Crabb's of steel

Try as he might, Matt Frattin just couldn’t find a way to buy a goal in his first 11 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

With the exception, of course, of his shootout winner Oct. 19 against the Winnipeg Jets. Shootout goals do not count toward a player’s goal total, so technically Frattin is still looking for his first NHL goal.

Joey Crabb, on the other hand, is scoring at a Crosby-like pace. Crabb, who was summoned from the Toronto Marlies when Frattin was demoted, has two goals in two games – two goals on three shots. The 28-year-old native of Anchorage, Alaska, played very well during the preseason, scoring once in four games after scoring three goals and 15 points in 48 games with the Leafs last season, but was among the last cuts.

A lot of players would have been bitter and it may have affected the way they performed in the minors, but Crabb took the demotion in stride and was a member of the Marlies’ top-producing line with Joe Colborne and Jerry D’Amigo. Crabb had seven goals and 15 points through nine games.

"Obviously it was a little frustrating," Crabb says of being cut. "Nobody wants to get sent down. Every time you get sent down it makes you feel like you’re a little kid on the playground who doesn’t get picked, but it’s part of the game. I didn’t take it too hard."

Crabb has made scoring look rather easy. He swatted a puck out of mid-air Wednesday night in New Jersey and then connected six minutes into his second game in Columbus Thursday. The 6’1", 190-pound right winger has never been particularly known for his offensive panache as a pro, although he did have one decent year of 24 goals and 53 points in 79 games with the Chicago Wolves in 2009-10, so he’s not about to change what got him to the NHL just because he’s riding a hot streak. That said, he does believe he can help the attack.

"I feel like I’m a two-way player," says Crabb, who took Frattin’s place on a line with Matthew Lombardi and Tyler Bozak. "In the past when I’ve been in the NHL, I’ve played more of a defensive role and I’ve tried to be an energy guy by hitting – which I’m still going to do – but I have a little more confidence that I can provide secondary scoring."

Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf believes Crabb has come back to the NHL with a vengeance.

"Crabby has really added a lot to our third line," Phaneuf says. "Not only has he scored goals, but he has played well at both ends of the rink – creating offence and being solid defensively. I like what he has brought, and it’s great to see him carry over with how well he was playing down there. He’s playing very well right now, and it’s great to have him on our team."

Coach Ron Wilson says being demoted following training camp was not a punishment for Crabb, but nevertheless he was impressed with the way the player handled the situation.

"He actually played very well in training camp," the coach says. "We have a lot of depth, and it was a tough decision to send him down, but the important thing for him is that he went down and worked really hard. We told him that he was still in our plans and to get the job done down there. And at some point, if things are working for him and we needed to make a change, he’d be one of the first guys we’d consider. He obviously went down there and had 15 points and was second in the league in scoring, so he’s gotten the job done."

NOTES: Goalie James Reimer did not participate in practice Friday. "He kind of hit a plateau in his recovery so we decided, our trainers decided, not to ask him to go on the ice," Wilson said. "With the other two goalies playing well, if he’s not going to face a lot of shots, it’s better for him to work out off the ice…

…Wilson was asked if the team’s fast start has a bearing on his ability to get a contract extension. He is in the final year of his contract. "It doesn’t really do anything," he said. "I’m just doing my job, period."

…Asked if the good start made him feel more comfortable with his contractual situation, Wilson said: "I didn’t feel uncomfortable before. I’m just doing my job. I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years. I’m pretty comfortable in my own skin and my own shoes."

…Defenceman Luke Schenn is struggling, and his reduced playing time is an indication the coaching staff may be losing confidence in him. Wilson did not indicate if Schenn would be pulled from the lineup when the Leafs host the Boston Bruins Saturday night and replaced by Cody Franson, who has played just three games this season. Franson has not played since Oct. 20, when he was minus-3 in 14:32 ice time against the Bruins.

…Wilson was complimentary about the play of veteran defenceman Mike Komisarek, who was a healthy scratch earlier in the season. "He’s been one of our best players," Wilson said. "He’s one of our best plus-minus people, and that’s probably a disappointing thing to say that to all the fans that spend all day on line ripping the poor guy. He’s got the job done and he’s playing well, so you’ve got to give credit to Komo for being diligent and keeping his game simple."

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy will cover the Toronto Maple Leafs for sportsnet.ca for the 2011/12 season.