The Toronto Maple Leafs, a team you can only count on for contradiction, are at it again.In the big picture, the Leafs are at a low ebb in their life cycle.
They have not made the play-offs since 2004 and - thanks to the Chicago Blackhawks' championship last spring - they own the NHL's longest Stanley Cup drought, having last hoisted the silver mug in the league's final pre-expansion season of 1966/67. But if we focus on the here and now of the 2010/11 campaign...well, it has been a utopian experience for Leafs Nation thus far.
It is a quick snapshot to be sure, but when you have been a league laughing stock for the better part of 40 years, you will latch on to success in any form. A perfect 4-0-0 record to start the season - matched only by the Dallas Stars, fellow upstarts - and a completely different aura emanating from the Leafs players has led to a litany of "plan the parade" jokes.
The Leafs are a confident bunch, taking their lead from Dion Phaneuf, their new captain, and a solid back end - the defence corps, on paper, is as talented and deep as any in the league - is proof that Brian Burke, the general manager, is on track with his master plan. It is a complete reversal from a year ago, when the Leafs did not win their second game until November 6 after stumbling out of the gates with a 1-7-4 mark that effectively killed the club's play-off dream before the regular season was a month old.
Everything that went wrong last year is going right this time around. The Leafs are getting reliable netminding from Jean-Sebastien Giguere and understudy Jonas Gustavsson, and they are playing with the confidence that comes with knowing they can make a mistake and the puck will not end up in the back of their net. The defence - which looked great on paper last season, too, but did not live up to expectations - has been a strength thanks to the efforts of Phaneuf, Tomas Kaberle and Francois Beauchemin.
The forwards were supposed to be a question mark, with Phil Kessel, their one lone legitimate scoring threat amid a cast of undersized centres, role players and the "truculent" types that Burke so cherishes. But the offence has flourished in the early going. Kessel is living up to his end of the bargain as a one-man scoring force, and he has been joined by Tyler Bozak, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin, among others.
The result, through the first two weeks of the season, has been everything the fans of Leafs Nations could have asked for. An exciting, talented team - and a winning one, too. Whether the fast start is simply an aberration in an 82-game schedule, or a small sample of the success to come, is almost meaningless. Because right now, the Leafs are the best team in the NHL. Just look at their record if you don't believe it.
sports@thenational.ae
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company%20Profile
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New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
