Coin-Flip Comes Up Scrivens

By HOWARD BERGER

ST. LOUIS (Nov. 10) - No matter which goalie was chosen to start tonight's game against the St. Louis Blues, one element was squarely in his corner: there is no act to follow.

Leafs coach Ron Wilson settled on Ben Scrivens, which is probably no better, or worse, a call than Jonas Gustavsson. And, that's the problem at the moment with the Blue & White: neither choice was likely to overjoy fans of the hockey club, or instill pre-game confidence among teammates. As mentioned in this corner last night, however, the dreadful results at home against Boston and Florida should not preclude Scrivens from bouncing back strongly at the Scottrade Center. The rookie played with poise; confidence; even a bit of swagger, on the road in Columbus last week before losing all three elements at home. Be it Scrivens, Gustavsson, or John Doe between the pipes, someone needs to make a timely stop for the Leafs.

I asked Wilson after the morning skate today whether the deluge of soft goals scored by the Bruins and Panthers has fractured the team's confidence. "It's inevitable that [the other players] will worry a bit about what's happening behind them, but they can't focus on that," Wilson replied. "Goalies don't score, and we only got one goal in the two games at home. So, it's best for each player to concentrate on his own job and play better in front of the goalie. That's the only approach we can take."

Another useful approach would be to sharpen focus after a goal is scored by the opposition. On four separate occasions the past couple of games - three against Boston - the Leafs gave up goals within seconds of each other. That's a bizarre statistic and is almost certainly related to the gloom that prevails after a softy goes in. The players likely remind one another to "stay focused" and to "not let it bother us", but it's easier said than done.

Scrivens has to put a cork in that trend tonight.

It was a beautiful day here in St. Louis; if not a bit cool and windy. Please enjoy my photos from the Leafs morning skate and an early-afternoon stroll to the Gateway Arch.

MOST LEAF PLAYERS MADE IT ONTO THE ICE AT THE SCOTTRADE CENTER (ABOVE) WITHIN ONE SECOND OF THE 11:30 a.m. SKATE TIME.

MEANWHILE, UNDER THE STANDS, A COUPLE OF FORMER LEAFS WERE WRAPPING UP THEIR MORNING ROUTINE, INCLUDING DEFENSEMAN CARLO COLAIACOVO (ABOVE), WHO NEVER SMILED QUITE LIKE THIS LATE IN HIS TENURE WITH THE BLUE & WHITE.

EX-LEAF ALEX STEEN SHARES A LAUGH WITH THE LEAFS' DIRECTOR OF TEAM SERVICES, DAVE GRIFFITHS (ABOVE), AND THEN MAKES A POINT IN THE DRESSING ROOM (BELOW) WHILE SURROUNDED BY REPORTERS.

REPORTERS MULL ABOUT THIS MORNING (ABOVE) IN THE MAIN PART OF THE BLUES' DRESSING ROOM AT SCOTTRADE CENTER.

SEAT-COLORING AT THE SCOTTRADE CENTER - WHICH OPENED IN JANURAY 1995 AS THE KEIL CENTER - HAS ALWAYS FEATURED A PASTEL ELEMENT (ABOVE).

GREAT NAMES AND GREAT TEAMS ARE CELEBRATED BY THE BLUES HIGH ABOVE THE ICE SURFACE. ST. LOUIS AND LOS ANGELES ARE THE EXISTING MEMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL SIX-TEAM EXPANSION IN 1967 NOT TO WIN A STANLEY CUP. PITTSBURGH (THREE TIMES); PHILADELPHIA (TWICE) AND MINNESOTA (AS THE RE-LOCATED DALLAS STARS IN 1999) HAVE WON CHAMPIONSHIPS. IN A ROUND-ABOUT WAY, SO HAS THE OTHER 1967 ENTRY, THE CALIFORNIA SEALS: A FRANCHISE THAT MOVED TO THE CLEVELAND AREA IN 1976 AND THEN MERGED WITH THE OLD MINNESOTA NORTH STARS IN 1978.

THE MEDIA LOCATION AT SCOTTRADE CENTER (ABOVE) IS NAMED IN MEMORY OF BROADCASTING LEGEND DAN KELLY: VOICE OF THE BLUES FROM 1968 UNTIL HIS DEATH FROM CANCER IN FEBRUARY 1989. AN OTTAWA NATIVE, KELLY VAULTED TO INTERNATIONAL PROMINENCE WHEN HE CALLED NHL GAMES FOR CBS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF EXPANSION. HE MAY BE BEST-REMEMBERED FOR HIS CALL OF MARIO LEMIEUX'S LAST-MINUTE SERIES WINNER AGAINST THE RUSSIANS IN THE 1987 CANADA CUP TOURNAMENT AT COPPS COLISEUM IN HAMILTON. DAN'S SON - JOHN KELLY - IS THE CURRENT TV VOICE OF THE BLUES.

LEAF GOALIES BEN SCRIVENS AND JONAS GUSTAVSSON WORK TOGETHER AT THE MORNING SKATE TODAY (ABOVE). SCRIVENS WILL START AGAINST THE BLUES.

COACH RON WILSON BARKS OUT INSTRUCTIONS AT CENTER-ICE THIS MORNING (ABOVE) AND LATER EXPLAINS TO REPORTERS (BELOW) WHY HE'S CHOSEN SCRIVENS TO START TONIGHT'S MATCH.

DEFENSEMAN CARL GUNNARSSON WORKS ON HIS STICKS (ABOVE) IN PREPARATION FOR TONIGHT'S GAME.

A 15-MINUTE WALK EAST FROM THE SCOTTRADE CENTER LANDED ME AT THE FAMED GATEWAY ARCH (ABOVE), THE SYMBOL OF ST. LOUIS AND OFFICIAL "GATEWAY TO THE WEST" SINCE IT OPENED ON OCT. 28, 1965. AT 630 FEET, IT REMAINS THE TALLEST MAN-MADE MONUMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.

AT THE VERY APEX OF THE ARCH (ABOVE) IS A SEQUENCE OF WINDOWS THAT CAN BE ACCESSED BY RIDING A TROLLEY UPWARD THROUGH THE STRUCTURE. I'VE MADE THE JOURNEY A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT PROVIDES - FROM A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 65 STORIES - A SPECTACULAR VIEW OF DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS.

STANDING AT THE BASE OF THE GATEWAY ARCH (ABOVE) IS RATHER INSPIRING ON A GREAT WEATHER AFTERNOON LIKE TODAY.

TWO VIEWS OF DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS (ABOVE AND BELOW) FROM THE RIVER-FRONT AREA. GREEN DOMED STRUCTURE IN BOTTOM PHOTO IS THE OLD COURTHOUSE, A NATIONAL HISTORIC BUILDING.

FROM MY DIRTY HOTEL-WINDOW, 23 FLOORS UP, A TERRIFIC VIEW (ABOVE) OF BUSCH STADIUM - HOME OF THE WORLD SERIES-CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS.