Game 47: (Insert your own cliché for trying hard but coming up short here)

Good evening, unicorns and zombies. The Lizard King walks alone in the crimson sunset.

As mentioned this morning, I am sick and currently hopped up on a possibly dangerous cocktail of meds, one that is wreaking havoc on my senses. I am seeing things. I am hearing things. I can't feel my toes.

So for your sake, I shall be brief this evening.

Let me begin by thanking you for writing your own headline. I was busy sobbing as my walls undulated like bowls of Jell-O in an earthquake. I appreciate your help.

Let me continue by telling you the picture above this post has very little to do with tonight's 4-1 loss. Okay, it has nothing to do with it. I was simply fascinated by the bunnies – why are they trying to hypnotize us? – and hope you feel the same.

What can I tell you?

It's a shame the NHL doesn't give points for noble efforts. It's a shame we all can't pile into the glowing time machine someone left in my kitchen and go back to November and December with an urgent message for the magnetic Leaf bastards: "Hey! Don't blow any easy games! Play to win each and every night! No let-downs! Otherwise, it'll be January 22 and, trust us, you'll regret all the points you frittered away like Frisbees in a hurricane."

Did the Leafs play a good game tonight? Yes. Did they deserve better? Yes. Was that an entertaining contest? Yes. Is losing still losing? Yes. Do the playoffs seem less likely with each passing day? Yes. Is there a rhinoceros on my front porch?

In a way, tonight's game was a microcosm of the frustrating parts of this entire season. When Tyler Bozak failed to score on a breakaway, it felt like all the failed or botched scoring chances since October. When Mikhail Grabovski missed the yawning cage, it was a reminder of all the lost opportunities over the first 47 games.

Alex Ovechkin picked a hell of a night to break out of his slump. But even his three goal performance did not feel like a normal hat trick. It felt like another reminder: This Leafs team is still so young, so fragile, so vulnerable to the greatness of others.

And, please, let's not get started on the scene-stealing work of 21-year-old Braden Holtby. A few hours ago, we were like, "Who?" But then the Washington goalie went out and toggled between solid and unbeatable. He stole a game. And not sure if it's the meds or churlish second-guessing but why can't I stop thinking about another young goalie who rhymes with Dames Kymer?

Hopefully, the Leafs "learned something" from tonight's spirited loss. Hopefully, they bonded in defeat. Hopefully, these games – which are starting to feel like handfuls of dirt tossed on a coffin – will fulfill a higher purpose when we are born again in the promised land.

As the leprechaun standing on my coffee table just said: "There will be more struggles. But don't worry. We'll get there yet."

TOP PHOTO: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Comments

[hoofheartz]

Two things never cease to amaze (alright there are more than two). Leafs shooters inability to hit the net from prime scoring positions and the number of no name goalies who continue to beat the Leafs.

VM Replies: Technical problems! These can be overcome. Maybe. Hopefully. Why are you up at this hour?

[palbo]

Charlie Sheen drove by your house and said he saw a rhinoceros on your front porch too.

VM Replies: Is he driving again? Time for me to stay off the sidewalks.

[KWood19]

Oh, Vinay, if only they played this hard every night. then, they couldn't always use the excuse: we ran into a hot goalie. that only happens every time they play ryan miller or tim thomas.... oh well. Bozak clearly needs to either step up or have his role reduced. the experiment on him is over, just as the experiment on john mitchell is. now the question becomes: is Goose really an NHL caliber goalie? i dont believe so. his attitude sucks, and his negativity affects the team when he plays behind them. time to give reimer the reigns again.

VM Replies: They did put forth a valiant effort. I'm not sure, though, if there was anybody who was putting forth a superhuman, we-absolutely-can't-lose-this-game effort.
It was interesting to watch Ovechkin last night. Even beyond the three goals, he was freakishly engaged during every shift. He was backchecking. He was blocking shots. He was powering through the neutral zone with the bomb-doors open, looking to obliterate anything in a blue shirt.
Aside from Clarke MacArthur, we just haven't had this kind of freakish engagement on a consistent basis from any of our leaders.

[Sensi-Bill]

Get better, soon.
You too Vinay.
Especially you.

VM Replies: Thanks, Sensi-Bill.

[Sensi-Bill]

Because I wake up and it takes a while to get back to sleep --- if I can.
.
(And it's at times like this, with little else to do, that I wonder strange things, like --- Does VM's wife know that The Chief (aka agent LemSQ) and The Prophet (aka agent A25) appear to be similarly sick, and similarly all doped up, at the same time? Could they have somehow caught whatever bug it is at the same time in the same place? Sorry. Couldn't help titillating our comrades here with my wicked speculation. At least I used impossible to decipher code names.) :-)
.
(Sure hope that brought a smile, if not an outright chuckle.)

VM Replies: You just made me laugh. The origins of my infection, however, are likely related to a lengthy conversation I had with a Home Depot sales associate. I kept asking questions about halogen light bulbs. He kept coughing violently. I didn't think to just walk away.

[Sensi-Bill]

Nitol.

[Sensi-Bill]

Recently downloaded the free Maple Leafs Mobile app for my iPad.
Just opened it for the first time and was greeted by an opening credit stating the app was:
"Powered By
POLAR
(something or other)"
Can't remember the third line and can't seem to get that opening screen back. But it was the first two lines that got me anyway, their second interpretation sinking in just as the words vanished from the screen.
First time I read "Powered by POLAR" I thought "bear" and pictured poor Carlton.
But as the words started to fade, my mind played one of it's little wee hours of the morning tricks and I read "Powered bi-polar."
And I immediately thought, "Oh my goodness. That's one way to fairly accurately sum up the Leafs season so far."
Fo those not familiar with the symptoms associated with bring bi-polar --- which used to be referred to as being manic depressive --- it's a condition of, as the name suggests, extreme opposite poles, from almost manic energy and creativity to deep, sluggish depression.
Starting to sound familiar, hockey wise?
At one end, people are just flying, trying to do all manner of things at once and in many hyper ways achieving several times what they can normally.
At the other end, they can seem numb, disengaged, barely going through the motions of living?
Still sounding familiar?
Of course being bi-polar is a terrible thing to try to live with, and a terrible thing to try and deal with for those loved ones living with a bi-polar person. Knowing some people who struggle in a sometimes sad, near-tragic way with this, I am not trying to make light of it in any way. There are meds to try and help one stay in the safer middle range, but when you're feeling down, the lure of that manic energy can almost be like an addiction.
The trouble is, of course, flying so wickedly high can't be maintained and the crash back down to the opposite pole can be devastating.
Anyway the symptoms reminded me a bit of the ups and downs, the two faces of, the Maple Leafs this year.
The third image that came to mind after "Powered By POLAR" disappeared from view was of a realistic-looking polar bear swigging from a bottle of Coke while sitting atop this massive steam train hurtling towards the North Pole.
Probably a much nicer image to be left with.

[Princess Mononoke]

The bunnies ARE weird...mostly I'm wondering why on earth would they have blond hair in bangs. But I suspect they are trying to tell you something, perhaps something about prosperity and success!!!!

But I'm no meds too, pankillers galore following gum surgery, and though my walls aren't doing the wavy gravy, I spent most of my evening wondering why Bob Cole and every other CBC commentator to this day says "Koivo" instead of "Koivu." Do they also say that "it's déjà vo all over again"?
Hubby (the Leafs fan at our house) watched the game with our eldest, who is a Caps fan (Saturday nights are very conflictual around here), and though I was too looped to really care that my Habs lost in SO, I heard much bickering from the men downstairs. Mostly I heard the disbelieving yawps and screams that usually attend an incredible missed scoring chance on a gaping net, followed by my son's ill-natured cackling. Yup, hockey brings the whole family together!

VM Replies: Sorry to hear you were also heavily medicated. Habs, Leafs and Caps fans, all living under one roof? You are a future episode of Dr. Phil just waiting to happen.

[Account Deleted]

I have never seen a leprechaun prediction come true yet.I,on the other hand,predicted a Jim Morrison reference from VM before this year was out.Who ya going to listen to?

VM Replies: You're more powerful than any leprechaun. But we already knew that.

[Tom]

I wish I couldnt feel my toes. They're all blistered and it hurts to walk.

Kind of like how the Leafs felt after that game. *zing*

[Ken Baumgartner]

Headline:

WANTED: ONE HERO TO LEAD EFFORT

[Peter]

well, as you said it is still a young team and sometimes they just can't get it done. it's still better to loose this way (if there is such a thing) than with no effort at all.
and I thought Ovechkin had a pretty average game despite the goals. this caps team is not a Cup contender, no matter how many young goalies they go through.

VM Replies: Last night in the comments, Moe was wondering if it was possible for the Caps to *miss* the playoffs. They did look beatable, which makes the final score that much more frustrating.

[Ken Baumgartner]

WANTED: LARGE BACK FOR TEAM TO JUMP ON

[Ken Baumgartner]

THE UGLIEST WIN IS BETTER THAN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOSS

[Ken Baumgartner]

TEAM GIVES 110%, NEEDED 111

[Ken Baumgartner]

SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE MY FRIEND

[Ken Baumgartner]

CLOSE IS ONLY GOOD IN HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES

[Ken Baumgartner]

TEAM ON RIGHT TRACK, WRONG DIRECTION

[Ken Baumgartner]

JUST WIN, STUPID

VM Replies: Oh, man. You are making me laugh very hard this morning.

[Ken Baumgartner]

PLAYOFF BOUND LEAFS, NEXT YEAR!

[Ken Baumgartner]

LEAFS FINISH GAME SMELLING LIKE ROSES, OUCH I PRICKED MY FINGER!

[Ken Baumgartner]

THE BISKET, THE BASKET, DUH?

[wcdixon]

Post title: "All Icing No Cake, All Sizzle No Steak"

I started to write a little songy limerick about leprechauns, unicorns, zombies, and the Leafs, but it would have been was WAY too much work for too little in return...which is how a lot of the young Buds seem to feel about game night, although last night's performance wasn't phoned in. Plus I doubt you would've been able to fully appreciate my lyrics in your groggy post-Nyquilized state.

"Hopefully, these games – which are starting to feel like handfuls of dirt tossed on a coffin – will fulfill a higher purpose when we are born again in the promised land."

But I did print off the above bit of tasty writing goodness and paste it over my computer just to inspire me to greater things...or die and be buried. It's an either/or kinda thing these days, for me AND the Leafs

VM Replies: The binary predicament! The zero-sum game of chance with destiny! The existential struggle... we are all fighting for a spot in our personal playoffs.
(Yes, I'm still medicated.)

[Ken Baumgartner]

LEAFS KEEP ON KEEPING ON, UUHH YEA

[Ken Baumgartner]

Gee Vinay, I feel better.

VM Replies: Bomber, your headline outburst just made me feel a little better as well.

[Hockey Fan, therefore by Definition Not a Leaf Fan]

Current season winning percentage: .457
Last 10 games winning percentage: .550
Required to reach 90 points, possible playoffs. balance of season:.671

Every time I see a Laff fan type the word "playoffs", I laugh.

Meanwhile, Montreal needs to play .470 hockey the rest of the way to hit 90 points, currently tracking for 99 points.

VM Replies: Oh, God. You again? Do you have some kind of Leafs Apocalypse Calculator App on your phone?

[Robert]

Have we lost sight of the fact we are in the rebuilding process? Well, actually the building blocks are all over the place. Next season, we will be even better! Clarke MacArthur for captain, Phaneuf, Schenn, Kaberle, Aulie, Gunnarson, and Holzer for defence. Pick your goal tenders, we got three - and forwards up the Ying Yang.

Remember, the Bozak breakaway was an NCAA player up for his first year and his attempt looked like it. He will get better. Grabber has become an institution on his own. There is talent all over the place between the Leafs and the Marlies.

Coach Wilson needs to create a system and let the boys play together. Last night they kept mixing up the defence pairings. DONT DO THAT! Let them play together and get used to each other.

Finally, my father took me to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1942 when I was seven years old to watch the Leafs and the Bruins. I was in and around some pretty good hockey players in the years since. This is a good group of kids.

Okay everybody stand up straight and repeat after me - 'We shall fight them in the alleys, we shall fight them in the streets, we shall never give up!' (Stolen from Winston Churchill.) Now go the church and pray for a playmaking centre!

VM Replies: Amen.

[Alecia]

James Reimer recalled from the Marlies.

Everyone feel better?

[moe green]

Good point Robert, and Alecia too. They are "rebuilding" and I guess I have to accept that and another season that ends way too early.

I just don't cotton to losing is all. It's not really losing so much as giving away the season cuz you just don't care all that much. Too much money = too little real heart I think.

Yes Clarke Macarthur for Captain. But what do you do with Phaneuf? Yes Grabovski, unless he has an off year. Maybe Bozak if he continues to develop. Schenn, Kulemin, Reimer - yes, yes, yes. Injuries? Trades?

But I dunno, there's something fundamental that's missing and it's been missing for a long time. Maybe it's what Vinay mentioned - the freakish competitiveness of Ovechkin. Reminded me of guys named Gilmour and Clark. Of course Ovechkin's game was all a show. He was kicking it up for the audience. That guy has so much in reserve, he scored three (admittedly three weak ones) and wasn't even trying that hard. OV is waiting to turn it on in the playoffs. He better hope they make it. But OV doesn't care about anything beyond his own personal glory. Why should he.

I guess I can wait for next season when they'll probably be a little better. Maybe. But is that really good enough? I mean why are we rooting for them anyway? Are they our team? Does OUR team lose the games they did this season? Does our team care that little? Is it time that we faced the cold, hard facts: That this team cares only about their pay cheques and that we don't get one.

Do we respect our GM and coach? Do WE believe in fighting and violent play like Burke does? Do we "like" Kessel and Phanuef regardless of how talented they are? I like Grabovski, Kulemin and MacArthur. Is this our team anymore anyway. It doesn't feel like it.

I guess it's the cold reality of pro sport that I am really having a problem with. I did stop watching baseball after the strike and money made them decimate the Jays. I lost heart when baseball killed the Expos.

After this season, I think the Leafs took a little of the game out of me too. Remember Christmas as a six year old? That's what hockey was to me. They finally took the kid out of me. Maybe they'll be better next year but it won't be because they're trying harder, it'll just be because it's easier for them to play better. That doesn't mean anything. That's just ability. I watch the games for spirit - for heart and soul. I'll watch it sure, but I'll never be able to care quite as much anymore. Maybe that's a good thing. It sure doesn't feel that way though.

[Robert]

Hey moe green: I posted a week or so back, who are the real Leafs? I feel your pain too. But, I do believe there is talent in this system. Further to your thoughts though, Burkie said they would be hard to play against. Tain't so. Kessel was coming in to score goals. No playmaker to set him up. The Monster was the answer in goal. Have to wait and see. I agree with you this is all about money - who ever pays me the most, that is where I will play. So those good old days of Leaf forever attitudes may be gone. Still, there are enough young players on these two teams to give us effort every night. But, effort is the coach's responsibility too. As a student of this game, may I assume you see what I see, no plan of attack - no cohesion in the effort? Most of these guys learned what they are doing back in the 'Tim Bits' league. I want to see a strong concerted attack. Night after night. Or, I want a group of coaches that will make it happen. I still think we have the horses.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Oh Moe, you're breaking my heart. In truth I know how you feel. Last night's game I thought was a game that they played with the spirit you desire. The problem though is that they have not had that on a consistant basis. They were comatose in November and December so when a game like yesterday happens, a loss with a real effort occurs, it feels counterfit. It is like at the end of a relationship when you are walking out the door and your ex says,"I still love you", all of a sudden you think well, maybe, only to have your heart broken again.

I get that it is a long season and that it is actually their job and no is always at the very top every day at their job, but you expect them to care at least as much as you do. I don't get that feeling sometimes.

To be honest with you I am not prepared to say they will be better next year either. I will believe it when I see. For 2 years now they were expected to make the playoffs, regardless of what the pundits say, and they have fallen way short. My confidence is jaded. The only reason I stick around, I think, I am not totally sure, is because one day they will win and it will be such an amzing day that I want to be apart of.

Ah the life of a Leafs fan. We are hopeless romantics really. That is why we accept the losing, romance blurs reality.

[waffles2010]

Wow Moe, cheer up. Yes they may suck again next year. They might not. Maybe they will continue the improvement Alecia sees. They might climb as high as 25th overall next year, who knows.
Why are we anointing MacArthur as the new captain? It was only a few weeks ago that the discussion was whether or not we thought Phaneuf was a top 5 d'man in the entire league. Yes he's having a career year. Lets all do something Leaf fans never do please. Keep expectations a little lower.
Teams that make the playoffs don't take games off. Teams that win in the playoffs don't take shifts off. Until all 4 lines dressed in Blue and White get this message. They are what we thought they are. A mediocre hockey team. As likely to blow out the opposition as they are to be blown out, on any given night.
One other thing, please leave Reimer in the minors. Unless of course we trade Giguere or waive the Goose. He needs to play a lot. Right now the best place for him to grow and develop as a goalie is on the Marlies.

[Katherine]

I do feel better hearing there are three goalies practicing today. And it wasn't that long ago that several other NHL teams out there had run up against our hot goalie that no one had ever heard of before January. Gotta take the small comforts where we can get 'em.

[Princess Mononoke]

Reading you guys, I'm thinking of a university course I'd like to teach: The Hockey Existentialist: Modernism, Ennui and Loss in the Burke-Wilson Era.

[Boo Who?]

I was so upset when the final score popped up on my phone last night, I got on the wrong damn train, was too busy trying to pull up the recap on my phone to notice I was heading the wrong direction until a stop later, ended up being half an hour late to meet my friends, then, upon arrival, watched my phone die, and proceeded to spit out a word that drew horrified glances from this nice old couple that happened to be walking by. Luckily one of my friends found me immediately thereafter, preventing any further mishaps.

I'm much calmer now, thanks for asking! In fact, I'd say I'm feeling downright philosophical. These musings are directed at no one in particular but perhaps someone wants to take a stab at answering them:

Why does every player have to break out of their slump when facing us?
Why did you let this player proceed to score a hat trick in our barn?
Whose logo is that under the ice?
Is it yours?
Why must you bring it shame and dishonor?
Do you let their dogs come over and crap on your front lawn too?
When are we going to start acting like we own the place?
Why does Tim Brent manage to do twice as much as Phil Kessel, in only half the ice-time?
Why do Kaberle and Phaneuf seem to hate each other?
Why don't we answer back when the other team starts pushing our goalie around like it's a game of shuffleboard?
Why did they allow that first goal to stand?
How come all the other teams seem to get so pumped up about playing the Leafs?
How come we never seem able to channel this energy into anything besides a bad case of the jitters?
Why are you so easily rattled?
What (or who) is the one constant through all the inconsistency this season?
Hmmmmm???
Why do I care?

And can I just say, wow, everyone around here seems to be falling apart!!! This is in no way a reflection on you Vinay, or your fabulous writing. I think it's the virulence of Blue and White disease. It's a pandemic.

[hoofheartz]

I think one of the all time things that pisses me off about this and recent Leaf teams is their total lack of desire/committment to do what is necessary to make a play. For the most part I like Kaberle but I think if I see him blindly dump the puck to avoid a hit one more time I'm gonna puke. Same can be said for Kessel. For Christ's sake boys give or take a hit. You might discover that its not as bad as you seem to think and it might acutally help the team.

[hoofheartz]

I don't know what all that means Princess but please sign me up for your course.

[Boo Who?]

Posted by: Robert | 01/23/2011 at 11:29 AM

^ ^
I I

I'm just going to read this over and over until the urge to weep subsides. Thank you sir. I salute you.

[moe green]

@ Alecia: No I don't really feel better. Where was Reimer when we needed him? Where was he against the Flames, Rangers and the Caps? Would we have won those two of those games and still be in the hunt? We'll never know. Why did Burke wait until now? It's almost as though the team is pouting when they don't get Reimer - or perhaps more accurately, when they do get Gustavsson.

@Boo: I think there are some players who have played with requisite intensity almost every game this season. They are: (arguably, I'd expect nothing less from this group) Clarkey, Nikky, Mikky, Lukey and Brownie. Maybe Brenty and Army too. So the team is not a complete write-off, just too many coasters. Which players have faces I'd love to rest a beer upon? Phaneuf, Kessel and Kaberle to jsut name three. If only we could give them all contracts heavily linked to team, not individual performance. Is that possible under the current CBA? If it is, we should do it.

I really hate that I even know what a "CBA" is.

@ Waffles: But why such inconsistency? Why? I don't see them as being so minimally talented so I can't see it unless it's a coaching issue. Inconsistency is a cop-out I think. What is a better current expression for cop-out? I expect, no DEMAND that guys like Kessel, Phaneuf and Versteeg give it everything they've got every single shift. They don't.

@ Princess: The course would be a blast, packed, and one I'd love to audit!

[moe green]

@ Robert: I really agree. I think it has to be a coaching issue at least partly. Look how they played against Los Angeles and San Jose not to mention Atlanta. Those were inspired efforts.Could that be called "fluke" or a lack of effort by the other team? I don't think so. Maybe Atlanta.

[Alecia]

Moe, apparently Reimer could not be up with the Leafs during Brown's suspension cause of roster issues. Now that Orr is on IR, there is space for Reimer.

[moe green]

I see, thanks Alecia. Still, seems to me they could have done something. Sent Crabb or Boyce down. I dunno. At least there's an explanation. Still, I am a bit perturbed.

[Account Deleted]

I'll be signing up for no courses from a Habs fan,hockey Nietzsche, named after some anime character.Consider yourselves warned.

[moe green]

Quick new nicks:

Kessel : Pistle
Phaneuf : Dijon, Nuke or Poupon
Bozak : Lucky
MacArthur: Bright Eyes (Heston's character in Planet of the Apes.)
Grabovski: Go-go
Kulemin: Koolio

Feedback?

[Sens-ible Bill]

@Robert 11:29
"My father took me to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1942 when I was seven years old."
Man, there's actually someone here born BEFORE me. I was born (in Ottawa) 63 years and 6 days ago, some six years after your visit to the gardens.
I guess we aren't lacking in perspective. (g)
I tip my hat to you, sir.
..
'We shall fight them in the alleys, we shall fight them in the streets . . ."
And Colton Orr will fight them on the ice. Just usually at the most inopportune times.
.
Occasionally Orr will even connect. But if you watch closely, with your blue-and-white tinted glasses put aside, you'll see how most of the time he throws these huge haymakers that look great from the seats, but rarely land on anything other than an opponent's helmet or shoulder pads, IF they land at all.
Oh yes, if he does manage to hit you solid, you ARE in trouble. But I've made a habit of studying some of his fights --- slo-mo, RW, slo-mo, RW --- and the guy is far more show than actual blow, landed.
.
But trying the beat them in the alleys, if you can't beat them on the ice, is an old Leaf adage indeed, that goes back to the infamous . . . ? (g)

[Sens-ible Bill]

@ moe green
The Grand Organization Of Non-Leaf Fans may kill me for giving away our most cherished, our most guarded, our most significant secret. But you look like you could use knowing it.
Want to know what non-Leaf fans fear the absolute most?
The someday, somehow, the Toronto Maple Leafs will not only become actually good again, but at a high level over a prolonged period of time.
Believe me, you may not know it, but we've had our scares over the years. We even feel we may currently be having another.
What if . . . What if, despite the history of team, management and fans, that Brian Burke actually fashioned a true rebuild and made the team a true contender for years to come?
Can you just imagine the anguish every non-Leaf fan would go through?
We would lose our touchstones of mediocrity. We would no longer have teams called Maple Leafs being chronic underachievers of unrivalled historical proportions, always there with their long suffering fans to help us feel better about ourselves, our own teams and our hockey fortunes.
As for those warped extremists who already take gloating about a perennially poor team to unbelievable heights, imagine how totally intolerable they'd be if their team suddenly, actually deserved legitimate praise? We shudder at the mere thought.
No matter the ups and downs of our own teams, we have always been comforted by the consistency of ineptitude on the part of the Maple Leafs.
Well, don't look now, kind sir. But we're already a touch apprehensive about the radical moves --- compared to the same-old-same-old of previous regimes --- and legitimate changes made to this team.
No, you were never going to be legitimate playoff contenders this year. But by mistaking that for a legitimate goal, and by being far too high over occasional successes and far too down over inevitable failures, you've lost sight of the forest for the trees, of the team for the individual players.
Take it from a loooong-time student of hockey, from a fan who has seen just about everything, and from someone who is just distant enough to see the team without the fog of rabid fandom affecting the view, and I will tell you sir, this current Toronto team is not only much better than anything you've had in a long time, it has far more potential than you'd allow yourself to even suspect.
They may not, over the next several years, rise to the Cup-contending upper echelons --- Lord we hope not --- but already, despite their inconsistencies of youth, they are a better team than you and your colleagues realize.
Just for gosh sake don't let any non-Leaf fans know I told you so.
So take heart and take hold, good things may indeed be coming --- with a touch of faith and patience. (smile)

[Boo Who?]

@ moe - I know, they try. During the first two periods I saw last night, they were definitely trying. But (avert thine eyes Vinay, I'm about to get super nerdy on you), to quote the words of a great master teacher - do or do not, there is no try. Sure some of it might be bad luck - bounces not going their way, running up against a hot young goalie, blah blah blah. I'm just looking for a pulse. I want to cheer for a team that's not so psychologically and systematically fragile that the only way to get results from them is to let them play with their friends. If they start winning again with Reimer, (which don't get me wrong, I hope they do) I know I won't be able to help thinking that it's a sad state of affairs if he is really making all the difference. Because it shouldn't matter who's behind them in the net. They're there to do the same job, whether it's Reimer or Gustavsson or Yoda back there. Although Yoda would probably be pretty kicka$$.

We have team performance bonuses already - Wilson just needs to keep sticking hundred dollar bills to the wall without getting caught. :)

@ Princess - at least we've graduated from being a support group! Is it an essay course?

[palbo]

sensibill - i think hap day - i think what he said, was that if u can't beat them in the alley, u won't beat them on the ice.

[Sens-ible Bill]

Hillbilly Phil is a direct descendent of Ma and Pa Kessel. (before your time)
.
Eneuf is eneuf, I've had it with Phaneuf.
.
Bozak don't know Jack.
.
The Legend of MacArthur and McMerlin.
.
Grabovski or Grabovsnowboard.
.
Ku-Ku-Kulemin (old Genesis hit after Peter Gabriel left the band).
.
Moe Green, Les Red.
.
There's no sense like nonsense. (g)

[Robert]

Darn, Sens-ible Bill, you see right through me. I am not a proponent of the fight.
I think the fact the Leafs pay Colton something in the neighbourhood of $1 million a year is a disgrace. For what. Knuckle dragging 'sports' like Colton were paid to protect the Gretzky's and others in the 'old ' era. Unless the Leafs are going back to the ice age, why? By the way, Connie Smythe said that - and he didn't do badly. What I meant by the Winston comment is that we as 'Leaf fans' will never give up. Sorry if I misled you. Regards

[waffles2010]

Hey Moe, all I can do is give you my two cents on their inconsistency. If a player is not a hard worker, they need to be taught to be. More precisely they need a coach to demand it from them. If they don't do the things the coach requires, the coach limits ice time. I don't see Wilson do a lot of this.
Lets face it, all the players in the league are extremely talented hockey players. But I think what you are getting at is this. Phaneuf, Kessel and Versteeg are among the most talented players in the game. They have been at every level throughout their careers. Best in minor hockey, best talent in junior, minor leagues etcetera. Phaneuf and Kessel in particular experienced immediate success in the NHL.
We were all arrogant SOB's when we were twenty. Imagine talking to one that has just scored twenty goals as a rookie NHL defenseman. How motivated is he going to be to change his game and learn the little things that will make him a success for the next twenty years? Then you add the 6.5 million dollars to the equation. Coaching challenge to say the least.
I see Kessel in the same way. He scores 35 goals a year, some guys would be very pleased with that. Maybe not even interested in becoming one of the best in the game. I'm not absolutely sure that this how they think. But I think it is.
I do know that for both of them, issues with the coaching staff have already been mentioned. Kessel being sat out for playoff games is a red flag. Whispers about Phaneuf were that he was a headache for the staff in Calgary.
This apparent attitude is something that needs to change. Perhaps a new coach, or Wilson given more time, will get them more motivated to do the little things. Truly talented players don't have to work hard to play the game. It is the very special ones who are talented but continue to try to learn and grow as players year after year.
Work ethic is something that can be fostered on a team. Gary Roberts did it here in Toronto. He worked out HARD, he played even harder, the other players were impressed and if they weren't able to change their ways. Roberts would shall we say encourage them to see things a different way. Do we have someone here to show these guys the error of their ways?
They may even come to the realization that effort wins games on their own. They may not. You can't question their talent. I hate to see a player waste it. Kessel is wasting it right now.
The best example for Kessel is Brett Hull. When he was younger he had a lazy player reputation. Some time with Ken Hitchcock and then in Detroit had him playing like a champion. He was on the ice in all situations. He killed penalties, he backchecked. Sure they didn't always get along. When someone expects you to give more than you are giving, its unlikely to evoke warm feelings. Each player needs to decide if they are giving enough, as well as how badly they want to be better tomorrow than they were today.
Every offseason we hear how hard Crosby works to improve his game. When we hear independent media sources saying that about Phaneuf and Kessel, I will be positive that the Leafs are on the path to greatness.
An old saying, hard work beats talent. Talent and hard work, beats hard work. Unless the team works hard every shift of every game, what you see is what you are going to get I'm afraid.

[80s Leafs]

Question: What good to the Leafs is a veteran goalie (Giguere) who can't play back-to-back games, and what the heck team is going to want to trade for him??
I bet the only goalie trade requests Burke is getting are for Ice Man of Reim. Maybe that's why he's been recalled - to showcase HIM. Oh well, guess the Isles are lookin' for a goalie, so maybe they are willing to part with Tavares or maybe even Bob Bourne...

[moe green]

@ Boo Who: Did you hear a rumour about this "Yoda" guy? Is he Czech? Plus, I think you may have come up with a perfect nickname for Reimer. Either that or "Obi Wan" or "Jedi." I like "Yoda," it's a better match for his personality.

@ Sens-ibill: I see what you see and I fear what you fear. I already think this is a better team; actually a far better team then the record this year would indicate. I wonder if the Red Sox noticed a dip in attendance after their drought ended? I wonder if Sox fans are happier today than before the inevitable happened.

@ Waffles: Boy do I ever agree with you. I have always asked: How do you motivate a player with a multi-million dollar, long term contract to work on his game? I think we have the answer.

Wouldn't you love to try an experiment wherein everyone on your team made the same salary. Say a team of 25 players each making $1.75 million a year. You could even supply performance bonuses - for team performance. I wonder what kind of team you would have. Better chemistry for one thing. Better team spirit. God I'd love to try that experiment.

I love the "hard work beats talent, talent and hard work beats hard work." I also love: It's not the team with the best players that wins, it's the players with the best team. Credit Harry Neal for that one.

I do agree that Kessel ,so far, has been a wasted talent. The guy pots 35 goals without breaking a sweat. Can you imagine if he had Doug Gilmour's work ethic. The guy could score 60.

What I want to know is how did Bruce Boudreau get his team and especially Ovechkin to buy into this defense-first philosophy. Maybe OV is so competitive that he understands it's the only way he's going to show up Crosby and win a cup. Watch out for OV to explode in the playoffs IF they make the post season.

[Michael]

"Grabber has become an institution on his own."

It's statements like this that remind me of the song lyric from Coax Me, by the great Canadian band Sloan.

"It's not the band I hate/It's their fans."

[Alecia]

I hope Vinay is still alive....

VM Replies: I am here! Just finishing up a post about Reimer and Goose.

[Alecia]

Oh, would this be a good time for Reimer coming out of the clouds graphic we discussed?

VM Replies: Yes. Where is the graphic?

[Alecia]

Let me whip something up....

[Simmer]

I just noticed the tag for this story in the Star Blogs section is entitled "Leafs Fan: If only the NHL gave points for noble efforts"

You forgot about the point for overtime losses!

[Sensi-Bill]

Robert
You didn't mislead me. It was just the mention of the alleys that reminded me of the Conn Smythe quote, even if I couldn't remember the exact words.
And I think there remains a kernel of truth to that philosophy, as long as we don't use a too-literal interpretation.
I don't think it has to mean dropping the gloves and throwing actual punches, though a few non-fighters, like Sid-the-no-longer-a-Kid did already this year.
I think of it more in terms of a team toughness in which not just the grinders but everyone --- defenders, checkers, playmakers, goal scorers and even, if need be, goaltenders --- will go into the tough areas and, even if outweighed or outnumbered, display whatever toughness, energy, pain tolerance, determination and bravery is necessary to get the job done.
Quick examples include what happened to their teams (Cup wins) when offensive stars like Modano and Yzerman (just to name two) not only learned a much more well-rounded game but developed a passion for playing with true grit, in addition to their natural skills.
But I ramble, as usual. (smile)
Though I will add that I agree that paying such a one-trick pony as Orr so much --- and wasting a roster spot on him --- is indeed a waste of resources.
I don't mean to come on as a homer, it's just that a good example of the kind of "enforcer" I much prefer --- Matt Carkner --- happens to play right in front of me, so I am most familiar with his capabilities. Carkner has shown he can fight BUT more importantly to me, he has also shown he can play regular minutes on defense AND make a strong and solid contribution there. He may be a late bloomer in having played so many years in the minors before making it with th Sens, but I sure like his record of plus/minus over faltering stars like Kuba and Gonchar.
And in the light-heavyweight division we have Chris Neil, who has a reputation as a fighter but has spent far more time as an effective, contributing player.
I think that as long as you have near-neanderthals like Orr in the league, it helps to have an enforcer --- BUT one who is a player first.
Always a pleasure, sir.