Was signing Francois Allaire the best move Burke has made as the Leafs GM? I think it's up there, right next to the Phaneuf trade.
Yet another player chooses Toronto because of Allaire.
This from a story in the Star:
"As a college graduate, Ben Scrivens can obviously do the math. And he understands the Leafs have already been adding some impressive netminders to their depth chart.
But that didn't stop the Cornell goaltending star from signing a one-year entry level contract with Toronto on Wednesday. Not when it meant a chance to work with coach Francois Allaire.
Through a connection last summer — one of Scrivens' teammates at Cornell was the son of former Swiss team coach Ralph Krueger — the 22-year-old was invited as a last-minute fill-in at an elite goaltending camp in Switzerland run by Allaire; a camp attended in the past by the likes of Jonas Hiller, David Aebischer and Martin Gerber.
Scrivens was impressed.
“(Allaire) has got the reputation he has for a good reason. You don't have that many people develop without doing a whole lot of things in the right way,” Scrivens said in a telephone interview.
“I was very happy I was given the opportunity to work with him. ... He was very influential in the past season I had. I learned a ton in one week so I'm very excited to see what I can do with him this year.”
Leafs vs. Sens - Commentary from both sides of the aisle.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query allaire. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query allaire. Sort by date Show all posts
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
THM's Day of Smugness
This place is dead and has no hopes of revival unless Don recruits new commenters and hands over the keys. I've got a kid coming in a few months and, aside from that, I'm too old for this shit.
Except when something really great comes along.
Oh hey, something DID!
So for today, start with this link, skipping (if you like) to the 2nd article and its embedded links.
http://battleofontario.blogspot.ca/search?q=allaire
Next, think to yourself: "Wait... Allaire and the Leafs just parted ways. Must've been Burke being a dumbass GM again and f'ing things up because, as Muppet has said all along, Allaire is untouchable"
Ruminating for a while on that, you'll then move on to read the daily sports news and end up here:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1258758--maple-leafs-l-affaire-allaire-turns-vicious-cox
Oh my...
"Allaire’s approach with his goalies hadn’t altered even though rule changes meant his insistence on the butterfly technique wasn’t working" (h/t to Chemmy of PPP for the easy copy+paste)
No idea how to change out the comment system anymore folks, and I don't have the energy to dig. Just follow TDT's in the side panel if things don't work.
Except when something really great comes along.
Oh hey, something DID!
So for today, start with this link, skipping (if you like) to the 2nd article and its embedded links.
http://battleofontario.blogspot.ca/search?q=allaire
Next, think to yourself: "Wait... Allaire and the Leafs just parted ways. Must've been Burke being a dumbass GM again and f'ing things up because, as Muppet has said all along, Allaire is untouchable"
Ruminating for a while on that, you'll then move on to read the daily sports news and end up here:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1258758--maple-leafs-l-affaire-allaire-turns-vicious-cox
Oh my...
"Allaire’s approach with his goalies hadn’t altered even though rule changes meant his insistence on the butterfly technique wasn’t working" (h/t to Chemmy of PPP for the easy copy+paste)
No idea how to change out the comment system anymore folks, and I don't have the energy to dig. Just follow TDT's in the side panel if things don't work.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
"You know what your problem is?"
That's a question, asked of a Leafs fan in reference to the (mis)fortunes of the Toronto club, that will be answered with:
a) "No." or b) "There is no problem."
Well, THM has the answer to that question and it lies in the subject of this next quote:
"He brings a tremendous amount of experience and I know that he will make an immediate impact [...]," said Burke.
Now whom was Burke speaking of?
Ok, let us, for a moment, forgive the failings of the Swiss cheese defense, the one-man offense, and moonlighting* coach who can't be fired until March. What is left to address?
Goaltending. But what, specifically, about the goaltending? We've talked plenty about the thus-far undeserved praise about twice-ablated Montster Jo' and the overpayment of Toskala but we've completely ignored the one guy common amongst all goaltenders (aside from playing for the Teacher's recreation squad).
"Francois Allaire" would be the answer to the above queries. Thus far untouched, I think it's time to look at what this guy has produced: two 3+ and one 4+ GAA goaltenders with a combined total of 8 wins in 28 games played. He, himself, is credited with 20 games played in his career.... in Thetford Mines. That's not even the AHL.
He's said to have been the reason Roy won two Cups. Roy was a natural talent. Good on FA to take the credit. He's said to have been the reason JSG was stellar... for a year and a half.
"The 'Allaire style' stresses sound positioning, getting down into the butterfly, and taking up as much net as possible. He has encouraged his goalies to wear the biggest allowable gear."What, exactly, did goalies do prior to the 'advent' of 'sound positining' and 'taking up as much as the net as possible? And biggest allowable gear.... maybe the guys aren't comfortable with that. Maybe, instead of presenting a stationary wall, they'd like some mobility. You know.... that might be useful in the 'new NHL'.
You want to see the team stop letting in goals? Dump Allaire.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Francois Allaire revisited.
THM, December 06, 2009:
Muppet, April 29, 2010:
Allaire has helped Burke to hedge his bets with now 5 quality goaltenders in the system. I do believe that in Giguere and Gustavsson the Leafs have the #1 and #1a tandem for next season. Of the three guys in the minors you might get one (hopefully more) who can challenge for the space on the big club soon. Now Burke has goaltending options, trading options and depth in a position that has been painful for the Leafs since Belfour left town.BUILD FROM THE GOALTENDER OUT 101Professor Burke has arrived. Sit up straight.
Today, Allaire's tenure with the Leafs
J-S Giguere
09/10: 15 GP, 7 L, 0.916 SV%, 2.49 GAA
10/11: 19 GP, 7 L, 0.899 SV%, 2.69 GAA
Jonas Gustavsson
09/10: 42 GP, 15 L, 0.902 SV%, 2.87 GAA
10/11: 22 GP, 12 L, 0.896 SV%, 3.13 GAA
Note: Losses do not count OT losses.
Only one statistic here has shown improvment: J-S Giguere's losing percentage, though total losses have remained the same. Every other statistic is trending negatively.
Don't forget class:
"BUILD FROM THE GOALTENDER OUT 101
Professor Burke has arrived. Sit up straight."
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Ahem......
Elliotte Friedman's latest 30 thoughts include, almost histerically at #13, this gem:
Seems like Allaire the Super Goalie Coach isn't so super.
"If the Maple Leafs really want to work with Jonas Gustavsson, they should consider bringing over his Swedish goalie coach, Erik Granqvist. After last year's Olympics, when Gustavsson spent time with Granqvist, he returned to Toronto with a seven-game winning streak. He started this season reasonably well, but just doesn't look comfortable with Francois Allaire's "blocking" style. It's hurting his confidence. Maybe there's another solution."
Seems like Allaire the Super Goalie Coach isn't so super.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Deadline day
It's not like we need another Trade Deadline thread on the internet, but here's a good place to mock each team's pickups or inactions.
One week ago, Leaf's GM Brian Burke indicated that he was very displeased with the Nonster and Jesus's choice in net. A few days later, Ron Wilson hung out Jo'Gus' to dry instead of reflecting on his coaching abilities. Leaf Nation finally started listening to THM and wondering if Francois Allaire was culpable in the shit goaltending of the team. In brief, the answer to that question is "yes".
Across the aisle -- or province -- Ottawa was relatively silent on the trade front and absolutely zero noise had been made with respect to goaltending.
So the Leafs were vocally in the market for a goalie; Ottawa was not. Then top BoO goaltender Craig Anderson's dinner bit him back, with a chicken causing him to slice his blocker hand and and lacerate a ligament. Verdict: Out 2 to 8 weeks. Lehner was recalled and the Auld-Lehner era began.
But wait.... the Leafs continued to tell everyone they were looking for a goalie. The Sens clearly needed insurance in net.
So what happened? The Leafs still talked. And talked. And talked. Then, on Sunday morning, they still talked. And while this continued, Brian Murray announced the Senators 2013 2nd round pick was headed to St. Louis in exchange for 6'7" giant goaltender Ben Bishop, the top performing goaltender in the AHL and a consensus NHL ready 'tender. The hockey world reacted in shock that the Leafs did not appear to have more than a 2nd rounder to send to St. Louis. One figures Leclaire will be in the blue and white soon.
In response to the acquisition of Ben Bishop, the Senators star goaltending prospect (Calder Cup MVP) Robin Lehner let in a stinker at 0:49 of the game v. the Isles. Then he proceded to earn the 1st star of the game with an extremely solid performance.
14 hours remain
As of the publishing of this post, there are just under 14 hours left before trade papers can be faxed to NHL headquarters.
Will the Leafs land a goalie? Will Nash end up in a Leaf jersey and Kadri play out the next several years on another AHL team? Or will the Leafs take on the projected role of the Senators and start thinking 6/49? Burke's personal trade deadline has been gone for a while (or so he tells people, as he likes to do). Are the Senators done moving players or will we see more movement from the only BoO GM who puts his job before his mouth?
One week ago, Leaf's GM Brian Burke indicated that he was very displeased with the Nonster and Jesus's choice in net. A few days later, Ron Wilson hung out Jo'Gus' to dry instead of reflecting on his coaching abilities. Leaf Nation finally started listening to THM and wondering if Francois Allaire was culpable in the shit goaltending of the team. In brief, the answer to that question is "yes".
Across the aisle -- or province -- Ottawa was relatively silent on the trade front and absolutely zero noise had been made with respect to goaltending.
So the Leafs were vocally in the market for a goalie; Ottawa was not. Then top BoO goaltender Craig Anderson's dinner bit him back, with a chicken causing him to slice his blocker hand and and lacerate a ligament. Verdict: Out 2 to 8 weeks. Lehner was recalled and the Auld-Lehner era began.
But wait.... the Leafs continued to tell everyone they were looking for a goalie. The Sens clearly needed insurance in net.
So what happened? The Leafs still talked. And talked. And talked. Then, on Sunday morning, they still talked. And while this continued, Brian Murray announced the Senators 2013 2nd round pick was headed to St. Louis in exchange for 6'7" giant goaltender Ben Bishop, the top performing goaltender in the AHL and a consensus NHL ready 'tender. The hockey world reacted in shock that the Leafs did not appear to have more than a 2nd rounder to send to St. Louis. One figures Leclaire will be in the blue and white soon.
In response to the acquisition of Ben Bishop, the Senators star goaltending prospect (Calder Cup MVP) Robin Lehner let in a stinker at 0:49 of the game v. the Isles. Then he proceded to earn the 1st star of the game with an extremely solid performance.
14 hours remain
As of the publishing of this post, there are just under 14 hours left before trade papers can be faxed to NHL headquarters.
Will the Leafs land a goalie? Will Nash end up in a Leaf jersey and Kadri play out the next several years on another AHL team? Or will the Leafs take on the projected role of the Senators and start thinking 6/49? Burke's personal trade deadline has been gone for a while (or so he tells people, as he likes to do). Are the Senators done moving players or will we see more movement from the only BoO GM who puts his job before his mouth?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Goaltending: Ottawa v. Toronto
Lots o' flack directed at Ian Mendes for his evaluation so I figured I'd step in and correct some things. Here we go with the goalies.
*record with Ottawa
Pascal “Hasek Pt II” Leclaire was supposed to be the starting goaltender this year and things started out that way. He was perhaps the only player in the early goings who was effective in his role. He played stellar hockey while the team in front of him failed to yield any support. What was once thought to be a groin injury occurred on a seemingly innocuous stoppage of the puck. It has since been re-evaluated as an extremely difficult to diagnose hip injury. He was playing lights-out until that unfortunate development. Leclaire was waived and has not been offered a new contract. Evaluation: No longer a factor going forward.
Curtis “Even the Irish can’t pronounce it” McElhinney had an interesting route to Ottawa. Traded by the Anaheim Ducks for Dan Ellis in a backups trade then - 5 hours later - waived by TB and subsequently collected by Ottawa as their backup going forward (who paid for him this year??). McElheinney, you may recall, has a little relationship to the Leafs goaltending history in that he was traded from Anaheim to the Ducks in exchange for Vesa “Doctor, I smell” Toastkala. McElhinney played reasonably well in the games he started. He appears to be a capable backup, but has never played more than 14 games. McElhinney is presently unsigned by the Senators and thus this Evaluation Unclear how he will be a factor going forward.
Overall, Ottawa comes out with a solid lead in net.
Coming soon...... Ron Wilson stays, Better coaches fired and a really sweet look at special teams (if The Man continues opening up internet access)!
| Name | GP | Record | SV% | GAA |
| Brian Elliott | 55 | 15-27-9 | 0.893 | 3.34 |
| Brian Elliott* | 43 | 13-19-8-3 | 0.894 | 3.19 |
| Pascal Leclaire | 14 | 4-7-7 | 0.908 | 2.83 |
| Curtis McElhinney | 7 | 3-4-0 | 0.917 | 2.56 |
| Jonas Gustavsson | 23 | 6-13-2 | 0.890 | 3.29 |
| Jean-Sub Giguere | 33 | 11-11-4 | 0.900 | 2.87 |
| James Reimer | 37 | 20-10-5 | 0.921 | 2.60 |
| Craig Anderson | 51 | 24-20-4 | 0.913 | 2.83 |
| Craig Anderson* | 18 | 11-5-1 | 0.939 | 2.05 |
*record with Ottawa
Brian “1 thru 5 holes” Elliott was traded before the trade deadline in a goalie swap for Craig Anderson. Bryan Murray is a thief. Elliott was never intended to play more than 15 to 20 games a season so it was a rough situation to be put in. We wish him well. Evaluation No longer a factor going forward.(fuck yeah, Bryan!)
Pascal “Hasek Pt II” Leclaire was supposed to be the starting goaltender this year and things started out that way. He was perhaps the only player in the early goings who was effective in his role. He played stellar hockey while the team in front of him failed to yield any support. What was once thought to be a groin injury occurred on a seemingly innocuous stoppage of the puck. It has since been re-evaluated as an extremely difficult to diagnose hip injury. He was playing lights-out until that unfortunate development. Leclaire was waived and has not been offered a new contract. Evaluation: No longer a factor going forward.
Curtis “Even the Irish can’t pronounce it” McElhinney had an interesting route to Ottawa. Traded by the Anaheim Ducks for Dan Ellis in a backups trade then - 5 hours later - waived by TB and subsequently collected by Ottawa as their backup going forward (who paid for him this year??). McElheinney, you may recall, has a little relationship to the Leafs goaltending history in that he was traded from Anaheim to the Ducks in exchange for Vesa “Doctor, I smell” Toastkala. McElhinney played reasonably well in the games he started. He appears to be a capable backup, but has never played more than 14 games. McElhinney is presently unsigned by the Senators and thus this Evaluation Unclear how he will be a factor going forward.
Jonas “The Non-ster” Gustavsson was once proclaimed by Brian Burke as ‘The best goaltender not playing in the NHL’. That’s some awesome vision on Burkie’s part. A Francois “I’m still relevant!” Allaire type goalie, The Non-ster is a questionable backup to a first year rookie. Huge misstep by Burke in signing this guy. Expect him to play portions of back-to-back games when the opponent is not one of Boston, Montreal or Ottawa. Evaluation: Could become the starter if (when) Reimer’s bubble bursts.
J.S. “I (heart) Burkie” Giguere was acquired from Anaheim for Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala. Who was the dumber GM in that situation? Draw. Will Burke’s penchant for signing and keeping his friends on payroll despite abysmal performances (more on Wilson later) keep Giguere as an option in net? Brodeur never needed pads his size. Will Giggy retire? Will he stick around as a completely unnecessary ‘assistant goalie coach’ or will he get a modest 1-2 year contract as insurance. Evaluation: Unknown factor going forward.
Note: I'm ignoring Robin Lehner for good cause: owing to the injuires to Leclaire and the resulting disaster that was Brian Elliott, Lehner was not subject to effective development for most of the year - the regular travel between Bingo & Ottawa prevented actual game-play. He cannot thus be evaluated with confidence.
The Starters
And now we arrive at the main event - the starters. First up is “future Hall of Famer”, “best rookie goalie in, well, forever”, “the Great Mormon Hope”, “It’s up to Him” James “Optimus” Reimer. Ok, he’s got a cool nickname and a pending trademark infringement suit. I admit, I was originally confused by the nickname as I would pronounce it “Ree-mer” and then giggle at the possible connotations. It wasn’t until I heard Kypreos proclaim him the real deal (he’s fuckin’ cursed now) or something to that effect, that I figured out the pronunciation. The same things are being said of Reimer that were being said of Gustavsson in April of last year, and the same things that were said of Toskala leading in to his first season. He does have a respectable SV% & GAA at .921 and 2.60 respectively. Was this just the result of the now-traditional April surge by the Leafs or he a genuine solid goalie from which we can expect similar numbers going forward? Reimer will play backup-backup for Canada at the World Championships. No other Canadian goalies were available. One interesting thing to note: Reimer isn’t a Burke guy - he was JFJ’s work. Evaluation: If he sucks next year then Jesus clearly hates the Leafs.
This brings us to the Ottawa Senators starting goalie Craig “hey Brian, I stop pucks!” Anderson. He was on Murray’s radar for sometime (Murray’s daughter lives in Colorado so Murray would watch him with some frequency) and was an intended July 1 target of the Senators. A 4 year contract at a modest valuation and no NMC/NTC makes him trade-able if things don’t work out but his numbers with the Senators bested Toronto’s All World Rookie Phenom by quite a bit and on a team with practically no quality defensive defensemen (sorry Phillips - here’s hoping for a rebound). As soon as he stepped on the ice, he was controlling the movement of his defensemen by instruction, approaching the bench to encourage/direct players during stoppages in play and making sound positional decisions. Evaluation: solid foundation in net for a multi-year rebuild.
Overall, Ottawa comes out with a solid lead in net.
Coming soon...... Ron Wilson stays, Better coaches fired and a really sweet look at special teams (if The Man continues opening up internet access)!
Monday, February 07, 2011
Ronald Regan haz a sad.
Shortly after Allaire's wunderkind Reimer earned a 6 GAA and 0.833 SV%, Phil Kessel was once again held almost solely responsible for the team's play.
When questioned about how Leaf's coach Ron Wilson has addressed his performance - quite disapointing for a perennial '40 goal man' - Kessel had this to say:
"No, me and Ron don't really talk."
There is some irony in his statement: it was made on the 100th birthday of Fmr. Pres. Ronald Regan known around the world as "The Great Communicator".
Wrong Ron.
Alas, all is well in Leaf land.
Update!!
Kessel says: "I want to be a Maple Leaf Forever".
Hug it out boys. And cue music. The lyrics are begging to be altered....
When questioned about how Leaf's coach Ron Wilson has addressed his performance - quite disapointing for a perennial '40 goal man' - Kessel had this to say:
"No, me and Ron don't really talk."
There is some irony in his statement: it was made on the 100th birthday of Fmr. Pres. Ronald Regan known around the world as "The Great Communicator".
Wrong Ron.
Alas, all is well in Leaf land.
Update!!
Kessel says: "I want to be a Maple Leaf Forever".
Hug it out boys. And cue music. The lyrics are begging to be altered....
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
GDT - Trashers and Capitals
Sens @ Caps: Brian Elliott will get the start because he's been playing well, yes, and also because the failed Bryan Murray trade experiment named Pascal Leclaire will be sitting in his front row season ticket seats wearing a ball cap. So you know, Vermette WILL be playing for Columbus in their next game and could finish the season ahead of Afraidsson in scoring. Makes one wonder doesn't it?
Thrashers @ Leafs: Gustavsson will get the start in net, along with his 7-0-0 record, 1.93 GAA, .929 SV% since the trade deadline. Pretty incredible what this guy has done after a) some time under Francois Allaire, b) some time learning a new culture/game/team and c) going heart-attack-free for a good stretch now. The Leafs newest addition, 6'5" Brayden Irwin is also with the team as of today but no word on whether that means in the line-up, as far as I can tell.
Phil Kessel will now work on making it to 35 goals, while Jason Spezza will try to get 21. Volchenkov will play maybe his last few regular season games as a Sen, while Luke Schenn will continue his recent play looking every bit the beast that Jared Cowen fans hope he might hold a candle to.
All in all I'm over-caffeinated, and also on some pain killers from back spasms, so if it's thorny conversation you're looking for today I'm your huckleberry.
Thrashers @ Leafs: Gustavsson will get the start in net, along with his 7-0-0 record, 1.93 GAA, .929 SV% since the trade deadline. Pretty incredible what this guy has done after a) some time under Francois Allaire, b) some time learning a new culture/game/team and c) going heart-attack-free for a good stretch now. The Leafs newest addition, 6'5" Brayden Irwin is also with the team as of today but no word on whether that means in the line-up, as far as I can tell.
Phil Kessel will now work on making it to 35 goals, while Jason Spezza will try to get 21. Volchenkov will play maybe his last few regular season games as a Sen, while Luke Schenn will continue his recent play looking every bit the beast that Jared Cowen fans hope he might hold a candle to.
All in all I'm over-caffeinated, and also on some pain killers from back spasms, so if it's thorny conversation you're looking for today I'm your huckleberry.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Did Toskala choose to keep sucking?
I did not know this tidbit of information until about 25 seconds ago as I was watching Leafs interactive and an interview with Gustavsson.
Vesa Toskala did not work with Francois Allaire this season. Because Vesa Toskala thought he couldn't change styles at his age and didn't want to try.
Is Toskala a moron, or is that a fair enough stance?
UPDATE: GIGUERE GETS THE START TOMORROW, and a good portion of the remaining schedule. He's officially the #1 guy.
Vesa Toskala did not work with Francois Allaire this season. Because Vesa Toskala thought he couldn't change styles at his age and didn't want to try.
Is Toskala a moron, or is that a fair enough stance?
UPDATE: GIGUERE GETS THE START TOMORROW, and a good portion of the remaining schedule. He's officially the #1 guy.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
75/25
Just over 3/4 of the season is over and tonight the teams of the BoO have begun the last 1/4 of their respective regular seasons. Each is playing their first game after the trade dealine that saw very little action on the actual day.
In Toronto, the 4th member of Hanson, AshtonKutcher Carter is Mmm Boppin' on the bench somewhere in Toronto (is he a Marlie or a Leaf?) while "the next Pronger" Keith Aulie is happy he has squinty eyes - Sooo much sun in Tampa. Maybe he's made the trip to a Ft. Lauderdale bar to watch the Leafs battle from being down 2-0. 2 goals on 2 shots to open the game. Good work, Mr. Allaire.
Ottawa is currently up 1-0 on Boston, despite Sportsnet starting out the broadcast with a 1-0 scoring for the Bruins. Ottawa's new acquisition, Matt Gilroy, is playing alongside Chris Phillips. New goaltender Ben Bishop has reported to Bingo where he'll right that ship before getting a shot with Ottawa next week (per Murray & Murray). So far, tough guy Corvo hasn't gone after 38lb lighter Kyle Turris despite threats to do so.
Enjoy the rest of the games, folks. Sens fans are wondering if Ottawa can beat Boston after losing 8 in a row. The trending answer(courtesy of self-promoting THM on @StraightFromTHM)
#YesSweCan
In Toronto, the 4th member of Hanson, Ashton
Ottawa is currently up 1-0 on Boston, despite Sportsnet starting out the broadcast with a 1-0 scoring for the Bruins. Ottawa's new acquisition, Matt Gilroy, is playing alongside Chris Phillips. New goaltender Ben Bishop has reported to Bingo where he'll right that ship before getting a shot with Ottawa next week (per Murray & Murray). So far, tough guy Corvo hasn't gone after 38lb lighter Kyle Turris despite threats to do so.
Enjoy the rest of the games, folks. Sens fans are wondering if Ottawa can beat Boston after losing 8 in a row. The trending answer
#YesSweCan
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Memories
Remember when Burke was the best executive in the NHL?
Remember when the Leafs' Top-6 was so good Kadri couldn't make the team?
Remember when the Leafs' D-corps was so good the Toronto defense was the deepest in the league?
Remember when Francois Allaire was going to make the Leafs' goaltending tandem the best 1-2 in the NHL?
I remember. Do Leaf fans?
Notice: registered commenting & an upgrade to the newest blogger template are in the works so things may do some funny things for a while until the bugs are worked out. Patience is a virtue (unless you're Brian Burke, then you'll make major changes to impress rather than making well reasoned changes to build a foundation for a long-term successful club)
Remember when the Leafs' Top-6 was so good Kadri couldn't make the team?
Remember when the Leafs' D-corps was so good the Toronto defense was the deepest in the league?
Remember when Francois Allaire was going to make the Leafs' goaltending tandem the best 1-2 in the NHL?
I remember. Do Leaf fans?
Notice: registered commenting & an upgrade to the newest blogger template are in the works so things may do some funny things for a while until the bugs are worked out. Patience is a virtue (unless you're Brian Burke, then you'll make major changes to impress rather than making well reasoned changes to build a foundation for a long-term successful club)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Ten Things
1. Several weeks back I was screaming at my TV during a Leafs game. I said "For Christ's sake Stalberg, start skating and hitting or get the Fu¢k off my team". I can't believe it worked! He has been a beast these last few games. My only regret is that I used up this magic on the Leafs instead of those GM commercials during the Olympics.
2. Kessel can't score on Thomas. One would have to assume that Thomas knows all of Kessel's moves.
3. Kessel needs more moves. Not just for Thomas but for the whole NHL. His whole MO of spinning into the slot to take a wrist shot is about as surprising as those GM commercials after the 3,467th time you saw them. "Ya ya, you're crying and here comes the windshield wipers... kill me". So come up with more moves Kessel, you god damn GM commercial.
4. I didn't realize how much I missed Grabovski. Sure he missed a wide open net and lost the puck in our zone a few times, but he throws wood on the offensive fire and isn't afraid of anything. In fact I heard that in that bar fight in Vancouver he knocked out 26 guys using only his horrific accent.
5. Gustavsson is terribly inconsistent. I suppose that's the mark of a rookie, but still, he can't just play like shit every second game and expect to win. Both him and Giguere are prone to big rebounds. Get the hell on it Allaire.
6. I can't think of one aspect of the game of hockey that Jeff Finger excels in. That guy better be really funny in the dressing room or have a pick-up truck so the other players can call him when they need to move shit around. Contribute something.
7. Dion Phaneuf will be the captain of the Maple Leafs by next December. Calgary are in a playoff spot and scoring goals. Everybody happy with that trade? Excellent!
(...and yet, I still search for the scores of Calgary's game praying they win and that the ex-Leafs helped out so that nobody will suspect that Burke absolutely took Sutter to the cleaners. Anybody else feel this way?)
8. Leafs PK has been better than 90% since January 30th and yet it remains worst in the league. 72% on the season. You have to have one friggen piss poor PK that it can be 90% for 6 weeks and not even move up to 29th in the NHL??
9. I don't even want to talk about the powerplay.
10. It's nice to see a hometown kid like Caputi score his first goal as a Leaf in front of 40 family and friends. Even if it was a tap in that was only available because of a ton of really hard work by Stalberg and Kulemin. Basically, Caputi, Leaf fans are far too damaged to be all enthralled with you because you grew up next door to Canada's Wonderland and you have a Doug Gilmour poster. Keep your head down and your ass in the gym between games. You're on a short leash!
2. Kessel can't score on Thomas. One would have to assume that Thomas knows all of Kessel's moves.
3. Kessel needs more moves. Not just for Thomas but for the whole NHL. His whole MO of spinning into the slot to take a wrist shot is about as surprising as those GM commercials after the 3,467th time you saw them. "Ya ya, you're crying and here comes the windshield wipers... kill me". So come up with more moves Kessel, you god damn GM commercial.
4. I didn't realize how much I missed Grabovski. Sure he missed a wide open net and lost the puck in our zone a few times, but he throws wood on the offensive fire and isn't afraid of anything. In fact I heard that in that bar fight in Vancouver he knocked out 26 guys using only his horrific accent.
5. Gustavsson is terribly inconsistent. I suppose that's the mark of a rookie, but still, he can't just play like shit every second game and expect to win. Both him and Giguere are prone to big rebounds. Get the hell on it Allaire.
6. I can't think of one aspect of the game of hockey that Jeff Finger excels in. That guy better be really funny in the dressing room or have a pick-up truck so the other players can call him when they need to move shit around. Contribute something.
7. Dion Phaneuf will be the captain of the Maple Leafs by next December. Calgary are in a playoff spot and scoring goals. Everybody happy with that trade? Excellent!
(...and yet, I still search for the scores of Calgary's game praying they win and that the ex-Leafs helped out so that nobody will suspect that Burke absolutely took Sutter to the cleaners. Anybody else feel this way?)
8. Leafs PK has been better than 90% since January 30th and yet it remains worst in the league. 72% on the season. You have to have one friggen piss poor PK that it can be 90% for 6 weeks and not even move up to 29th in the NHL??
9. I don't even want to talk about the powerplay.
10. It's nice to see a hometown kid like Caputi score his first goal as a Leaf in front of 40 family and friends. Even if it was a tap in that was only available because of a ton of really hard work by Stalberg and Kulemin. Basically, Caputi, Leaf fans are far too damaged to be all enthralled with you because you grew up next door to Canada's Wonderland and you have a Doug Gilmour poster. Keep your head down and your ass in the gym between games. You're on a short leash!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
trial
Name | GP | Record | SV% | GAA |
Elliott, Brian | 55 43* | 15-27-9 13-19-8-3* | .893 .894* | 3.34 3.19* |
Leclaire, Pascal | 14 | 4-7-1 | .908 | 2.83 |
McElhinney, Curtis | 7 | 3-4-0 | .917 | 2.56 |
Gustavsson, Jonas | 23 | 6-13-2 | .890 | 3.29 |
Guguere, Jean-Sebastien | 33 | 11-11-4 | .900 | 2.87 |
Reimer, James | 37 | 20-10-5 | .921 | 2.60 |
Anderson, Craig | 51 18* | 24-20-4 11-5-1* | .913 .939* | 2.83 2.05* |
*record with Ottawa
Brian “1 thru 5 holes” Elliott was traded before the trade deadline in a goalie swap for Craig Anderson. Bryan Murphy is a thief. Elliott was never intended to play more than 15 to 20 games a season so it was a rough situation to be put in. We wish him well. Evaluation No longer a factor going forward.(fuck yeah, Bryan!)
Pascal “Hasek Pt II” Leclaire was supposed to be the starting goaltender this year and things started out that way. He was perhaps the only player in the early goings who was effective in his role. He played stellar hockey while the team in front of him failed to yield any support. What was once thought to be a groin injury occurred on a seemingly innocuous stoppage of the puck. It has since been re-evaluated as an extremely difficult to diagnose hip injury. He was playing lights-out until that unfortunate development. Leclaire was waived and has not been offered a new contract. Evaluation: No longer a factor going forward.
Curtis “Even the Irish can’t pronounce it” McElhinney had an interesting route to Ottawa. Traded by the Anaheim Ducks for Dan Ellis in a backups trade then - 5 hours later - waived by TB and subsequently collected by Ottawa as their backup going forward (who paid for him this year??). McElheinney, you may recall, has a little relationship to the Leafs goaltending history in that he was traded from Anaheim to the Ducks in exchange for Vesa “Doctor, I smell” Toastkala. McElhinney played reasonably well in the games he started. He appears to be a capable backup, but has never played more than 14 games. McElhinney is presently unsigned by the Senators and thus this Evaluation Unclear how he will be a factor going forward.
Jonas “The Non-ster” Gustavsson was once proclaimed by Brian Burke as ‘The best goaltender not playing in the NHL’. That’s some awesome vision on Burkie’s part. A Francois “I’m still relevant!” Allaire type goalie, The Non-ster is a questionable backup to a first year rookie. Huge misstep by Burke in signing this guy. Expect him to play portions of back-to-back games when the opponent is not one of Boston, Montreal or Ottawa. Evaluation: Could become the starter if (when) Reimer’s bubble bursts.
J.S. “I <3 Burkie” Giguere was acquired from Anaheim for Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala. Who was the dumber GM in that situation? Draw. Will Burke’s penchant for signing and keeping his friends on payroll despite abysmal performances (more on Wilson later) keep Giguere as an option in net? Brodeur never needed pads his size. Will Giggy retire? Will he stick around as a completely unnecessary ‘assistant goalie coach’ or will he get a modest 1-2 year contract as insurance. Evaluation: Unknown factor going forward.
The Starters
And now we arrive at the main event - the starters.
First up is “future Hall of Famer”, “best rookie goalie in, well, forever”, “the Great Mormon Hope”, “It’s up to Him” James “Optimus” Reimer. Ok, he’s got a cool nickname and a pending trademark infringement suit. I admit, I was originally confused by the nickname as I would pronounce it “Ree-mer” and then giggle at the possible connotations. It wasn’t until I heard Kypreos proclaim him the real deal (he’s fuckin’ cursed now) or something to that effect, that I figured out the pronunciation. The same things are being said of Reimer that were being said of Gustavsson in April of last year, and the same things that were said of Toskala leading in to his first season. He does have a respectable SV% & GAA at .921 and 2.60 respectively. Was this just the result of the now-traditional April surge by the Leafs or he a genuine solid goalie from which we can expect similar numbers going forward? Reimer will play backup-backup for Canada at the World Championships. No other Canadian goalies were available. One interesting thing to note: Reimer isn’t a Burke guy - he was JFJ’s work. Evaluation: If he sucks next year then Jesus clearly hates the Leafs.
This brings us to the Ottawa Senators starting goalie Craig “hey Brian, I stop pucks!” Anderson. He was on Murray’s radar for sometime (Murray’s daughter lives in Colorado so Murray would watch him with some frequency) and was an intended July 1 target of the Senators. A 4 year contract at a modest valuation and no NMC/NTC makes him trade-able if things don’t work out but his numbers with the Senators bested Toronto’s All World Rookie Phenom by quite a bit and on a team with practically no quality defensive defensemen (sorry Phillips - here’s hoping for a rebound). As soon as he stepped on the ice, he was controlling the movement of his defensemen by instruction, approaching the bench to encourage/direct players during stoppages in play and making sound positional decisions. Evaluation: solid foundation in net for a multi-year rebuild.
Coming soon...... Ron Wilson stays, Better coaches fired and a really sweet look at special teams!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)