Morning Smoke

On the heels of the newly renovated site as well as the first Hope in the Big Smoke Contest I’d like to unveil a new daily feature to the site “Morning Smoke”. Every morning I’ll provide some brief thoughts about the Leafs followed by Toronto Maple Leafs articles from both bloggers and the MSM. I give full credit to both Pension Plan Puppets and Maple Leafs Hot Stove who provide this daily to their respective sites as well.

My thoughts today focus on the Leafs lack of offensive punch. With only five goals in their last five games (all created and scored by the Kessel line), and my good buddy Tyler Bozak continuing to struggle as a first line centre (one goal in 15 games), isn’t it time to bring a highly creative and offensively talented top ten pick up to the blue and white? Considering Nazem Kadri has seven points in eight games with the Toronto Marlies, he may be just the right tonic that the misfiring Leafs offense requires. With the Kulemin-Grabovski-MacArthur line struggling, I would think a hungry Kadri can replace a dormant MacArthur to perhaps get the struggling Kulemin and Grabovski going.

The Leafs would also be getting Kadri coming up at the perfect time considering he scored the overtime goal and added two assists in yesterday’s Marlies victory. Here’s the Kadri winner

Daily Leaf Content

Pension Plan Puppets with a look at the struggling Nikolai Kulemin

Maple Leafs Hot Stove with a nice piece on Carl Gunnarsson

James Mirtle talking about a lack of killer instinct

Sportsnets’ Mike Brophy talking about the same shit