In early October, I wrote in this blog that the Maple Leafs fans were getting too carried away with all the hype coming from some of the media, who bit on the Leafs fishy bait, hook ,line ,and sinker. All the huffing and puffing about how tough the Leafs were going to be and how they were not going to be pushed around, was only partially true. The big picture however, is that they are pushed around where it really counts and that’s on the scoreboard. During some of the pre-season Leafs telecasts, I thought the analysts were talking about the early 1960’s Leafs, with all the optimism that was being ballyhooed about each and every player acquisition. I wrote at that time, that taking exhibition hockey seriously, in terms of using it as a basis for forecasting results is an absolute crock. Let’s face it, Brian Burke’s Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup primarily because they had the two studs on the blue line, Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. Yes they had other top players as well, but you can’t win Stanley Cups without superstars, and without those two players , it is doubtful that the Ducks would have been champions.
I don’t recall a time in Leafs history when so many in the media were as convinced as some of the fans were, that the blue and white were going to scare opposing teams with their “toughness”. The results indicate that other teams can’t wait to play the Leafs . Why wouldn’t they be excited, with what the opposition have achieved so far. Goalkeeping has been problematic but it’s not like there aren’t deficiencies elsewhere. To this point in time, the defense has been over rated. Other than Tomas Kaberle, none of them are great skaters. Ian White is probably the only one who has been better than expected. The biggest waste of money and personnel thus far has been in the tough guy department. No disrespect is intended here to the players involved , who are doing what they are paid for, but let’s speak the truth. This philosophy has been a disaster so far. The enforcers are not usually great skaters, so the skilled players just move around them. That’s how Scotty Bowman handled opposing teams who put goons on the ice. Bowman would put his best players out, and they would skate circles around the enforcers, and quite often score goals. That is what’s being done to Toronto. On top of that, the pugilists sometimes take unnecessary penalties, leading to power play situations for the other team. Beyond that, is it worth spending above the N.H.L. minimum for players who are only on the ice for two minutes or slightly more per period ?
As the Leafs get set for their road trip, they have very little “wiggle” room , in terms of losing streaks or injuries. They now have to play catch up the rest of the year, with everyone in front of them. The same media folks who were hyping the Leafs off-season moves during the pre-season have been pretty quiet lately. I haven’t heard or read anything further about Toronto’s “truculence”. What needs to be looked at, is another word that starts with the same first letter, that being talent. Unfortunately, the Leafs may miss out on that in the June draft, when the Boston Bruins select with the pick that the blue and white gave up in acquiring a young and skilled player in Phil Kessel, who left Boston with questions about his ability to be a good team-mate. It makes you wonder why Toronto hired so many scouts. Without a first, second, and fourth round pick this coming June, they don’t seem to have a lot of work to do. Brian Burke may need some favors from other general managers. Will his in your face style of doing business make it difficult to get assistance from other teams, in terms of transactions ? The Maple Leafs may yet get things turned around, but it’s also possible that they could continue their on ice meltdown.