so the Leafs were just booted from the playoffs, courtesy of the New York Islanders defeating the New Jersey Devils in the shootout after coughing up a 2-0 lead with 3 minutes left to play in regulation. the word we're looking at here is thrilling. this comes on the coattails of the Leafs knocking out the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night with a chippy 6-5 victory so keep the hope alive. all that effort in their final game was for naught because the Leafs did not show up in the games against the New York Rangers (Thursday) and the New York Islanders (Tuesday) in which they could have eliminated the Islanders from contention. All the credit to the Islanders who won their last three games without their star goaltender Rick DiPietro. sadness for Leafdom.
Season Review
Team (Overall): the team jettisoned Pat Quinn in the off season following the failed playoff bid (by one point, just like this year). with him, they dumped his veteran's-first philosophy, and brought in Paul Maurice and his hard-work first philosophy. it showed in the first few months of the season, with the Leafs firing on all cylinders and sitting as high as second in the Northeast Division behind the blistering 10-0-1 Buffalo Sabres, handing the top-seed their first loss in regulation. scoring was purported to be an issue in the early goings; it was not. until december rolled around and the lineup was plagued with injuries from every department in turn. first it was Raycroft, lauded as our number one netminder to replace Belfour. just as he was hitting his stride, he was felled. the defense corps was rocked by lengthy losses of Kubina and later in the season, Kaberle. the forwards took the brunt of the injury bug, losing Sundin, Wellwood, Tucker, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, Peca, Pohl for extended periods of time, culminating in a horrid 7-game losing streak heading into the all-star break. the Leafs recovered in January, but never fully, playing mediocre hockey for the rest of the season. flashes of brilliance popped up once in awhile, but they were few and far between shootout losses or blowouts. All told, the Leafs were inconsistent, but showed zip and promise (especially in the younger crop of players). unfortunately, the bad outweighed the good once again, sending the Leafs to the golf courses early for the second consecutive year. Score: B-
Coaching: i don't claim to know much about this aspect of the game, but if you watch hockey enough (not just one team), you'll see the patterns, like what works and what doesn't work. this is Paul Maurice's rookie season with the big club, but a third of the players on the roster played under him in the AHL during the lockout or with his old team, the Carolina Hurricanes. certain things were re-tooled for the better. the Leafs played an excellent aggressive forecheck that, on good nights, hammered the opponent into submission. early in the season, they would often outshoot their opponents by 20 shot margins, peppering the goalies from every which angle. unfortunately, that sort of shot count did not continue. furthermore, the shot quality diminished significantly as the season wore on, coming from silly angles that had zero view of the net. to make matters worse, missed shots often caroomed off the boards to feed opposing rushes. the powerplay was on fire in the early goings. the Sundin or Wellwood pass cross-crease to Tucker was almost automatic until that unit was felled by injury. they never got it back and the powerplay went south.the penalty kill was decent, but took a huge hit with the injury of Peca. a lot of these things were out of the coach's hands. the one niggle i have is that there was no adjustment, no alternate plan, no backup play, no sneaky tricks. it was the same last year when teams started to take away McCabe's point shot; no change was made and we didn't score. this year was better, although i'm not sure i enjoy the line-juggling that much. Score: B
By Player
Goaltenders
1 Andrew Raycroft: this season was the Andrew Raycroft show. some nights, he gave stellar performances. other nights, he was Swiss cheese. Maurice made the right call to play him as much as he did, as backup was shoddy. Raycroft really only stole one or two games. he won plenty, but those were mostly because of good offense and defense. he did tie Belfour's team record of 37 wins, but his GAA and save percentage were nearly bottom of the barrel. what was good about him was his attitude; he truly cared for his play and the team he played for, never complaining when the going got tough. he always made time for the media, as asinine as their questions were after bad losses. this first season was a big test for Raycroft, to see if he could regain his Calder Trophy form and rebound from a dismal sophomore season. did he pass the test? i will answer that question with another question: did we make the playoffs? same answer. Score: B-
30 Jean-Sebastien Aubin: the forgotten back-up. didn't really do much. last spring's 9-0-2 playoff drive to end the season was also forgotten and he never received much of a chance. he did, however, receive more of a chance than Mikael Tellqvist, the other backup who was traded. didn't step up his game when it came down to it though. Score: C+
Defense
15 Tomas Kaberle: signed to en extension last year prior to the off-season, the Leafs got away with a steal. the smoothest skating, slickest passing defenseman you've ever seen piloted one of the most feared powerplay units until it was demolished by injuries to almost every man on the line. Kaberle himself was felled by an audacious elbow to the head late in the season. everything crumbled without Kaberle. Score: A
24 Bryan McCabe: the big gun of the Kaberle-McCabe tandem that tore up the stats last season drew a rather hefty pay-raise in the off-season for his offensive numbers and stabilizing presence on the blue-line. this season, it did not look well-earned. the numbers were not as expected as teams have wisened to his cannon. he is however playing smarter now (no more can-openers or double-cheekers taking himself out of the play). Bryan McCabe had a quiet, but effective season. the only issue really is that he did not play well enough to count as a $5 million defenseman. more like $3.45 million. Score: B+
31 Pavel Kubina: one of JFJ's major signings this off-season, Kubina came in from Tampa Bay find that his number was already in use (13), his position as the top-powerplay defenseman taken (15, 24) but was still expected to put up the same kind of numbers. he was quickly labeled as over-priced (running the same numbers as McCabe), and in the same way, he is. that does not diminish what he has done with the team though. he provided a stabilizing presence in the back-end as a solid and responsible defenseman with an offensive upside. Score: B+
25 Hal Gill: the JFJ signing that, when paired with Kubina, represented a near doubling in defense size. he is a stay-at-home defenseman that was criticized last year for not being ready for the new look NHL; being a slow, lumbering giant of a man, he took too many penalties. this season, he adjusted and was a solid wall. his superior reach often swept aside offensive rushes before they could happen. paired with the speedy Ian White, his slowness was mitigated and his style of play gave White ample opportunity to squick deep on a pinch without fear. Score: A-
7 Ian White: he cracked the opening day roster with his quick skating and smart, simple game. White contributed greatly to the team by saving a handful of goals with diving pokechecks, needed because of his propensity for pinching in. the pairing with Gill presented one of the biggest size differences between defense partners; it was funny to watch. he took a bit of flak early on when he cleared the puck over the glass 3 games in a row, resulting in penalties; that was funny too. he will only get better with maturity. Score: A-
8 Carlo Colaiacovo: Colaiacovo started the season still suffering from lingering concussion symptoms from last year's horrific accident against Ottawa. once he hit the lineup, it was all systems go from there. free from further injury for the most part, Colaiacovo immediately showed why the Leafs had so much faith in him even though he had been injured most of his career. he has the potential to be a Kaberle in terms of skating and handling. probably won't be as good in passing, but you never know. Score: A
56 Andy Wozniewski: Woz played like feminine deodorant: solid and invisible (and dry, i guess). but that was also why he was lower than Colaiacovo and White on the depth chart; he doesn't really bring anything extra to the table. Score: B+
36 Brendan Bell: Bell was like Wozniewski, but with the slight offensive bonus, since he is a converted forward. in fact, he played a game or two in the forward position when injuries left holes in the roster. he was traded to Phoenix along with a draft pick for Perrault at the deadline. Score: B
Forwards
13 Mats Sundin: ah, the leader that almost could. got stuck in a rut the last twenty games or so without a goal (THE goal that would break Sittler's record); that's all anyone will remember about his season, nevermind the excellent work he did earlier willing the team to score and personally carrying the team to victories. highlight of his season was his 500th goal as a Leaf; it was shorthanded in overtime against the Calgary Flames. style points. his goal-drought will likely be blamed for the Leafs failing to get into the playoffs, which is unfortunate because he is such a classy player. he worked very well with Antropov and Ponikarovsky this year, elevating his giant wingers to career highs in points and all that. Score: A-
80 Nik Antropov: finally living up to the faith Quinn put into him for all those years. was slowed down a bit by injuries (yet again) but finished the season on a very high note, carrying the scoring load when Sundin couldn't buy one, giving Sundin assist-points while at it. Score: A
23 Alexei Ponikarovsky: like Antropov, extended time on Sundin's wing elevated his game to career highs. he has finally started to throw his weight around, and take more shots with his heavy slapper. things to improve next year: shooting from better locations. Score: A-
16 Darcy Tucker: he used to play like a maniac, and that got everyone in the crowd going. now he plays like a maniac with self-control; he is a much better player for it. he can still piss off the other team like nobody's business, without getting into stupid-penalty trouble. he was the trigger-man on the 1st powerplay unit and ripped many goals from his spot down low on the right wing. the skill involved in threading the puck into the smallest sliver of net was most evident when he went down with a lingering foot injury and other guys took a crack at scoring from his spot. Score: A+
42 Kyle Wellwood: small, creative, shifty and VERY smart are the adjectives most often used to describe Wellwood (affectionately dubbed Frodo for obvious reasons). he is unrivaled on the team in terms of playmaking and puckhandling. seeing him weave through three guys and saucer off a reverse-flow pass to an open winger is really something you'd have to see to believe. he will own the Leaf highlights in the future if he gains more confidence in his shooting. Score: A-
14 Matt Stajan: steadly improving. if you've ever talked to me about hockey, then you've heard about Matt Stajan. solid two-way skilled player with excellent hands and playmaking ability. still inconsistent, but upgraded towards the end of the season as a physical force on the forecheck and became "hard to play against" in Maurice's terms. future captain, in my opinion, as his number is the natural progression and his intials are very similar to the present captain. Score: A-
10 Alex Steen: while he was an offensive surprise last year, Steen hit the sophomore slump hard and could not contribute on the scoresheet for much of the season. he still remained a very responsible two-way player and played very well in terms of the intangibles (positioning, forecheck, etc). however, he will have to raise the bar on his game for next season if the Leafs hope to make it anywhere higher than 9th. Score: B
21 John Pohl: Pohl was a surprising addition to the roster, coming at the recommendation of JFJ from his St. Louis days. he worked his butt off to crack the line up and quickly proved indispensible when Sundin went down to injury. highlight of his season was that shootout winner in which he was picked to go for fun. Score: B+
33 Bates Battaglia: Battaglia cracked the lineup by merit of sheer determination and hard work. he had played under Maurice with Carolina alongside Brindamour before he sort of fell off the wagon and got stuck in the minors. he's not back to the 30-goal scoring level that he used to be at, but he has a new role with the Leafs. he can forecheck hard, force turnovers and push a good cyclig game down low. unlike most of our other good cyclers not on the top line, Battaglia can finish his plays. Score: A-
18 Chad Kilger: Kilger was a junior hockey scoring superstar. once he hit the NHL, he had trouble even attaining a small percentage of those previous numbers. as a result he was bounced around from team to team. Quinn picked him up off the waiver wire from Montreal and he has served us well since then, landing the fastest skater and hardest shot awards in the last Leafs skills competition. he uses his body like a wrecking ball and has improved greatly from last year by learning to shoot at parts of the net not blocked by the goalie's pads. Score: A-
22 Boyd Devereaux: called up during the parade of injuries, Devereaux played himself into a permanent position with hard skating and solid defense. he was a Detroit camp outcast that most had forgotten about, so we got him at bargain-basement prices. this guy is fast like nobody's business. Score: A
92 Jeff O'Neill: O'Neill came to Toronto with a lot of baggage, having recently lost his older brother to a tragic car accident. injuries to his shoulder also slowed down his progress back into elite status. so slow in fact that he never really made it. he doesn't skate that fast and doesn't really play defense. his one utility was to score (he had a really good shot), but that seems to have disappeared. he scored his twentieth goal sometime in January, and told reporters that he was aiming for 30. he didn't score another goal after that. now 20 is nothing to snort at, but for someone who once posted 41 goals with Carolina, 20 is a far cry from the elite we pay him to be. gone next season for sure. Score: C+
27 Michael Peca: signed in the off-season from Conference champions Edmonton, Peca brought a whole lot of defense to the team, killing 5-3 penalties in his sleep. he was felled by a vicious knee-on-leg collision that left him crippled to the end of the season and the Leafs lost a premiere player for the season. we will likely keep him if his price remains around $1 million. i hope we do. he'll teach our other guys to play defense. Score: B+
39 Travis Green: picked up when Peca went down to play some defensive roles, Green played his second stint with the Leafs decently for awhile before disappearing into obscurity and eventually, the press box. had trouble contributing, but wasn't given as many chances as, say O'Neill. Score: B-
94 Yanic Perrault: the faceoff expert was landed at the trade deadline for Brendan Bell and a second round draft pick to hopefully give the Leafs a boost in the powerplay and faceoff circle. he was and is probably a bit injured so he never really got to play to his full potential in his third stint with the Leafs. he had two really pretty goals, one in the shootout, but other than that, Perrault didn't do anything spectacular and was relegated to 4th-line centre for the last handful of games. Score: B-
54 Kris Newbury: Newb was called up at the same time as Devereaux and played like a younger Chad Kilger. he potted his first NHL goal to give Wade Belak one of 2 points on his season. Newbury's season ended with a crazy fight that left him unconscious on the ice after taking 5 punches to the face and then hitting his head on the ice. it looked worse than it was, but he is still suffering of concussion symptoms. he remains a good depth player in the future. Score: B+
3 Wade Belak: Maurice couldn't resist it: he played Belak on defense for a few games. the experiment was pretty short lived because injured defensemen thankfully came back. he played solidly, in his usual way, minus the boneheaded penalties. highlight of his season was his two minute long dust-up with Cam Janssen on the Leafs-Devils rematch following Janssen's late hit on Kaberle. Score: B
26 Ben Ondrus: last year, Ondrus was called up and immediately looked like a faster Tie Domi. he didn't improve much during his handful of starts. we have many depth players that can serve the role he plays and do it better (Kilger, Battaglia, Devereaux). Score: C+
48 Jeremy Williams: was called up for 4 games, played 3. scored on his first shot, just like he scored on his first and only shot in the final game of last season. for a brief moment, he had a 1.000 shooting percentage on 2 shots on goal. he quickly cut that in half by taking two more shots that were stopped. oh wells, he will be a welcome addition in a few more years; as we all know, we could do with a lot more scoring wingers. Score: B
i think that's everyone.
