Method to Leafs’ line change madness

After (Monday’s) game against Boston and another too many men on the ice penalty, I wonder: Is any other team in the NHL getting as many of this type of penalty called this year? Seems every few games there’s a too many men call … Is it the coach’s job to keep an eye on this, or are the players running amok and not doing the change the right way? — John L. I haven’t seen the stats, but it would not surprise me if the Leafs take more of those penalties than any other team. Mike Babcock uses a system few others do. For most teams it’s: C off C on, LW off LW on, RW off RW on. For the Leafs, no matter who is coming off first, the next C goes on. No matter who is coming off second, the far winger (LW at home for the first and third periods, RW in the second) goes on second. The near winger goes on third. Now do it on a rush. Keep track of everyone else … They’re human. Babcock uses it strategically, knowing on an icing or whatever he’ll always have a centre or two on the ice and he’ll get his far winger positioned. I have an issue with the way television sportscasters mispronounce the name Kasperi Kapanen … Hockey announcers consistently refer to him as Casperi Capanen with the Ca pronounced as in “cat” or “cap.” I am familiar with the Finnish language, and in Finn the A is always pronounced like a U, as in “cut” or “cup.” Accordingly, the name is properly pronounced “Cuss’-perrie Cup’anen” with the accent always on the first syllable … Even the second A of Kapanen is pronounced as a U, but it rolls off the tongue correctly as Cupanen. I would be very surprised if Mr. Kapanen has approved the mispronunciation in current use. P.S. My last name is correctly pronounced “Rustus” — Paul Rastas Like most immigrant families, I guess then that Kapanen has been anglicized. We still don’t get Nazem Kadri right. Rhymes with Awesome Cadbury. (Hey, I can spell Kapanen, but I believe I referenced him as a Swede the other day and paid the price. Oooops.) The league and Leafs’ pronunciation guide — approved by the player — says it’s kas-PAIRee KA-puh-nihn. The guide is included in the notes at every game. Kapanen grew up in North America, more or less a rink rat while his dad played in the NHL. So it may not sound right to you, but it probably sounds right to him … I don’t want to tell you how my name would be pronounced or spelled in Irish. My first name is Kevin, yet there’s no K or V in Gaelic. OK, I’ll tell you: Caoimhon. With accents and dots and stuff. Pronounced Kwee-vee-uhn. Means Handsome Born, by the way. I found Damien Cox’s article on Saturday, primarily about Leaf rivalries, very interesting, as usual. Don’t you think that the Big Bad Bruins currently fit in that category? — Frank B. There are no Big Bad or Broad Street anybodies anymore. Rivals, well. Playoffs make rivals. The Leafs really haven’t been in the playoffs for long enough stretches of time to make rivals, but I guess Boston is closest. Would love to see Toronto-Montreal, TorontoBuffalo. Might get it the next few years. Read more on Kevin McGran’s Breakaway Blog at thestar.com. Send your hockey questions to askkevinmcgran@gmail.com. The Star reserves the right to edit for clarity, punctuation and space.