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Though he won't face his former squad tomorrow when the Leafs meet the Panthers, defenceman Mike Van Ryn accompanied the team to Florida and will continue to be evaluated after his latest injury Saturday in Montreal.
"It's tough, it's one of those years when a lot of (Leafs defencemen) are getting hurt," Tomas Kaberle, who is still at least two weeks away after suffering broken bones in his hand last month, said yesterday at the team's ocean front hotel. "Mike is having a really tough year. Obviously hockey is the kind of sport where there's always going to be injuries, but this is the most since I've been here."
Among blue-liners, Kaberle, Van Ryn, rookie Luke Schenn and Jeff Finger have all lost significant time because of injuries but Van Ryn's incredible run is clearly the worst. When he misses tomorrow's game against the Panthers, it will be 45 of the past 135 games over two seasons.
"Every team deals with it, (injuries) are the nature of the business," Finger said yesterday. "Forwards get injured too. It must just be a coincidence with us."
Leafs general manager Brian Burke said the team will take a closer look at Van Ryn before deciding on a possible replacement. Anton Stralman was sent to the minors on Saturday but could be recalled yet again.
"We're waiting to see how (Van Ryn) feels (today)," Burke said.
Life of Bryan
Panthers coach Peter DeBoer was pretty sure that in Bryan McCabe he would be getting a defenceman who would be able to take advantage of his big shot from time to time.
What the first-year Panthers coach was pleasantly surprised with was the leadership the former Leaf has shown.
"Right from Day 1 he has brought energy and professionalism," DeBoer said recently. "He's a voice in our dressing room and we don't have a lot of voices. He's been outstanding. Bryan is one of the smartest players I've ever coached."
Loose Leafs
Schenn became the first Maple Leafs player to score his first NHL goal in Montreal since Lanny McDonald in the 1973-74 season.
