Af
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nov,
      16,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Autumn
      sees
      Leafs
      fall
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Ryan
      Miller
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      hockey
      season
      back
      in
      full
     
     
      swing,
      pundits
      professional
      and
     
     
      amateur
      alike
      have
      been
      eager
      to
     
     
      expound
      endlessly
      on
      the
      six
     
     
      Canadian
      teams,
      both
      as
      to
      the
     
     
      sources
      of
      their
      woes
      and
      the
      rea-
     
     
      sons
      for
      their
      successes.
      While
     
     
      teams
      such
      as
      Montreal
      and
     
     
      Ottawa
      see
      themselves
      as
      the
     
     
      toasts
      of
      the
      league,
      teams
      who
     
     
      were
      confident
      in
      their
      success
      this
     
     
      season
      such
      as
      Vancouver
      and
     
     
      Toronto
      are
      left
      grasping
      at
      straws
     
     
      to
      address
      their
      numerous
      faults.
     
     
      Here
      is
      a
      breakdown
      of
      each
      team
     
     
      in
      the
      league,
      from
      best
      to
      worst:
     
    

    
     
      Ottawa
      Senators:
      Early
      season
     
     
      success
      has
      seen
      this
      team
      draw
     
     
      comparisons
      to
      legends
      such
      as
      the
     
     
      1975-76
      Canadiens,
      a
      team
      that
     
     
      featured
      the
      likes
      of
      players
      such
     
     
      as
      Guy
      Lafleur,
      Larry
      Robinson
     
     
      and
      Ken
      Dryden.
      Are
      the
      Senators
     
     
      good
      enough
      to
      lose
      fewer
      than
      8
     
     
      games
      this
      season?
     
    

    
     
      Certainly
      not,
      and
      factors
      in
      the
     
     
      thinly
      distributed
      talent
      in
      the
     
     
      modern
      league.
      The
      Senators
      are
     
     
      an
      excellent
      team
      and
      have
      done
     
     
      well
      to
      survive
      injuries
      to
      Spezza
     
     
      and
      Emery
      early
      on,
      and
      although
     
     
      the
      team
      will
      have
      an
      incredible
     
     
      season
      and
      almost
      doubtlessly
      fin-
     
     
      ish
      in
      first
      place,
      they
      are
      bound
      to
     
     
      lose
      more
      than
      10
      per
      cent
      of
      their
     
     
      games.
     
    

    
     
      Best
      Player:
      Talk
      of
      Heatley,
     
     
      Spezza
      and
      the
      Sen's
      superb
      goal-
     
     
      tending
      tandem
      often
      tends
      to
     
     
      leave
      Alfie
      out
      of
      the
      spotlight.
      It
     
     
      seems
      the
      only
      time
      attention
      is
     
     
      paid
      to
      the
      Swedish
      captain
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      REMEMBERING
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2
     
     
      z
     
     
      2
     
     
      a“
     
     
      ©
     
     
      E
     
     
      5
     
     
      =
     
     
      =
     
     
      s
     
     
      “
     
     
      2
     
     
      :
     
     
      &
     
     
      =
     
     
      -
     
     
      :
     
     
      =
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      when
      the
      team
      is
      losing,
      but’
     
     
      Alfreddson's
      team
      leading
      20
     
     
      points
      at
      press
      time
      and
      his
      consis-
     
     
      tent
      play
      earns
      him
      top
      spot
      on
      this
     
     
      team.
     
    

    
     
      Montreal
      Canadiens:
      In
      a
      simi-
     
     
      lar
      fashion
      to
      last
      year,
      Montreal
     
     
      has
      come
      out
      to
      a
      roaring
      start.
     
     
      With
      a
      terrifying
      goaltending
      tan-
     
     
      dem
      of
      Huet
      and
      newcomer
      Price
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      a
      resurgent
      Alex
     
     
      Kovalev
      and
      the
      dedication
      ofa
      .
     
     
      plethora
      of
      young
      forwards,
      the
     
     
      Habbies
      have
      been
      turning
      a
      few
     
     
      heads
      in
      the
      east.
      Even
      Patrice
     
     
      Brisebois,
      the
      former
      whipping
     
     
      boy
      of
      the
      Bell
      Centre
      faithful,
      has
     
     
      been
      solid
      in
      his
      play.
     
    

    
     
      Best
      Player:
      Despite
      the
      fact
      that
     
     
      Captain
      Koivu
      is
      one
      pace
      for
     
     
      another
      career
      year,
      Andrei
     
     
      Markov
      has
      been
      outstanding
      at
     
     
      both
      ends
      of
      the
      ice.
      Leading
      all
     
     
      defensemen
      in
      the
      league
      in
      points
     
     
      and
      staying
      on
      the
      plus
      side,
     
     
      Markov
      has
      been
      fingered
      by
      some
     
     
      as
      a
      potential
      dark
      horse
      in
      the
     
     
      Norris
      running.
     
    

    
     
      Calgary
      Flames:
      Sitting
      on
      a
     
     
      .500
      record
      is
      not
      making
      new
     
     
      head
      coach
      Mike
      Keenan
      happy,
     
     
      and
      neither
      is
      Mikka
      Kiprusoff's
     
     
      play.
      On
      a
      team
      that
      has
      relied
      on
     
     
      Kipper
      as
      their
      crutch
      for
      a
      few
     
     
      seasons
      now,
      the
      Flames
      are
      suf-
     
     
      fering
      with
      his
      showing
      as
      a
      mere
     
     
      mortal
      to
      this
      point.
      In
      order
      to
     
     
      become
      a
      winning
      team
      again,
      the
     
     
      Flames
      are
      going
      to
      need
      the
     
     
      Finnish
      netminder
      to
      step
      it
      up
      a
     
     
      notch.
     
    

    
     
      Best
      Player:
      This
      one
      is
      a
      tie.
     
     
      Alex
      Tanguay
      and
      Jarome
      Iginla
     
     
      have
      combined
      for
      forty
      points
     
     
      thus
      far
      in
      the
      season.
      Although
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      there
      has
      been
      talk
      of
      the
      French
     
     
      Tanguay
      going
      to
      Montreal
      in
     
     
      exchange
      for
      Kovalev,
      their
      differ-
     
     
      ence
      in
      age
      and
      Tanguay's
      chem-
     
     
      istry
      with
      Iggy
      will
      cause
      his
      stock
     
     
      to
      go
      up,
      undoubtedly
      making
      the
     
     
      cost
      more
      than
      one
      moody,
      skilled
     
     
      Russian.
     
    

    
     
      Toronto
      Maple
      Leafs:
      To
      this
     
     
      point,
      the
      Leafs
      have
      been
      mad-
     
     
      deningly
      inconsistent,
      drawing
      the
     
     
      ire
      of
      their
      fans
      and
      the
      media.
     
     
      Raycroft
      has
      finally
      taken
      a
      back-
     
     
      seat
      to
      Toskala,
      who
      played
      mag-
     
     
      nificently
      in
      two
      outings
      against
     
     
      Montreal
      but
      has
      also
      been
      victim-
     
     
      ized
      by
      weaker
      opponents.
     
     
      Toronto's
      last
      victory
      against
      the
     
     
      Habs
      was
      lucky,
      and
      in
      spite
      of
      the
     
     
      supposed
      revitalization
      of
      the
      team
     
     
      following
      the
      win,
      they
      were
     
     
      soundly
      beaten
      by
      the
      Senators
      the
     
     
      night
      after.
      Toronto
      -
      and
      specifi-
     
     
      cally,
      Toronto's
      defence
      -
      is
      going
     
     
      to
      have
      the
      work
      cut
      out
      for
      them
     
     
      if
      they
      wish
      to
      squeeze
      into
      the
     
     
      playoffs.
      The
      additions
      of
      Mark
     
     
      Bell
      and
      Kyle
      Wellwood,
      from
     
     
      suspension
      and
      injury
      respectively,
     
     
      seemed
      to
      do
      little
      to
      spark
      the
     
     
      team.
     
    

    
     
      Best
      Player:
      Nik
      Antropov
      has
     
     
      been
      a
      pleasant
      surprise,
      but
     
     
      Captain
      Courageous
      Matt
      Sundin
     
     
      has
      been
      absolutely
      unstoppable,
     
     
      posting
      21
      points
      in
      16
      games.
     
     
      Keeping
      the
      pace
      may
      be
      difficult
     
     
      for
      the
      36-year-old,
      but
      it
      certainly
     
     
      warrants
      at
      least
      all-star
      considera-
     
     
      tion
      at
      this
      point.
     
    

    
     
      Vancouver
      Canucks:
      Prized
     
     
      acquisition
      Roberto
      Luongo
      has.
     
     
      been
      horribly
      ordinary
      so
      far
      this
     
     
      year,
      and
      his
      play
      only
      goes
      to
      fur-
     
     
      ther
      showcase
      the
      difficulty
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canucks
      have
      scoring
      goals,
      as
     
     
      they
      are
      no
      longer
      to
      win
      the
      tight
     
     
      defensive
      games
      they
      once
      domi-
     
     
      nated
      while
      relying
      on
      a
      franchise
     
     
      goalie.
      Vancouver's
      situation
      is
     
     
      comparable
      to
      that
      of
      the
      Flames,
     
     
      only
      some
      Calgary
      players
      can
     
     
      score
      goals,
      and
      Iron
      Mike
      Keenan
     
     
      would
      never
      stand
      for
      a
      losing
     
     
      record
      like
      the
      Canucks
      have
      at
      the
     
     
      moment.
     
    

    
     
      Best
      Player:
      While
      the
      Sedins
     
     
      have
      been
      consistent
      offensively
     
     
      and
      have
      been
      the
      Canucks’
      best
     
     
      players,
      the
      fact
      that
      they
      are
      both
     
     
      in
      the
      minus
      column
      should
      draw
     
     
      the
      attention
      of
      Coach
      Vigneault.
     
     
      When
      the
      two
      top
      goal
      scorers
      on
     
     
      a
      defensive
      team
      are
      unable
      to
      stay
     
     
      on
      the
      plus
      side,
      the
      system
      needs
     
     
      to
      be
      revisited,
      Alain.
     
    

    
     
      Edmonton
      Oilers:
      Edmonton
      is
     
     
      currently
      one
      of
      the
      worst
      teams
      in
     
     
      the
      league,
      and
      although
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      youth
      shows
      some
      promise,
      there
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      little
      excuse
      for
      this
      team
      to
      be
     
     
      as
      bad
      as
      they
      are.
      Injuries
      to
     
     
      defensemen
      Sheldon
      Souray
      and
     
     
      Joni
      Pitkanen
      have
      played
      a
      factor,
     
     
      but
      the
      season
      only
      seems
      to
      go
     
     
      downhill
      from
      here
      for
      the
      unfor-
     
     
      tunate
      Oil.
     
    

    
     
      At
      least
      fans
      can
      count
      on
      seeing
     
     
      Ryan
      Smyth
      a
      few
      times
      a
      year
      in
     
     
      divisional
      matchups.
     
    

    
     
      Best
      Player:
      Injecting
      some
      hope
     
     
      into
      fans
      of
      the
      bronze
      and
      blue
     
     
      are
      Andrew
      Cogliano
      and
      Sam
     
     
      Gagner.
      Gagner's
      -5
      is
      something
     
     
      to
      balk
      at,
      but
      he'll
      do
      well
      to
      keep
     
     
      it
      from
      hitting
      double
      digits
      before
     
     
      December.
      Cogliano
      only
      has
      a
     
     
      point
      more
      than
      his
      youthful
      coun-
     
     
      terpart,
      but
      his
      +1
      is
      a
      lot
      prettier
     
     
      to
      look
      at.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TO
      DEFEND
     
    
   
   
    
     
      DARFUR
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Holocaust
      Survivor
      Elly
      Gotz
      Speaks...
      UPEI:
      MacMillan
      Hall
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7:00-9:00pm
      Tuesday,
      November
      13",
      2007
      W.A.
      Murphy
      Student
      Center