I love the fact that this goal tied the game with under a minute left. I love that Ron Wilson used his time-out and set up a very clever play. I love that 5 forwards - Grabovski, Kulemin, Kessel, MacArthur, and Versteeg - are on the ice. As they line up for the face-off, Grabbo is taking the draw, MacArthur is to his right by the boards, Kaberle at the right point, Versteeg at the left point, Kulemin on the inside at the hashmarks and Kessel on the outside in the high-slot. But then it gets interesting. Grabovski INTENTIONALLY gets himself thrown out the face-off circle. Kulemin steps forward as if he's going to replace Grabbo... ...but then Kessel calls him off and slips between them to take the draw. Grabbo and Kulemin drop back into position, and when they do... ...Grabbo takes Kulemin's spot on the inside and Kulemin takes Kessel's spot in the high slot. This little switcharoo momentarily confuses Chara and the Bruins right before the draw.
Kessel doesn't get an assist on the goal but he deserves to as he wins the draw cleanly back to Kaberle. Kaberle gathers the puck at the right point... ...and cruises into the centre of the ice along the blueline... ...and continues all the way over to the left point.
Let's rewind that: Look where he came from... ...and where he went. Kaberle draws every Bruin over to one side of the ice and rotated the set-up 90 degrees to the left. Now, not only are the Bruins not sure who they should be covering, they're not even sure where they should be.
Just as Kabby has everyone's attention and has them all leaning on the wrong foot... ...he slips the pass over to MacArthur, now manning the right point. As everyone scrambles from left to right, MacArthur blasts it as hard as he can... ...INTENTIONALLY wide right. As the Bruins continue to scramble to the Leafs right, all of them have their backs turned to Versteeg who's dropped down low on the left. The puck banks hard off the backboards and comes right to Versteeg. Thomas is completely out of position and Versteeg reacts quickly and puts the puck in the top corner of the open net. Tie game.
That the Leafs would go on to collect 2 points by winning the shoot-out makes it that much sweeter.
What a great goal to rescue the best team effort we've seen all season. And what a crazy, complicated, cunning and inspired strategy that I have no doubt was entirely orchestrated by Ron "Deep Blue" Wilson (who also made the gutsy decision to throw Nazem Kadri out first-up in the shoot-out). And for once the players finally executed with the necessary precision.
Nice to see a 65+ minute effort from the crew and nice to see Wilson make a difference. Hopefully this is a turning point in our season.
Anytime the Leafs score within the first 40 minutes of the opening face-off, their chances of success improve dramatically. Anytime the Leafs score in the 1st or 2nd period, the excitement value of the game skyrockets.
Everytime the 2nd period ends and the Leafs have yet to score a goal, I'm reminded of a quote from Brian Burke from way back in the first week of the season:
"Then, the rest of it for me is, we want to have a certain attitude. We want to play an entertaining style. We don’t trap. We pursue the puck in all three zones. We hit in all three zones. We fight. And we try to score a lot of goals. We’re not afraid to trade chances because our D is good because our goaltending is good, we’re not afraid to trade chances, which leads to an entertaining hockey game.” “My teams play a style that’s designed to entertain." -Brian Burke speaks with Paul Hunter, published October 8th, 2010
October 18th vs NYIslanders, after 4o minutes 1-0 NYI, final score 2-1OT.
October 21st vs NYRangers, after 40 minutes 2-0 NYR, final score 2-1.
October 28th vs Boston, after 40 minutes 2-0 Bos, final score 2-0.
October 30th vs NYRangers, after 40 minutes 2-0 NYR, final score 2-0.
November 2nd vs Ottawa, after 40 minutes 3-0 Ott, final score 3-2.
November 9th vs Tampa Bay, after 40 minutes 3-0 TB, final score 4-0.
November 10th vs Florida, after 40 minutes 2-0 Fl, final score 4-1.
November 20th vs Montreal, after 40 minutes 1-0 Mon, final score 2-0.
November 26th vs Buffalo, after 40 minutes 2-0 Buf, final score 3-1.
November 27th vs Ottawa, after 40 minutes 3-0 Ott, final score 3-0.
December 2nd vs Edmonton, after 40 minutes 3-0 Edm, finals score 5-0.
Scoreless after 2 periods 11 times and shutout completely 6 times in 24 games - 25% - zero Leaf goals in 1 out of every 4 games so far this season.
This isn't entertaining at all. No NHL team with a fan base this big should have this little to cheer bout.
Is it possible that the Leafs have learned all they can from Wilson? Isn't it possible that the team could retain the best aspects of Wilson's teachings and keep it in their back pocket while moving on with a fresh approach? The Leafs are well versed in their responsibilities but what they seem to need is someone who can spark their imaginations and get the offence rolling. Someone focused on scoring goals and winning now. Someone who grants freedom and allows creativity and someone who inspires courage and determination.
Someone who forgives mistakes so there's no fear in making them. Someone that promotes confidence, not insecurity. Someone who encourages the players to celebrate their success.
Someone who can teach them about Wendel and Dougie and Mats.
I'm not gonna tell you who I'd bring in as interim-coach for the rest of the season, but I'll give you a hint: it's a name I've mentioned before, and it begins with "Todd" and it ends with "Gill" and it rhymes with "Totally Awesome".
If he's not availbale, my second choice is Frantisek Kaberle Sr.
If you hadn't guessed, Ron Wilson's been getting on my nerves a bit recently. And it's not just the team's struggles that are bothering me, though that's where it begins and ends, but also the cold, cynical, sarcastic, snarky nature that Wilson employs when speaking, through the media, to the public.
I think Wilson forgets sometimes that he isn't just speaking to the reporters assembled, but to the masses. The people holding microphones and notepads are only there because Leaf fans are listening and reading. That's the audience. Reporters and journalists and columnists and even bloggers just record the things that are said and sometimes they flaunt their opinion to add or create context, but the conversation is with the audience, and a condescending attitude is a shtick that wears thin real quick.
"We’re a .500 team and apparently we should be 1.000,”
Wrong. No one is suggesting we should still have a perfect record, but you know what? We could have been 1.000 after game 5, but instead Lebda took a goaltender interference penalty in overtime. Two people are responsible for that; Lebda and the coach. Also, .500 sucks. That's not a measure of success or acceptability. Please don't start talking that way. That's a losers attitude.
Ya, I know I'm being harsh but I'm tired of Wilson's preoccupation with his high horse keeping his clothes clean while the team and fans wallow in muck. Take some responsibility. For instance:
"I mean, it suddenly switched from Lindy Ruff to me overnight, and it’s always coming out of Toronto. There is some coach in the league that we’re talking about and I get asked not just about my own situation, but every other coach who is losing a couple of games and it always seems to come out of Toronto, not from the city where the coach is struggling a little bit.”
Are you joking? First of all, who won the game that night? Second, the always coming out of Toronto thing is a red herring. Of course you're going to get asked about your situation and others, and of course a greater percentage of the news-narrative will originate from Toronto, and aside from Ron Wilson, there are no other NHL head coaches working in Toronto so they have to be from somewhere else by default. It's enough to make me think he's gone off his rocker. For instance, from before the ill-fated loss to the Sabres:
“That’s half the problem with our society,” Leafs coach Ron Wilson said after the morning skate, leaping to the defense of his colleague. “You’re married to your wife, and you have a rough spot … ‘Oh, that’s it. I’m getting a new wife.’ We see that every damn day in our society. We just get rid of things.
“The one thing you don’t generally do is get rid of your kids.” Laughter.
“I don’t think.”
More laughter.
“Not many people say, ‘That’s it. I’m trading my kids for a new set of kids,’ right?”
According to Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Wilson "leaped" to the defence of his Buffalo counterpart and seemingly got on a roll after only gentle prodding. This assumption is backed up by Sean Fitz-Gerald who wrote in the Post:
"Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson got on a roll during his pre-game briefing with reporters on Saturday, touching on everything from the status of the modern family to the continued development of Luke Schenn and the notion of the NHL adopting a system for coaches to challenge on-ice calls."
By the way, the quote from Wilson in which he ponders disposing of family members and exposes the root of half our society's damn habitual problems is one of the strangest tangents I've ever heard from a sports personality in Toronto. It's bizarre. I'd love to hear more from Ron Wilson about his bitter contempt for society and know what the other half of our problems are but I'm not sure why he's thinking about that and not about hockey. Who cares about Lindy Ruff? Or society?
But that was just the tail-end of his answer. It began a long ways back, according to the Post. Keep in mind this is only a "partial" transcript:
On whether rumours about job security – based on the speculation swirling around Sabres coach Lindy Ruff – can become a distraction:
“Well, I’ve had enough of that here. It happens most of the time. You lose two in a row, you should be fired or something. I don’t think that it’s a distraction to Lindy. How long has he been there? 13 years? So, along the way, if he’s been there 13 years, probably 30 times someone has said he should be fired.
“To take on a job of this magnitude, you have to have a fairly thick skin. And you have to believe in yourself. And over time, Lindy’s done a great job. They’ve been in this same spot four or five times along the way. You just have to be patient.”
On the importance of trust and support between a coach and a general manager:
“I don’t know what’s going on in the Buffalo organization, but coming in (the media room), I hate to say this, but your opinions don’t really matter in the board room or in the locker room. You guys have your opinions. And whatever’s going on in Buffalo, I guarantee you they’ve got their finger on the pulse.”
"They’re just going through a rough time right now. You go through a rough time in your life."
And then Wilson launches into his tirade against the North American way of life. These aren't answers to questions. This is just him going off. Finally he wraps it up with a cryptic comment that sounds more like he's talking about his own situation then anything to do with Lindy Ruff:
“You’re going to have rocky times. You stick in there. You battle through it. Don’t take the easy way out. You’ll be better off for it in the long run.”
So it seems to me that Wilson was far from bombarded with questions he didn't want to answer about his well-respected colleague but was quite happy to jump in there and lead the conversation, and then unwittingly turned it in his direction when he put himself in the scenario and projected the outcome. You're going to have rocky times. You stick in there. You battle through it. Don't take the easy way out. Who's he talking about? Lindy Ruff still? He's gone existential on us, just like Paul Maurice did.
It's interesting to me that Wilson hasn't had stronger words for the team's performance but instead found a way to praise them while appraising his own work:
"Defensively, with a couple of exceptions, we’ve played very well, we’ve kept the shots down. Our penalty killing, except for two games last week, has been excellent, we’ve really improved in that area … at some point it’s all going to click in, and we’ll start to see the results we expect.”
I like that part at the end. Finally, some optimism and encouragement. I can't wait until "some point" comes, and I'm sure that when it does and people say what a great job the Leafs coaching staff have done to turn things around, Wilson will have none of that and will deflect credit to the players who overachieved their talent and finally caught up to his coaching ability.
Mike Komisarek is my choice for Leaf of the Week based on the last 4 games. I believe he's the most improved Leafs player since the start of the season, but maybe that was to be expected for a player coming back from a long layoff. The last 2 games he's been arguably the best Leaf on the ice. This past week he's seen his ice-time climb from 11:01 in Boston last Thursday, to 26:02 Wednesday night in Washington.
And this pass Komi lays out to Versteeg to send him in for the tying goal is an absolute beauty:
Captain Overboard
Of course, the rise in Komi's ice-time is entirely related to the tragic circumstance of filling in for the injured Captain. A deserved reflection of Komi's improved play, but not by design.
"The bottom line is that Dion has wrought a considerable culture change with our team and he's done it almost singlehandedly." -Burke
Dripping with irony, this statement becomes an unintended challenge to every member of the team to make their mark and prove their worth in the absence of Phaneuf.
Luke Schenn has been awesome this year, looks like a future Captain, and played another outstanding game on Wednesday. But I also thought Komisarek, Beauchemin, and Kaberle - all 3 wearing the familiar A on their sweaters - stood out for playing an intense spirited game, especially in the 3rd period. As much as Gustavsson deserves credit for stealing a point with some unbelievable stops, so too do the Leafs top four defenders for their inspiring efforts.
Hard Times
1-5-2 after a 4-0-0 start, yet this team showed remarkable character in the 3rd period against Washington to steal a point, and nearly two. Now they'll have to continue building that character in the absence of Phaneuf over the next four weeks and somehow establish a team identity and a winning attitude without the larger-then-life personage of Dion to guide them.
I'm hoping the competitiveness and confidence of the rest of the players is as underrated as Phaneuf's leadership is overrated. Otherwise...
I think we've overdrawn on our deposit.
"This is money in the bank for us when we hit hard times." -Wilson
That didn't take long. One win in our last 8 games. With or without a Captain, we can't afford to prolong our tail-spin.
I was all set to write an angry post demanding an end to Wilson's run behind the bench, and who knows - it might still be coming, but the Leafs made a truly startling turnaround in the 3rd period, and as mentioned, key players gave inspirational performances and elevated their game.
I don't know where that inspiration came from, could've been behind the bench, so we give Wilson the benefit of the doubt for one more game perhaps. Because it was a truly stunning comeback, even if we didn't hold on for the win.
Inspiration
One thing I am concerned about with this team is the motivation factor. They'd better learn to play for themselves and for each other, 'cause it's obvious that they don't play for the coach. Wilson comes across as a firm no-nonsense straightshooter, but also as a horrible motivator. Seems to only lead with the stick and never the carrot. The focus seems to be on positioning, not passion. Diligence, and not drive. Jobs, but not joy.
I honestly can't imagine any group of players rallying around coach Wilson like they would for Scotty Bowman or Pat Burns. It may be that it's not necessary for players to like their coach or agree with their decisions, but I'm not so sure. I think it helps a little.
Wilson's style is very demanding and requires the players work hard, and skate hard, continuously. For the most part, the effort and execution is there, sometimes stubbornly so, as even when it's not succeeding the Leafs rarely abandon the game plan and rigidly maintain their system. The players have bought into a determined, disciplined style of play but are not seeing much in the way of rewards or success.
Individually, players have grown and learned, but collectively there's a lack of spirit and chemistry. Mostly what alerts me to the fact that this isn't a happy group is the lack of enthusiasm towards winning and scoring from Toronto's key offensive contributors. Versteeg, Kessel, and most alarmingly, Grabovski, appear to be missing that sparkle-magic in their eyes and flare in their step. Now, I'm not asking for anyone to pretend their stick is blazing like Jimi Hendrix' guitar, but after back-to-back shutouts, it'd be nice to see 3rd period outbursts greeted with some genuine excitement and emotion from the players.
They seem too uptight for celebration. My concern is that Wilson's snarky, grey, miserable demeanor, while beneficial in producing a sound, disciplined and tireless, defensive approach, lacks the motivational thrust needed to get the players to elevate their game, and does nothing to encourage their enthusiasm for success.
FJM
I still believe in the rest of this team. Even Lebda. But no amount of coaching is going to fix John Mitchell. His poor clearing attempt on the PK, already much lamented, led to the Capitals tying goal, yet it's everything Mitchell does AFTER the weak clear that I find so appalling.
A one-goal lead, with less then 6 minutes to go in the 3rd period: First off, Mitchell's angle is all wrong. He's skating directly towards the shooter when really he should be skating towards a point between the shooter and his target and then from there close the distance between himself and the shooter.Mitchell then attempts to block the shot with his outstretched stick and not with his body and the result is predictable. The puck slices right through the shaft of Mitchell's stick and continues towards the net at an uncertain trajectory and velocity.As the puck miraculously bounces through the crease and wide, Mitchell drops the broken stick and appears to give up on the play. For the next 2 seconds, Mitchell goes into zombie-mode. As Gustavsson, Beauchemin and Komisarek scramble in the crease, check out Mitchell's body language as he watches Semin coral the puck at the side of the goal. Arms down at his side, back upright, feet not moving at all, legs are shoulder-width apart as if taking a practice glide and preparing to stop. Zero intensity. Despite being the closest Maple Leaf with an unobstructed path to the goalscorer, Mitchell is doing nothing to pressure or hurry Semin's attempt. There's no sense of urgency coming from Mitchell, only defeat.Sure, Mitchell likely wouldn't have made it in time even if he'd tried, but the point is entirely that he didn't even try. If Beauchemin had somehow managed to get a shinpad in the way and blocked the first attempt, Semin easily would've had time for a second and third whack.
Notice how quickly Sjostrom comes into view coming back on the other side, and if you watch the video carefully, compare the body language of Sjostrom and Mitchell immediately after the referee signals the goal (0:07).
It may be time for Mitchell to have a fresh start somewhere else where he can try to find his game under less pressure and scrutiny. For now, Wilson is the one who gets the general reprieve, but only as long as the Leafs top defenders - those with a letter on their chests - continue to lead and inspire. As for the offensive woes, it may be that Bozak, Versteeg, and Grabbo are going to have to figure things out on their own and find their smiles without the Captain's cultural influence, and without resorting to throwing tennis balls at each other either. And soon.
Wow, this was like 4 posts in one! If you made it all the way through, thanks for dropping by, and Go Leafs Go!
That's how it feels after the Leafs lose their first preseason game, a 5-0 stinker at home to the despised Senators. The soft drink sponsored Fans First Game, promoted as "our way of thanking them for their on-going support" ends with those grateful Maple Leafs slinking off the ice to a smattering of boos. Maybe it's the deserving karma of the whole nauseating promo-event, but for whatever reason, the Leafs seemed woefully mismatched and unprepared.
Reminiscent of last season.
Does coaching have anything to do with being prepared?
Whoah, slow down there. Just one game. Wilson is not going to be fired for what he does in September.
Back to this Fans First thing. I actually missed most of the first two periods. I was at SkyDome watching the Blue Jays with my 3 year old daughter. But before the game we walked around Union Station to see if we could flip our baseball tickets (for an actual regular season game) for (pre-season) hockey tickets. 100 section, just a few rows behind the first base dug-out. I was told by scalpers that my pair of 62 dollar tickets wasn't worth 25 dollars. He then added that because tonight's Leafs game was "free", tickets were really scarce and were going for double the normal rate. Plus, "it's the first game so everyone wants to go".
My daughter and I really enjoyed 4 innings of Blue Jays baseball and the score was 5-1 when we left. We saw 3 home runs.
By the time I got home, it was 3-0 for the Sens and the only drama left was how bad could it get.
Said Greg Cyr, the director of integrated marketing of a soft drink company:
"And now we’re making the impossible, possible for passionate Leafs fans that have never experienced the thrill of a live Leafs game."
Uh-huh. Except, fail.
IT'S NOT THRILLING WHEN YOU LOSE FIVE NOTHING.
Don't get too unwound. This isn't really the Leafs. This team had names like Irwin, Mueller, Hamilton, Zigomanis, Crabb, Gysbers, Lashoff, and Rynnas, on the back of Leafs' sweaters, not to mention Kadri and D'Amigo. This is not the team we'll see in October.
I don't know if he does it on purpose, but Wilson seems to have a habit of throwing people to the wolves. There was probably a degree of opening-night jitters and uncertainty from the young players and even the vets. My idea of "a game to say thanks" would be to surprise the opposition with a stacked line-up of all the regular everyday players from last season. Let the rookies watch the veterans then set the tone for the season by demolishing a Sens line-up sprinkled with job-seekers and minor leaguers in front of a roaring, appreciative crowd.
In short, Mr. Wilson, you're not helping soft drink sales and we've got eight games left to establish a culture of success.
Tyler Bozak seems to have a clear head on his shoulders:
"tough start to preseason but thats what preseason is for! Getting all the kinks out. In the lineup tomorrow and cant wait!"
Seems like the right attitude. I guess it's the right time for getting stuff out of the way. So I made a list of "kinks" you can exercise from your systems over the next 8 games:
1. Blow-outs at home.
2. Lackluster efforts vs. division rivals.
3. Lackluster efforts at home.
4. Shutouts on home ice.
5. A SHUT-OUT LOSS IN A BLOW OUT AT HOME TO A DIVISION RIVAL IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE REGULAR SEASON!!1 That's the kind of stuff that make us a laughing stock. No more laughing stocks.
6. Oh-Seven-And-One. Just get it out of the way now. I honestly don't care if we don't win one PRESEASON game but we WILL NOT go 0-7-1 to start the regular season again. Unacceptable in the extreme.
I suppose there's more to add to the list, like ineffective power plays and penalty kills, giving up 2-goal leads in the 3rd, or not having a full-scale donnybrook in the final minutes of a 5-0 blowout at home to a division rival... Work all that shit out and make sure these bad habits, or "kinks" or just mind-numbingly poor efforts have had their time in the sun and won't be coming back in the regular season.
Anyways, the first preseason game is no treat for the fans. At the end of the year, when we see our first post-season game, now that will be a real gift that we blow our wad for.
A full two seasons after The Long Departure of our last Chief, the tribe has finally wandered out of the wilderness. No longer aimless and uncertain, the Toronto Maple Leafs have once again found themselves a worthy leader. A noble and honourable warrior to carry on the tradition, to lead us into battle, to lift us to victory. A Captain to guide us out of the miserable gloom of apathy and deliver us into the illuminating light of hope.
A man who reminds us of our destiny unfulfilled.
A clear path to follow. The tribe awakens. A Nation hungers and thirsts to reclaim its glory, to resume the quest. There's a connection... Continuity...
They can feel it...
A link to the past...
And so begins a new era...
And so continues the Legend...
Born April 10, 1985, Dion Phaneuf was just 25 years of age on June 14th, 2010, when he became the 17th Captain in the illustrious history of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Having joined the team mid-season last year, Dion has appeared in just 26 games with the tribe, yet his impact and influence were immediately present. The Leafs were once again defiant, no longer afraid to lose, and asserting their ambition to win.
“That, to me, was where he was making a statement to everyone in the building that he wanted to be a captain here,”
Our Captain arrived on one of the most explosive days in Leafs history, emerging from the dust of the incredible shake up that became known as The Great Overhaul. Cast adrift were Hagman, Stajan, and the noble Ian White, yet also launched overboard was the anti-productive trio of Mayers, Blake, and Toskala, along with the dead weight of a losing atmosphere. Clearing the air and breathing new life into the team were Sjostrom, Conn Smythe trophy winner Giguere, and standing tallest of all, Dion Phaneuf.
"I believe January 31 will go down as a critical day in the timeline of this team. That’s when things started to change. You could see it." -Brian Burke
"As soon as he came in he had a major impact on our room. I think it was obvious to everybody."
“He made a big impact... ...took over the room a little bit. A guy that plays hard. Plays whistle to whistle the right way, holds his teammates accountable."
404 NHL games played. 77 goals, 161 assists, 238 points. 556 penalty minutes. 22 of his 77 goals are game-winners.
His first historic goal as a Maple Leaf:
His second goal as a Maple Leaf, the very next game, the last game of the season, in overtime:
"I think the best way to lead is you don't have to be the loudest guy but you definitely want to be the guy who's working the hardest day in and day out."
The past, the present, the future. The circle is once again complete. Ahead of us is only a focal point with no horizon. The Dawn Is Here Now.
The time of In-Between-Pride is at an end. A new era truly begins - one that promises to be a long and ambitious adventure - with honour restored, and glory awaiting us. The Captain has thankfully returned, and with him perhaps, the passion and spirit that will reunite the Nation and make our adversaries crumble with dread. Be it known from this point on that a hero has been chosen to rally behind, the only purpose is victory, and that war shall be declared if ever even one drop is spilled from the blood of my Chief.
(And that's a complete set, I think. I can't imagine there'll be a 7th volume. If you want to read the whole series, they're all here, though a lot of the pictures are missing now.)
Have you been hearing the expressions "dead horse", "stir the pot", and "overblown" a lot lately? I think people are getting really tired of the Toronto mainstream media, and with good reason. We don't get news, we get spun. Especially when the stories originate off the ice and have little to do with what took place on it.
It's bogus, it's lazy, and worse, it's this constant mindless empty truth-mongering that's continually driving away Toronto's top athletes.
If you were Chris Bosh, Mats Sundin, Roy Halladay, Vince Carter, Doug Gilmour, or Carlos Delgado, would you want to see the likes of Rosie Dimmano, Damien Cox, Howard Berger, Steve Simmons, Al Strachan, Dave Feshuck, or Dave "Original Content" Fuller, on a daily basis? Can you imagine what it must be like to have them asking you again and again how you "feel about the controversy surrounding your future in Toronto"?
"Despite repeated denials that there was any controversy, the fact is, this issue just isn't going away. We'll keep you updated on THE SITUATION."
-they all said in unison like the Borg
One of the things I stumbled upon recently was Steve Simmons' own admission that Burke himself was among those who were "shitting all over" him after quoting an un-named source saying Kaberle was at his "wit's end" with Wilson.
"When I wrote Kaberle couldn't stand Wilson Leaf fans and Burke were shitting all over me."
I would have loved to have seen what that looked like. Indeed, a horrible expression and not one that I would ever use but Simmons feels comfortable broadcasting that language for some reason over his twitter account to... ? Who the fuck knows who he thinks he's talking to...
I remember how the players reacted at the time, thanks to the honourable James Mirtle:
"It's to the point in the Leafs dressing room where, for many players, this "story" is a non-story -- just another day under a coach who can be difficult to deal with. Veterans Wayne Primeau and Jamie Lundmark, for example, made light of the media interest in Kaberle today by pretending to be reporters themselves, holding the ends of broken hockey sticks like microphones in their teammate's face and giggling through the proceedings."
Eventually the players are gonna stop laughing.
And the media will be there to make an issue out of that.
Funny enough, I ran across another interesting quote recently. I'm taking it completely out of context 'cause it wasn't related to Tomas Kaberle at the time, but I still thought it was kind of interesting and might give you an indication about Burke's reaction to the Kabby Situation:
"As for rules prohibiting "family advisors" from negotiating with teams, Burke said that rule is routinely ignored. He also noted that if parents think their 14-year-old needs an agent, "You're probably wrong."
Burke added that parents are likely the worst judges of talent and "have no perspective." "
Obviously Burke has great respect for Mr. Kaberle Sr., much more then he does for the fathers of some random 14 year old hockey players. And Tomas is no ordinary 32 year old hockey player. Still... blah blah blah, dead horse, overblown, stir the pot...
Can you give us an update on the Kaberle-Wilson issue?
"Ronny will sit down with Tomas soon and sort it all out."
Yes! See?! See?! We told you! There is an issue! A rift! RIFT WE SAID!
"I'm not sure there is going to be anything that needs to be worked out."
A meeting to finally settle their feud... sort out this increasingly deep rift once and for all... incompatible differences... continual animosity... a delicious feud...
"But I'm not sure there is going to be anything that needs to be worked out."
A beautiful rift... the rift of my shallow dreams... the rift of a lifetime... the ultimate rift... rifty business... stir pot, beat dead horse, overblow, and suck.
I haven't written many angry posts this year. I've tried not to. I wrote a bunch last year and I found they're not as fun for me to read afterwards, but blurr once said that he liked me better when I was angry, and ironically that made me feel happy. So be forewarned Maple Leafs Lovers, I'm getting really angry, and any minute now I'm gonna start writing. Okay?
I'M ANGRY!!!!!!1 You know who doesn't want to be a Leafs fan right now? Everybody. But like some sort of horrible swarm of infatuated flying magnetic monkey-sheep, many of us cling misguidedly to an optimistic outcome of a love that will last forever. Loyalty can be forever but blood pressure has a lethal limit, y'know. Sometimes forever means you're dead now. Nobody wants to be associated with a loser. Nobody wants to be laughed at derisively. Derisive is a beautiful word and it sounds poetic but it's actually a horrible experience, especially when it comes from people who don't watch hockey and think Tie Domi still plays for the Leafs. Does any of this make sense? Maybe let's take a pause from being angry for a second.
"Our fans have to understand I'm as frustrated as they are. Way more so."
Wrong. Complete factual error. Not possible.
In all due respect, Mr. Burke, you're only just beginning to get frustrated with this team. You weren't here for Maurice/JFJ. You were winning Stanley Cups and rubbing shoulders with Hollywood fashionistas in sunny California. Of course you're disappointed with ToskaLMFAO but we're still sorry over Raycrap. I remember a year when we had a coach named Murphy AND a defenceman named Murphy and I hated them both. Did you know Dougie was high-sticked on that play? And did you know that there's a scar that won't heal, and a score that can't be settled until Toronto finally wins the Stanley Cup? It takes intense discipline to cultivate frustration of this magnitude without setting fire to things. This isn't Montreal. This is Frustration Nation.
Anyways, just a week ago, Mr. Burke, didn't you say something like:
"If you took out the first seven games, it's been a successful season, but you can't do that... We dug a deep hole. We worked very, very hard (to get out of it). I'm proud of that."
I'm not saying that I think these statements are necessarily hypocritical and contradictory, but they come off like hot air and hollow proclamations. I want names. Who are we proud of? Who are we frustrated with? And most importantly - WHAT are we going to do about it? And then my last question is, why didn't we do it sooner?
Let's survey the damage:
A .424 winning percentage after 46 games, 14th in the East, 28th in the NHL. 0-7-1 to begin the season. Surrendered the first goal 33 times in 46 games. Tied for 27th in 1st-period goals-for, while having the highest total of 1st-period goals-against. Outscored in the 1st-period 47-28. An OT/shoot-out record of 1 win and 9 losses. The worst goals-against average in the league. Outscored 7-0 in 4-on-4 situations. The worst penalty-kill in the league, possibly the worst ever seen - just 68.3%. (The 1979-80 Los Angeles Kings have the NHL's worst recorded penalty-kill at 67.7%) Mindboggling.
Wilson's status as head coach?
"100 per cent safe."
An 0-7-1 start to the season, scoring the first goal only 13 times in 46 games, and being outscored in the 1st-period by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, indicates a team that is either completely unmotivated or completely ill-prepared.
"100 per cent safe."
Outscored 7-0 in 4-on-4 situations, and a 1-9 record in extra-time indicates a total absence of any team chemistry within the group, or confidence as a whole.
"100 per cent safe."
The worst penalty-kill in the league, and easily the worst in 2 decades (seriously). Says Leafs assistant coach, Tim Hunter:
"It’s not one guy. It’s not the goalie. It’s not the defencemen. It’s not the forwards. It’s everybody... If you don’t have guys willing to compete it doesn’t matter."
"Not willing to compete" is a puzzling way of describing "everybody" on the roster. Why can't the coaches get the players to "compete" the way they're supposed to? What happens when the team loses total confidence in the penalty-kill? How wise is it to be playing aggressive and on the edge when powerplay goals against come at a 30% clip? I'm askin' you, Tomas Kaberle:
"We can’t take penalties, if we can’t kill them.”
You got it, Kabby, except that it doesn't seem like a very truculent attitude, though it is entirely reasonable. Unfortunately, it seems this Leafs team is either unwilling, or more likely, entirely unable to carry out the coach's directions, and the coach is therefore unable to execute the strategy that the GM had designed for the team to specifically follow.This image above is what Truculence looks like. This is Fedotenko taking a blatant boarding penalty on Ian White for retaliation against a hit on a Pittsburgh player, shortly after taking a commanding 3-goal lead in the 3rd-period. The Penguins then easily killed off the Leafs' powerplay. The message sent by the Fedotenko hit far outweighed any momentum gained from the unsuccessful man-advantage. That's the way it's supposed to work, but the Leafs' weapons of security and justice have been systematically disabled and disarmed, leaving them vulnerable and impotent.
"100 per cent safe."
The last word in this angry post goes to MLSE president, Richard Peddie, probably the only time I'll ever quote him, ever:
"We understand the fan unrest. It also says they really care."
So there you go - it's okay to be angry. Go for it. Our unrest will be a measure of our love.
Here's a problem: The Leafs are 0 and 5 in extra-time so far this season. That's 5 points left on the table, and worse, 5 additional points surrendered to the opposition. Distressingly, 4 of those losses were to Conference rivals, and twice it was the Habs.
The Leafs are a better team then their record indicates... blah blah blah. If the Leafs keep playing this way, the wins will start to come... blah blah blah. Once again, the Leafs outplayed their opponents for most of the game... blah blah blah. Boring.
If the Leafs had won those games, we'd have 12 points after 13 games, and more importantly, we'd be just 2 points out of a playoff spot. We'd also be equal to Montreal (who'd have 12, not 14) with still 2 games in hand. In fact, those dastardly Habs are a frustrating contrast. ALL BUT ONE of their wins have come in extra-time, and they have yet to surrender a loss in overtime or the shoot-out. 4 OT wins, 2 shoot-out wins. 6 additional points acquired on top of the 12 points split evenly with their opponents. The Habs record could look like: 1-8-6 and 8 points, almost exactly the same as the Leafs 1-7-5 and 7 points. Instead, the Habs are 7-8-0 and 14 points and tied for 8th in the East. That seems like a pretty significant difference for two teams that match up evenly after 60 minutes.
The Leafs last night again displayed an alarming lack of finish, despite the presence of Kessel. One game is too soon to expect a solution, but there is promise that the problem is being fixed. Kessel looked dangerous all night, unleashing 10 shots on goal over nearly 24 minutes of ice time. As long as he can stay out of the trolley tracks, he should be producing plenty, and soon.
Our heroes are on a 5 game point-streak, which sounds great, picking up 6 points out of a possible 10. That's a .600 winning percentage, which over 82 games translates into 98 points and a playoff spot. Unfortunately, Leaf opponents have taken 8 of a possible 10 points in those same 5 games and are therefore playing .800 hockey. Welcome to the post-lockout NHL, where .500 means you suck.
"We have to persevere. We can't change what we're doing, because we're right there knocking on the door. We've just got to find a way to knock the door completely down." -Wilson The Leafs have found the right level of intensity that allows them to compete with their opponents for 60 minutes, giving themselves a chance to win for 5 straight games now, but like the old cliche, we need one hundred and ten percent. We need to go to 65 solid minutes of hockey, if that's what it takes. We need more then just desperation, we need a killer instinct. Stop knocking on the door fellas - you have to let yourselves in, make yourselves at home, and have sex on the carpet.
"He's gotta make plays, he can't be content to be on the ice..." -Wilson
The coach is talking about Tlusty there, after he was called up, but he could be talking about the entire team's approach to extra-time. Stajan, Blake, Stempniak, Hagman, White, Kaberle, Kulemin, Grabovski, and Ponikarovsky, not just Kessel, need to kick it up a notch. We can't just be happy for the point. We can't just be satisfied to have played a decent game. We gotta make it happen, and overtime is just as much our opportunity as it is anyone else's. There's a point up for grabs and it's five minutes and then it's a shoot-out. We can't be content to be on the ice.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Horse Racing. Seems to be an odd recurring theme as I sift through Google Images. Not much goin' on these days, so for entertainment I've decided to compile all the pictures I could find of Leafs at the racetrack and put them all together, in case there was somebody, anybody, who found this amusing or interesting. It's not, really, but Burke is gone fishin', so we might as well go sightseeing at the track.
Here's a great picture of popular former Leaf and Dream Team member, Alyn McCauley. You'll notice in the next 2 photos Brian Burke and Darcy Tucker holding the same trophy, but for some reason, Alyn is only allowed to meekly place his left hand on top of the trophy while someone holds it for him. What gives? Alyn seemed like a really cool guy and I'm really jealous of PPP for his run in with him in Montreal. I'll never forget the way he came through for us against Ottawa.
You never really realize how small jockeys are until you see them standing beside hockey players. Here's a picture of Super-Psycho Shane Corson along with his chaperon for the day, Darcy Tucker. Anytime you can make the guy they call "bat-shit crazy" appear to be the normal one, it's a warning sign that you have serious problems. Here's Brain Burke as the drawmaster at Mohawk Raceway earlier this summer, taking charge of the proceedings by lifting the trophy right out of the official's hands, and then letting people know straight up which horses they should be putting their money on. There's only one way to do things when Brian is around, and that's his way. Just like Brian Burke, Ron Wilson's first official duty in Toronto was to be a drawmaster for a horse race. Still visible in this photo is the look of obvious culture shock that anyone wears when traveling from California to Ontario. The trophy beside Wilson is the nicest one in all of these pictures. Who can forget the time that Tie Domi stabbed a guy in the neck with 2 horseshoes just to make a room full of people laugh? Also amusing is the fact that the trophy and Domi's head are exactly the same size. Then there was the year that Curtis Joseph actually won the Queen's Plate. A surprise disqualification minutes before the start saw the always competitive Cujo enter the race as an incredible 375 to 1 longshot. Joseph then stunned the competition and the crowd, winning the Queen's Plate by a length and a half, all the while carrying 120-pound jockey Oleg Borschevsky (Nikolai's lesser known younger half-brother) around the track on his back. A somewhat embarrassed Joseph was rewarded for his "un-bee-lee-ba-ba" performance with the smallest trophy they could find and then they hung a wreath of flowers around his neck.
Here's an extremely rare photo of Mr. Fletcher accompanied by the elite group of assistants he employs, known only as Cliff's Angels. These 3 fabulous stereotypes are Cliff's ultra-secret team of highly trained international agents, using the latest skills in martial arts, weaponry, and seduction to track down the most dangerous and sought-after prospects from around the globe and then bring them to Toronto. Originally assigned as high-level liaison operatives for Central European Scouting 2 years ago, their latest mission to Farjestads, Sweden has been a notable success.
Well, that's it. I didn't do any research for this at all. Maybe I should have, but actually, this post was just an excuse to tell people that I have a new poll at the bottom of the page to keep us excited through the summer. Who is your favorite "new" Leaf that Burke has added to the team so far? Beauchemin, Exelby, Gustavsson, Hanson, Kadri, Komisarek, Orr, Stuart, or Wallin? The poll will be open until September 1st.
Let's just get one thing straight. I hated Martin Gerber. The idea of Martin Gerber becoming a Leaf made my skin crawl. If I had to describe my feelings for Gerber in one word, it would be "puke". Just wanted to get that out of the way. Now we can move on.
I love a compelling story-line, and I love cheering for the underdog. Let's move on some more.
There's something very interesting happening here. If what they say is true, and Toskala's surgery was inevitable and necessary, then the acquisition of Martin Gerber was a tremendous move. This has the potential to work out for the Leafs in a really positive, unexpected way. Gerber, at one time a very promising goaltender, needed to be thrown a life-line to rescue his career, and luckily the Leafs have done that and given him a chance. It's Kyle Wellwood in reverse, without the pictures by the pool or the obesity, and hopefully it'll lead to some good karma for the team.
Martin Gerber joined the Anahiem Mighty Ducks in 2002, as the back-up goaltender to J.S. Giguere, appearing in 22 games. He then sat on the bench in the playoffs for all but 20 minutes, as Giguere led the Ducks to the Stanley Cup Final, winning 15 games and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
The following season, Gerber played 32 games with decent numbers (2.26 GA, .918 SV%), while Giguere faltered, and the Ducks missed the playoffs by 15 points. After the lockout, Gerber found a job with Carolina as the starting goaltender, appearing in 60 games. In the playoffs however, after splitting the first 2 games in the opening round, Carolina coach Peter Laviolette, replaced Gerber with Cam Ward, who then led the Hurricanes all the way to the Finals, defeating the Edmonton Oilers to win the Cup. Ward, most improbably, was named MVP and received the Conn Smythe.
The following summer, the Ottawa Senators signed Gerber as a free-agent, while Chara and Havlat departed to Boston and Chicago. That year, Gerber underwhelmed in Ottawa, while even more improbably, Ray Emery emerged as a dressing room leader and a fan favorite. This time Gerber lost the starting job before the playoffs even began, and while Emery was no candidate for the Conn Smythe, he was solid enough to get the Senators through three playoff rounds.
So, for the third time in four seasons, with 3 different teams, Martin Gerber sat on the bench and watched the Stanley Cup Finals as a back-up goaltender, thinking to himself who knows what.
After a good start last year, things began to unravel in Ottawa, with Emery at the centre. Gerber won the starting job for the playoffs, yet failed to win a single game, as the Senators were swept in the opening round by the Penguins. By mid-season the following year, Emery is in Moscow, Gerber is in Binghamton, and the Senators are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
If ever there was a goalie with something to prove; it's Martin Gerber. A quick look at his stats (career: 105-73-21, 2.61 GA, .911 SV%) shows a very capable NHL goaltender. I'm guessing that Gerber, much like Emery, or come to think of it, everyone who's ever been there, got a raw deal in Ottawa. Murray is a horrible GM who, to the joy of Leafs fans, has ruined a strong contender, while trying to lay blame at everyone else's doorstep. If it isn't the goalie it must be the other goalie, and if it isn't him, it must be the coach. After the nightmare he's been through, Gerber's going to be playing for more then just pride. He's also going to be playing for his life right now, because his career hangs in the balance, and he knows it.
"I appreciate being in this situation, and getting another shot, that's all I can ask for," said Gerber. "The last 24 hours have been surprising and emotional. I went through waivers once, and thought that was it for me over here."
Well, in his first game as a Maple Leaf, Gerber was excellent. As Wilson said. "he was a little lucky", but he was also "unbelievable" at times. I thought his positioning was solid even when he couldn't see the puck, his rebound control was good, and he made 2 or 3 eye-popping stops with the help of his defenders. 37 saves for a 2-1 victory, and a very impressive return to the NHL.
"I was a bit nervous, and a little emotional to come back."
There's that word again. Emo-tional? I don't get it.
Emo-Schenn. Ooh. I felt something that time... something good... I want more.
What a suddenly stark contrast from the easy-going Vesa, and his Zen-like approach to winning and losing and season-ending surgery. Cool under pressure is one thing, but Toskala's mellow groove is nearly sedating.
The other reason I like this move is because it might really drive Sens fans nuts to see Gerber succeed after letting him go for nothing, and in fact, actually paying half his salary to play for their most hated rivals. The only thing that'd make them crazier would be if the Leafs picked up Emery over the summer, but I guess that isn't going to happen now. Too bad. I really would have liked that.
Good luck, Gerber. For the next six weeks, with every 37 save performance, I'll hate you a little less. Already my skin has stopped crawling, so that's a positive sign.
This is a really long post that attempts to pin-point exactly where and why things went wrong for Nik Antropov and Ron Wilson. It's divided into 2 parts just to give you a break, but there's no intermission and there's nothing in the lobby anyways. As the title suggests, it is "not a sentimental journey, for sure".
Part One
Way back at the beginning of December, the Leafs went on a 3-game western road trip out to California and Arizona. The first game, against the L.A. Kings, began with (a common thread at the time) Toskala letting in the first shot on goal. The Vesa played well after that, however, stopping the next 32 shots, and the Leafs finally broke through with Stajan and Grabovski scoring 1:21 apart early in the 3rd. Finger added an empty netter and Toronto prevailed, 3-1. 24 games into the season, and the Leafs had a record of 9-9-6 and looked like they might be a team with some character.
The very next night, the Leafs went to San Jose to face a well rested, prepared, motivated Sharks team. The Leafs had the cards stacked against them to begin with. It was their second game in two nights on the road, in a different time zone, and they were playing one of the very best teams in the league. Even still, the Leafs seemed woefully and curiously unprepared for this game. The first period was a slaughter. Joe Thornton had a goal and three assists, leading the Sharks to an early 4-0 lead after just 20 minutes.
“If we somehow could have survived maybe the first 10 minutes of the game, we would have found an equilibrium, but it was over by then. That was one where you throw the white towel in the corner."
...said Wilson after his first game against his former team. While the Leafs were horribly outmatched in the first period, they kept the game respectable in the 2nd and 3rd, eventually losing 5-2. Of note, Hagman, Grabovski, and Schenn all finished the game plus 2. Still, the sensation of being thoroughly defeated was deeply felt. Antropov, Ponikarovsky, Stajan, and Kubina were all minus 3.
“Really, the game was over after the first 10 minutes" said Thornton, who obviously found the game extra meaningful and gave a performance to match.
“Guys were definitely motivated to play against the old coaching staff,” said Setoguchi. “I definitely felt a little jump out there." The Sharks were clearly geared up to go against their old coach, but did Wilson have any special enthusiasm to succeed against his old mates? Added Setoguchi, "You don’t want Ronnie bragging". Oh, really.
"It's not any different than any other game... I've got a team that I have to prepare. I'm not on a sentimental journey here, that's for sure."
...said Wilson the day before, downplaying any suggestions that he might have had high hopes for his return to San Jose. Still, it must have been disappointing, especially so since it was Wilson's best players who failed him the most, right from the beginning of the game. For a coach returning to face the franchise that fired him, this was in no way similar to (the Number One 1993 regular season moment) when Pat Burns returned to Montreal. It wasn't going to be that kind of a season either.
The next game was in Phoenix. While Wilson gave no prior indication publicly that he was extremely frustrated with the loss to the Sharks, nor with any one specific player, his response for the next game was to start Tomas Kaberle on the bench and to keep him there for the entire first period. Kaberle then went on to play the worst two-thirds of a hockey game I've ever seen him play. Registering a minus 3, Kaberle was on the ice for all 4 of Phoenix's goals in the 2nd and 3rd and looked just terrible, as a 2-2 first period tie became a 6-3 blowout.
When the road trip ended, the magic and sparkle of Wilson's presence was a little dimmer, the rebuild took a step back, and the Leafs resumed their campaign of deconstruction. Key players, specifically Stajan and Antropov, suffered blows to their confidence that they've never fully recovered from. Perhaps they were riding an overconfident wave to begin with, believing themselves to be World-Class first-line forwards (due mostly to Stajan's unexpected early success) but the grim reality of the San Jose thrashing seemed to have drained their Mojo considerably. Antropov especially seemed effected, scoring just 4 goals in the next 24 games while his once respectable plus/minus began to plummet.
Part Two
Antropov is one of only 4 players who has appeared in all 60 games for the Leafs so far this year. I've gone through every game, one by one, and checked the box scores for his totals, then looked at each 12-game span and compared them. The first 24 games and the last 12 are decent and consistent numbers. Games 25 through 48 however, beginning with the game in San Jose, are underwhelming and even worrisome, reflecting a player who's playing well below his capabilities.
The first 12 games: 4G, 5A, 9P, +5, 32 Shots
Not a bad start to the season. On pace for 60-70 points and most remarkable is the plus 5. He was held without a shot for 2 games in this stretch.
Games 13-24: 5G, 4A, 9P, -3, 41 Shots
Again, not bad, and though the plus/minus has fallen, it's still respectable enough. Not once in these 12 games did Antro fail to register at least one shot, and he's averaging well over 3 a game.
Games 25(San Jose)-36: 4G, 7A, 11P, -9, 25 Shots
This is actually Antropov's most productive stretch for points, but a closer look shows that 9 of those 11 points were picked up in 4 consecutive games in which the Leafs as a team scored an amazing 21 goals (3-2 NJ, 5-8 Bos, 7-3 Pit, 6-2 Atl). In the other 8 games in this set, Antropov has just 2 points. His shots per game has dropped below 2.1, and his plus/minus for these 12 games is a scary minus 9. He is held without a single shot 3 times.
Games 36-48: 0G, 6A, 6P, -5, 29 Shots
Zero goals. Zero. The plus/minus is still on the wrong side, and the shots continue to be under 3-a-game.
Games 49-60: 7G, 2A, 9P, -1, 37 Shots
Antropov ends a 16-game scoring drought by collecting 3 goals in 3 consecutive games. His point total is exactly the same as the first two 12-game sets, and his plus/minus is back to a very respectable level. Maybe most importantly, the shots for these last 12 games is back to an average above 3 per game. Since Burke's suggestion that the timing for Antopov might be right for a "change of scenery", the Lanky Kazakh has produced 4 goals, 2 assists, for 6 points in 7 games, is a plus 1, and has averaged 3.7 shots per game.
There's only a week left before the NHL Trade Deadline, yet the Leafs still have 4 more games to play until then, so I'm surprised that a team hasn't already snapped up Antropov to save him some of his workload before they get him. For that reason, I don't think the Leafs are going to get their asking price for Antro, but I'd still be very surprised if he completed the year in Toronto and isn't, a week from now, on a team bound for the playoffs. Not a sentimental journey, for sure, but if it gets you to the Cup Final and a 4-year deal from somewhere...
Happy Holidays, Leaf fans! Well, it's not so happy being a Leaf fan maybe, but what about that incredible turkey! And the stuffing! I nearly threw up. An 8-2 loss on the night before Christmas Eve and then a 4-1 loss to the worst team in the NHL on Boxing Day is an indication of a team, and its coach, whose hearts, they say, must be three sizes too small. Yet, the Who's down in WhoNation continue to sing, "Welcome Tavares, welcome Tavares,". Let us not let these last 2 losses dampen our spirits, yet let us hope that this is indeed the low point of our season.
First off, something to celebrate: I'd like to acknowledge and promote Vintage Leafs, an excellent pictorial blog that I am really enjoying. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. There's tons of great old pics of the Leafs like this one and this one and this one and this one and this one and lots more. Really awesome stuff.
The Leafs' Boxing Day Blowout is summed up nicely here by FarAwayLeaf:
"The formula is there; a player reaching a milestone, any opposing player from within 500 miles of Toronto playing that needs their first goal/point, long opposing team losing streak, Toskala in net = GUARANTEED LOSS."
Seems to be that way. There's a brilliant post here by Steve@HockeyAnalysis deconstructing the broken shell that is the very shaky Vesa. Thus far for December, Toskala has let in a goal in the first 5 minutes 8 times in 11 starts, and 9 times out of 11 Vesa let in the first goal of the game. It's a wonder that the Leafs were able to win 5, nearly half, of those 11 games. Finally, it's not helping Vesa's cause when he lets in goals that are, not just the first goal of the game, not just within the first five minutes, but also, so mindbogglingly atrocious you have to wonder how it even happened!
"It hit the inside edge of my blocker," Toskala said.
Okay, that explains how a bad angle, lazy wrist shot that's going wide ends up in the net. But it doesn't explain why. That goal was not the bizarre fluke it seemed, but the result of a lack of focus and intensity. The puck doesn't just "hit the inside edge" of a blocker. Toskala's precision is off, his effort is sloppy, his attention to detail and execution is non-existent until the red light goes on behind him. It's one thing to be cool and casual about pressure, but what I'm seeing from Toskala is the same affliction that possessed most of last year's dressing room: a complete lack of competitive spirit. Last year's Leafs were absent of any enthusiasm for success. Right now, Toskala is displaying a similar, inverted attitude; an alarming disassociation with his own failure.
Now I don't want to dump all of Toronto's problems on easy-going Vesa. While poor goaltending can certainly be deflating, Wilson has suggested Toskala's play didn't effect the team's morale. But if it isn't Toskala's poor play, then what? Something is missing from the Leafs the last 2 games, whether it's preparation, conditioning, motivation... All key areas that are the responsibility of the Coach or the Captain.
Hmmm. Maybe I'll just leave it at that. The Leafs play Sunday against Washington so it will be interesting to see if Wilson starts Toskala or if Pogge gets another chance. I'd like to see Toskala get the same treatment Ian White, Matt Stajan, and Jason Blake have received at various times this season. Players seem to learn something from watching a game or two from the pressbox.
It will also be interesting to see if the Leafs come out fired up and confident or not. The last time they played Washington, at the beginning of this month, the were coming off of another pair of terrible losses to San Jose (5-2) and Phoenix (6-3). That time the losing streak hit three as they lost to the Capitals, 2-1, and worse, lost Luke Schenn at the same time. A third straight defeat this time could say as much about the Coach as it does the goaltending. Will they rediscover their competitive spirit or will the holiday spirit continue?
***UPDATE***
It seems Toskala will get the start tonight. Says Wilson:
"Vesa's our No.1 goalie and we have to stick with him and help him find his game again."
Meanwhile, Matt Stajan is questionable after he injures his freakin' sexy-eyes with a soccer ball of all things. Wrong, Stajan! Wrong. That's what your rolled up socks are for. Bad Stajan. Play with your soft toys that won't hurt you, and for heaven's sake, always wear a visor! Always. Even in the shower. It's your freakin' EYES! You are replaceable, but they are not!
As they line up for the face-off, Grabbo is taking the draw, MacArthur is to his right by the boards, Kaberle at the right point, Versteeg at the left point, Kulemin on the inside at the hashmarks and Kessel on the outside in the high-slot.
But then it gets interesting. Grabovski INTENTIONALLY gets himself thrown out the face-off circle.
Kulemin steps forward as if he's going to replace Grabbo...
...but then Kessel calls him off and slips between them to take the draw. Grabbo and Kulemin drop back into position, and when they do...
...Grabbo takes Kulemin's spot on the inside and Kulemin takes Kessel's spot in the high slot. This little switcharoo momentarily confuses Chara and the Bruins right before the draw.
Kaberle gathers the puck at the right point...
...and cruises into the centre of the ice along the blueline...
...and continues all the way over to the left point.
...he slips the pass over to MacArthur, now manning the right point.
As everyone scrambles from left to right, MacArthur blasts it as hard as he can...
...INTENTIONALLY wide right. As the Bruins continue to scramble to the Leafs right, all of them have their backs turned to Versteeg who's dropped down low on the left.
The puck banks hard off the backboards and comes right to Versteeg.
Thomas is completely out of position and Versteeg reacts quickly and puts the puck in the top corner of the open net. Tie game.
