Bezahl Methoden » puck away from Quick and Matt Greene behind the ne

TORONTO – Their best chance to survive the lingering and uncertain absence of two of their most trusted centres wont rest on any one player. Instead, coming off their worst outing of the season, the Leafs will have to rise as a collective unit to withstand this latest bout of adversity. "It puts a strain on everybody else and it puts a strain on the other guys to make up some of the minutes that those two play and it gives another opportunity for other people to play higher in your lineup," said head coach Randy Carlyle, a day after the team returned from a week-long western Canadian road trip, shut out by the Canucks on Saturday night. Carlyle couldnt say for certain when either of his top two centres would be available to return from injury. Dave Bolland had successful surgery in Vancouver over the weekend and was due to fly back to Toronto on Monday. The 27-year-old suffered a lacerated tendon against the Canucks on Saturday, his left ankle sliced in scary fashion by the left skate of Zack Kassian. "Its too early to say," said Carlyle of a timeframe for Bolland, who had six goals and 10 points in his first 15 games as a Leaf. "They can say that its five months and then we hope its two. We dont really know until the healing process starts and they do an assessment and then well get more tightened in on the timeframe for you." Neither could he say with any certainty when Tyler Bozak would return. Leading Toronto forwards in ice-time this season (21 minutes per game), the 27-year-old has been out the past four games with a hamstring injury. The earliest he can return from long-term IR is Nov. 21. "Hes still a ways away," said Carlyle, adding that Bozak had not been working out nor riding the bike. The injured duo cant be replaced. Outside of Jay McClement, no two forwards are relied on by Carlyle in more situations than Bolland and Bozak (power play, penalty kill, opposing top lines). But in their absence, the Leafs must plug holes and move forward collectively. And they can start with 24-year-old James van Riemsdyk. For the first time since college, van Riemsdyk may just line up at centre (Leaf management is surely scouring for additional options), slotting in at Mondays practice alongside Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. "Hes played there before so it doesnt take rocket science to go in that direction," Carlyle said. A winger growing up and right on through the ranks of the U.S. National Development Program, van Riemsdyk last played centre for two seasons at the University of New Hampshire in 2009. He made that move oddly enough because Trevor Smith – having just completed his second season with the Wildcats and now a teammate in Toronto – decided to leave college hockey and take a shot at the pros. Already averaging upwards of 20 minutes nightly – a regular contributor on both special teams units – van Riemsdyk will be asked to continue his already impressive production at a position hes unfamiliar with in the NHL; he moved back to his natural wing position upon landing with the Flyers. "Its completely different – well not completely different, but there is a lot of differences," said van Riemsdyk of the adjustment, noting the need for additional work on the draw. "Its more a timing thing. Youve got to be used to the feel of it – its just a different feel. Whereas a wing, you play more in straight lines, you get to certain areas and youre going to be fine. Centre, its a lot more reading and reacting to different situations on the ice; reacting to how theyre forechecking and different things like that so you have to know how to read the different plays a little bit more." The Leafs briefly considered moving van Riemsdyk to centre prior to last season – he watched some video – but were never pressed into a situation where they had to try it. Increased contributions and opportunity also lie elsewhere. Lining up in the two-hole behind van Riemsdyk in all likelihood, the Leafs will also count on getting more from Nazem Kadri, who slid onto a line with David Clarkson and Mason Raymond at Mondays practice. The 23-year-old does have 13 points already this year, but is likely to see more challenging matchups on a consistent basis (he matched up with Evgeni Malkin successfully last week) with Bolland and Bozak both out. McClement is already logging huge minutes (nearly 17 per game, second highest of his NHL career), but he too, will be asked to do more in the absence of Bolland and Bozak, specifically in the face-off circle. The injured centres have combined to take 65 per cent of team face-offs this season. McClement has already seen his duties rise in this regard with Bozak out since Oct. 26; the 30-year-old took 28 face-offs against Vancouver, 28 against Calgary and 21 against Edmonton. An opportunity additionally lies in wait for Clarkson, who returned from a 10-game suspension on Oct. 25, totaling just a single assist in his first five games. All but absent from the power play so far – he didnt see a second in games against the Oilers and Flames – the 29-year-old should see increased opportunity on the man advantage, a position he held comfortably with the Devils (14 power play goals the past two seasons). A second line contributor for much of the past two seasons, Lupul too, should see his ice-time rise, riding on the top unit for the first time since 2011-2012, when he totaled 25 goals and 67 points in 66 games. Predictably, Carlyle expects more from the group as a whole. Despite boasting a sturdy 10-5-0 record (tied for first in the division), the Leafs have yet to appear at their best consistently this season; yielding nearly 37 shots against per night – second worst in the league – while totaling the most minor penalties to date. Only the superb play of their two goaltenders – James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier both rank amongst the league leaders in save percentage – terrific special teams and incredibly accurate shooting has kept the group afloat and swimming with some success (adversity tested previously due to the Clarkson suspension and other injuries to a slew of players). As Carlyle noted, "Injuries are a part of the life of an NHL hockey club. Were living our fair share of them and its just the next one along the way." No excuses can and will be made, especially in light of what the plucky Ottawa Senators accomplished last season. Led by head coach Paul MacLean, the eventual Jack Adams winner, Ottawa survived the absence of its top defender (Erik Karlsson), top centre (Jason Spezza) and top goaltender (Craig Anderson) and still managed to make the playoffs. And so, when asked how his team could help van Riemsdyk adjust to the centre ice position, Carlyle pointed not to an individual, but to the team at large and the coaching staff additionally. "Thats what really were trying to focus on is, were really not giving ourselves the best chance [to win]," he said. "Some of the things that we have been doing have crept into our game and theyve become more the norm than abnormal. And thats our job as a coaching staff to eliminate those things." "Whatever we need me to do to help the team win games, Im fine with," van Riemsdyk said. Sammy Sosa Jersey . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday. Joe Maddon Jersey . -- David Ortiz saved his only hit for a key moment for the Boston Red Sox. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-ernie-banks-jersey/ . Dillon Brooks scored 26 points on 9-17 shooting for Canada while pulling down six rebounds and picking up six steals. Teammate Chris Egi had 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Kris Bryant Jersey .J. -- After getting permission from his 7-year-old daughter, New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl has retired after an 11-year career that included two Super Bowl championships. Ryne Sandberg Jersey . After overcoming a three-goal deficit the Senators forced the game to overtime only to watch it slip away as Seth Jones scored the winner 3:49 into the extra period as the Nashville Predators defeated the Senators 4-3 Monday night.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Brad Richards left Los Angeles in a much better frame of mind this time with the Chicago Blackhawks than he did after he and the New York Rangers lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Kings.Richards scored two goals to lead the Blackhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Kings on Saturday night in a matchup of teams that both won two of the last five Stanley Cup titles.Coming in here is a little bittersweet, said Richards, who failed to score against goalie Jonathan Quick in the five-game final series against Los Angeles. The feeling is, I wish I had done it the last time I was in here. We would have kept the series going.The 14-year veteran signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks after the Rangers bought out the final six years of his nine-year, $60 million contract.Its obvious that a nine-year deal going to New York is a lot different than a one-year deal coming into a team that won two Cups, Richards said. I was fortunate enough that I could be picky in the summer and try to find a good fit, and here we are.Its funny, because now Im on the team they beat to get to us.Daniel Carcillo also scored for Chicago, and Brandon Saad added an empty-net goal with 1:49 remaining. Corey Crawford made 19 saves in helping the Blackhawks end their road trip 5-1.Halfway through the trip we were kind of on the bubble, right around a playoff spot, and we talked about trying to gain ground and gain momentum going into the second 20 games, Richards said. We did a great job of that. We had big tests against good teams and we piled up five out of six, which is huge.Jordan Nolan scored for Los Angeles, and Quick stopped 21 shots.Trailing 2-0, the Kings got on the board at 5:53 of the second period when defenceman Jake Muzzins slap shot from the left point hit the shaft of Nolans stick and fluttered between Crawfords pads.It was the first goal in 14 games this season for Nolan, who would have been a healthy scratch if not for Marian Gaboriks upper-body injury.Chicago regained its two-goal margin at 8:14 of the second on a rush in which four playerss touched the puck in the Kings end.dddddddddddd Richards converted Michal Rozsivals pass at the left of the net for his sixth goal and third in two games.Its nice when the team starts rolling and you feel like youre helping, said Richards, who is playing on a line with Kris Versteeg and Patrick Kane. Every day it feels more like its my team. It takes a little bit to feel like youre a part of everything on and off the ice.Carcillo opened the scoring at 1:52 of the first, batting in his own rebound after the Kings won a faceoff in their zone and turned over the puck.We didnt have a good first period and we put ourselves behind the eight ball right away, forward Anze Kopitar said. It doesnt matter who youre playing in this league, catch-up hockey is not easy.Just 28 seconds after serving Crawfords penalty for tripping Justin Williams at the edge of the crease, Versteeg took the puck away from Quick and Matt Greene behind the net and found Richards at the left of the crease for a one-timer that beat Quick with 2:01 left in the first.Theyre a tough team to come back on because theyre a great defending team, Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. Theyre the best team in the league through the first two months of the year, and thats clear. If youre going to give them two goals youre probably going to get your butt kicked. Thats exactly what happened.NOTES: Kings D Alec Martinez, who knocked the Blackhawks out of the playoffs with an overtime goal, missed his seventh straight game because of an upper-body injury. ... This was the sixth time this season that Kane and Jonathan Toews both failed to get a point for the Blackhawks, and the first time the team won (1-4-1). ... Chicagos only power-play opportunity came when Robyn Regehr was sent off for hooking with 10:37 left in the third period. ... The Blackhawks entered Saturday averaging the second-fewest penalty minutes in the NHL (7.5) and a league-best penalty-killing percentage of 90.9. They were short-handed twice in each of their previous four games, and three times against the Kings. ' ' '