Jesus ShitChrist.
Coach Maurice gave Andrew Raycroft the start last night so as to rest Vesa Toskala for Saturday's match against his former team, the SJ Sharks. The result? 4 goals on 11 shots in the first period against the worst team in the league. Raycroft didn't return for the second. Translation: not only did he let his team down last night - giving them an insurmountable lead to overcome - he also kinda fucked them over for Saturday, as Toskala (fresh from a groin injury) isn't as rested as the team wants him to be.
What a failure.
Andy, it's one thing to Raycroft yourself, your #1 status, and your career in general, but please, please don't Raycroft the team anymore. Take your molester moustache and head for the mountains. No, seriously; head for the mountains.
I am both PO'ed and happy about the current state of the Leafs. The last month has been just brutal to witness. Nobody on the team is playing great hockey. Some are playing decently, sure, but no one is tearing it up. The team is 2-7-1 (2-8) in their last 10 games, and to be honest, it has seemed a whole lot worse than 2-8 while watching the games. The team has been outscored 19-6 during its latest four game losing streak.
Now the good. The team is obviously not built to compete in (or make, for that matter) the playoffs. The team's terrible play may be their natural defense against being stuck in Leafs limbo; being an average team that is never built to win, nor bad enough to land quality draft choices. Being terrible by accident (i.e. during a season in which the team thought they'd compete) is probably the best thing for the team. Management is quite obviously unwilling to voluntarily change its strategy, but the collective mediocrity of the team is effectively making the decisions for them lately.
The Leafs will not make the playoffs this year (tear). And, keeping that in mind, isn't it far better to finish as low as possible in the standings? Lower in standings means higher in draft order in July's entry draft. High draft picks are how good teams become good in a salary cap world. Newly drafted players make terrible money for their first 3 seasons, and most experts believe these to be the key to icing a quality team. Veterans that are free to chase the highest contract are often too expensive. Quality noobs are the way to go.
In Pittsburgh, all of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Kris Letang - still on their entry level contracts - make less combined than Penguins' highest paid player, Sergei Gonchar. Or, if you'd rather have Leafs examples: Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin, Pavel Kubina, Jason Blake, and Tomas Kaberle all make more this season that the Pens' core of four noobs do. Chicago is another good example: Pat Kane, Jonathan Toews, Cam Barker, and Dustin Byfuglien all add up to less than any of the abovementioned Leafs.
Drafting high both rewards a team with high-end talent - something the Leafs haven't seen in a very long time* - and low salaries. It's a win/win situation for the Leafs...assuming they continue to lose. But let's be honest with ourselves: it's the Leafs. They are to losing what the maker of this sign is to genius.
* - Players such as Kyle Wellwood, Alex Steen, Matt Stajan, Jiri Tlusty, and Justin Pogge are all recent examples of average to slightly above average talent that has been presented to Leafs Nation as high end talent. None of the forwards listed have ever had first line potential, and the jury is still out on Pogge's potential. Leafs fans are so used to being excited about average talent that the concepts of drafting the best player in his age group, or owning the best player in the league are totally foreign.
Coach Maurice gave Andrew Raycroft the start last night so as to rest Vesa Toskala for Saturday's match against his former team, the SJ Sharks. The result? 4 goals on 11 shots in the first period against the worst team in the league. Raycroft didn't return for the second. Translation: not only did he let his team down last night - giving them an insurmountable lead to overcome - he also kinda fucked them over for Saturday, as Toskala (fresh from a groin injury) isn't as rested as the team wants him to be.
What a failure.
Andy, it's one thing to Raycroft yourself, your #1 status, and your career in general, but please, please don't Raycroft the team anymore. Take your molester moustache and head for the mountains. No, seriously; head for the mountains.
I am both PO'ed and happy about the current state of the Leafs. The last month has been just brutal to witness. Nobody on the team is playing great hockey. Some are playing decently, sure, but no one is tearing it up. The team is 2-7-1 (2-8) in their last 10 games, and to be honest, it has seemed a whole lot worse than 2-8 while watching the games. The team has been outscored 19-6 during its latest four game losing streak.
Now the good. The team is obviously not built to compete in (or make, for that matter) the playoffs. The team's terrible play may be their natural defense against being stuck in Leafs limbo; being an average team that is never built to win, nor bad enough to land quality draft choices. Being terrible by accident (i.e. during a season in which the team thought they'd compete) is probably the best thing for the team. Management is quite obviously unwilling to voluntarily change its strategy, but the collective mediocrity of the team is effectively making the decisions for them lately.
The Leafs will not make the playoffs this year (tear). And, keeping that in mind, isn't it far better to finish as low as possible in the standings? Lower in standings means higher in draft order in July's entry draft. High draft picks are how good teams become good in a salary cap world. Newly drafted players make terrible money for their first 3 seasons, and most experts believe these to be the key to icing a quality team. Veterans that are free to chase the highest contract are often too expensive. Quality noobs are the way to go.
In Pittsburgh, all of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Kris Letang - still on their entry level contracts - make less combined than Penguins' highest paid player, Sergei Gonchar. Or, if you'd rather have Leafs examples: Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin, Pavel Kubina, Jason Blake, and Tomas Kaberle all make more this season that the Pens' core of four noobs do. Chicago is another good example: Pat Kane, Jonathan Toews, Cam Barker, and Dustin Byfuglien all add up to less than any of the abovementioned Leafs.
Drafting high both rewards a team with high-end talent - something the Leafs haven't seen in a very long time* - and low salaries. It's a win/win situation for the Leafs...assuming they continue to lose. But let's be honest with ourselves: it's the Leafs. They are to losing what the maker of this sign is to genius.
* - Players such as Kyle Wellwood, Alex Steen, Matt Stajan, Jiri Tlusty, and Justin Pogge are all recent examples of average to slightly above average talent that has been presented to Leafs Nation as high end talent. None of the forwards listed have ever had first line potential, and the jury is still out on Pogge's potential. Leafs fans are so used to being excited about average talent that the concepts of drafting the best player in his age group, or owning the best player in the league are totally foreign.
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