Who Stays Who Goes??

Tristan Wazonek
September 26, 2009.

What will Wilson do?

With the better than expected play from the “Frosh Line”, and Nazem Kadri, what will Wilson do?

My gut tells me that we will see Kadri sent back to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, and the “Frosh Line” split up to start the season with Tyler Bozak  and Christian Hanson heading down to the Marlies .

Why do you ask? Well, although all four have looked good during the pre-season, they can all use a little more developing. Kadri is still on the light side. Is he ready for the rigorous NHL schedule? I don’t believe he is and can use this season with the Knights to tear up the OHL. He will also gain a lot of experience playing for team Canada at the World Jr’s this year. Hanson has the ability to work the boards and clear room for his line mates, but could still use the extra playing time that he will receive with the Marlies to improve his game, and Bozak has looked sharp, but hasn’t won a starting spot over Grabovski or Stajan, in my opinion.

Another reason why I believe we will see Bozak start the season with the Marlies is because of his contract. With the bonuses that he could receive, which include a “games played bonus”, his cap hit could hit $3,750,000 this season.

The only player of the young bunch that has really earned himself a spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs opening night roster is Viktor Stalberg. He has used his speed, and great hockey instincts to his advantage, and it has shown in his play.

I would personally love to see the “Frosh Line” stick intact with the Maple Leafs to start the season, but I just don’t see it happening.

That being said, I am not Ron Wilson. These young players have definitely made it a hard decision for him.

I believe come opening night we will see the following lines:

Blake-Stajan-Hagman
Stalberg-Grabovski-Stempniak
Ponikarovsky-Mitchell-Kulemin
Wallin-Primeau-Orr

Kaberle-Komisarek
Beauchimen-Schenn
Exelby-White

Toskala
Gustavsson

Once players such as Kessel and Mayers come back from their injuries, we may see players like Kulemin and Tlusty be re-assigned to the Marlies.

Personally, I would like to see Mayers sent to the Marlies, or traded. I'd also like to see Ponikarovsky and Stempniak traded as well.

I can't wait to get the regular season under way. The speed, hustle and tenacity of this young club will be a pleasure to watch, win or lose.

Team Chemisrty 101

Rich Dezso
September 24, 2009.

Chemistry is defined as, mutual attraction or sympathy; rapport.

What does it take to build team chemistry within an NHL hockey team? Well for starters, players should be together and around each other as much as possible.  Sounds easy enough, but consider that this is the first year in a long time that the Maple Leaf players are actually hanging out with their teammates after games and practices. Brian Burke, President and GM of the Maple Leafs, said he wanted to bring a new culture to Toronto. A culture, involving players who can be team members as well as friends.  Although he has not forced this among his players, he encourages it. Players are going over to each others houses for dinners. There is talk of the team participating in Paintball and other activities, which will only help build team morale and more importantly, chemistry.

Team chemistry also entails players to be as one when it comes to games. Burke brought in players who aren’t selfish, good communicators, players that know what their role on the team is.  This will only help in the development of young players such as Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak.  The Toronto Marlies are heading to Scotland for a four team mini tournament.  This is a great move by the Leaf brass. This trip will be a good stepping stone for the growth and maturity of these AHLers. This is another example of Brian Burke's commitment to bring a new “culture” to the city of Toronto.

Chemistry is also important when it comes to the coaching staff. It’s not supportive if the players have chemistry but yet they don’t get along with the coaches. Ron Wilson, Keith Acton, Rob Zettler and Tim Hunter have always been team players throughout their respective careers. This was no mistake by Brian Burke; he knew these guys would be the launching pad for the chemistry within the organization and team.

Even with all that said, nothing can be accomplished if there isn’t chemistry on the ice, when it matters most. Only time can help build chemistry during the games. And as Leaf fans, we can only hope that the chemistry between all these players will work.

The Leafs Goalie Troubles Continue

Greg Ryan Sharp
October 16, 2009.

With the Monster (Jonas Gustavsson) sidelined already and Vesa Toskala off to a shaky start, things just got a whole lot worse in Toronto. Toskala was injured during Toronto’s Monday night game against the New York Rangers and is reportedly out for at least 10 days with a “knee” injury.

Do you really think this is a real knee injury? Or is it possible that this injury is due to a bruised confidence and is being used as a way to take some of the pressure off? It definitely seems a little convenient that this supposed knee injury comes at a time when he was about to be given the duties of warming the woodwork in lieu of Joey MacDonald’s first start with the club.

Vesa Toskala has posted a 5.57 Goals Against Average (GAA) so far this year, further improving on his GAA trend while with the Leafs; and by improving, I really mean continuing his slide down the slope to double digit GAA as he now surpasses the half way point on his quest towards ten. Since joining the Leafs for the beginning of the ‘07-’08 campaign, Toskala has posted a 2.74 (’07-’08) and 3.26 (’08-’09) GAA, a far cry from his 2.06 and 2.35 GAA days while splitting time in San Jose.

Which raises the question, is Toskala too comfortable here in Toronto?

In his eight year career, his best statistical numbers came from a period when he was splitting time with another high profile goaltender within the San Jose Sharks organization, Evgeni Nabokov. That makes me wonder if Toskala needs a competitive environment to thrive? If you look at his career statistics, his best and most consistent numbers are from when he was trying to prove himself and win the number one job from Nabokov. After joining Toronto and being handed the number one job on a silver platter, thanks to Andrew Raycroft, his numbers began to decline. Will this trend continue? I certainly hope not. Realistically his rough start to the season should settle down and bring his GAA back into 3.00 mark at least. However this doesn’t help the Leafs considering their lack of scoring talent up front, which means this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

With Toskala being the shy and quiet personality that he is, maybe he just can’t handle the pressures of being a number one goalie on the most highly scrutinized team in the NHL. He definitely has the potential to be a strong number one goalie, I just don’t think he has the personality to use that potential in a city like Toronto. Visa vie, he doesn’t have what it takes to bring the Leafs to glory. However, I do believe that Vesa Toskala would be a force to be reckoned with in a smaller market town like the Florida Panthers.

This brings me to my next point; offense wins games, but defense wins championships! If the Leafs are going to win a Stanley Cup in the next five years, they will need to make a change between the pipes. As stated before, Toskala doesn’t have what it takes to lead us to the promise land. If you look at the history of Stanley Cup winners over the last twenty to thirty years, one thing will quickly become noticeable; that is 85 to 90 percent of those winning teams possess a solid backstop. Whether that goalie was a flash in the pan posting career numbers for a year or was a future hall of fame inductee they had one thing in common, they were among the best at their position at that point in time. Here are those examples:

* Edmonton Oilers won five Stanley Cups in the ’80’s with a tandem of Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog.
* Patrick Roy took the Montreal Canadians to winners circle in ‘92-’93, and then went on to do the same with the Colorado Avalanche in both ‘95-’96 and 2000-’01.
* Mike Richter posted career best numbers at 2.57 GAA and 91.0 Save Percentage (SV%) en route to the Rangers ‘93-’94 Cup win.
* Martin Brodeur carried the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups in ‘94-’95, ‘99-2000, and ‘02-’03.
* Chris Osgood backed the Detroit Red Wings in back to back Cup wins in both the ‘96-’97, ‘97-’98 and ‘07-’08 seasons. Dominic Hasek joined and aided Detroit to a Cup win in ‘01-’02 along with Osgood.
* Ed Belfour put up ridiculous stats in the ‘98-’99 push for the Dallas Stars eventual Cup win posting a regular season – 1.99 GAA and a 91.5 SV%; Playoffs – 1.67 GAA 93.5 SV%. Later to post some of the best goaltending numbers the Leafs have seen in recent years when he finished third among stat leaders in ‘03-’04 with a 2.13 GAA and a 91.8 SV%.
* Nikolai Khabibulin won the Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in ‘03-’04 when he posted a 1.71 GAA and a 93.3 SV% in 23 games during that playoff run.
* Cam Ward stepped up big in ‘05-’06 when as a backup during the regular season all he could manage was a 3.68 GAA and a 88.2 SV% in 28 games, however in the playoffs put up a 2.14 GAA and a 92.0 SV% in 23 games while taking the Carolina Hurricanes to the Cup in place of Martin Gerber who struggled to regain his form after sitting out with the flu early in the playoffs.
* JS Giguere with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in ‘06-’07 was one of the top five goalies in the league that year, later lifting the Stanley Cup that season.
* Finally, the most recent winner, Marc-Andre Fleury continued his solid play during his fourth season with the Pittsburgh Penguins to help take them to a Stanley Cup victory just last season in ‘08-’09.

After reading those examples, I don’t think any Leaf fan could picture Vesa Toskala being a part of that group, especially considering his track record with the Toronto Maple Leafs thus far. Of course that means one thing, he isn’t the right piece to the puzzle. All in all, Toskala has had his chance to make an impact in Leaf Nation and of all the games I’ve watched since he came in, only a few times could I actually say he stole the win for the Leafs. Of any great team, the goaltender always needs to steal approximately fifteen games a season for the team and at least a handful during the playoffs, something I have witnessed very rarely while Toskala has dawned the blue and white. Not to say he couldn’t turn it around at any moment and begin playing that kind of hockey; look at Cam Ward and what he did with the Carolina Hurricanes the year they won. Nevertheless, I just don’t see that happening.

Now as I said before, if the Leafs are going to make a Stanley Cup run within the next five years, there will need to be a goaltending change before it can happen. From what I have heard and seen thus far, Jonas Gustavsson could potentially be the answer to our troubles. At the age of just 24 (turning 25 on October 24th), Gustavsson was the top goalie last season in the Swedish Elite League (SEL) posting a 1.96 GAA and a 93.2 SV% with 3 shutouts (SO) during 41 games in the regular season. Furthermore, that same year he posted a 1.03 GAA, 96.1 SV% and 5 SO in just 13 games during the playoffs. Of course the jump from the SEL to the NHL isn’t an easy transition, so it will take him time to adjust. That being said, there is no telling how well the Monster could turn out in a couple years time, which could be the right time for the Leafs to make their next Stanley Cup run. They always say a goaltenders prime is the eight year stretch between the ages of 26 and 34.

Could this be the beginning of the stars aligning for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Alexei Ponikarovsky....30 Goal Potential??

Dan Campbell
September 23, 2009.

It has long been said that Alexei Ponikarovsky has never reached his full potential. I think that could be contributed to a weak team, ice time, line mates and maybe even coaching.

At 6’4 and 220 pounds and 29 years of age now, it may be the year Alexei breaks out. he is coming off a career year with 23 goals and 61 points. We know he has a great shot, I think what we are all waiting for is for him to assert himself and use that massive frame to his advantage. With Brian Burke at the helm I am sure he and coach Wilson would love to see him finish more checks and be a little tougher on the puck. This should result in a bit more space for him. He reminds me a bit like Bertuzzi without the mean streak.

I think with increased ice time and PP time this season Ponikarovsky can reach the 30 goal mark. Ron Wilson is a very good coach and I think Poni has all the tools to accomplish this.

The team needs another forward to step up and score more let’s hope this is the year that he breaks through.

(psst..you to Stempniak)

The Kessel Years

Greg Ryan Sharp
October 15, 2009.

The Leafs are off to their worst start in years and a lot of people are beginning to wonder if we overpaid for Phil Kessel, however I beg to differ.

The deal went down as follows: Toronto sent three draft picks to Boston in exchange for the rights to Kessel; a 1st and 2nd round pick for the 2010 NHL entry draft, as well as a 1st round pick for the 2011 entry draft. Shortly after the trade was completed, they signed Kessel to a 5 year $27 million contract.

We seem to have forgotten that this kid was touted to be one of the “Next Ones” during his junior career. He was such a fantastic junior player that pro scouts were even ranking him as a prospect comparable to the likes of Sid the Kid (Sidney Crosby) back in ‘04-’05. During that season he scored 98 points in 47 games as a member of the under 18 Development Program in the North American Hockey League. After missing the NHL entry draft by just one month, Kessel was forced to play one more season before being drafted, so he joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. Unfortunately as a freshman he was slotted in as a third line player with limited ice time, but he still managed to net 51 points with a +22 rating in 39 games. Later that year he was drafted 5th overall by the Boston Bruins.

After making the jump to the NHL, Phil Kessel has been steadily improving. Going from just 11 goals and 39 points in his rookie season, to 36 goals and 60 points in his third year with the Bruins. As the newest member of the rebuilding Maple Leafs, I wouldn’t expect him to continue to build on those numbers this year. We all know that the Leafs are a weaker offensive squad than the Boston Bruins, not to mention the fact that he won’t be paired with a player like Marc Savard in this lineup.

However that’s not the issue. The main issue is whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs gave up too much of their future to acquire Phil Kessel; and at the age of 21 (turning 22 at the end of October), Kessel can only get better, not to mention he fits into the Leafs rebuilding process perfectly. I mean let’s face it, the kid’s already proven he can score at the NHL level when paired with a solid playmaker. Therefore, Burke's next focus should be on acquiring a playmaker of equal calibre that can read the development of the play and get Kessel the puck in the right places.

Yes two firsts and a second round pick can look pricey on paper, but not when you consider the fact that the Leafs cleaned up in the off season picking up talent such as Stalberg, Bozak, Hanson, and Gustavsson. Arguably all of those players would require first round, or second round picks if they had been entered into any of the recent NHL entry drafts.

Moving forward, if the Leafs want Kessel to score 30+ goals again anytime soon, they will need to refrain from committing the “Sundin Curse” a second time around. If you’re unsure of what I am referring to, it’s simply that the Leafs are well known for suffocating Sundin’s career on a roster that provided him with no equal talent to make a Stanley Cup run. Also known as, get Kessel a top notch setup man to play with because Stajan doesn’t cut it. Until they acquire that player, Kessel isn’t going to look like he’s worth the $5.4 million per season we’re paying him, but that’s not his fault. We’ll just have to wait and see what the next 8 to 12 months brings under the Burke regime, but I am confident that Burke understand this need and will do what is necessary to fill it. Whether that be making a deal on or before the trade deadline, or signing a unrestricted free agent come July 1st, one way or another he will find someone.

Of course let’s not forget about Nazem Kadri who appears ready to be a part of the big club next year. That’s just another piece of the puzzle that seems primed to fall into place around the right time, not to mention a whole other discussion topic.

All in all, when dissecting Burkies moves since taking over the team, I would have to say the puzzle is starting to come together. Of course based on the beginning to this season a lot of people would say otherwise. As a die hard fan, I will tell the rest of you to have faith; Burke knows what he’s doing. Plus we all knew coming into this season that we’re in a rebuilding process and it’s going to take time. Personally I like the steps the Leafs have taken this off season in rebuilding their once overly depleted youth. It’s good to see them moving in the right direction again and filling the minors with up and coming talent to be excited about. It seems as though they are sticking to their strategy of building from the ground up.

Greg has just started WeWantaCup.com in hopes of growing this into an unofficial fan union. One day I hope we will be able to grow large enough to gain recognition in media streams and become THE go to place to voice your opinion about the club. It is my goal to be heard and hopefully help influence some changes within the organization so we can bring another Stanley Cup back to one of the most prestigious teams in the NHL.

Greg Ryan Sharp, A.K.A. "Sharpy"

Greg is a 26 year old graduate of Brock University with a degree in Sport Management. Both during school and after graduating, Greg has obtained several years of Retail, Marketing and Corporate Sales Experience. After a recent departure from Sales, he has decided to make a career shift into Television, Broadcasting, Radio and Journalism; Currently working with his local Television affiliate, TV Cogeco Niagara.

In the future it is Greg's goal to become one or a number of the following: Sports Radio / Television Talk Show Host, Colour Commentator for Hockey Night in Canada or any NHL broadcast (Preferably dealing with the Leafs), On-Site Sports Analyst Broadcasting Personality (Ex. Elliotte Friedman), TSN / The Score / Rogers Sportsnet On-Air Sports Broadcasting Personality.

The Leafs Traded For the Oilers??.....It Almost Happened

Michael Lindow
October 11, 2009.

The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that a trade that would have seen Wayne Gretzky and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers dealt to Toronto for the Leafs lackluster, going nowhere roster of players almost happened......

Behind the boards, away from the lights, two of the NHL's most infamous owners concocted a deal to alter the fabric of the hockey cosmos.

No deal had ever equalled it. None has approached its audacity since.

The Leafs for the Oilers. Almost. In the 1980s.

Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and the rest of the young Edmonton Oilers nearly ended up in Toronto in a $50-million blockbuster swap of the two entire teams hatched by Harold Ballard, then-owner of the Maple Leafs, and Peter Pocklington, then-owner of the Edmonton Oilers, a new book claims.

"Ballard would move his fading Leafs to boomtown Edmonton, while Peter would bring his up-and-coming Oilers to Toronto — provided, of course, that he also wrote Ballard a cheque for $50 million," says the book, I'd Trade Him Again, a Pocklington biography written by Terry McConnell and J'Lyn Nye in collaboration with Pocklington.

But the deal fell through.

"Ballard backed out. He was a crazy old bugger," Pocklington says in the book. "I was actually pretty excited about it . . . I would have made a fortune in Toronto."

Pocklington did leave his mark on hockey history. He's forever known for The Trade — the famed August 1988 deal that sent Gretzky to Los Angeles from Edmonton.

Pocklington admits in the book that he wrestled with his own emotions over the Gretzky trade.
"It took me nine weeks to kind of get over the emotional shock of 'Do I really want to do this?'"

The Gretzky trade paled in comparison to swapping the Leafs for the Oilers.

Pocklington says he doesn't know why Ballard wanted the deal.

The book speculates the 77-year-old Leafs owner was looking for some quick cash because he was deep in debt and faced losing Maple Leaf Gardens. The book says Ballard may have passed on the swap after he struck a deal with Molson Brewery to pay off his bank debt.

"For Peter, the benefits were more long term. For Ballard they were immediate," says the book. "For fans in Toronto, it might have meant a whole bunch of Stanley Cups were on the horizon. The only ones bound to lose out were the fans in Edmonton."

Edmonton fans would have cried more than 99 tears. Infinitely more.

Read the book excerpt here.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

Do Or Die Time

Tony Omran
October 20, 2009.

It goes without saying that the Toronto Maple Leafs need to win a game ... and win one NOW! With a 0-6-1 record to start the season, Leafs fans have begun slowly boycotting and abandoning the team, booing at home games and most shockingly, prices of tickets have decreased by half the regular price! That is the first time this has ever happened, and as a huge Leafs fans I have to say: ABOUT TIME! We have to do something that MLSE, Burke and Wilson finally get the message as we are once again experiencing the same old story in Leafs Nation. In this case it has been all talk and do a little to make it seem like were getting better but we somehow keep losing!

I haven’t given up yet; I will continue watching Leafs games and I will always have faith, however the Leafs are going to need a win Saturday night in Vancouver against the struggling Canucks to at least silence the critics and satisfy the fans for a few days. A road trip might just be what the Leafs need right now as they are in Anaheim Monday, Dallas Wednesday as well as Buffalo and Montreal Friday and Saturday respectively. Injured goaltender Jonas Gustavsson is expected back Monday at the earliest, however Joey MacDonald is expected to start Saturday in Vancouver. No return date is set for Vesa Toskala, not that anybody cares when the struggling goaltender returns.

In conclusion, Saturday night against the 3-5 Canucks, who lose to Edmonton last night 2-1, might be the Leafs best chance to pick up a victory and move on as they are going to need a string of a few wins on this road trip to get back on their feet by the time they get back home. My personal prediction: the Leafs bet Vancouver, Dallas and Montreal to pick up 3 out of 5 wins, which would make their record a somewhat respectable 3-6-1 going home to face the also struggling Tampa Bay Lightning. Lets keep our fingers crossed Leafs Nation and always keep the faith! Hope that we can keep fighting and that we can become victorious against those weaker than us! Go Leafs Go!

Unrequited Love...... Continued

Greg Ryan Sharp
November 5, 2009.

I completely agree with what Tim has said in his post 'Unrequited Love - The Leafs and Their Fans', however I believe there is more of the story to be told.

The management of the team - more so the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan - is definitely at fault here. However the fans themselves are not completely guilt free.

It is the fans fault that regardless of the calibre of product on the ice they still flock like herded sheep to fill the seats at the Air Canada Center. Fans are giving the franchise the right to field an inferior team because ownership knows they will still sell out home games regardless of who's actually on the ice.

Over the years Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) has slowly brain washed the fans of Toronto into believing that they actually care about winning a Stanley Cup. They even have us believe that they are doing everything possible in their power to win one.

It's no coincidence that Leafs most competitive era fell during a time when the majority owner was Steve Stavro. After Harold Ballard passed, Stavro became Chairman of the Board of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd and Governor of the Maple Leafs in October of 1991. Later that year he worked out a deal to purchase shares from Ballards estate. Molson also agreed to sell him the remainder of their stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd, which would ultimately see him become majority owner by 1994.

While majority owner, Stavro was known to be a somewhat reclusive man who didn't like being in the spotlight. Due to this fact, he chose to leave the Maple Leafs organization largely in the hands of the hockey operations staff. Shortly after taking over, during the 1992-'93 season, the Leafs experienced their first winning season in 14 years when they came within one game of the Stanley Cup finals. That was the year Gretzky scored while standing in the crease and obstructing Felix Potvins ability to stop the puck. Although because it was Gretzky that scored the goal, no penalty was called and the goal stood, however I digress. The following season, with Cliff Fletcher still at the helm, the Leafs made it to the Conference Finals again. A little later in the Stavro era, Pat Quinn was brought on board to be the head coach and general manager of the team. During his seven-year tenure the Leafs were an annual contender. Quinn brought the Leafs to the post season in six consecutive years from the 1998-'99 season through the 2003-'04 campaign. In that period of time the Maple Leafs organization had their first two 100-point seasons in franchise history, as well as two Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

During the 2003-'04 season, Steve Stavro stepped down as Chairman of what was now named MLSE in favour of Larry Tanenbaum. This was all part of a restructuring plan that also witnessed Stavro sell his majority share of MLSE to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Jim Leech, OTTP Senior Vice President of Private Equity (also known as the Teachers' Merchant Bank), had orchestrated the deal after the closure of Stavro's Knob Hill Farms grocery chain. Once the deal was completed, this left the Teachers' Union with a 66% stake in MLSE, ushering in the most recent era of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the one that we are currently a part of.

Let's be honest here, the Teachers' Union cares about one thing and one thing only, securing their pension plans. That means they're main concern - above winning a Stanley Cup - is filling the bank account with as much money as physically possible to secure their future. What this means for the team is that like any other organization, overall profit margins rule their decision-making process. Therefore the overlying problem with the Leafs brass has to do with the fact that our team isn't run by a wealthy individual who has a passion for the game, but instead run by an organization who has a passion for lining their pockets.

As fans, only we hold the key to making a difference. We need to band together and show MLSE that we're not willing to sit by and let them pillage us with no consequences. Ultimately we must refuse to buy tickets; leave the stands empty in order to show them we won't be the Hansel and Gretel of their fairy tale world.

If you believe this to be true, please join in following the Unofficial Fan Union of the Toronto Maple Leafs using the links below and show your support.

Twitter - http://twitter.com/WeWantACup
Facebook Group - http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-a-Cupcom/160022016441?ref=search&sid=506260578.2869014766..1

Unrequited Love - The Leafs and Their Fans

Tim Mackay
November 4, 2009.

The relationship between the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans is almost like Sid and Nancy. Well, maybe not Sid and Nancy, but more like Lysander and Helena if you know you’re Shakespeare. One’s love is not returned, essentially. Fans of the Leafs have had their love go unrequited for, oh, about 42 years now and you can tell their starting to get a little turned off by their love interest’s hard-to-get attitude. After reading David Feschuk and Michael Grange’s book ¬Leafs Abomination, I have to say I was impressed and intrigued as to how the two reporters addressed this infidelity. The book drew me in and I couldn’t put it down to be honest. It was well written, well-structured, well-researched and gave an updated version of the history of the Maple Leafs while tearing apart the organization in order to anatomically determine the reasons for the team’s 42-year Stanley Cup drought. However, this is not a book review, so I’ll get to the point. There was a chapter of the book called “Blame the Fans” (other chapter titles included “Blame Peddie”, “Blame John Ferguson Jr.” and “Find Hope in Brian Burke”) and I couldn’t help but realize how Feschuk and Grange’s argument was both painstakingly true and horribly false simultaneously.

This paradoxical contradiction is at the heart of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are an isolated market and as such, a unique franchise to the NHL. While other teams align success on the ice with money in their pockets, the Leafs simply don’t have to worry about that. Over the last 4 years, the Leafs have finished in 18th place, 18th place, 24th place, and 24th place in the NHL. In terms of revenue, the Leafs have finished 1st, 1st, 1st, and 1st. Without a doubt, this is fans fault...right? Wait, how can supporting your team so unflinchingly that they make more money annually than any other team, be considered a fault? Feschuk and Grange have a point when they say that it is due to the fans undying loyalty to an inferior product that has instilled a feeling of comfort and therefore indifference to success on the ice among the Leafs franchise. However, the fans should probably not be “blamed” but rather credited with the rescuing of an unsuccessful franchise. Without the financial support of “Leafs Nation”, the team likely would have folded if the market was anything similar to what teams like the Coyotes, Lightning, and Panthers have to deal with. Undoubtedly, the only reason the Leafs still exist is because of the fans. It’s obvious that the people running the team haven’t done anything to keep the team afloat as shown by their complete lack of effort in trying to bring a winning team to the city of Toronto, so the credit is placed solely on the blind faith of about 5,000,000 revered – at least in one blogger’s mind – men, women and children.

Blaming the fans for how lazy the management and players are? That just doesn’t make sense. The infidelity of the relationship between fans and franchise in Toronto is quite clearly the fault of the Leafs, and once the brass (and the media) can get past this fact, perhaps the team will finally requite the perpetual allegiance mirrored by the great people of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Waiting For Jonas

Tim Mackay
October 20, 2009.

In the interest of honesty, I will be blunt: The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing some of the worst hockey I’ve seen from the team in a long, long time. While Saturday’s game against New York was a step in the right direction, when you’re playing absolutely terrible, it’s easy to improve. As of right now, there are very few, if any, positive aspects to discuss about the Leafs. The forwards have been invisible, neither scoring nor playing with any kind of heart or intensity. The defence corps, a group that was supposed to be drastically improved this season, have been worse than last year and that’s saying a lot. Our penalty killing, a magnificent 30th overall last year, is in the exact same position except 14 percentage points lower. Ron Wilson, a coach who certainly has plenty of confidence in himself (you’d know that if you’ve ever watched his condescending pressers), has seen not one player under his watch improve over the last 2 seasons. Try and think of a player who’s value has gone up under Wilson’s tenure. If a list exists, it’s a very short one. Don’t even get me started on goaltending. We’ve all seen the movie before. It’s just a part of being a Leaf fan and most of us are used to it by now. However, Leaf fans have a way of clinging to one single ray of hope no matter how small or improbable it may seem. Right now, that ray of hope, that one single part of the team that’s keeping Leafs Nation from imploding right now, is Jonas Gustavsson.

Toronto, Ontario is collectively holding their breath for Gustavsson’s return. The one game excluding the opening night Habs matchup where the Leafs actually appeared to have a chance at winning was the only game Gustavsson started and if not for some questionable calls by the officials, we might have seen a shutout from the Swede that night. But alas! Daniel Alfredsson was awarded a penalty shot and Gutavsson injured his groin and Leafs Nation was forced to wait another few weeks for their potential saviour. Now I know the Leafs have not won a game as of yet, but isn’t this just perfect for Gustavsson? At least he’s not being left out to dry by a team working to develop chemistry. I’m almost happy that The Monster (a name he apparently hates) has been sitting in the press box this whole time as to avoid the hornet’s nest that has been the Leafs dressing room these first few weeks. Now he’s got the opportunity to come back from injury (hopefully when the team starts to pull their heads out of their you-know-whats) and win-over the hearts and minds of Leaf fans everywhere. The timing is perfect. The saviour of the 2009-2010 Leafs season is getting close to coming back, but for now Leafs Nation will have to wait for Jesus – I mean Jonas – Gustavsson.

Toskala's Three Game Audition

Michael Lindow
October 8, 2009.

With the team announcing on Thursday that rookie netminder Jonas Gustavsson was placed on the IR with a groin injury the goalie controversy in Toronto is laid to rest...for at least another week.

Ever since the Leafs went out and signed Jonas in the offseason almost all of Leafs Nation have been hoping for the struggles that haunted Vesa Toskala last season would continue. Alot of pressure for the soft spoken Finnish goaltender who is in the last year of his contract.

In a city where the media spotlights seems to either make or break a goalie, Toskala looks destined to fall by the wayside with the likes of other Leaf backstoppers Allen Bester, Jiri Crha and Andrew Raycroft; good goalies who seemed to fold under the pressure of playing in hockey's hotbed. Being the last line of defence in Toronto is easy; win and you are treated like a god, lose and you will have plenty of volunteers lined up to drive you out of the city limits. Eddie Belfour, Curtis Joseph and Felix Potvin taking us deep into the post season still hold some of our fondest Leaf memories and are cherished by most fans; whispering the name "Raycroft" is now a punishable offence within the GTA.

The turning point in a season usually happens in December or January but I believe the Leafs turning point will happen on Saturday against the defending champions the Pittsburgh Penguins. Toskala will be the games first star and with veteran AHL callup Joey MacDonald backing him up Vesa will have a week reprieve knowing that the starters role is his ....for at least three games.

Hailed as a savior when he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks at the 2007 Entry Draft, Vesa is the only one in Toronto with a smile on his face seeing Gustavsson on the IR.

Roadtrip in Review

Greg Ryan Sharp
November 3, 2009.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs getting set to take the ice back home at the Air Canada Center for the first time since October 17th, we take a look back at the five game roadtrip to see if anything has changed since their abysmal seven game start to the season.

The Leafs started out the season with a winless record of 0-6-1 managing to steal just one point of the initial fourteen available. During that time they had a -18 goal differential after being outscored 32 - 14 by opponents. Since then, while on their five game roadtrip, they have been able to secure five of a possible ten points to end the month of October. While away from home, the Leafs were able to finish with a 1-1-3 record and a respectable -1 goal differential, being outscored just 17 - 16 in the last five games.

Although I was unable to see the entirety of their five game roadtrip, I was able to see enough of each game to notice some key changes to the Toronto Maple Leafs style of play that could explain the better record as of late.

The first thing I noticed came in the third period against Vancouver on October 24th when the Leafs were down 2 - 1. With Toronto fighting to tie it up, the Leafs' defence began pinching in the offensive zone to keep the puck in deep and maintain pressure. Although this didn't result in a goal, it gave Toronto multiple scoring chances and opportunities that could very well have tied the game had Roberto Luongo not played as well as he did in that final period.

“Roberto tonight gave us a chance to win this game" said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “They played a really strong game, they had a lot of scoring chances, but our goaltender was the best player on the ice tonight.” (Yahoo! Sports Canada, Oct. 24, 2009)

This type of play shows promise, especially against a fast and skillful team like the Vancouver Canucks. It demonstrates a certain level of comfort and confidence, which means the team is getting used to playing together on the ice and finally beginning to gel after bringing in so many fresh faces.

Much like teams Ron Wilson has previously coached, the Leafs have begun playing with a much stronger forecheck. It is well known that a forceful forecheck will upset the timing of the opposing team and create turnovers. The good news is that over the course of the five game road trip, the Toronto players seemed to be buying into Ron Wilsons forechecking system. This is one of the reasons Toronto has managed to lessen their goal differential and be more competitive in the stretch ending October.

“We turned the puck over in the second period probably four or five times in neutral ice, and those are things you cannot do in a 2-1 hockey game." Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said after playing Toronto on October 26th.

With the lack of offensive weapons within the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup a strong forecheck is necessary for Toronto to create chances, and that's exactly what they did against Anaheim to help them in their 6 - 3 victory. This is another aspect of Toronto's game that has vastly improved over the past five games. Should it continue to improve, the Leafs will no doubt find themselves in the hunt for each game, if not leading.

Toronto's defensive and offensive zone play also has greatly improved during their five games away from home. The two things they are doing well at both ends of the ice are very similar in theory, crashing the net.

The most likely reason for Toronto's improvement over the last five games has to be their defensive zone play. For the first time this season Toronto's forwards have started to play defense. It has not been uncharacteristic for the Leafs to have all five players providing low puck side pressure inside their own zone. This has allowed the Leafs to collapse into the slot and around the net to clear rebounds after a shot. A goaltender can always be counted on to make the initial save, then it's up to the defence to clear the puck and allow the goalie to reset. With the Leafs executing this style of defence, they have been able to go from a -18 goal differential over their first seven games, to a -1 in their last five.

At the other end of the ice, Toronto has started getting more traffic in front of opposing goaltenders and crashing the net with more authority. This method seems to be working as they have scored 16 goals while on their five game road trip versus a lackluster 14 goals in their first seven outings.

“We played a solid game but sometimes it’s not enough,” said Kaberle, after the 3 - 2 overtime loss to Buffalo on October 30th. “We did a good job going to the net in the third. The first few games in the season we were just standing around and waiting for good plays and empty nets that weren’t there.” (Yahoo! Sports Canada, Oct. 30th, 2009)

Toronto has played their best hockey of the season while away on this road trip and Leaf fans can definitely begin looking on the brighter side of things.

With the recent return of Jonas Gustavsson and Phil Kessel joining the lineup tonight (Tuesday, Nov. 3rd), things are definitely looking up for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gustavsson has posted a respectable 90.1 SV% and a 2.96 GAA over his last four starts, and Kessel could provide the extra offense that could have pushed a couple of Toronto's four overtime losses into the wins column.

After grabbing five points in their last five games and the Toronto Maple Leafs style of play seemingly coming together, it's fair to say the ship is finally getting on course. As long as they continue to play a technically sound game using a strong forecheck and their crash the net style at both ends of the ice, Toronto should be able to begin the climb out of the basement and into the mix of mediocrity.

Release The Monster!

Tony Omran
October 5, 2009.

It has been two games into the regular season, and Leafs fans are all thinking pretty much the same thing right now. After allowing 7 goals in two games, and being pulled in the second period against the Capitals, Vesa Toskala’s time in the Leafs goaltending spotlight is over, as it is now time to release the “Monster”, Jonas Gustavsson. The timing couldn’t be any better to play Gustavsson right now, as the Leafs host the rival Ottawa Senators at the ACC in Toronto on Tuesday. Playing the lowly Sens against the evenly matched Leafs is the perfect opportunity to build his confidence and give him his first 60 minute game in the NHL. The “Monster” allowed three goals in two periods to the Washington Capitals, and the much less superior Ottawa offense should not be nearly as much of a challenge for him and the Maple Leafs defense.

As for Toskala, his terrible work ethic and lack of clutch play has Leaf fans disgusted, yet relieved at the same time, for we have been aching to see the “Monster” since training camp. Toskala should be sent to the Marlies as soon as possible, and Joey McDonald would be the perfect backup for Gustavsson for the rest of the year. Trading or demoting Vesa Toskala would give Brian Burke the cap space we need to make one or two necessary moves later in the season. Coach Ron Wilson needs to see this goaltending situation for what it truly is, and put Gustavsson in net now before it’s too late. Let’s beat the Senators Tuesday and get our first win before Toskala does any more damage.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Marlies picked up their first win of the season Monday against the Hamilton Bulldogs in Scotland. The Marlies beat Hamilton in a shootout and are off to an excellent start, with the firepower of Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson, and goaltending of Joey McDonald.

Komisarek and Beauchemin Add Key Defensive Elements

Geoff Hunter
September 23, 2009.

The Leafs biggest difference on defense this year will come from the two summer acquisitions of Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin. Komisarek adds the size and intimidation to the starting 4 the team has been in dire need of – a good fit as Tomas Kaberle’s defense partner. Beauchemin also plays a gritty game, but with a more notable amount of skill and should work fine with sophomore Luke Schenn.. That’s likely the plan for now. Whether Kaberle gets traded down the road or another defenseman steps into the picture is all part of the rebuilding game.

How much the Leafs can improve their goals against average will be the deciding factor as to whether they are playoff bound or not, and while goaltending and getting the forwards to backcheck harder will be critical - clearing the net, and battling along the boards will be just as important: areas that ‘Komi and Beau’ are most effective.

In fact it seems in the early going their physical presence is providing the team leadership qualities as well as changing the overall image of the club into a much nastier, harder team to play against. GM Brian Burke is trying to make this team look similar to his Anaheim cup team of a few years ago, and while there is no Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer here, the defense does look notably improved – the starting place to building a cup team.

Jason Allison - Second Verse Same As The First

Josh "Wolfey" Wolfe-Maxwell
August 31, 2009.

Almost every sports media outlet is reporting that Jason Allison has been granted a try-out with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In 10 NHL seasons thus far, the 34 year old centre has only racked up more than 30 goals in a season twice, although most seasons he was producing a respectable near-point-per-game. His worst seasons came in 96-97 with the Capitals (53 games, 22 pts), and 99-00 with the Bruins (37 games, 28 pts).

Statistically, that’s not bad, but these years came before the lockout, when slow, underachieving players could still have a successful NHL career.  Allison has only played one season since the lockout, and that was his only season with the buds, where in 66 games he produced 17 goals and 43 assists. Those stats remain viable in the NHL, but the post-lockout NHL has changed even more since that year, it is a place where small, speedy goal-scorers are successful, and big, slow playmakers are not. During his one season with the Leafs, the fan reception of him was awful, Leafs Nation deemed him a burden on the roster, and nothing more than a turtle on skates. Read More.....

 

Leafs Under Construction: Too Early To Judge

Geoff Hunter
October 6, 2009.

It's two games into the regular season. Vesa Toskala is no longer the starting goalie, trade rumors are flying, and Ron Wilson will be fired tonight if the team doesn't play better defensively - in the minds of some fans.

But let's get real here:
Yes the defense continues to be terrible.
Last year the focus was to improve team speed and puck possession with several young players competing for roster spots. Ron Wilson has enabled his previous teams out west to play extremely well defensively - but with the added help of top goaltending and a good defense core. Perhaps in time we will see that with the Leafs. Perhaps - it's too early to judge.

Toskala's days as the #1 goalie could be over, but Gustavsson has to prove himself first. Adjusting to the NHL is no easy chore. Suggesting he becomes the #1 with a few good games would be unwise - would giving both goalies 40 games a piece be the right move ? - it's too early to judge.

After 10 games we may get an idea of what to expect from this team, but often 20 games is the barometer. And let's not forget Phil Kessel enters the lineup in November, so hanging in there around the .500 mark until his return might be a nice idea. By that time trade rumors likely become more legitimate.

The team chemistry appears out of sync, and for good reason, there's not one forward line that's been together for more than two weeks. That will create plenty of positional miscues. Over the next 10 games things should gel in that regard at least. And finding the correct personnel to use on the top specialty team units is also work in progress.

This Toronto Maple Leafs roster is by no means set, and is still 'under construction'.

Kadri Sent Back to London as Per TSN; The Reality of Numbers

Tim Mackay
September 27, 2009.

Hockey is a game of numbers. 62 players were invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp a few weeks ago. 35 forwards, 21 defensemen, and 6 goalies. By the end of this week, there will be 12 or 13 forwards, 7 or 8 defensemen and 2 or 3 goalies depending on what combination of players Ron Wilson wants to make up his 23 man NHL roster. The reality of the situation is that there are some very tough decisions ahead of Mr. Wilson and his coaching staff. One of the casualties of this reality is Nazem Kadri who was sent back to the London Knights this morning. Kadri’s failure to crack the Leafs NHL roster is once again entirely because of the fact that hockey is a numbers game. Consider these numbers: Kadri is 19 years old, he stands 6 feet tall and tips the scales at around 170 pounds. Zdeno Chara is 6 foot 9 and weighs 260 pounds.

These numbers are part of the reason Kadri will be playing in the John Labatt Centre and not the Air Canada Centre. Despite the fact that Kadri had an above average preseason, his body type and lack of physical strength made Ron Wilson and Brian Burke’s decision to send him down a lot easier. Another number working against Kadri, and Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson and Viktor Stalberg for that matter, is that there are only 12 or 13 forward spots open. Sure they’ve all had very good preseasons (Stalberg especially), but when you look at the other forwards, it’s clear that the odds are against the frat pack. Mikhail Grabovski, Matt Stajan, Alexei Ponikarovsky,  Niklas Hagman, Jason Blake, Lee Stempniak and Phil Kessel have all earned spots based on their reputation alone. Colton Orr and Wayne Primeau have earned spots based on the fact that Wilson needs and wants both a tough guy (Orr) and a PK specialist (Primeau). Rickard Wallin has already clinched his spot based on his defensive acumen according to Coach Wilson. That’s 10 spots taken guaranteed. Perhaps one of the frat pack could knock off John Mitchell’s spot in the starting lineup but that’s unlikely. So really there’s only 1 spot for the young guys and really there’s no reason to keep them in the NHL. Playing 10 minutes a game in the NHL is not as good for a players development as playing 20 minutes a game with PP time in the AHL.

The Leafs management is thinking ahead and despite the fact that some people believe the Leafs want to win now, they can wait for Kadri, Bozak and Hanson. Stalberg has earned his spot in my opinion and I would be very surprised if he was absent on Thursday night’s home opener. For now though, the numbers are stacked up against Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson. Just ask Nazem Kadri. But don’t call his Toronto number, you’ll have better luck with the London, Ontario phonebook.