One Hundred Games, Thirty-Seven Wins

The first 100 days of any U.S. presidency are often viewed as critical. The tone is set, the optimism from the election is still vibrant and there's a freshness to it all.

Maybe the same's the case for the first 100 games for an NHL coach with a team, a milestone Ron Wilson hit Saturday night with the Leafs against Calgary.

With another loss.

If you're keeping score at home, that's 63 losses for Wilson during his Leaf tenure against 37 triumphs. Of those 63 defeats, 18 have been through either overtime or a shootout.

Of a possible 200 points, Wilson has achieved 92 for a "winning" percentage of .460.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is not good. The optimism from Wilson's hiring is gone and it sure doesn't feel fresh.

The tone? Well, the idea was that a teacher was coming to town, a no-nonsense bench boss who would make sure everything, from defensive zone coverage to the laundry, was done correctly. Wilson spoke of a new culture, an end to any sense of entitlement players might have, something he called the blue-and-white disease.

Interesting, then, to hear Wilson discussing on Monday the need to start benching players who make major errors early in games and punishing players for egregious errors.

Shouldn't that have been happening, oh, 100 games earlier?

When Jason Blake didn't do much opening night on the backcheck to stop the winning goal in overtime by the Montreal Canadiens, nothing much happened. When Matt Stajan didn't get to the red line last Friday with the puck, took an icing call to force a group of exhausted Leafs to stay on the ice which resulted in a costly turnover by Luke Schenn, Stajan just kept on playing. There have been occasional instances in which players have been exiled to the press box to put on a big show, but within games, of late only Colton Orr seems to sit in third periods.

Right now, Wilson is safe, which means he's still got time to turn this thing around. In fact, he's probably got at least until early March, after the Olympics, when he'll be guiding Team U.S. under the management team led by Brian Burke, also his boss with the Leafs.

But even though Wilson has a long term contract, this losing, this consistent weak defensive play, can't go on forever. There are people out there right now who could take the helm - Craig MacTavish, even Wayne Gretzky - and there will be more at season's end.

After 100 games, Wilson's honeymoon is over. He's not in danger of losing his job anytime soon. That said, he's got to start winning some hockey games.

Comments

[denial]

It's about time that Wilson starts wearing some of this disaster -- I can't believe people thing Toronto is a tough place to play or coach...can you imagine if this was happening in Vancouver? They'd have burned down GM place by now.

As far as I'm concerned, Burke was brought in simply as a strategy by Peddie to give the team a 'human face at leadership' -- so people could focus on an individual with a very big personality, and forget that a sterile, robotic board truly runs this team and will never change what needs to be changed until there are 3000 empty seats a night. Want an example? Resurrecting Cliff "who am I and why am I here?" Fletcher when Scotty Bowman was available, willing, and simply wanted the kind of autonomy that any sane person would require in that job.

And now, they won't get rid of Wilson -- even though they HAVE to, because you can't unload 25 bloated hockey players -- because they don't want to eat up his vastly, vastly overpriced contract (ONE finals appearance..no wins).

The real coaching for this team is a short term one where they bring in a guy like Keenan who scares the living **** out of these guys. That works for a season or two, then it turns on itself and starts to backfire. But that's what the Leafs need. Emergency surgery at coaching.

Of course, it won't happen...not when there are 19000 a night and people are flocking to their TVs to watch the leafs lose at HOME to the Tampa Friggin Bay Friggin Lightening. At least in the 80s, the Leafs lived in the snorris division and all you had to do was suck less than the Minnesota North Stars (which is like trying to breathe less than a dead person) and you could get into the playoffs.

Blah. Maybe they can try and trade for Tom Kurvers again. He'd probably be 5th on the defense depth chart right after the practice pilon.

[Teddy Ribbonleg]

Let me ask this, who is the offensive coach for our leafs today? Was this Ted Nolan, an offensive or defensive coach? Why was Edmonton not a winning team under Craig MacTavish? Since Gretzky was an offensive player in his days, why can't he coach a team to be extremely offensive? How would a guy who is bully do to coach a team? What about a first woman coach in NHL, how would she fair?

[Robert Bates]

Bobcat Bob:
Wilson's coaching style is to be negative - negative with his players, negative with the press, even negative with the long suffering Leaf fans. This just does not cut it. The Leafs biggest mistakes were the hiring of ego inflated Burke and Gloom and Doom Wilson. Fire both of them immediately.

[Andrew]

Sorry Math Guy, but your maths are wrong. A team can only earn a maximum of 2 points per game. OT games don't mean they can earn a potential 3 points, do they? So Cox is right, 100 games for 200 maximum points.

[Neil]

Hey Damien, I can't understand why Wilson has kept Acton and Hunter. These two clowns have no coaching experience and have accomplished nothing in their last 10 year NHL tenure.

[Timmins Guy]

I agree with many of the comments here regarding both Wilson as coach, and the talent level of many of the players. Not all coaches are right for each team they coach, which is why they may be a success in one city and fail in another. Some players respond better to a kick in the pants, while others respond better to a pat on the back - even when they screw up. A good coach knows what works best with each player.

However, to me, Wilson is finished as a coach when he has said he doesn't know what to do about why they do so poorly in the first period. That, in my mind tells me he is out of options to help improve the team - regardless of the skill level of the people he has to work with.

[G.F.L.]

Mr BILLY WATERS would make the best coach for this team get off the radio and take hold of this under coach, kid team and make them " MEN" Go Waters Go

[WeeDram]

I've been suspect of Wilson since day one, but cut some slack for tge new guy, even an American. But now ... time's up. Will the American Burke act on REALITY, or act on illusion?

[Math Guy]

NJS,
You're absolutely right, I did forget about the overtime victories (as that information is not stated in the stats), but an overtime loss does not put a team's relative points in the same position as a tie in the old days.

If two teams A and B played three times, each team winning once in regulation time and team A winning in overtime, then team A would have 4 points and team B would have 3 points. I would contend that team B has a winning percentage of .428, not .500, as Damien contends. A .500 average suggests that you have half the points which is clearly not the situation.

Hence leafs do not have a .460 record.

[Richard]

Finally some criticism towards Wilson! It takes a "special" coach to turn a below average defensive team prior to his arrival to the worst; couple that with turning the team into the 31st ranked pk in a league of 30 teams. A coach cannot teach a guy how to score goals, but he can teach a guy where to stand and what to do in certain situations. Player talent has something to do with it, but it's painfully simple to teach defensive hockey - something completely lost on this pompous and arrogant (of which he has no tangible reason to be) coach. For the record he has teflon on at least until the Olympics, if not beyond the Games due to his relationship with Burke.

[JD]

This team should have kept some of their young players up such as Bozak and Stalberg from the beginning of the year. Not just for one game (Bozak). I would much rather see the young players have an opportunity to play then these 3rd and 4th liners that Burke and Wilson call a team. I enjoyed watching Stalberg when he was up with the leafs and was hoping to see him play with Kessel. Having all these fourth liners and third liners is not rebuilding. Look at Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Colorado for example and see how they treated their young. I think it is time for Ron to go. He is not the coach that this team needs at this moment.

[tiger]

A coach deserves to be fired if the team is underachieving for its talent level.

Comparing the talent level of this edition of the leafs with any other team in the league, they are just about where they should be: scuffling with the dregs.

Firing the coach of this less than mediocre collection would be a waste of time.

[Kyle]

FIRE RON WILSON. ENOUGH POLITICS OF HIM COACHING TEAM USA. FIRE HIM AND BRING IN CRAIG MAC T. Its obvious his style of coaching isn't meshing with the team. It's better to bring in a coach who can win with this team (as tough as that might be) then wait for a team that can win with a certain coach.

[Kevin]

I have been watching the Leafs since 1963. This is by far the worst team, that they have ever fielded. Most of these guys belong in the AHL. 4th liners are a promotion. We have watched this tough guy approach come in and leave and every time we get tough guys running the show they totally ruin the team. Everyone dumped on Pat Quinn, but the Leafs always made the playoffs. Nobody doubted the toughness on his teams. Why not hire Lemaire last year? Nobody ever doubted his toughness but you didn't see him running around beating people up AND HIS TEAMS WIN. That is a hockey coach.
This team is not exciting, it is not creative and is not tough. Tough is going into the corner and coming out with a puck. Not falling down or trying to beat people up to get your team going and then losing the fight.
You would never see this in Montreal. Maybe Burke works for Boston. Think about it. 3 first rounders are gone and you put this bunch on the ice. What totally overvalued turds Burke and Wilson turned out to be and now instead of a youth movement we get this crap on HNIC every Saturday. We are set back 10 years from any semblance of a team.
How dumb can you get? I dunno, lets hire that real mean looking guy over there, maybe he can help. At least he can scare the media in Toronto. Anyone wanna buy Leaf tickets? Yeah right.

[Rowecall]

Stajan - good two way player, blossoming faceoff man, little to no skill offensively. He gets knocked off the puck way too easily but rarely makes mistakes. Should be a 2nd or 3rd line centre.

Blake - Fast and not a bad shot, but again average offensively. He would probably benefit from playing with a rough and tumble winger like Poni...um no wait we don't have one with any kind of skill, well maybe hagman.

Toskala - Runs completely on confidence, even though his demeaner would suggest otherwise. His smug attitude isn't helping him, but I think he would be better if our defense improved even just a little.

Wilson - Just leave already. He seems to make poor coaching decisions, and instills fear not confidence in his players. If you publicly attack your players you are creating a negative energy in the locker room and separating teammates as opposed to bringing them together. Affecting one players confidence can poison an entire team.

[Steve@The Spectator]

Sorry, did I say yesterday the Leafs need 83 points from 64 remaining games? That should now be 83 points from 63 remaining games.
Hahahahahahahahaha . . .
In the immortal words of Freddie Mercury, "another one bites the dust."

[George Piccott]

Mismanagement! Poor scouting! No vision! No system! Toronto fans should boycott. Walk out of a game during the second period. They, management are not accountable.
George

[Bl33d Blu3]

Wow... listen to you skids...

You can't argue with Wilson's previous success! You don't pretend to be a good coach for that long.

The problem isn't the coaching, it's the PLAYING. The Leafs have 3/4 terrible players.

When Matt Stajan and Jason Blake are two of your best players, you are in trouble.

[bob]

hi,
a couple of thoughts on all this.the league should now be called the shoot out league. there is indeed many fourth liners, but we all know this. so does the gm, try this,with phil healthy the leafs will win probably twice as shootouts. once wilson has everyone skating the same way, the leafs will win another third of the games they play.we hope. as players who are worthy come up,burke keeps building a more than 500 club one player at a time. its a worthy strategy,and one that they better stick too. first round picks are no guarantee whatsoever. hes doing it right. go leafs.

[SteveL]

The coach has nothing to work with. You should be looking up into the rafters to see where the problem with the Leafs resides.

[Potvin29]

"Shouldn't that have been happening, oh, 100 games earlier?"

Damien you are not paying attention. Wilson was benching players last year as well, starting with Stajan right at the start of the year and Stajan went on to have a career season.

This rant is bunk...

This team is massively under skilled. We have tons of salary soaked up on under performing, smallish, and lesser skilled players like Jason Blake. We have no power forwards especially in the top 6 and Kessel is the only skill we have but his lack of size makes him less of an impact than say Sundin was...

You can't polish a turd so stop acting like Wilson is failing at something others wouldn't. No coach could make this team into a playoff or cup contender!!!

[Moe Howard]

It's time for that arrogant little pr*ck to go.

BTW....I'm talkin Cox not Wilson

[Leaf fan in Van]

Stop the madness puh-leease! You can bring any coach you want to lead this bunch of dregs, there is nothing anyone can do (yet). But, I would consider some of the threats both Burke and Wilson have made way back in August; start dumping some of these guys to the minors: Stajan, Blake, Pony, Grabo, and yes, even brick hands Mitchell - why are we always so slow to act to these pilons' in actions on the ice? Show them all a month in Marlieland, and bring up guys that are willing to do some work: Bozak, Hanson, et al...What are we worried about, that Stajan/Blake will be upset?? Who gives a flying fadoo??? These guys have had years to "step-up", and it is more than apparent that they can't - to the buses of the AHL with them all...

[Carm]

If there is a problem, it's that the Leafs have a tendency to take other teams' rejects and expect better when they suit up for this team. Raycroft had worn out his welcome in Boston. Ditto Hagman in Dallas, Blake in New York, and Grabovski in Montreal. Those three are forwards with decent skills, sure, but not ones who are remotely committed to sound, defensive play. They put up respectable numbers, to be sure, but not impressive enough for a coach to look the other way when defensive miscues are the rule rather than the exception. 20 goals, 50-60 points, etc. needs to be accompanied by solid play at the other end of the ice, otherwise a player does more harm than good.

It's not on Wilson when he's saddled with too many athletes who put up pretty good offensive numbers but who are simply too easy to counterattack against. And it's not on Wilson when he fails to have consistently decent goaltending to rely on. Burke has to realize that the biggest problems on this team are forwards who tend to give up the puck in the neutral zone and erratic goaltending. If the goaltending comes around and forwards with better defensive instincts find themselves in a Leaf uniform, Wilson will go from being in trouble to looking like a genius. It's up to Burke to make that happen and it's not going to be easy. Other teams don't give away 60-point forwards who are defensively polished. The Leafs have to stop turning to the ones who are not.

[dont shoot the messenger]

Whats wrong with the Leafs? They are a lousy team, possibly the least skilled team in the league. Don't blame the coach, or the players for "underachieving". I would put the blame on Burke. He's the one who thought at the beginning of the season that this is a playoff team, and traded all of our draft picks away.