A costly home debut for Carlyle
Leafs show grit, but lose game, Lupul, Armstrong
Colby Armstrong was on his knees in pain after a one-sided bout with Boston’s Dennis Seidenberg during Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to Boston.
He was clearly hurting from the blows to his head, which was concussed earlier this season.
Armstrong got up and skated off the ice by himself, then headed to the dressing room. It was a sad picture of a classy veteran who can ill afford another bout with a concussion or concussion-like symptoms.
“I can’t say because I honestly don’t know but if he has dealt with concussions before, we’ll be cautious with him,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said of Armstrong, when asked if the winger would be available for Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh.
The short answer is not likely. It’s also the same scenario the Leafs are looking at with top-line forward Joffrey Lupul, who absorbed a huge hit into the end boards from Boston’s David Krejci.
Carlyle could be more specific with Lupul’s status for Pittsburgh — “not tomorrow,” the coach said after the game.
There was some debate as to whether Lupul was suffering a shoulder injury or his previously injured right wrist had taken another punishing hit.
Both players left the game for good after their second-period incidents, and that left the Leafs underpowered against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Still, with a late goal from Mikhail Grabovski, and a spirited comeback attempt with the goalie pulled and the Bruins taking a penalty in the final minute of the game, the Leafs put a scare into the mighty Bruins, who were looking to end a twogame losing streak. But the concern now for Carlyle and the Leafs is the health of Lupul and Armstrong. There was post-game talk that Armstrong may have suffered a se- rious setback in his season-long battle with head injuries. “Loops (Lupul) is a huge part of our team and Colby has not played a lot because of injuries, but he’s huge in our room, a real leader,” captain Dion Phaneuf said. “But we have guys who have to step up when they’re called on to fill in. We can’t use it as an excuse.”
The Leafs sat Joey Crabb on Tuesday and it’s likely the winger will be back in the lineup Wednesday to cover for the two injured veterans.
Beyond that, there is a question of whether the rugged Mike Brown can play. He left practice Monday when his stitched hand became infected (he’d suffered the injury in a fight in Montreal on Saturday).
Should the Leafs require a call-up from the Marlies, they would be burning the last of the four call-ups they are permitted after the trade deadline (a league rule that Leafs GM Brian Burke would like to see addressed in the new CBA).
The Leafs gave the Bruins a good fight in the first and third periods, but fell apart defensively in the second when they allowed four goals.
“Tonight was another indication of the improvement we need to make as a group — the defensive side and more consistency in oneon-one battles . . . that was my message,” said Carlyle, who was making his Toronto debut as Leafs coach.
Toronto put up 17 hits in the first period alone and matched Boston’s intensity. But as the game wore on, it became abundantly clear that the Bruins could expose the Leafs in their own zone with basic fore checking and cycling games.
Carlyle was satisfied that his team was solid in the opening and closing periods, but saw a costly fall-off in the team’s play during that fourgoal second.
“The compete level . . . I think it’s partly about communication on the ice,” Carlyle said.