CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

“Looking at trade options,” Burke said. “If that fails, I will start shipping money to the minors.”

Brian Burke was blaming his players for the Leafs’ five straight losses and last place standing.  Carolina had just defeated Toronto to evade that dubious distinction.

“I don’t think anybody’s happy with our record,” coach Ron Wilson commented, “and some players haven’t performed as well as we had hoped they would. Inevitably, changes will be made. They know that. There’ll be a point, whether we have to make some personnel changes or bring up some of the younger people who were very successful in training camp. That will be Brian’s decision…Probably shortly.”

“We’re in last place,” Wilson continued. “We need more commitment from a few people who are feeling sorry for themselves. If they don’t get the puck out and I sit them down for a minute they think it’s not right.”

The above table lists the Leafs’ Top 10 offensive players last season, and shows their stats for 2008-09 and for 2009-10 – so far this year.

There are a number of Leafs who aren’t playing to the level – this season – that they did last year.

It’s not just the players – in my opinion – that are the problem.

It’s as much the coach. And the GM.

The players have tuned out Wilson’s negative rantings: as did the players in Anaheim, Washington and San Jose.

And Brian Burke isn’t the hockey genius that he thinks he is.

Burke traded Nik Antropov and got Garnet Exeby for Pavel Kubina. Exeby has been so terrible that he’s only dressed for 10 games so far this campaign.

On July 1st, 2009, Burke signed Colton Orr to a 4 year, $4 million dollar contract. Meanwhile, Dominic Moore – who had centred the first line with Jason Blake – signed a 1 year $1.1 million deal with the Florida Panthers.

The two Dmen that Burke signed as free agents: Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin are both -9.

I think that the Leafs should start by firing their coach…and then their GM….

*****

picture courtesy of cbc.ca