and they go up two runs. You just can

[lw789]

TORONTO - No team in the NHL relies more on a core group to produce offence than do the Toronto Maple Leafs. Seven players have combined for 84 per cent of the teams 74 goals this season, the highest such percentage for any teams top seven scorers in the league. Alarmingly among that group in Toronto are two centres, Dave Bolland and Tyler Bozak, who have each missed a months worth of games due to injury already this season and yet remain amongst the teams scoring leaders. The Leafs have dropped a season-high five consecutive games, also losing six of the past seven while skidding through an unhappy November that saw them win just twice in regulation. Prominent in their struggles was a failure to produce offence at even-strength; theyve scored just 18 such goals in the past 14 games, delivering two goals or fewer overall in 11 of those games. Depth or a lack thereof has been the issue, both from the defence and depth forwards. The Toronto blue-line has barely made a blip in the cause offensively, totaling a scant three goals all season, two from Dion Phaneuf and one into an empty-net. By comparison, the San Jose Sharks, who beat the Leafs at the ACC on Tuesday, have 16 goals from their defenders this season. Four Sharks alone have more goals individually than do the Leaf defence as a unit. "When you describe our hockey club its always the back-end," said Randy Carlyle following practice on Wednesday morning. "Does the back-end need to provide more offence? For sure it does. We need more from our back-end." Unlike last season, the team has also gotten little in the way of contributions from its depth forwards. David Clarkson and Nik Kulemin have a mere two goals apiece while Jay McClement, averaging nearly 17 minutes, has yet to score and has just two assists. A fourth line with plenty of punch has been predictably punch-less offensively, the likes of Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren, Troy Bodie, Carter Ashton, and the since waived Jerred Smithson, all with zero goals this season. Phil Kessel (15 goals), James van Riemsdyk (12), and Mason Raymond (10), a late free agent add who sits third on the team in scoring, have been responsible for the bulk of offence, helped by Nazem Kadri (7) Joffrey Lupul (8), and the aforementioned Bolland (6) and Bozak (4). Injuries and suspensions to core players, such as Clarkson, Bolland, Bozak and Lupul, certainly havent helped with their replacements unable to fill the void. One rare exception is Trevor Smith, who since being recalled to line up in an offensive role, has produced six points in eight games. "We need more from secondary scoring," Carlyle said. "Secondary scoring comes from your second, third and fourth line. Weve noted that. Weve asked that." Among the desired changes to the offence would be more shots to the net and more efficient movement of the puck up the ice, thus instigating whats been an inconsistent forecheck. Spending vast amounts of time defending, while struggling to break out of their own end, the Leafs have been unable to establish that forecheck, the lifeblood in some ways of the teams attack. "The one thing weve got to do is weve got to get stronger on our forecheck," said Carlyle, pointing to brief periods of such success against the Sharks, notably during an energetic start to the season period. Generating much of their offence from a potent power-play this season, if not the flash and dash of their skill players on the rush, the Leafs have yet to produce much off their forecheck, thereby unable to sustain time in the offensive zone in the manner Carlyle would like. "We have to start being more fluent as a group of five," said Cody Franson, who leads the defence with 13 points, but has yet to score this season. "Theres a couple things that were doing systematically that are inhibiting our chances to one, generate things off cycles, and two, generate shots from the point. Just a couple small, little technicalities that are hurting us rather than helping us. Once we can get fluent with correcting those I think thatll help out a lot." Team Percentage of offence from top-7 scorers (Entering Wednesdays action) Toronto 84% Washington 78% Minnesota 78% Tampa 74% Pittsburgh 74% Philadelphia 73% Colorado 72% Montreal 72% St. Louis 72% Winnipeg 71% Vancouver 70% Anaheim 70% Chicago 70% Ottawa 70% San Jose 70% Columbus 69% Dallas 68% Los Angeles 68% Detroit 68% New Jersey 66% New York Islanders 66% New York Rangers 66% Calgary 66% Phoenix 66% Florida 65% Boston 64% Edmonton 64% New Jersey 64% Carolina 62% Buffalo 62% . Smith has spent the last three seasons with the Rockies, playing both left and right field, and has a .275 batting average with 51 homers and 181 RBIs in 487 major league games. . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win. http://www.awinyes.com/negozi-zoom-all- ... e.html.com) - Graeme McDowell opened up with a first- round, 5-under 67 on Thursday and he holds a 2-shot lead at the WGC - HSBC Champions. . "Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night. . Braves reliever David Carpenter was also fined for throwing at Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson in the same game, which featured several ejections, including Colorado manager Walt Weiss.CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta tried to tamper his pregame butterflies. Making his big league season debut following shoulder stiffness, Arrieta struck out seven in 5 1-3 shutout innings Saturday as the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 for their first three-game winning streak this season. Arrieta said pitching at Wrigley Field has become a special experience for him dating to his Cubs debut last season, also was against the Cardinals. Arrieta walked two and threw 82 pitches. The Cardinals put five runners on base through the first three innings. "Command of my sinker down in the zone was working really good, establishing the curveball early in the game," he said. "The more you do that with secondary stuff, the less they can eliminate certain pitches later in the game. Thats kind of what we had going for us." Chicagos bullpen combined for three-hit relief, finishing a seven-hitter. Brian Schlitter (1-0) got two outs for the win, and Hector Rondon worked around a pair of leadoff singles in the ninth for his third save. Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo homered for the Cubs, who hadnt won three straight a series sweep at San Francisco last July 26-28. A day after the Cubs defeated Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha (2-3) allowed two runs, five hits and three walks in six innings. Lake hit a two-run homer in the sixth for a 2-0 lead. He also doubled on a 3-for-3 afternoon. "Its just frustrating, really," Wacha said. "I served one up there, and they go up two runs. You just cant afford that in that situation." Rizzo led off the eighth with sixth home run, and third in three games.dddddddddddd He connected on the first pitch he saw from Randy Choate. "We know were a good team," Rizzo said. "Its just about getting the wins. Today we got the win. The last few days weve gotten a win. Its just about staying with it, keep battling." Yadier Molina and Jhonny Peralta opened the ninth with singles off Rondon. But he got Jon Jay to hit into a double play and struck out Mark Ellis. St. Louis, which stranded eight runners, has scored two runs or fewer in seven of its last 13 games. Arrieta struck out Molina to strand runners on the corners in first. The Cardinals put two on with no outs in the second before Greg Garcia struck out, Wacha grounded out and shortstop Starlin Castro made an over-the-shoulder catch on Matt Carpenters popup. "Right now, its not looking like what we want it to look like," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "Whatever were doing is not working, so we have to figure it out and figure it out fast." NOTES: Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) was scheduled to make a minor league injury rehabilitation start Saturday at Double A-Springfield. ... With the Cardinals struggling offensively, Matheny has tried several lineup combinations. Thats left some players -- especially OF Peter Bourjos and 2B Mark Ellis -- frustrated because of unpredictable playing time. "The message we continue to give them is: keep pushing," Matheny said. "We need each of you guys to be at the top of your game in order to be as good as we can be and youre gonna get your opportunity." ' ' '