In this, a supposed rebuilding year, Leafs fans should be able to hang their hat on the team gradually improving over time. The rookies and young players are supposed to be getting better, the team is supposed to be starting to gel as a unit, and yet we’re not seeing that happen. If anything, this team is getting worse as frustration builds.
Burke’s blueprint for how he builds a hockey club is to build from the net out. He started re-vamping the defense when he first arrived with the signings of Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin, both of whom have proved to be huge busts thus far. He then re-tooled again, with players like Dion Phaneuf, Keith Aulie and Brett Lebda. Yet the defense is getting worse, not better.
Over their last 8 games, the Leafs have surrendered 30 goals, good for 3.75 goals per game. The Leafs are the only team in the league to not have recorded a shutout yet this season, and let’s not even get into them contributing to 6 other team’s shutouts. JS Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson sport similar GAA ratings around 2.90, and similar records, with Gustavsson having a slight edge in save percentage.
Undoubtedly the goaltending tandem has kept us in many games, and has also let us down, with notable blunders like Giguere’s back breaking goal allowed against Vancouver to put the team down 4-3 late in the third, or last night’s Ville Leino blunder. Gustavsson has also had his time in the negative spotlight, most notably the first two goals given up to the Edmonton Oilers in last week’s 5-0 pounding.
Having said that, the goaltending situation, especially when you look at James Reimer, Jussi Rynnas and Ben Scrivens, has improved. Gustavsson will only get better as he continues to learn and we have ready replacements for Giguere when it’s time for him to go. I’ll give Burke a passing grade here.
Defensively, the team is atrocious. The Leafs have given up the first goal in almost 75% of their games played so far, and the record is a reflection of that. They have had some successful come backs, like their games against the Capitals, Predators and the 4-3 OT victory against the Rangers, but a $28 million dollar defense should not allow it to get that bad in the first place.
Of course, this all starts with penalty killing, and this team once again finds itself amongst the league’s worst in that category. Last season’s club took home the title of worst penalty kill in the league, and this season’s is just one spot better, in 29th.Penalty killing is a core aspect of any club, but on a club that is supposed to be aggressive on the forecheck and tough to play against, it is paramount.
Burke’s 2007 cup winning Anaheim Ducks had the 5th best penalty kill in the league that year, at 85%, which is good considering they took the most penalties of any team in the league. Because of their horrible penalty killing, Leafs players are reluctant to take penalties in the first place, effectively negating any truculence or pugnacity they’re supposed to bring to the table.
While the fight-filled game against the Penguins on Wednesday has skewed the statistics a little, the Leafs take among the least amount of penalties in the game, second only to Florida in least minor penalties taken. When you’re afraid to take a penalty, you will back off the fore-check, let up on the attack and try to play positionally instead of taking the body. This will generally expose the lack of foot speed on the Leafs blue line.
So, what do you do? Does Burke need to change up the blue line corps yet again? How can we fix this team’s biggest flaw? If you’re not going to fire Ron Wilson, then the least you can do is hire an assistant coach that specializes in penalty killing. Wilson’s strategies while shorthanded obviously don’t seem to work for this club. Winning face-offs is another key element in penalty killing and the team’s best face-off man is currently playing for the Marlies. Center is a very important position on the penalty kill, and the team’s woes up the middle are well-documented.
Players who aren’t willing to block shots, like Bozak, Kessel, Kaberle and others, have no place on a penalty kill. We’ve seen Versteeg, Brown and Brent all sacrifice the body, but if a player doesn’t have the inclination to make that sacrifice you can’t force them to do it, so get them off the penalty killing units. With our sizable blue line, we need to make sure they’re not screening the goalies, essentially helping out the other team. Zdeno Chara and Chris Pronger are great examples of big defenders who don’t screen their goalies on the penalty kill.
Making a clear definition between what is a good penalty to take and what is a bad penalty to take will also help. Taking more penalties will also give the club more practice. The coaching staff needs to walk that fine line, to let players know they won’t be in the doghouse for taking a penalty without giving them the impression that they can do whatever they want and not suffer consequences.
According to Burke and assistant GM Dave Nonis, the answer to the Leafs woes must come from within. They are calling on the players to take it upon themselves to improve. Management, however, can make it easier for them by loosening the reigns a little. Let them get feisty, let them take out their frustrations on their opponent. Encourage them to finish their checks and get a little nasty. I can’t think of a better opponent to let it out against than Montreal this Saturday.
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Born and raised in Northern Ontario but currently living in Toronto, Tyler wouldn't have it any other way. Home to his two favourite sports teams, Tyler revels in the day to day sports experience that is Toronto. 