Good Break

Peca's broken leg is good news considering there is not serious ligament of structural knee or leg damage, he is expected to make a full recovery, when is the only question that remains.

Just before I was about to put up a post explaining how important Peca is to this team, Crack, his season is done, and maybe the Leafs are too. Peca is an irreplaceable force on this roster. Although his point production was not great, Peca was easily the best pure “hockey player” this organization has seen at center since the likes of Gilmour. He had the grit, the will and determination, outstanding hand eye coordination, and most importantly the hockey smarts to enable him to be put against a top scoring line. Peca used all these tools on the ice, utilizing his reputation when trying to pass on this philosophy to his teammates, his presences verbally seemed just as, or maybe more important then his physical presence at this stage in his career. A veteran leader on a young team is extremely valuable, let us hope Peca stays close to this team even during injury, so if in-fact he does come back, his message will be carried out throughout the year.

GM JFJ has some work to do, this injury puts the Leafs in a position to place Peca’s 2.5 million on the shelf and replace it with another salary. Before this occurs, there is the option of returning Nik Antropov to center. I say this even before returning Wellwood to center because of the gaping hole we have at a defensive center position. Earlier on in Antropov’s career, he was known for his defensive abilities in shutting down the top centers on opposing teams. The Keith Primeau example is probably the best, during a playoff series with Philadelphia; Primeau was playing his best hockey while embarrassing Sundin on draws and play, this continued throughout the series until Quinn matched Antropov against him. Antropov’s tools enable him to successfully shut Primeau down; the only downside is it takes away from his point production. Due to the fact this team needs goals, I’m sure this defensive role will be left in the hands of Stajan, and if he can not handle this role, it may be time for Stajan to go.

Ian White, leads, or is among the top 3 rookies in ice time. Why? Ian White continues to be the 4th man on the PP. Why? Ian White is the 5th option for PK. Why? With a team that struggles defensively, why is it that the Leafs are using this time to try and break this kid into the league over Bell. It has to do with maturity, demeanor, or some other capabilities because all I can judge is how they look on the ice, and by far Bell is the better fit for this team. Between Bell and White there is a slight difference on the ice, I can say that White does push up more, but Bell is far more talented to do so himself. Skating, stick handling, and passing are Bell’s strong points and have been throughout his career, these are the tools missing when White is paired with Gill and are the root cause to the problems that this combo have faced.
Colaiacovo’s return should also mean his return to the PP and PK. It is game 6 into his return and this should mean more minuets and increased responsibility. Not only are they sticking with White, but they are rewarding him when I feel we should return him (while we still can safely) to the minions and go with Bell and Belak on D.

5 on 5
Kubina Kaberle
Colaiacovo McCabe
Bell Gill

Kubina Kaberle
Colaiacovo Gill
Bell Belak
(with McCabe at W)


In the spirit of questioning the coaching, I still wonder while Maurice feels inclined to break up chemistry when he does not need to alter pairings. The first example I will use is breaking up the Antropov/Wellwood/Ponikarovsky line with the return of Sundin. This was the beginning of the 7 game loosing streak, and while I do not disagree with returning Sundin to action as soon as possible, why not find a new line for Sundin to create on his own, seeing as how he is more then capable of doing so. Maurice did this again last week putting Sundin with O’Neill and Battaglia, when both 92 and 33 were playing so well with John Pohl. Suglobov, in both cases should have found his way next to Sundin, the Leafs need this guy to get settled into the NHL.

Lastly, before I conclude my Christmas post, Saturday night was one of those nights as Sundin scored back to back goals 14 seconds apart. The Leafs came up short due to the fact the only other forward to match his intensity was Suglobov, and no they never saw the ice together, a move that would give the opposing team fits defensively, making it seemingly impossible to contain both at the same time.

man i may be drunk
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Leafs in Chicago ?

On the cusp of a 7-3 drubbing to Florida, a team the standings consider to be weak, it will be interesting to say the least, as to how this Toronto Maple Leaf team will respond tonight in the windy city.

Toronto at Chicago, how frequently these two teams met during the days of the Norris Division, today will be the first meeting in 3 years, and yet I still get chills when thinking of the Leafs at the Old Chicago Stadium. Without reminiscing too much, that was one dam horn I never wanted to hear.

The same holds true for tonight, the Leafs do not want to hear that horn coming off an embarrassing defeat, Maurice has stressed the need for more defensive responsibility, something I felt was a long time coming for this coach and I will be looking forward to see how the forwards respond, especially the D, and of coarse Aubin. Practices have been as tough as ever as players are dropping during each one, most recently Poni, Wellwood and O'Neill (more on serious injuries below). It hopefully means that the intensity is high during these practices, cause as we all know, you PLAY like you PRACTICE and you PRACTICE like you PLAY.

Aubin getting the nod tonight, probably still wondering why Raycroft wasn’t pulled sooner in Florida as he was pulled during Tampa Bay a week earlier.

More importantly tonight there are a couple key injuries to the Leafs lineup. Ponikarovsky is out 3-4 weeks, while Wellwood is day to day. The Leafs have called up Ben Ondrus, which leads me to my next point. With the present state this Leaf team is in, I can not see a better fit to be called to this team then Kris Newbury. Hears a guy who loves to play in the mud, oh yes; he’s a mucker, and a good one at that. This guy skates hard, bangs, hits the corners flying and is not afraid to throw em’ with anyone. He is the closest fit to a Gary Roberts type player we have in the minors. I use the analogy very loosely with respect to Roberts; (I saw Roberts LIVE burry the tripple OT winner vs Ottawa) with that said Newbury is currently the Marlies 2nd leading scorer. He adds more punch to his game then Ondrus would, and for that reason, look for Wellwood to play tonight along with the Captain and Suglobov. I think highly of Suglobov if you see my earlier postings, this Ponikarovsky injury gives him a chance to get settled with the Leafs top unit, it will hopefully do him justice and unleash his talent to the world.


TRIVIA -
In speaking of the Norris Division.
With the NHL now looking to change its current format of 6 Divisions down to 4, who was the last team to ever win a Norris Division Championship.

Start Fast, Finish Strong

GP W L OT PTS GF GA
34 16 13 5 37 113 114

It looks as though the Maple Leafs have finally found their mantra as to how to acquire wins during the 2006/07 season, Start Fast and Finish Strong. While playing against some competitive teams this week, this Leaf squad dug deep to win 3 straight to emerge out of the ugliest point of the season to date. This 7 game loosing streak brought the Leafs and its supporters to Hell and back, as it seemed that the season was shortly coming to an end. In the past 10 games the true colours of this team and franchise were exposed, I have already touched on major issues in previous posts, some in more detail (i.e. the goaltending). Here is where the Leafs stand.

Goal (see previous post)
At this point in the season, continue to split duties until the number 1 spot is earned. Raycroft will be better off to win this battle, and if he does not, Aubin will not be ruined in his attempt.

Defense
The addition of Carlo Colaiacovo is one of great magnitude, one that is being downplayed by this organization as a result of a past possible career ending injury. This same injury which has given Colaiacovo the tools to become the exceptional player he has shown in his first three games since his return.
The player that stepped on the ice this year is far different then the one we have seen before, the difference is simply confidence and maturity. I believe the confidence came when he seen how lesser players to himself were able to step into his place, into the NHL, and play at competent and successful levels. Ian White is an example, as well as what Jay Harrison was able to do last season. These are two defensemen that were clearly rated lower then him on the depth chart in the minor leagues. His maturity is there and visible every time he touches the puck. Whether it is a simple poke check to the corner, or a poised clearance of the defensive zone, Coloiacovo seems confident and trustworthy and is doing the little things right to be a defensive force in the back. These things were glaringly obvious because I always felt that these were traits that the young defender was missing in his game. His hitting and toughness were always growing with his age; as his offensive talents of shooting and passing were always present throughout his career. Putting all these things together can only mean he is very close to becoming a complete player. Putting him next to a defensive stud that Kubina will round out to be is another positive. Baring in mind that all this three games into the season at limited minuets is easier said then done. The only thing left for Carlo is to continue this precedent with extended minuets and remain consistent throughout an entire season, if he can do that, it gives this team another superhero at D.

Forwards
I trashed Pohl in previous posts, but I was able to see his importance to this 2006/07 club during this stretch. It is clear that for now this organization has put its faith in the likes of Wellwood, Stajan and Steen when it comes to the next wave of forwards. With Wellwood looking like a perennial star as each game passes, Pohl gives this team a smart speedy centermen who is capable of playing a somewhat similar game desired by both Stajan and Steen. Pohl is definitely smart enough, and very quick to be able to be plugged in to steal minuets away form these two young kids, notwithstanding to a lesser skill and strength degree, and with much less upside. His ability to be plugged in as a 2nd or 3rd line center works much similar to the way I felt competition will bring out the best of the goaltender situation, in this case if Stajan and Steen are forced to compete for ice time, put on the 4th line, and are put in a situation where they see a lesser player is excelling where they should be, it will in turn produce better play out of these two kids, that or they will be exposed and the future tag will be removed as a result. John Pohl is the inexpensive key that lets us do this without much risk, and without much movement to the roster if in-fact these two are who the Leafs want them to be. Maybe, just maybe through all of this Pohl will carve a niche in this club, he does need to get stronger on the puck, without that, the only niche he’ll find is the pressbox.

As for Goal

J.S. Aubin found his way onto the Leafs starting roster during the end of the 2005 season. He moved from number 3 in the depth chart to an instrumental role in the final games of the season.

GP W L OTP GAA SVP
11 9 0 1 2.22 0.924

The record speaks for itself, Aubin, the incumbent, should have earned himself the number one status at the beginning of the 2006 season. The chemistry that was created during the final moments of the 2005 season should have definitely been built on considering that the core including many youngsters remain on this roster today. It was, and should have been his role to lose.

A decision, where no number one goalie is named was not taken. The number 1 job was automatically awarded to Raycroft at the start of the pre-season. What has Raycroft done to earn that title for the Leafs. The bigger contract, sure, there is proven potential for great numbers throughout a season, however, I don’t feel he has shown the consistent high caliber play throughout his career to award him that title before he even stepped on the ice for the blue and white. Here is a guy coming off a terrible season, after coming off a successful rookie season wayyyyy back in 2003. He has something to prove, by not making him work for it, I believe gives him a sense of security, in that he feels he is better then he actually is as of yet.

This must have created an unease in the room, ice time has to be earned by all players, while tinkering with chemistry does not and is not translating well onto the ice. Belak was giving great defensive minuets at the end of last season, yet he never saw a minuet of defense in the pre-season. Without putting all the blame on Maurice, the number one status could be a decision made as a result of pressures coming from the GM. The possibility is there, because I still don’t know how John Pohl is continuing to take a roster spot this year.

As for goal, I would go with Aubin. Although he has made two similar curial errors late in games that cost the Leafs points, I feel he has been more consistent, stronger on his angles, and is more experienced to play with the group he has in front of him.

As for Raycroft, he has already shown me more then I had expected, getting off this pedestal of number one status will do him well, thus forcing him to rightful earn that position back with even stronger play and a hopefully a presence of leadership, a key ingredient to any successful goalie. For an entire game, Raycroft's intensity and focus must improve to achieve number one status.

Ill end this by saying what I was saying even before Raycroft entered the picture, have no fear, Pogge is near. If this 7 turns into a 10, he will be even closer then you think.

SLUMP

The sun still came up after loosing a must win. The leafs have been bad, unorganized, but are not far off from being a good team night in, night out. As for the player analysis, here they are;


Paul Maurice

I will reserve judgment till game 42. For now I'll list a lineup this Leafer feels would be exciting and affective.

Forwards
13 with 24, 80
42 with 23, 16
14 with 92, 33
27 with 10, 18
Defense
15, 73 (not 31)
36, 25
45, 3
Goal
30


McCabe

Clearly, I am not trying to make a player to player comparison with McCabe to both Wendel Clark and Red Kelly. Moving a player from defense to forward be not as far fetched as one would think. Wendel Clark was drafted by the Leafs as a Defenseman. While the Leafs just honored a guy they moved from defense to forward halfway through his career, Red Kelly.

McCabe upfront would be a positive move focusing on McCabe’s offensive strengths and catering to his defensive weaknesses. What this team needs is a player with a great Slap & Snap shot. McCabe has a Quick, Accurate, Booming Shot, with an ability to hit one-timers, pass and create offensively. His sandpaper edge combined with an aggressive (yet to be seen) for-check, could open holes in the corners that would enable McCabe to excel as a very powerful forward.

It could potentially fill a void that is noticeably absent from this current organization, that neither O’Neil (due to injury) nor Suglobov (due to inexperience) nor Ponikarovsky (due to consistency) have yet to grab onto. McCabe upfront for the Leafs attack will produce greater forward pairings and will make the Leafs far tougher to defend 5 on 5, which could finally produce a much need 4 line team. In this scenario Bryan McCabe will still do what he does best playing the point during a PP, making this move even more obvious.

McCabe’s defensive gaffs are clear, good teams tend to focus on them and exploit them. This move will eliminate these mistakes in crucial areas on the ice, and move that shot from the blueline to the hash marks during 5 on 5. Leaf Defense pairing will change with Kaberle and Kubina eating the minuets, Kubina could use more minutes, it will better him. Gill, Bell, Colaiacovo, White, Belak, are 5 others to fill 4 spots.


Kubina

His mobility and decision making have been very poor since his return. He could use more ice-time. He is guilty of trying to do too much too soon. Kubina must first find his defensive game before he looks to start pinching in attempts to score. Kubina must get back to that defensive pest that both he and Gill at times in their career thrived at. I feel that those attacking plays will be better suited when Kubina gets his timing and more importantly his confidence back, and to do that he must be strong defensively. A defenseman is nothing without the ability to play defense. Kaberle is the exception because of how smart he is without the puck, and how gifted he is with it.


Gill

I will never understand why Hal Gill slid over in the November 28th game vs. Boston, leaving Glen Murray wide open on a 2 on 2, in a big game for both he and for the Leafs. I feel Gill should have judged the situation better. With that said, Gill has been improving with each passing game. His mobility has not been a hindrance; it is only his play with the puck that seems to be dogging him. He has been very impressive at times in the defensive end. His role should simply be a defensive force, blocking shots and disrupting flow with a new found ability to stick check with an incredible reach. Keeping things simple have never been more obvious here, get the puck out and all is good. Gill needs to eat sleep and breathe Defense, and not worry about points, breakaway passes or stick handling. If he consistently was able to shut down the opposition, this Leafer wouldn’t mind in the least if he didn’t score a point all year.


Pohl

I do like the fact that the Leafs gave a chance to a player that lead its farm team in points and provided leadership and knowledge to a young team. It sends a message to everyone else that system that year round commitment, dedication and good play will result in good things for that player. It’s the fuel that will keep all players competing at high levels of play year round, only creating better assets for the Leafs in the future. But John, times up. He simply gets pushed off the puck and off the play far too easily in the NHL.


Stajan

Simply put, lower expectations to a third/fourth line center, and get back to playing shorthanded hockey. When Stajan digs, times his fore-check, reads and reacts to the play, slows his opponents down with positioning, he is playing at his best. These skills are highlighted on the PK when Stajan has his feat constantly moving. Stajan seems to play better in defensive pressure situations, his even-strength and power-play seems more laid back in comparison, as if he has more time too think. This inability to consistently bring a high defensive intensity in 5 on 5 and the PP is killing his game because when he is playing well defensively in both ends of the rink, he ends up scoring goals and assists.