MAPLE LEAFS NOTES: Outlook for Mark Giordano’s hand injury not good
to miss a few games.
Wednesday that Giordano was still being evaluated, but if it’s a broken bone, he could be lost until Christmas.
“Beyond that, we don’t know the extent of it,” the coach said.
Since Nov. 1, Giordano’s ice time has been at or near 20 minutes a night as he helped fill for injuries to John Klingberg, Conor
Timmins and Timothy Liljegren.
“We haven’t been without him very much since he’s been here,” Keefe acknowledged of how the defence will look Thursday. “He’s a
guy who gives us everything he has; leadership, experience, penalty-killing utility.
draws in Thursday, the only spare blueliner remaining) and even more reason for our forwards to support our defence. They haven’t
done a good enough job.”
A trade for depth is unlikely, given veteran defencemen are still coveted by so many teams. But a lengthy Giordano absence will
certainly re-kindle talk of general manager Brad Treliving dealing with his old team, the Calgary Flames, who had Nikita Zadorov
recently asking for a trade. Another rumour has had Toronto already shadowing Anaheim’s llya Lyubushkin, whom they employed two
years ago, but who has a $2.75-million US cap hit.
If a call-up is needed, 6-foot-1 Max Lajoie has played one game for Toronto this season and is likely to be summoned ahead of Finnish
prospects Topi Niemela and Mikko Kokkonen. A break-up of steady pairing Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie might be needed, too.
BLOCK PARTY
When the hard rubber stopped flying on Tuesday night after overtime, the Leafs had blocked 25 shots in addition to 38 Joseph Woll
saves. The sacrifices included four blocks by Rielly in his 30 minutes and 30 seconds of work, the Giordano mishap and a puck in the
chops that sidelined winger Mitch Marner for a while.
“For me, it’s a big part of the game,” said Simon Benoit, who got in front of three. “If we can take away four, five maybe 10 shots on our
goalie, it’s easier for them.
“I grew up watching (ex-Leaf and Bruin) Hal Gill. He was always on the ground (spreading out his 6-foot-7 body).
“If you have it in you, you do it, because it’s not fun. Jake McCabe got one on the knee and you feel it. But guys know you do it and you
get a lot of recognition.”
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