In my last column, I had stressed how this past weekend was an important one for the Leafs, facing two divisional rivals in back to back road games. Apparently no one on the Leafs read my column, as they decided not to show up in either Buffalo or Ottawa, posting back to back losses in which they were outscored by a total of 6 – 1.
Having said that, there was one player that did show up to play, and when the rest of his teammates didn’t, he clearly expressed his frustration on the ice. That player is Jonas Gustavsson, who did everything he could to keep his team in both contests. Gustavsson made many spectacular stops in both losses after continual Leafs defensive breakdowns led to odd man rushes and second chances in front of the goal.
The Leafs special teams were once again their achilles heel, allowing two power play goals to Buffalo and one to Ottawa while going 0 for 10 on the power play. They showed no willingness to drive the net or battle for the puck, and after 3 days off before heading into Buffalo, that’s simply inexcusable. What’s even worse is how similar this team is to last year.
Last year, at the 22 game mark, the Leafs were a woeful 4-11-7, good for 15 points. This year, they are 8-11-3, good for 19 points. Last year, the Leafs finished dead last in the league in both power play and penalty killing proficiency, and this year they are 22nd on the power play at just over 15%, and 29th on the penalty kill, with only the Edmonton Oilers below them in that department.
The only difference it seems, is in net. The aforementioned Gustavsson has shown great improvement since last year, and JS Giguere is providing a stable presence on the back end. The Leafs are also a much younger team, the youngest in the NHL. They are supposed to be bad, just like the Oilers, as their young players develop and grow. The only difference is that Edmonton retains their first round pick.
That draft pick is important for a few key reasons, the most obvious being that the Oilers can continue to add young stars to their system. The second reason for it’s importance is that it doesn’t hang over the heads of the players. The Oilers youth are able to play their game and make their mistakes without the pressure to succeed. The Leafs, thanks to Brian Burke, do not have that luxury.
While I’ve already compared the deal and it’s effects in another column, I must add to that list that the pressure created by the loss of the pick has been tremendous. It has caused trouble on the ice and off the ice. In fact, it was in the game against the Bruins, where Tyler Seguin scored and the Leafs got shut out, where the fans chanted ‘thank you Kessel’ every time he stepped on the ice, that things seemed to change for Phil.
The damage from that trade may not even yet be fully realized as Burke faces mounting pressure to turn this team around. The team has improved defensively, largely due to better goaltending, but the same problems that plagued this club when Burke arrived still exist.
Special teams systems are supposed to be developed by the coaching staff. Whether the players are following the system or not, it’s clear that something is not working in this area. Either the coaches aren’t getting through to the players or the system they are teaching is not working. Something needs to be done, but this is one area where I feel the return of Dion Phaneuf and Colby Armstrong from injury will help.
Where it will not help, however, is the offense. I’ve said before that the Leafs forward groups are a young and inexperienced bunch. No player in the top 6 has any more than 3 seasons of experience, and none are older than 25. It’s been proven that young players will develop better when paired with veterans to help them along. This will be especially important as more youth is added, like Nazem Kadri, Jerry D’Amigo and more.
Colby Armstrong should help bring a bit of leadership and experience back to the forward group, but he’s a marginal 20 goal scorer at best. He is not the cure to what ails the Leafs. No one on the Marlies can be brought up to help solve the issue either. Mike Zigomanis could be a good candidate for a call up, as he excelled on face offs and penalty killing while he was with the pro club, but ultimately Burke is going to have to bring in a player from outside the organization, and he’s running out of time.
Burke’s self imposed holiday trade deadline is December 9th. This leaves him just over two weeks to try and get something done. As evidenced by last season, it’s almost impossible to climb up the standings with a late season surge, as the Leafs were 5 games over .500 from January 31st on, and still finished 29th in the league. If Burke has any hope of stopping the bleeding and the spiral to the NHL basement, he has to make a move, and make one soon. It’s this kind of pressure that may lead him into making a deal that is less than perfect, perhaps a deal in which he loses again.
In my last column I had said it was time for the Leafs to nut up or shut up, and now I feel that it’s time for Burke to do the same. It’s time for Burke to either fix this problem he has created, or finally admit that he made a huge mistake in overvaluing what he had on this club and it has now cost us two top picks as a result.
Popularity: 3%
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. 
You hit the nail right on the head. I’m so sick of Wilson being outcoached every game. And I’m really sick of this Burke bastard. How the hell did he ever make winning teams in Vancouver and Anaheim?!
Well not to go down that dusty road again, but I wonder that myself. If you want a good long argument, say that Burke wasn’t the author of Bettman’s gift to Anaheim. Good for burning off a bit fo time.
Burke had more to work with in both Vancouver and Anaheim. He also added vital pieces through free agency, something that’s becoming increasingly difficult to do as more and more stars re-up with their clubs. Since Burke came aboard, the list of potential UFA’s that signed extensions is impressive to say the least: Chara, Thornton, Bergeron, M. Richards, Carter, Nash, the Sedins, Marleau, Ryan, Plekanec and Backes. I’m sure I’m missing a few others as well.