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PITTSBURGH – The Maple Leafs are surely thankful to snatch even a point from the all too powerful Penguins. While still being swept in the three-game season series on the third of three goals from Blake Comeau, the Leafs managed to dig out from under a 2-0 first period deficit and swipe a point on the eve of U.S. Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. As such, Nazem Kadri, who led all Leaf forwards with nearly 19 minutes at even-strength, dubbed it a moral victory afterward. When youre down 2-0 on the road its not easy to come back, said Kadri, who had an assist and drew a penalty in defeat. We put our heads down and we were able to battle back. Comeau edged off Morgan Rielly to score the first of his three markers after only 26 seconds had elapsed in the first. It was the eighth time, disturbingly, in 22 games that the Leafs have surrendered a goal in the first five minutes of regulation. (Theyve won just three times all season when yielding the games first goal (3-8-3).) Head coach Randy Carlyle felt the start was further stunted by a terribly ineffective power-play, which came up empty in three chances overall and is now 1-for-23 in the last six games. Our power-play took momentum away from us, Carlyle said. I dont like to make excuses for it. Weve got to be better. Weve got to work harder. Weve got to execute to a higher level. Beaten soundly in the first two meetings with Pittsburgh this season – the even-strength Corsi was a combined 124-69 in favour of the Penguins – the Leafs rebounded Wednesday with a resilient middle period. They put three past Marc-Andre Fleury, including a pair in less than three minutes from Leo Komarov, and the second shorthanded goal in as many games for Tyler Bozak. A key penalty kill in the frame that followed – which included more than a minutes worth of 4-on-3 action – and some fine goaltending from Jonathan Bernier helped the Leafs hold on for overtime before Comeau notched the winner on a bomb past Bernier. Carlyle, notably, was pleased that his club managed to hold Pittsburgh to just 26 shots after yielding more than 40 in each of the first two meetings. Its the first time all season that the Leafs have held an opponent to 30 shots or less in three straight games – not so coincidentally falling in line with a recent goal of holding the opposition to 25 shots or less (more on that below). We played a gritty game, said Carlyle afterward. Five Points 1. Better Than Last Year? Simple numbers would suggest a step back for Nazem Kadri this season – he has only 10 points through 22 games – but a deeper look reveals mostly improvement for the Leafs 24-year-old centre, inconsistent though he has been. Nazem Kadris Production (entering Wednesdays game) 2014-15 2013-14 ES Points/Game 0.43 0.41 Shots/Game 2.33 1.90 Fenwick Relative 4.06 2.64 Faceoff Winning Pct 50.3 45.2 PP Points/Game 0 0.23 The only obvious point of regression is on the power-play. Kadri had 18 power-play points a year ago, tied for second-best on the team, but he entered Wednesdays game without even a single such point and was removed from the power-play entirely against the Penguins. You look at statistics at certain points, Carlyle said. Nazzie hadnt had a point on the power-play in 21 games. What would you do? Youd make the move then I could criticize you. Kadri was replaced by Joffrey Lupul, who returned from a 12-game absence, alongside Peter Holland and David Clarkson on the Leafs second unit. That unit certainly needed a change, but removing Kadri, among the teams more creative weapons and someone who produced reliably alongside Lupul and Mason Raymond last season, is questionable. Clarkson would seem to represent a more logical choice given his limited offensive capabilities; he also has just one power-play point all season, no longer the threat he once was in such duties for New Jersey. Kadri did add his 10th even-strength point in defeat. He eluded a check along the wall in the Penguins zone before finding Mike Santorelli and then Komarov for the Leafs first goal. Im just trying to be as productive as I can with the ice-time Im given, he said. Im going to go out there and give it a 100 per cent every shift I got and just leave it all out there. Whether thats scoring a goal, drawing a penalty, making a big hit, Im just trying to do whatever [I can]. 2. Replacing Polak Roman Polak averaged a team-high of nearly 18 even-strength minutes before he sprained his left knee against Detroit over the weekend. And now the Leafs will move forward without the 28-year-old for at least a month as he recovers from the injury. How will they fill that void? Well try and spread the minutes out, said Carlyle before the game against Pittsburgh. We think that the two young players that we have in [Jake] Gardiner and [Morgan] Rielly will have to play more. Simple as that. Carlyle teamed the two together against the Penguins, even noting his comfort afterward in employing the pair against either the Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby lines. He was reluctant to thrust the recently recalled Korbinian Holzer into such duties. And thats the Leafs challenge in replacing Polak, filling the difficult minutes he absorbed through the first quarter of the season. Carlyle rightfully buried the 28-year-old in the defensive zone – his 25 per cent 5-on-5 offensive starts amongst the lowest in the league – and used him as a secondary force against tough competition, thereby freeing Dion Phaneuf from some of those minutes. He also used the former Blue a whole bunch on the penalty kill. At first glance it appears the Leafs will split his duties up; Cody Franson replaced Polak on the first unit of the penalty kill with Phaneuf while Gardiner and Rielly, as noted above, formed the second pair in his absence. All three pairings topped the 15-minute mark at even-strength in Pittsburgh. 3. Replacing Polak II As to Holzer – who returns to the NHL for the first time since a 22-game stint ended in Mar. 2013 – its another long-awaited opportunity to prove himself at the next level. I think I feel comfortable coming in, just more mature coming in, he said of his readiness for round two with the Leafs. Just like youve been around here, youve been in the league, youve played some games, you know kind of what it takes to play on an everyday basis. Its less of the unexpected I think. Carlyles edict for Holzer was simple. Be aggressive, said Carlyle before the game. He has a tendency of backing off and if you give time and space to people in the NHL theyre going to burn you. Though he and unlikely partner, Stephane Robidas, were buried some in the defensive zone at times on Wednesday, the 26-year-old managed to make a positive impression. He threw six hits and broke up a 2-on-1 in the second frame that sparked the first of two goals for Komarov. I thought he played a heck of a hockey game tonight for us, Carlyle said afterward. 4. Shorthanded Attack The Leafs are now tied for the league-lead in shorthanded goals – with the Kings – after Bozak swiped Kris Letang during a middle period Pittsburgh power-play. It was the second in as many games for Bozak and fifth already for Toronto this season. The 28-year-old has scored both his shorthanded goals this season by picking pucks from opposing defenders at the blue-line and then beating Jimmy Howard and Marc-Andre Fleury on breakaways. Just trying to read the play and try and just see what theyre doing before theyre doing it I guess, he said of his acumen in such situations. Obviously getting a little lucky being in the right spot at the right time. The Leafs had seven shorthanded goals all of last season, led by James van Riemsdyk with a pair. 5. 25 shots or less After yielding nine goals to Nashville last week the Leafs established a process goal of holding opponents to 25 shots or less. Why that number specifically? You start looking at the top teams and youre just looking at the average shots, what the good teams are doing, Peter Horachek, one of the teams assistant coaches, explained. And really its a goal to establish yourself and try to play at the level of the top defensive teams. Minnesota came into Wednesday as the top shot suppression team in the league, holding opponents to, you guessed it, 25 shots per game. Stats-Pack 10 – Special teams points for Tyler Bozak this season, including eight on the power-play. 13 – Even-strength points for Leo Komarov this season, second only to Phil Kessel on the Leafs. 17:50 – Ice-time for Korbinian Holzer in his return to the NHL. 8 – Number of times in 22 games that the Leafs have allowed a goal in the first five minutes of the first period. 18:42 – Even-strength ice-time for Nazem Kadri, leading all Leaf forwards. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3 Season: 18.5 per cent PK: 2-3 Season: 84.2 per cent Quote of the Night Nazzie hadnt had a point on the power-play in 21 games. What would you do? Youd make the move then I could criticize you. -Randy Carlyle, on why Nazem Kadri was removed from the power-play on Wednesday. Up Next The Leafs return home to host the Capitals on Saturday. Keke Coutee Texans Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. Keke Coutee Jersey . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. http://www.footballtexansgearsshop.com/Black-Justin-Reid-Texans-Jersey.html?cat=965 . -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed Jerome Simpson, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver recently convicted on a felony drug charge. Sammie Coates Texans Jersey . "Yes, Id like to get them in," Detroits rookie manager said. "Mother Natures going to have a say in that." Sure enough, the Tigers had their game against the Kansas City Royals postponed because of rain on Thursday. Justin Reid Texans Jersey . He managed to save par, and went on to put together his best opening round of the year. Calcavecchia and Wes Short Jr.TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers several questions each week. This week, topics include the "bean wars" between the Red Sox and Rays, Blue Jays draft pick Jeff Hoffman, Justin Verlanders struggles, and surprising all-star voting results. 1) In light of the “bean wars” between Tampa Bay and Boston, what should the league do to reduce the number of retaliatory on-field incidents? Are the suspensions enough of a deterrent? Major League Baseball has reduced the number of on-field violent confrontations in a pretty significant way from the 1980s and before. The issuing of warnings to teams after a potentially intentional beaning has reduced the number of retaliatory responses. As we saw in the Rays/Red Sox series, boys will still be boys but it is better now than it used to be. Baseball also has a “heads up” program where umpires are alerted prior to a series about any bad blood that exists between the teams. Umpires can issue warnings before a game if they believe the lingering animosity could surface. This pregame warning serves as a deterrent and puts players on notice that at the first sign of monkey business there will be action taken. There are two changes that I would make to further address this issue. Firstly, I would encourage umpires to eject the instigator in a bean ball situation. Too many times the pitcher who strikes first suffers no penalty. Rays pitcher Davis Price hit Res Sox slugger David Ortiz with a pitch that may have been intentional. The umpire chose to only issue a warning to both teams. That was done with the intent of heading off possible retaliation against the Rays. That warning didnt work and Brandon Workman, Red Sox pitcher, was later ejected for throwing a pitch behind Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. If Price had been ejected, then the Red Sox would not have felt as compelled to bean Longoria for payback. Price didnt get a suspension at all. Second, I would institute a “no third-man in” policy. If there is a fight on the field, no other player can leave his position on the field or in the dugouts and bullpen. If they do then they face an automatic 10-game suspension. This should serve as a team deterrent that will keep all-out brawls from occurring. Thirdly, I propose that penalties become stiffer for the initial combatants as well. If you fight, you know you will serve at least a five-game suspension for a position player and relief pitcher and a 15-game suspension for a starting pitcher. It would be great to end all on-field violence. It wont ever happen but these changes would get us a bit closer. 2) The Blue Jays used the ninth-overall draft pick on Jeff Hoffman on Thursday; a player who just underwent Tommy John surgery. What does this say about the Jays development strategy, especially in light of Alex Anthopoulos drafting habits in the past? The Blue Jays have been drawn to the high-ceiling type players in the first round under Anthopoulos. They have shot for the moon. They want impact from their first round pick. Nowadays, many teams like predictability in first round selections. They will take less impact and a lower ceiling for a greater likelihood that the player will get to the majors. Not the Jays. Jeff Hoffman was thought to be one of the top three picks in this draft prior to injuring his arm and undergoing Tommy John surgery. This selection makes a statement on so many levels. First, the Jays believe that Hoffman is an extraordinary talent. Why else would any team take a baseball player whose injury prohibits him from doing what he does best? Secondly, the Jays believe in Tommy John surgery. It isnt quite as predictable as getting ones tonsils removed but the track record of success is very good. The Jays fully expect Hoffman to be 100 %. Thirdly, the Jays are saving money. Hoffman is a value because they took him with the ninth pick when many thought he could go as high as second overall. With the injury, the Jays will likely save some money but they are also assuming some level of risk and that has dollar value. With multiple first round selections, the Jays gave themselves the financial flexibility to get their picks signed this year. The fact that Hoffman is a college pitcher means that he is a bit more advanced in his development than if he were a high school pitcher and therefore missing some playing time now should not set his development back much at all. 3) Justin Verlanders 2014 numbers have been less than inspirational. Hes 6-5 on a first-place club, has an ERA over 4.00, is presently sporting the worst WHIP of his career, and hasnt logged a complete game since 2012. Should the alarm bells be going offf for the Tigers? The Tigers should be alarmed about Justin Verlander.dddddddddddd He is still a good pitcher but the dominant overpowering ace from a few years back is no longer on their roster. Verlander has thrown 1,885 innings in eight and a half years, which includes seasons of 251, 240, and 238 innings pitched in individual seasons. He has thrown the most pitches in baseball this year. In fact, he has thrown the most pitches in baseball since 2009. He has led the league in pitches thrown every year but one from 2009-2014. In 2010 he finished four pitches behind Dan Haren for second most. Verlander is a workhorse. He loves to go deep in the game and he loves to strike out hitters. He has been an amazing pitcher. The fact that he has such great stuff is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because he has won a ton of games for Detroit. It is a curse because he has been so good that he works deep counts since he strikes out so many hitters. And he has always been a better option for the manager than anyone in the bullpen, so he pitches deeper in the game. All of this has taken a toll. He is wearing down a bit. We have seen CC Sabathia fall off over the past couple of years because of the same reasons. The arm only has so many bullets and they have both used their fair share. Verlander can still be successful, but he is going to have to make adjustments. Command has to be more important than velocity for him. He used to regularly run his fastball into the high 90s. He no longer can pitch there. If he tries to generate too much velocity from delivery, his command suffers. Verlander needs to try and retire hitters on three pitches or less with well-located pitches. Velocity cant matter. This will allow him to be more efficient now and give him more years on the back end of his career. 4) The most recent All Star vote tally had some very interesting results. Torontos Melky Cabrera, is ranked third among AL outfielders in voting. Orioles designated hitter, Nelson Cruz, passed Red Sox slugger David Ortiz for the top DH. Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is in a close race in the NL outfield as well. Why are these results so significant? All three of these players have served suspensions for performance enhancement drugs. Yet, the fans seem to be putting that aside as they consider their performances this year. The fans believe that what they are seeing on the field is legitimate and real. They dont think it is enhanced. It is just good ol fashioned baseball. The All Star balloting has long been a popularity contest. The fans votes dont always coincide with the players votes or the stats. If the fans like a certain player, he has a shot to be an all-star regardless of his numbers. What is even more amazing is that the fans arent holding grudges like they have in the past. It had seemed that fans wanted to send a message to cheaters that their actions were unacceptable. One of the few ways they could do that was with their voting. But that feeling seems to be waning. Fans are either forgiving the players for past wrongs or just accepting of what has happened to the game. Either way, we all win. I have learned that giving forgiveness is not for the other person but it is for me. When I forgive someone they may react in any number of ways. But when I give forgiveness it releases a burden on me. I no longer feel pain and resentment. Baseball fans are showing healthy growth by surrendering their anger to baseball players. It shows growth. It shows a certain trust in the drug policy. It shows compassion and understanding. My hope is that baseball writers will take the lead of the fans. Writers feel duped by players. They feel like they were made fools of for celebrating home runs and record-setting accomplishments. They resent it and dont ever want to get burned that way again. My hope is that the writers will move to a place of forgiveness of the players as well. It is time to move forward. The writers need to look at the steroid era as just that, an era. It wasnt done to them. It was just what happened and they were there to document it. So they should document it. Vote steroid users in the Hall of Fame. Lets appropriately remember what happened so we dont repeat our mistakes. The writers should make history by passing that history forward. It is time to heal. It is the right thing for all of us that made mistakes in the steroid era of baseball. So let this day start the all-out campaign for Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz and Ryan Braun for the All Star team! 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