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Here Is Your Daily What’s Wrong With The Leafs Report
by Paul on 10/15/09 at 07:24 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
What’s so wrong with Burke’s Leafs? A better question might be: What’s right with the Leafs? The answer: Next to nothing.
Of all that is confounding, though, in this early season dive is the play of the Leafs defence. That was supposed to be the strength of the club. Francois Beauchemin, the veteran, at $4.2 million US a year. Tomas Kaberle, the puck mover, at $4.25 million a year. Mike Komisarek, the hit man, at $4.5 million a year. Luke Schenn, the rock solid kid, at $875,000 a year. Ian White, underpaid and underappreciated, at $950,00 a year. And after that, the collection of Jeff Finger, Garnet Exelby and Mike Van Ryn, the extras and the injured at $8.5 million.
An expensive, experienced NHL defence at more than $23 million for the season. One of the highest-paid bluelines in hockey. Good enough for Beauchemin to get a Team Canada summer invitation. Good enough for Kaberle and Komisarek to be considered sure things for the Olympics come February, although the Komisarek ballot has to be in some doubt now. Good enough to not lose by tennis scores most nights.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Really? The defense was considered a “strength” of the Leafs?
When compared to the forwards and goaltending on the Leafs, yeah I can buy that. Trouble is, Beauchemin left his game in Anaheim, and Komisarik is too busy playing Mr. Tough Guy. Add to that Schenn is struggling and Kaberle hasn’t looked good and you have a team that is crapping the bed on a nightly basis.
Posted by dash_pinched from Rumour Mill Bay on 10/15/09 at 10:12 AM ET
For the uninformed, personnel does not constitute defensive strength. Executing a team game plan is how a good defense is identified.
All this hoopla is knee-jerk reaction to the Toronto media hype of Burke’s defensive acquisitions. Controversy sells….or something.
If the media had doubted the Leafs all summer, there would be no rush to read the paper everyday trashing the team for over-promising.
The issue is there still has been no culture shift that is evident. No sticktogetherness. No “give it all for the team” mentality. No “100% for 60 minutes every game.”
So far, nothing has been fixed in Toronto.
Posted by ninja on 10/15/09 at 10:41 AM ET
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Really? The defense was considered a “strength” of the Leafs? You’ve got to be kidding. Only the delusional and uninformed would have considered it such.
Learn to recognize a problem before it manifests itself.
Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 10/15/09 at 09:54 AM ET