With his club marred in a 3-4-3 slide, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke must be ready to pull the trigger on a deal or two. Burke is known for making impact deals well before the trade deadline, so as to allow his acquisitions to adjust to his new surroundings in time for the playoffs. A quick look at the Maple Leafs roster reveals a talented trio of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak (on most nights) and Joffrey Lupul on the first line, followed by a struggling second unit which often includes Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski and Tim Connolly or Clarke MacArthur. As much as the second unit has struggled, there are greater concerns on the third and fourth lines where the Maple Leafs are getting little scoring and questionable efforts in the defensive and physical departments. Injuries, inconsistent lineups

The Toronto Maple Leafs let another two points slip away Thursday night as the Carolina Hurricanes erased a 3-1 Toronto lead en route to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Blue and White. The loss to the Hurricanes brought Toronto’s record to 3-4-3 in their past ten games and put them dangerously close to slipping out of a playoff spot. It also marked the second time the Hurricanes have beaten Toronto this season—a team that is well below the Maple Leafs in the standings. The Maple Leafs currently sit eighth overall in the Eastern Conference, but with the Winnipeg Jets, and New Jersey Devils tied with the Leafs at 41 points apiece and the Ottawa Senators (39 points) and Washington Capitals (38 points) nipping at the Buds heals, the point lost Thursday night may come back to haunt the Maple

The recent firing of Jacques Martin and subsequent hiring of Montreal Canadiens head coach Randy Cunneyworth has sparked a huge controversy in Montreal over the fact that Cunneyworth does not speak French. Former Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau was one of the first to add fuel to the fire when he recently said that “there’s no doubt in my mind that the coach of the Montreal Canadiens has to speak both languages, at least to some extent”. Carbonneau’s comments were reinforced by Team owner Geoff Molson who was quick to point out to the Montreal fans that Cunnyworth’s position with the team was on an interim basis and that a French speaking coach would be hired next season. When you consider the comments of Carbonneau and Molson, Cunnyworth must feel like he is on a very short leash. Talk about

Originally drafted in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft (44th overall), Nikolai Kulemin came to the Maple Leafs with decent credentials. At 6’1” and just over 200 pounds at the time he was drafted, Kulemin had the size to be an effective power forward, but would struggle to learn a more North American friendly style of play which involved playing a 200-foot game instead of just being a goal scorer. Like many Russian prospects before him, Kulemin struggled in his first season with the Maple Leafs, notching 15 goals, 16 assists for a total of 31 points in 78 games, while posting a minus-8 rating. Last season Kulemin came into camp in phenomenal shape, bringing his weight up to 220 pounds and, according to many in the locker room, looking like a beast. Kulemin’s hard work off

Just when you thought Nazem Kadri was all but forgotten in Toronto the London, Ontario native put together an excellent November with the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, culminating in player of the month honors. A former first round draft pick (seventh overall 2009 NHL Entry Draft), Kadri has struggled to make the big club. Management has always maintained they believe in Kadri, but have also made it very clear that until Kadri embraces the idea of playing a 200 foot game, he will remain in the minors. Kadri scored six goals and 11 assists in November for a total of 17 points in 12 games. Kadri’s inspired play has the Marlies in first place in the North Division, which is a testament to his embracing a two-way game. Centre Joe Colborne (currently playing with the Maple Leafs) received

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended the month of November on a sour note, losing a hard fought battle against the Boston Bruins by a final score of 6-3. Wednesday night’s tilt against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions had it’s fair share of high and low points, but overall it was the best effort the Maple Leafs have made against the Bruins this season—a team that has won three games against the Blue and White by a combined score of 19-5. For all the shortcomings that come with losing three games against the Bruins this season, the Buds have had plenty to be proud of this season, including their 14-9-2 record through 25 games, which has them sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Much of the Maple Leafs success can be attributed to the tremendous offensive performances of