The Toronto Maple Leafs GM Search

I have stumbled upon some pretty insider-y information when it comes to the Maple Leafs new GM search. With that being said,  I think it's time to step out of retirement. The Francis Report is no longer a dormant blog. We're back baby, and we're worse than ever before.

I little birdy sent me some inside information. It just happened to come from inside the Leafs organization. I need you to do me a favour though. You can't tell anyone what I am about to tell you.

Promise?

Well, a bit of a back drop here. The Leafs fired their GM, Kyle Dubas last week after the Leafs failed to make it out of the 1st round again second round. You may say "Well actually he wasn't fir" Shut up. They were bringing him back and then they didn't  because of something he did. They didn't lay him off, they didn't go their separate way mutually, plain and simple he was fired. 

Anyways, now to the juicy stuff. After one of the Jonas brother wrote an article about people crying and life as we know it is over at The Leafs offices, which may or may not be located at the Ford Performance Center, I decided to reach out to one of my contacts there to see how the search was going for a new GM.

I got a text back from my source. This shocked me as much as it did you. They sent me the top four candidates for the Leafs GM job.

Here they are in no particular order. 

Milhouse Van Houten

I'm not sure about this guy. Kinda looks like the last guy, just as nerdy too. Maybe the next guy will do a good job.

A Potato

I like this guy. He is very versatile. I feel like you could use this guy in nearly any situation. Doesn't talk much, that's an asset.  We already know he was a better GM than a couple of them out there.

If we are talking about someone coming out of retirement, then this brings us to our next candidate on the list.

Maggie the Macaque

Now, she is officially retired, she could come out of retirement and do a victory lap. She has good energy, a positive attitude, and won't take no shit from anyone, she might even throw some her self.

Tops on my list so far.

Speaking of taking no shit. The last candidate that was on the list is no slouch either. 

Sam Jackson

This BAMF right here might just be the best person on the list. Like Maggie, Sam Jackson won't take anyone's shit. He wont be pushed around by any snake GM's in the NHL. He is a great leader, assembling a world saving team in The Avengers. A++ candidate.

Now that The Francis Report is back, keep a watch for new content. But please, keep this article to your self, the information in this is super duper confidential. I can't let my source get caught.

Leafs Winning Streak a Cause for Concern?

Last seasons monumental collapse is something no Leaf fan wants to experience ever again. For the better part of the beginning of this season, the Leafs had been improving in all the areas that hindered them in the 2013/14 campaign. However, this current streak has brought up memories of last seasons hot start, and the eventual collapse The Leafs are currently on a 7-1-1 run, and all of us in Leafs nation are enjoying the current stretch of winning. However, there are far too many statistical similarities between the Leafs current streak, and last year’s hot start. The Leafs may be winning, but their play is declining, and that is concerning considering where that lead the team in 2013/14. In the last 3 games (all wins) the Leafs have been out shot 110-76, for a -34 differential, some of these shots against can be attributed to the Leafs being able to sit back on their lead, however, the Leafs sit back far too much, and this style of play is one that has come back to hurt the Leafs historically (hate to bring it up but, see Boston game 7) The Leafs have had an average shooting percentage of 13% which is unsustainable when compared to the league average 9%. One of the main reasons the Leafs have experienced success over the past two seasons is their stellar goaltending.

Prior to Saturday night, Jonathan Bernier had 9 consecutive starts for the Leafs, playing some of his best games as a Leaf. In the 9 games, Bernier had faced 303 and stopped 284 for a .937 save percentage, which is outstanding. In two of his last starts Bernier has had his best two performances during the stretch, first against Vancouver (stopping 44 of 46) then against Calgary on Tuesday. Reimer was called upon Wednesday might, in a move that had great skepticism. Reimer having not played in almost a month, had many speculating a rusty game for the Leafs backup, however it was quite the opposite , Reimer stopped 41/42 (.976 Sv. %) shots and was the sole reason the leafs were even in the game through three periods. Looking at the 9 game stretch last season, the Leafs goaltenders faced 305 shots and stopped 283 for a save percentage of .927, eerily similar to the similar stretch last season. A solid (sustainable) save percentage for an NHL goalie is about .915, if

The Leaf goaltending was playing with a .915 SV% the teams record (in both cases) without a doubt looks drastically different. In both the current streak and the streak of last season, the Leafs have been fortunate to have their goalies bailing them out with above average play, which unfortunately for them, is not sustainable through an 82 game season. Whether you are a fan of advanced stats or not, there is no denying that to win hockey games you must possess the puck.

 It goes without saying but, if you do not possess the puck, you cannot shoot it, score with it, or do anything except defend, and in the Leafs case, spend a lot of time hemmed in your own zone. Against Detroit, the Leafs had the worst single game possession percentage (26%) of any team in the league this season, low possession is something becoming a trend with this team again, and is something that cannot be ignored.

Last season through the Leafs first 9 games they were dead last in the league with a possession percentage of 43.3%, comparatively in this 9 game stretch the Leafs have a very similar, yet even worse possession percentage at 43%. Toronto finished 29th in the league with a 42.8% possession percentage, something that the team desperately needed to improve this season. Prior to this 9 game streak the Leafs had been showing improvement in their possession sitting at 47.3%, still not amazing, but an improvement nonetheless. Hopefully, with the Leafs bringing in guys like Kyle Dubas, these issues are already being brought to the attention of the team, and they're going to be fixed before we end up with another lost season.

The Leafs had been improving in their possession game prior to this 9 game run, slowly improving in managing more shots for and less against, and their goaltending wasn't forced to play at an unrealistic level. As odd as it may seem to be hoping the team can "turn in around" while in of 7-1-1 streak, the stats do not lie, and have come back to hurt the Leafs in the past. It is great to be able to watch the Leafs win, and continue to climb the eastern conference standings. However, and I hope this is not the case, we could potentially be seeing the team rewrite their collapse of last season. As Leaf fans that have experienced what we have over the past couple of years, we should enjoy when the team is winning, but realize there is more to hockey games than the final score, and during streaks like this we need to temper expectations and just take it one game at a time.

.







Follow @ByrneMGL
Follow @FrancisReport

The Contest

Seasons greetings Francis Faithful!

Here is your chance to win a nice prize from us here at The Francis Report.

What to do: Follow and Tweet one of us @FrancisReport or @ByrneMGL with #TheFrancisReport to get entered in the draw.

Don't have twitter? Thats ok! Comment on the wall of The Francis Report on Facebook with #TheFrancisReport

Do it on both Twitter and Facebook and you will get two entries into the draw.

If you can find us on any social media platform and send us #TheFrancisReport you will get additional entries per social media platform. 

We are on SoundCloud, Twitter, Facebook, and, Instagram.  Comment on this blog post with #TheFrancisReport and get another entry into the draw!

Want a bonus entry? Get someone new to send us that hash tag and get them to mention your name and we will put one entry in for you and for your new Francis Faithful member.

Good Luck!

Episode 7 - Leo to Rangers: Get Stepan'

Newest episode is out!

Our Website! www.TheFrancisReport.ca

Follow @ByrneMGL
Follow @FrancisReport

Game 1: Leaf Host Habs - Predictions

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages.  Hockey is back.  Tonight we have the Toronto Maple Leafs playing host to the Montreal Canadiens at the Air Canada Center.

This year we hope to predict each game on game day.  Mike and I will 100% accurately predict the score of every Leafs game this season.  (Psst, Mike, don't tell them about the time machine we have, not sure why we only went to mid April instead of June, we could have seen who won The Cup and made tons of money.  but O-M-G did you see who won the Superbowl?! Oh poor Payton Manning)

"But Jeff, if you predict different scores, how can you be 100% correct" Please, check your logic at the door.  This is The NHL, The Leafs, and The Francis Report, there is no such thing as this "Logic" thing you brought up.

Here we go.

Mike:  Leafs win 3-2 with Josh Leivo scoring the 1st goal.
Jeff:  Leafs win 3-2 in OT with Brandon Kozun scoring the 1st goal and Dion Phaneuf scoring the OT winner.  

We will keep track of our record all season (of course we will both be 82-0) and there might be a prize for the one who gets the most right.  Although, we will have to split the prize, because we will both be perfect in predicting all 82 games.

See you all Saturday when the Leafs host the Penguins.

Lupul, to Kessel, Top Shelf!!!!

If you are wondering, if there was 1 specific thing that I could point out to you, that is the biggest factor in the Leafs hot start of 4-1-1, I'd tell you Phil Kessel.  But in all honesty, I can't put it all on him.  He is going to share the credit with Joffrey Lupul.  So far, the two combine for 11 goals and 8 assists in 6 games this season.  They are a plus 12 together, which is a HUGE turnaround from last season where they were a -27.
 
Since Lupul was picked up by the Leafs in a trade with the Ducks on Feb 9th 2011, Kessel has become much more consistent in his scoring. 

With Joffrey Lupul, Kessel had these stats:

34 games played
19g  - .56 goals per game
21a - .62 assists per game
90pts - 1.18 points per game

 And without Joffrey Lupul:

124 games played
49g - .4 goals per game
41a - .33 assists per game
90pts - .73 points per game

As you can see from these stats, Kessel has had significant production increase since Lupul has come arrived.   The ironic part of it all, was Lupul was supposed to just come over as a large contract pick up, not as a top line player, but this trade made Burke look good, because not only did he get someone who seems to have decent chemistry with Kessel, he also got defenceman Jake Gardiner.  Gardiner is considered the Leafs top defensive prospect, and cracked the roster this training camp, but has yet to make any significant contributions to the team so far and is a +1 through 4 games so far this season.

Kessel is on pace for 95 goals and 68 assists, good for 163 points on the season.  Now, looking at these numbers, its a bit unrealistic that Kessel will break the record for most goals in a season (92, set by Wayne Gretzky in 81-82) but maybe this is the year that Kessel can get out of the 30 goal range and push up into that 40 goal range.  Either way, going by the stats, there should be an improvement in Kessel's point production.  Here's hoping his success keeps up.

Poppin' The Cherry? I Don't Think So!

There are only 2 people in hockey I dislike more than Don Cherry.  Most of my readers could probably guess that Sidney Crosby is  one of them and anyone personally close to me, would know Daniel Alfredsson is the other.

On October 6th, 2011, Don Cherry made some remarks towards a few retired players, regarding their stance on fighting in the NHL.

"The ones that I am really disgusted with ... are the bunch of pukes that fought before: Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan and Jim Thomson. (They say) 'Oh, the reason that they're drinking, (taking) drugs and alcoholics is because they're fighting.' You turncoats. You hypocrites. If there's one thing I'm not it's a hypocrite. You guys were fighters, and now you don't want guys to make the same living you did."

So Lets get this straight Stu... You, a former NHL tough guy, are upset at the fact that Cherry called you a "puke"?  Or is it that he called you out on your belief that fighting in the NHL causes drug addictions and Alcoholism?  So, tell me why you are filing a lawsuit? How are his comments "damaging and inflammatory"?  How serious do you think people actually take Don Cherry? 
I like the part where Chris Nilan says on Off The Record, that he never said that the NHL should ban fighting.  He claimed that his stance is:

"I'll clarify my statements I made about fighting once again: That I believe that the National Hockey League is in a temperance movement. They really don't like fighting, and I believe they don't want it in the game. And I've said, that if they don't want it in the game, why don't they just take it out. I've never said I wanted it out. I never said I'm against fighting. I said if they're that much against it, they put the instigator rule in, they get linesmen who get in and try and break up fights before they start, the linesmen do that because they feel like getting punched in the head today or do they do it because the league asked them to do it because they don't wanna see the fighting on TV."

 Also, Nilan said this right after:

"I don't think they should take fighting out, and I never said it. So what he says to me, and about me last night, totally caught me off guard and again, I feel he's uninformed, and honestly, I feel he owes me an apology on Hockey Night in Canada next week and Coach's Corner."

So, Chris Nilan, this quote you gave the QMI Agency early September, was misprinted? or misquoted? 

"The NHL should ban fighting because it's no longer a factor in the games," Nilan told QMI Agency."

 I got an idea.  Nilan, Grimson, and Thompson, why don't you take your baby bottles and blankies, and go bully someone else, because really, that's all you are, are a bunch of bullies who lost the spotlight and need that fast cash because you were nothing in the NHL and you're puny paychecks have run out.

Oh, Don Cherry, don't think I'm letting you off without anything.  You need to learn that you need to play nicely with people.  The ONLY reason I watch your show is because its in between periods during Maple Leafs game every week. This show should not be used for your personal agenda, to pick fights with anyone, or to call anyone out.  A great friend said:

"The show has great potential to be informing to all hockey fans; as well as, teaching kids the beauty and spirit of hockey."

 That's exactly what it should be.  Not "a show of tired rants by a old former mediocre coach"

Maybe This Year!

Greetings everyone!  I hope you all had a great summer.   I was asked the other day to give a reason why I think the Leafs are a playoff team this year.  I have thought about this long and hard to come up with my top 5 reasons why the Leafs will make the playoffs in the 2011-2012 season.  We have all waited long enough for hockey this summer, so without further delay, here are my reasons.

5.  Consistency.  Last year the leafs started off hot, going 4-0 in their 1st 4 games, but then went cold in the months ending in "er"  Once January came, the Leafs rounded out the last half of the season in the top 4 of the Eastern Conference.  Now, I know the haters are going to be like.. "But Mr. Jeff, the Leafs always go on a run near the end of the season, and miss the playoffs, why would last year make any difference?"  Which leads into my next point...

4.  Dion Phaneuf.  Dion came to the Leafs to provide a few things.  One of those things is leadership.  Once Kaberle was traded last year, Phaneuf stepped up and took this team as his own, as a captain should.  Dion had 6G & 16A from January on.  Not bad when compared to his dismal 1G 5A in the 1st half of his season.  He also was hurt for a chunk of the 1st half as well.  I expect a strong performance from the Captain this season.  He needs it and deserves it. 

3. New coaching staff. This point here may be overlooked by most people, but I think it is going to have a big impact.  While Wilson somehow keeps his job, Wilson/Burke let go of the majority of their assistant coaches and replaced them with legitimate people that can make a huge impact behind the bench. Look for the Leafs powerplay and penalty kill to rise in the standings to both being in the top 13. 

2.  Center for Kessel.  When you say the name Tim Connolly the 1st thing that pops into your head is "injuries", but what I think is "Leaf killer".  As a Leafs fan watching this guy in Buffalo for what seems like the last 20 years, he always gets those timely goals against the Leafs, just as MacArthur use to, and look what happened with MacArthur.  He plays great with Grabo and Kuli.  Expect a near full season, a very productive one at that, from the oft injured Connolly.

1.  Optimus Reim.  This is the number one reason why we are going to make the playoffs.  A lot of people are going to have this guy circled with a question mark on him because he has no real experience in the NHL.  But the one thing he does have experience with, is adversity.  He was hurt a lot in junior and had to work hard to get where he is today.  This guy is the real deal.  This guy wins 40 games this year, and his name will be mentioned in the Vezina trophy talk.  He may not win it, or even be nominated for it, but he definitely will be an honorable mention for it.

There are a few other reasons that I wanted to add to the list but there are the top 5.  Other reasons for optimism for Leaf fans is the fact that once Lupul got here, Kessel was more consistent.  The Monster has to prove himself still, look for him to push Reimer for that starting job (Monster doesn't even have a chance).  my final bonus reason is...  come on Leafers, it's been 6 seasons (7 years) since the last Maple Leafs playoff game played in TO, we NEED IT DESPERATELY!!!!  But hey, if they dont do it this year, there is always next year!