Canada’s Debate

So the other week I wrote about the Leafs and their collective woes. Specifically I wrote about their offensive inconsistency, sloppy defense, unreliable goaltending, and staggeringly poor management. Much to my chagrin, the Leafs played a game tuesday night which demonstrated all of the team’s failings, and specifically the problems that I identified last week, in a clear and concise fashion to confirm my misgivings.

Offense: The team scored two goals and is surprised they lost… Lets consider teams that have, in the last thirty years made the playoffs averaging under 2.5 goals per game? Does anyone really think that a team with porous defense and unproven (I’m being deliberately generous) goaltending could do it? They weren’t awful on this night; Tukka Rask put in a strong performance, and both goals scored were on deflections. However, the fact remains that Sundin and Antropov are the only forwards that seem capable of producing any offense, and the brevity of the A column on the score-sheet is proof positive of the situation.

Defense: Last week I singled two defensive players: Andy Wozniewsky and Bryan McCabe. Candy played less than 10 minutes and was invisible… a function of his general ineptitude. With Kubina being out Wozniesky’s bench-warming resulted in Bryan McCabe playing an excess of 30 minutes, and sure enough a fantastically poor play on his part turned over the puck, which was in the net 3 seconds later. Specifically, while killing a penalty and nursing a one goal lead, he came out from behind the net and tried to clear the puck up the centre of the ice in traffic… something a good defenseman never does. Kind of like how they never use cross-ice passes at the blueline without looking, seeing if their man is moving, etc. You know, the stuff that Bryan did that directly cost them the game LAST tuesday. The guy sure is reliable. After two good games everyone was pleased to write about his returning confidence… He did play two good games, but I’m not sure confidence is a factor in his continuing slide into defensive misery. By all accounts the team and Bryan were feeling good about themselves coming into the game, and they had a lead, and he still made the same kind of mistake that he makes when his confidence is flagging. The fact is that his defense stinks most of the time; it’s his offense that suffers when he’s hearing it from the crowd. Unless he can learn how to play the puck like a halfway competent defenseman no amount of confidence (and the ensuing offense) will justify his continued presence on the team.

Goaltending: This one is simple. Toskala played well through two periods and then let in a soft goal late in the game, breaking a tie. There were no major defensive breakdowns and no bad calls, he just flat out missed one. For a veteran goaltender who is supposed to be the starter that is unacceptable; especially after management has made a major commitment to him…

Management: … all of which brings me to John Ferguson Jr. As has been pointed out elsewhere the game had 3 Leafs goalies present. In order of skill they were: Rask, Toskala and Raycroft. Rask outduelled Toskala, the goalie that John Ferguson Jr. traded for (giving up a first round pick and other assets while losing any remaining cap space) to replace Raycroft, who the Leafs traded Rask to aquire. Even without considering future potential or finances in evaluating the original transaction; the Leafs have traded for two goalies who are clearly inferior to the goalie they originally shipped out. If that doesn’t tell you just how poorly the team is being run, then I’ve got a sledgehammer I’d like to introduce you to.