What can be said about the Toronto Maple Leafs, unfortunately nothing good so far this year, but still I will stand behind and watch their games, yelling at the TV why, why and why again.
Could things have become any worse last night with Jonas Gustavsson out with a groin injury as the Leafs start the season on a losing streak?
How long before they loose their fans, or will it ever happen? Their last Stanley Cup win in the year I was born, frustrating yes, humiliating.. sometimes, but if they win in my lifetime I’ll be there cheering them on, I just hope it happens while I’m young enough to chug some beers in celebration, but boys, I am not getting any younger.
There was optimism this season that at least the Leafs may play stronger working together for a couple of years giving them a shot, but so far, it’s not looking good.
Coach Ron Wilson managed to lead the Leafs last night into a first time record for most losses at the beginning of a season. What else did Coach Wilson manage to do?
Let’s be honest, I’m not, nor will I ever claim to have coached hockey or even been a hockey mom. But for as long as I can remember my memories as a young tot and throughout the years, hockey was always blasting in our house with my older siblings, their boyfriends, my parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle’s homes, bars, and in my own house with my husband. After 42 years of growing up watching none other then the Leafs, my opinion comes from a frustrated fan looking on for so long while seeing little result.
This was the year; this was supposed to be the ‘Burke Era’. The Leaf 2009-2010 teaser said it all from the words of Brain Burke “We play an entertaining style; we want to justify the price of the ticket every night whether the team is successful that night or not.”
I’d like to know if this means, even if the Leafs are not good this season, we’re going to show you some good fights then? If the Leafs keep humiliating the fans whether or not cheering away at them at the ACC or at away games while sitting in front of the big screen, watching your team get slaughtered again and again, I don’t think this will justify the price of a ticket.
After the first period, Pittsburgh scored as many goals as Leafs had shots on net, the score at the end of the first 2-0. The rest of the game was penalty after penalty, it made for watching some good glove’s off the minute the puck dropped, but a little less fighting and more shots on net, would be just as entertaining.
After the game during his post game interview,, Sidney Crosby gave his opinion when fights are necessary. Crosby knows there is a time for a boxing match but needs to be done when necessary or it can throw off the momentum that scores the points for the team. There was no doubt the Leafs were trying to throw off the Penguins momentum on Saturday night but all it really did was keep them from getting any momentum happening for themselves, they needed to play more hockey and keep the anger under management.
Even going into that game it was pretty much a forgone conclusion beating the Stanley Cup 2008/09 champs, especially with their first 3 games of the season, was unlikely to happen, but being bullies on the ice just to throw off the Penguins isn’t the always what the fans want from good hockey. How does the team expect to gain any staying power if playing the best team in the league turned into nothing but trying to knock them off balance? News Flash, Pittsburgh is not intimidated by the Leafs; they were never going to throw off their game that way.
The shots on net when they did make the very few were weak wrist shots, nothing like Sergei Gonchar sending a wrist shot so hard into the net over Toskala’s shoulder you couldn’t see it hit the back of the net and bounce back out.
Another move that was getting me yelling at the game Saturday night, the amount of time it was taking the Leafs to set up a play when they did have control, it was like passing in practice, talk about giving the opposing team time to set themselves up and Fleury knowing exactly where the puck will go.
So the painful end to Saturday nights Leaf game ending in a 5-2 win to the Penguins ended with some of the crowd booing as the countdown to the end game came. I’m not sure Brian Burke’s vision of justifying the price of the ticket has worked yet.
Tuesday night could have resulted in a possible win as the Leafs pulled a strong second period after falling behind 2-1 in the first. Alexei Ponikarovsky with assists from John Mitchell and Ian White gained some faith before the 1st period stretch when he scored with 44.2 secs left.
The brief boxing match between former Ranger Colton Orr took on Left winger Donald Brashear getting out some of that testosterone and adrenaline that was building with every frustrating minute of the Leafs weak start to the season gave a bit of entertainment for the evening.
The second period was promising when Jason Blake scored from a wrist shot with another assist from Ian White and Mikhail Grabovski. This gave Leaf fans hope and Leaf players tasting the win, could it be tonight. When Jason Blake got a cross checking penalty snowploughing Ranger Chris Drury into the net, Toskala was thrown backward with force that looked hard enough that could have caused him to be disoriented or injured. With barely a minute left in the second, Toskala played it out but it was speculative if he was going to start the third. It wasn’t clear if he injured his right leg that was clearly twisted in the collision.
Newcomer Leaf goalie Joey McDonald jumped up in the box anxiously awaiting the signal to get ready mentally and physically to jump into the game. I came back 2 minutes into the third and couldn’t believe what I saw on my screen, Rangers had scored another goal, and no sooner still stunned by that, another goal was scored. When I saw who was still in net I was stunned Toskala was still there and even in the game.
I couldn’t understand why Wilson didn’t pull Toskala after the first goal of the third, 15 minutes is not enough time to assess the goalie who was pounded into the net while needing to shake his head and a few minutes on the ice favouring his leg, pain…. disorientation? Possible.
The pain continued for the Leafs and fans, giving the Rangers a 7-2 win, for a minute in the game it was unclear if another goal would be added but quickly found out the puck was kicked in gently, right passed Toskala.
Last nights pain can’t be totally blamed on Toskala. Should there be consideration in putting him back to the minors? If he is going to be benched or sent back to the minors, I hope the third period of this Ranger game wasn’t the deciding factor. He did make some good saves throughout the first and second period.
I can understand Ron Wilson wanting to start Toskala in the third, such a close game, a great second period (minus the collision) this was too tight to start a newcomer goalie.
Why after the first goal in the third did the coach NOT pull him, in my opinion, was a irresponsible call. It wasn’t just the boys on ice that didn’t do their job this time, a team sometimes is only as good as the coaching, as teachers reflects a student. So far, Coach Ron Wilson is getting a good reflection from the ice looking back at him.
Tonight’s game against the Colarado Avalanche let’s hope won’t be as painful as last night, but I’ve got my ibuprofen ready if it does. It will be interesting how the coach will handle this one tonight.
Slaughtered like the Thanksgiving turkey on Canadians plates this weekend, by the end of last nights game, it seems the Leafs are in a Minor league All of their Own.
Highlights.. or should I say lowlights
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