Carlyle Hockey: Leafs Win 3-1
Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs exhibited the quality that Brian Burke talks about: trucculence. They didn't take any of the Ottawa Senators guff, were aggressive on the forecheck, killed penalties, blocked shots, played solid defense and received good goaltending. All of that resulted in a 3-1 win over their hated provincial rivals.
While their are some in the media who will pound the Leafs for once again screwing up the chance to get a top five draft pick, what happens during the course of these last 10 games will say a lot about what this team needs to do in the off season. There are no Sidney Crosbys, Steven Stamkos or John Tavares to draft. Point being that anyone selected in that top five are not going to have an immediate impact on this team. If they are able to get a high pick fine. But, it's more important to find out who on this current roster is going to play the way Randy Carlyle wants them to play.
There has been some who have called into question the new contract that was given to Mikhail Grabovski. Well. last night should put to bed any criticism as we may have seen the emergence of a leader when the small center man stood up for rookie Carter Ashton and took on Chris Neil. I have seen Grabovski use his body against much bigger opponents. One specifically I recall was his checking of Evgeni Malkin. It is apparent to me that Grabovski can play for Carlyle and he has the offensive ability that this team needs.
Since Damien Cox's article about trading Phil Kessel, there has been plenty of banter about whether or not Kessel should remain with the team. Last night, Kessel drew a penalty and on the subsequent power play scored what would be the winning goal on a beautiful shot that beat Senator goalie Ben Bishop. Kessel will never be a physical presence but what I did notice last night was that in the third period with his team leading 3-1, Kessel was inclined to gain the red line and dump the puck into the Senators zone. It will remain to be seen what happens this summer, but I think that Phil Kessel can play for Randy Carlyle. We also should remember this: Kessel has 35 goals and 40 assists. Not easily replaced.
Mike Komisarek has been a continual whipping boy since arriving here in Toronto and justifiably so. However, since Carlyle's appearance behind the bench, Komisarek has been playing the way he was when he was with the Canadiens. Last night I thought was one of his best games as a Maple Leaf. He was a physical presence and he got under the skin of Daniel Alfredsson which resulted in a 5 on 3 power play for the Leafs which resulted in Dion Phaneuf's goal.
It will be interesting to see how the Leafs play in Boston on Monday night. The Bruins have owned the Leafs and are obviously a much bigger and physical team. This will be a good test and Coach Carlyle will certainly use it as part of his evaluation process.
My 2012 Fantasy Baseball Black-Balled List
There are certain baseball players who I will not pick for my fantasy baseball team no matter what happens. For the most part, players that make my black-balled list are typically guys who have been on my team and had not lived up to expectations. There are a few who I won't draft because I just don't like them. So here we go with my 2012 Fantasy Baseball Black-Balled List:
* Lance Berkman - Two seasons ago, Berkman was a top ten pick of mine who I was looking to for power. Instead, he was so bad that the Astros moved him to the Yankees who were hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and it didn't happen. Of course last season he had a bounce back year which further irritated me. As a result, Berkman makes the list.
* Carlos Lee - The same year I drafted Berkman, I picked Carlos Lee. El Caballo turned into El Trampo. His batting average plummeted as did his RBI's. Between Berkman and Lee my fantasy season was over. Hence, Lee makes the list.
* Adam Dunn - Before the start of the season last year, it was suggested that Dunn was going to have a monster year playing for the White Sox. Dunn never hit for average so I was drafting him for home runs and RBIs. Needless to say, Dunn was a total bust and I'm done with him.
* Ian Desmond - Here's another guy who last spring was being touted to have a breakout season that would provide average, runs and stolen bases. Supposedly he was going to also supply a little power. Wrong!!! Desmond had a terrible year and I'm not going through another season with him.
* Kevin Youkilis - I drafted Youk 2 years ago, the same draft that I picked Berkman and Lee. That year, Youkilis had a subpar season which included a stint on the injury list. This guy is turning fragile as he gets older and I'm done with him. Besides, he's a Red Sox.
* BJ Upton - This guy has all kinds of talent and could be a five tool player. But he is one of the biggest underachievers going. I also think he is a head case. Upton has a lifetime membership on the black-balled list.
* Ichiro Suzuki - There is no particular reason why Ichiro makes this list other than he's not one of my favorite players. I have not and will never draft him.
* Jeff Francoeur - This guy seems to have all the ability in the world and I have had him on my team many times. He'll tease you by having a nice productive stretch but then the bottom falls out. He's Mr. Inconsistency and I'm done with him.
* Edinson Volquez - Two years ago, Volquez was another one of those guys who was going to have a breakout season. All he broke was my back as he contributed to a disasterous finish for my fantasy team.
* Brian Wilson - He makes this list because his beard is stupid.
* Matt Kemp - Two seasons ago I drafted Kemp in the first round and he had the worst season of his career. Last year he bounced back big time and I was steaming. All it takes is to screw me once and I'm done with you. So, Matt Kemp makes the list.
My draft is tomorrow and you can bet that none of the above will be on my roster for the 2012 season.
Leafs Break Losing Streak With 3-1 Win
The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their domination of the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 3-1 win at the St. Pete Times Forum. The Leafs own a 3-0 record over the Bolts, outscoring them 17-5. There were three things that really stuck out for me last night. The first thing is how the Leafs played in the third period. Despite taking some penalties the Leafs were disciplined and played a solid defensive game. This was totally missing prior to Randy Carlyle. As we look to next season, this philosophy should help to move the Leafs up the Eastern Conference standings.
The second thing that got my attention was James Reimer. Coach Carlyle made the observation that the Leafs young goalie appeared nervous in the game against Florida. Full marks to Carlyle for coming back with Reimer and the 24 year old responded well with a 34 save performance, that included some big ones. As the game went on you could see Reimer's confidence grow. It will be interesting to see how many games each goalie will play in the remaining 11 games left in the season. The key thing to remember is Reimer is under contract for next year and Jonas Gustavsson will be an unrestricted free agent.
Finally, what can you say about Jake Gardiner. His goal was a highlight reel special but his overall play was just as impressive. The young 21 year old defenseman logged over 23 minutes of ice time which was second only to Dion Phaneuf among Leaf defenseman. There was an interesting camera shot during a stoppage in play that showed Gardiner over at the bench talking to Carlyle. The youngster couldn't have a better teacher than the former Norris Trophy defenseman. I have said it before and I will say it again: Jake Gardiner is the best young Leaf defenseman since Borje Salming broke into the league.
Leaf Notes:
* Interesting stat: The Leaf goalies' save percentage under Randy Carlyle is .920. Under Ron Wilson it was .903. Wonder if that has something to do with better defensive zone coverage.
* With Nikolai Kulemin done for the season, it will be interesting to see if the Leafs bring up anybody from the Marlies. With the Marlies heading for a playoff run, Brian Burke may be reluctant to move anybody up to the big club.
* Any interesting article by Damien Cox yesterday suggesting that the Leafs should move Phil Kessel. I am a huge Phil Kessel fan. In my opinion, the Leafs have not had a sniper like Kessel since Alexander Mogilny. However, if the Leafs could acquire a top notch center or big scoring winger I might make a trade. For that matter, other than Jake Gardiner I'm not sure there is anyone who is untouchable, depending upon what the Leafs would get in return.
* As part of the article, Cox bases his premise on the notion that Kessel is not a player that will fit in Carlyle's style of play. I'm not sure that is a fair assessment. It's important to remember that Joffrey Lupul being out has hurt Kessel and it is evident that the team's recent losing streak has taken its toll on the 24 year old right winger. By the way, weren't people saying the same thing when Ilya Kovalchuk when he went to the defense-first New Jersey Devils??
Has Anyone Seen Tom Heckert??
As teams augment their rosters via free agency (ex.-Washington) and trades (ex.-Chicago), the Cleveland Browns have signed DE Frostee Rucker and cut Tony Pashos and Eric Steinbach while also letting Peyton Hillis go to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a period where teams try to augment their rosters with established players which then sets their needs for the upcoming draft. But the way the Holmgren/Heckert regime is operating, the Browns will need multiple picks through every round to meet this team's needs.
Here are the needs: quarterback - is Colt McCoy the answer or do the Browns need to draft a quarterback?, running back - is Montario Hardesty the answer or do the Browns use a high pick to draft a running back?, wide receiver - the Browns do not have a number one wide receiver. Will they use a top pick to draft one?, offensive line - Steinbach anchored the left guard position and now he is gone, Right tacle is a problem area. So what's the plan??, linebacker - the Browns have limited depth and this will be magnified if Scott Fujita is suspended for his role in the Saints bounty situation.
Tom Heckert has indicated that he would not be opposed to trading down to get additional picks. With Hillis gone, I can see Heckert moving down a few slots from number four and drafting Trent Richardson. I'm not all that sold on Richardson. The Browns created a need by letting Hillis walk. They were competitive against the Steelers and Ravens this past season with him in the lineup. With so many other needs on offense, this made no sense. Hillis signed a one year contract for $3 million. The Browns didn't even make an offer. They couldn't have made a similar offer for one year??? It could have bought them some time and allowed them to address other needs on offense.
The only thing that makes sense with the release of Steinbach is if the Browns had some questions about his health. But with the Browns medical staff's track record it makes you wonder. The Browns had a pretty solid left side of the O-line with Steinbach and Joe Thomas. The situation with Tony Pashos is interesting. There is no question that Pashos has been injured as often as he has been able to play. But according to reports, he played injured for most of last year when most guys would have bailed on the season. It would have been easy to bail since the team was going nowhere. For his dedication Pashos was cut.
With all of these needs and no committment to add any more pieces through free agency, the Holmgren/Heckert regime better be right on all of their draft picks, particularly those two first round picks. One thing that appears to be certain, it's going to be another long year on the Lakefront for long-suffering Browns fans. Almost makes me consider dropping the NFL Sunday Ticket.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While thinking about fifteen years ago last Friday when Biggie Smalls was gunned down, here's what is on my mind this morning:
* The Maple Leafs are in Florida to take on the Southeast leading Panthers. I would imagine that Jonas Gustavsson will be back in the net once again for the Leafs. It's amazing how improved defensive zone coverage helps a goalie gain his confidence.
* Will the Leafs score a goal tonight and what period will it be in?
* Here's three stats that need to be improved upon next year by the Leafs: 1.) The Leafs are 8-12 on Saturday nights and half of those wins came in October. 4-1 in October, 1-2 November, 0-3 December, 1-2 January, 1-3 February and 1-1 in March. 2.) The Leafs are 16-13-6 at home. Randy Carlyle has said that his team needs to make the ACC a tough place to play. In contrast, Washington is 23-10-3 and Winnipeg is 21-10-4. 3.) The Leafs are 7-12-0 within the division and 0-5 against Boston. This is the worst record in the Northeast Division.
* Three players I hope are not on the Leafs roster next year are: Colby Armstrong, Matthew Lombardi and Tim Connolly. The first two could happen. I don't see anyone willing to take Connolly.
* During the Leaf-Flyers game on Saturday, Damien Cox tweeted that he wouldn't be surprised if Jaroslav Halak was in a Leaf uniform. Hmmmmmm....I wonder what it would take to get him???
* Phil Hughes and CC Sabathia looked good on Sunday afternoon and Hiroki Kuroda pitched well last night (even though he wasn't satisfied with his own performance). While it's still early, the guy I'm worried about is Ivan Nova. I like the kid but he has not looked good so far, particularly his last outing. He starts tonight against Boston.
* What's up with David Robertson??? How much money do you make and your moving boxes?? Really??? Fortunately for the Yanks the injury was not that serious.
* Bernie Williams will be at Yankee camp today and it made me think: when are the Yankees going to honor their center fielder from the late 90's glory years?? While plenty of attention has been given to the Core Four (now the Core Two), Williams has been the forgotten man. He too came up from the Yankee farm system and was a key contributor to the Yankees success.
* It is going to be real interesting where Peyton Manning ultimately lands for the 2012 NFL season. I thought that Miami had the inside track but it appears that Denver may be the team. In that division, the Broncos could win with Manning and the stable of receivers that they have along with Willis MaGahee. Their defense is pretty good too. However, its definitely not a warm weather location. Arizona might be a good fit also. Clearly the NFC West is very winnable and the Cardinals do have Larry Fitzgerald. However the word was that Manning wanted to stay in the AFC. This will be the most watched process in NFL free agency history.
* Yesterday afternoon Schopp & The Bulldog were all pissed off because the Bills came out and said they were not in the Manning sweepstakes. The two WGR windbags felt that the Bills owed their fans to at least invite Manning for an interview. Oh ok I get it so then when Manning says no thank you these two morons can either bad mouth the Bills for not getting him or bad mouth Manning. This is the problem with the Buffalo sports media: they raise expectations and get all of the Chester Cheektowagas & Louie Lackawannas fired up and then when the bottom falls out the GR loudmouths are all pissed off because people are calling in screaming bloody murder.
* By the way, I also had to hear about Schopp's ride back home from his vacation. Pleeeassee!!!!!!!!!!
* The report on the New Orleans Saints bounty system has rocked the NFL. It was pretty funny last week watching Mike Golic trying to defend the Saints. What's even more funny is that the whole issue of bounties being placed on quarterbacks and star players goes back many years. The Buffalo Bills back in the late 60's had a bounty on Joe Namath when the Jets came to the Old Rockpile. The Oakland Raiders were also in on the act when it came to Namath. For media people around the NFL to feign disbelief over the whole situation is hypocritical since they had to know what was going on. Kind of like baseball media not knowing that steroids was going on in the late 90's.
* More importantly than the media knowing what was going on with bounties, I find it hard to believe that the NFL didn't know about it either. Kind of like Major League Baseball with steroids.
* Somehow I'm having a hard time seeing Randy Moss playing for Jim Harbaugh. Good luck to Alex Smith too. So they replace Braylon Edwards with Moss. Hmmmmmmm.
* If the Browns do not make a free agent signing to strengthen their offensive line and linebacking corp I'm going to go absolutely wild!!!
* Glad to hear that long-time Browns beat writer Tony Grossi will be hooking up with ESPN Radio WKNR 850 in Cleveland and will be covering the team once again. The Cleveland Plain Dealer booted Grossi off the Browns beat because of a tweet that Grossi made which called Randy Lerner a jerk. Grossi apologized but it is obvious that the team went to the newspaper and voiced its concern. Grossi is knowledgeable and is critical but fair as it relates to the Browns. It will be interesting to see if Sportstime Ohio brings Grossi back on its Browns related shows during the season.
* March Madness begins and what's up with a 12th seed and 14th seed play-in game???
* How Drexel didn't make the Big Dance is a classic example of the bias against mid-major schools. The Dragons were 27-5 and they have been left out. If they were 31-1 and lost their conference tourney would they still be out???
* There isn't one number one seed in the tournament that is a lock to be in the Final Four.
* The revelation that Syracuse University's basketball team violated its own drug policy further damages Jim Boeheim's reputation. It will be awfully hard for him to claim he knew nothing about it like he did with the whole Bernie Fine mess.
* I was remiss in not acknowledging the passing of Gary Carter. What I found truly amazing was the impact that Carter had in Canada, particularly in Montreal. The fact that the Montreal Canadiens honored Carter at one of its games shows how much he was thought of in La Belle Province.
* And finally, congratulations to St. Bonaventure for winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The Bonnies are the number 14 seed in the East Region and will meet a tough Florida State team. I wonder what wizard Brad Ritter has to say about that. It was Ritter back in 2005 who dismissed Niagara's winning of the MAAC Tournament as not a big deal because they were going to be knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in their first game. Nothing like promoting the local schools.
A Familiar Result: No Playoffs For Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs went to Washington yesterday with the hope of vaulting themselves back in the thick of the playoff race. Instead, once again they could not score a goal and dropped a 2-0 decision to the 8th place Capitals leaving them eight points out of the last playoff spot. For all practical purposes, a season that started out so promising has turned into a nightmare.
There is no question that this team has tightened up defensively and Jonas Gustavsson has played extremely well in goal. But their inability to score a goal over two games is pretty incredible. While losing Joffrey Lupul has hurt, the Phil Kessel line has been totally ineffective the last two games. Tim Connolly needs to be taken off the line and I would suggest that Matt Frattin be placed back on it. The way that line is currently set, there is no one on it that is going to provide any physical presence to create space for Kessel. Lupul does that and Frattin has the ability to do it. Keeping Frattin on the fourth line does not make any sense, particularly since the kid does have some offensive ability.
I continue to be impressed with Carter Ashton. Coach Randy Carlyle should consider giving this kid some power play time. Carlyle has talked about developing offense by cycling down low in the offensive zone. Ashton has the size and the willingness to do that, along with going in front of the net. At this point, what do the Leafs have to lose by trying it?? Ashton's play is what the Leafs expected from Colby Armstrong however he has been a bitter disappointment.
One other point, maybe Coach Carlyle should consider teaming Mikhail Grabovski with Phil Kessel. When you think about it, Grabovski is your best center and Kessel is your best winger. There are many times when Grabovski sets up Nikolai Kulemin or Clarke MacArthur only to have a shot go wide. Think about the Philly game on Saturday. Grabovski and Kessel both have offensive creativity to set up each other. Place Frattin on the line with them and maybe something positive can happen.
With 13 games remaining, Leaf management needs to take a long hard look at this current roster. If this team is going to progress, certain players need to be moved. Without a doubt, the upcoming off season will be the biggest during the Brian Burke era.
Better Effort, Same Result: Leafs Lose 1-0 In A Shootout
If over the last 14 games the Toronto Maple Leafs had played the way they did last night they would probably still be in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and heading for the playoffs. Despite suffering a 1-0 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the physical effort and defensive responsibility that the Leafs demonstrated would seem to indicate that Coach Randy Carlyle's philosophy is gaining acceptance. Unfortunately, it is probably too little too late for a playoff spot this season.
Jonas Gustavsson played an exceptional game last night, making key saves when necessary and not allowing what has been a routine soft goal. The Monster really looked focused last night and I didn't see much of the flopping around the crease that has been a part of his game. His rebound control was excellent. Gustavsson is a UFA at the end of this season and the Leafs will have to make a decision. I don't see how Brian Burke can go into next season with Gustavsson and James Reimer so an evaluation is going to have to be made on who to keep and who to let go.
I was really impressed with the David Steckel-Carter Ashton-Joey Crabb line. They really had a physical presence and had no problem moving to the front of the Flyers net. I don't want to overhype the kid, but Carter Ashton is big, strong and willing to go in the dirty areas in the other team's zone. It seemed last night that this trio spent more time in the Flyers zone than in their own end. I would love to see Ashton get some power play time with the express job of going to the net. Would be nice if he could develop into a Ryan Malone type player.
Late this afternoon the Leafs will take on the Capitals in Washington. If the Leafs are to have any chance to make the playoffs then a win today is a must. It will be interesting to see how this team plays after such a tough game last night and who will be the starter in net. If the Maple Leafs bring the same type of intensity today as they did against the Flyers, then they have a chance to pull out a win. More importantly, we may find out what players have bought into their new coach's style of play and those that may not be here at the start of the 2012-13 season.
Browns Lose Out On RGIII: Now What??
The Washington Redskins made a bold move by trading away multiple future draft picks, including their 2013 and 2014 first round draft picks, to the St.Louis Rams in order to move up to the second pick overall in this year's draft to select Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III. It has been reported by multiple sources that the Cleveland Browns tried to make a deal with the Rams but were not willing to give up future first round picks. So the question is: Now What??
Browns General Manager Tom Heckert has indicated that he will not go after a veteran quarterback in free agency and in general the team will not go crazy in free agency. As a result, what the Browns do in this year's draft will be critical in detrmining the future of this football team. While I have been impressed with RGIII, I think the Browns were right in not mortgaging their future to get him. But there are two statements that Heckert has made which bother me.
The Browns GM has indicated that he would be willing to trade down from the fourth pick in order to get additional picks. Haven't we heard this story before??? Isn't this team devoid of playmakers??? With the fourth pick overall the Browns would most certainly be able to select Justin Blackmon which would fill a critical need at wide receiver.
Heckert has also indicated that he really likes Brandon Weeden, the 28 year old quarterback from Oklahoma State. What I found most troubling was that Heckert stated if he could get 5 years out of Weeden that would be great because he (Heckert) might not be around by then. Wow, what a statement!!!
Last season the Mike Holmgren regime took a major hit in my eyes as a result of their unbridled trust in Pat Shurmur's ability to run an offense and the total mishandling of the Colt McCoy concussion situation. In addition, Holmgren's assertion that he doesn't care about what has happened in the past and that "you are either with us or against us" was a slap in the face to long-suffering Browns fans. Moreover, last season was a step backwards as the Browns looked worse than they did in Eric Mangini's last season.
As far as I'm concerned, the honeymoon is over for Holmgren and Heckert. It's time to give Browns fans some hope. I'm not expecting to make the playoffs next year but I am expecting an exciting team, one that can do more than kicking field goals to score points. The next two months will set the stage for the Browns 2012 season and determine if Holmgren & Company will live up to the hype that surrounded his hiring as team president a few years ago.
Burke – Cherry Feud
Last Saturday, Don Cherry lit into Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke on his Coach's Corner segment. That in and of itself is Cherry's perogative as a broadcaster. If Cherry wanted to criticize Burke for his free agent signings, trades, not removing Ron Wilson sooner or the team's recent tailspin, that's fine. I might not agree with some of it but they are legitimate points for discussion. I can also understand if Cherry wanted to go off on Burke for the Leaf GM going to CBC and complaining about Coach's Corner. However, Cherry's rant that not having enough players from Ontario is the reason for the lack of the Leafs' success and Burke should be held responsible for that is ridiculous.
Cherry has turned himself into the hockey version of Rush Limbaugh. His jingoistic flag-waving nonsense has gone way over the top. The truth be told, Brian Burke has drafted more players from Ontario than John Ferguson Jr. Cherry's view represents that held by some in Toronto who have had a hard time with Burke being an American when the truth be told that most of Leaf Nation could care less where a player is from as long as they play hard and give the Leafs a chance to win. Cherry, like Limbaugh, plays to the over-the-top crowd that loves to point fingers at anyone who is different and use that to explain all of the problems that they face. In this case, Cherry is saying that the Leafs are failing because there are too many non-Ontario players on the roster and too many American college and American born players.
I have said this before and I will say it again: Brian Burke has done a tremendous job in building the team's farm system and making the Leafs younger. There is plenty of potential and certainly the expectation is that some of these kids, like Joe Colborne, Nazem Kadri, Korbinian Holzer and Jesse Blacker, will be ready to make significant contributions next season. (By the way, Kadri and Blacker are from Ontario) This is why I agreed with Burke in not wanting to mortgage the future to get Rick Nash. Leaf management has done this in the past: think Owen Nolan and Tom Kurvers.
Where Burke has faltered is with the acquisition of free agents. The signing of Tim Connolly last summer is the most recent example. Some in the Toronto media have criticized Burke for not bringing in Ontario born free agents, citing the last most significant Ontario-born free agent being Curtis Joseph. I have a problem with this for two reasons. First, there was no salary cap when Joseph was signed. The Leafs have unlimited resources which allowed them to have a payroll as high as they wanted. However, those days are over. Secondly, it takes two to dance and I didn't see Rick Nash, Steven Stamkos or John Tavares allow themselves to hit the open market. They all re-signed with their current clubs before they hit the free agency. Does one honestly think that Burke would not have gone after any one of those three if they had hit the open market? Even Steve Ott, who praised Cherry's rant for sticking up for Ontario-born players, stated that he didn't want to to be traded and loved living in Dallas.
With the team's playoff chances all but over for this season, there is no doubt that next season will be a critical one for Burke and Company. I honestly believe that this team is very close to being a top 8 team in the East on a regular basis. They will need to straighten out the goaltending situation but I feel that the hiring of Randy Carlyle is a positive in making this team better defensively which should help the goaltending. I also believe that James Reimer can be an NHL starting goaltender but the Leafs need to bring in a veteran to help carry the load.
As for Cherry, it's really a shame. I have always enjoyed Coach's Corner but over the last several years I have found myself switching channels during that segment because of the nonsense that was being spewed. Cherry has turned himself into a windbag and it is unfortunate because on some issues (such as no-touch icing and equipment) he is right on the money. He has hurt his own credibility and it appears that no one is big enough to tell him so. Unfortunate indeed.
What a Week For Leafs Nation
My last post was before the trade deadline and I asked the question whether the Toronto Maple Leafs would be different. Well one week later they certainly are different. My very last post called for the firing of Ron Wilson and on Friday evening Brian Burke pulled the trigger and then hired Randy Carlyle. The Leafs responded with a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday but the hiring of Carlyle could be a better move than mortgaging the future to try to get a player to get the Leafs into the playoffs. You see Carlyle stresses team defense, an overall team system, toughness and the willingness to match lines when necessary. He also acknowledges this team's greatest asset, speed, and he plans to utilize it to instill the overall team defensive philosophy.
In the dreaded 1-8-1 span of games, the Leafs defensive zone coverage was terrible. The goalies were taking plenty of heat but while their play could have been better, the team in front of them bear as much responsibility for the brutal tailspin. It is apparent that Ron Wilson wasn't able to get this team to pay the price defensively. It also was apparent that he wanted a firewagon style of hockey that the Leafs could play but based upon recent information were not prepared physically or mentally to accomplish. Often times I wondered what actually is Ron Wilson's system. I mean with guys like Lindy Ruff and Jacques Martin you know its going to be a suffocating defense with an aggressive forecheck and if they get a lead they were going to put the clamps down. With Wilson I couldn't figure it out.
Randy Carlyle brings a different philosophy, one that rewards hard work and defense first. After the Montreal game he had an interesting comment about goaltending. Carlyle's point is that a goalie shouldn't have to win you a game, he needs to keep us in the game. Tomorrow's game against Boston is going to be real interesting. The Bruins have manhandled the Leafs all season. Will Carlyle's style of tough hard-nosed defensive hockey allow this team to compete with the Bruins? Will the Leafs be able to utilize their speed to force the Bruins into mistakes?? I'm not expecting miracles but I believe we will see a change. A change for the better.
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I am out-of-town and that is why I have not been able to post regularly so as a result I'm not sure whether Tuesday's Thoughts will be up tomorrow. If it is not you can expect it either Thursday or Friday and I will have plenty to talk about including the whole Burke-Cherry feud, NFL Bounty System, Yankees and Browns thoughts and some basketball. I might even throw in a little golf.
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