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.
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.
posted by LEAFER at
4:53 PM
2 Comments:
Slump...It's not just a slump anymore. It's a problem. However this problem is NOT the same old song and dance. First lets state the obvious, besides the fact that 80% of the Leafs cap has been spent on Defense...a weak defense at that(besides Kaberle), this has ultimatley led to there being no bonafied stud winger on the Leafs. When John Ferguson Jr. first took over the job as Leafs GM, he did absolutley nothing at the trade deadline in his first year in office. When questioned about the move JFJ, simply stated that there were much better and younger players that would be available via free agency the following year and even the year after (which was the past offseason). Call me crazy but it seems as though the Leafs still have not signed these players that JFJ spoke so highly about. They could have easily courted someone as talented as Brad Richards and as Leaf fans kept waiting and waiting for big signing it did not come. Where are you gonna go in this new NHL without the presence of a dominant winger that can play with your #1 C, Mats. Sure you can argue that the tools are there Antropov plays well with Mats, so does Poni, and perhaps the Leafs most promising tool Wellwood, but there is still no bonafied stud to play with Mats and without that the Leafs will not succeed. Now this brings me to my next point, a point that might turn some heads.
Now that the same song has been sung and the same dance has been danced it is time to question why the Leafs have not even made it to a Stanley Cup Final in the last twenty plus years. And without picking apart this team or Paul I am putting the onus directly on the shoulders of MLSE. THATS RIGHT YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST. It is absolutly ridiculous that the pinstripe suit wearers are running not only 1 but 2 major sports teams. Both the Leafs and Raps have been driven into the ground by this evil corporation. They don't care. They don't even care that true fans aren't even filling the seats. All they care about is the fact suits are filling the rinks, they want business deals to occur within their building, why you ask, well thats easy, the more business generated in their office (ie ACC) the more business that is generated for MLSE. And don't even get me started on the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. Please MLSE it is time to give teh Leafs back to their proper owners, the fans. You have consistently made this team and the Raptors worse every year since taking over ownership and I am sick of it. This is not a platform for business it is the world of sport and the fact that I can;t even get a decent seat to cheer my team on in their home arena because some jabroni has to "take his clients" out and butter them up is absolutly ridiculous. For example, during the last Leaf game I attended which coincedently happens to be the last game the team won, I moved up into the Gold seats to get a better view, and when a crowd of people showed up to reclaim their seats I was told that the reason I didn;t see them was becasue they were not there for the second period. WAKE UP PEOPLE, THIS IS A HOCKEY GAME. If you want to wine and dine your clients take them to the Medieval Times dinner.
In conclusion, to MLSE, the Teachers pension plan and all upper management associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs, you have no clue when it comes to running a professional sports organization, and even when you try to do the right thing by hiring a new GM, your not, you hired the wrong person, just like your wrong when it comes to every thing Leafs.
GIVE THE FANS THEIR LEAFS BACK PLEASE.
By
Kabs, at 7:45 AM
Kabs ---
When I was finally able to purchase leaf tickets -- the only seats avalible to me were in the "OBSTRUCTED VIEW" section ??!!??!
I was in shock that the world capital of hockey, had its NHL team in an arena with seats that half the ice was blocked --- half price means half ice
blocked by none other then the suits and cash of the the private boxes
what choice did I have - pay one of the millions of scalpers out on the street --- how the fcuk do this chumps get access to these tickets anyway
I hear ya loud and clear KABS you got passion for the blue and white --- this is clear --- and for that i will in due time adress this managment situation ----
By
LEAFER, at 4:31 PM
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