Clueless III

Another day, another shootout.
The Leafs don’t do shootouts too well, do they? Last night it was Ottawa, and Hasek. Last week it was Ottawa, and Hasek. As Damien Cox notes, there seems to be a pattern there, somewhere.
Actually, the Leafs don’t do a number of things too well. As they say in the doctoring game, the shootouts are the symptom, not the cause.
With the Flyers coming in tonight, less than 24 hours after Toronto loses another game of three-shot roulette to the Senators, the possibility probability looms that they’ll end their first week of this new NHL with an oh-fer record.
This isn’t hockey. It’s Clueless III:

“I’ve got Spezza and Schaeffer right on me in the crease. If I get a stick on one of them, I get a penalty. If I don’t, one of them pokes it in. I lose either way.”

That was Bryan McCabe. Then there was Pat Quinn on the Sens’ fifth goal, the one that negated a nice Leafs comeback in the third period, the one that set up the shootout, the one where no one on the ice appeared the least interested in defending. This isn’t hockey. It’s flute lessons:

“There’s two guys with their fingers in the wrong spots and you can’t play hockey with your fingers in the wrong spots.”

The question this morning is just who is going to grab the baton and lead them out of this mess.
Is it Quinn, who, in the apt description of Joe Bowen, is beginning to look like the Bayonne Bleeder? (Harry Neale was calling for the coach to wear a visor last night, but c’mon Harry, you know what Pat would say – “It’s just not for me.”)
Is it Jason Allison, along with Kyle Wellwood the only creative forwards the Leafs have? (and I hate to echo the un-echoable Don Cherry, but how did they ever send Wellwood down? He can’t backcheck, but how do they ever send him down again?)  The problem for Allison, who seemed mostly lost last night, is that he has been a purely solo act so far. His wingers aren’t going to space, and he’s hanging on to the puck too long.
Is it Tomas Kaberle, to these eyes the Leafs’ best player thus far? Is it McCabe, like Kaberle logging 30+ minutes a night? Aki Berg and Wade Belak, separated last night after that horrid Saturday night against Montreal, appear not ready for prime time in this new NHL – but along with the Leafs’ overall defensive woes, this is hardly a surprise to anyone who watched them during the preseason.
Is it Lindros? Belfour? Maybe even Chara, or Redden, if you're really thinking ahead?
It was encouraging last night to see Darcy Tucker finally show up, although he should have had two or three goals instead of just one. As for Czerkawski and Ponikarovsky, where are they?
Bad as it is for the Leafs, this more wide-open brand of hockey is proving a welcome departure for anyone watching -- curiously, last night at the Corel Centre was almost 1,000 short of a sellout -- and it fits for up and comers like Steen and Stajan (and Wellwood, if they stay with him). It’s fast, and up and down. It’s got some ebb and flow, and it’s manageable in terms of time. The full flowering of a player like Jason Spezza, with his Olympic dreams, is a great thing to watch.
The 2 ½-hour NHL game is wonderful, too. Shootout (and Leafs) not included, that is. -- C.Y.

---

To the links, where we'll set up tonight's (first win?) tilt with the Flyers. Another arch rival in tha house. Must say, this unbalanced schedule doesn't lend for many nights off. Or maybe it's the Killer B's that's leaving me with the sweaty forehead?

"To me, the rivalry is the jersey, more so than who is in the jerseys," Flyers centre Keith Primeau tells the Philadelphia Inquirer. "That always makes for exciting games between the two clubs. They have enough guys there to remember from the last couple of playoffs, and we have enough guys here aware, as well."

"I've played in a lot of playoff series and I've played in a lot of playoff games that were a lot of fun, but the last 2 years we've faced Toronto and nothing has taken more out of me than the series that we've played against them," Primeau tells the Philadelphia Daily News.

The view from Philly also comes with a healthy dose of Eric Lindros. They know how good he can be over in Flyers camp. The former Flyers MVP and Legion of Doomer has been one of Toronto's best players so far (he's my pick - above, Chris points out Kaberle, discuss). He'll have to keep it up for the Leafs to climb out of their 'funk'.

We'll leave you today with ... you: Some observations this morning from visitors to this space:

Criticism and kudos from regular scribe FlamFlim:

Leafs who need to pick it up: Mariusz Czerkawski (who? where? when? what?!), Darcy Tucker, Jason Allison, oh hell .. everybody! Kudos for big efforts to Lindros, Belfour, McCabe, Kaberle, Wellwood, Khavanov (love that guy), Wilm, and Kilger.

And a call for calm from Colin Bolger:

STOP SLAGGING DOMI AND BELAK!! Domi scored 15 goals in limited duty a couple years ago! He led them in the playoffs that year until his bone-head move on Neidermeyer! But Quinn continues to use him mostly as a fourth liner and a goon, even though he looks great with Lindros and he looked good on the power play last night! ... I would rather have Domi and Belak out there working their hearts out than have floaters like Antropov, Ponikerovski, Czerkawski or Berg...

We had to look it up, but Domi did score 15 goals in 2002-03. He's got two in three games so far this year, putting him on pace for 54. Hopefully we won't have to count on him for that many. (SW)

Comments

[FlamFlim]

I should start betting on ProLine. Ottawa is too hot for Toronto to handle given the Leafs' coaching staff (and blue line).

If Bryan McCabe is harping about feeling helpless on the ice, then the Teachers Fund Maple Leafs are in greater trouble than previously imagined. McCabe has been one of the best d-men in blue & white in the first three games.

That he expresses an inability to deal with the opposition is only further indication that Leafs coach Pat Quinn is out of his element. Read between the lines.

Glenn Healey knows what I'm talkin' about. His criticism of his former team on TSN last night was poignant and it wasn't steeped in machoistic xenophobia a la Don Cherry, but that's another issue altogether.

As for tonight's tilt versus Philadelphia, I certainly hope Jeff O'Neill is back because The Big E can't carry this team alone (try as he might). And you just know Lindros has a bull's eye painted on him by the Flyers' GM Bob "I don't give a sh*t about Toronto" Clarke -- the great Canadian hero(TM)?

I suspect Hardy Astrom, er excuse me ... Mikael Tellqvist will be in goal for Toronto tonight. That should be fun. Poor ol' Eddie Belfour deserves a break. And we wonder why Belfour always appears as though he's just come off a four-day bender. J'ai digress.

Leafs who should be excused from the pro ranks: Belak, Berg, Antropov, and Ponicharovsky (or whatever).

Leafs who need to pick it up: Mariusz Czerkawski (who? where? when? what?!), Darcy Tucker, Jason Allison, oh hell .. everybody!

Kudos for big efforts to Lindros, Belfour, McCabe, Kaberle, Wellwood, Khavanov (love that guy), Wilm, and Kilger.

[Colin Bolger]

Hey!

People! STOP SLAGGING DOMI AND BELAK!!

Remember, Domi scored 15 goals in limited duty a couple years ago! He led them in the playoffs that year until his bone-head move on Neidermeyer! But Quinn continues to use him mostly as a fourth liner and a goon, even though he looks great with Lindros and he looked good on the power play last night!

Belak IS A DEFENCEMAN! He was drafted #1 as... a... defenceman! Quinn has used him only as a goon and played him ON THE WING. So, you expect him to be Scott Stevens all of a sudden? AND it was Berg that was out of position all night against Montreal - something he's always done.

Both these players are as good as they're used by their coaches (if you can call Rick Ley a coach).

I would rather have Domi and Belak out there working their hearts out than have floaters like Antropov, Ponikerovski, Czerkawski or Berg (or past, underachieving Quinn floaters like Hogland, Reichel, Kristich, Erikson, Svehla...) that take ice time away from players who actually care!

If you want to complain about how these guys play then complain about the coaches.

Colin

[Ken]

It wasn't really the shootout's fault, although the ending was not as heart breaking. The Leaf's had several bad bounces and the puck visited post behind Hasek on several occasions, but they also caught some breaks. Ditto for the Sens. If you include the three shootout goals, Kilger's breakaway and the three from last week that's eight in a row. We're bound to score one soon. McCabe's play is looking scary at times, probably because of his shaky confidence. Fortunately had a goal to help it out a bit. I think he plays better with a veteran. All in all a good game, too early to hit the panic button. We made mistakes, but so did Ottawa and they are a team with higher expectations. We'll make the playoffs!

[dom de luca]

I hated the idea of a shootout before the season started and I hate it even more now that the Leafs have proven themselves totally inept at it. It is a fraud - a completely artificial way to decide a game. I, personally, have no problem with a hard fought game ending in a tie - that makes sense and respects the integrity of a hard fought game. Even the NHL, themselves, are not completely sold on it. Proof of this is that it will not be used in the playoffs. If you have enough confidence in this "system" to have it decide where teams finish in the regular season standings (which determines who a team will play in the playoffs or if they'll make it to the playoffs at all) then why does that confidence disappear once the knockout round starts? Oh, right, I forgot. It has nothing to do with logic and everything to do with a concession to the casual fan. The Fox blue circle around the puck made more sense!

[gaolerlad]

I was feeling actually, believe it or not, embarrassed...I felt bad for the players, they just didnt know what to do on most plays. They just seemed to be one step behind, yes they got back into the game and showed heart(remember however, they got back into the game not by out playing Ottawa but by Ottawa getting sloppy). But so far in the early season they just seem to be not good enough. I will watch every game this year but I suspect this will be a long season for the leaf fan.

[mm]

As a city of rabid hockey fans we should take a step back and ask ourselves this question: If the shoot out were not a rule would we all be so upset right now? Sure, we would still be winless but the reality is we lost two very close games after the final buzzer. Welcome to the new NHL they say. If the Leafs would have won those two shootouts all those same 'fans' would be planning the parade route and calling the shootout the best thing since the intorduction of curved blades.

Personally I was really impressed that we came back last night. After we were two goals down entering the 3rd it was a real tough call with the NYY and the Angels only 8 channels south. Last season that would have been it...but now...I love it!

What is obvious is we do not have enough players that can dance with the puck. Allison is trying to but keeps coming up short as his wingers are lost with him on the ice. The Polish Prince? This style of game was made for him...where are you? The youth Movement? Love it...The best thing the management has done in years. (And to you Mr. Cherry - Wellwood is not a better player than Steen right now. Get off of your Euro hating trip and wake up. Your style of hockey is quickly becoming a thing of the past.)

Speaking of which, I will completely contradict myself and ask was anyone else hoping Eric would drop them last night and go at it in that one scrum? And McCabe and Spezza...not a heavy weight bout by any stretch but a fun one none the less!

I hate the Sens but have to admit that as soon as they signed Heatly this year I had this @^#$ feeling drop right out of my gut. That line will be the top line this year by far.

Final thought: For every reverence to Chara's size that both Harry and Joe make on air, they have to donate $1 to Sick kids.
We get it guys. He is big. Really big. but enough already of the "its like trying to get it over a mountain" or "it is only three strides for him to get to centre". We get it already now shut up about it!

[Wayne Frazer]

Patience, people, patience! The Leafs lost twice in shootouts to arguably the best team in the East and we're losing our minds? Hey, we got a point in each of those contests! It's not like we've been skunked, and as the Leafs figure out who goes where and when (note to the D -- we like camaraderie, but please try to stay more than an arm's length away from one another on the ice, thank you), we'll be more than competitive. It could be even worse for you, trust me -- I'm wearing a Blues jersey while I write this.

Having said that, this group reminds me more and more of a Don Knotts/Tim Conway movie -- "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight," anyone? I was so shocked at Antropov actually putting one on net last night I dropped my turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwich.

The shootouts are frustrating, I admit. All Jason Allison needs is a constantly blinking left-turn signal. Despite failing to see what's so wrong with a tie, I don't mind them. It's high drama and all it does it give the winner an extra point, so what's the harm? The NHL should take Don Cherry's advice, though, and dispense with the Zamboni between OT and the shootout. The downtime kills the mood.

[denial]

mm has it down cold -- if the leafs had won those 2 shootouts against ottawa, the commentary would be radically different.

The bigger issue here -- the only one, really -- can be understood by simply looking at what Jason Spezza said last night, and what a Leaf (any Leaf) almost certainly would have said if the Leafs had won.

Spezza, confidently and like the professional superstar that he is destined to be in this league, said to a reporter after yesterday's game that "that isn't how we want to win games. We want to win them in regulation".

So what? So what is this: the Sens expect to win when they play. They SCARE other teams when they play. And Spezza's little comment articulated that perfectly. The whole mindset of this team is now: we expect to win. When we don't win, it's because we didn't do what we were supposed to do. This is what was missing from the Senators for far too long, but it's there now. The Senators are a scary team on the ice, and you can see the expectation in how they present themselves. It's really beyond confidence; confidence is a kind of mental vomit that you project in front of you, and it can evaporate. But the sens have expectation and entitlement, because when they practice, they look at each other and go: holy moly, we're GOOD.

And if the Leafs had won? Pick a Leaf, any Leaf, and here's what you'd hear:

"It was an important win for us, we really needed those 2 points. That comeback was a big confidence booster. We didn't play well for the first 2 periods but we showed some character in the 3rd".

This is the sentiment of a team that DOES NOT EXPECT TO WIN. When the Leafs win, it will be because of luck, or because Belfour stood on his head. Nobody on the team realy expects to win, and this is a bg problem.

The shootout, however, remains stupid.

Best idea for the overtime:

4 on 4 for 3 minutes. 3 on 3 for 2 minutes. If no team can score 3 on 3, then the goalies deserve NOT to lose because it means that they were both in the zone, and each team should get a point.

Tell me: what would you rather see, especially on TV? Allison driving in at 4mph towards Hasek, or 3 on 3 hockey for up to 3 minutes? Even the yahoos in hotlanta and elsewhere would love that, you'd have more shots in the overtime than in the 1st period if nobody won.

THe "no lead is safe" bliss of the first few days of the NHL is not actually reality. The goaltending SUCKS right now because the goalies are really freaked out all of the time. Those 7-6 games aren't because of amazing skill, it's because wrist shots from the top of the circle are squeezing through goalies that look like they should be at the midget level. The NHL shouldn't take credit for opening up the game, all they've done is make the goalies look awful.

Did the NHL realize that every scoring record in the 'new' NHL should have an astericks beside it? Can you imagine Gretzky without a red line? He'd still be playing.

Speaking of sad things: JP Losman. When the camera zooms in on him, don't you hear Fred Savage saying "and there I was, starting into the huddle, as my teammates looked back at me and waited for the call. And even though it was 3rd and 10 and we needed two majors to tie the game, all I could think of was Winnie, and what a rotten jerk I was to her after the strawberry festival".

[Chris Corrigan]

Colin...cmon, Belak has never been anything to write home about and in the past three games he has been a liability. I don't care what he was drafted for, he's never proved to me that he can play at anything like the level he needs to be to be an NHL starter.

I like Lindros and Kaberle in the early going and Wellwood too.

As for what ails us, I hate to say that I agree with Cox but the Leafs shouldn't be getting anywhere near the need for a shootout. Blown leads are killing us.

And here's the elephant under the table: Belfour. Step it up Eddie. You need to be as good as you were in the first period in the opener. The new rules have not made all goalies look bad...Hasek looks great as does Brodeur. It is only exposing the frauds, and I don't believe Eddie is one of those, but he's not making the case any easier.

[cy]

Couple things here -- Was it just me, Wayne, or did they go straight to the shootout last night? I didn't see any Zambonis on the ice, but perhaps i was just so absorbed in switching to the life-affirming sight of Yankee pinstripes disappearing in the night I lost track. (and do you ever notice that they never give you those riveting shots of the owner in the private box when they're losing? Where was Boss Steinbrenner when you wanted to see him?)
Oh, and denial. Welcome back. We missed ya.

[denial]

thanks cy, just popping back for a quick hit of your blog and then back to work. though i have tons of fun in here, it doesn't keep me in count chocula they way that it ideally should.

the reason i'm here again is cause i wanna throw out an open question to qualified leaf fans (i.e. massochists). It's a short question: WHAT DO YOU DO?

Look, I'm not pressing the panic button because it's actually BROKEN; it broke when the leafs traded McAuley for Grampa Nolan. Nor am I suggesting that the leafs will end up with 50 points this year. But I think it's fair to say that when the coach is on the record as noting that "the team has to go and work on the fundamentals", then something is WRONG.

So leaf fans and those who hate them: you're Pat Quinn. Forget JFJ, he's demonstrated his impotence already and is probably in therapy right now. So you're Pat Quinn and this is your team. You have Nik Antropov getting beaten to every puck in sight, and rat boy Tucker starting his old tricks again. Eric Lindros showed up for 3 shifts in the opener and people started saying that he's "back". Your goalie has the biggest heart in the entire league, but the worst back and his equipment is too small. In addition to an extra stick guy on the bench, you now have an extra walker guy. Players aren't shooting up andro, they're getting groovy on geritol and metamucil.

So what do you do? What systems do you build that will make the best use of what you've got?

Looking forward to any answers. like i said, leaf fans are the most intelligent in the leauge. what to do?

[Jlo]

What do you do? Play the kids on defence. Where is Bill Spunska when you need him? Berg was better, but not good enough. Trade him and Belak for draft picks, doesn't matter what round. Clarke Wilm and Chad Kilger are doing a better job than the Polish Prince, but you've got to give him one more chance. He's looking more and more like Jonus Hogland out there though. Give Eddie Belfour until Christmas to figure himself out, while giving Tellqvist as many games as you can without embarrassing Eddie. Next time there is a shootout: Alexander Steen. It's not all that bad really. Four games in, the team is 1-1-0-2; it's hardly crisis time. I agree with the "expect to win" sentiment though. "Defeat does not rest lightly on their shoulders." Someone's equipment must be obscuring that part of the dressing room wall.