What the 2010-11 Leafs can learn from the 1992-93 Leafs

 

MEMO TO ALL MAGNIFICENT LEAF BASTARDS:

This is it. There's no more time for sloppy starts or nervous breakdowns in the third. There's no more room for lost games that you should have won, could have won, would have won if only the universe were more cooperative.

The playoffs are still the target, right? That's what team officials insist. So here's the deal: Your fate will crystallize over the next six weeks. You are the makers of your own destiny.

Starting tomorrow at Madison Square Garden and ending February 27 in Atlanta, you play 18 of 19 games against Eastern teams, including 10 against squads now perched directly above you in the standings.

The good news: The New Year has ushered in success. A 5-2-1 record means you have corralled 11 of 16 possible points in 2011 and have four games in hand on 8th place Atlanta. The bad news: You remain 12 points on the wrong side of the post-season line and venture into New York on the weakness of two dreadful efforts against Phoenix and Calgary.

But with your indulgence, I'd like to talk about 1992-1993 Leafs.

I know, right? Who cares? Most of you were dragging toy trucks through sandboxes when that Leafs team ignited five-alarm passions with thrilling playoff victories over Detroit, St. Louis and nearly Los Angeles (sigh).

But while it was a fantastic time to be a Leaf fan, believe it or not, the spring we will never forget only came after a winter of discontent.

After a Boxing Day loss, the 92-93 Leafs were playing .456 hockey – worse than your current .466 winning percentage.  After 44 games, they were 20-17-7, which means they only had two more wins than you do right now after the same number of games.

That team was in a dogfight for a playoff spot with St. Louis. Stop me if any of this sounds familiar: There were also stories about underperforming forwards and error-prone defenders. There were nagging doubts about special teams and goals against.

Then without warning, that team changed the narrative. The 92-93 Leafs team rewrote their own biography.

Over the last 40 games, they went 24-12-4. This meteoric rise included two 3-game, one 4-game and one 5-game winning streaks. They went from having "great potential" to just plain "great."

So what happened? Well, for starters, Cliff Fletcher – who had previously obtained Doug Gilmour in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history – realized there was still an important piece missing from his puzzle. So on February 2, he traded a veteran goalie with a Stanley Cup pedigree (Grant Fuhr) to Buffalo for a big forward with soft hands (Dave Andreychuk).

Can a similar trade happen this season? It's within the realm of possibility.

Now, look. I don't want to sound delusional or create ridiculous expectations. But there are parallels between that team and your team. So in advance of this critical stretch in the schedule – this make-or-break period – here are Five Valuable Lessons To Be Learned From The 1992-93 Leafs:

1. EMBRACE YOUR ROLE

We tend to remember the flashbulb memory heroics of Doug Gilmour or Wendel Clark or Felix Potvin. But what we often forget is the little things other players started doing consistently after Christmas: Peter Zezel's masterful work on draws. Mark Osborne killing penalties. Bill Berg getting under the skin of opponents like a toxic microbe. Ken Baumgartner answering the fisticuffs bell without incurring foolish penalties.

That Leafs team was defined by selfless plays, not selfish players. That team was an assembly line in which everybody knew his defined role and nobody tried to do too much. It was all about the greater good. It was all about building something.

2. YOU CAN'T WIN CONSISTENTLY UNTIL YOU HATE TO LOSE

In mid-January, after a 5-3 loss to Chicago, coach Pat Burns went ballistic. "We were out-worked, out-hit, out-hustled, outshot and outscored," he told reporters. "All in our own building. That's disgraceful. I was disappointed in their pride. I thought there was more pride than that on this team."

Contrast those statements with many of the ho-hum shrugs and feeble excuses that make up the catalogue of 2010-2011 post-game sound bites. And now consider this: After that game, the Leafs only lost three more times at home during the regular season. They hated to lose and suddenly it showed.

3. EMBRACE YOUR PHYSICAL ADVANTAGES

Before Christmas, that Leafs team was surrendering a shocking number of goals. They were giving away the puck. They were losing one-on-one battles. But then defencemen – including Bob Rouse, Sylvain Lefebvre, Jamie Macoun, Dave Ellett and Dmitri Mironov – started playing cohesively as a unit.

They started delivering punishing hits. They started clearing out their net. They started making life miserable for opposition forwards. They started using their size and toughness instead of trying to be something they were not. They found a way to match their on-ice play to their on-paper promise.

4. REMEMBER THE FANS

Hockey has become a business. For too many players (on all teams), it is simply a job. But one thing that Leafs team did extraordinarily well was stay hyper-aware of their fans at all times. This wasn't disingenuous posturing. This wasn't a cynical ploy. No, throughout the second half of the season, the subtext of what many players said during post-game interviews contained some element of fan awareness.

They were in this for themselves, of course, but they were also in this for us.

When he was honoured during the last regular season game, Gilmour clutched a microphone, stood at center ice and promised: "We're going to do something for you guys yet."

5. PLAY WITH URGENCY

Starting in January, the 92-93 Leafs played every shift like it was their last shift. They went into corners with fearless abandon. They stormed the opposition net. The D defended, the forwards buried their chances.

By early February, you rarely heard a player say, "We were tired" or "We just didn't have it tonight." They put pressure on themselves to win every game. No excuses. They were visibly enraged when the other team jumped ahead. They paced before games and blocked out distractions. And they never lost sight of the proverbial prize, which at first was a spot in the playoffs, and then, success in the playoffs.

Anything less was unacceptable.

PHOTO: COLIN MCCONNELL/TORONTO STAR

Comments

[Simmer]

This blog gave me chills Vinay, good to have you back.

I see flashes of brilliance from this team at times. Some nights, they'll show up to the rink with shades of that '93 team. I see the passion, I see the heart and I see the drive with this team we have. The problem is, we just don't see it every night.

They have proved to us during their two 4-game winning streaks this year that they CAN be a good team, it just seems to come down to whether they want to or not on any given night.

These next few weeks will be telling. Great post.

VM Replies: Thank you, Simmer. Like you, I am cautiously optimistic.

[Simon]

Its funny how these valuable lessons for a hockey team, are really the same valuable lessons everyone must learn in life. Or maybe its not so funny?

VM Replies: It's not funny in a funny way.

[Rooney]

See the new post is up but one more comment on Kabby. By way of background, I have followed this blog from day one but this is my first post. I am a die-hard Leaf fan and will stick with them through thick and thin.

@OL, @Nik, you two have become the ultimate way to test one's loyalty to this team. If one can still be a Leaf fan after reading both of your posts then one knows he or she will be a Leaf fan for life. I am not sure if I should be grateful or suicidal.

@Moe, I do think it is sad that loyalty does not seem to be rewarded any more with big business sport franchises. That said, I think if BB is as upstanding and old school as he seems to be, he needs to make the best decision for the team while still honouring Kaberle's contribution to this franchise.

Putting emotion aside, the numbers do not lie. Kaberle averages 0.59 points per regular season NHL game. Career stats for Phaneuf is 0.57, Beauchemin is 0.33 and Komisarek is 0.16 per game. This year Kabby is averaging about 0.65 points per game and Phaneuf is averaging 0.29 points per game. For regular season total points, Kabby is second all-time for Leafs D-Men and top 60 on the NHL D-Men all-time point list. If you look at defencemen all-time who have played less than 900 games, Kabby is in the top 10 for regular season points.

My personal opinion is that he could play another four seasons and clear 700 career points after all is said and done, which should leave him in the top 30 for defencemen all-time. Not too shabby for Mr. Kabby! Leaf fans should be proud of these numbers.

Cheers to Leaf Nation!

@PP, Go Steelers!

VM Replies: Welcome to the jungle, Rooney.

[leafland'r]

It's too bad Ron Wilson strongly suggests that the players do not read the papers. I'm sure they are aware of their plight, but a lot can be realized and learned from the blog of a "Leafs Fan".
Dion, don Dougie drive !

[Trev]

Oh God, this is dumb.

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

Unless you're thinking in a couple of weeks from now that Mr. Burke is going to find the second coming of Adam Oates for Phil Kessel to play with, or have some inside knowledge of this, then the comparisons are false.

The '93 Leafs success clearly had nothing to do with the fact that Andreychuk showed up mid-season for Gilmour to play with, as you point out!

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

I'm not in the camp that thinks the Leafs are as perpetually hopeless as they play on most nights, as they are a very young team, where the '93 Leafs kind of weren't.

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

In the NHL c. 2011, one CAN NOT get a centre without developing one through the draft, or unless a General Manager screws up. Seeing as how this likely won't happen, I just laugh and shake my head at the pure idiocy of this posting.

VM Replies: Calling me dumb 13 times in less than a minute. I think you just broke my wife's record!

[Matt]

Cautious optimism will get me through this season! Despite Trev's insistance towards your dumbness, you raise great points. Let's hope someone in the Leafs organization reads this and takes them seriously.

[moe green]

I really wish the Leafs could or would read this post. Excellent and the kind of thing that just might inspire some of the guys out there to give a little extra down the stretch. What are they saving it for anyway?

Excellent post as usual Vinay and thanks for finding a way to tap into what we all need to hear. Let's start our second season tomorrow night with a good old fashioned beating of those nasty evil Rangers! I'm on board for a wild slalom to flirtation with a post season berth this year. Can i get a "Go you magnificent Leaf bastards. Go!"

[moe green]

Is it just me or do you think Ron Wilson makes it a little too easy for the players to fall back on the old "we're a young team" excuse a little too often. Young-schmung. It's time for our leaders to take lead. I'm looking at you Nuke and Thriller!

[Boo Who?]

Vinay, from your lips to God's ears, as they say! Take those sparks of inspiration and brilliance and ignite yourselves a flame boys.

[Princess Mononoke]

Straining possibility? Sure.
Asking us to suspend disbelief? of course!
Dumb? not at all.
A great piece, that serves to remind all hockey fans why we even care or tune in to watch these millionaires. We Habs fans are just the same. Every year we have the faith. Otherwise, why bother following these teams?

{background music: "don't! stop! belieeeeving!!!"}

VM Replies: Oh God, not Journey.

[Carlos]

Like Mulder, I want to believe, and yet something is lacking. The fire in Gilmour's eyes isn't there in any Leaf player right now. As Damien Cox wrote several days ago, Phaneuf and Kessel (especially Phaneuf) need to pick up this team on their back and carry it, just as Gilmour did 18 years ago. But that's asking a great deal from these relatively young players.

The difference now, compared to back then, is that these Leafs know they're missing something to compete for the playoffs. The '92/'93 Leafs believed they could win it all - Burns, Gilmour, and Clark made them believe. I remember it well. But the current cast knows (and you can see it in their eyes after a loss), that they are missing key elements needed to win. They don't have that power forward in Andreychuk around the net; they don't have that gutsy, scrappy, skilled, winner-take-all leader in Gilmour; and they don't have a Zezel who can win clutch faceoffs (and in the new no-change icing NHL, winning defensive zone faceoffs is even more important now). Until the Leafs either believe they can compete and win every night, or they obtain the players needed to win, this will always be a team with a fragile confidence, acutely aware of its shortcomings.

And yet, I'll continue to watch and hope, because they're still my Leafs. And they always will be.

VM Replies: I just wanted to thank you for putting Agent Scully in my head. It took years to get her out of there.

[MZ]

I agree with the statistical parallels, but what we don't seem to have is a Dougie or a Wendel, a genuinely inspiring player that doesn't have to be the best in the league (though Clark is indisputably the greatest hockey player of all time, in all universes) but can rally his team and rev up the fans and make everyone play better.

I'm not saying there's no one on the team with that capability, but SOMEone's got to step forward and give this team a shake. If they can get a rally going, a message to centre on, that's where the youth of this team will really pay off.

If one of our boys can find their Inner Dougie, I'll upgrade my optimism from "cautious" to "enthusiastic".

[80s Leafs]

@Carlos is bang-on. In 92-93, Clark was the natural-born leader who had earned his way into, and in a natural way was given the role as captain, through being a warrior for the team for 8 years. Gilmour was his able lieutenant-general who had been through wars on other teams, and the rest of the guys followed their leadership.
Jump ahead to this year: Phaneuf, only 25, is awkwardly thrust into the captain's role based largely on media hype, after only a part of a season, having proven nothing to the team/fans/rest of the league about his actual ability to fill said role.
Don't get me wrong, I hope some sort of resurgence over the last half of the year occurs, but I am not counting on it.

VM Replies: Like Carlos and MZ, you raise an excellent point.

[leafland'r]

@ the Princess (re: 6:29pm)
I don't how quite know how to express it 'cause it's more like a jumbled feeling, yet there's an understanding in your "Otherwise, why bother" statement.
Possibly, if one was to cheer for a team that was likely to win every night it could get a little boring. Sticking with an underdog or a struggling team allows one to be part of a potential "Cinderella Story". So, going and growing with a team can make a person rightfully part of the theatre and be there for the bows and the joined raised arms (holding a Stanley Cup). Desire, hope, faith, belief, rally....they are all good.

[We BeLeaf]

Oh man, the memories, the good times! The sheer excitement generated by a whole city all at once! Pat Burns chasing down Barry Melrose! The celebration after the playoffs! I still remember what the phrase said in the Leafs dressing room: Don't just play...Compete! Does anyone know if it's still the same at the ACC, or is it something different?

Thank you Vinay, again for stirring up some of the best memories I had of the Leafs, but I know there's more to come!

Cheers!

VM Replies: That was a great message above the stalls. It's since been changed to, "The Price of Success Is Hard Work." Similar sentiment, though not as viscerally inspiring.

[Ostrich Lover]

Not really a fair comparison b/c this years team is so young, but still I liked the article and the idea that the Leafs could make a comeback this year is not so far fetched.

Rooney: Lumping me in with Nik Kulemin is ridiculous for several reasons, not the least of which is that I am actually literate. Besides that, though, if you guys ever wanna debate anything rather than make blanket statements that have no purpose but to place yourself above others, I am game. I can stand behind everything I say, at least for the last month when I decided that it was more fun to post facts and be mocked for them than to be intentionally ridiculous and have no one get the joke.

[Alecia]

Awesome post Vinny.

In fact, I predict that's exactly what's going to happen. But we won't win the cup this year, next year its ours.

[moe green]

I think the one player who has all of the tools but none of the desire is Phil Kessel. Man that guys has it all: speed, agility a lethal shot. He could be a great passer if he wanted to be. Phaneuf has the physical stature and on-ice and from what I hear, off-ice presence but he can't seem to put it all together. Why can't he hit the net? Imagine how many games we'd have won if he hit the net a few more times a game.

Not sure if he can take faceoffs but I think MacArthur may be the teams' best centre. He's definitely one of the teams' best playmakers. I am not for a second comparing him to Gilmour or Clark, but is he the best we have? He is still young, but down the road I think he could be a potential captain of this team. Is MacArthur the leader we need?

We are all happy with the play of Grabovski and Kulemin. Why not try MacArthur at centre with Kessel and Crabb or Boyce. Then Grabovski, Kulemin and say Mueller for his size. Then a checking line of Bozak, Versteeg and Armstrong that would surely have some offensive "pop." I like the look of that lineup a lot.

But the real leadership that I think is missing is from behind the bench. As stated above, I think Kessel has a ton of raw skill. More than a guy like Gilmour or Clark even. People say "he's just a sniper" but I don't buy that. He can do it all if he wants to. Why can't Wilson get this kid on track? I don't know if it's fair to lay Kessel and Phaneuf's deficiencies all on Wilson but isn't the coach there to get his players motivated and to get their games on track. So far, I'd say he's done a poor job of it.

Am I way off base here?

[hoofheartz]

Don't sell yourself or us short OL, we get it. You're a joke.

[Hudge]

Hey Vinay, good post.

Thought I would share this. I wrote it a few years ago, yet still incredibly relevant!

Leaf Fans Lament

Where do I begin? Forty-three years is as likely as any
Not here for all but thirty’s way too many
Sometimes I really wonder, if it’s worth it to like this team?
Like a lover repeatedly scorned or cheated on so it would seem

Yes it’s business as usual just off the Gardiner on Bay
Where ineptitude and losses are the order of the day
How they get rewarded, with profits oh so dear
In my job I’d be canned for these results year after year

So the entity diversifies, cause that’s what businesses do
Spread around the risk and buy another team or two
Then on to condos and starting its own TV channel
Dress up old Buds and toss them on a panel!
Now a pre-season game and to all it’s free admission
The true fans go to see what they’ve been missing
It’s hard to swallow a rebuild, when we never reached the top
Where Montreal, Boston and Detroit set up shop
But don’t get me started – Argh - I’m already there
I try my hardest not to, but still I seem to care

NO! I won’t buy what you’re selling, I’m not your all-loving pawn
I won’t be happy til I can cheer like Pa did Baun
I’ve figured out what makes this relationship so hurtful and blue
It’s that I think I need you, when in fact the opposite is true
So I will sit and I will wait, and I will not support your glitz
Even if by holding out I drive myself to fits

Board of directors - the puck’s clearly in your end now
You've no choice but make a winner out of this sick cash cow
The city is starving but will only eat one entree
Stanley in 2013 and to this we all will pray!!

FIX IT!

VM Replies: Nicely done.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Vinay, YOU ARE THE MAN! Either you have a amazing memory or you know how to do your research This post makes me proud to be named Ken Baumgartner. You are so bang on I wish there were a way to put this post on he Leafs message board for every player to read. If there is someone out there who has access please pin it up. To use a baseball analagy, you just hit a grand slam my friend.

VM Replies: Thank you, Bomber. Get the hair-hat ready for Manhattan.

[Mark]

Oh, as much as I would like to believe this team might be able to pull a 93 run on us, you are forgetting the main two elements....

Wendel and Gilmour!

Those two men showed the way for that team and it was impossible for them not to play up to expectations. As much as I would love to see these Leafs step up, Phaneuf isn't even worthy of holding Wendel's jock strap yet, never mind leading the team like he did. How many times has Phaneuf grabbed the team by the neck, given them a shake and changed a game? Anyone tell me the last time? He's still a boy compared to the men who led the 93 Leafs.

There was only one Wendel and he had support of guys like Gilmour et al. These guys aren't there yet - the only thing going for them is the fact that there isn't the same passion and character in the league as 18 years ago.

VM Replies: I can't disagree with your assessment. The optimist in me says, "Leadership is often created when there is a vacuum." Hopefully, somebody steps up.

[DWatkins]

Vinay

Love the blog, sir! As far is comparison's go, there is one thing or rather, one person missing... Pat Burns. The catalyst to the 92/93 team turn around, other than Andreychuk, was Burns (RIP) getting mad and publicly calling out his team. Unlike most, I like Ron Wilson and Brian Burke. However, they don't get mad... they get snippy and beligerant - big difference. There displeasure with particular players, when it is expressed, comes across more as a put down than an actual criticism and like most kids, the team doesn't respond to parental gripings. Ron needs to blow up, in public at the whole team to get their asses moving and play with desperation as a cohesive unit. Again, like most kids, when their Dad is angry, they take notice. This leafs team has GREAT potential, and I'm excited about the future. But without that magic trade (personally thinking Burkie should try and get Gaustad from Buffalo), some luck and a public exhibition of passion by their coach, the Leafs cannot hope to replicate the greatness of 93. I hope I'm wrong!

VM Replies: You raise a good point. While researching the post, I was struck by how engaged Burns was during every second of every clip.

[Tom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPajZ0074Ks

Willing to bet you this song *defines* this blog post. :P

VM Replies: Works for me.

[Phil]

Just what exactly did the 92-93 Leafs win? Oh yeah..nothing.But in this town, that don't matter. Just come close..and we'll love you! Oh, how low the bar has been set..

[Biff]

Mark Osborne? I met him when I was a kid after a game in Buffalo. The week before they had been smoked 5-0 by the Rangers and I asked him what happened. His response? Quote "Hey, I still got paid." Talk about an eye-opener for a fan-boy. I've never forgotten that and I never will. Funny how all the Leaf results since then reflect the "Hey, I still got paid" mentality.

[Sensi-Bill]

@MZ, Re.: 07:15
"(though Clark is indisputably the greatest hockey player of all time, in all universes)"
Well you (and your kind) . . .
a) Have a tremendous sense of humour.
b) Have spiked your Kool-Aid with hallucinogenic drugs.
c) Have no idea how truly delusional you are.
d) All of the above.
I am NOT a Leaf fan but I have always admired and appreciated Wendel Clark's level of effort and achievement on and off the ice. But let's be honest here. Let's acknowledge at least a touch of reality.
Some, especially Leaf fans, might consider him the greatest player to ever wear a Leaf uniform. But there are many, including other Leaf fans, who might dispute that opinion.
But I think only a delusional Leaf fan, blinded by bias, could claim, with a straight face, that Clark is "indisputably (sic) the greatest hockey player of all time."
From The Rocket to The Great One to Sid The Kid, to mention just a few, and all those in between --- including The Golden Jet, The Flower and Super Mario --- Wendel doesn't even come close to being the greatest of all time.
I'd say "Thanks for the laugh," except I think you do Wendel a great disservice,
undermining his legitimate greatness, by making him out to be something he wasn't, and would never claim to be.
Don't you think he'd be a little embarrassed by such a totally unrealistic statement by you, supposedly on his behalf?
Using his good name this way doesn't just guarantee your spurious claim will be disputed, it also sets both of you up for derision. and only YOU my friend deserve it.

[Sensi-Bill]

@Alecia (7:36 P.M.)
"To dream the impossible dream . . ."

[Sensi-Bill]

"I wrote it a few years ago."
. . . . vs . . . .
"Where do I begin? Forty-three years is as likely as any"
.
OK, I'm going to assume "Forty-three" means it was recently rewritten.
Because "Forty-three" + "a few years" means the drought is longer than it really is, so far.
I expect it will get to 45 years soon enough. No use rushing it. ;-)

[Paul from Wales,UK]

Phaneuf needs to raise his game. As captain, he needs to lead by example.
Like Sundin did in 1999 and 2002, lead from the front.
I live in the UK and we didn't have hockey on TV plus no internet in 1992/93.
But I have seen clips and read reports about that playoff run. That team had more experience with 2 leaders (Gilmour/Clark).
The current team need more time to "gel" plus the likes of Kadri need time to mature into NHL ready players.
How about Leafs winning the Stanley Cup in 2017? That would be 50 years since the last win plus Toronto hockey club's 100th anniversary.
Just a thought.

VM Replies: And a lovely thought it is. Can you make this happen from across the pond?

[Account Deleted]

Thanks,VM.For a few minutes I was back cheering in front of the old 19" Hitachi."Go you magnificent Leaf bastards. Go!"

[Pyramid Power (via email to VM)]

Thank you Vinay. Thank you for an outstanding blog: perhaps your best yet in a year filled with them.

I would love to see this blog posted on the Leafs dressing room wall, and Wilson and Burkie make it required reading for all of our magnificent bastards.

Was 29-years-old during that glorious winter and spring when the passion returned to Toronto. Will it this year? Huge odds say no for so many many reasons. Let our lads attempt to buck the odds though and see what happens.

Am tempted to compare that glorious team player by player to this team, and how I do not see anything like what you have said happening with this team but I will not do so. I will continue to beleaf in this year's edition of the Leafs and and the awesome audacity of hope. BELEAF LEAFS FANS. IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN!

GO LEAFS GO NOW AND FOREVER!

[Robert]

Wendell's the greatest?? There has been a long list of 'greatest' Leaf players. From old King Clancy, Teeder Kennedy, Apps, Keon, Armstrong, Clarke, etc.
We have been blessed. But all these men BELIEVED in the Toronto Maple Leaf marque, they weren't just hired guns. Time to see who are Leafs, and who ain't!

[Andrew]

I think we need somebody to KO Robbie Brown to get some momentum going.

[Geoff Read]

Vinay,

Couldn't agree with you more about Agent Scully. Gotta love those redheads.

Anyhow, I don't sense this team is about to go on a 92-93-like tear - it's young, and those kinds of blockbuster trades are much more difficult these days. But keep dreaming.

And for those who commented on Phaneuf - I was a huge fan of his when he broke into the NHL - I thought he'd be a stud defenceman in the league for 15 years. His game going south is inexplicable to me - I can't figure out what's happened.

[80s Leafs]

@Sensi-Bill,
You have to be a Leaf Lifer from the past 30-35 years to truly understand the meaning of the "Wendel is the greatest" comment. It's sorta the same thing as contemplating Brad Marsh, Sly Turgeon and/or Darren Rumble from the "heady days" of your team, but....ah, not really,

As for Hudge: "Dress up old Buds and put them on a panel"

Your poem should be set to music and played at ACC instead of The Hockey Song!

[Ostrich Lover]

Hoofhead, I laugh in your face buddy. Call me a joke, yet you cant even defend your yourself. I have never seen you make a post that wasnt just an insult to someone else. Do you even know what sport this blog is about?

[Simmer]

@Alecia

Of course we won't win this year. I see us beating the Penguins 3 games to two, when a missed high sticking call by Sidney Crosby allows the Penguins to win the game forcing a game seven and sadly, they'll knock us out then.

Next year though, thats a different story all together!

[hoofheartz]

OL, of course I know what this blog is about. Its about calling out psuedo-fans such as yourself who consistently post off the wall garbage, claim it was all a joke that nobody understood and then claim to be a serious poster because it's more enjoyable. The only posters I ever insult are you, Nik (because of lengthy repetitive posts which are getting much better) and stinking hab fans, but you know what the big difference is? I actually agree with 85% of what Nik posts and the stinking hab fans are just that, fans of their own team who like to poke at us Leaf fans so they get what they good naturedly deserve. You posting that Komisarek has an upside and Kaberle doesn't because of their age is moronic if for no other reason than they play two entirely different styles. Do you honestly think that Komisarek's offensive ability is going to improve to the same level as Kaberle? As for you expecting an apology, what are you, 12?

[Ostrich Lover]

I want a trade!!! I am a fan of Burkes and applaude his patience, but if he cant do a trade, can there at least be some rumours? This season needs some spicing up and even some fake rumours would be cool. Anybody heard anything? Where is this years Andreychuck?

[bobbo]

woah there chum. You forget, there is NO ONE like #93 on this squad. NO ONE. At the time they made chicken salad out of some excellent chicken meat they had on hand. You aint' making chicken salad outta chicken "you know what", on today's roster mine friend.

[Nik culoman]

Tonight should be a great game! I will actually have tonight off so I can watch it, I look forward to the next couple of weeks as I am anticipating some movement on this roster...How much, who really knows...But changes are coming.

Thanks Hoof for the compliment, I will take any compliment from someone who is thoughtful in his posts, and in his opinions. I think we all have our own opinions on where this team is going, and what BB should/shouldn't do as was the case with the previous blog.

I think we could all agree that what was happening in the past just didn't work, and we all need to look to the future for change, and hope BB still has some cards to play to improve this roster now and during the summer.

So let's all lift a glass of our favorite beer....Say good luck boys! Tonight's game will be a fun one!

[Ostrich Lover]

I was never talking about offensive upside, just upside in general. You can say all the rude, condescending crap that you want, but the fact remains that what I wrote yesterday is irrefutable and you sound more ridiculous by the minute trying to deny it. kaberle may still have some good hockey left in him, but is on the downslope of his career. This is not up for debate, it is a stonecold fact. Komiserick, coming off shoulder surgery has definatley struggeled this year, but the guy was the captain of the Canadians and has had an excellent career and is only just entering his prime. To be clear, he is a 10-20 points max player, but points are secondary for defenseman. In the future, Komiserik will surely improve. To say that he won't is foolish. He is an elite athlete and has 5 years ahead of him that are his prime athletic years. Has had a difficult year, but has every chance to improve and almost certianly will: he didnt forget how to play hockey. Therefore, he has a lot of upside. Kaberle has none, he is at or past his peak.
Again, feel free to insult me all you want, but when you are this thick, it really is no insult at all. To think Komiserick is crap and wont improve his play is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard.

[Boo Who?]

Can I just say how fantastic it is that we are posting original poetry about and songs that remind us of...a hockey team? This is LOVE, people. LOVE. If only they knew how we felt *wistful sigh*

@Moe - I think the lack of inspiration and leadership (leaving aside Ronald McDonald for a second) boils down to a lack of confidence. In themselves and each other.

I hate to keep comparing them to the Canucks, but again, I'd invite you all to visit that team's website. Watch some footage of those players being interviewed and how they interact with each other. That is a team, in the truest sense of the word. They are also connsummate professionals, happily giving up their time to connect with their fans. When was the last time you watched the Leafs getting ready for a game? Or saw them doing anything together off the ice?

The other thing I find telling about them is that while Alain Vigneault is often nowhere to be seen in these clips, if you listen to him in interviews, he's clearly got a handle on those players, as athletes and as people. If they're injured, he relays how they're feeling, not just what the doctors or trainers say about them. I raise this because when talking about Versteeg the other day Wilson said something to the effect of 'he was a little sore in practice, at least that's what the trainers said'. Did you think about maybe asking him yourself Ron? Do you not speak to these guys? Were you not at the same practice? I think there's a definite disconnect happening there.

[Ostrich Lover]

I have always had a problem with fans questioning leadership. Fan opinions on this subject clearly corelate with winning: if you win, you have great leadership. If you lose, you must need a leader. I have never heard anyone say hey they lost, but what leadership! I think as fans we really have no clue how closley knit the team is, whether so and so is a good leader or whether or they would win more games with a better leader.

[Boo Who?]

@ Ostrich - I have to disagree. Both teams and individuals can still display clear signs of cohesion and leadership, even in defeat. The subject of this blog is about precisely that. They didn't win, at least not when it really counted. But no one disputes that they were united in their efforts to do so, or that they had someone guiding them.

[moe green]

@Boo Who?: Interesting comparison between Alain Vigneault and Ron Wilson. Is that "disconnect" consistent with the "perfectionist/micro-manager" label I wonder?

I'm not sure if Wilson simply plays the aloof, disconnected coach or if that really is him. For me the results speak volumes. How many games do the Leafs come out seemingly unprepared for the battle.

I remember someone asking Grabovski if he would be tired for the second game in two nights and he said "I'm 27 years old, why would I be tired?" I have always bristled at that excuse, but if I'm not mistaken, Wilson uses it as well. He often says: "we didn't have our legs." What does that mean?

Just an aside: Do you think that old-school guys like Wilson might push his team too hard in practices. How else could you explain their "tiredness?" Is it just me or does anyone else here think morning or game-day skates should be a thing of the past?

[Ostrich Lover]

Boo-Who: I see your point, and you could be right, I mean, Messier is considered a great leader but he was a winner and one of the all time best. Wendal however never won anything and wasnt a winner, but he was still considered a great leader, so maybe you are on to something. What I bristle at is things like "Phaneuf is a terrible leader" because , I mean, how would you know? (not implying you said that, just that it is said).

One thing about Vignault, as far as I know, he is the only coach players hate more than Wilson. Again, I only know this because of guys like Bob Mackenzie, Im not saying it is a fact.

[moe green]

@ Ostrich: I wonder how many cup-winning coaches were hated by the players. My guess is few. I have no knowledge though. Even Wilson. I bet half the team hates him and half loves him. That can't be good for team morale.

[moe green]

@ Boo Who?: I didn't mean to suggest that MacArthur was ready for the leadership role today, but down the road he seems to have the smarts and sould to be a good team captain. Right now, he's not hard enough. He's no Wendell, but he does have an edge.

A quick note on Wendell. He was all heart, considerable skill, but was not too blessed in the brains department. Like Kessel goalies knew what to expect from him all the time - that same wrister. If he (and Kessel for that matter) had been a little more creative, he'd have been a lot more successful.

[Boo Who?]

@ moe - Hmmm. Who's to say a little stoicism is a bad thing? Maybe being aloof and intimidating is how he motivates players, because they're driven to wring some praise and approval out of him? Trouble with stoics is they're not often very verbal, so it's tough to figure out what they want. He's an interesting guy to study, that's for sure!

I too shudder when he uses that excuse. This is war! There are no gold stars for participation. No more excuses, no more pussy-footing around. Those without legs get left behind.

[hoofheartz]

Upside in general OL? WTF does that even mean. If you don't expect him to improve offensively, does that mean you expect him to improve defensively? Or perhaps you just mean that overall he will get better in the next five years, because as everyone knows, hockey players peak by the time they're 32 and its all downhill from there. At best he has had a mediocre career for someone who was a 7th overall pick, especially when you consider what Kaberle has done as the 204th pick in his draft year. Finally, in all the excitement to get your point across you must have mistakenly claimed that Komisarek was the Captain of the stinking habs. I know sometimes its not always easy to check your facts before posting them but it may lend credence to your argument if you do check.

[moe green]

@ Ostrich Lover, re: Leadership and Phaneuf

I think it's fair to say that leadership can take different forms. One could be an inspirational leader in the dressing room, or preferable out on the ice where it can be objectively measured via the scoreboard. It's there where I think Phaneuf's leadership is in question.

I am willing to bet that a good many of the leafs (but you can almost guarantee not all) see Phaneuf as an outspoken and even inspirational leader in the dressing room. Schenn's recent comments about the paternal nature of Beauchemin's off-ice contributions do have me wondering if Phaneuf is enough of a leader in the room. He certainly isn't much of a leader on the ice.

Not to say that he can't be and I am open to the possibility that I am wrong, but by what measure did Phaneuf earn the Captaincy in the first place? He was anointed having played just 27 games with the team. And it's not like he compiled any serious statistics during that brief stint either. From Ron Wilson's comments it had a lot to do with his chattering and playing of music in the dressing room. Something like that - a move that clearly smacks of unjust favoritism - one could easily imagine creating dissension in the ranks.

Especially if the coach is one that is not particularly respected or admired in the first place. It's incumbent upon Phaneuf to make Wilson's choice to award him the captaincy seem like the obvious move. So far, at least from the perspective of most fans, he just hasn't achieved Captain status yet. He's still young, but at some point, he's going to have to obviously and consistently demonstrate to the fans and to his teammates that he was the right choice.

Oh yeah, not that it matters, but I like the guy.

[Nik culoman]

I have to reply to all this debate on who is a good leader or not with the following:

None of us are in the room when the team has their talks, no one knows anything more than what is reported....We all take up opinions based on stories we hear in the media...For better or worse...Right or Wrong we fans are left in the dark. Is Phanuef a good leader, I would reply with, look at the stats when he is in the line-up and compare them when he wasn't.

But at the end of the day, all we have as fans are opinions.None of us know who is a leader, none of us truly knows what the coach has said or hasn't said to his players behind close doors. So to take a stance behind your opinion when none of us knows the truth is a little crazy to me.

LET'S GET BACK TO CHEERING THIS TEAM, I LIFT UP A GLASS OF RICKER'S WHITE TO ALL AND CHEERS TO A GREAT GAME FROM OUR BUDS!! VM, cheers sir! Hope you have something positive to write after a victory tonight :D

VM Replies: You know I hate being negative. But sometimes they leave me no choice. Cheers to you, kind sir.

[Boo Who?]

@ Moe - I'm a big fan of Macarthur's, and I definitely see the same potential in him that you do. Would love to know who really motivates whom on the Mackulski line. Because when their game is on, it's ON.

And good point about there being different styles of leadership. I know that in the canine world the alphas are not the ones that bark and fight and draw all the attention. They don't need to. But you can always pick them out, because the rest of pack defers to them. The hierarchy is still being established with this group, will be neat to see how it all pans out.

@ Ostrich - ha ha, yeah I've heard that about Vigneault as well. He's not exactly a fuzzy widdle cuddle-bunny. I guess the real point I was making there was about perceived connection. Even if you hate someone, that's still a connection. Apathy and detachment on the other hand, don't accomplish much.

[Hudge]

@ Sensi-bill

Sorry you're right. I did write it a few years ago but before I hit "post" I realized that 28 years old and 41 years since they won was now out of date and edited it.

Keen eye on ye

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

Sorry, been gone a while (I know, I know, you could care less), but just checking in before game time. Will be watching during class... here's to a win and a knock-out (preferably of Sean Avery).

..and yes vinay, that 92-93 squad still gives me chills sometimes when I think of what could have been. As I mentioned previously, let's break out ye ol' Joe Bowan cassette and make a movie night of it!

VM Replies: I care about your whereabouts! We should have a movie night. The Passion Returns followed by Slapshot.

[TG77]

Nik, I have to agree with your sentiments (and beer choice, although it's Rickard's isn't it?). We truly have no way of ever knowing what goes on in the dressing room and we can do our best to speculate but it doesn't serve much purpose. It does seem like Dion's selection was made in a bit of haste but maybe the Leafs management and coaches felt they landed a stud defenseman, previous Norris nominee who at 24 or 25 would be the guy this team builds around plus the team's record post-trade was 8th best in the NHL (I am tearing up just thinking of a leafs team in 8th place overall...ugh). I can't honestly think of anyone else who might fit the bill as you scan the roster. If he was picked because he likes to yell in the dressing room and mess around with the iPod playlist in the room, then there isn't much you can say about that except, huh? As for his on-ice play, maybe it is unfair to expect him to play with absolute reckless abandonment and throwing huge checks each shift as he once did but I agree, a few more shots on net per game would be helpful. Even if he doesn't score, the rebound might be there.

As for Vigneault, living out here in BC, it does seem like he has a very high opinion of himself and looks like he thinks he is hilarious in his press conferences. He has a perpetual smirk as he waits to drop a one-liner. He also calls out players in the media, Shane O'Brien, being a fairly regular target for his off-ice partying exploits etc so i don't see him as hugely different from Ronnie Wilson; just the results are different so who knows. I have a sense if Wilson had the Sedins, Luongo, Kesler, Malhotra, Raymond and the solid D-men they have out here, he would be doing quite well too.

Finally, since we are making some 92-93 comparisons, the Clark "Sparky" McArthur one-punch on Spacek was very Sylvain Lefebvre-esque.

[Vinay Menon]

Who is in the broadcast booth? Moe Green? Dr. Waffles? Who am I watching this game with tonight?

[TG77]

I would love to help you out but I have a lecture to prepare for and family in town. Kind of an awkward looking 2nd power play unit there. Versteeg makes the PP much better and he and Armstrong make two great 3rd line wingers. He is growing on me. I have to admit when Stallberg was doing well in Chicago and Steeg was struggling, I hated that trade. Gotta capitalize on this PP now. Drury in the box, Callahan and Dubinsky are both hurt.

VM Replies: You are a good man. And a busy man.

[TG77]

If Kessel won the Leafs hardest shot at the skills comp this year, why doesn't he ever take slappers? It's always the wrister/snapshot from the same spot. I am calling a Dion goal tonight since we spent the better part of the day questioning his leadership.

[TG77]

Calling Jonas Gusto, your jock strap was left behind in aisle 3. Wowzers. Pierre is not about to make Jonas his Monster of the night.

VM Replies: I was pretty sure Pierre was going to drop the F-bomb while doing colour on that goal.

[hoofheartz]

Nice pass by Beauchemin on the Rangers 1st goal. Good to see Goose still flopping around while trying to defend.

VM Replies: Eesh. 2-0.

[hoofheartz]

I can't type fast enough to keep up with this crap. Monster my ass!!!

VM Replies: Shaping up to be a crazy night.

[TG77]

Well I just dropped the f-bomb and I have to get going. If Pierre did drop the F-bomb, any chance he gets banned from future broadcasts? That would be a dream come true. Oh my gentle jesus. 3-0 now. James Reimer, your time is now. Maybe Rynnas and Reimer next year instead of Jonas.

[hoofheartz]

They didn't want Giguere to play back to back and now he's in. I'd say someone needs to make the tough decision and swap Gustavson and Reimer. If Burke has given up on this season and insists on playing Gustavson why the hell should the fans not give up too?

VM Replies: A very good question.

[Boo Who?]

@TG77 - a fellow Leafs fan in BC?! Woohoo. I remember AV calling SOB out on his bad boy ways. Again, just another example of how he makes it personal with his players, like it or not. I think you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with the roster at his disposal. But all things are possible in Leafs-land. We eat our young.

3-0 Rangers!! Fingers crossed for a rally...

VM Replies: Boo Who? in the broadcast booth. Nice!

[hoofheartz]

Gord Miller says 5 minutes to go in the 1st and it can't end soon enough for the Leafs. What about us!

[hoofheartz]

4-0, night all. Maybe I can find a rerun of the Munsters to watch. It won't be half as scary as watching the Leafs play. Way to get them prepared to play Ronnie. Nice job.

VM Replies: Oh, man. You just made me laugh, all the more impressive since I was weeping.

[Boo Who?]

Almost Vinay, almost. Gonna hightail it home soon and try to find a feed. In the meantime, my phone keeps lighting up - much like our goal!!! 4-0!!! Ay dios mio. Serenity now...

VM Replies: Safe travels.

[moe green]

What in the hell is going on? Where is Gustavsson? How could these bums have allowed this to happen? How is this not Wilson's fault? Are the Rangers the greatest team in the history of the NHL? I left a meeting early for this. Who is responsible for this mess, I missed it?

VM Replies: A long, tragic first period.

[Ken Baumgartner]

What a pathetic effort! This is what they come up with on, as Versteeg says, the most important game of the year?

VM Replies: Pathetic is a good word.

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

sigh.. I'm speechless... (and bored in class)

[moe green]

No seriously, what happened? Were we this bad? I gotta go out, maybe when I return it will all have just been a dream.

VM Replies: Leafs had first two PP's of game, didn't do anything. Started turning over the puck and leaving people alone in front of their net. Goose gives up 3 goals on 11 shots. Jiggy comes in, gives up a goal on his third shot. It may be the worst period this team has played all season.

[Boo Who?]

Thanks. Don't worry about me...we've got a level 4 bleeder on our hands. Gonna swab the wound with some alcohol. Cheers!

[Ken Baumgartner]

So who is the Wendal Clark on this team and who is the Doug Gilmore?

VM Replies: Right now, I'm not even sure this team has a Rob Pearson and a Dave McLlwain.

[waffles2010]

Sorry I'm late Leafs fans. I guess that was the most important game of the year. Apparently Versteeg should keep the mouthpiece in his mouth and avoid brave proclamations. I would like to be the first to say the Goose is cooked. Throwing his stick behind the net then losing his mind is the only adequate description I can come up with.
Hey Moe, does Kaberle have any idea what to do in his own zone? Does he just make it up as he goes along? When you can't pin Anisimov to the boards behind the net, at least take his stick away so he can't set Gaborik up for the open net goal.
Giguere will hurt his groin before the end of tomorrow's game, you heard it here first. Then its all Reimer all the time.
A great friend offered me a seat at tomorrows' game, so I get to be in attendance. I will get the straight dope on the beer prices.

VM Replies: I'm pinning this first period on your tardiness!

[waffles2010]

This team doesn't have enough Wendel or Dougie, but plenty of Bob McGill and Gary Nylund, minus the toughness.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Gustavsson again, YIKES!

[waffles2010]

Nice try Vinay, I thought the rampant optimism from the last couple of days should have carried us through at least 20 minutes.

[Rooney]

VM, I feel for you, having to watch that meltdown and not being able to walk away! Let's hope the effort improves so you don't end up in shock, unable to write further great posts! Gut check time, anyone on this team care about this season?

[moe green]

This is the Leafs wives right? It's a exhibition game before the real tilt, right? Is Phaneuf trying to miss the net? This is a dream, I know a dream when I see it. In my dream, they would come back and win this so no worries.

[Sensi-Bill]

@Hudge
Wanted to introduce the likelihood of it having been updated, so no one would look at the discrepancy in years and suspect some kind of deception.
Also didn't mind possibly pointing attention back that way, as I liked your poem and was hoping people weren't skipping over it just because it looked long. Flows nicely enough to be a quicker-than-expected read. Nicely done.
Any attempt at poetry on my part would be more along the lines of:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Along with the white
Leafs are to
(g)

[waffles2010]

I would suggest that this is Gustavssons' opportunity to claim a spot on this team. I can't see Burke continuing to put him in the net if he doesn't begin to look like an NHL goalie.

[waffles2010]

Bill, it would not offend our sensibilities if you finished that with poo. See what I did there, pretty clever.

[moe green]

Why has Avery never had a career ending head injury? If anyone deserves one it's him. I missed the first, but if Kaberle is responsible for this mess then I retract my effusive praise!

[waffles2010]

Good boy Luke, not your job or your role on this team, but it shows that you won't roll over. You sir, may stay here as long as you like.

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

score 1 for lukie boy at least, if ya can't beat 'em, beat 'em!

[Sensi-Bill]

[Tried to post the following at 5:25 a.m. Only to get the pop-up message aboute the site not being able to accept the data]
.
@Flightless Bird Fornicator (The name has been changed to protect the ignorant. Plus apparently OV . . . oops . . . I mean FBF . . . doesn't like name calling.) (wicked grin)
.
"Now, if you suck and have a chance to improve, that is called UPSIDE. If you are good, but declining, that means you HAVE NO UPSIDE. Therefore, by basis of logical analysis, Komiserick has 100% more upside than Kaberle."
.
Well, according to this "logic," FBF has the second most UPSIDE, surpassed only by Kin Namoluc. This is because UPSIDE does NOT so much mean "potential" as it does "room for improvement."
And FBF and Kin certainly have plenty of that.
Again, that is what I determine from taking a closer look at FBF's personal "logic."
Does he not suggest that Mr. Komisarek is playing so poorly that he has a tremendous amount of room for improvement, known in Mr. FBF's universe as UPSIDE?
At the same time, by the same logic, Mr. Kaberle is so skilled, he has NO room for improvement.
I believe it has been amply shown elsewhere, by use of Mr. Pronger as an example, that age doesn't matter and is more of a red herring than a factor of any significance in this debate.
To me, it would then follow, from Mr. FBF's logic, that the Leafs should immediately bring up from their farm system their least skilled and effective "prospect" because that player would then have the absolute MOST UPSIDE (room for improvement) of ANYONE on the team.
Taking Mr. FBF's logic even further, the team should get even younger. Can you imagine the team-wide UPSIDE if the team suddenly went totally with inexperienced and unskilled players? Man the UPSIDE would be absolutely awesome.
The team might never win another game. And the players might never get any better. But the Leafs would definitely have more UPSIDE (room for improvement) than any other team in the league.
Whether or not that improvement was ever realized doesn't matter. We're only talking ROOM for improvement, aka UPSIDE.
With all rookies all th tine, the Leafs would FINALLY be legitimately #1 at something --- UPSIDE!!!
What? It doesn't make sense to you? In fact it's so singularly insane as to be irrefutable using normal logic?
Well I suspect that might be one thing Mr. FBF is counting on.
But don't worry. Mr. FBF's logic has one saving grace --- IT ONLY EXISTS IN MR. FBF'S UNIVERSE!!!
And that is a strange galaxy where flightless birds and clueless hockey fans like to spend most of their time with their heads buried in the sand, or stuck completely up their . . .
But I digress. (g)

[moe green]

You have got to be kidding me.

[hoofheartz]

Please Burke, put me in net. How can I possibly be any worse than this sieve?

[Ken Baumgartner]

WOW!

[moe green]

If they hadn't stunk up the joint v Calgary, this would just be a bad loss. Now it's tragic. And pathetic. Seriously guys, do you hang this on Wilson? Gustavsson. The whole team?

[waffles2010]

Moe, Kabby isn't solely responsible. He is the longest serving Leaf, most veteran defenceman, he shouldn't be a complete liability when he doesn't have the puck.
Thanks for coming out Mr. Gustavsson, the exit is that way, and please don't let the door hit you on the way out. What a brutal goal, 5-0 for the blueshirts.

[moe green]

Okay Leafs fans - the greatest comeback in Leafs history!

[moe green]

Okay, I gotta go out and get cat food. 5-2 when I return!

[Sensi-Bill]

Are the Leafs trying to make Sens fans feel better about THEIR team?

[Ken Baumgartner]

Moe you want a come back? Rocky is on TV.

I agree with your Calgary assesment.

[Pyramid Power (via email to VM)]

Attaway Luke. Victory to Schenn. Komisarek, Beauchemin and Kaberle on the other hand make me feel sick. Phaneuf not much better.

Pathetic lack of heart and passion tonight. Just pitiful. Almost unbearable to watch.

Rangers colour man Mike Keenan just laughing between periods at our lack of defensive coverage, and wondering what RW must be thinking.

I too wonder what this is doing to Wilson and Burke. Horrific.

[hoofheartz]

Sensi, that was a brilliant deversion from the travesty that is tonights game. Thank you Sir and may the Sens win their next game in your honour.