Spin Spin -- Spin The Black Circle
The Toronto Maple Leafs are at a standstill, this team has been going in circles for the last few years and the injury bug can only be blamed for so long. With the amount of games being lost in the waning moments, one can only look to the coach for answers. When a team is unable to compete for an entire game, the finger must be pointed to the coaching staff and their decision making, this team has depth, it has talent, but it is unable to sustain it for and entire game. Paul Maurice needs to be held accountable for the mentality of this team, and more importantly for the roles and players he is using in his attempt to get back on track.
The simple fact that it took till the second period, after being down a goal, in the final game of a 7 game road trip for him to realize that loading up the top line was doing little for the team. With the home team getting the last change, it made it increasingly difficult for his top offensive players to get rolling; ultimately it produced limited offence from them and the rest of the team. Spread the wealth, especially on the road. Antropov is such an effective centermen, he has proven so in every opportunity now and in the past. Sundin and Antropov can always dbl up a shift if need be and always share powerplay time. This creates so much depth within the 4 lines, and creates an even greater problem of a strong second line. With Wellwood working through the rust of a tough injury, his time is best served for now as a 4th line center with limited minuets till he can get rolling again, and to also have him on a line that can be strategically used for instant offence and not be matched up vs a top scoring line.
It is clear that Maurice is unable to read and then adjust to a game being played. In addition to waiting too long to make alteration to lines that were obviously unproductive, he has a difficult time adjusting the game to adhere to special teams. Case and point last night, Hall Gill only sees 18min and Kubina 23min. While just last week they both logged closer to 30min. I understand that Colaiacovo came back to eat some minutes, but a drop of 5-7min for a player who was playing their best hockey is substantial, especially while a minus player in White does not see any reduction in his time. Either they can or cannot log the minutes, special teams or not, as a result confusion is created, as well as lack of trust. All this while not even mentioning Kaberle and his removal from the PK even with an injury to McCabe, although this problem was corrected in last nights game, hes not the lead D, but should be the first one counted on when the horses need a breather or are in the box.
Team defence can be questioned, but when forwards are expected to continually come back to aid the D pairings (white, woz, stralmen) it obviously speaks to the issues on the defensive end. Although, Stralmen has been showcaseing emence talent for that slot, skating, passing, and at times picking up the puck from the corner, and with heavy pressure making an end to end rush. It is important not to overload the D with thus type of D, Maurice continues to go with defenders that are more offensively talented then defensively, when a team struggles keeping the puck out of their own goal, you would have to think this is not the wisest of decisions. This teams forwards are continually being asked to make up for the lack Defence on the back end, it takes away from their offence, forecheck and overall game, thus any depth or advantage the Leafs had with their forward lines are lost due to the amount of time spent in their own zone.
Mark Bell being used as a 4th line center, playing under 8 minutes a game, has not played that position since playing it in early days in Chicago. Maurice has no problems ridiculing him for his defensive game, rather then put him in a position where he has proven this season to be more successful and have more of an impact. This is just one example of how Maurice treats each of his players differently, a move that can only create confusion and a lack of respect for each other. Ian White has never been reprimanded or even called out by his coach for numerous defensive errors. Why Bell and not White, it because of the personal relationship he chooses to have with each player. What did, what could Belak do in his 4 min of playing time to loose his roster spot in the last 3 games, no one knows, but what is clear, is that Maurice has his favourites, while it is, and should, be a coaches prerogative, the coach must also take the responsibility for it.
Sitting Wade Belak against a rough and aggressive Flyers team has to be questioned. Watching the smaller, quicker, Flyer forwards out work and out hit the Leafs last night is reason to believe enough. Relieving Belak from a game of this magnitude and style is unfathomable due to what has transpired throughout this season and last. This team has proven time and time again that without Wade on that bench, their confidence to match intensity and toughness is simply not their.
Goaltending was ruined last season by the coach, this season; Maurice continues to make the same mistakes. An overused Vesa has groin issues after a small break in the schedule, now, being forced to go with the backup, Raycroft is in no position to be confident and fit to take on the role, especially in a back to back. This left the team in a vulnerable position that both the Flyers and Isles took advantage of.
Belak, Bell, White, Raycroft, while it can be argued that these are merely bit players, and they do not have a substantial role therefore should not affect the core of this team. That said, hockey is a team sport, the culture and mentality created in that room is done through the relationship that the coach has with each and every player. How one player is treated and what responsibilities are allocated to him will rightly so affect the rest of the team and their state of mind, comfort level and focus.
The simple fact that it took till the second period, after being down a goal, in the final game of a 7 game road trip for him to realize that loading up the top line was doing little for the team. With the home team getting the last change, it made it increasingly difficult for his top offensive players to get rolling; ultimately it produced limited offence from them and the rest of the team. Spread the wealth, especially on the road. Antropov is such an effective centermen, he has proven so in every opportunity now and in the past. Sundin and Antropov can always dbl up a shift if need be and always share powerplay time. This creates so much depth within the 4 lines, and creates an even greater problem of a strong second line. With Wellwood working through the rust of a tough injury, his time is best served for now as a 4th line center with limited minuets till he can get rolling again, and to also have him on a line that can be strategically used for instant offence and not be matched up vs a top scoring line.
It is clear that Maurice is unable to read and then adjust to a game being played. In addition to waiting too long to make alteration to lines that were obviously unproductive, he has a difficult time adjusting the game to adhere to special teams. Case and point last night, Hall Gill only sees 18min and Kubina 23min. While just last week they both logged closer to 30min. I understand that Colaiacovo came back to eat some minutes, but a drop of 5-7min for a player who was playing their best hockey is substantial, especially while a minus player in White does not see any reduction in his time. Either they can or cannot log the minutes, special teams or not, as a result confusion is created, as well as lack of trust. All this while not even mentioning Kaberle and his removal from the PK even with an injury to McCabe, although this problem was corrected in last nights game, hes not the lead D, but should be the first one counted on when the horses need a breather or are in the box.
Team defence can be questioned, but when forwards are expected to continually come back to aid the D pairings (white, woz, stralmen) it obviously speaks to the issues on the defensive end. Although, Stralmen has been showcaseing emence talent for that slot, skating, passing, and at times picking up the puck from the corner, and with heavy pressure making an end to end rush. It is important not to overload the D with thus type of D, Maurice continues to go with defenders that are more offensively talented then defensively, when a team struggles keeping the puck out of their own goal, you would have to think this is not the wisest of decisions. This teams forwards are continually being asked to make up for the lack Defence on the back end, it takes away from their offence, forecheck and overall game, thus any depth or advantage the Leafs had with their forward lines are lost due to the amount of time spent in their own zone.
Mark Bell being used as a 4th line center, playing under 8 minutes a game, has not played that position since playing it in early days in Chicago. Maurice has no problems ridiculing him for his defensive game, rather then put him in a position where he has proven this season to be more successful and have more of an impact. This is just one example of how Maurice treats each of his players differently, a move that can only create confusion and a lack of respect for each other. Ian White has never been reprimanded or even called out by his coach for numerous defensive errors. Why Bell and not White, it because of the personal relationship he chooses to have with each player. What did, what could Belak do in his 4 min of playing time to loose his roster spot in the last 3 games, no one knows, but what is clear, is that Maurice has his favourites, while it is, and should, be a coaches prerogative, the coach must also take the responsibility for it.
Sitting Wade Belak against a rough and aggressive Flyers team has to be questioned. Watching the smaller, quicker, Flyer forwards out work and out hit the Leafs last night is reason to believe enough. Relieving Belak from a game of this magnitude and style is unfathomable due to what has transpired throughout this season and last. This team has proven time and time again that without Wade on that bench, their confidence to match intensity and toughness is simply not their.
Goaltending was ruined last season by the coach, this season; Maurice continues to make the same mistakes. An overused Vesa has groin issues after a small break in the schedule, now, being forced to go with the backup, Raycroft is in no position to be confident and fit to take on the role, especially in a back to back. This left the team in a vulnerable position that both the Flyers and Isles took advantage of.
Belak, Bell, White, Raycroft, while it can be argued that these are merely bit players, and they do not have a substantial role therefore should not affect the core of this team. That said, hockey is a team sport, the culture and mentality created in that room is done through the relationship that the coach has with each and every player. How one player is treated and what responsibilities are allocated to him will rightly so affect the rest of the team and their state of mind, comfort level and focus.
posted by LEAFER at
8:59 AM
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