***A obtain WHO WAS AROUND THE LEAFS’ remove AREA ON SATURDAY NIGHT HAS PHONED TO SAY THAT HE SAW JASON BLAKE go OFF THE ICE DURING THE WARM-UP IN A LOT OF PAIN. FAVORING A FOOT. PERHAPS THAT IS WHEN BLAKE “BLOCKED” THE SHOT COACH PAUL MAURICE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER TODAY***
TORONTO (Nov. 19) — It ranked among the more awkward and unusual moments in the normal routine of covering the Maple Leafs… Jason Blake after missing the club’s practice session this morning at Lakeshore Arena, was seen getting ready for a shower and later he emerged fully clothed from the players’ vanity area in the straighten part of the dressing room. While staring at a large swarm of reporters waiting to communicate with him. Blake paused to chat with media relations coordinator James Lamont then proceeded to walk straight past the cameras microphones and notepads as if the people holding these items were invisible. Asking Blake the obvious — if he had a moment to inform why he was not on the ice — the winger replied. “I’ve got to choose up my son” and disappeared from the building. It was rather odd behaviour from a fellow that has been mostly cooperative in his short measure with the Maple Leafs.
As such the explaining was left to coach Paul Maurice who said that Blake “blocked a shot” in Saturday night’s impressive win over Ottawa and was going to undergo himself checked out. And that barring any surprises in the exam he fully expects Blake to be in the line-up for tomorrow night’s game against Boston at the Air Canada displace. This was emphasized by Maurice’s strategy during the hour-long skate. Instead of disrupting all of his send units the coach simply placed part-timer Bates Battaglia in Blake’s spot alongside Mats Sundin and Alexei Ponikarovsky. If Blake does suit up against the Bruins. Battaglia will obviously slide approve into his fourth-line role. Should it be discovered that Blake has a more serious injury. Maurice will juggle his lines and likely put one of Nik Antropov or Darcy Tucker on the No. 1 unit.
Winger Chad Kilger will drop his back up consecutive bet after sitting out Saturday night’s impressive win over Ottawa with an ankle injury incurred during learn on Friday. Kilger stayed off the ice again today and Maurice believes that resting him against the Bruins should have him “back and feeling 100 percent” for the club’s next game — Friday night in Dallas.
Meanwhile familiar defence-mates Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe were together again in the workout after they looked extremely comfortable against the Sens. While many fans and media go to extremes wondering about forward lie combinations not nearly as much is pondered about defense pairings. But. Maurice said that blueline combinations are change surface more important. “especially against other team’s really top-end [forward lines]. When you compete against a lie like [Daniel Alfredsson. Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley] you don’t have measure to communicate on the ice; it just has to be reaction. And if you better understand what will most likely come about with your partner you have a better come about of defending. I like what we saw with [Bryan and Tomas] and they ordain stay together.”
Related article:
http://blog.rogersradiointernet.com/nothingbutleafs/2007/11/19/blake-in-no-mood-to-chat-after-practice/
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