short-handed
Kadri suspended three games for hit on goalie.
BUFFALO, N.Y. • Until recently, the top-line c e nt r e had spent his entire career on the wing. The second line centre began the season on the fourth line, while t he thirdline centre was unemployed a week ago. The fourth l i ne, meanwhile, does not even have a centre.
Welcome to Toronto, where the top three centres are either injured or suspended and anyone who has taken a faceoff in the last five years is being auditioned for a starring role down the middle.
“Don’t ask me,” said Maple Leafs winger Mason Raymond, who played a bit of centre during his time with the Vancouver Canucks. “That’s not really my position.”
Head coach Randy Carlyle often says he does not like to use injuries as an excuse. But with a hamstring injury to Tyler Bozak, with Dave Bolland’s severed ankle tendon and, now, with Nazem Kadri’s three-game suspension — announced Thursday afternoon by league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan — even the most optimistic fan has to admit that these are challenging days.
“It’s not ideal,” said former fourth-line centre Jay Mc- Clement, who replaced Kadri on the second line Thursday with Joffrey Lupul and David Clarkson. “The rest of us are going to have to hold the fort … everyone is going to have to step up with some big pieces to our team missing.”
Kadri will miss the next three games for bowling over Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom in a 2-1 overtime shootout loss Wednesday night. Kadri’s elbow appeared to make contact with Backstrom’s head, and the goaltender left the game minutes later. Kadri was ejected from the game in the third period after catching Wild forward Mikael Granlund with his head down. That hit, which Carlyle believed was clean, was not reviewed by NHL officials.
“The league has a criteria that they uphold in these situations and sometimes they go in your favour and sometimes they don’t,” Carlyle said, before the suspension was announced. “What I learned a long time ago was you can never predict and you can never criticize.”
Shanahan, while suggesting Kadri’s hit on Backstrom was not intentional, said the Leafs centre “recklessly collided” with the goaltender and “landed a direct and forceful blow to the head.” Kadri will forfeit almost US $45,000 to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund as part of the ban.
Kadri’s absence is significant, not only because he is Toronto’s second-highest scorer with 14 points but also because Bozak and Bolland are on longterm injury reserve — the earliest Bozak can return is Nov. 21 — leaving McClement and Jerrod Smithson as the team’s only natural centres.
“I think there are always some options,” said Carlyle, who hinted that calling up Toronto Marlies centre Trevor Smith is a possibility for Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. “We’ve explored different avenues. Multiple. You have to have Plan A, B, C, D, E in the drawer here. That’s what life for a hockey league coach and management team is. When you go through situations like this, you try to make the best decision that’s going to give you the best possible chance with the people you have here.”
However Carlyle rearranges the deck chairs, it will ultimately be up to the socalled veterans to steer the ship.
Despite the lack of depth down the middle, Toronto still has its full complement of wingers, although James van Riemsdyk has temporarily been converted to centre. And for players like McClement, David Clarkson and Nikolai Kulemin, all of whom are searching for their first goal, it is an opportunity to fill the offensive void.
“I want to be consistent every night with my effort,” said McClement, who has just one assist.
“I think you get yourself into trouble when you try to do something that you’re not and try to make too many plays. I think you just have to pick your spots.
“I’ve had some chances lately but I just can’t seem to bury, so hopefully they’ ll come.”
The Leafs will take offence wherever they can find it. The team has scored three goals in the four games since van Riemsdyk was moved to centre, and has managed just one even-strength goal during that span.
“You can’t sugarcoat it,” McClement said of the missing bodies. “They’re obviously a big part of our team and a big part of our success. But I think we started the season with enough depth that we can hold the fort here and continue to plug away and win some games until we get some guys back.”