W.O.T » Bollands prospects on Thursday morning

MILWAUKEE -- Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings had tried to dismiss Wednesday nights matchup against his former team as simply another game on the teams schedule. The closer it got to tipoff against the Milwaukee Bucks, the harder that became. "I was nervous in the beginning because Im not used to being on the other side," Jennings said. "There were a lot of emotions going on. The whole time I felt like it was just another game. But once it got closer to game time, my nerves were just going." Jennings struggled considerably in the first half, but finished with 17 points and 11 assists in helping the Pistons to a 105-98 win over the Bucks in his return to Milwaukee. "Once the second half started, I settled down and just played basketball," Jennings said. Andre Drummond had 24 points and 19 rebounds and the Pistons rode a strong second half to victory. Greg Monroe contributed 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons, who had five players score 15 or more points. "Going into the game, we were really concerned about matchups," Bucks coach Larry Drew said. "We felt they were just too big and wed have to mix our defences up and hopefully outrebound those guys. We just could not physically overcome that size." Detroit hadnt had two players pull down at least 15 rebounds apiece since Feb. 10, 2005, when Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace accomplished the feat. "Were starting to jell, starting to find ourselves and an identity," Drummond said. "The first half was tough for us. We let the fatigue get to us a little bit." That led to a change of strategy in the second half. "We got it down low because we knew our jump shots werent really going to fall because our legs were tired. So we drove to the hoop and got the foul calls," Drummond said. Detroit shot 42 foul shots and Milwaukee had 22. Jennings spent four seasons with the Bucks after the team drafted him 10th overall in 2009 out of Oak Hill Academy. He joined the Pistons in July after a sign-and-trade deal that sent Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton to the Bucks. A restricted free-agent at the time, Jennings inked a three-year, $24 million deal with the Pistons. The sparse crowd at the BMO Harris Bradley Center booed loudly when Jennings was introduced before the game and each time he touched the ball early in the contest. Jennings missed all four of his shots from the field in the first quarter but had two early assists that led to dunks. "The boos didnt hurt," Jennings said. "I still have a lot of fans here. At the end of the day, the fans supported us through the good and bad. It didnt bother me." Jennings didnt score until sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter. He finished 4 of 16 from the field. "We tried to get him a basket early to kind of settle him down a little bit," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "But he missed a couple shots that he normally makes." In the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 25 in Detroit, Jennings had 15 points and 13 assists, including four of six from 3-point range, in sparking Detroit to a 113-94 win. "Brandon handled himself like a professional," Drummond said. "He got booed, but its all part of the game." Ersan Ilyasova, who has been plagued by injuries that include a sore ankle, scored a season high 22 points, including 16 in the first half, and had 10 rebounds off the bench to lead the Bucks, who have lost 13 of 14. Middleton added 14 points for Milwaukee. "Its the first time I feel healthy. My ankle is getting better," Ilyasova said. We have to find a way to play much better. We have to come together and find a way to win games." The Pistons trailed by five at the half, but used a 16-0 run midway through the third quarter to take a 10-point lead. The Bucks got within five points on Knights 3 with 1:36 remaining in the game, but thats as close as they would get. Ekpe Udoh had five blocked shots in the second quarter for Milwaukee, tying his career high. He finished with six. The Bucks used a 15-1 run to open a 38-31 second-quarter lead and held at 50-45 advantage at halftime. Detroit made just 33 per cent of its shots over the first two quarters. NOTES: Police issued municipal citations to Bucks centre Larry Sanders for disorderly conduct and assault and battery stemming from a fight last month at a downtown Milwaukee nightclub. Drew had no comment when asked about the citations. Sanders had surgery on his right thumb on Nov. 11 after getting hurt during the scrum. He initially was expected to be out four to six weeks. Drew on Wednesday had no update on a timetable for Sanders return. ... Pistons guard Chauncey Billups remained sidelined with left knee tendinitis and guard Will Bynum was inactive with an adductor strain. Cheap Salomon Shoes Free Shipping . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid. Sale Salomon Shoes . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. http://www.salomoncheap.com/. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Salomon Shoes Outlet . -- Arizona coach Sean Miller rose from his seat every time Roberto Nelson touched the ball and yelled "Shooter!" He could have been talking about his own team, too. Wholesale Salomon Shoes . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him.TORONTO – The punishment would seem to be worth the toll it takes on the body of 31-year-old Tim Gleason. "I shouldnt even say anything," said Gleason with a touch of good humour after the latest Leafs win, "but Ill knock on some wood because the pucks are hitting me. Id rather them hit me than go in the net or have (the goaltender) save 75 shots or whatever the case is." "I guess its being in the right spot or sometimes I think its the worst spot to be." Seemingly numb to the physical destruction his play seems to entail, Gleason blocked five more shots on Thursday night, also dolling out six hits in nearly 24 minutes – a team-high – en route to his teams eighth win in the past 10 games (8-1-1), a 6-3 topping of the Panthers at home. A hard and even nasty presence on a defence that lacked such an element previously, Gleason has been a welcome addition in Toronto, finding a new lease on life with the Maple Leafs. "Gleas has been a guy thats come in and been a heart and soul guy for us," said head coach Randy Carlyle after the win against Florida. "Blocking shots, physical, hard to play against – thats his game. And we dont expect him to do anything more." Just as hed hoped when waiving his no-trade clause to come to Toronto, Gleason has quickly re-energized his career with the Leafs. A member of the US Olympic team in 2010, he was averaging less than 16 minutes for the Hurricanes before being dealt for John-Michael Liles and a prospect earlier this month. Grappling hold of minutes that previously went to the struggling duo of Paul Ranger and Mark Fraser, Gleason, averaging more than 19 minutes, has offered precisely the type of defensive force the Leafs, and more specifically Carlyle, have been searching for. The physical toll hes absorbed in his brief tenure as a Leaf has, at times, been almost excruciating to watch. Notable were the two bruising shots he blocked to protect a one-goal lead and eventual victory in Boston earlier this month. Earlier this week, in a win over Tampa, he endured one painful puck to the nether regions, another to the face, later sustaining a thunderous check into the end-boards by Teddy Purcell, one that briefly injured his left shoulder, but apparently did little to affect his status for this most recent game against the Panthers. "Hes an animal that guy," Nazem Kadri said of the Clawson, Michigan native. "Hell stand in front of anything. Thats important for a team to have, those defencemen, those players who would do anything for the team and thats exactly what Timmy is." Five Points 1. Success at Home Thursday marked the fifth consecutive win at home for the Leafs and 19th in 30 games this season (19-10-1). Toronto owns the fourth-highest winning percentage on home ice (.633) in the Eastern Conference, trailing only Pittsburgh, Boston and Tampa. "I think that as a coach you think you should win every game at home," Carlyle said before the win over Florida. "I think if you look at teams that are winning championships and winning division titles and going deep into the playoffs that they have a little bit of an edge when the opposition comes in. They know that this is going to be a tough place to play. I think were still working towards that." Large in the teams success at home is the offence theyve been able to provide. The Leafs have scored three goals per game at the ACC, half-a-goal per game more than theyve managed on the road. A big part of that attack is the leagues no. 1 ranked home power-play (28.4%), which clicked for a pair against the Panthers, including the 22nd this year for James van Riemsdyk – a career-high – and the 16th of the season for Joffrey Lupul. "I played in the west for a lot of years and I know there were some rinks that you went into that were tough and definitely tough to go into," said Mason Raymond, who has 10 of his 14 goals and 23 of his 32 points this season in Toronto. "I think any team is going to tell you they want to make their home rink a tough one to come into and play hard in." 2. En Fuego – Still Tallying three assists in a night for the first time this season, Nazem Kadri had what Carlyle described as "probably the best game that hes played in a long time at both ends of the rink". Kadri dug pucks free in the Panthers zone on goals from Cody Franson and Nik Kulemin before dishing to Lupul for a late power-play blast. "Offensively, Nazzie was a difference-maker tonight," said Carlyle. The 23-year-old has amassed 12 points in the past eight games and is on pace for 57 points this season. He spent seven of those eight games alongside Kulemin and Lupul, the former joining the pair against Montreal on Jan. 19. With Kulemin – a left shot – playing the right wing and Lupul – a right shot – playing the left wing, the line has gradually come alive. "It seems like Kulie is a better right winger, Lupul is a better left winger, which is kind of mind-boggling at times – ones a right shot and ones a left shot – but thats where they fit,," said Carlyle.dddddddddddd 3. Bolland Edging Closer Not looking anything like a player who has endured three months of rehab, Dave Bolland continues to push toward a return for the Leafs. Bolland missed his 41st game of the season on Thursday night, but could make it back before the Olympic break – Toronto plays its final game on Feb. 8. "I would think that theres a 50-50 chance," said Carlyle of Bollands prospects on Thursday morning. "He looks like hes moving quite freely out there and for the better part of the skates he doesnt seem to be affected by it. But obviously theres things going on that are inside that are taking a little bit more time." "Youve got to learn how to work that tendon again and work with it," the 27-year-old said recently. Out since Nov. 2, Bolland still has yet to participate in a full practice with the team – an important first step – joining the group at various points for the first time this week. "Its a dramatic injury," Carlyle said. "Its a difficult place to heal. It takes time. And were asking a guy to do something and his body is telling him another and thats when the push and shove becomes where he can take it." 4. Steve Spott Despite losing a slew of veteran players – Mike Zigomanis, Ryan Hamilton, Greg Scott, Will Acton among them – and their head coach Dallas Eakins to the NHL, the Toronto Marlies have remained an AHL force, winning seven of their past 10 games and leading their division once more this season. The man charged with steering a young, mostly inexperienced and overachieving ship is first-year head coach Steve Spott, formerly of the Kitchener Rangers. "I think Steves really good at getting the most out of his players," Troy Bodie told the Leaf Report, the 29-year-old spending 17 games with the Marlies this season. "Hes really patient with them. He knows its a young group and he has the patience to deal with them properly. They have to learn the pro game so theres a lot of teaching involved. I think hes just good at handling them." The Marlies continue to be led in scoring by defenceman T.J. Brennan and boast only two forwards with 10 goals – Spencer Abbott and the now NHL-bound Carter Ashton. Busting with youth, their roster includes 20-year-olds Josh Leivo, Stuart Percy, and Tyler Biggs along with 21-year-olds Greg McKegg, Sam Carrick, Brad Ross, David Broll, and Petter Granberg. And yet they stand atop the North division with 25 wins in 42 games. 5. Hollands Quest for Consistency From a pure production standpoint Peter Hollands second tour of duty with the Leafs hasnt gone quite as well as the first go around. Dealt to Toronto in mid-November, Holland had a string of eight points in one 10-game span, but has just one point in nine games since being recalled from the Marlies earlier this month. Maintaining consistency at the games highest level is a challenge most young players, the Caledon native included, have to overcome. "In the American League you can kind of have nights off and still end up with a goal or two assists or whatever, you can still end up on the point-sheet," Holland told the Leaf Report earlier this week. "But I think the challenge with this level is doing things that may not show up on the score-sheet but that are effective." Holland spoke of the subtler elements of the game, winning one-on-one battles in the defensive zone, grasping the teams defensive system, wearing down the opposition defence with extended offensive zone time and winning faceoffs. "Just all little things that go into having the team overall feel better out there on the ice," he said. With Trevor Smith due back shortly and Bolland pushing the pace en route to recovery (see above), Hollands spot in the lineup would seem to be in impending jeopardy. Still quite young in his NHL career – 60 games – further seasoning with Spott and the Marlies would not be a bad thing. Stats-Pack 22 – Goals for James van Riemsdyk this season, a career-high. 20 – Points for Phil Kessel in January, the highest total for any one month in his NHL career. 7 – Times in the past eight games that Nazem Kadri has recorded at least a point. 4 – Goals in the past 28 games for Mason Raymond, who scored his 14th this season against the Panthers. 12 – Points for Kadri in the past eight games. 28.4% – Power-play success rate for the Leafs at home this season, tops in the NHL. 5 – Blocked shots for Tim Gleason against the Panthers. 8-1-1 – Leafs record in the past 10 games. 8-8 – Toronto penalty kill in the past two games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 2-3Season: 22.8% (3rd) PK: 5-5Season: 77.7% (28th) Quote of the Night "A few weeks ago it felt like the sky was falling in Toronto. We understood that it was nothing to panic about. We just rallied around each other."-Nazem Kadri, on the Leafs winning eight of the past 10 games. Up Next The Leafs host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. ' ' '