from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,
It was capped in monstrous fashion Sunday, a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Anaheim Ducks, who‘d not won in seven straight, a match Toronto led all night, 3-1 at one stage with a penalty shot chance to extend it.
Add that collapse to earlier defeats against lesser lights Arizona, Montreal, and on this trip San Jose and Los Angeles and there is further doubt cast on this new look roster that Dubas constructed and Keefe is trying to tame.
Dubas was requested for interviews after the game by various Toronto media outlets, but declined. After 10 days away, the Leafs will have time off, a Tuesday practice and an improved Philadelphia Flyers club visiting Wednesday.
Outside Scotiabank Arena, expect little support or sympathy for the GM and coach, who needed a good start this month to cleanse memories of another spring playoff defeat.
“We’re used to dealing with noises,” Keefe said with a shrug of the rough reception that awaits.
from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,
It's Dubas's time to go. He's been there long enough that this Toronto team is absolutely his, he can't blame a predecessor. He's also chosen the coach.
Found this interesting nugget on Wikipedia about Dubas. Keefe is, and had been, Dubas's coach as far back as 2011.
I am not even sure if this team as it is made up today is a playoff team.
Goaltending will always be a question mark, team defense is average a best.
The two most factors in the playoffs and the Leaf do not measure out at those positions.
Extend Doobie!
from Michel Traikos of the National Post,
Something has to give after the Toronto Maple Leafs returned home from an ugly road trip where they lost four of five games to some of the worst teams in the NHL. Right now, nothing is working for them. The stars arent producing the way theyre supposed to, the defence is allowing far too many chances and the goalies arent bailing them out like they were in the past.
Add it up and its not surprising that the Leafs are off to a 4-4-2 start. And while its not the end of the world, its also not indicative of a team that had entered the season as a top contender for the Stanley Cup.
Here are five ways to fix the problems:
1. Fire the coach
This is the one of easiest fixes that the Leafs can make. And the reason has less to do with Sheldon Keefe, who sounds like hes lost the team, and more to do with whos out there waiting for a phone call. Yes, were talking about Barry Trotz. The 60-year-old veteran coach is everything the Leafs need right now: hes structured, hes respected and he knows how to transform a high-flying offensive team into a championship contender. The only problem is firing the coach blames Keefe for all that has gone wrong. Thats not right. Still, look around the league and youll find plenty of examples where a new voice behind the bench (Philadelphia, Boston and Vegas, just to name a few) has led to positive results.
read on
I have this character flaw that when the Toronto media feels bad I feel good.
I do't think you are alone.
from Justin Bourne of Sportsnet,
The people in Toronto right now, they want their scalps. You see, when they all said of the Leafs The regular season doesnt matter after their latest playoff loss, what they meant was The regular season doesnt matter provided you play well and stay atop the division, otherwise were gonna want changes.
That part was unspoken, but pretty clearly implied.
Here's what I believe about where the Leafs are, and where they would go without changes being made. And by no changes being made, lets make it explicit and say that means without firing the coach and without trading a core player.
I still see a good team with a high ceiling. I think without any changes, they make playoffs and have a 50/50 shot in Round 1 (though with the brainworms that have grown from previous playoff failures, call it 51/49 that they lose).
Thats not a super appealing scenario, given what the Leafs have been through.
continued
There was an entire article almost implying their defense rested on badly needed improved play from Justin Holl.
When you need Justin Holl to be a top-four shutdown defenseman you dont have a well-constructed roster. And thats just one example.
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