Dion Phaneuf is currently riding a four-game point streak.

Phaneuf has two goals and three assists in that span. However, the Leafs captain has been struggling offensively this season with only six points in 15 games. Phaneuf should continue to see major minutes on Toronto's beleaguered blue line in this shortened 48-game season.

Dion Phaneuf contributed an assist in Toronto's opener against Montreal and he's been held without a point in 10 games since then.

He isn't concerned with his lack of production because he feels the points "will come." The Toronto captain knows he just has to "keep shooting." He has been credited with 23 shots this year and is third in the league in average ice time per game at 27:35, so he'll get his chances. Phaneuf also has 26 hits and 19 blocked shots.

Dion Phaneuf played over 32 minutes during Saturday's 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers, a number that coach Randy Carlyle admits is too high.

Carlyle says it came about as a result of the Leafs' poor play in their own zone. "I felt we should have him on for every defensive zone face-off and then, when we didn't execute off the defensive zone face-off to get the puck out of our zone, we got trapped in our zone too many times with him on the ice," Carlyle said. Phaneuf, who holds a -8 rating on the season, says he doesn't ask questions about his ice time and it's up to him to be more efficient when he's on the ice. The negative rating hurts owners, but Phaneuf remains one of the most reliable fantasy defensemen and should continue to see major minutes on Toronto's beleaguered blue line.

Dion Phaneuf is eager to get back to playing and he hopes the fans are equally as excited.

"It's good to be back," the Toronto captain said. "We apologize for not playing. We hope the fans understand that we were ready to start in September and we were locked out. It happens in pro sports. But we have the best fans in the world. We hope they come back." Phaneuf didn't seek employment overseas during the lockout. He worked out in Toronto and played in some charity games instead.

Some locked-out NHL stars will participate in a charity game to benefit grassroots hockey initiatives on Dec. 19 at the old Maple Leaf Gardens, which is now the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Dion Phaneuf, Phil Kessel, Steve Stamkos, Kris Versteeg, P.K. Subban, Tomas Kaberle, John-Michael Liles, Mike Komisarek, Logan Couture, James Neal and Niklas Kronwall are slated to be among the players skating in the match.

Toronto Maple Leafs ownership issued an apology to their fans for an "unacceptable" end to the season.

From February to the conclusion of the season, Toronto saw its record plummet from 26-19-6 to 35-37-10 and at one point it lost 11 straight on home ice. The Leafs finished with the fifth-worst record in the league, and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment chairman Lawrence M. Tanenbaum wrote a full-page letter to fans in the Toronto editions of the The Globe and Mail apologizing. The letter reads, in part: "We have fallen short of everyone's expectations, and for that we are sorry. We take full responsibility for how this team performs on the ice, and we make no excuses. The way this year ended was unacceptable."

Dion Phaneuf scored a goal in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

In the Leafs' final game of the regular season, their captain Dion Phaneuf refused to quit. Considering Toronto's hot start to the season, the end of the season brings nothing but hypotheticals. It is back to the drawing board for Brian Burke, however the Leafs aren't far from becoming serious cup contenders.

Dion Phaneuf scored the game winner in a 3-2 overtime win over the Lightning Thursday night.

Phaneuf scored his 11th goal of the season in overtime as the Buds take their final home game of the season Thursday night.

Dion Phaneuf scored a goal in a 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

Dion Phaneuf, the captain of the Toronto Maple leafs, scored the Leafs' first goal of the hockey game. Phaneuf is attempting to captain the Maple Leafs into the promise land of the playoffs. Despite the playoff push, the Leafs simply came out flat on Saturday night, falling into a 3-0 deficit against one of the league's hottest teams.

A poll of 161 players by Sports Illustrated named Dion Phaneuf as the league's most overrated player.

Toronto GM Brian Burke wasn't happy with the basis for the poll or its result, but that's to be expected. Despite the poll, Phaneuf has played very well this season and appears to be getting back on track after he lit it up with Calgary in his first few seasons in the NHL. He is sixth among defensemen in scoring with 28 points and has netted seven goals on 119 shots. His trademark gigantic hits have also found their way back into his game and he has provided leadership on a young and improving Maple Leafs team in 2011-12. Just as an FYI, Alex Ovechkin finished second in the poll.