Burke Should Keep His Young Defensemen

By HOWARD BERGER

TORONTO (Nov. 30) - There is no question that Bobby Ryan, if available, would look terrific in a Maple Leafs jersey. Ryan is a proven scorer that can provide a team 35 goals per season and he's still only 24 years of age.

The difficulty in attempting to pry the right-winger away from Anaheim (apart from how the Randy Carlyle-to-Bruce Boudreau coaching change might affect the dynamic) is cost-specific: Ducks GM Bob Murray will be looking to acquire at least one young defenseman - knowing, now, that he was pilfered of Jake Gardiner in the deal last February that saw Francois Beauchemin and Joffrey Lupul switch teams. Whether or not that dissuades him from genuine shop-talk with former Anaheim boss Brian Burke remains to be determined, though Burke does have the assets Murray is seeking.

And, that's where the Leafs GM ought to be very careful.

With the exception of a reliable No. 1 goalie, there are no elements more precious in today's game than size and mobility on defense. Burke has one or both in virtually every blue-liner that has worn the Leafs jersey this season, and not by accident; double-B and his staff have adroitly built most of the hockey club from the goal out. Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn, Keith Aulie, Gardiner, Cody Franson, Carl Gunnarsson and injured veteran Mike Komisarek are 6-foot-2 or taller. Phaneuf, Schenn, Aulie and Komisarek enjoy throwing their weight around. Phaneuf, Gardiner, Gunnarsson and 5-foot-10 John-Michael Liles are adept at moving the puck. This is an enviable surplus of goods at the game's second-most important position, and a spot in which injury-depth becomes increasingly valuable throughout the season.

Were the Leafs having difficulty scoring goals, perhaps Burke would anxiously part with a young defenseman in pursuit of Ryan. But, Toronto is scoring with the best teams in the league through the initial-third of the schedule - in large part because of its puck-advancing skill on the back end, from where the bulk of offence originates. Its defence, as a unit, is near the top of the NHL in production, an enormous improvement over the past calendar year. To sacrifice a blue-liner for yet another marksman - even one as good as Ryan - might be a lateral move, at best.

Advice from this end would be for Burke to retain every bit of quality and depth on defence.

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And now, a bit of photo "clean-up" from southern California, where the Leafs ended their successful road trip on Sunday night:

BRILLIANT FALL COLORS...
Between family visits and hockey trips, I've been to Los Angeles dozens of times in the past 20 years, but never when the autumn foliage is in full bloom. The gorgeous colours that appear in Toronto and southern Ontario between early and mid-October flourish in California between mid and late-November each year. A morning walk on Tuesday of this week captured the ensuing images:








































SIGNS, SIGNS; EVERYWHERE SIGNS...
Even those that have never visited Los Angeles will recognise many of the names and places in the area's ubiquitous highway signs:






















COMIN' ON HOME...
After nine days away, it was high-time to see the family once again, as I returned to Toronto on Air Canada Flight #796 from Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon:



LOS ANGELES BEACHES ARE LARGELY DESERTED IN LATE-AFTERNOON AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, THOUGH PLAYA DEL REY (ABOVE AND BELOW) IS NORMALLY LESS-BUSY THAN OTHERS GIVEN THE NOISE FROM JETLINERS DEPARTING OVERHEAD OUT OF LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.






A COUPLE OF FREIGHTERS (ABOVE) OFF THE COAST OF MANHATTAN BEACH.



ON MOST OCCASIONS, EASTBOUND FLIGHTS OUT OF L-A-X CLIMB TO 4,000 FEET ABOVE THE OCEAN BEFORE TURNING BACK DIRECTLY OVER THE AIRPORT. ONCE IN AWHILE - DEPENDING ON FLIGHT PATTERN AND WINDS - PLANES WILL FLY SOUTH BEFORE TURNING EASTWARD OVER NEWPORT BEACH IN ORANGE COUNTY. THAT'S THE ROUTE WE TOOK ON WEDNESDAY. THE ABOVE PHOTO SHOWS THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA JUTTING INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN SOUTH OF THE COAST-LINE, WITH REDONDO, HERMOSA AND MANHATTAN BEACHES NORTH OF THE PENINSULA. LOOK CLOSELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO AND YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDINGS OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES SOME 35 MILES IN THE DISTANCE.



FURTHER SOUTH (ABOVE), WE APPROACH LONG BEACH HARBOUR.



THE MOST FAMOUS RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH HARBOUR IS AT BOTTOM-LEFT IN THE ABOVE PHOTO: THE RMS QUEEN MARY OCEAN LINER THAT SAILED THE NORTH ATLANTIC BETWEEN 1936 AND 1967. THE SHIP LEFT SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND FOR ITS FINAL VOYAGE ON OCT. 31, 1967 AND DOCKED PERMANENTLY IN LONG BEACH. IT HAS SINCE BEEN CONVERTED INTO A MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION AND FIRST-CLASS HOTEL. THE BUILDINGS OF DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH ARE AT UPPER-RIGHT AND THE CIRCULAR STRUCTURE EMBODIES QUITE A MOMENT OF NHL HISTORY: IT WAS AT THE LONG BEACH ARENA - OCT. 14, 1967 - THAT THE LOS ANGELES KINGS PLAYED THEIR FIRST REGULAR-SEASON GAME, AGAINST PHILADELPHIA (FAMED CANADIAN JUNIOR COACH BRIAN KILREA SCORED THE KINGS FIRST GOAL THAT NIGHT). THE KINGS WOULD SPLIT THEIR EARLY GAMES BETWEEN LONG BEACH AND THE L.A. SPORTS ARENA BEFORE THE FORUM, IN SUBURBAN INGLEWOOD, OPENED ON DEC. 30, 1967.



INTERSTATE-405, THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY, WINDS ITS WAY NORTH AND SOUTH (ABOVE) JUST METERS WEST OF LONG BEACH AIRPORT.



A LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW (ABOVE) ATOP MOUNTAINS EAST OF LOS ANGELES.



DESERT MOUNTAINS (ABOVE) IN THE SETTING SUN BETWEEN L.A. AND LAS VEGAS.



OKAY VEGAS REGULARS: HOW MUCH OF THE FAMED "STRIP" CAN YOU IDENTIFY (ABOVE)? McCARRON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS AT BOTTOM OF THE PHOTO AND THE REPLICA EIFFEL TOWER AT PARIS LAS VEGAS IS CLEARLY ILLUMINATED TOWARD THE UPPER-RIGHT.



AN HOUR FROM HOME, OUR FLIGHT BEGINS TO CROSS LAKE MICHIGAN (ABOVE) WITH THE LIGHTS OF MILWAUKEE VISIBLE ON A CRYSTAL-CLEAR NIGHT.

Golden Sunrise at Disneyland

By HOWARD BERGER

ANAHEIM (Nov. 28) - Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, we hope today brings warmth and sunshine to your life. My day began with an uplifting, invigorating sight: the incredible colours of a southern-California dawn, as these images brilliantly attest:

AIRLINE CONTRAILS AND CIRRUS CLOUD REFLECT THE RISING SUN IN GOLD AND ORANGE HUES (ABOVE AND BELOW) AT 6:40 A.M.

THE OLD HALO-SCOREBOARD (ABOVE) OUTSIDE ANGELS STADIUM OF ANAHEIM.



THE SUN MAKES ITS APPEARANCE JUST PAST 7:05 A.M.

AUTUMN FOLIAGE IN THE FOREGROUND; BASEBALL HOME OF THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS IN THE BACKGROUND (ABOVE AND BELOW).

A STAPLE OF SOUTHERN-CALIFORNIA (ABOVE).

EARLY-MORNING TRAFFIC (ABOVE) ON ONE OF THE BUSIEST ROUTES IN THE AREA: INTERSTATE-5, THE SANTA ANA FREEWAY.

NORTH VIEW TOWARD THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN OF DISNEYLAND (ABOVE AND BELOW).

Leafs Have Definitely Moved Upstairs

By HOWARD BERGER

ANAHEIM (Nov. 28) - Though it is still difficult, albeit tantalising, for fans of the Maple Leafs to gauge the improvement of their team, one thing became crystal clear while sitting in the Honda Center on Sunday night: the Leafs are no longer part of the weak and feeble in the NHL.

The contrast between the home team and the visitors in this game was astounding. Less than half-a-decade removed from winning a Stanley Cup, the Anaheim Ducks are barely able to float anymore - the 5-2 drubbing they absorbed from the Leafs inciting constant jeers and cat-calls from an annoyed gathering said to be 13,685 (someone must have been counting legs). Randy Carlyle's moribund outfit looks frighteningly similar to the non-playoff Leaf teams of the post-lockout era, and you get the sense that hockey heads are going to roll here in the shadow of Disneyland.

This is not to deny credit to the Maple Leafs, who have been able to sense when a home team is flat this season and move in for the kill. The Leafs have feasted on the Rangers, New Jersey, Columbus, Tampa Bay and Anaheim in five-such games, out-scoring the opposition, 25-9, while building a terrific 8-5-0 record on the road. They return from southern California having conquered three consecutive teams in this four-game trip to remain atop the Northeast Division by one point over Boston, though the defending champions have played two fewer games.

Toronto has the third-most points in the league (30), trailing only Pittsburgh and Chicago. A home-and-home set with the Bruins this week (Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre; Saturday in Boston) will provide a clearer indication of how the Leafs match up with the big boys. At the moment, however, I think we can all but confirm they no longer reside among the dregs.

Please enjoy my photo-review of another beautiful night here in Anaheim:

THE CONTRAIL OF A JETLINER (ABOVE) PIERCES THE SOUTHERN-CALIFORNIA SKY AT DUSK ON SUNDAY. THE LEAFS AND DUCKS FACED OFF AT 6 P.M. LOCAL TIME.

MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE HONDA CENTER (ABOVE) - OFF KATELLA AVE. - ONE HOUR BEFORE THE TORONTO-ANAHEIM GAME.

A CRESCENT MOON HOVERS OVER THE ARENA IN THESE TWO PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FROM THE MEDIA PARKING LOT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.

LAST TIME THE LEAFS PLAYED HERE IN ANAHEIM, THEY ACHIEVED A DUBIOUS MILE-STONE: THEIR FIRST VICTORY OF THE 2009-10 SEASON AFTER AN 0-7-1 STAGGER FROM THE GATE THAT KILLED ANY REASONABLE HOPE OF COMPETING FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT. THE TEAMS WARM UP (ABOVE) ON SUNDAY NIGHT.

AN ATTRACTIVE YOUNG LADY (DAWN WRIGHT) SANG THE CANADIAN AND AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEMS PRIOR TO THE GAME, AND ROOKIE MATT FRATTIN (39) SNEAKED A PEAK FROM THE VISITORS' BENCH.

PHIL KESSEL HAS ENCOUNTERED A BIT OF A DRY SPELL, GOING SCORE-LESS IN THREE CONSECUTIVE GAMES, THOUGH HE STILL LEADS THE NHL WITH 16 GOALS, TWO AHEAD OF STEVEN STAMKOS. IN THE GAME HERE ON SUNDAY, DUCKS' DEFENSEMAN FRANCOIS BEAUCHEMIN KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON HIS FORMER LEAF TEAMMATE, AS EVIDENCED ABOVE AND BELOW. BEAUCHEMIN ALSO OPENED THE SCORING FOR ANAHEIM.

BEAUCHEMIN WAS LESS EFFECTIVE AGAINST KESSEL'S LINE-MATE - TYLER BOZAK - WHO ENJOYED HIS SECOND TWO-GOAL EFFORT OF THE ROAD TRIP. THE FORMER LEAFS BLUE-LINER SKATES AWAY (ABOVE) AS TEAMMATES CONGRATULATE BOZAK ON HIS GAME-TYING POWERPLAY GOAL AT 14:10 OF THE FIRST PERIOD.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN YOU COULDN'T GET A TICKET FOR A DUCKS GAME. ON SUNDAY NIGHT, THOUSANDS OF SEATS WERE EMPTY... THOSE ADORNED IN LEAF JERSEYS FILLING OUT MANY OF THE ROWS THAT WERE OCCUPIED (ABOVE).

LINING UP BESIDE THE AGELESS TEEMU SELANNE ON A FACE-OFF AT CENTRE ICE (ABOVE), LEAFS WINGER CLARKE MacARTHUR WOULD LATER SCORE HIS NINTH GOAL OF THE SEASON, PROVIDING THE VISITORS A LEAD THEY WOULD NOT RELINQUISH.

ON THIS NIGHT, TYLER BOZAK NOT ONLY STAYED CLOSE TO THE LEAGUE'S REIGNING MVP (ABOVE), HE OUTSCORED COREY PERRY OF ANAHEIM 2-1.

FOR A TECHNO-KLUTZ LIKE ME, SUCH A PHOTO AS THE ONE ABOVE MAY NEVER BE EQUALLED: THE PUCK BULGING THE ANAHEIM GOAL-MESH ON JOEY CRABB'S DEFLECTION OF A LUKE SCHENN SLAPPER FROM INSIDE THE POINT AT 2:36 OF THE SECOND PERIOD, GIVING TORONTO A 3-1 LEAD.

ANAHEIM'S RYAN GETZLAF WAITS PATIENTLY (ABOVE) WHILE BOZAK IS KICKED OUT OF THE FACE-OFF CIRCLE BY LINESMAN VAUGHAN RODY.

BRIAN BURKE AND DAVID NONIS WATCH THE CARNAGE PERPETRATED AGAINST THEIR FORMER TEAM FROM THE VISITORS' EXECUTIVE BOOTH IN THE HONDA CENTER. BURKE LATER VIDEOTAPES AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEMALE REPORTER (BELOW).

DUCKS' GOALIE JONAS HILLER IS ALL DISCOMBOBULATED (ABOVE) AS THE LEAFS CELEBRATE BOZAK'S SECOND OF THE NIGHT AT 0:47 OF THE THIRD PERIOD, INCREASING TORONTO'S LEAD TO 4-1.

THE DUCKS WERE SO BAD ON SUNDAY, THAT SOME PLAYERS COULDN'T BEAR TO WATCH (ABOVE). ACTUALLY, RYAN GETZLAF WAS PROTECTING HIMSELF FROM A SHOOT-IN DURING A THIRD-PERIOD LINE CHANGE... COREY PERRY (10) POISED TO LEAP THE BOARDS IN FRONT OF COACH RANDY CARLYLE.

THE LEAFS WELCOMED BACK CENTRE MIKHAIL GRABOVSKI (FACING OFF, ABOVE, AGAINST BRANDON McMILLAN) AFTER A FIVE-GAME ABSENCE WITH AN UPPER-BODY INJURY. OR WAS IT LOWER-BODY?

TRAILING BY TWO, ANAHEIM SKATED WITH A SIXTH ATTACKER DURING THE FINAL MINUTE (ABOVE), BUT THE MOVE BACK-FIRED WHEN LUKE SCHENN SLID THE PUCK 120 FEET INTO THE VACATED NET AT 19:48 FOR HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON.

RON WILSON WAS THE WINNING COACH, THOUGH YOU'D NEVER KNOW IT BY THE ABOVE EXPRESSION. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT FIND A HAPPIER FACE ON A BOTTLE OF IODINE. WILSON CONTINUED TO APPEAR DOUR MOMENTS LATER WHILE FIELDING MEDIA QUESTIONS (BELOW). EVEN TSN RADIO'S JONAS SIEGEL LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ATTENDING A WAKE.

AT LEAST THIS GUY HAD REASON TO FEEL DOWNTRODDEN: LOSING GOALIE JONAS HILLER OF THE DUCKS.

AW HECK, WHY NOT END THIS BLOG WITH A TRULY RARE PHOTOGRAPH?