What can we talk about?

Great road trip.
I hope it continues at home

What needs to be done is what they have attempted to do 25 times in the last 40 years. They have to start over again, fire Burke, hire a GM that truly operates on a 5 year plan, PAINFUL, yes, but the only way to regain respectably.

DON'T TRADE 2 1st ROUND DRAFT PICKS, DON'T TRADE FOR ANY DEFENSEMEN OR SIGN ANY FREE AGENT DEFENSEMEN

END UP IN THE BOTTOM 3-4 AND BUILD ON QUALITY, YES QUALITY DRAFT PICKS .....

Great for you.
You can wait 5 years but what about
us old timers who have been around since
1967. We may not have 5 years left to live.

Reimer seems to be making a differance. Keeps them in every game he's played.
Don't give up on them yet. (I know I'm a typical Leaf fan).

Leafs should trade for


and give up

Another Maple Laf fan who thinks every other GM in the league is a moron......

Burke will trade Reimer you watch.

WTF is the point of draft picks if the organization has no idea who to draft?

That's why they trade them all away, better than keeping them and looking like fools when the picks don't materialize.

you could always become a habs fan........at least we have morale

Picks that dont materialize you mean like Saguin or this years weak draft. Saguin, and everyone who knows hockey should have been sent down to play Junior again. Not ready now and will be a third line Centerman at best in the NHL. We will see nextyear if Saguin notches 35 plus goals like Kessel did in year 2.

I agree that Leafs should always trade their top draft picks. Their scouts have sucked for at least 40 years.

Short memories.....Lanny MacDonald, Darryl Sittler, Ian Turnbull, Vincent Damphouse, Luke Richardson to name a few all had good NHL careers and all scouted and rafted by Maple Leafs.

9:32 why do you idiots defend the leafs to the bitter end, fcuk you guys are morons, who cares if Kessel has more goals than Seguin in year 2. Players develop differently. And to hope Seguin doesn't play to his potential because the Leafs traded away the draft pick shows how shallow your thought process is. NOW GO BACK TO WORK YOU MORON, REMEMBER DON'T BUMP YOUR HEAD ON THE BOTTOM OF THE URINIAL WHEN YOU'RE SCRUBBING THE YELLOW STUFF OFF THE FLOOR..........

11:42 maybe the leafs should start rafting like the use to, they haven't rafted well in the last 20 years

No one suggested they hope Saguin does not reach his potential because the Leafs traded him away IDIOT!!! Detroit, New Jersey ,Vancouver, etc teams that have consistantly drafted between 20 and 30 the last ten years and still have managed to handle their own on draft day. Kessel is a goal scorer plain and simple. That's what Burke aquired for two unproven unknown prospects. Kessel will be a very valuable asset in two years at 25 when they are making a run IDIOT. Wow Kessel is only 22yrs old hmmm only 3 yrs difference between him and SAGUIN SAGUIN SAGUIN. Burke may have made some mistakes but that is not one of them. You will see

It is spelt SEGUIN!!!!!!!!

Leafs had good performance last night, LOL, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol, lol, WHAT A DISGRACE, ALL YOU LEAF SUPPORTERS, GO OUT AND BYE A COUPLE MORE JERESY'S AND GAME TICKETS TODAY, SO MLSE, BURKE AND THE WHOLE GANG HOW PISSED YOU ARE!!!!!!!!!

WHAT A MESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY HAVE KESSEL, LUKE AND NOTHING ELSE

WHAT A JOKE

maybe the leafs should start rafting like the use to, they haven't rafted well in the last 20 years

6:44 PM do you mean water "rafting"?
I too, don't think the Leafs have "rafted" very well in the last 20 years, though we all know they have tried to navigate through rough waters!

They have drafted well the last couple years. you will see these kids in 1 to 3 years. In fact one of their prospects who decided to finish school playing in Denver (dont remember exact school) is up for the Hobie Baker Award. Games like last night are a sign of a very young team the youngest in fact. Did anyone actually pick them to make the playoffs. Come on!!! They are exactly where they should be. Be patient. I know we have waited so long but you didnt expect Burke to build a Stanley Cup Contender in 2 years. Get real people> Especially with what he had to work with coming into this mess.

Somebody get rid of Kaberle. he sucks so bad... only relatives like his no hitting style of play.
he's handed the puck off to so many of his opponents, he should wear their jersey the night of the game.
100 dollars to the first guy that can videotape me of a hit he did in the past 300 games.

he is downright terrible. so much money, he could care less what the score is..typical foreigner. no heart. ten year olds play with more enthusiasm.

one goal and 2 penalty minutes this year in 45 games...YOU SUCK

one goal? Thats it?

6:55 have you been drinking the kool-aid, you are exactly the reason why the leafs never have to get better, Burke is awful, examples: couple years ago, 8-9 games to go leafs in last place (imagine that) anyway, their #1 goalie goes down, instead of calling up Poggie and losing 6-7 of the last 8-9 games, he signs that stiff Gerber who stands on his head and Leafs win 6 of those games and pick 7th over all and pick Kadri, a good pick, sorry NO, HE WILL NEVER BECOME EVEN AN AVERAGE PLAYER IN TORONTO

2nd example, trade all those draft picks away, come on, you we build with draft picks and this kid in Denver, is a million miles away from being an average NHL player

3rd example, 3rd highest paid defense in NHL, Phaneuf and Komisarek are terrible, horrible

THIS TEAM IS A MESS, THEY ARE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING AN AVERAGE TEAM

HORRIBLE MESS

rumours running rampant. Kadri , MaCarthur, Versteeg and a conditional pick
to Toronto Brad Richards, Jaime Benn and Ondrej Roman . We will see

lol, u r dreaming, r all u leaf fans stupid

until the ACC is half full nothing will change!!

204 you are so correct

6:59 making a run in two years? with no talent are you on crack? worst team in sports! and one of the worst trades in the past 10 years...

Better second half?

agree with 11:14 the leafs are awful, a total mess, NO HOPE IN SIGHT, WHAT A DISGRACE

Wilson won't be happy with that poll that came out from players. Why would NHLPA let that happen. Next thing you know there will be polls of gms about players they don't like.

Any good coach will tell you they don't do their jobs to make players happy.....he won't give a shit about that poll.....just more mdeia filler on a slow news day.

Lose Kaberle, Giguere and get draft picks its a simple plan package them out

Versteeg? will this help?

Depends what the plan is. If they can sign a free agent now maybe.

get rid of kaberle, you start fresh....can do whatever you want again.

and giguere pleasee for a bag of pucks and releive his salary

LOVE THE TWO FIRST ROUND PICKS AND THE SECOND PICK AS WELL. TRADE THEM ALL AND GO AFTER STAMKOS

Love the pick

Leafs are just treading water right now... crappy defense and crappy goalies.

SJS by 3 tonight.

one question I've been a Hab fan (not Hab fanatic) all my life ,how is it that the habs a have a bad season and all of Toronto is critizing them on ther ethics,morals bla bla , My question is how can you still be a leaf fan when MLSE having managed to disrespect the fans for oh how many years now .I would love to see the leafs get into the playoffs I truly enjoy the atmosphere at the ACC but only in the playoffs and for Basketball as well, other than that it's not worth the price.The problem is Hope they have managed to skip over the 70s,80s, half of the 90s,all of 2000-2010 and this year i even felt that they would do better and they have but it still the leafs they always manage to screw there loyal fans .You should send them a wake up call for one game No one show up maybe they'll the message Toronto fans deserve more than this especially because your only claim to fame is that the leafs are one of the most profitable teams in sports....at who's exspense!!!!

Screw you.

At least the Leafs don't pay a guy 7.3 million to score once every 365 daysssssssssssss

leafs rock

Leafs will make a few very small moves before the trade deadline, will not be anything big as everyone is expecting, Burke will be wise and keep adding small peices in the hopes that team will be stronger next year. Trading away good draft picks and young players at this stage when it is clear the team is not going to last past the first round if they make it would be foolish.

I hope you are right because I see any big move as trying to save Wilson's job and getting rid of him would be the biggest and BEST move they could make. The talk on TV and in the paper is that something on the bigger side is going to happen. They are as much as saying that Schenn will be moved, what a mistake.

I don't get it, on one hand they say Schenn is future captain material in this league and then they say he is likely to be moved? That is the type of move a serious contender might make not a team struggling just to make the playofss, especially oa young building team. I think all the young D deserve a chance to prove themselves under a new, competent coaching staff.

Unlike some people I think Burke has done a good job other than his allegiance to Wilson and I pin all the blame on Wilson and his hand picked staff of American college trained coaches. Maybe Schenn plays too much of an NHL style game for them and you can add Aulie to that list also.

If it takes continued losing to get Wilson fired I'm on board. It would be hard to watch because I would feel bad for the players but the results are not matching the talent here and who's fault is that?

Wilson's.

Leafs need a D

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1136640--feschuk-on-nhl-trade-deadline-leaf-coach-ron-wilson-s-future-hangs-in-balance

Enough said - run this guy out of town already.

Burkie: you've given the guy a nice retirement bonus with the inexplicable 1-year extension, but how much can you reasonably be expected to do for a friend, who just doesn't seem able to help himself?

I think that Burke deserves the chance to complete the 5-year plan, 'cause you can't rebuild a mess in a year, but if he doesn't get it going, then he can follow his buddy Wilson to the golf course in two years!

They Should have brought back Hal Gill and Kaberle for a 1st & 2nd pick respectively. . Then give Burke a 10 yr extension for making such a great move . Leaf fans are dillusional.

Give up grabovski kulemin kadri and 1st round pick and colbourne and schenn and go for Nash and nabokov

Enough of Burke and Wilson. They said teams were built from the net out when they got here and they're right. They have depth on D but don't use it and now the damage is done. Enough with the bullshit about Phaneuf not scoring. He's not supposed to and the D need to be tough to play against. Teams aren't shaking in their skates coming in here and playing Liles, Gardiner et al and never will be. Just ask Reimer. The F aren't getting the puck cleanly from the back end as a result and voila, the whole team is paralysed.

Enough of Burke and Wilson. They said teams were built from the net out when they got here and they're right. They have depth on D but don't use it and now the damage is done. Enough with the bullshit about Phaneuf not scoring. He's not supposed to and the D need to be tough to play against. Teams aren't shaking in their skates coming in here and playing Liles, Gardiner et al and never will be. Just ask Reimer. The F aren't getting the puck cleanly from the back end as a result and voila, the whole team is paralysed.

At any salary Phaneuf is one of the worst D in the league weak for his size slow can't shoot can't pass and is a pussy. The only player in the minors that can help is Kadri his leadership skills are second to none.

Come on guys, Wilson has it figured out. In his post game comments he said "We want even more offence from our defencemen", I kid you not.

Goaltending may not be great but has this guy even once missed a chance to throw them under the bus? If he had any desire to try and build confidence last night could have been an opportunity but in true job-saving criticism-deflecting Wilson style he blames Reimer for the first two goals. Was Reimer great on either of them, no, but on the first one there were guys standing around all over the place just watching and on the second one Schenn, who I love and has been treated like garbage by Wilson also, gets his pocket picked. I don't know what gets said behind closed doors but for public consumption we get one message from Wilson, "I am not to blame" the goalies are.

I guess in Wilson's world his twisted logic makes sense - if we are going to give up 4, 5, or 6 goals a game then we need more offence, not from our forwards mind you, from our defencemen. It doesn't matter that there is no structure to how we play, poor positioning, no physical play offensively or defensively and absolutely no accountability for defensive lapses. Fans can boo or give the bronx cheer when a goal goes in that should be stopped but that's what fans do, it's all we can do. It's a coach's job to fix problems and Wilson has shown in equal parts an inabilty and an unwillingness to fix them. Inabilty because the same problems have persisted all season and unwillingness because when we lose he just deflects blame.

When we were winning goaltending wasn't a problem but in the second half of the season when the checking gets tighter and our flashy and soft offensive game gets shut down our poor defensive game is exposed. Everyone saw it coming except the guy who is paid to see it coming but all of a sudden the goaltending is not good enough. It's not good enough to win a cup but either is the rest of the team. It should be good enough to get us into the playoffs.

I talk to people who feel exactly like I do about Wilson and even some of them say "It's too late in the season, wait until the season's over to fire him" but why? Forget 1967, we are long overdue for even decent hockey and a playoff spot is still possible, if you assume he will be gone at the end of the season why not do it now?

Leaf fans are such losers.

9:34 I am not a Leaf fan (always been the Spoked B for me), but I live in Toronto and wouldn't mind to see a good product to watch, which just has not been the case for years. At least we get to see real teams come playoff time.

9:30 You're right on, but the rot goes deeper and I think that Burke may have done some long-term damage by sticking with this guy. Here is a Burke quote from the Star article that someone posted above:

“Everybody said early in the year . . . ‘The penalty kill sucks. That’s coaching,’ ” Burke was saying in a spirited appearance on TSN radio earlier this week. “The penalty kill’s been, I think, the best in the league or the second-best in the league for the past 15 games. Now, did (Wilson) suddenly get an IQ that’s positive? Did this idiot suddenly become a good coach? Or was he a good coach and the players weren’t executing the system?”

So, it's not bad enough that Wilson throws his guys under the bus publicly on a regular basis, but with a coach who failed every year to do what he said he was going to accomplish (defensive hockey), Burke blames... you guessed it - the players! Publicly. Seriously, are these guys just stupid, or has the game left them behind?

Long-term damage is the key phrase. Would I like to see them make the playoffs, of course, but it's not the be-all and end-all for me, I leave that up to the bean counters at MLSE. After all we would have no chance of winning the first round.

But Wilson IS doing long-term damage to this team. If you had asked someone earlier in the season could the Leafs beat the Rangers if they met in the playoffs almost everybody would say yes. Remember, I said could not would. Now? Not a chance, probably not even a game. Two young teams going in opposite directions. Do the Rangers have better goaltending? Hell yes, maybe the best in the league but they have improved since the beginning of the season whereas we are getting worse with the same goaltending we had when we were riding high earlier in the season.

Long-term damage. We have a young team that has for the most part been hard working and entertaining but a coach like Wilson can do irrepearable damage if he is allowed to continue. Two things can result, both bad, players can have the life sucked out of them maybe causing them to quit on the coach or good young prospects/players who are under performing are sacrificed in trades to cover up for the deficiencies of the coaching staff.

I will give Burke the benfit of the doubt for now but the worst kind of long-term damage will be if the GM cannot function objectively and see past the fact that Wilson is his buddy and do the right thing. The media (who have actually been easy on Wilson), the fans AND the standings can't all be wrong.

yawn

Brutal defense which is in bottom 5 in nhl is the problem. When your captain is your worst defense and is causing most of goals agaist himself by give aways and is your worst +/- you are dead to rights. Liles sucks too. Too small and easily seperated from puck. Trade both these guys and get picks and prospects.

Burke on TSN says he like his group - keeping Reimer, resign Grabovski, etc. - so reading between the lines it's Bye Bye Ronnie.

Was not Ronnnnnns fault WERE IT ?

It's all Wilson's fault.

How about François Allaire? Maybe that's the problem!

Grabo to Chicago for a 1st. Then send this pick with Toronto's 1st and Gardiner, Kadri to Columbus for Nash. That would be the equivalent of four 1st's for Nash. If that doesn't get the Blue Jackets to move then nothing will.

Allaire is the problem. Leafs wouldn't be having any goaltending issues if it wasn't for him. Reimer wouldn't be having the issues now if Allaire would have left him alone. His stand up style was his strength not to mention his ability to react to the puck.
Allaire needs to go!!!

Aulie to TB

Leafs suck for another season!

Next year will not be any better. Acquired nothing at deadline. This bunch of losers won't make the playoffs and will have nothing AGAIN next year.

dont fret Burkie aint done yet!

talent never there just great coaching to start season.

Phaneuf sucks ass he is fuckin horrible

Call up Ben Scrivens
btw Allaire has been coaching Reimer even when he was with the Marlies prior to last year.

That's right! Call up Scrivens and keep Allaire and his 'go-down-on-a-butterfly' style the hell away from him.

I've always wondered why organizations don't let players play the style that got them to the NHL in the first place. Why bring in a "goalie consultant" and mess with a goalie's mechanics?

Because Allaire has been VERY successful in the past?

When they interviewed Wilson after the gold medal game in Vancouver and he claimed that team USA controlled the puck for most of the game, that's when I knew with certainty that the Leafs were totally fucked !!

The leafs just traded Aulie to the Bolts....a fantastic defensive defenseman in the making. He's one of the key reasons the last time Canada won gold at the WJC.

Burke and Wilson's idea of treating a bleeding wound is to hang an IV bag and pump in more blood. These idiots try to talk old school toughness and can't see past their own stunted two dimensional understanding of the game.

Enough is enough already with bringing in people from the land of those who wanted to use orange pucks and bigger nets to make the game more appealing to those that don't get it in the first place. Clearly they don't get it either.

Have you even bothered to understand the upside of Carter Ashton? Once again, you have to give something to get something.

Unless you can INTELLIGENTLY comment on the Leafs defensive depth chart including those players in the pipeline, you are talking out of your ass.

And you my friend I suspect, have really stinky ass-breath!

Yes, they may be deep in defence prospects but as 9:52 correctly points out defensive defencemen don't exist in Wilson's universe. Yes you have to give up something to get something but we are not deep in Aulie like defencemen. With the Leafs you have Schenn and with the Marlies you have Holzer, everyone else is a puck moving softie, he has even turned Phaneuf into a softie.

Having said that Ashton is something we really need, a big talented forward.

Looking forward to seeing Wilson gone but that is when we may regret traing Aulie, they are hard to come by.

Gunnarson also ahead of Aulie on left side of big team; he's not old and is very, very consistent.

That's true but he is not overly physical.

To be fair Aulie was not really a thumper either, just like Franson. Thing is Franson has more offensive upside so you can take some of his softness. The only real physical d-men Leafs have are Schenn and Komisarerk and Komi's lack of foot speed in today's NHL is a glaring deficiency. I don't consider Phaneuf that physical as he tends to get out of position to throw that highlight reel hit, but otherwise is not constistently tough or physical.

Aulie was a decent prospect, large wing-span with some decent up-side. Was he a top 4 pairing guy? Debateable.

Leafs have some good depth on D with Holzer apparently nearly ready according to Eakins, Blacker probably a couple years away and Percy a good prospect.

To me this was a re-balancing of the depth in the org as they aren't as deep up front.

Aulie was a 4th round draft pick in 2007 who they just moved for a 1st rounder in 2009. If the LEafs had been able to make a deal for a 1st round pick in 2009 for Aulie and had picked Ashton everyone would be lauding Burke for adding more prospects.

I agree with you except on Aulie, I think he is very physical and will be even more so when he gets more comfortable and he can fight.

You f*ckers in the big city know nothing of hockey. Burke is just like you stupid. Aulie and Schenn were only 2 guys who are true NHL defensemen. Gunnarson and Holzer play a puck moving game. Phaneuf Liles Franson all puck movers.

Look at model defense in Boston - 4 defensive guys who play rough and well in own end and 2 puck mover types. This is how you wion games. When you are on the wall against McCuaid you are fuck*n scared cause you are worried he will make your teeth part of glass. In front of net you dont go there cause Chara will take his 10 foot stick and seperate your balls from your scrotum.

Opposing teams love playing Toronto cause they can forecheck the puck and get it all the time. It is fun playing Toronto. They say they worry about Leaf speed but reality is the puck will be in Leaf end all games long until the opponent has game won and they take foot off the accelerator.

You guys blame your goalie and Allaire and follow along sheepishly with Leaf PR machine. No one likes to admit the truth as it hurts. Until Leafs make to hard to play hockey in their end they are in trouble.

Burke now trying to get tougher wingers so he can play same game in other teams end but reaility is we do not have the make-up either. We are in a f*ckin TERRIBLE position right now and it will not change with Burke and Wilson runnign show.

Burke did not create the Ducks platform he inherited it. It is much easier to run something already created. all he did was play the mouth piece.

Bruins hockey, Devils hockey, Sharks hockey, Ducks hockey, Fylers hockey this is what wins CUPS. Red Wings do it differently but they have MASSIVE talent. Canucks cant do it but may now with trade for Kassian.

It is not fun to watch but it wins. Leafs are no Red wings.

....and you FUCKERS in the sticks are rude.

Your opinion is worth about as much as mine, sweet FUCK all.

11:47am When was the LAST time the Sharks and Flyers won the Cup? Just asking.....

Leafs have one of the weakest defenss crews in the NHL. Depth r u crazy what depth?????????????????????

Leafs have one of the weakest defenss crews in the NHL. Depth r u crazy what depth?????????????????????

It is deep and with a real coach you will see that.

At least they still have kessel

What's Kessel's +/- ? I don't get the fanboy following for this one trick pony. The Leafs need intimidating fore-checkers and 2-way forwards.

Kessel is third in goals, 5th in points and a respectable plus 7. All at only 23 years old. Pretty sure thats a cornerstone player

And what good r intimidating fore checkers if no one is gonna score goals.

Leafs needed goaltending and there were a couple available. Leafs going nowhere with "Rimmer" and "The Ghost"

Florida 4 shots from the kill zone 2 goals
Toronto 1 shot from the kill zone and 0 goals
I agree with poster above the Defense is non-existant
Schenn (mr give away) Komi (mr cant skate) and light weight Liles (mr fall down) have fun with that crew - I will hold my nose. Trading Aulie looks good on you Burke. He was your only real guy.
This is your depth. It is clear city slicker you know nothing about hockey. Too bad I'm a Leaf fan. Paper bags for how SOFT this team is.
There is nothing a coach can do when a team make-up is that SOFT.
Congrats Phaneuf great 1st period=keep up the hitting.

You criticize the players, I criticize the coach. This obviously is a team that has given up on their coach or a team that has no confidence. Either way he is to blame because he has not been able or willing to get them to be more defensively responsible and he has constantly ripped any confidence away.

Wilson can't even get through one period without changing the lines or D pairings, how do you them expect to play with confidence when if they have one bad shift they get demoted or put in the pressbox?

Franson a healthy scratch? Bozak from 1st to 3rd after only 10 minutes?

We need a coach.

Your hero Gunnarson give away in kill zone, Liles on his ass all period 3 givers and Phaneuf back to old no hit style got blown by again. You cant coach with that lack of skill level on the back end. Gardiner has even given up covering up for Schenn all game. This is the WORST defense in the league. yes it is worse then Jackets.

Gardiner passes puck to Florida in slot for sure thing omg. Reimer needs to file for divorce.

Stop going to games it is the only solution

cancel your rogers and bell packages, that will hurt them!

Gardiner blow by on inside then Phaneuf scores 2 goals one on his own net. What else could go wrong?

Bad players poor coach terrible management

Bring up kadri he is the answer with that amazing skill set of his lol

Burkie is a hockey genuis and paid like one has assembled "blueprint" masterpiece of a team will lock up 12th by the weekend

12th? The way they're playing it looks like they are trying to lock up the first pick in the draft. Can you say Nail Yakupov?

The rumour is they were offered 1st round picks for each of McArthur, Kulemin, Grabo, and Schenn and turned them all down. Stick a fork in them there done for this year.

Rumour is...one more loss and Wilson is gone!! YEAHHHHH!!!

said on the FAN 590 this morning that Phaneuf and another younger player not getting along, disention in the room and it shows on the ice..

Wilson in talks for 3 more year extention .

I will be looking for his tweet when it's signed.

ya, an extention with the marlies, he was just given a year extention, that will be his severance when he's fired later this week..

Inside source said Leafs got offered:
1st and 2nd rounder 2012 by Chicago for Schenn
A 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder 2012 by Columbus for Reimer and Leafs 2nd in 2013
A 1st rounder and a 4th rounder 2012 for Macarthur by Sharks
A 1st rounder 2012 for Kulemin by Penguins

None of those 4 guys are going to win you games so it was a big mistake not to load up on 4 1st rounders in 2012

Did you see Schenns giove away last night to start game? He will be a solid 3 or 4 D over time but not for a couple more years of development.

Macarthur and Kulemin are no shows. Leafs could bring up Kadri and Hamilton and get same results.

Reimer is a young goalie who the Leafs have screwed up by giving him no defense today. A young goalie need sto paly on a veternan defense to help him out. Leafs crew is one of worst in league.

Gotta bring up Nazem Kadri and that amazing skill set of his he is ripping up the ahl

Then you are looking at another 5 years, give your head a shake. People are panicking for no reason, this is a young team that has one problem - the COACH.

You could see this happening earlier in the season. Anyone who knows hockey could see that when the checking got tighter as it always does late in the season that Wilson's run-and-gun would be ineffective and with absolutely no defensive play to fall back on this team would struggle.

Now, because Wilson is still in place fans are starting to take it out on the players - the same ones that we enjoyed watching earlier in the season. We don't have a competent coaching staff.

The atmosphere is turning toxic and it stay that way until Wilson is fired.

FI-RE Wilson, FI-RE Wilson!

Naz kad is the answer

Wilson and Allaire need to go!

Allaire just got a contract extension so he, like Wilson are going nowhere anytime soon

FIRE WILSON

Bring back the beligerance - where is Rosehill and Orr and Aulie? FIRE BURKE

GO Leafs GO? what a nailbiter,

Gotta bring up Kadri the toughness speed shot and his willingness to drop the gloves with the heavyweights is sorely missed right now.(

Pierre Mcguire for Leaf coach

1

Leafs a different team with no toughness. Every team needs an orr and an aulie for physical toughness not just to drop the gloves. Leafs are SOFT. Run and gun does not work in playoff hockey.

Or in games after the all-star break apparently. Wilson was a softie himself - college hockey, Europe. Get rid of him and get an NHL style coach in here but because of him we have lost Aulie. That is not a criticism of Carter Ashton either, I think he is going to be great here but I can't help but think guys like Aulie and Schenn are not wanted by this coaching staff which won't be here much longer. It doesn't make sense.

Herad Burke is lobbying to get the NHL to start a "Clancy" type tournament for non NHL playoff teams so Toronto fans could see what it is like to play hockey beyond the first week of April!

Nice little mini loop with the Leafs, Sabres, Blue Jackets, etc.....

The sheep would still fill the ACC every night. Can see the parade already for the Leafs "Clancy" win!!

Leafs closer to figuring things out than it appears
eric duhatschek
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Posted on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 7:27PM EST

Increase text size Sometimes, amid the mists and eddies of another lost season in Toronto, the master plan can be hard to discern, an odd and contradictory development on the surface of things. After all, Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke and coach Ron Wilson spend more time in front of the cameras than the Kardashians do. You’d think the message would be loud and clear.

But it isn’t usually, and in sifting through the rubble of this year’s fade to black, you’d have to think that Wilson will be shown the door soon after the Leafs are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Since Burke rarely strays from his pattern of hiring trustworthy fellows from within his inner circle, then Randy Carlyle will be the next coach of the Maple Leafs. Carlyle is gainfully unemployed at the moment, cut loose by the Anaheim Ducks this season, but he won a Stanley Cup with Burke in 2007, has glittering credentials, is demanding but fair, and most important, he would be a new voice in Toronto.

What ails Toronto is clear: The Leafs make too many egregious defensive errors in front of their goaltenders, and their goaltenders don’t bail them out with sensational saves. It’s not an either-or proposition, as some of the finger-pointers would have you believe. It’s both, and when a team’s overall defensive play is as incoherent as Toronto’s, it can usually be traced back to two factors, coaching and youth.

The most perplexing thing about the Leafs’ inaction at the trade deadline is that they didn’t come up with an experienced, short-term fix in goal. You can understand why they didn’t land Evgeni Nabokov from the New York Islanders; he wasn’t available. You can understand why they didn’t land Nikolai Khabibulin from the Edmonton Oilers; they were unwilling to take on the last year of his contract.

But it’s harder to fathom why they didn’t roll the dice on the Minnesota Wild’s pending unrestricted free agent, Josh Harding, if, as TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported, the asking price was a second-round draft choice. Understandably, there are questions about Harding’s upside, and his injury history scares some teams, too.

Drafting and developing goalies is not an exact science, and Burke may even be right, that James Reimer will eventually get his game back on the rails after suffering through the kind of sophomore slump that so many goalies have endured. But for now, to stanch the bleeding, with a playoff berth still within grasp, the Leafs needed help in the short term, and didn’t get it.

Sometimes teams going through an ownership shift may put a halt on moves of any description – the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues are two such cases – but that is unlikely what happened in Toronto, where Burke has carte blanche to do what he wants when he wants.

Burke is right about another thing, too. One of the issues in Toronto is all the daily, unending noise. When Wilson originally took the job, he once reminded me that he’d been a cheerful, easy-to-deal with interview subject throughout his career, in a series of non-traditional markets, and you couldn’t disagree. But Toronto caught him unawares. Toronto is different. Toronto is unrelenting. Toronto is non-stop. Toronto is 24/7, without the HBO cameras. It’s not as if there are even that many individual threats on press row. It’s just the sheer weight of the coverage, the sheer numbers waiting to digest every solitary sound bite.

So in Toronto, the coach can lay all the blame on the goaltending one day, and the GM rushes to the goalies’ collective defence the next, and because everybody is paying attention, they rightly ask: What’s with the mixed message? The same mixed message might pass unnoticed in 20 other NHL markets. Not in Toronto.

The Leafs’ current slide obscures one thing that Burke has done well – put some young talent in place that, properly developed, will at some point blossom. On some levels, it is a scorched-earth rebuild, masqueraded by the absence of high draft choices. They are impossibly young now, at the NHL level and down on the farm, and that fact is largely obscured by the manic day-to-day wailing for change, amid the increasingly likely possibility that Toronto will miss the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.

Just remember this: After four years at the bottom of the pile, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a 47-point leap in the standings to make the playoffs in 2007. After three years in the Southeast cellar, the Washington Capitals made a 24-point jump to make the playoffs in 2008. Generally, when a young team finally figures it out, when the pieces all start to fit together, it doesn’t happen in small steps. It comes in one giant leap forward.

The Leafs are not there yet, but they’re closer than their play in the past month would have you believe. With a little more experience, in goal and on defence, and with a fresh voice behind the bench, it’ll happen. Soon. Promise.

You think Wilson is an arrogant...s.o.b?
Wait tell you get aload of Randy Carlyle!
Ducks players could not stand him.
Leafs Coach in the minors would be more of a fit.
Good with young players and patient.

As long as RC wins more than RW he could give everyone the finger and that would be fine!

I'd love to see Dallas Eakins get the job!

Yes, Eakins.

who cares

who cares

who cares

DE will get the job at the end of the season. RW will be gone before then, but assistant coach will take over for balance of season.

Good.

Article is exactly right - well done toronto scribe. Leaf fans you cant expect young Leaf goalies to stand on their head every night and win games on their own. They will make the regular saves just fine. Leafs are giving up the puck down low in the slot numerous times every period. This is a young defense and it is part of their learnign curve. The real error here is management and coaching not understanding you cant have young dmen playing in front of a young goalie - the mix does not work.

Wilson style of play requires a veteran defense and goalie. That said Phaneuf and Liles and Komi have been just as bad on the turnovers. Fire Wilson.

lol, 40 years, and you leaf faggots cant figure it out

Did they tie the can to that arrogant American prick yet

heading in the right direction. should make the playoffs next year for sure!

When the Leafs had a veteran teams,which has been the better part of this organization since they won the cup, all the media and fans said that the Leafs needed to get younger, and that this organization has never developed there own players because they would trade them away for veterans because of media and fan pressure to win. Now They have the youngest team in the league and a farm team that is first in there division. Yes at times they have looked like Contenders and then there have been times they look like an AHL team. This is inconsistency due to youth. They are headed in the right direction people. Everyone at the beginning of the year picked them to be exactly where they are now. One good thing it's going to be with a different coach.

When Burke came here 3 and half years ago this team had nothing. Not in the front office, on the farm or in and around the world absolutely nothing. Yes he did tell us that "this is not a 5 year rebuild" but deep down he knew it would be longer. Imagine him coming out at his first press conference and saying it's going to take 5 years more closer to 7 years to actually become a top contender. The media and fans would rip him a new azzhole.

Don't worry Leafs fans the future is bright. The AHL team is developing great and building winners. As for there prospects outside the pros are doing tremendous with a capital T.

Positive in all this bad play of late is that Burke had to make a coaching change. There is no way that we could go into playoffs with Wilson and start with him again in September. The right coach has been hired in Carlye. He is very Pat Burns like. Defence minded, Tough and makes players accountable. BTW he will be in the media's face not the other way around. Like Burns and Quinn were.

BURKE will make an appearance in the stanely cup with the Leafs take that to the bank!!!

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE. WE HAVE WAITED 45 YEARS A FEW MORE WON'T HURT. GET BEHIND THESE YOUNG LADS AND OFFER THEM SUPPORT AS YOU WOULD YOUR OWN KIDS PLAYING BECAUSE PLAYING IN TORONTO IS A DIFFERENT BEAST. SO STAND UP AND CHEER AT EVERY MINUTE OF PLAY. AND MOST ALL ENJOY THE RIDE!!! BECAUSE IT WILL BE A GREAT ONE. SOON VERY SOON.

retard

9:56 Well said.

Now thats how we play. Up the boards safe. Tough on the body. Fight when someone tries to run around and intimidate you. Play safe with 4 guys back when you have the lead. Sit Kessel down late. Change the power play to enter zone and use triangle. Change the penalty kill to utilize box. Play guys more who come to play-Frattin Phaneuf. WOW what a great coaching change. This is Canadian hockey folks. That is what any of us would do.

Thank god the run and gun of Wilson is gone. American hockey does not win. It is soft.

I am not sure Burke even understands what he just did but I do not care if it happeneded by accident.

Truer words were never spoken. Why was Frattin ever sent down for Kadri?

9:56 must work in the Leafs front-office. This rebuild is a bust. Trading what turned out to be Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, and Jared Knight for Phil Kessel was one of the worst trades in Leaf history. The timing was all wrong. Kessel has two more years in TO and then he is an UFA, and since he hates Toronto, not likely to resign.

Grabovski is gone after this year.

Both Kessel and Grabovski are too soft to play in the playoffs, anyway.

Just a big bust!

Listen to Don Cherry, get more Ontario born players and run Brian out of town.

Cherry is really losing it, did you hear his rant?

4:52 You are out to lunch! Seguin is not a better player than Kessel, yet. Hamilton hasn't played a game yet and Jared Knight? Please, there is no guarantee for him, have you even see him play or do you just listen to the 'experts'? You don't mention the Kaberle trade, the Lupul and Gardiner trade or Phaneuf and Ashton for a bag of pucks. Take your blinders off.

Kessel for Nash should have got it done!!!

It could still get done at the draft, I don't think Kessel is Carlyle's type of player.

8:17 You are the one who "doesn't get it." Kessel will be in TO for 5 years. For 3 they didn't/won't make the playoffs. Could be out of playoffs for all 5.

Even if they do make playoffs next season watching Kessel get bitch slapped in the playoffs for 2 years is NOT worth Seguin, Hamilton, and Knight.

If Boston could reverse the Kessel trade would they? Never! As soon as they got rid of Kessel they won the SC for the first time in 40 years.

Would the Leafs reverse the Kessel trade if they could? Absolutely. In a nanosecond. That tells you all you need to know.

I am not a Kessel hater. He can score, but Burke paid WAAAYY too much for him. Burke is a total bust as a GM.

So you're suggesting adding Seguin got them the Stanley Cup?

First of all 1:41, you don't know what the Leafs would or would not do. And secondly, you don't know that Kessel will be here for 5 years.

The point was that you hate Burke and used one trade to make your point when he has made at least 3 other really good trades.

maypo leafs suck

Leafs can't do anything right,,,,,Habs are better at everything ,,,,losing and winning ,,,, when your going to lose lose alot and get a good draft pick if your going to win go deep into the playoffs Holy get it right .
leafs suck but habs suck more this year but don't worry leafs you know the saying we're re-building next year WILL be better .We will make the playoffs .

At game last night. It was very evident that Kessel is NOT in same league as Seguin. Even a straight up 1 for 1 deal Kessel for Seguin NO one would do it today. Seguin is a far better player. There is a reason Seguin had 2 goals, was the best player on ice and got 1st star of game. Kessel scored a nice power play goal on his classic bring it in from hash marks for shot at net. However Kessel alone cost Leafs 2 goals against where he did not engage in helping to take body to get puck out of his own end or would not take a hit to achieve same objective. I watched Carlyse bristle on bench with this lack of dedication of Kessel defensively. 4 guys busting their stones and Kessel is a prima donna waiting for everyone else to do the heavy lifting. Kessel is the WORST defensive player in the NHL today. Trade him for Nash and pray Leaf fans that Burke and Columbus dont f*ck it up.

Hey smart guy, if a moron like you can see Kessel's deficiencies don't you think professional hockey people with Columbus don't! Fucking idiot.

It would take more than Kessel but don't think it couldn't happen. Some teams may want a flashy goal scorer and he does score. They are probably going to have Yakupov and a proven scorer may help him. Don't forget they are a long way from contention so his deficiencies won't matter. The Leafs are a long way away also but that's why we got him in the first place , now it's time to try and take the next step.

Wilson gets fired but Burke trades Sequin and D Hamilton away for Kessel effectively. Don Cherry is probably referring to these guys when he talks about how this leaf team is built.

You people always just look at one game here and one game there. Do what professional hockey people do, look at large chunks of data. How has he played in his own end for the entire season? Is he better at it now than last season? Etc.

Examine the good and bad and then come to conclusions. Yeah, I know that would take reearch, common sense and impartiality. Next!

put Getzlaf with Kessel and Lucic and the whole thing will look better. The problem for Kessel is Leaf defense is terrible. Why did defnese pass it to him where he was going to get bashed? This up the boards strategy of carlyse makes Kessel look bad. Of course when he had McQuaid and Chara up his *ss anyone would be scared. Do you expect Kessel to deflect pass up boards too and get creamed? Even Lupul cant do it. He got cracked last night and now he is gone from line-up. The carlyse approach with this team make-up will create more injuries to team. This is not the team for carlyse. It will become more evident as injuries mount. Get ready Burke for amny call-ups.

I was at game as well. Leaf team defense and i mean gardiner and schenn SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Schenn has a foot speed problem and gardiner does not know the nhl game yet and his giveways and lack of presense in his own end is HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!11 Yeah he can skate like wind but ..................... Phaneuf and Komi and Liles were their best 3 defense by far.

If Seguin was here...he would have been a soft player,like everyone on this Leaf Team showed us last night.
He keeps getting better everyday.
Thats what a Boston Bruin is all about, in your face,finish your checks and good things will happen.
He must pinch himself every night going to bed with his bruins sweater on!

AND Burke signs Grabovski to first line center money??????? After talking about trading him you turn around and overpay AGAIN? You can overpay a few guys when you have young guys coming up like Seguin that keep your cap in line and make you a better overall team but overpay Grabovski? Good for him though. Burke is creating an entirely new reason why everyone wants their sons to play for the leafs...they overpay!!

Exactly just ask, Koma,Connolly,Armstrong,Liyles, just to say a few.
Absolutley brutal Burkie!

Hey Einstein, I have looked at large chunks of data and I have come to the conclusion that Kessel is a one-way hockey player. Last night is what his career will be - two points and a minus 2 with him directly responsible for one of the goals.

He is an NHL player and skillwise anyway a top end talent. But you will not be able to win with a player like that. He was brought here to up the talent level and he did that but now there are young prospects and options available to the Leafs if they want to compete. He is the type of player that looks good on a low end team, nothing more.

One of Brady and Lang, neither know what they are talking about by the way, said this morning that the Leafs now have to beg Kessel to stay and resign somewhere around $7 million because of the Grabovski signing. That's garbage, I would take Grabovski's 20 - 25 goals over Kessel's 30 - 35 goals and save the $1.5 million any day of the week.

Boston proved the NHL is not a fantasy pool but a hard physical game - if you want to win. Skill has it's place obviously but so does size, strength and toughness, none of which Kessel possesses.

Wilson made a mess of this team with his finesse first style now it's time to get bigger and more complete hockey players and just because I don't like Kessel's game doesn't mean he doesn't have value. If Burke doesn't move him in the off season then this team will not move forward.

If you used the same system that MoneyBall, lets call it Moneypuck, made famous the leafs would probably be rock bottom for production vs cap.

Next year Connolly and Lombardi will be traded or bought out. It starts tonight, Ashton called up.
He and Colborne should be 2/3 of the third line next year probably along with Kulemin. Colborne should have been on the third line this year but Wilson was too busy trying to keep his job.

Kessel has a role go on ice in faceoffs in other teams end - score - and then get fuck off ice so someone can defend the house.He needs to be treated like a half court player. He can be coached to do it. He is a complete waste of time in his own end like playing short.No battles, no physical play, no compete.

2 more goals caused by Kessel in 3rd tonight. Can he score another? i doubt it. collect a cheque kessel.

Kessel should wipe that silly smurk off hiss
clueless f in face!!!

Trade Kessel to a team that desperately needs a scorer, he won't do anything else for you.

ok ok i get after past 2 games i get it. Kessel has negative defense skills. He is not a Carylse kind of guy. Do you really think rest of team is a Carlyse team????????????????? 2 more injuries last night. The team can't continue to play up the boards Carlyse hockey as it does not have the personnel to execute the plan. They can work harder but they are smaller and faster in nature and will continue to get injured even if they work harder. This is a team built on skill and speed. Again Burke should have drafted and traded for players who play that style of game. Carlyse will be a flop with top 10 of Bozak, Kessel, Lupul, Grabo, Mac, Frattin, Phaneuf, Liles, Gardiner and Gunnarson. Not one of those guys can play the Carlyse game.

Aulie can.

Ya need Stompin Tom Connors on the bench
sing a song get them going.

Seguin was good again the other night...poor trade for Kessel. Leafs gave up way too much.

Team is TOO SOFT everywhere. Agree with you team will sustain injuries. Last 2 games 4 guys gone. Speaks for itself.

Kessel, Kadri, and Schenn for Nash. just do it.

You don't even know cbj would want those pieces.....

they may want Gardiner ahead of Schenn. lots of trade talk on teams asking for him.

Kessel might not be a bad trade-off in scoring and they'd want some youth like a Kadri however it looks like the writing is on the wall for Naz ie career AHLer.

Columbus said no they wanted another top 6 forward and a #1 pick

Deal for Nash was Kessel, Grabo, Kadri, Gardiner and 2012 #1 pick. Burkie turned it down.

Burkie should have done the deal. that's why his ass is grass next.

Gardiner was the real hit there...

Anybody on the planet would turn that deal down. Nash aint that good.

right. he's a franchise player. even if you're drafting in the top 3 a player like Nash may not be available. Yakopov certainly is not.

compare his peformance vs Kessel's in the last Olympics. Kadri, pffft. Gardiner & Grabo hurt a little but can be replaced whereas a Nash can't.

Ok gino phone the bobcat and let him tell you that you are a moron.

sounds like your speaking from experience. well done vagenius.

fire burke fire burke fire burke

fi-re bur-kie! fi-re bur-kie! fi-re bur-kie!

Kessel is the girliest player in the league

Kessel is your leader. Score a goal and then take 5 shifts off and let in 2. Yeak sounds good NOT.

Kessel and Lupol only true stars on team. Others cant keep up. Agree that Seguin is a terrific player, but would still take Kessel. Burke needs to somehow bring in a star centreman Marc Savard type over the summer for these two. The Grabovski line is a perfect second line. The rest of the team needs to be upgraded as well as goaltending.If they fail next season, after another season of changes, Burke needs to be axed.

Remember it was Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton (who just played for Canada in the WJC's and will be there again next year as he's just 18) and 2nd round Jared Knight http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=116045) for Kessel.

as it stands now the Leafs are in tought to make the post-season this year. should they blow it again next year watch for Kessel will to be traded away. not a good trade.

Kessel should be traded before next season. He is a one trick pony, a scorer, a good one but he should be on a team that either A. is bad and needs a flashy marquee scorer (like Columbus) or B. is very good, needs scoring and can hide his defensive weakness (like Los Angeles).

If you accept that premise and feel he will not be here long term then why wait, his value could not be higher. And you can't worry about what you gave up to get him, that is in the past. Some Leaf fans have a defeatist attitude and 50 years from now they will be able to tell you who was traded for Kessel but we fleeced Boston for Kaberle and nobody mentions that.

Some nervous nellies will say "who is going to score" but you will get something back in a trade, hopefully Nash if you include other pieces, and besides where did our great offence get us this year? St. Louis wins a lot of games scoring only 2 goals and an offensive breakout for them is 3 goals. How many games have we lost scoring 3 or more?

Some people, a lot, would disagree but I would take Grabovski's 25 goals over Kessel's 35 goals any day. Fantasy pools and highlight shows are all about scoring and flash but winning hockey is about a lot more and Kessel is a fantasy poolies dream but a real Leaf fans nightmare.

Trade him.

Kessel scored 30 goals every year except for his first year in the NHL. Scores 30 + with no center. Scores 30 + on a bottom 5 team. Top 5 in league is only 23. And still he cant get his due. Yet Seguin plays with stanley cup champs, on the first line with Lucic and Bergeron (cuz Horton out) is only 3 yrs diff and you guys say he is way better. Imagine Kessel in that scenerio. He would be gunning for the ROCKET RICHARD TROPHY. Poor guy will never be good enuf for you idiots.

Wait til Burkie gets Nash playing on a different line. Kessel will get 50 next year

you've just made the perfect case why Burke should be fired.

in 4 seasons he has not acquired a stud 1st line centre. this has been the obvious Leafs missing piece to drive right winger Kessel to further success and the Leafs into the playoffs.

before the 2009 draft he was bullshiting up & down about aquiring the #1 pick and drafting local phenom centre JT. then hiding behind 'it was too expensive', he's essentially lied about getting Nash too.

Lupul may be already on the outs with Carlysle given their history. he was always a poor man's 1st line centre and a true 2nd line centre anyway.

the bottom line is that Burke has failed. not making the playoffs again this year is the exclamation mark.

Brian Burke: 4 years of abject mediocrity in the so called "centre of the hockey universe".

Really!!! When he came here 4 years ago this org. had nothing. No prospects, no cornerstone player to build around because it was usually traded by previous GMs. Remember "draft shmaft" comments. Well Burke has built depth, has plenty of prospects to develop and is the youngest team in the NHL and has a farm team that is in first place and may challenge for a championship. They have played great for most of the season and right now the season has come down to a collapse during a 14 game span. Over an 82 game schedule the season should not come down to 15 games. That was because of their lack of leadership behind the bench and the lack of veteran leadership on the ice i.e Arnott, langenbrunner etc. This team is a couple of veterans away from being a legitimate playoff team. Having said that, many have complained that Burke has so many bad contracts. Quite the contrary. He has Connolley, Lombardi and Armstrong with 1 year left. His salary budget was geared for the free agency market at the end of next season. Leafs will have over 20million free with Kessel, Phaneuf and most of the core youth still under contract.Do some research and find out who will be available and everyone will be shocked. 2 pieces that will be available are Getzlaf and Perry both of which he gave contracts to. Crosby also UFA to name a few. It is very very deep in UFA's. Don't worry people. I give Burke at least another 2 to 3 years for properly doing this right. Not like in the past. STAY THE COURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can sign Getzlaf, Perry and Jordan Staal (also available). With the money they will have unlike most other teams the Leafs will be armed and ready for UFA signing after next season. WITH THE YOUTH THAT IS DEVELOPING THIS TEAM WILL BE A CONTENDER FOR A VERY LONG TIME. FROM 2013/2014 ON!!!!

The way the NHL is these days, all of these guys will be resigned. Not many stars make it to free agency.

why WHY why ?