VANCOUVER (Feb. 19) – If it weren’t so utterly predictable, it might be appropriate to express alarm over the Maple Leafs total capitulation at Rogers Arena on Saturday.
But, why waste our time?
Even the most rabid follower of the Blue and White understood that confronting the white-hot Vancouver Canucks in their den had the potential to be an appalling experience, and the Leafs didn’t disappoint. They played the first period like a pack of frightened rabbits – falling behind, 2-0, before the 10-minute mark and getting out-shot, 11-4, en route to a 6-2 loss. Any person with an antique pair of binoculars could have seen this one coming.
There will be an inclination among Leaf supporters to pin the club’s embarrassing defeat solely on James Reimer, who is playing poorly in his difficult sophomore season and will probably be relegated to back-up duty for the foreseeable future. Others, of course, will implore Brian Burke to cast a spell on his managerial colleagues and pull off a miraculous trade. Best wishes to those who reside in that camp. Still others will fetch permanent markers from their office and giddily ‘X’ out each day that leads to the inevitable firing of coach Ron Wilson.
In the end, none of it will make a shred of difference.
The Maple Leafs of 2011-12 are what they are… a better overall group than any in the post-lockout era, but frighteningly erratic, and plagued, once again, by unreliable goaltending. As anyone that regularly visits this corner would know, I have unreservedly supported Reimer through his first full NHL season, given the frequent pattern of decline among second-year players, particularly those that are stopped in their tracks by a debilitating head injury two weeks into the schedule. I wrote a column last month entitled IT’S OPTIMUS REIM OR BUST – suggesting only a return to form by last season’s goaltending hero could possibly end the Leafs playoff drought. If you’re a fan of the Blue and White, you’d better start praying I’m wrong, for there’s no indication that Reimer will regain his mojo until next season at the earliest.
The result of this is two-fold: Wilson has no choice now but to lean almost exclusively on Jonas Gustavsson, hoping the Monster can perform as he did through much of Reimer’s absence early in the year, and then again during a seven-victory revival in January. If Burke isn’t comfortable with that plan – or perhaps even if he is – he’ll be seeking veteran help between the pipes before the Feb. 27 NHL trade deadline. Rest assured this would not fetch the Leafs a goalie they could build their future around (again), but such a deal nearly resulted in a miracle for Tampa Bay upon snatching 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson from the Islanders on New Year’s Day 2011; the Lightning advanced to the Eastern Conference final and extended Boston to a deciding match at the TD Garden before losing, 1-0, to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
That alone could provide impetus for Burke to acquire a journeyman before next week.
Goaltending, however, isn’t the only issue. The Leafs have been largely incapable of attaining middle-ground this season, a trend that unfolded with all its might while the club was here in western-Canada. The visitors were comatose in the early going at Calgary on Tuesday, falling behind the Flames, 2-0, by the 8:13 mark of the opening period en route to a 5-1 spanking. Less than 24 hours later – in Edmonton – the Leafs pulled a 180 and crafted a 2-0 lead just 1:38 into the game. They beat the Oilers, 4-3, on Tim Connolly’s overtime goal. Here in Vancouver, it was back to square one, yielding the first two goals before the 10-minute mark.
The loss in Calgary was consigned, by some, to jet-lag while the surrender here partly resulted from a “drained battery”, according to Wilson.
If the young, speedy Leafs could not adjust, in the opener, to one of the few time-zone issues they face – and were too tired to bother challenging the Canucks after a pair of off-days in rainy B.C. – I’m not getting overly excited about their chance of sustaining a late-season push for the playoffs. Wilson is bang-on when he says his team must play better in front of its goaltenders, whether the man between the pipes is having a good game or a bad game.
Urging a bit of uniformity from this club, however, may be nothing more than a prayer.
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