No More Whining

So the big mean bogeyman is gone.

No more nasty old trade deadline talk to have the Maple Leafs cowering under their beds. As it turned out, only Keith Aulie had anything to fear, and that outcome has him calling Tampa home today. Not so bad, right?

Even if you buy the iffy proposition that the deadline has this great impact on the Leafs that it doesn't have on teams in other intense hockey markets, it matters not any longer because the time for trading has past.

The season didn't end on Monday at 3 p.m.

The time for showing us what you've got is upon us.

Twenty games for the Leafs to prove whether they're good enough to play in the second season for the first time since 2004. Very doable if they get back to playing hockey, if they begin to again resemble that team that walked into Ottawa a few weeks back and hammered the hometown Senators.

Remember that team?

Time for Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul to prove their seasons weren't flukes, for Dion Phaneuf to find some consistency, for Mikhael Grabovski to demonstrate he's worthy of a big new contract and for Luke Schenn to put it all behind him and show his pedigree.

What the Leafs as a group, from coaches to players, do have to fear is the consequences should their play of the past few weeks continue. 

Its up to them to write the script. Ron Wilson can blame the media, the deadline, fatigue or bad oysters, whatever he wants, but the proof will be in the results.

If he can't coach this team into the post-season, he needs to be replaced. Pure and simple.

Ditto for the players. Time to stand and deliver.

No more whining or excuses. In the end, you will be what your record says you are.

Comments

[A13276]

The core of this team let alone the whole team has been together what about 100 regular season games? The goaltending goes south and all of a sudden some people start claiming that major moves have to be made - get Nash at any cost - give them Kessel, give them Gardiner, hell give them just about anything. Like a man with his hair on fire who uses a claw hammer to put it out. Unfortunately, that is exactly what has transpired in the past - 2 steps forward and then a giant step back. I'd love to have Nash but only at a rational, calculated cost. Moving sideways isn't the same as moving forward. We gave up a good, young asset yesterday to gain one of a different kind, a type we're in dire need of - a 20 year old, Team Canada junior, whose 6'3 215 with wheels and hands to boot. He'll be groomed by Dallas Eakins this year and next to audition for the show when he's ready ala Korbinian Holzer who has already gone through the process. That's a narrative that hasn't been told with this franchise since the 60's. It's been made possible because we finally have a guy in the Captains chair whose got the jam to hold course and guide this franchise to one that is a perrenial stanley cup contender. Talented people across the hockey universe notice this, that includes free agent players and their agents, hockey people and parents of young, hockey prospects. Thanks Burkie for being there for the Leaf fans who aren't blind loyal, just loyal!!!

[Azazel]

Very fair assessment, Damien. A few points out, but still very doable starting tonight.

[Ron]

Right on Damien. But I keep telling everyone who will listen that this team as it is now constructed is average at best. They need more younger players and another year or two to get their act together. Finishing 8th is not Utopia. Build for the future and not with other team's spare parts.

[oilgasfish]

The problem with your line of reasoning Cox (and your headline) is that I have not heard a single Leaf whine or complain all season. In fact, apart from Wilson thwarting Gusto's superb run with golly-gee Reimer (killing the confidence of one and making the other feel Christian guilt), no mistakes have been made. They need to fix what they screwed up by putting Gusto in and leaving him in.

[terry barrett]

Wilson needs to be replaced, not the leadership qualities as a developer,motivator this group needs ,he has no tact when continually does laundry in public ,not sure he has the hockey sense.

Burke I like, but im afraid the gig is up as far as trades, hes fleeced too many gms in the past and will never again be able to wheel and deal.

Im not familiar with the attributes of the goalie coach but i read and heard when he arvd that we were getting the best ?? it appears to me hes not done the job with either Reimer or Gustafffson.

[Les Dudis]

I can't recall a team in any major market in any sport (think Yankees, Lakers, etc.) , whining the way the Leafs do and looking for outs when the spotlight doesn't go their way in the way they want it. Pathetic, and not at all surprising.

[gary a]

if they lose tonight i hoe Burke fires Wilson

[J. Scott]

Gotta respect Burke for making the tough decisions here. He could have sold the farm to get Nash, and he could have jettisoned good useful players like Grabo and Brown. Time will tell on the Aulie/Ashton swap, but as you said, the Leafs have more defencemen than they need and not enough 6'3 forwards.
The last 20 games should be interesting.

[Jani]

Time to put up or shut up for the Leafs & their coach. Show us what ya got! In past years they'd go on a roll in garbage time, now that they're close let's see what they're made of. More stinkers like we've seen lately, will mean changes need to be made.

[drake richards]

Damien, it is entirely possible that young hockey players can be negatively affected by the trade rumours the Toronto media report to readers/viewers/listners on a daily basis especially in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Does that excuse the team from its 1-7-1 record in February? No. However, it seems entirely plausible that when this young team lost a couple games in early February, the pressures of the playoff race and deadline mounted and the team played tenatively as a result. We know that this team plays its best when it skates with the puck and the defence are active. That is "Maple Leaf Hockey" as Liles was trying to describe the other night. When playing tenantive or scared, defence men are prone to mistakes and turnovers. Playing tentative or scared describes the play of Gustavsson and Reimer in the last few weeks - witness them both playing deep in their crease and over playing pucks. That tenantive or scared play results in soft goals. The soft goals only serve to further undermine a team's confidence and assertiveness. The team we watched against the Sharks and the Caps was a team playing scared until the third period when the team was down already and had nothing to lose. This team is good enough to make the playoffs and its a far better team with a far better future than the one Burke inherited in November of 2008. They demonstrated that in clear fashion until they lost 2-1 in Winnipeg earlier this month. Hopefully they can put this losing steak aside which is the first time this season we have seen the Leafs sink into a prolonged losing streak. That said, they are not the first team to have suffered one this year. Take a look at the losing streaks the Sens and Blackhawks suffered recently. Even Boston started the season with 3 wins in its first 11 games. San Jose recently completed an absolutely miserable 9 game road trip. The good news is the team still has a legitimate shot at the playoffs with 20 games remaining. They are three points back of 8th with 3 games in hand. They are where we expected them to be and the fact is, if fans were asked at the beginning of the year if they would take a team that was three points out with 20 games left the substantial majority of them would have said "yes". I am glad the Leafs resisted the temptation to dismantle what has been assembled in the last three years for a better chance at the playoffs this year. The right decision was to stay the course and not over pay. Many other GMs would have caved under the pressure of the media and fans in the last week. Some called to pay what was being asked for Nash. I read the papers, watch the panels and listen to the radio stations and let me tell you, the media and the fans were relentless with their analysis and advice. Good on Burke and his staff that they remained committed to the Plan.

[Sundinwhereru]

I'm thinking of imposing a year end 20 game collapse moratorium.

[Garfield Hodgins]

Well said, the last sentence says it all. If Detroit can deliver 100 plus points all these yaers you wold think the Leafs could make the play-offs every now and then.
Maybe someone can post a picture of Burke and Wilson holding hands on there way out of town.

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

OK, with the loss tonight, let's update those numbers.
19 games left, 11 on the road.

Assume 89 points to make playoffs.

Of those 19, 9 are against teams far better than the laffs: Philly = 2, Boston =2 , Pittsburg, Chicago, Rangers, Wings, New Jersey.
Assume 9 points in those games. That means getting 15 points of a remaining 20 against "weaker" teams, which include games with Ottawa, Florida, and Washington. At what point does reality set in for you people? Season is history, again.

[ajp1946]

This team is in a freefall and the coach doesn't seem to have a clue how to correct it. At some point the coach has to demonstrate some leadership and become a motivator - that is not Wilson's style and I don't see him changing.

I figure Burke has two choices. Fire Wilson and give the playoffs a shot or keep Wilson and finish last in the Eastern Conference. From observing Burke at a distance, I suspect he will chose the latter option.

[80s Leafs]

That's quite a team! I last made the effort to get game tickets 3 years ago, the team that night gave a lacklustre effort (sound all-too familiar?) and lost 2-0 to Buffalo. I haven't been back since. Still get the "Leafs Last Minute Club" invites in my inbox to buy available game day tickets and always immediately hit delete. So for those people always saying, "Stop buying tickets so management gets the message!" I say, I'm doing my part. I don't know what else I can do. Burke certainly is doing nothing. No trades, no firing of the coach, just continuing to smugly tell the fan base that HE believes in these goalies, players, and these coaches. Well, you're one in a million, girl.

[Glen]

Just a quick comment on the deadline passing the other day, and Leafs fans complaining that Burke didn't do all he could to get Rick Nash. I am a Leaf fan, and have been one since I was 12 years old (in my 40's now). Why would Rick Nash want to play in Toronto? Why would he want to go from a team who has only made the playoffs once since the lockout go to a team that has not made the playoffs since that time? If he wanted to continue to struggle on a losing team he would not have asked for a trade.