Continuing the evaluation of the Maple Leafs, we move from the players to those off the ice, the coaches and management.
Randy Carlyle : Toronto came off a lockout shortened 2013 season considered a success in spite of it’s surreal ending, as the club made the playoffs for the first time in nine years and forced the favored and more experienced Bruins to the brink of elimination with a group that hit and fought like Carlyle coached teams of the past, but did not play his brand of defensive hockey.
The departure of Mikhail Grabovski and additions of veterans Dave Bolland and David Clarkson were intended to help in that transition, but the two-time Stanley Cup winner’s ankle injury and the complete failiure of the prized free-agent signing to make any kind of impact essentially left Carlyle with the same club that crumbled in the final 11 minutes at the TD Garden.
The Leafs handled the goaltending duties as a 1A-1B scenario at the beginning of the season, which drew good performances out of both Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer, but there was little doubt that the coaching staff had more confidence in the newcomer than the incumbent, which showed as the leash on Reimer was noticeably shorter in games where he struggled.
Bernier was given the bulk of the starts beginning in late December and based on his solid play until mid-March when he suffered a sports hernia, that was the correct decision.
Reimer did not play with any semblance of confidence after that, which culminated with Carlyle’s infamous “Just OK… comment after the loss in Detroit. The comment represented one of the few missteps Carlyle made with the media, but was blown way out of proportion and was hardly the coach throwing his goalie under the bus.
The major mistake made throughout the season was an over reliance on a small number of players to play major minutes and not spreading out ice time more evenly, thus avoiding the fatigue and injuries that players like Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk suffered down the stretch.
There were very few nights when the Leafs fourth line played in excess of five minutes, mostly due to the use of enforcers and journeymen like Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren and Jerred Smithson or youngsters Carter Ashton and Peter Holland, who were not suited for a role as energy forwards.
On the blueline, Carlyle had little choice but to lump major minutes on Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson, as Cody Franson's play declined dramatically and Jake Gardiner continued to have problems in his own zone.
There continued to be a battle of wills between the former Norris Trophy winner and Gardiner regarding his propensity for turning over the puck and continues to struggle with winning battles in front of the net and along the boards.
That philosophical battle is symbolic of the problem that the Leafs faced last season, as the coaching staff attempted to get players who were primarily offensive-minded to play more of a two-way game, which they either did not want or were not capable of playing.
“We’re not any different as far as a coaching staff, we’re not asking players to do something that they haven’t done before.… Carlyle said in his end of the season press conference two weeks ago. “You have to play and you have to compete on the defensive side of the puck with will and commitment and we did not want to do that on a day-to-day basis.…
The March collapse was not solely the fault of Randy Carlyle, it was the fault of the entire organization, but he admittedly had a part to play in the club's demise.
Grade : C-
Outlook for 2014-15 – Changing the culture and identity of the club was clearly the focus of MLSE Chairman Tim Leiweke, new Team President Brendan Shanahan and GM Dave Nonis, the question is whether those changes can be accomplished by a re-shuffling of the roster or whether the club needs make the coach and his staff sacrificial lambs.
There has been little news emanating from the Leafs since the end of the season, while Washington and Carolina started their house cleanings over the last couple days.
Many see Carlyle as the chief cause of the club’s failings, but that was what was said about Ron Wilson 25 months ago with very much the same core group of players in place. Leiweke, Shanahan and Nonis may accept this narrative and if that is the case, they will give the Stanley Cup winning coach another chance.
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******
For Those on Twitter: Follow @mikeinbuffalo
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information click here.