Had the ball actually scored, this would undoubtedly be the greatest soccer goal ever.

I also found Sidney Crosby's 100th point on YouTube. Making him the youngster NHLer, at 18, to score 100 points in one NHL season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT8XNlYvS2o

Check out the Talk-Sports hockey pool. It's easy and free!

http://www.talk-sports.net/nhl/?guid=20060420124709

You have to wonder how many outtakes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-SpGWTtPk

PR: The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that Pat Quinn has been relieved of his duties as the team’s head coach.

http://www.mapleleafs.com/news/news.asp?story_id=2023

Just some random notes about the 2006 season.

• Tomas Kaberle will lead the NHL in total minutes played.
• Kaberle and McCabe will finish 1-2 in average shift duration (that's time on the ice divided by number of shifts)
• Matt Stajan will likely tie Marian Hossa for the most SH points with 8.
• No Leaf player has recorded more than one shootout goal with Mats Sundin holding a 1-7 record.
• Kaberle leads the NHL in PPP% with 75.8%. That's the percentage of points that a player scores on the power play.
• Chad Kilger will lead the team in hits.
• Brian McCabe will lead the team in giveaways and is currently 23rd overall in the NHL.
• Matt Sundin will place 5th in face-off wins with 831 and 54.1%, even though he missed a dozen games.
• Kyle Wellwood will record the highest face-off win percentage on the Leafs with 56%.
• The Leafs will lead the NHL in PPGs, but are only +12 on special teams.
• J.S. Aubin has the 2nd highest save percentage of any goalie having played an entire game.
• Wellwood and Steen will finish 9-10 in rookie scoring.

Let me summarize the season. Thanks Belfour! And let's start with next season's team.

Goalie

• Tellqvist ($520k)
• Aubin ($525k)

Defensemen

• Kaberle ($4.25m)
• McCabe ($5m) will likely re-sign around this price
• White
• Harrison
• Colaiacovo (injured) restricted free-agent
• Pilar (injured)

Forwards

• Sundin ($6.3m)
• Tucker ($1.6m)
• O'Neill ($1.5m) may retire
• Domi ($1.25m) get rid of him please
• Steen ($901k)
• Poniko ($713k)
• Antropov restricted free-agent
• Stajan restricted free-agent
• Wellwood restricted free-agent
• Belak ($670k)

1st Period

• Early PP for the Leafs, Sundin to Kaberle, one timer from the point, SCORES! WTF? Looked like McCabe.
• Leafs are flying with multiple chances on each of the first half dozen shifts.
• Shots were 12-6 for the Leafs. Emery made many outstanding saves to keep the Sens close.

2nd Period

• Is Stajan hot? Another PP goal for Stajan. 2-0 Leafs.
• Leafs are killing the Sens. The best player on the ice is Emery and still the Leafs are winning 2-0. Shots are 19-8 at the mid-point of the game.
• Sen PP led to a few chances and some tired penalty killers. Aubin finally snared a shot with the glove getting us a line-change. Aubin is doing exactly what we need to win.
• BTW, Tampa scored.
• Kilger makes it 3-0 Leafs.
• Sundin 4-0. Another PP goal.
• Ian White just made a supreme diving poke check on Heatley who was otherwise on a break-away.
• Antropov 5-0.

Note: Even though the Leafs lead 5-0 after 2 period, the Lightning are winning 1-0 over the Canes. That game could mean the end of the Leaf season.

3rd Period

• Hurricane scored, but still trail Tampa 2-1.
• Games over. Leafs win again, but maybe for not.

Action in Tampa

• Canes scored to tie the game.
• Canes/Lightning are going to overtime, which means the Leafs are now down to their last point. If the Lightning win in OT or shootout, then it's over for the Leafs.
• The Leafs just got helped out by a stupid ref call. The Cane (Cullen) player with the puck was taken out of the play and the great defensive play was awarded an interference penalty.
• It's over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Leaf season is over.

I normal wouldn't blog about the soap opera named Sean Avery, but I just love the comeback that Hayward thru at Sean Avery this last week.

Sean Avery: You're the reason the league doesn't have a national television deal. You're a (terrible) announcer and you were a (terrible) player.

Brian Hayward: How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade.

As we all know, the Toronto Maple Leafs can't draft players. So, I wondered, which teams can? As this is the year of the rookie (caused by a double crop of rookies), let's go thru the top 10 rookie scorers and find out who drafted them and when.

1. Ovechkin, Capitals (1st overall)
2. Crosby, Penguis (1st overall)
3. Boyes, Leafs (24th)
4. Jokinen, Stars (192)
5. Svatos, Avalance (227)
6. Vanek, Sabres (5)
7. Phaneuf, Flames (9)
8. Prucha, Rangers (240)
9. Wellwood, Leafs (134)
10. Steen, Leafs (24)

As we all know, the Leafs media are dumb. Next time you hear on 590 or 640 AM radio or read in the Toronto newspapers that the Leafs can't draft, remember the truth.

Took the kids to Tae Kwan Do for the first two periods. Caught the end of the second and the Sundin goal while driving home.

3rd Period

• Leafs started the period with a PP and quickly went to a 2-man advantage, but never got a puck never the net during the PPs.
• Both the Canadiens and Thrashers are winning tonight, which means even with a win, the strangle hold on the season will be getting tighter tonight. On the other hand, the longer the Leafs remain alive and closer to the end of the season, the better our chances.
• The kids are hot. Stajan scores again. 3-2 Leafs! Stajan had a second goal called back earlier in the game.
• I really don't like Ondros. At least once a game he creates a great scoring chance for the other team. Not a very smart player. He just did it again. Aubin didn't suspect a thing and we got lucky as the puck pinballed thru the crease.
• Isles tie the game on some defensive confusion between Berg and Wellwood (his fault). 3-3.
• The dumbest move in hockey and it happens all the time, is when the player dumps the puck in the corner and heads to the bench for a line change, when there's only 10 seconds remaining on the game clock. McCabe?

Overtime

• Sundin will score, trust me, I know.
• Stajan took the puck into the Islanders zone, handled the puck while his teamates changes, passed it back and forth with Tucker a couple times, then when on a long skate all around the net, thru the Isles D and backhand into the back of the net. The Leafs win again!

3 Points out-of-a playoff spot.

David Shoalts: Ferguson let it be known that he signed veteran goaltender Jean-Sébastien Aubin to a one-year contract. While the contract is just for one year and comes with only a modest raise to $525,000 (U.S.) from Aubin's current annual stipend of $500,000, the big attraction is that it is a one-way deal.

Randy: That means Aubin will make his half-million whether he plays for the Leafs or the Marlies. If any team in the NHL could pay there AHL goalies a half-million, it would be the Leafs. This might mean the Leafs are prepared to go with Aubin and Tellqvist to start next season, which would open up the bank to sign a forward or defenseman.

1st Period

• A couple early 2-on-1 goals for the Panthers. 2-0. I'm listening to the game, so I can't comment on Aubin.
• Sundin scores on the PP to cut the lead. 2-1.
• From the play-by-play and shots 15-6, the Leafs are killing the Panthers.

2nd Period

• Sundin scores to tie the game at 2, but the Panthers strike back for a 3-2 lead. Aubin has allowed 3 goals on 9 shots.
• With the season on the line, Sundin has really picked it up. He's 14-5 on face-offs today, his line has 11 shots and he's got 2 goals.
• Sundin to Antropov and we're tied again. Sundin is a god.

Notes: Antropov and Poniko are +13 to lead the team. Stajan and White are +6. Sundin and Harrison are +5. Wellwood is +4. No other pluses.

3rd Period

• Nieuwendyk gets the hat-trick and the lead. Sounded like Ian White didn't get the job done. 4-3 Panthers.
• We need this game. Tampa is losing 6-1. A win by the Leafs could put some serious pressure on the Lightning. We are that close, yet so far. If Lightning lose, they have 89 in 79 games. If Leafs win, they have 84 in 78.
• Sundin hat-trick! 4-4. Wellwood is hot too with 3 assists. 9 straight Leafs goals have been on the PP. McCabe has 3 assists too!
• Leafs have 40 shots tonight, for the first time this season.
• Sundin is 20-5 on the face-off. Hat-Trick! 4 Points! Line has 15 shots.
• The shots tonight are 45-16 for the Leafs. They want it.
• Sundin #4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5-4 Leafs!!!!
• Panthers tie it up on a fluke goal. 5-5. Nieuwendyk has 4 points with an assist.

Notes: Watching the replays of all the games on TV, Burke for the Lightning looked horrible.

• We're going to OT. We got 1 point. Who cares. At this point, we need 2. Shots were 47-25 for the Leafs.

Overtime

• Two PPs in overtime, one for each. Leafs get the last minute on the PP.
• 51 shots tonight for the Leafs. 11+ more than any game this season.
• Kaberle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6 points for the god!

I think I just listened to the best Leaf game since Gerry Valk put the Leafs in the semis. Would have loved to watch that!

I created a new NBA Game blog on talk-sports.net. I post all the boxscore and an article once in awhile.

http://www.talk-sports.net/nba/

Bottom of the 10th. Redsox lead 5-3. 2 outs and the bases are empty. 1 out away from their 1st world series since Babe Ruth left town and a pixelated Mookie Wilson comes to the plate.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8547285560243429315

Christina Almeida: Luc Robitaille, the highest scoring left wing in NHL history, will retire at the end of the season, the Los Angeles Kings said Monday.

Randy: Luc's class of 1984 includes many hall-of-famers or hall-of-fame locks.

• Mario Lemieux
• Patrick Roy
• Brett Hull
• and Luc

Oops! I left one out. Can you guess his name?

Mike Volonnino: With three goals and an assist on the weekend, everybody in the state of Wisconsin knew that junior forward Robbie Earl would be the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player.

Randy: Robbie is a Leaf prospect.

Both Canadians are in the top 16 and within 5 strokes of the lead after 3 rounds of the Masters golf tournament. Stephen Ames is -2 only 2 shots off the lead and Mike Weir is +1, 5 shots off.

http://www.masters.org/

1st Period

• Ian White made a great shot-pass to O'Neill in the slot for deflection goal on the PP. 1-0 Leafs.
• Big PP move on the rush by Stajan, then hits Steen in the slot for the 2nd PP goal of the period. 2-0 Leafs.
• Belak out-wrestled Brashear in a very quick takedown fight.

2nd Period

• Gauthier nailed Wellwood from behind and high, while the Leafs were already on the PP. 5 minute major. This should be an automatic goal.
• Flyers almost killed both the 2-man and 5 minute advantages, but O'Neill scored his second of the game. 3-0 Leafs.
• The Flyers are mostly just playing dirty. Hatcher thru an elbow on Steen. No call. If they called everything against the Flyers, then they would be permanently SH tonight.
• Aubin is playing good again.
• Aubin is playing great again.
• Aubin and Kaberle mis-communicated behind the net, which led to an easy goal for the Flyers. 3-1.
• Sundin wired one. Another PP goal. 4-1. The penalty on the Flyers was a horrible call by the ref.

3rd Period

• Aubin just keeps making save after save. Easy ones. Spectacular ones.
• Aubin lets one in from behind the net. 4-2. This might be the first game where he's allowed two bad goals. But, when that's the only two goals, you still gotta be happy. Still a lot of time though.
• Leafs win!

Sounds like the Leafs are gonna keep the fans interested to the end. Points in 5 straight games, but unless the Lightning choke, it's already over.

1st Period

• Leafs look awful tonight. 0-0. Aubin. Not Belfour!
• Czerkawski makes it 1-0. Bad goal on Aubin, but it doesn't matter, because he's played 5 good games in a row and he's gonna get nothing but good words from me till he sucks.

2nd Period

• After a horrible 1st period, the Leafs started real strong including a goal by Poniko from Sundin to tie the game.
• Murray scores on a screened top shelf shot. He's had the Leafs number this year. 2-1 Bruins.
• Since the Murray goal it's been all Bruins. 50-second 2-man advantage coming.
• Kaberle killed the 2-man advantage all by himself, then the remaining 1-man advantage, then almost scored on the rush.

3rd Period

• With 13 seconds left in possibly the Leaf season, Captain 3rd Period makes a return. 2-2.

Overtime

• Couldn't score on an overtime PP.

Shootout.

• Down to Poniko. Nope. They lose 1-0 in the shootout. No goals on last two shootouts. Those were the only points we missed in the last six games.

This is the first game in awhile that I'll be blogging. By the time, I returned from my vacation, the Leafs were pretty much out of the playoffs. J.S. Aubin has been great and it shows one thing. They can win, when their goaltending doesn't suck. The Leafs haven't played better of late. Their goaltender has played better of late. Too bad it's too late.

1st Period

• sucked

2nd Period

• Aubin looked lost on the first Isles goal. But he's been great, so he deserves all the breaks.
• Tucker scored to tie the game. Assist to Ian White, who's unlikely to play another game in the AHL.
• Two full minutes, two man power-play for the Leafs. No goal!

3rd Period

• Isles score on the PP to take the lead.
• Tucker scores again to tie it again. He shot the puck hard from 50 feet. Figure that.

Let's examine the game to date. Belfour isn't in net. That's the difference. The only difference. It's goaltending. It's important.

And Elias has a hat trick tonight. He'll turn 30 in 7-days and is an unrestricted free-agent at the end of the season. I think he's the best money-value unrestricted free-agent available.

• Poniko scores to give the leaves the lead. A great strong rush by Antropov. Leafs lead 3-2. Poniko has 20 goals!
• Leafs win! Whatever.

This blog has been so popular and a lot of readers have asked me to setup a more complete forum, that I've decided to buy a new domain and host it there. I decided on talk-sports.net. Over the next few weeks, I'll transfer all the blog entries to there and redirect this blog. I'm also gonna setup a lot more blogs, forums and services at the new domain. Stay tuned.

http://www.talk-sports.net