As a Habs fan it's easy to take glee in what is becoming of the Leafs playoff hopes, but it is getting to the point were I am starting to feel empathetic to their current struggles. Their current losing streak could not have come at a worst time, as they currently sit tied for a wildcard spot but have played 2 more games than the other 3 teams that are in contention (Columbus, Detroit and Washington).
It's easy to throw blame around for their recent woes: Bernier is hurt, Reimer hasn't played well, Phaneuf lacks leadership which affects the team, but those are just excuses to deflect from the bigger problem at hand. Injuries happen, Reimer has come back down to earth and it doesn't help that management (and idiotic fans) aren't helping his confidence, and the fact that Phaneuf didn't talk after a lost doesn't mean squat about his leadership abilities or the team's recent slide.
The real problem has to do with coaching. It's no secret that the Leafs have been outshot for a majority of their games, yet having superb goaltending has help the Leafs so much this season. Currently, the Leafs are 29th in the league shots for percentage, barely ahead of the least place Sabres. Just look through their Extra Skater page and you'll see this should not be a team in the playoff hunt. Yet for all of their faults, none of them lie on the coach. Carlyle has been near bulletproof when it has come to the failures of this team - I do suspect that it's a combination of having great goaltending along the way and the fact that he came after a coach that was run out of town by fans and media alike.
On paper, this is a team that probably makes the playoffs more times than not, but the way they play hinders that. If they don't turn it around soon and end up out of the playoffs before season's end, then don't be surprise to hear "FI-RE RAN-DY" throughout the ACC.
Aalto Puck
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| (Image via aaltopuck.com) |
While it's unlikely that this will be anything more than a project, it's a cool thing to try. Basically everything else in hockey has been tampered with in order to increase scoring, yet the puck has remained untouched. The inherent randomness of the puck though doesn't lend itself to a guaranteed increase in scoring. Their website has a form that you can fill out and receive one of these pucks for free, as long as you send them pictures/videos of the puck in action. Definitely something to check out if you have the time/resources to do so (wish I did).
Lineup Notables
Montreal Canadiens vs. Florida Panthers
Montreal: Brandon Prust (upper body), Travis Moen (upper body), Dale Weise (upper body) and Josh Gorges (hand) are out. Carey Price will start.
Florida: Jonathan Huberdeau (lower body), Tomas Kopecky (upper body), Aleksander Barkov (knee), Alex Petrovic (upper body), Tom Gilbert (hernia) and Roberto Luongo (neck) are out. Dan Ellis will have/cause problems in net.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Henrik Zetterberg (back), Stephen Weiss (hernia), Mikeal Samuelsson (shoulder), Justin Abdelkader (leg), Daniel Cleary (knee) and Jonathan Ericsson (finger) are out. Jimmy Howard gets the start.
Toronto: Paul Ranger (concussion) is out. Jonathan Bernier will be in net.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Vancouver Canucks
Anaheim: Sheldon Souray (wrist), Cam Fowler (sprained MCL) and Marc Fistric (lower body) are out. Frederik Andersen might start.
Vancouver: Henrik Sedin (lower body), Mike Santorelli (shoulder), Chris Tanev (finger) and Andrew Alberts (concussion) are out. Eddie Lack will probably be in net.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Los Angeles Kings
Winnipeg: Chris Thorburn (foot), Mark Scheifele (knee), James Wright (ankle), Zach Bogosian (lower body) and Grant Clitsome (back) are out. Ondrej Pavelec may start tonight.
Los Angeles: The Kings are healthy. Jonathan Quick will start.
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