As we all know the past two seasons of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey have been headlined by monumental collapses, both in single game (the game that shall not be named) and in the well documented final 14 games of last season that saw the buds go 2-12-0 and free fall out of a playoff spot, in a fashion that only the Leafs could.This past weekend the Leafs played back to back games on Saturday and Sunday, with both games showing two very different Leaf teams. After Saturday night's loss to the Pens, a game which epitomized the entire 13/14 season in a 60 minute game, the Leafs came out against the Rangers and played lights out, chasing Henrik Lundqvist from the net (not a small feat by any stretch of the imagination) As giddy as Leafs nation was after the Rangers win, personally it left me with an uneasy feeling of "here we go again"
Don't get me wrong, I was as pleased with Sunday nights victory as the next blue and white blooded fan. However one word stuck in my mind throughout my analysis of the past weekend, inconsistency. Inconsistency has plagued the Leafs for the better part of the post lockout (2004) era. Many theories have arisen in regards to what is the cause of all of these record setting debacles. Whether coaching, the players, or the culture of the franchise, each aspect has played a role in the demise of the previous two seasons.
The most mind boggling move the Leafs neglected to make this offseason was the firing of Randy Carlyle (insert Carlyle rant here) a move that not only was negative for the players, but one that aids in the narrative of what a joke the Leafs management is. Giving an extension to a coach that has been at the helm for two seasons, with the most recent season ending in more misery than the shortened season, a task that seemed impossible, but then again nothing appears to be impossible for the Leafs (except of course making the playoffs on a regular basis) every game when the camera flashes to a shot of Carlyle the only I see is an uninspiring guy, standing behind the bench , keeping it warm for his inevitable replacement, yet another opportunity for The league to point and laugh at the disarray of our management structure. It is abundantly clear Carlyle is not in control of his lineup or roster moves any longer (see Marlies for Orr and McLaren) so why keep him around ? Because the Leafs....that's why.
Now I cannot in good conscience complete this article without of course placing some blame on the players, after all they are the ones making the money, and tasked to actually do the job of putting the puck in the net, and preventing the puck from going in the net. However , after we all watched HBO 24/7 last season, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that these players just don't want to listen to Carlyle. The bottom line is, the Leafs are a more talented team than the last two years would lead us to believe, get a decent coach in there, with some stability in the front office, and stop making the team and organization as a whole, the punch line for jokes that we all have to hear throughout the season.
To wrap it all up, it is my firm belief that as long as Carlyle is behind the bench, the Leafs will be poised for inconsistency and further collapses. Hopefully I am I horribly wrong, but there is no evidence to support any different outcome. Here's hoping for a win against the Avs tonight, hopefully we see the better side of this Jekyll and Hyde team for tonight's matchup ! Stay positive Leafs nation, after all, no matter what, we are all in this together!
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