Oh we were fast. Oh we could run-and-gun with the best of them. Oh we could score goals left right and center.
But that was then. One week ago.
This is now.
With the Leafs offence sputtering of late there wasn’t much effort needed by the Washinton Capitals to bolster their already sizzling home record, especially on a night where they honoured long-time Cap and one-time Leaf Mike Gartner.
It looked like the Leafs wanted to come back to life late in the third but a nasty little giveaway by the defence right in front of Toskala ruined an otherwise standout performance by the beleagered goaltender, setting the stage for the third stright loss with just 4 goals to show for it. Add to that the loss of Matt Stajan due to some freak soccer accident.
The Leafs slink back into Toronto tonight to start a 4 game home stand tomorrow against teams that give up points as much as we do. Four games in 8 nights to boot. We may see Luke Schenn return during that span, but Mike Van Ryn does not appear to be even close to coming back.
The home crowd looked completely stunned last night, watching the lowly maple leafs dominate a team that nearly went all the way last year. Evgeni Malkin epitomized the Penguins’ game last night. Deadly giveaways that were pounced on left right and center. Total lack of energy and discipline. No will to win the little battles along the boards and in the corners. Hey! we’re not even talking about the Leafs!
Toskala injured
Justin Pogge’s staris about to get a chance to shine. Some say he’s ready. others think he needs another year in the minors. Whatever the case, with Toskala’s groin tweaked and Jospeh looking shaky so far this year, the young goalie might get the call sooner rather than later. If he comes up and plays really well, you have to wonder if a goaltender controversy may be in the making in Toronto.
Toronto’s nasty little November (9 losses and 4 wins) added a damper to the overall stats that indicate Toronto is starting to find its chemistry in December. With 4 wins in their last 5 starts - a loss to Boston resulted from ppoor goaltending and nothing else - and 13 points in the last 20 available, looks like the bandwagon didn’t slow down much. The next 9 games are against very beatable teams.
Despite being trounced 8 - 5 by the Bruins the leafs still put in a good effort. You can’t help but think that had they gotten some decent goaltending on the night the result would have at least not been so bad. Maybe even good. But man, both Toskala and Cujo sucked big time. Van Ryn being lost to injury again is not a good thing. There’s points to be had in the next 5 games, and with him out of the lineup, the odds just got a little less favourable.
Sundin A Canuck
No surprises here. I think it was pathetic the way he handled the no-trade clause last spring, but hey, his perogative. Good riddance. That’s what the leafs get for permitting no-trade clauses, which I think are horrible and should NOT be permitted. Something perhaps the league can address in the next CBA.
I guess the Sabres got caught last night by a gutsy Leafs’ effort. When the first goal went I was thiking “oh boy… here we go…” but the kids never gave up and I think the Sabres got caught in their headlights. Nice showing. Good to see Mike Van Ryn back in the lineup after that nasty hit from behind by Montreal’s Kostopoulos a month ago.
Weird scheduling thingy going on. No Leafs on Saturday HNIC. I’m so discombobulated. Hopefully NHL Center Ice will offer something up worth watching.
The wagon is slowing down. It’s approaching that speed wear jumping off and hitting the ground doesn’t hurt that much. it must be close to Christmas, and this must be our Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Yuletide season upon us, the Leafs are dead last in the Northeast Division, dead last in goals against, have just 3 teams below them in the Eastern Conference separated from them by 2,3 & 4 points respectively, and just lost their premiere, 19 year old defenceman. We’re 2 - 6 - 2 in the last 10.
Oh joy.
How do you like us now Brian?
To be fair, last night’s tilt was a lot closer than it should have been. it was a bit of a stinker, all knotted up in the neutral zone for most of the night, but the leafs had just come off 5 games in 9 nights, several spread across 3 time timezones, and they managed to keep the wheels on for most of the night. But that giveback goal yanked 1 point off the scoresheet and dropped another L in the win-loss column. Schenn is out for 2 weeks - queue the line at the call-up desk. Only one of the next 5 games is against the aforementioned bottom feeders. The rest are against teams that would make the playoffs should the season end today - including those nasty Boston Bruins that look cup-bound.
We can however look at the bright side. We’re only 3 points out of 8th place. We’re not in 12th place all by ourselves - the Senators share that glory with us - and the Florida Panthers are only 1 point ahead of the Leafs in the east standings. With the self-imposed Christmas trade deadline of december 9th upon us, Burke’s hands are tied until January at the soonest.
Kaberle’s days numbered
You can bet Tomas Kaberle will be wearing a funny coloured jersey come 2009. These no-trade clauses in contracts have to go. Burke calls them coach-killers. I agree. Kaberle has one. But his days as a Leaf are numbered for sure. He’s already shown he will not react well to Wilson’s ‘positive negative reinforcement’ approach. Sit him, and he’ll play like crap afterward. Kubina may join him. Its a matter of what NHL team is willing to give up prospects to land either. Surely one of the contenders looking for that last cup-run piece of the puzzle. Detroit? Boston? San Jose? kaberle hoisting the Stanley Cup. Visions of sugar-plums….
Me? I’m waiting for a softer spot on the road to land before hopping off the wagon.
At 7pm today, the Leafs will face off against the Philadephia Flyers under the helm of their new GM, Brian Burke. How nervous will they be one might think. Having gone 1 - 4 - 1 since speculation began that Burke’s takeover of the Leafs was imminent, you can’t help but think there are at least a few faces that will have a worried look cast over them. And a few faces that will likely not be around much longer.
Thats what Burke does.
He will fashion this team in his own image and take no prisoners doing it.
Speculation is swirling around the otential conflict of interest brewing with Steve Moore. His brother is currently entangled in a lawsuit surrounding the Todd bertuzzi hit 4 years ago that robbed him of his career - Brian Burke being the GM of the Vancouver Vanucks at the time and a defnedant in the suit. What would bringing a new GM into Leafs Nation be without a little controversy. A little drama. Some soap as it were.
The danger is, the Leafs may be too busy bracing themselves for the axe to fall to remember there’s hockey to be played, and plenty of it. The season is still young.
The best thing to come from the Burke hiring is perhaps a shift in the management paradigm that is the ‘D’ in Dysfunctional. The ‘F’ on the fans’ report cards. If Burke can distance the team from the board, put in place a significant buffer zone between what’s on the ice and what’s around the boardroom table; if he can make the cap the only limitation in the rebuilding of this franchise; if he can gain the respect of everything Leafs Nation in the process…
The trigger was pulled on a 3 player deal today that nobosy saw coming: defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo and forward Alex Steen were shipped to the Blues for forward Lee Stempniak, the Blues’ 148th overall pick in the 2003 entry draft. Cliff Fletcher called the move a “plain and simple” move to acquire someone a little more fitting with Toronto’s needs. Both Colaiacovo and Steen saw their ice time dwindle of late. All 3 players involved in the trade are young, skilled players with plenty to offer. Colaiacovo needs to get fit and healthy, and Steen, well, guess he needs a change of scenery to stoke his fires.
Guess that makes my Steen jersey look like a bad move.
It was cool to see Wendel Clark honoured by Leafs Nation. Not so many modern day Leafs left worthy of the distinction. No cup. Not even a conference championship. But Wendel played with sufficient heart to warrant seeing his number rise amongst Leaf greats.
And hey, don’t get me wrong. I loved having Gilmour in Toronto as much as anyone but I don’t even think his number should go up.
If you love what’s happening with the Chicago Blackhawks these days then it wasn’t much of a surprise that the rebuilding they’re doing in the Windy City (something Ron Wilson is trying to do here) bit us squarely on the tail last night. they’re a fast team with no quit in them. They deserved the extra point, and we didn’t. Plain and simple. At least we squeezed a point out of a western conference opponent - better than nothing I suppose.
So Dougie’s number goes up next. The Thrashers are on deck and we head up to play the lowly Sens this week in Ottawa and take on the Flyers at home before heading out on another Western road swing, this time in the states.
It’s tough to single out any given player in a team sport, but when it’s so obvious…
Toskala has to get better. Be better. Play better.
he’s seriously closing in on stats that will rank him dead last amongst goalies in the league. When your team is rebuilding and fragile, this is such a bad thing.
Ron Wilson yanked Toskala last night and the Leafs responded with too little too late. Was Luongo the difference? I don’t know about that. Was it that Luongo was coming off 3 consecutive shutouts and that got in the Leafs’ heads? Don’t know about that. Is it that we’re missing a stud defenceman or two? Doesn’t help, that’s for sure. But the puck stops with Toskala. Or, so it should.
Tough 3 gamer then, going 1 - 2 before heading back to face the mighty Bruins. The Blackhawks are in town this week too, as well as the Thrashers. Then off to Ottawa to face the slumping Sens. And its back to .500 hockey with 4 OT losses.
One thing for sure. If Toskala doesn’t start boning up and stopping some of that rubber things will start getting a little tougher for the Leafs.
The Brian Burke dance is set to begin, with most hockeu pundits assuring us Burke will be signed by the Leafs some time in the nxt 10 days. So what will that be like?
Well, if you’re starting to like the new-look Leafs, forget all that. Burke will craft the squad in his own image. This is what he does. Europeans and impish players will be cast aside. Jason Blake will surely be a brian Burke casualty. Matt Stajan is at risk. Alex Steen may also become a target. Tlusty is trade bait. Burke will bring in an enforcer, maybe two. The Leafs’ stats in the penalty box will climb for fighting majors. The team will change. This is a given. What remains to be seen is how long it will take for that change to be for the better. The winning ways.
Frankly, I think Burke is more likely to wind up in Boston where his kids are. I mean, thats why he quit the ducks to be closer to his kids. All of them are in or very near Boston and Boston is a good GM and 2 years from contention. Why Toronto?
So tonioght we get to have a look at the revamped Kyle Wellwood. Why he could never get his shit together in Toronto is beyond me. Maybe it was the spotlight. Perhaps he jut\st didn’t like it here… who knows…
The Leafs | Mike Robinson | 
December 29, 2008 10:04 am | 
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