|
STAJAN TO SET TABLE
Expect winger Phil Kessel to line up with Matt Stajan and Jason Blake tonight during his anticipated debut as a Maple Leaf against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The trio practised together yesterday, after which Kessel said they were still "feeling each other out."
Coach Ron Wilson said there was a logical reason for matching up Kessel with Stajan.
"(Mikhail) Grabovski and (John) Mitchell are centres who like to have the puck a lot," Wilson said. "Matty, on the other hand, is someone who can dish it off and get the puck to Phil."
Stajan looks forward to the opportunity.
"That's my job, get the puck to Phil," Stajan said. "He's a goal scorer and he needs the puck."
LOOSE LEAFS
Jeff Finger is quietly biding his time in his quest to return to the lineup. But it is easy to see he is not happy being a healthy scratch recently. "I want to play. Who wouldn't?" he said. "I just have to wait for my chance" ... To make room for Kessel on the roster, winger Jiri Tlusty was returned to the AHL Marlies. In two games with the Leafs, Tlusty had two shots on goal and zero points ... The return of Kessel certainly comes as welcome news not only to Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson, but also to U.S. Olympic coach Ron Wilson. "He's certainly in our plans," said Wilson of Kessel's potential place on Team USA. "He's a goal scorer. And when you look at last year's stats, other than Zach Parise, most guys are 20-goal scorers, not much more."
