By HOWARD BERGER
WASHINGTON (Dec. 9) - After looking respectable on the penalty kill through much of November, the Maple Leafs were stripped naked by the Washington Capitals on Friday night. A sequence of undisciplined penalties allowed the Caps to score all their goals on the powerplay - three of them by defenseman Dennis Wideman - in a 4-2 victory over the Leafs; Toronto losing for the third time in four games since Saturday. Wideman became the first defenseman to score a hat-trick against the Maple Leafs since Mar. 7,1994, when Steve Duchesne of the St. Louis Blues had three at Maple Leaf Gardens - that info from the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby: a walking encyclopedia among us all. (NOTE: On Saturday, the NHL reviewed Wideman's third goal and ruled it had gone in off teammate Brooks Laich, so Steve Duchesne is still the last d-man to score three on the Leafs)
The game, itself, seemed to be an intrusion after a busy day compiling reaction to the sale of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to communications rivals Rogers and Bell Media. Much of the chatter around the visitors' dressing room after the morning skate centred on the most noticeable and popular member of the Leafs ownership group. One by one, the veteran players - and coach Ron Wilson - voluntarily mentioned his name: the lone face they all know in a throng of investors that has now grown beyond immediate comprehension.
Larry Tanenbaum - owning right of first refusal in the sale of MLSE majority shares, but not quite worth $1.4 billion himself - will continue to be seen during and after all Leaf games at the Air Canada Centre; his stock having increased from 20% to 25% of the enormous pie. Through good times and bad, Tanenbaum was the conscience of a now-former controlling group fronted by the impersonal Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and a man that deeply cared about those on the front lines.
WASHINGTON (Dec. 9) - After looking respectable on the penalty kill through much of November, the Maple Leafs were stripped naked by the Washington Capitals on Friday night. A sequence of undisciplined penalties allowed the Caps to score all their goals on the powerplay - three of them by defenseman Dennis Wideman - in a 4-2 victory over the Leafs; Toronto losing for the third time in four games since Saturday. Wideman became the first defenseman to score a hat-trick against the Maple Leafs since Mar. 7,1994, when Steve Duchesne of the St. Louis Blues had three at Maple Leaf Gardens - that info from the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby: a walking encyclopedia among us all. (NOTE: On Saturday, the NHL reviewed Wideman's third goal and ruled it had gone in off teammate Brooks Laich, so Steve Duchesne is still the last d-man to score three on the Leafs)
The game, itself, seemed to be an intrusion after a busy day compiling reaction to the sale of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to communications rivals Rogers and Bell Media. Much of the chatter around the visitors' dressing room after the morning skate centred on the most noticeable and popular member of the Leafs ownership group. One by one, the veteran players - and coach Ron Wilson - voluntarily mentioned his name: the lone face they all know in a throng of investors that has now grown beyond immediate comprehension.
Larry Tanenbaum - owning right of first refusal in the sale of MLSE majority shares, but not quite worth $1.4 billion himself - will continue to be seen during and after all Leaf games at the Air Canada Centre; his stock having increased from 20% to 25% of the enormous pie. Through good times and bad, Tanenbaum was the conscience of a now-former controlling group fronted by the impersonal Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and a man that deeply cared about those on the front lines.
"I think it's great that Larry got more of a percentage," said Leaf captain Dion Phaneuf. "Larry has always made a point of interacting with the players; he's a really good guy to talk with in any situation. I'm excited he got a bigger stake in ownership."
Added defenseman Luke Schenn - earmarked to be captain before Phaneuf"s acquisition: "Larry is an unbelievable human being; a class act all around, and one of the nicest people I've ever met. From a player's standpoint, you couldn't ask for more out of an owner. He comes into the dressing room after all of our home games with praise after a win and words of encouragement after a loss. He does lots of great things for us and has always shown how much he cares about the team.
"I met a few people, here and there, from the Teachers' Pension Plan over the years but never got to know them as anything more than a familiar face; they all seemed very businesslike. Larry is much more personable; he comes to team and charity events and is a gracious host. I'm really thrilled he's staying on."
I had a wildly busy day here on Friday - walking (in the wrong pair of shoes) for nearly two hours after the Leafs morning skate to photograph several of the world-renowned sights here in the American capital. And, despite a couple of wicked blisters, I'm happy to present you the following photo-review:
I had a wildly busy day here on Friday - walking (in the wrong pair of shoes) for nearly two hours after the Leafs morning skate to photograph several of the world-renowned sights here in the American capital. And, despite a couple of wicked blisters, I'm happy to present you the following photo-review:
LEAFS AND CAPITALS STAND DURING NATIONAL ANTHEMS AT THE VERIZON CENTER, BEFORE THE PUCK IS DROPPED (BELOW) BY REFEREE MIKE HASENFRATZ BETWEEN MIKHAIL GRABOVSKI AND JEFF HALPERN.
PHIL KESSEL SCORED THE LEAFS FIRST GOAL, HIS 18th OF THE SEASON, AND WAS FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE WASHINGTON NET A NUMBER OF TIMES.
LEAFS DID A GOOD JOB BOTTLING UP THE CAPITALS WHILE PLAYING FIVE-ON-FIVE, BUT HAD NOT A CLUE WHILE SKATING SHORTHANDED.
PERHAPS JOFFREY LUPUL AND NICKLAS BACKSTROM WERE DISCUSSING THEIR MUTUAL NUMBERS (ABOVE)... AND PERHAPS NOT.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A BIT OF A FIRE-DRILL (ABOVE) WITH PLAYERS ON BOTH TEAMS SCATTERING IN ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS NEAR CENTRE-ICE.
MR. G-Q WAS AT IN THE HOUSE - A.K.A. DON KOHARSKI: FORMER LONG-TIME REFEREE AND CURRENT OFFICIATING SUPERVISOR.
IT WAS NOT A PLEASANT NIGHT FOR LEAFS GOALIE JAMES REIMER, WHO WAS UNDER SIEGE DURING WASHINGTON POWERPLAYS AND COULDN'T STOP WHAT HE COULDN'T SEE (BELOW): DENNIS WIDEMAN'S SECOND GOAL AT 1:49 OF THE SECOND PERIOD, WITH BROOKS LAICH AND DION PHANEUF PROVIDING THE SCREEN.
ALEX OVECHKIN, IN FAMILIAR FACE-OFF STANCE (ABOVE), WAS DANGEROUS ALL NIGHT, SETTING UP ONE OF WIDEMAN'S GOALS AND CELEBRATING WITH THE CAPITALS' DEFENSEMAN (BELOW).
HATS RAIN DOWN FROM THE VERIZON CENTER SEATS (ABOVE) AS THE CAPITALS MOB WIDEMAN AFTER HIS THIRD GOAL, WITH 1:50 TO PLAY.
WIDEMAN FLIPS A PUCK INTO THE STANDS (ABOVE) WHILE SKATING OUT AS THE GAME'S UNDISPUTED FIRST STAR.
CAPITALS COACH DALE HUNTER - JUNIOR LEGEND FROM LONDON - ADDRESSES MEDIA AFTER THE VICTORY OVER TORONTO.
CAPITALS COACH DALE HUNTER - JUNIOR LEGEND FROM LONDON - ADDRESSES MEDIA AFTER THE VICTORY OVER TORONTO.
THE VERIZON CENTER (ABOVE AND BELOW) EARLIER IN THE DAY, WITH THE CHIEF ATTRACTION IN THESE PARTS DISPLAYED ON A BANNER OUTSIDE.
LEAFS SKATE IN THE MORNING AT THE VERIZON CENTER (ABOVE) AND COLBY ARMSTRONG - SOILED LINEN IN HAND - STEPS OUT OF THE VISITORS' DRESSING ROOM (BELOW) WITH THE SMILE OF A MAN RETURNING AFTER A 23-GAME ABSENCE WITH A HIGH-ANKLE SPRAIN. WE LAST SAW HIM AT THE ACC AGAINST WINNIPEG ON OCT. 19.
ONE OF THE CLASSIC VIEWS IN AMERICA (ABOVE): THE STRETCH ALONG PENNSYLVANIA AVE. TO THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL.
THE DOME ATOP THE U.S. CAPITOL MAY BE THE MOST RECOGNISABLE STRUCTURE ON EARTH. MANY STILL BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY TERRORISTS ABOARD UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 ON SEP. 11, 2001 (FROM NEWARK TO SAN FRANCISCO), HAD PASSENGERS NOT BRAVELY AND LEGENDARILY FOUGHT TO RE-TAKE THE AIRCRAFT. HIJACKERS NOSEDIVED THE PLANE INTO A FIELD IN SHANKSVILLE PA.
LOOKING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM CAPITOL HILL (ABOVE) - PAST THE ULYSSES S. GRANT MEMORIAL ALONG THE NATIONAL MALL TO THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT (A PLANE PASSING BY ON FINAL APPROACH TO REAGAN AIRPORT). THE WORLD'S LARGEST OBELISK (555 FEET) WAS BADLY DAMAGED DURING THE BIZARRE, 5.8-MAGNITUDE VIRGINIA EARTHQUAKE ON AUG. 23 OF THIS YEAR AND HASN'T YET RE-OPENED TO THE PUBLIC.
THE 2011 CHRISTMAS TREE (ABOVE) ON CAPITOL HILL.
THE CAPITOL REFLECTING POOL (ABOVE AND BELOW) APPEARED SUMMER-LIKE, EVEN WITH TEMPERATURES HOVERING IN THE MID-40s.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE U.S. ARE HOUSED IN THE HISTORIC BUILDING (ABOVE).
IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ALONG CONSTITUTION AVE. - THE UNITED STATES TREASURY (ABOVE) AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT (BELOW).
NO SITE IN THE AMERICAN CAPITAL IS AS POPULAR AS THE FABLED WHITE HOUSE (ABOVE AND BELOW): HOME, RIGHT NOW, TO U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND HIS FAMILY. MIGHT A NEW FAMILY BE MOVING IN EARLY IN 2013?
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