price in a 4-3 overtime loss to their arch-rival Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs scored a pair of power-play goals, including Glen Metropolit’s clever tip-in with 4:10 left in regulation. That allowed Josh Gorges to stun the opening-night crowd of 19,617 just 13 seconds before the game would have gone to a shootout.

While the pummelling and the standing up for each other was admirable, the costly Leafs penalties were the loudest thud on this much-anticipated curtain-raiser to the season.

Click here to read the full article – By Rob Longley of Toronto Sun

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With a team that was destined to be a sinking ship anyway, there probably was no point in naming a Maple Leafs captain a year ago.

Wilson said Mike Komisarek, Tomas Kaberle and Francois Beauchemin will begin the season as alternates. And if all goes according to plan, one will emerge as worthy to being promoted to captain early in the season.

“Hopefully by the first of November or so, after I get to know (Komisarek and Beauchemin) better, we will have a decision on who the captain is,” Wilson said of the two D-man general manager Brian Burke signed in the off-season.

“I think out of those three candidates, they all are worthy. We would like to choose from one of them.”

Wilson’s comments marked a departure from the stance he and Burke have shared. Both have held to the belief that there is no rush to name a captain given the weight the position tends to carry in a hockey-mad market such as Toronto.

But Wilson has been impressed with the leadership from many of the newcomers as the attitude shifts in the Leafs dressing room.

Click here to read the full article – By Rob Longley of Toronto Sun

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Mats Sundin hung up his blades today, never having fulfilled his dream of bringing a Stanley Cup to Toronto.

For 13 seasons the big Swede was the face of the Leaf franchise, registering more goals (420) and points (987) than any other player in team history. Only fellow countryman Borje Salming had more assists.

Yet critics always pointed to the fact that Sundin was never able to lead Toronto to an appearance in the final, something that frustrated the smooth-skating centre over the years. It is a significant blemish on his resume that cannot be ignored.

But that’s not how he should be remembered in Toronto.

Click here to read the full article – By Mike Zeisberger of Toronto Sun

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