I don’t know if he’s doing a good or bad job. I don’t know what will happen in the playoffs but I have to say that he definitely succeeded in creating a team.
Under Dubas, for whatever reason the attention to the core four players was much higher than the rest. Now it feels like they play as a team.
It was nice to see them react to the late hit on Kampf the same way they would react if a better player was hit.
As the great Pierre Dorion would say: We are a team.
Yep. This is where Brad, whether by design or circumstance chose players of a certain "type". A type which I felt for years was needed.
Players who have a presence to draw the team together. Dubas contribution to this was getting players such as Giordano, Schenn and McCabe. The Boosh by style the first time around as he is a heavy competitor.
Brad did his part by bringing in Reaves and Bertuzzi both whom I was quite happy to see him pick up. He saw in Domi what I didn't see and he has been better than I expected and he brings some compete and "won't back down" attitude. Not in the manner his dad did obviously, but with some shades of Tie. Shades of Tie with more skill (Tie was an underrated offensive player btw).
Getting Benoit, Edmunson and Boosh II showed that Brad understands what this team needs
You add all of these new players into the mix and
this is now Brads team. Win or lose.
Come playoffs, the opposing team has to look across at the Leafs team they are facing and have doubts, even some hesitance going into the series. There were a couple of incarnations of this team where other teams didn't want to face the Leafs, but never for reasons of trepidation.
Now forwards ask "do I want to get to the net or dump in the puck and face McCabe, Benoit, Edmunson or the Boosh?" The defense asks, "am I looking forward to a Bertuzzi or Reaves driving my net? Even Domi, McMann and Knies drive. I see JT and Matthews in tighter than I've seen in the past.
I didn't think this years team could be as competent a playoff threat as last years team. I'm seeing far more cohesion in this team though, underlying story lines and depth on the backend in particular which will pay dividends.
It's difficult for me to have faith in this core though, not after this many years. I am nothing if not open minded however.
