Puck You! The Legend Returns
Thursday, April 20, 2006
THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 2005/06 SEASON IN A NUTSHELL
Before the playoffs begin, let's reflect on the Toronto Maple Leafs season. As disappointing as it is for the Leafs faithful to miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 1998, the season wasn't actually all bad.
First off, a few positives:
1. A playoff push down the stretch - sure, they didn't make the playoffs, but they managed to finish 7-1-2 their final ten games to, at least, make things interesting. They could've easily called it a season after a couple losses to Montreal in March set them back, but they had a strong April that had Tampa Bay and Atlanta looking behind their backs, and they ended up ninth in the standings, two points behind the Lightning. As a Leafs fan, I could at least take a little consolation with the fact they played with the sort of heart and desire they were missing most of the season.
2. J.S. Aubin - he returned to the sort of form he had while he played in Pittsburg, and his confidence between the pipes was vital in Toronto's push down the stretch. He's already under contract next year, which is a positive for the Leafs, who will likely buy out the remainder of Ed Belfour's contract. Hmm, maybe the Eagle will finally retire now. With Justin Pogge already signed as well, the future between the pipes looks bright for the buds.
3. The play of the youngsters - with injuries to vetrans like Eric Lindros and Jason Allison down the stretch the Leafs were forced to throw a little speed and inexperience into the lineup. The Leafs realized taking chances on youngsters can pay off. With Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf stealing the spotlight, rookies like Kyle Wellwood and his 45 points were under the shadow. But Wellwood was an exciting player to watch. Matt Stajan, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Alex Steen and Ian White were also strong down the stretch.
4. Bryan McCabe - what a season this guy had. The veteran defenceman missed nine games, but still amassed 68 points. I believe had he played in every game this season, he'd of scored more points than Nicklas Lidstrom.
5. The late surging Mats Sundin - I believe the play of the Leafs star was the biggest factor behind their strong play down the stretch. Where was this sort of performance the rest of the season? Obviously skating around faster skaters helped him get his legs back, but I also believe he just never got warmed up until towards the end.
Sounds like an awful lot of positives for a non-playoff team. Well I always try and see the glass half full. But here's some disappointments.
1. Ed Belfour - The Eagle returned for another year, and while he wasn't healthy all season, he still struggled with consistency. He's steps away from retirement I hope.
2. Eric Lindros - what a bust of a signing this was. Even when he was healthy he had 22 points in 33 games, which are pretty disappointing stats. Even with his history with concussions, Lindros should be a point-a-game kind of guy.
3. Pat Quinn - relieved of his coaching duties today, I'm relieved to see that the Leafs have finally cut somebody loose, although I don't particularly like John Ferguson and would like to see him out as well. As much respect as I have for Quinn and his record, his time is up and it's time to get a fresh face behind the bench. He was 300-196-52-8 with the Leafs, which ain't bad.
4. The trade deadline - the Leafs were pretty much quiet the whole day, only to pull the trigger and land Luke Richardson! Now, why would they go with a washed up defenceman? Oh yeah, because they don't have enough veterans on their team. They need another old guy to keep the few younger players in line. I honestly think the Leafs should have been a little more aggressive at the deadline, even though they were a few points out of a playoff spot at the time. Change isn't a bad thing. Look at how the team performed down the stretch when regulars Eric Lindros and Ed Belfour were out of the lineup.
5. Undisciplined play - Too many times this season the Leafs got frustrated and lost their composure. I agree it's good to stir things up time to time, but they got out of hand at times. Also, where was Tie Domi this season? I heard he had about as many fights as goals, with like five goals and six fights, or something like that.
That's my ranting for now. Nick, I challenge you to do the same thing, but with the Canucks season. We're all interested on how a a true Vancouver Canucks fan would look at their season.
Before the playoffs begin, let's reflect on the Toronto Maple Leafs season. As disappointing as it is for the Leafs faithful to miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 1998, the season wasn't actually all bad.
First off, a few positives:
1. A playoff push down the stretch - sure, they didn't make the playoffs, but they managed to finish 7-1-2 their final ten games to, at least, make things interesting. They could've easily called it a season after a couple losses to Montreal in March set them back, but they had a strong April that had Tampa Bay and Atlanta looking behind their backs, and they ended up ninth in the standings, two points behind the Lightning. As a Leafs fan, I could at least take a little consolation with the fact they played with the sort of heart and desire they were missing most of the season.
2. J.S. Aubin - he returned to the sort of form he had while he played in Pittsburg, and his confidence between the pipes was vital in Toronto's push down the stretch. He's already under contract next year, which is a positive for the Leafs, who will likely buy out the remainder of Ed Belfour's contract. Hmm, maybe the Eagle will finally retire now. With Justin Pogge already signed as well, the future between the pipes looks bright for the buds.
3. The play of the youngsters - with injuries to vetrans like Eric Lindros and Jason Allison down the stretch the Leafs were forced to throw a little speed and inexperience into the lineup. The Leafs realized taking chances on youngsters can pay off. With Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf stealing the spotlight, rookies like Kyle Wellwood and his 45 points were under the shadow. But Wellwood was an exciting player to watch. Matt Stajan, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Alex Steen and Ian White were also strong down the stretch.
4. Bryan McCabe - what a season this guy had. The veteran defenceman missed nine games, but still amassed 68 points. I believe had he played in every game this season, he'd of scored more points than Nicklas Lidstrom.
5. The late surging Mats Sundin - I believe the play of the Leafs star was the biggest factor behind their strong play down the stretch. Where was this sort of performance the rest of the season? Obviously skating around faster skaters helped him get his legs back, but I also believe he just never got warmed up until towards the end.
Sounds like an awful lot of positives for a non-playoff team. Well I always try and see the glass half full. But here's some disappointments.
1. Ed Belfour - The Eagle returned for another year, and while he wasn't healthy all season, he still struggled with consistency. He's steps away from retirement I hope.
2. Eric Lindros - what a bust of a signing this was. Even when he was healthy he had 22 points in 33 games, which are pretty disappointing stats. Even with his history with concussions, Lindros should be a point-a-game kind of guy.
3. Pat Quinn - relieved of his coaching duties today, I'm relieved to see that the Leafs have finally cut somebody loose, although I don't particularly like John Ferguson and would like to see him out as well. As much respect as I have for Quinn and his record, his time is up and it's time to get a fresh face behind the bench. He was 300-196-52-8 with the Leafs, which ain't bad.
4. The trade deadline - the Leafs were pretty much quiet the whole day, only to pull the trigger and land Luke Richardson! Now, why would they go with a washed up defenceman? Oh yeah, because they don't have enough veterans on their team. They need another old guy to keep the few younger players in line. I honestly think the Leafs should have been a little more aggressive at the deadline, even though they were a few points out of a playoff spot at the time. Change isn't a bad thing. Look at how the team performed down the stretch when regulars Eric Lindros and Ed Belfour were out of the lineup.
5. Undisciplined play - Too many times this season the Leafs got frustrated and lost their composure. I agree it's good to stir things up time to time, but they got out of hand at times. Also, where was Tie Domi this season? I heard he had about as many fights as goals, with like five goals and six fights, or something like that.
That's my ranting for now. Nick, I challenge you to do the same thing, but with the Canucks season. We're all interested on how a a true Vancouver Canucks fan would look at their season.
