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

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.

Fire Ron Wilson!!!

I was not going to post today as I am heading out of town but last night's disgusting performance by the Toronto Maple Leafs has inspired me to post this morning. Many have called for the firing of Ron Wilson. I have refrained from jumping onto that bandwagon but I believe that the time has come: Fire Ron Wilson.

A 1-8-1 slide has gone from bad to worse and it appears to me that this team has quit on its coach. Yes, goaltending is a problem. But poor defensive play, a lack of desire to go to the net and work the boards, a power play that is now 1-19 and the inability to change a style of play that has not been successful is a function of the coach. Before the start of the season Tim Hunter and Keith Acton were replaced and this was going to solve everything. That has not been the case. Now is the time to change the head coach.

As late as early this week, I didn't believe that a coaching change was the answer but if in fact the Leafs are going to be a seller then changing the coach needs to happen to get ready for next season. My call for firing Ron Wilson has little to do with trying to make the playoffs this year but more to do with changing the philosophy of play and getting ready for next season. One thing is clear to me: Ron Wilson's act is getting old and it appears that this young team needs a new voice to listen to.

There are plenty of candidates. Within the organization the obvious choice is Dallas Eakins. Eakins has done a great job with the Toronto Marlies. He is a teacher and does stress the importance of playing a defensive style of hockey. He would deserve a promotion. He would be my number one choice. The other name mentioned as a likely replacement for Wilson is Randy Carlyle. Carlyle has a relationship with Leafs GM Brian Burke as he coached Burke's Anaheim Ducks. Carlyle is a no-nonsense guy who also stresses the need to be defensively responsible.

The contract extension that Ron Wilson received at Christmas should not be an impediment for his dismissal. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has plenty of money to eat the additional year that Wilson was given. While were at it, Francois Allaire should also be shown the door. It is apparent that Allaire's coaching philosophy does not mesh with the talents of Jonas Gustavsson and has not helped James Reimer in his second year of play.

If this team is going to get better then they need to get a new head coach. The time is now: Fire Ron Wilson.

Downward Spiral Continues As Leafs Fall Out Of 8th

The Toronto Maple Leafs march out of playoff contention continued last night as they dropped a 2-1 decision to the San Jose Sharks at Air Canada Centre. No one can blame the goaltender on this one as James Reimer was solid in goal. But once again it took two periods for this team to play with any sense of urgency and again it was too little too late. The loss dropped the Leafs out of the final playoff spot as they are now one point behind Florida. Interestingly enough, they are 7 points out of 7th and 7 points away from last place.

A season that started out with much promise has turned sour with a terrible 1-6-1 tailspin that rivals last season's horrendous mid-October to November swoon. Being 4-4 over this eight game period would have the Leafs solidly in 8th place with 71 points and they would only be 3 points out of 4th place. With games against Washington and Florida coming up, the season can very well be determined by the end of February.

One has to wonder if a trade will make a difference for the Leafs in trying to make the playoffs and whether or not the deadline should be used to clear cap space, get more draft picks and create opportunities for kids from the Marlies to come up to the big team. It would be great if the Leafs could unload Mike Komisarek, Colby Armstrong, and Tim Connolly but its probably wishful thinking on my part.

At this point I am at a loss as to what this team needs to do. I do believe that whatever move they make before the deadline should not only be for this season. Trading young players or future assets to acquire a player that is going to help get the Leafs into the playoffs is a mistake. It's a path that this franchise has gone down before with limited success. Of course, if success is defined by winning a Stanley Cup then this strategy has been a failure. The Leafs' management team has some big decisions to make between now and 3pm February 27th. I guess that's why they get the big bucks.

Leafs Fall To Devils 4-3 In OT

The Toronto Maple Leafs fought back several times to be in a position to get a valuable two points last night against the New Jersey Devils. Yet, each time they drew even, suspect goaltending dropped them behind. The worst being the game winner by Mark Fayne 1:18 into overtime as the Devils defeated the Leafs 4-3. Toronto did get one point and remained tied with Winnipeg for the 8th and final playoff spot.

After Phil Kessel's goal tied the game with 43 seconds left in the third period, the crowd gave the team a standing ovation as regulation time ended and there was a feeling that the Leafs were going to pull this one out. Just before Fayne's goal, Jake Gardiner rattled one off the post behind Marty Brodeur and it seemed like it was a matter of time before they got the winner. However, seconds later Fayne put one past Jonas Gustavsson on a shot that looked like it was going wide of the net.

Think about how we all would be feeling today if the Leafs would have won the game. We would be talking about the fact that they never quit. That they received scoring from 3 lines. That Gustavsson, despite letting in two weak goals early, made some key saves to keep the Leafs in the game. Instead, a team that needed a win badly suffered a miserable defeat. As I mentioned in an earlier post, some times you need a big hit or a big goal. Kessel's goal could have been that goal. But as I also said sometimes your goalie needs to make a big save. In this case, we are not talking about a big save. We're talking about something routine.

It's anybodies guess as to who Coach Ron Wilson will start on Thursday night. Unless another goalie is brought in, I think that Wilson needs to pick a goalie and ride him. A goaltender needs to develop a groove and gain confidence. The yo-yo situation in net is not helping either goalie. It will also be interesting to see how this team reacts after losing a game that they could have won and needed to win. The Leafs control their own destiny but unless the goaltending situation gets straightened out, this team will not make the playoffs.

Let me close by asking you a question that was posed by Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons on twitter: If the Leafs need to win the final game of the season to make the playoffs who should Ron Wilson start in goal, James Reimer or Jonas Gustavsson???

Leaf Trade Rumors: Gardiner & Grabovski On The Move??

As we get closer to the February 27th NHL trade deadline, trade rumors involving the Toronto Maple Leafs change hourly and there is plenty of debate as to what this team needs. My opinion is that they need one (if they could two) big forward who can clear space for their talented smaller forwards. Think Ryan Malone or someone like a Brian Boyle (I am not saying that Brian Boyle is available).

There are two big stories floating around Toronto one involving Rick Nash and the other involving Mikhail Grabovski. Nash is the big Columbus Blue Jacket forward who is on the trading block. Nash has given the Blue Jackets five teams that he would agree to go to. One of those teams are the Toronto Maple Leafs. There has been plenty of speculation that Blue Jacket GM Scott Howsam would only consider a deal with the Leafs if rookie defenseman Jake Gardiner was involved. Quite frankly I say no thank you if I'm the Leafs. I've always liked Rick Nash as a player and would love to see him in a Leaf uniform, however the soon to be 28 year old comes with a $7.8 million price tag that runs through 2018. In addition, in order to get Nash it will take more than Gardiner including possibly Mikhail Grabovski and some experts are saying that Phil Kessel might have to be involved.

Moving either Grabovski or Kessel to get Nash makes no sense. If bringing Nash in is to provide more scoring it makes no sense to give up one of your top points producers to get him. Could you imagine Nash on a line with Grabovski?? Moving Grabovski basically means you have traded away your best center man. (more on this below) As far as Kessel goes, you would be trading away a 24 year old All-Star who appears to continue to improve his game and one has to wonder how much higher this kid can go if he had a big center to play with and this is not meant as any slight to Tyler Bozak. Who would you rather have centering Joffrey Lupul and Kessel: Bozak or someone like Ryan Getzlaf??

As far as moving Gardiner, I think that would be a huge mistake. As I have stated many times on this blog, Gardiner is the best young defenseman that this organization has had since Borje Salming. His skating ability is excellent and he leads all rookie defensemen in scoring. Many NHL scouts are saying that this kid can be something special. At the age of 21, Gardiner is already one of the Leafs top 4 defenseman and to move him would be a huge mistake. Having a young defenseman who can skate and has offensive ability to make plays are not easy to find. Gardiner could anchor this defense corp for 10-12 years. Getting Rick Nash would be great, but will the overall cost increase or decrease the team's chances to make the playoffs.

Yesterday Darren Dreger reported that the Leafs had an offer on the table for Mikhail Grabovski that included a second round pick and a top prospect. There was a belief that the Leafs could possibly hold out and get a first rounder and a top prospect. In twitter world it was speculated that the St.Louis Blues were the team involved but that has not been confirmed. Dreger went on to say that this could be an attempt by Brian Burke to put heat on the Grabovski camp to lower its contract demand to stay in Toronto as it has been reported that Mikhail loves living in Toronto.

If Brian Burke makes the deal as reported by Dreger and no other deal is made then it basically tells me that Burke does not believe that this team can make the playoffs and if they do make it they will be an easy mark for a Rangers or Bruins team. It is inconceivable to me that Burkie would move his best center man for a draft pick and propsect unless that draft pick is a top first round pick. Grabovski is the Leafs best center right now and moving him without getting anyone to replace him means that Tim Connolly becomes your 2nd line center. Somehow that doesn't inspire me.

Brian Burke's history with the Maple Leafs has been to make a deal that no one was expecting. It would seem that with the glut of defensemen that the team has that one of them would be included in a trade. I would think that Gardiner, Dion Phaneuf and John-Michael Liles would not be involved in a deal. But one thing is clear: I would be shocked if Burke does not make a trade. A big forward would be what I think the team needs and if it was a center man that would even be better. Only time will tell, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, the Leafs have a tough one tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. Its a big game for the Leafs as the Washington Capitals pulled within one point of Toronto and Winnipeg is now only 4 points behind. This game will be a tough one and hopefully the Leafs will play with desperation tonight. James Reimer gets the start on Hockey Night In Canada. The puck drop is at 7:05pm.

Leafs Continue Downward Spiral With 5-1 Loss

With plenty of members of Leaf Nation in attendance, the Toronto Maple Leafs once again came out sleep walking at the Scotiabank Saddledome and dropped a 5-1 decision to the Calgary Flames. The loss is their fourth straight as they cling onto 8th place by one point ahead of the Washington Capitals. In a game that had huge implications for their playoff hopes, the Leafs came out flat once again. The last time the Leafs really came out of the gate in the first period firing on all cyclinders was on January 31st in Pittsburgh.

As has been the case in the 3 previous games, the Leafs defensive zone coverage was awful and as a result they quickly found themselves down 2-0 in the first period. Tyler Bozak's goal late in the first period gave Leaf Nation hope, however the Leafs would never recover from the early hole that they dug for themselves. Another common thread that showed up last night was the Leafs inability or desire to go to the front of the net and create traffic in front of the other team's goaltender. While the Leafs outshot the Flames 42-34, Mikka Kiprusoff was able to see just about everything and rebounds may have been there for the taking but the Leafs were no where to be found.

At this point I keep on wondering who on this team is capable of making a play that is going to turn this thing around. Who in that locker room is going to grab the team by the throat and will it to a victory similar to a Wendel Clark. Apparently the players only meeting that took place after the Montreal loss did absolutely no good.

The Leafs have been outscored 10-1 in their last two games. But more disturbing seems to be the lack of defensive discipline in their own end and the lack of physicality which translates in not going to the other team's net and a meek forecheck. The great chemistry that was present after the encouraging 5-0 win in Ottawa has disappeared and the Senators are now four points ahead of Toronto. The Capitals, while a point behind the Leafs, will have two games in hand on Toronto after the Leafs game against the Oilers tonight.

One final point, the Leafs goaltenders are not stealing a game. If there is any position on this team that could turn this around it is between the pipes. Unfortunately, neither James Reimer or Jonas Gustavsson has been able to make that big save or series of saves that can turn a game around. It will be interesting to see who Ron Wilson has in goal tonight against the Edmonton Oilers.

Someone needs to step up and lead this team out of its funk otherwise this season is going to slip away. The puck drop tonight is at 10:05 at the Rexall Centre.

Leaf Playoff Chances Slipping Away

Last night's horrendous 5-0 loss at the hands of their ancient rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, has left the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff hopes in a shaky position as they head out for a 3 game Western Canadian road trip. For the third game in a row, the Leafs power play was awful, they were unable to create consistent scoring chances, their defensive zone coverage was brutal and they refused to play with the desperation that is needed for a team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the lockout.

Prior to their trip to Winnipeg, there was plenty of talk that the Leafs might not make a deal because the team was playing well and Brian Burke might not want to mess with the team chemistry. But, this unwilligness to play responsibily in their own end and bring more bodies in front of the other team's net began in the Monday victory over Edmonton. These last four games just highlight what is a problem for this Leaf team: they don't have enough size upfront to work the boards and create chances. The Leafs propensity to try to skate into the other team's zone and make cute plays is not working and will not work if they make the playoffs. This is also the problem with the power play where there are too many passes on the outside and nothing happening in front of the opposing goalie.

I have said all along that the Leafs need to make a trade and the last four games have solidified my opinion. Brian Burke cannot be too happy with what he has seen over the last four games, particularly last night. With the ceremony honoring Leaf great Mats Sundin and playing against the Habs on Saturday Night, one would have to think that this Leaf team would have come out firing on all cyclinders particularly after coming off two straight losses. But instead they were flat and at times looking disinterested. It might be time to bring Mike Kommisarek back into the lineup and in spite of Ron Wilson's defense, Tim Connolly may need to get a seat up in the press box. One thing is clear: something needs to change in a hurry otherwise Leaf Nation will once again be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Leafs Fall To 8th With 4-3 Loss

Last night was not a good one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only did they lose to the Flyers in Phildelphia by the score of 4-3, but Ottawa defeated Nashville and Florida knocked off L.A. which means the Leafs are now in 8th place only one point ahead of the Washington Capitals. While its unrealistic to think that the Leafs are going to win every game, what's disturbing was how flat the Leafs were in the first period and how poor their defensive zone coverage was throughout the game. In order for the Leafs to make the playoffs they need to be more defensively responsible than they were last night.

For anyone to question James Reimer last night I'm not sure what game they were watching. Reimer was hung out to dry many times throughout the game and really had no chance on any of the Flyer goals. Defensive zone coverage doesn't only apply to the defensemen. The forwards have a role to play in that and Tim Connolly was brutal last night. On Brayden Schenn's goal, which proved to be the winner, Connolly allowed the Flyer youngster to swoop in without laying a glove on him. Jake Gardiner was out of position and Luke's little brother lit the lamp to give the Flyers a 4-2 lead. Connolly's only contribution has been on the penalty kill but $4.5 million for a penalty killer is difficult to swallow.

In the last two games, the Leafs have had quite a bit of difficulty getting out of their own end. Both the Jets and the Flyers had an aggressive forecheck and the Leafs were unable to handle it. The quick breakout passes that allows them to utilize their speed has been limited in the past two games. It seems that they tend to be running around a little too much and that is also evident when trying to breakout of their own end when they have a man advantage. In both games, the Leafs were unable to generate any scoring chances at the end of the game when they were trying to tie it up. Last night was particularly frustrating as they had a power play and pulled Reimer with about 1:30 left and could not get any quality scoring chances.

Saturday night is a must-win for the Leafs as they take on the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens are a team that the Leafs should be beat. They are the better team. However, 3 weeks ago they dropped a 3-1 decision to Montreal in a lacklustre game at the ACC. With a 3 game western road trip facing them next week, the Leafs need these two points. I would hope that they will come out early and play with a sense of urgency as you know that the Habs would like nothing better than to throw a monkey wrench into the Leafs' playoff chances.

Saturday night is also Mats Sundin night as the Leafs will honor their former captain and all-time point leader as they raise his banner up to the rafters. Boy, couldn't the Leafs use the Big Swede now. Imagine him centering Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. It would have been quite an upgrade for Mats as opposed to centering Jonas Hoglund and Mikhael Renberg.