Monday Morning Chatter

Not sure what Brian Burke is so bothered about.

Nobody suggested Ron Wilson should be fired. Well, I get emails and messages every day suggesting Wilson is long past his due date, but I haven't said Wilson should be fired, and I'm not aware of any prominent media people who have called for his public beheading.

That said, Wilson is the only common Leaf denominator from the last full three seasons, along with his assistants Rob Zettler and Tim Hunter. Moreover, while he is not solely to blame when things go wrong, he is the head coach and therefore in a position to have as much impact on the results of the operation as any non-playing personnel.

It would also be reasonable to suggest he bears more responsibiity than some of the players, say, Tim Brent or Mike Brown or Carl Gunnarson.

Point is, you can't possibly evaluate the Leafs without evaluating the coaching staff. Burke seemed to suggest that Wilson has nothing to do with the current losing streak, that it has only to do with the players and the coach should be exempt from any discussions about possible team improvements. Well, that just not logical.

Burke should defend his coach, except in this case, Wilson isn't under attack. It's simply been noted that should the bleeding continue, at some point the coach's future will come into question.

Other weekend musings:

--Sounds like Tuesday's GM meetings in Toronto would be more chatter than decision-making. The issue they should be discussing but won't be is the increasing frequency in which a player who lands a clean bodycheck on an opponent is forced to fight. Sometimes the player who jumps the initial hitter gets the instigator, sometimes - like Saturday when Steve Montador jumped Mike Komisarek after a legal hit on Tyler Ennis - there's only a two-minute roughing minor awarded.

Everybody is worried about keeping hitting in the game. Well if a player like Komisarek has to decide between bodychecking an opponent, having to fight and sitting in the box for five minutes or not delivering the bodycheck in the first place, at some point he's going to decide the hit isn't worth the trouble and will back off. That's just not good for the game.

--The sense of excitement rose in the Rogers Centre on Sunday every time Devin Hester touched the ball. Sadly, that just didn't happen quite enough.

--It's terrific that Danny Brannagan got the chance to take a few snaps in Montreal on Sunday. That's huge for the kid, and now gives him at least a fighting chance to be the third stringer next season, with current No. 3 Ken Dorsey likely to retire.

--Nikolai Khabibulin doesn't have the numbers, but he's been largely terrific for the Oilers this season behind a defence that is rather suspect. In general, Edmonton has reason to be excited about Messrs. Hall, Paajarvi and Eberle, but the club still is thin at centre and on defence. If they're going to address all of those depth issues through the draft alone, this rebuild will take forever.

--Noticeable on Sunday at the dome was that all the hotel windows in the end zone were covered over with ads. Nobody gets to watch the mightly NFL for free. Also noticeable was the fact that that a video message was needed to explain the singer was performing "The Canadian National Anthem," rather than O Canada. It's like us being non-imports in our own league.

--Loved the CIS action on the weekend. Did have to mention one bit of hyperbole during The Score's broadcast of the Mac-Western tilt on Saturday in which, for reasons not clear, it was suggested that Niagara Falls is one of the seven wonders of the world. It's not.

--Only if you think David Perron had a chance to brace and protect himself can you think Joe Thornton's hit was legal. Perron, by the way, missed both Saturday's and Sunday's games for the Blues with dizziness and headaches.

--Peyton Hillis is my new favourite football player. If there's an element largely missing in today's CFL, its the bruising, downhill fullback. There are some, but not many.

 

 

 

Comments

[Gottalike]

The guy that can fix this is Ted Nolan

[Steve C.]

There are now two recent examples of Burke apparently responding to hearsay.
The first was a response to finding out that the ACC crowd was booing Phaneuf (which never even happened), and now this 'fire Wilson' fallacy.
Why is he doing this? He can't be that gullible can he? I have to think that this is all purposeful: In both cases he is taking the opportunity to send a message to Phaneuf and Wilson ***in the GUISE of defending them**.
This is almost brilliant if true.

[Robert Freeman]

I agree that Wilson's job isn't and shouldn't be an issue. Yet. We've seen this team excel when they stick to the game plan. They need to block shots, backcheck hard, and forecheck even harder while supporting the D on the break out. The Leafs have gotten away from this and their game has suffered. These guys aren't stupid and haven't forgotten how to play hockey so something else must be wrong. Are these guys playing like a team that wants, more than anything, some new personnel behind the bench? Kessel in particular seems disinterested in any sort of effort outside of taking a shot when it's available. No intensity in his offense or defense. Same could be said for Versteeg and others. If these guys continue to no-show, I think Burke has a difficult situation on his hands...

[Moe Green]

Yeah Steve C, it would be brilliant IF he's doing that. Kinda like "I don't care what anyone else says, your my man" even though nobody said anything. Is Burke that much of a weasel? Oh I forgot, he's a lawyer.

[Al]

Also noticeable Sunday was the electronic reminders that "It is 3rd down" and we are to "Make Noise".

What is this strange game "fooot-bahl"??? What is this "Down" you speak of????? All I know is puck go in net and beer go in stomach (and $10 go to beer girl for 1 can of Bud Light Lime)

Thanks Rogers + the NFL, but I think we've grasped the fundamental tenets of football in the 100 or so years we've been watching it up here.

[Wade T.]

Nope Damian, the problem is that Toronto sports fans and media get far too cute for there own good in assessing all of their teams. And it's because of one reason: a lot of people in Toronto are managers and in corporate positions that are not directly involved with the day-to-day running of an organization. Therefore, a lot of people who follow the Leafs spend their days in meetings over-thinking basic problems as opposed to making a real product. As a result, Toronto sport fans gives far too much credit and blame to people in similar positions as them when discussing their favourite sports teams.

The reality is that the Maple Leafs have a proven, experienced General Manager and a proven, experienced head coach, but the roster is filled with a lot of unproven players. Therefore it is the players who have to prove they are worthy of playing a prominent role at the NHL level, not the GM and coach. And the focus should be on who on the team should stay and who should go, the coach should be an afterthought right now.

[Chad]

Gottalike: can Ted Nolan fix this? really? if he's such a great NHL coach, how come he's not coaching in the NHL right now? why didn't Yzerman (as an example) hire him in Tampa?

[mark]

Mr. Freeman, while I can't say I've observed a lack of intensity from Versteeg or Kessel, I do see an anxiety setting in for both, fueled partly by Wilson's decision to reduce the first line's ice time (effectively turning them into the second line). This really highlights to me another reason that Wilson has to go if things don't improve by Christmas. Handling star players is part of the job description. If you can't do it, you fail. Wilson has never been able to do this in any of the cities he's coached. I'm sure Burke will take notice if his star players continue to clutch their sticks and clench their teeth.

[m d'ailleurs-whistlerite]

I'm a ski coach, not an NHL coach but it's my job to make sure that my atheletes always perform to their potential....so, why is it okay for Wilson to say things like "they didn't show up, they weren't ready , willing and able, "etc.Dude, that's what you're here for-it's your job to have them to perform to their maximum potential. Makes me nuts when these guys criticize their players in the media.Whatever, I'm going skiing.

[Jeff]

I thought Wilson made two late mistakes that may have cost the Leafs the win Saturday night: 1. Playing the Grabowski line in the dying seconds because they were the best on the night, instead of a checking line. 2. Not calling a timeout to rest the checkers.

[T Pratt]

I agree Wilson has got to go. You cannot expect the players to work hard for a coach who is constantly running players into the ground. He has had more than enough time with this team to, at least. show that he is the man to turn the Leafs around. If it was anyone other than Burke's college buddy as coach, they would already have been fired. Time to kick Wilson to the curb and find someone new. Someone who can motivate and coach them in a positive mannyer.

[Spurgeon]

The column gently pointing out Wilson's responsibility for the current problems is entirely appropriate. How can a team come out in the first four games and practically skate opposing teams off the ice, and then stop competing. Why does that happen? I believe it's a coaching issue -- Ron Wilson's in particular. If you go back to his first season with the Leafs, a similar thing happened. The Leafs came out of the gate on fire, then disappeared. I don't know what the specific peeoblem(s) might be, exactly, but I suspect they stop listening to him because he's too pointed and nasty. He calls players out in pubic too much. He also does not have good instincts for the game, playing Graboski too much, not playing Gustavsson enough, curious shoot-out choices, benching the first line on the power play, etc. On top of that, he's too arrogant, and doesn't have enough achievements to merit that arrogance.

[Krakondack]

Let's be realistic: Burke IS worried about having to fire Wilson. But he CAN'T say this in the media. As soon as the GM says anything about letting the coach go, he has to let him go immediately. So what you see from the outside is that the coach has the GM's full support, until he doesn't.

[Paul E Duval]

Relax people I won't say fans because we are 2 points behind crosby and company maybe we should change coaches every time a YOUNG team loses a few games .Ten coaches a year perhaps for every team that loses a few games.Change the GM's to,lets rebuild every other month.Why not be positive and enjoy the build thats going on know, give it a chance !!!!

[johnnyk]

Will they be 2 points behind Crosby and company by year-end?
There's a basic difference: Crosby and company have Crosby.

[Bill Smith]

Mark,you haven't seen a lack of intensity in Versteeg and Kessel? Really?
Star players you say?Versteeg only thinks he is a star player, I think Versteeg is dutch for Hotdog.Maybe we should get Paul Maurice back to hold the players'
hands and tell the media how everyone is trying their best and we should not be too hard on them.If anything Wilson should be calling out these overpriced underacheivers after evey loss.Giguere did last night.Think anyone was listening?

[Paul E Duval]

@Johnnyk perhaps Crosby is done . Each team goes on a run maybe we are on the cusp in the next couple of years.when has their not been a team that dominated without winning a cup a team coming out of nowhere goes on to win a cup @bill smith your right but they're kids learning ,it's not minor hockey any more now they need to work for it.Patience.If the coach can not call them out they better go and play rec hockey.If people that think WILSON is hard on them send some diapers for these poor tykes.

[ck]

Damien, your piece on being obligated to fight after throwing a big bodycheck? We should call it the "Dion Phaneuf rule" - because not wanting to fight has completely ruined Dion's game.

Has Dion thrown a serious bodycheck in the entire time he's been with the Leafs? Now you know why.... He doesn't want to fight.

[Sens Fan]

Only way to fix leaf losing is that get ride of Ron Wilson. Everything would change dramatically. Why Berkey can not fired Ron Wilson?