Outclassed, outworked and outplayed. These three common words have been used to describe the Leafs play pretty much since the start of the season. Coming into the season with mixed previews, some experts had this team as high as seventh in the conference, while others had them as low as 15th in the conference.
This season there was a certain aroma surrounding the team, and it wasn't the aroma you get when you leave raw chicken in a garbage bin for far too long. It was an aroma of optimism, maybe of some light at the end of the tunnel in some Leaf fans minds.
Having gained 26 points in the final 20 games of the season last year—a total if they average it out over the course of an 82-game schedule, the Leafs were looking at about 105 points over the course of those games.
Optimism was gaining steam heading into training camp. The Leafs were much stronger in goal, acquired some good forwards with offensive talent, had a good separation of top six and bottom six, but lastly, they went into the year with a full year of Dion Phaneuf and Mike Komisarek on defence—both were expected to be top four quality players heading into the season.
The preseason came and went and the Leafs finished with a decent 5-3-1 record. The Leafs then began the season on a high note having won their first four games.
The optimism and perception of the Leafs in the media was at an all-time high, some people talking about a possible home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Yes, you read that correct, home-ice in the first round. The optimism after the first four games was nauseating.
After crippling injuries to their Captain Dion Phaneuf and heart-and-soul player Colby Armstrong about 10 games into the season, the Leafs took a turn for the worse, forgetting how to play smart hockey, competing and lastly playing as a team with heart.
The Leafs play this season is reminiscent of a good old-fashioned game of Russian Roulette—it's basically put the bullet in and hope it fires and hits the target.
On most nights, the Leafs have been firing blanks, and it's been the opposition who has fired and hit them hard. It's as if the gun has six chambers and all six have bullets locked into them when the Leafs face teams on most nights.
The hot start by the Leafs helped mask the real problems facing this team—there are holes just about everywhere on the roster. The defence is not showing what they are capable of.
The hot start, aided by victories against teams not at 100 percent, gave Leafs Nation hope. A win over the Habs without Andrei Markov and Mike Cammalleri, a win against an equally bad Senators squad and a win against a Pittsburgh Penguins team without two of their better defensive defenders in Brooks Orpik and Zybnyk Michalek.
Lastly closing out with a victory against the Rangers, who played most of the game without their No. 1 center in Chris Drury and leading goal-scorer Marian Gaborik, the Leafs appeared to be heading in the right direction.
The turning point of the season came in a game against the Florida Panthers though, a game the Leafs actually won. It was during this game that the Leafs lost their heart-and-soul player Colby Armstrong to a finger injury, but actually won the game on a goal that should have been a goalie interference on Colton Orr.
Call it karma or the hockey gods coming down hard on the Leafs, but after that game the Leafs have went 5-14-4 and you could argue, a few of those games they didn't deserve to win.
The Leafs rather uninspired play since that time has led me to believe, that hot start was more like a thing you would see after 10 days in the Sahara Desert—yes Leafs fans, it may have been a mirage. False hope for an organization with no hope right now to contend.
Captain Dion Phaneuf looks like a shadow of his former self, and Mike Komisarek has been the first star of the game most nights for the other team, making glaring giveaways and defensive lapses against the NHL's best.
Luke Schenn has been just about the only bright spot on a Leafs defence that's playing at about 20 percent of their capabilities. What a poor return on a very expensive investment.
What went into the season as the Leafs strength is starting to look like one of their greater weaknesses, and at about $23 million dollars, it may be one of the more overpaid, under-performing defences in the NHL.
The forwards, all of whom are far too young, inexperienced, and small to really make an impact on a nightly basis is proving what my predictions all along were. The team would struggle up the middle at the center ice position and lastly, they were in need of more veterans.
That hasn't happened as of yet, and it appears, it least for right now, no changes will be made until the new year.
Armed with no first-round draft picks in 2010 and 2011, after selecting two of their potential franchise players in Luke Schenn and Nazem Kadri in 2008 and 2009 respectively, the Leafs really have dug themselves a pretty big hole that will be tough to get out of.
The team's hockey IQ is as far away from MENSA worthy as you can get, and until the team smartens up and plays with some smarts and heart, the Leafs will continually be taking remedial Hockey 101 until they get it right. When that will happen, that's anyone's guess.
The trade freeze for Brian Burke starts Dec. 9, 2010, but for many Leaf fans, they will be waiting with baited breath when Burke decides to lift his freeze.
Thanks for reading, feel free to comment
Is it time for Burke to lift his trading freeze so he can better the franchise in the short term?
I'm pretty lost when watching this team play. Is it the coach, the players, the management to blame?
Alice Dodd Kate Walsh Autumn Reeser Camilla Belle Blu Cantrell
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