Stealing one

We're nine games into an 82-game season. How much more of this can you take?
Sure. A lot more.
Except if you're Pat Quinn. Whenever the cameras find Quinn during these pinball games, his eyes appear to be spinning, as if he can't quite believe what he's seeing.
Before everyone jumps on to the shootout bandwagon -- not going there, not me -- consider that the Leafs got credit for a win last night despite playing easily their worst game of the season in their own end. The way they've played down there, that is saying something, but those 53 shots allowed are the first clue.
Penalties? From the time the Bruins took a 4-3 third-period lead, Toronto took five, one of them a four-minute minor that spilled over three-plus minutes into the overtime.  Over that span of time -- a little over 21 minutes, more than half of them on the penalty kill -- Boston had 19 shots on Belfour. McCabe blocked three more and Kaberle and Berg each went down to deflect two Bruins attempts.
And still the Leafs survived to steal one, as Ken Campbell notes this morning:

"It seemed unfathomable that Belfour could be so brilliant at times and so brutal at others, but luckily for the Leafs, the brilliance of a 49-save effort outshone the brutality of a couple of very weak goals."

Damien Cox looks at this Leafs team and is reminded of "the zany 1989-90 crew under Doug Carpenter that scored more goals (337) than any team in Leaf history."
Me, I'm reminded of covering my eyes, at least when they're defending. It's not just a matter of what you can and can't do in covering your check under the new rules, though -- simple positioning has as much to do with it.
If I'm Quinn, I'm asking for someone -- anyone -- from down on the farm who can move their feet and play some defence. It wasn't all Wade Belak's fault last night either, although his confidence appears to be draining with each night out. His partner Alex Khavanov scored his first Leafs goal, but was way out of position on two Boston goals. They were by no means the only transgressors.
So give Belfour major props, to be sure -- "One minute you're a slug and the next minute you're a hero," concluded the goalie.
So call me cranky. Before you join the two-toned blue and white chorus, though -- this postmodern NHL can be splended entertainment (agreed); the Leafs are going as far as Belfour takes them (obviously) -- ask yourself if, over 82 games, they really have a hope of grabbing W's out of these kind of nights.
No, I don't think so either.

Other Leafs stuff:
With two more points last night, Bryan McCabe is the league's co-leader in scoring.

Latest on Sundin: No surgery expected, say the Leafs.
(C.Y.)

Comments

[gaolerlad]

I read everything I could on what the leafs and other teams were doing before the season started...the good and the bad. Some of it made sense but the one thing I could never get my head around was all who said to buy out McCabe...why buy out a young defenseman with talent, the talk was about him being overpaid, well-who isnt overpaid in every professional sport, as far as I am concerned none of these athletes deserve the millions they get but I digress...I am glad McCabe is blowing everyone out of the water and I hope he can keep the pace up. Obviously some of those nay sayers arent the brightest blubs in the house all the time and maybe their overpaid?

[denial]

ohhhh hello. weeks of blogging here in body and sometimes in spirit has led to this particular blog. so much came together in last night's game that it was almost a parable (albeit one that lasted 3 hours, and the only weeping and knashing of teeth was a vicarious ohhhhhhhhhhhhh that took place with Jason Allison in the shootout).

Alright, where to begin.

Yes, it's interesting that Belfour can be brilliant and then worse than average in the same game; the same period. But this is the mystery that is Ed Belfour. Let me preface this by saying that I'm a HUGE Ed Belfour fan. I admire his entire game, and his demeanour. Whereas Patrick Roy would have railed into his (deserving) defense core for letting him down, Belfour keeps his distance; he's mentally tough and right now, it's his courage and character, not his physical body, that has him playing 2 games in 3 nights. So don't take what I'm about to say as anti-Belfour stuff. Joseph may have had more skill (overall), but he wasn't nearly as mentally tough as Belfour. Not even close (and this is why some GMs in the league won't sign Joseph at any price, including Brian Burke).

The thing about Belfour -- and I've watched him for decades, like the rest of you -- is that in any given game, he will make about 5 BRILLIANT above-average saves that should be goals. He will somehow stick out a pad or do something majestic and leave you shaking your head in awe. But, on average, at least once per game, he will let in a goal that an average goalie should stop. It's just his way. In some ways, he's actually a STRONGER goalie after he screws up (a testament to his mental toughness, as we saw last night; that 4th goal forced him into the zone and he stayed there until the last shootout shot). A weaker goalie would beat himself up; Belfour just focuses that much harder, and pulls himself out of his own holes.

But the thing is, at least ONCE per game, the Leafs should expect him to give up a bad goal. I mean a goal that an average 15th ranked goalie in this league would save. It's just how he plays.

The lesson here? The Leafs as a team should understand that this is how Belfour is. He will make 35 saves, 5 of them of the highlight variety, and then TANK on one of them -- either give out an insane rebound on a backhand from the high slot, or just mess up on an angle that even table hockey goalies would have stopped simply by using the laws of physics. So the Leafs, as a team, have to simply expect this; they shouldn't be phased by it. They should actually exploit it.

If Eddy's bad goals cause Leafs to start looking at each other, looking at the ice, or getting mad and freaking out, then they just aren't dealing with this. The Leafs (I can't believe I'm going to type this, maybe I won't) have to play like the Grant Fuhr Oilers in the 80s. Fuhr used to let in insane goals in the same games that he played like an All Star. The oilers didn't even bat an eye. They just went out and 3 or 4 shifts later, took back the momentum. That's how they played. The leafs have to play the same way.

Okay, now next thingy. New rules. We have to see that the leafs 4th goal was scored ENTIRELY because of the new rules. 2 years ago, PONIKAROVSKY (I had to cut and paste that, so that's why its in capitals) is wearing the crossbar after Stajan's shot in the 3rd. But now, the checking defenseman can't (or won't) haul him down and kill him in the crease. So he has his hands free, is erect (now now) and can get a shot away. This is totally new NHL rules.

Is that good? I don't know.

Here's what I think based on my Pierre McGuire drill too deep analysis of the first 10 games or so. Teams that seem to be winning (either by scoring 7 goals a game or 3) seem to be able to get out of their defensive zone by doing two things in order:

1. deking out an opposing forward
2. making at LEAST a 20 foot pass to spring a forward in full (or near to full) stride.

When this doesn't happen, teams get hemmed in. It also gives the opposing team a lot of confidence that they shouldn't have. We saw this on Saturday against Philly. Yes Forsberg is inhumanly strong and impossible to check off the puck, but the entire Philly team was setting up camp in the Leafs zone. They never worried that any LEaf player would do those 2 things up there (in order).

When the leafs DO that, they do surprisingly well. And Kaberle and McCabe can do it better than most defenseman in the league. But the other leaf players, including their forwards (especially oven mitt wearers like Domi) have immense trouble moving the puck THEMSELVES out of their zone. And that's what has to happen. In the "old NHL", you just dumped the puck out and then hoped for something to happen in the neutral zone. Now, defensive players HAVE to be able to deke out that first guy -- the cross ice pass in the defensive zone is not going to work (because nobody is being mauled and sticks are everywhere). And flipping it out is pointless, too, because it just give the other team a chance to come back in.

If the Leafs, as team, can focus on doing just those 2things, then they will be in such better shape. Those 2 things, as simple as they seem, are the keys to getting out of the defensive zone and going on offense. That's all it takes. The stickhandling ability to get past that first guy, and then the passing ability to spring 2 forwards on the rush (with a 3rd on the way). That's it.

When the Leafs do this, they are among the most successful teams out there. When they don't, they look like they're on the weak side of a keepaway shinny game with a team from a higher division.

And lastly: the Leafs need someone who can win faceoffs at least 50% of the time. My God.

[Tim G]

Denial..
I agree with you on everything you just said. Belfour to me is one of the better tenders in the NHL because of his mental toughness..with the new goalie equipment, blooper reel goals are a little more common. And like you said, alot of goalies can't rebound like that...

As far as the breakout bit. I think puck control is more important in the new NHL, I just watched some of the oilers game..and they had a horriable powerplay.because they were trying to dump the puck in and chase it..but they can't tie up the defense in the corners like they used too..so they can't get that puck control like that anymore.. Just another example of skating, puck control and passing are more important in the 'new' NHL

[Gary]

The first game I saw all season due to an overseas trip was the Leafs/Bruins game on Tuesday. It was amazingly entertaining and I agree with the bloggers, when Eddie had the brain cramp handling the puck he bore down and played as a top 3 goalie after that, and stole the game for the Leafs. Even if they lose tonight, they will be 5-3-2 in their first 10 games, without their best player in Sundin and yeah their worst player in Antropov. Not bad at all. It works out to a another 96+ point season. I think they will only get better and all the media genius types who had them finishing out of the playoffs are looking deservedly dull right now. These same geniuses had Pittsburgh in the playoffs with Rick Jackman as their number 2 defenseman. Right, and Angelina Jolie is trying to find my phone number.