tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Leafs Win, Why Am I Not Happy

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in a shoot out last night and for some reason I wasn't all that happy about it. I want to be clear, I'm not a registered member of Tank Nation. But the victory last night was not a solid one and it illustrated the problems this team has had over the past 20-something games. The Leafs led by two goals twice last night and blew them twice. One as a result of Mike Komisarek misreading the play which left a New Jersey forward open in front of Leaf netminder James Reimer and the other as a result of Jake Gardiner not being able to tie Zach Parise up at the side of the net.

There will be endless yammering about how the Leafs should have brought Nazem Kadri up sooner. How this kid has special talent and that the Leafs have totally mishandled him. Every time that Kadri has been brought up from the Marlies he has started off with a bang only to fizzle out. What is interesting is that the same media scribes who will be pounding away at Burke & Company for not bringing up Kadri as opposed to either Carter Ashton or Matt Frattin are the same ones who are saying that Phil Kessel is not a Randy Carlyle type of player. So Nazem Kadri is a Randy Carlyle type of player?? Really???

Kadri does have offensive talent but in recent call-ups he has been out-muscled and deficient defensively. Hardly the type of player that Carlyle is supposedly looking for. As with Kessel, the hope would be that Carlyle can teach the youngster from London, Ontario how to be more defensively responsible.

I was happy to see how James Reimer played last night. He made 43 saves, some very big ones that kept the Leafs in the game. For all the angst about the Leaf goaltending situation, James Reimer is 24 years old and under contract for the next few years. Do the Leafs need to get an experienced goalie. Yes they do. But Reimer for now is their future and the best thing that can happen is if this kid can get his confidence restored.

It will be interesting to see how this team plays tonight at home against the Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers. The Leafs have not won at the ACC since February 6th against Edmonton. I'm sure will hear from Mr. Cherry how he has been right all along about Kadri and how Burke screwed this Ontario boy up. More grist for the mill. In the end, the Leafs will be in tough against the Rangers. Another Saturday night. Can't wait until this season is over.