By HOWARD BERGER
BUFFALO (Oct. 29) – Perhaps the Maple Leafs should schedule 23 exhibition games next fall. They’d be able to include 21 of them as part of their subscriber package at regular-season prices and not hear a peep from the suits that lay down five and six figures to watch losing in person each year. The sheer profit consumed by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. would further engorge the retirement fund of Ontario’s aging teachers.
From purely a hockey viewpoint, however, these practice games would fall under the most basic mathematic equation: Any number times zero equals zero. The Maple Leafs – one-win wonders after 10 games of the real season – were gangbusters this autumn when there was nothing on the line. Just as they are in February and March of every lost campaign. You remember the euphoria of September, don’t you? A 6-and-3 exhibition record that featured four victories over last spring’s Cup finalists – two each against Detroit and Pittsburgh? Playoff chatter, induced by the bombastic general manager, was in full throttle as the puck dropped on the regular season.
Then morning arrived, and everyone snapped awake.
One month later, the so-called “frat” line of the Leafs will suit up in the American Hockey League when the Toronto Marlies host Adirondack at Ricoh Coliseum Friday night. The top organizational prospects, Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson and Viktor Stalberg, are not considered good enough, right now, to skate for the worst team in the NHL. Stalberg – a Hart Trophy favorite in the pre-season – joined his greenhorn pals in the minors on Thursday afternoon, demoted to the Marlies with goaltender Joey MacDonald in favor of yo-yo forward Jiri Tlusty. Other promising exhibition subjects [Nazem Kadri, Carl Gunnarsson, Dale Mitchell, Jesse Blacker] are also in the AHL or with their junior team.
And, there’s only one way to describe such maneuvering by the Maple Leafs: Positively brilliant.
Nothing that Brian Burke does to influence his team the rest of this season will be as meaningful as parking the aforementioned in the relative obscurity of the AHL. As we’ve seen in past years with the likes of Don MacLean and Syl Apps III, the National Hockey League pre-season is an indication of absolutely nothing. Though Stalberg is clearly more of prospect for the Leafs today than MacLean or Apps III were a decade ago, they all had something in common… an ability to stand out during the bogus exhibition schedule. Force-feeding any of Bozak, Hanson or Stalberg on the Maple Leafs – particularly in what appears to be another train-wreck of a season – would do nothing but harm the club’s brightest young players.
Far better to have a long look at Tlusty – 22 this coming March, and with three seasons of professional hockey behind him. It’s possible the Leafs’ first-round draft pick in 2006 could fall into the broad assortment of players that are too good for the AHL and not quite good enough to play in the big league. Preliminary evidence consigns Tlusty to that category. But, we’ll never know, for certain, until the Czech native is granted a lengthy audition in the NHL. With any realistic playoff designs obliterated by the eight-game winless streak to start the season, Tlusty will perform in an environment of modest expectation with the Maple Leafs. That, too, should be beneficial.
Of course, I trotted out the word “realistic” in the above paragraph with some hesitancy. Many of the robots that e-mailed me after Wednesday night’s overtime loss in Dallas bawled about the officiating, and how the Leafs simply aren’t “getting any calls” early in the season. Yes, Mike Ribeiro did a fine job of selling a phantom high-stick on Michael Komisarek, but how these Internet scholars “forgot” Monday night’s affair in Anaheim – that had Duck players enacting Noah’s Ark and parading two-by-two to the penalty box – is simply astounding.
Click here to subscribe to Berger's blog
Howard as always your glass is half empty. I for one didn’t pay any attention to the playoff goal that burkie projected. It’s telling his players he has confidence in them. As a player you want to hear that from the big man upstairs. Nevertheless they got steam rolled in the 2nd to 7th game because they faced cup contending teams that have gelled and bonded over a few seasons of rebuilding and adversity. To face that with very refreshed defesive lineup compared to the previous season a fan has to be “realistic” beginning of the season. It took a half a dozen losing games to get the defense working together, now that they are, they will be many close games. Gustavsson has shown poise early and added confidence to the defense. It’s up to the forwards to out work the opposition defense, instead of out deking them. If our forwards have the stamina there will more powerplay time for them after they frustrate their opponents.
Let’s also consider the luck factor in these games. We always skip on that part of the game because we are always tied up on absolutes; and the black and white parts of the game. Bounces really do factor into a game because they are unpredictable and uncontrolable. Unfortunately the is no stat for that.
Go Leafs Go! Move your feet, put it on net and out work them; things will go our way. Even if we lose, you’ll win the crowds respect.
- NelsonI’m fine having Tlusty up. He’s never been given a legit chance at the NHL level to even come to any sort of evaluation of him, let alone to peg him as a career AHLer. I think it’s up to Ron Wilson to actually learn how to coach the guys with upside rather than his hard-working, marginal favourites–see Stempniak, Stajan. And I think it’s not Stalberg’s fault that he did not produce. He was a scorer without an adequate centreman. When are the organization and the media alike going to realize that Matt Stajan is not fast enough, savvy enough or gritty enough to get anyone the puck on a regular basis. It’s a guarantee that Kessel won’t even break 20 with him as a linemate. I don’t care that Stajan is an amicable, hard-working guy, he’s flat out a soft, mediocre hockey player at best who accmulates points on incidental second assists. He’s far from being a playmaker or a top line forward.
- Will, OshawaStahlbergs performace in the regular season has been mixed, much to my disappointment. I thought this guy had that “something” that good pros have. He has speed and size, an unusal combiation. But I cannot help but think he seemed to play apart from the rest of the team.
I think all the pieces are there for him to be a solid player sitign at 5 or 6 on the forward depth chart. So going to the Marlies is the right thing, perhaps he needs some training, perhaps he needed to have his bubble pricked so he learns to play as part of a system…..no idea.
Once again, I think he has all the pieces, any thoughts on this guy in particular Howard?
- StephenStallberg has played well in the regular season, but he hasn’t put the puck in the net (much like the rest of the team). I agree with Howard that keeping him in that situation could hurt his development.
With Tlusty, there’s a young guy with lots of potential who should be given a shot. Quite frankly, he might be a good centre for Kessel and I think he deserves a shot. Put Hagman on the other side and you’ve got a decent line.
- sb1978I like the idea on sending Stalberg to the Marlies. More playing time for him should make him a better player. How do you like this. When Kessel gets ready and comes back i would have Bozak, Kessel and Stalberg and send Poni to the Marlies or see if you can get a Draft Pick for this guy. USELESS PLAYER.
- JoeDo you think Kessel would have made a difference in the 2 OT loses and the Vancouver 2-1 loss?
- LukeOr perhaps when he enters the line up, everyone will not shoot as much and try to feed him all the time? Teams will catch on one way or another. Just as they did in McAbes big goal season and Tuckers big goal season.
We are stuck. Forever
I like the idea of the Leafs fattening up my pension fund. For real hockey I watch Washington.
- KotterIt is nice to have a 36 Goal Scorer in the Line-up. I think you have to put Kessel with someone who can give him the Puck and the only guy on this Team would be Bozak. Definitely not Stajan, Primeau or Grabo. He should help and with the Monster playing goal it is an improvement. We will see.
- JoeOn a team like this there is no reason to rush these young players. Run the course with the players who will be gone in a year or two. The ahl is a good learning curve and should be taking advantage of. I have waited as have others years to get exited about this team, lets not screw it up by rushing these players into this dysfunctional family we call leaf nation.
- PAULLike Antropov, Poni is useless. he shows up for 1 or 2 games then disappears for the next 10. A bag of pucks or a rack of sticks.
- RogerHey Howie you forgot to mention how good your favourite player (Mouthpiece) Stajan played last night, tell me what does Stajan have on you. You never rag on him what does he do that keeps him on this team. Please don’t let him be Kessel’s centreman.
- Bentypical response from a teacher,eh Kotter,just another selfish self absorbed teacher who doesn’t know how the working world operates
- vince blightGreat comments Howard, you speak reality when it comes to this team. Now I realize why the Leaf Coach treats you with a lack of respect….Coach Ron cannot handle the truth and he wants a bunch of yes press people to ask him nice questions that he can easily answer. Howard. keep giving us the truth when it comes to the Leafs.
- Robo in UnionvilleSure hope that practice today is not what we except to see on Tuesday. Kessel with Stajan. Give me a break. Stajan is not even a Top 6 forward on this Team. This team played alot better the last 4 games and not with the play of Stajan. Bench him again and see if it helps this time cause it didn’t help his game earlier in the year. Put the Monster back in. Ride the hot hand.
- Joe