The Leafs Report Card At The Halfway Mark
Sheesh, we're already at the halfway mark in the NHL season....My, how time flies! Below is my synopsis/report card from the beginning of the season (excluding pre-season) up until now.
Defence: C+
Although somewhat experienced, still lacking a stay-at-home defenceman. Hal Gill is the only defenceman who rarely rushes, but frequently makes mistakes which sometimes proves costly in close games. His long stick reach is a definite asset but his speed is lacking...If he makes a mistake, he seems to have trouble recovering. His penalty killing is fantastic, he is strong in front of the net and rarely takes risks. Injuries have plagued the defensive core, with the latest injury to young defensman Ian White. It is hard to stay strong in the back end when regaular defencemen like Kaberle and McCabe have to continously adapt to new partners on the blue line almost every game. And yes, I mentioned McCabe...Now here is a player who impressed last season, and some games earlier this year....However, what has happened? Maybe it was the long term contract he signed? But he's lacking the drive and apparently lost some defensive talent as well....It almost looks like he is struggling to keep up with the play on most shifts, and his passing has become atrocious. He has potential to be one of the top scoring defensmen in the league, however, I feel that he is lacking the drive! And then there is Kubina...A once point getter on defence has slowly faded into the background. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing...He's a pretty strong defenseman and not noticing him so much while he is on the ice is a good thing...This means to me that he's not making big mistakes which stand out. For the rest of the defense, they are young and will improve after each and every NHL game they appear in...Problem is, we are currently fighting for a playoff spot...They need to improve fast!
Forwards: B-
Once again, injuries are playing a big role....Great news for the Marlie players, but not for our experience up front! Good ole' Mats Sundin, our captian has come into a zone. I will admit that I was once not a fan of his, but he's shown some good grit and determination on the ice. Jeff O'Neil is slowly gaining his old form of scoring goals....Could it be because of Maurice and his familiarity with his coaching style? Whatever it is, it's working! John Pohl is a streak player...But on the bright side, even when he is not on one of his point streaks, he continues to play hard and grind out plays in the corner. He's gonna be a good one...With some time of course. Some other forwards which have stood out for me...Ponikarovski (as he always does), Steen (even though he's had a slow start) and Kilger. Stajan, what has happened to him this year? I guess not everybody strives under a new head coach. But I do believe that he'll come around in the second half. The loss of Mike Peca is huge! He is such a great penalty killer. And as much as I'm not a fan of Green, he will help us penalty kill, and provides a little more grit alongside Belak (who to be honest, is having a great season). He plays hard and with emotion. I say, keep him a forward, he's not a defenseman!
Goaltending: C-
Raycroft? Really?!?! What about Tellqvist?!?! Oh I know, trade him away and watch him flourish with another team! I think he's a fan favourite in Phoenix, and good for him...He deserves the attention after being treated as second best with the Leafs....And I couldn't believe that he was actually fighting for the second best job against Aubin at the beginning of this season. Aubin won...Fair enough....And I think wether it be Aubin or Tellqvist, way better than Raycroft. Okay, to give Raycroft some credit, he has stood on his head for a few games so far...But where's the consistency? But the media keeps saying that we haven't given him a fair chance...Well, we're running out of chances! If Raycroft were to hold onto the puck instead of giving up so many rebounds, he'll not only help his GAA, but he'll help the team!
Well, that's the way I see it....Overall, a C+. And since we're sitting in 10th place in our conference, I would say a C+ is pretty acurate. Next game, Saturday Jan. 27th...Go Leafs Go!
Cheers!
Defence: C+
Although somewhat experienced, still lacking a stay-at-home defenceman. Hal Gill is the only defenceman who rarely rushes, but frequently makes mistakes which sometimes proves costly in close games. His long stick reach is a definite asset but his speed is lacking...If he makes a mistake, he seems to have trouble recovering. His penalty killing is fantastic, he is strong in front of the net and rarely takes risks. Injuries have plagued the defensive core, with the latest injury to young defensman Ian White. It is hard to stay strong in the back end when regaular defencemen like Kaberle and McCabe have to continously adapt to new partners on the blue line almost every game. And yes, I mentioned McCabe...Now here is a player who impressed last season, and some games earlier this year....However, what has happened? Maybe it was the long term contract he signed? But he's lacking the drive and apparently lost some defensive talent as well....It almost looks like he is struggling to keep up with the play on most shifts, and his passing has become atrocious. He has potential to be one of the top scoring defensmen in the league, however, I feel that he is lacking the drive! And then there is Kubina...A once point getter on defence has slowly faded into the background. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing...He's a pretty strong defenseman and not noticing him so much while he is on the ice is a good thing...This means to me that he's not making big mistakes which stand out. For the rest of the defense, they are young and will improve after each and every NHL game they appear in...Problem is, we are currently fighting for a playoff spot...They need to improve fast!
Forwards: B-
Once again, injuries are playing a big role....Great news for the Marlie players, but not for our experience up front! Good ole' Mats Sundin, our captian has come into a zone. I will admit that I was once not a fan of his, but he's shown some good grit and determination on the ice. Jeff O'Neil is slowly gaining his old form of scoring goals....Could it be because of Maurice and his familiarity with his coaching style? Whatever it is, it's working! John Pohl is a streak player...But on the bright side, even when he is not on one of his point streaks, he continues to play hard and grind out plays in the corner. He's gonna be a good one...With some time of course. Some other forwards which have stood out for me...Ponikarovski (as he always does), Steen (even though he's had a slow start) and Kilger. Stajan, what has happened to him this year? I guess not everybody strives under a new head coach. But I do believe that he'll come around in the second half. The loss of Mike Peca is huge! He is such a great penalty killer. And as much as I'm not a fan of Green, he will help us penalty kill, and provides a little more grit alongside Belak (who to be honest, is having a great season). He plays hard and with emotion. I say, keep him a forward, he's not a defenseman!
Goaltending: C-
Raycroft? Really?!?! What about Tellqvist?!?! Oh I know, trade him away and watch him flourish with another team! I think he's a fan favourite in Phoenix, and good for him...He deserves the attention after being treated as second best with the Leafs....And I couldn't believe that he was actually fighting for the second best job against Aubin at the beginning of this season. Aubin won...Fair enough....And I think wether it be Aubin or Tellqvist, way better than Raycroft. Okay, to give Raycroft some credit, he has stood on his head for a few games so far...But where's the consistency? But the media keeps saying that we haven't given him a fair chance...Well, we're running out of chances! If Raycroft were to hold onto the puck instead of giving up so many rebounds, he'll not only help his GAA, but he'll help the team!
Well, that's the way I see it....Overall, a C+. And since we're sitting in 10th place in our conference, I would say a C+ is pretty acurate. Next game, Saturday Jan. 27th...Go Leafs Go!
Cheers!
posted by Checkstr :) @ 10:50 PM
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