EDMONTON - In what had to be considered a bit of a surprise, Luke Schenn was made a healthy scratch on Wednesday night for the Maple Leafs' game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.
While Schenn had a rocky ride in the Leafs’ 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome on Tuesday, he wasn't alone. Almost every member of the Toronto defence corps would have received a failing grade in that one.
While there was speculation that Schenn might have been involved in a trade, he was on the ice in the pre-game warmup, which scuttled many of those suggestions.
Most observers figured veteran Mike Komisarek might have been the odd man out after being burned several times and taking an undisciplined penalty. In the end, that was not the case.
Keith Aulie replaced Schenn on the Leafs blueline and needed just 41 seconds to register a point, assisting on Joffrey Lupul’s first-minute goal.
Forward Colby Armstrong also returned to the lineup, replacing Joey Crabb.
NERVOUS NELLIE
Carl Gunnarsson simply can’t watch.
While he’s relieved that the injury he suffered during practice on Monday from a collision with Jay Rosehill is just a low ankle sprain and not the more-serious high ankle variety, sitting on the sidelines is driving him nuts.
Gunnarsson, who is expected to be out about a week, caught bits and pieces of the Leafs’ 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night on the television in the Toronto dressing room in the Saddledome. But not the whole thing. Far from it.
“I can’t stand not being in there,” Gunnarsson said. “It just eats me up. I’m cheering for the boys, but it’s too much to take.”
Gunnarsson said he is very grateful that his injury wasn’t worse.
“At first I didn’t think it was that bad,” he said. “But after several minutes, when the pain didn’t go away, you start to worry.
“I just can’t wait to get back.”
Until then, you can count on him doing a lot of pacing.
