Buffalo Sabres fans were up in arms after their starting goaltender Ryan Miller collided with Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic a little more than a week ago. The result was Miller being put on the injured list with a concussion. After the incident Sabres fans and players alike were embarrassed by the teams lack of response to what many felt was a despicable act predicated by Lucic. Despite a call for action by the good people of Buffalo, NHL chief disciplinarian Brendan Shannahan rightly deemed the incident unworthy of a suspension, which once again caused Sabres fans to protest loudly. Whether you agreed with Shannahan’s decision or not, one thing was clear, everybody agreed that the Buffalo Sabres’ players did next to nothing in response to the collision, which had Sabres fans shaking their heads, while rival NHL players and fans

The Toronto Maple Leafs and St.Louis Blues battled it out on Thursday night in what can only be called a steal of a win for the Maple Leafs. Despite being out shot 13-5 in the second period and 17-3 in the third (40-22 overall), the Maple Leafs held on for a 3-2 shootout victory over the Blues. If not for the heroics of rookie goaltender Ben Scrivens, who stopped 38 of 40 shots and made all three saves in the shootout, this game could have easily been an 8-2 disaster for the Buds. Scrivens earned a well-deserved first star selection for his efforts—the first of his career. Sloppy defensive coverage led to a number of odd man rushes for the Blues, while Toronto’s inability to contain the Blues offensive attack down low, both five-on-five and on the penalty kill, led

In what can only be referred to as “shocking” news, Toronto Maple Leafs off-season signing Tim Connolly announced today that he expects to be out of the lineup for an extended period of time, or what is officially being referred to as “day-to-day” status. “I know it’s (the injury) been day to day for a while, but it’s a little more significant than originally expected,” Connolly said to reporters earlier today. When Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke signed Connolly (30) to a two-year, $9.5 million (all currency U.S.) contract everyone involved knew there would be risks associated with the signing– especially when one considered Connolly’s injury-prone past. Despite the warning signs, Burke signed Connolly for better or for worse, and we are currently seeing the “for worse” part. Speculation has Connolly suffering from a neck injury or shoulder injury,

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke made a number of changes over the summer, signing the likes of Philippe Dupuis Via Free agency and trading for John-Michael Liles, Matthew Lombardi (who is yet to set a date for return after an early season concussion in 2010-11) and Cody Franson. Liles and Franson look to be important pieces to solidifying the Maple Leafs defense, while the Buds will be happy with whatever Lombardi and Dupuis can contribute. Burke also extended the contract of goaltender James Reimer, while re-signing forwards Clarke MacArthur and Tyler Bozak, as well as defensemen Carl Gunnarsson and Matt Lashoff, with the signing of defensive stalwart Luke Schenn expected any day now. While the impending Schenn signing will be huge for the Blue and White, the most important signing of the off-season looks to be free agent

In between making appearances in Afghanistan and the Pride Parade Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has been busy attempting to improve the Blue and White. Thus far, Burke has added centre Tim Connolly, forward Matthew Lombardi and defenseman Cody Franson via free agency and veteran defenseman John-Michael Liles via trade. While none of Burke’s acquisitions add up to a Brad Richards signing, there is reason to believe the Maple Leafs have been upgraded, at least on paper. Don’t get me wrong, with Lombardi and Connolly’s health concerns both players could end up on the shelf for parts of the season, that said, if these two guys manage to play the better part of the 82-game season the Leafs should show considerable improvement up front. As a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Connolly earned a 45.9% success rate in

Having lost out to the New York Rangers in the Brad Richards sweepstakes the Toronto Maple Leafs signed free agent centre Tim Connolly to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. While Maple Leaf prospects Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne appear to represent the Maple Leafs future down the middle, Brian Burke and Company are hoping Connolly can fill the gap until the two youngsters are ready to assume the first line centre duties—that is if Burke fails to land another centre via the trade route. Connolly, who is known as a set-up man, notched 13 goals and 42 points through 68 games with the rival Buffalo Sabres. Injuries, including back, hip, groin and nasal issues, have taken their toll on Connolly, limiting his games played and overall numbers. In ten NHL seasons Connolly has had few seasons in which he played