Even Toskala Can't Save The Leafs Now

If you told the team at the beginning of the season to lose as many games as possible in the third period, they wouldn't have as many third period collapses as they do. There was a point in the season when these third period collapses frustrated me as a fan, but now I'm all about them. It's actually kind of impressive. I don't know how many they have (no idea where I'd find a stat like that) or what the all-time record is, but if they don't smash it, I'd be very surprised. Of 29 losses this year, my conservative estimate of 3rd period collapses is 12.

Their penchant for losing in the third is one of the most bizarre stats in the NHL. The team competes in - and often leads - every game until the third. Then, it's 9/11 time. Complete fucking collapse. For every fan that still wishes the team would make the playoffs - cause, you know, anything can happen, man - think about the amount of losses have come from third period bedshittings. The team constantly loses games when they count. Now, extrapolate those losses into the playoffs, when every minute counts. The team is incapable of playing when it's all on the line. It does this team no good to make the playoffs, they'd get murdered. 'Tis better to miss them altogether; the team will be better for it going forward.


Last night it was powerplay goals that did them in. Marleau scored at the end of a Boyd Devereaux slashing penalty. Then Rivet scored on a 5 on 3 while 5 on 3 boner maker Hal Gill was in the box. After the Sharks tied it up in the third, you had to see the loss coming. I mean, the Leafs' third period losing skillz aside, the Sharks are a really fucking good team that was playing at home with all the momentum.

Dominic Moore played his first game as a Leaf in place of Rock n Roll Johnny Pohl. Moore didn't really impress but had limited icetime. I really like him in the lineup over Pohl as the 4th line centre. Pohl has some offensive upside but has shown none of it this year. Moore can contribute the same offense as Pohl (i.e. almost none) but is ridiculously better defensively.

It seems the ridiculous Alex-Steen-as-a-powerplay-point-man experiment is over. Thank fuck. Alex Steen is a waste of a uniform on the point. Pavel Kubina offers so much more that I almost poisoned Paul Maurice's dog for trying Steen out in his place. Maurice's thinking was that Steen's left-handed shot is better suited to play with Kaberle. That much I understand, but if it's a shot he wants, has he forgotten that Chad Kilger has the hardest slapshot in the history of the NHL? I'm not condoning Kilger on the PP, but why pick Alex Steen over the several players with better shots? Moreover, why didn't this experiment happen earlier, when Mark Bell was still in the lineup? Bell has a wealth of experience on the point and his shot makes Steen's look vegetarian.

Kubina on the point gives the Leafs an amazing option. He can sneak in from the point as well as anyone in the game. Not only that, sometimes he'll just stay there, which is something no Leaf forward does all that well. Kubina on the right side is a boner in the making. With him there, the Leafs powerplay can feature only 1 d-man (Kaberle) up high and 4 players down low, overloading the penalty killing unit. The defence thus can't cover Kaberle, who becomes free top dish the puck around.

Maybe my ideas won't work - I'm not suggesting anything ground-breaking - but when your powerplay is 27th ranked at 14%, aren't changes necessary? I can't even begin to understand why Maurice isn't using Kubina's PP talent.

Post Script: Justin Pogge didn't suit up for the Leafs, as Andrew Raycroft backed up Toskala. I'll say it again, why call him up? Was/is there something on the table that would see Raycroft's tenure with the Leafs end? I fuckin' hope so.

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