zambonicyouth

MF37: Quite a week for the Leafs and those that cover them. 

Wilson might get the play of the week for his Patrick Kane joke.

I’m surprised, shocked actually, that Howard Berger or one of his ilk didn’t pull a “dressing room wall bit.” Or maybe that only happens when there’s an expectation that the game isn’t an automatic 2 point night for whomever the Leafs are playing.

Good Till: The postgame reaction after CHI seemed to be relief that we didn’t lose by 5, which says all too much about the direction the two organizations have gone in since the lockout. That said, I have watched the YouTube clip of Kessel’s second goal about 9300 times, so that’s been nice. DING!

Did you happen to listen to that idiot Doug MacLean this week? He was mocking the idea of the NHL moving to 3 points for a win. He then said that he can’t begin to understand how the points system works in MLS. This man ran an NHL team.
 
MF37: In MacLean’s defence, math is hard. Besides, what NHL executive would want to mess with the points standings that served the league so well for 75 years?
 
Kim Jorn: For the love of Godd, can no one in the media provide the fans with any context?
 
The NHL transitioned to the one point for an OT loss system because OT was fucking boring. Both teams were shutting it down and hoping for the single point – because they were happy with a tie.
 
There are millions of idiots railing about the current system on every talk radio station, message board and fast food line-up with absolutely no understanding of the historical context.
 
For the last time you dullards: the NHL did not implement this system becuase they didn`t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, or because of some commie belief that everyone should get points, they did it to put some sizzle back into the game.
 
You may not like the current system, but there is a reason why it exists, and it actually has worked.

MF37: Wow. Didn’t see that coming.
 
I didn’t hear MacLean’s latest gaffe, but you know he’s never alone in the idiot-analysis game. The day of Kessel’s debut, I heard Mike Brophy pan the Kessel deal on the grounds that Kessel didn’t make The Hockey News’ Top 50 players list.
 
Apparentlly the price for a 21 year old 35 goal scorer is set by the editorial board of a bad hockey trade pub run out of Transcontinental Media, not by rival GMs. Either that or Burke, like most of the general public interested in hockey, has let his subscription to THN lapse.

Godd Till: I’m wondering if there’s anything the Leafs can do to turn things around. Maybe Burke could aggressively try and recoup one of the first-rounders by dealing Kaberle.
 
Working Class Howard reminded me of why we stopped writing Cox Bloc, intimating that Burke had “most of the summer to work a trade for the Czech-born player, but held onto him on the basis of Kaberle’s perceived value to the team. At 1-7-4, the value of any player is questionable.”
 
MF37: If I were Howard’s supervisor that’s how I’d start every single one of Berger’s employee reviews: “His value is questionable.”
 
I don’t know that trading Kaberle is the answer. This team needs so many positions filled: 2/3 of a first line, a solid goalie and if Burke trades Kaberle, they need to acquire a puck moving D that can log 20 minutes a night. There sure are plenty of those guys around…
 
Despite all this, I still tune in.
 
Albeit after Saturday’s home loss to Calgary, most of my anger was directed at Hughson and Simpson. Their inane chatter was making me plot their murder.

I swear if the CBC offered up a digital channel of just game sounds and no play by play or colour commentary there would only be six people watching the regular feed, five of whom would be related to Hughson and Simpson. The sixth would of course be Roberto Luongo (lovingly clutching an autographed 8×10′ of autograph of Hughson).

Sadly, I dream of the day Jim Hughson is put out to pasture and has to make a living doing voiceovers for a discount store in Kamloops (“Come on down to Surplus Herbie’s, home of Grrrrrrreeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaat Savings!”)

Godd Till: I ALWAYS want to murder those two, although I actually thought they were a little better than usual.

It was a really weird game.

I have no idea what to think right now about where the team’s going. At least Kessel looks like a really good player.
 
MF37: The Leafs remind me of the 2006-07 Flyers. That team was in most games, had a great coach and, on paper, had enough talent to win but ended up with something awful like 54 points.
 
I think it’s going to be a horribly long season of .400 hockey if we’re lucky and likely .300 hockey the rest of the way.
 
Godd Till: Does that make Beauchemin Derian Hatcher?
 
I think the blame lies with the forward group – the bottom 6 aren’t fast enough, good enough defensively, and they don’t hit enough. Just vanilla. And the top 6 is brutal too, DGB was so right about Kessel vis-a-vis the rest of the Leaf forward lines.

Do you think Wilson’s good enough? It seems the same problems recur over and over again…
 
MF37: I don’t know what to make of Wilson. With Paul Maurice, it was so easy to look at shift charts and see where he was getting completely outcoached. I’ve looked at who Wilson is running and it makes sense to me.

Good goaltending covers over so much. It was fascinating that the “has the room tuned him out” chatter died as soon as Gustavsson won a game or two.

This team is so disgustingly thin up front that I’m not sure what Wilson’s options are.

When Grabbo, Stajan, Mitchell, Wallin and Primeau are your five options, you’re pretty much pooched. If a guy like Crosby or Iginla is going to play 22 minutes a game, who the hell in that bunch can be paired up against players of that calibre and be expected to have any success?

I do not like Wilson’s decision to put Schenn on the left side (I think that’s why he got his stick lifted so easily in Chicago. Had he been playing the right side, the puck is away from the net and protected by his body). I also don’t like Schenn getting paired with Exelby. But if you’re only going to give him 12 minutes a night, I’m not sure who else you pair him with.
 
Good Till: I think there’s some merit in Shoalts or Mirtle (can’t remember who) saying that the reason the Leafs are coming out flat in the first and getting outscored is simply because the other teams are better. The Leafs come back in games because the opponents are playing to protect a lead. So again, the problem isn’t preparation, it’s talent.

Re: Schenn, I think Gunnarsson is a great idea as a partner for him – someone who will help him keep his game simple. You’re right about switching Luke’s side being puzzling and the Exelby pairing; one thing that’s bothered me is pairing a still developing 20-year old with the worst positional defenceman on the team. 

I was talking to Kim and he echoes the point about the forward group.

I think Burke’s biggest mistake was to significantly overestimate the talent level there. Maybe the Kessel trade doesn’t get made if he makes the right evaluation there. That said, I am still think it will turn out to be a good move for the Leafs. I grant what you say about the team not having the surplus of picks and prospects to make the trade ideal; however, I agree with the Globe’s Jeff Blair that the Leafs desperately need a young franchise type forward, and Kessel has certainly been that so far.

If you’re Burke, where do you go from here?

I think step one is to try to move some guys for picks, step two is trying to get guys like Tlusty, Hanson, Stalberg into the mix. And do we go hard after another couple top-six guys in free agency? I say yes, because right now I see rushing Kadri is a real danger, and I think that’s a terrifyingly bad idea.

MF37: I have an awful feeling “Home of the Terrifyingly Bad Ideas” is going to be the official slogan of the 2010-11 Toronto Maple Leafs.