Step one in the re-building of the Maple Leafs

“Think back Pilgrim …” to what was written in this space on Feb 16 … 

Mis-diagnosing the Maple Leafs

regarding the process which was needed to set this sorry organization sailing in the right direction, after years and years of being Lost in Space.

Well (pretend you’re hearing my best Ronald Reagan impersonation) … 4 months after the fact, seems like venerable Uncle Cliffy actually agrees with me … as yesterday,

Leafs fire coach Maurice.

Now let’s see just how long it takes for them to implement Step Two.

PS. 100 Bonus Points … and my eternal affection … to the person who can correctly identify the source of the 3-word quote at the start of this blog entry.

PPS. Do yourself a favour and click on the different links in this entry. Juxtaposed … ‘Lost in Space‘ with “Strong, free and full of hope … for you, your family and a better future“ with “… there’s lots of time“. My, how time flies by, when you’re standing still.

THE problem at Bay Street & Lakeshore Blvd

The Leafs and the Raptors are owned & operated by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).

Why the Leafs stink
God hates the blue and white — it’s that belief which binds together all those who call themselves citizens of Leafs Nation. On talk radio, in chat rooms, and in sports bars across the country (but mainly in southern Ontario) they share the misery of loving a team that does not give back. Not ever. Their bond is galvanized by the common struggle against forces beyond their control, and by the knowledge that they are hated (vehemently) by fans in Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and beyond. It’s that sense of grievance and isolation that, in the absence of anything real to celebrate, holds them all together.

The only problem with all this talk of curses is that there are perfectly logical reasons for the Leafs’ legacy of failure. The fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a bad hockey club is the inevitable by-product of the laws of economics. Their mediocrity is a design flaw, and it comes down to this: for any business to thrive, it must be obsessively focused on victory. Success must yield powerful benefits and failure must unleash harsh consequences. In the world’s greatest market for pro hockey, that cost/benefit equation doesn’t exist. A gusher of wealth, regardless of performance, has begat 40 years of infighting, a culture of laxity, and a refusal to admit the problem. The Leafs are a monopoly business that has been corrupted by its own market power.

It’s not a curse. It’s far, far worse.

Mandatory reading for each & every one of their fans … who owe it to themselves to digest the whole article.

Touching all the bases

Intriguing stories today about Toronto’s ‘pro sports’ environment …

Ticket scandel rocks MLSE

A senior executive at Maple Leafs’ parent company Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has resigned and five other employees have been fired after the company learned of ticket irregularities …

News of the scandal comes in the wake of an already sour week for MLSE. The Toronto Raptors are struggling and may miss out on the chance for home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs, while the Leafs will miss the playoffs for the third straight season. Both developments could cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Struggling Raptors starting to take on scent of Leafs

Last night, it was as if the stink of the Maple Leafs’ despicable performance against the Ottawa Melnyks 24 hours earlier was wafting up through the floorboards, infecting the efforts of the Raptors as they attempted to nail down a playoff spot through their own efforts against the still expansion-like Charlotte Bobcats …

 

For MLSE, this is troubling, for the Raps are their crown jewel at the moment, given the state of the Leafs and the fact the corp’s sophomore soccer squad [TFC] declined to aggressively improve itself after a predictably awful debut campaign.

Glory days recalled at home plate

We were all young together, once, when major league baseball was itself a wildly popular neophyte ’round these parts. When the park was always full to capacity. When the Jays seemed always to make the playoffs and it appeared the fun, the swagger, would never end …

Now, the ball team makes a low-decibel debut on home turf, parenthetically on the same weekend the Maple Leafs slink out of town for their season wrap in Montreal, two chronically non-post-season franchises passing in the night.

————————————

UPDATE:
- Bottom of the 4th … the Blue Jays (Litsch/+117) strike back for 3 runs to regain the lead (4-2) against the World Champion, Boston Red Sox (Buchholtz)
- FINAL SCORE: TOR 10, Bos 2

The World’s Fastest Game (1)

For several different reasons, the NHL has yet to capture the fancy of the American Republic.

Hard-driving, clean, and physical plays … like this one, right here …

are not one of them.

Keeping your head down a touch too long, Daniel, while cruising through the slot, as you release a wrest shot … is an open invitation to have your Mark Bell rung.

Take more care, next time, and you should be just fine.

When a Core Covenant is formed

One month ago (Feb 24/08), this is the entry which was written in this cyber space, concerning the plight of the once hapless Toronto Maple Leafs …

Oh Captain! my Captain!

… and, today, this is what the playoff standings look like in the NHL’s Eastern Conference:

7 Philadelphia 86 Pts,  6 Games Remaining
8 Boston 84 Pts, 7 Games Remaining
——————————-
9 Washington 82 Pts, 6 Games Remaining
10 Buffalo 81 Pts, 7 Games Remaining
11 Florida 81 Pts, 6 Games Remaining
12 Toronto 80 Pts, 6 Games Remaining

with the Leafs 4 points away from claiming the 8th and final playoff position.

Looking ahead to the remainder of this week’s schedule, it is not entirely inconceivable that Toronto could find themselves sitting alone in the 8th position, with 86 Pts, should they be able to string together 3 consecutive W’s (v Bos, @ BOS, v Mon).

Scheduled Games (this week):
Tue Mar 25 – TOR v Bos, BUF v Ott, NYR v Phi, TBL v Flo
Thu Mar 27 – BOS v Tor, OTT v Buf, TBL v Was, FLO v Atl
Fri Mar 28 - NJD v Phi, BUF v Mon
Sat Mar 29 – BOS v Ott, TOR v Mon, NYI v Phi, FLO v Was
Sun Mar 30 - BUF v Bos

More importantly … is the ‘new feeling’ which has now grabbed hold of the team …

————————————————————–

Surging Leafs come alive (Mar 25/08)

It all just feels different, as though it’s a new season, as though the cloud that relentlessly followed ex-GM John Ferguson was never there …

Sundin to miss key Bruins game (Mar 25/08)
Resilient Leafs ‘staying in the fight’, Maurice says (Mar 25/08)
A bear of a week lies ahead for Leafs (Mar 24/08)
Stajan ready to be next Leafs captain (Mar 24/08)

————————————————————–

and breathed new life into the formerly dormant franchise.

Q1. What have the key elements involved with the Maple Leafs’ resurgence?

A1. (Paul) Maurice points to two factors.

(I) The emergence of Toskala as the undisputed No. 1 goalie … has allowed the team to stay in more games.

“It’s a lot easier getting out of bed with a sense of possibility instead of dreading what could happen.”

(II) … the refusal by five Leaf players to waive no-trade clauses, while seen very negatively outside the Leaf dressing room, was ingested differently inside the room.

“That was an important moment … Staying (in Toronto) wasn’t, in my opinion, taking the easy way out for those players.”

————————————————————–

As was said a month ago, prior to the Trade Deadline, there are 5 current members of the Maple Leafs who absolutely needed to be kept together to form the Core Group of this team building toward the future … i.e. Mats Sundin (Captain), Matt Stajan (future captain), Alex Steen, Carlo Colaiacovo & Tomas Kaberle.

Once this happened … in the face of such adversity … the Maple Leafs ‘Core Covenant’ was formed … and, miraculously predictably, this team turned the corner.

Peerless Forecast: The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to make this year’s NHL Playoffs.

Oh Captain! my Captain!

Since 1967, the last year Toronto won the Stanley Cup (capped off with an empty net marker by ‘the Chief’), there has been no better Maple Leaf than, Captain, Mats Sundin. 

Following the team’s parade that year, down the world’s longest street, 8 men have donned the fabled “C”, carrying the pride & hockey passion for most of English Canada, as the leader of the ‘Blue & White’:

George Armstrong (#10, 1957-1969)
Dave Keon (#14, 1969-1975, forced out by the team’s management)
Darryl Sittler (#27, 1975-1981, traded to Philadelphia)
Rick Vaive (#22, 1981-1986, traded to Chicago)
Rob Ramage (#8, 1989-1991)
Wendel Clark (#17, 1991-1994, traded to Quebec)
Doug Gilmour (#93, 1994-1997, traded to New Jersey)
Mats Sundin (#13, 1997-?)

only 1 of whom has been allowed to exit, graciously, from Center stage, on his own terms. 

After standing firm at the helm of this troubled ship for 14 years – through both open waters and turbulent seas – Mats Sundin has, today, earned the highest level of respect from this observer.

In the face of mounting pressure, from all sides …

Paul Hunter, Captain Mats leads the way
Rosie DiManno, Leafs’ Sundin might still be forced to go

he is exemplifying what the word Leadership means, in a world of obscenely over-priced, pampered, and thoughtless ’pro’ athletes.

Best immortalized in the poetic words of Walt Whitman,

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

here stands a ‘Man of Resolute Character’ for ‘The (Sports) Ages’ … who knows what’s truly important in this crazy, mixed-up world.

Tic toc, tic toc, tic toc … move the sands of time.

PS … Can the Leafs finally resist the short-cut urge to ‘wheel & deal’ with #13? … and, thereby, lift the ‘Departed Captain’s Curse‘ cast upon this franchise 40 years ago! 72 hrs left … and, counting.

Silver Fox strikes first

Fletcher denies Sundin talk

A prime example of exactly what’s needed, right now, by the the new (old?) Leafs’ GM … i.e. disregarding efforts to move Mats Sundin and, instead … focussing on their three other veteran players with ridiculous ‘no trade’ contracts, Bryan McCabe (D), Darcy Tucker (F) and Pavel Kubina (D).

Calling every GM in the league (except one?), regarding these ‘tier two’ players, accomplishes several goals, simultaneously:

1) Identifying the Leafs as ‘sellers’ in the current market
2) Clarifying their priorities (i.e. the need to shed ’dead-weight’ contracts), and
3) Removing Mats Sundin from ‘active’ consideration (showing him the Respect he’s earned in Toronto) … unless, of course, other GM’s wish to initiate talks with Toronto about him.

It’s a game of high-stakes Poker, and … despite the fact he’s holding the weakest hand in the league … Fletcher’s got to make it seem as though he’s playing from a position of strength, not desperation.

With this type of shrewd ‘media-savvy’ response … Fletcher is sending a specific message to his colleagues …

There is now a competent hand stearing the rudder of this ship and it knows exactly what it needs to do – short and long term – to right itself and, then, set sail for open water.

“Priority 1A” – JFJ is gone – has already been accomplished.

“Priority 1” – the hiring of a full-time GM – will be accomplished this off-season, under Fletcher’s direction.

“Priorities 2 & 2A” – shedding ‘bad contracts’ & replacing Paul Maurice – both need to be accomplished, either: (a) now, before the ‘trade deadline’, or (b) in the early period of the off-season.

By the way he’s starting out, in his 2nd go-round with Toronto, Leaf fans should, at least, feel comforted that the Silver Fox hasn’t lost his guile or his Poker Face.

8 days left to the ‘Trading Deadline’ … tic, toc, tic, toc, tic, toc …

Let the games begin! (in earnest) … with the Fox in the henhouse.

Mis-diagnosing the Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs’ history shows that this NHL franchise has now hit ‘rock bottom‘ (8 pts from the final Playoff spot in the Eastern Conference).

However, in sharp contrast to the current chatter in ’Leafs’ Nation’ …

January 22, 2008 Leafs call back Cliff Fletcher
February 15, 2008 Leafs future hinges on Sundin deal

… ‘The Remedy’ for their present plight does NOT revolve around:

a) Their search for a competent, full-time GM
b) Their lack of high-ranking draft picks (in the next few seasons)
c) The ‘no trade’ clauses in the contracts of their most highly payed (and, in some cases, least productive) players
d) The overall lack of ‘skilled hockey talent’ on their roster
e) The overall ‘lack of Grit’ on their roster
f) The ‘price of (hockey) tape in Orilla (ON)’, or
g) Whatever else you might care to mention …

but the disappointing work of Paul Maurice (Head Coach), game-to-game.

When a team performs in this manner …

DATE	VISITOR	HOME	RESULT	REC’D	v 1-10	v 11-20	v 21-30
Jan 1	Tampa Bay (28)	Toronto	W	1-0		1-0
Jan 3	Toronto	Pittsburgh (7)	L	1-1	0-1
Jan 5	Philadelphia (T-12)	Toronto	L	1-2		1-1
Jan 9	Toronto	Anaheim (5)	L	1-3	0-2
Jan 10	Toronto	Los Angeles (30)	L	1-4			0-1
Jan 12	Toronto	San Jose (6)	L	1-5	0-3
Jan 15	Carolina (T-18)	Toronto	W	2-5		2-1
Jan 17	Toronto	Boston (T-16)	W	3-5		3-1
Jan 19	Buffalo (T-14)	Toronto	W	4-5		4-1
Jan 20	Toronto	New Jersey (9)	L	4-6	0-4
Jan 23	Washington (T-21)	Toronto	W	5-6		5-1
Jan 24	Toronto	Washington (T-21)	L	5-7		5-2
Jan 29	St. Louis (T-21)	Toronto	L	5-8		5-3
Jan 31	Toronto	Carolina (T-18)	OT-L	5-9		5-4
Feb 2	Ottawa (3)	Toronto	W	6-9	1-4
Feb 5	Florida (T-26)	Toronto	L	6-10			0-2
Feb 7	Toronto	Montreal (8)	W	7-10	2-4
Feb 9	Detroit (1)	Toronto	W	8-10	3-4
Feb 13	Toronto	Buffalo (T-14)	L	8-11		5-5
Feb 14	NY Islanders (24)	Toronto	L	8-12			0-3

(over the course of its last 20 games, since Jan 1/08, while striving to make the Playoffs for the first time in 3 seasons)

- Winning games vs top teams in the league (v 1-10)
- Losing games vs middle (v 11-20) and low-end teams (v 21-30)

… it’s the responsibility of the coaching staff.

In the NHL, when a team’s Specialty Units perform at the bottom of the league … 

Power Play - 14.4%/28th
Penalty Kill - 78.4%/29th

while their

“Shots” Per Game/30.6/5th
“Shots Against” Per Game/29.2/18th 
” Goals For” Per Game/2.7/17th

are solidly in the middle-of-the-pack …

and, their

“Goals Against” Per Game/3.17/28th

is 3rd from the worst …

it speaks directly to the type of ‘strategic/technical defensive coaching’ their players are getting, consistently (or not), in practice and games.

What the Leafs should NOT do, right now, to right their sunken ship, is trade Mats Sundin (their best player & Captain), for a combination of future draft picks & burgeoning younger players, yet to hit their stride in the NHL.

This would be another backwards step for this franchise … without a Stanley Cup, since 1967.

What the Leafs NEED to do, in this specific situation, is …

(in order)

1) Replace Paul Maurice with a (better?) Defensive-minded head coach, who has been involved with a Stanley Cup winning team before, in some capacity;
2) Trade away/Give Away/Buy Out non-achieving veteran players with ‘No Trade’ clauses in their contracts, i.e. Darcy Tucker & Bryan McCabe;
3) Re-sign Mats Sundin, to a ‘short-term’ contract extension;
4) Hire a different & improved Scouting Staff, to better utilize their existing (up-coming) draft picks; and,
5) Hire a competent full-time GM/President, in-charge of their complete hockey operations.

A 5-Step Process … without any short-cuts.

Yes, ’blowing it up’ in Toronto … and, starting again from scratch … would be the ’right thing’ to do … but, to do so, right now, involving Mats Sundin … without a full-time GM/President in place, for the long term … is (almost) unbelievably (incomprehensibly) STUPID. 

9 days left … until the NHL’s trading deadline … tic, toc, tic, toc … and, KABOOM!

Note: To Cliff Fletcher … With the ‘puck on your stick, in the high slot’ … sometimes, the ‘best move’ (available) … is to pass. – Khandor’s Hockey Handbook ($19.95, Cdn)