ETOBICOKE, Ont. (Dec. 3) — Reporters that regularly cover the Toronto Maple Leafs have run out of ways to ask Ron Wilson about his job future. Many of us are now studying the question in foreign languages, just to keep things fresh.
The entire Leaf fan-base, it seems, is craving for Brian Burke to unload the beleaguered coach, yet there’s no indication such a move is being considered. If and when that changes is a daily source of wonderment among fans and media as the hockey club staggers from loss to gut-wrenching loss. Last week, many believed the Edmonton home game to be the demarcation point, but that’s been proven wrong.
During Friday’s post-practice scrum with reporters, the Leaf coach was asked a single, job-related question: What was going through his mind during the “Fire Wilson!” chants late in the 5-0 Oiler debacle. “Well, you never like to hear something like that, but it’s par for the course here with us losing,” Wilson replied. “The fans are entitled to say whatever they want.”
Many of the players on this young team are understandably hesitant to discuss their coach’s future, but veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere has no such reservation. Always a stand-up guy with the media, Giguere calmly sat and fielded all manner of questions after practice Friday. When the topic of Wilson invariably came up, he was asked about the coach’s famous temperament.
“Ron can be a bit sarcastic, but big deal,” Giguere shrugged. “I’d rather have some sarcasm than be yelled at by the coach. There’s never any screaming or tantrums from him. Everybody is different and players have to adjust to whoever is behind the bench. Other than that, look at (Wilson’s) record in the NHL. I think it’s pretty good.”
What isn’t at all good right now is the Leafs’ ability to convert scoring chances. In fact, it’s rather a Catch-22: a player wants to generate opportunites but the more he misfires, the harder it becomes to withstand the emotional burden. Incredibly, the Leafs are maintaining a pace that would see them get blanked more than 20 times this season, or one-quarter of the schedule. How any coach can remedy an issue requiring dollops of innate skill is a mystery.
That term (skill, not mystery) has rarely been affiliated with scrappy Jay Rosehill, who was summoned from the AHL Marlies and will suit up against Boston on Saturday at the Air Canada Centre. But, Wilson is hoping the additions of Rosehill and Colby Armstrong — who returns after a six-week injury layoff — will provide the Leafs enough determination and muscle to open up ice for the club’s legitimately skilled players.
And doesn’t that description generate a chuckle or two right now?
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