Sportsnet: Maple Leafs need to mend divided dressing room

[Ratboy]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-need-to-bridge-divided-dressing-room/

This, in many ways, remains a dressing room divided.

........................................

Take it from no-nonsense defenceman Roman Polak, who had spent his entire NHL career in St. Louis before a trade to Toronto last summer. He didn’t flinch when asked why the Leafs haven’t played with enough defensive structure.

“Because it’s hard work,†Polak said before Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to Washington. “It’s always tough to do something you know you don’t like to do. I think we have lots of guys that just want to play offence.â€

I thought that was a pretty significant quote - especially coming from the guy who got a puck in the mouth and returned to set up a goal (not bad for a shutdown D).

Click to read more...

 

[ironhorse384]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-need-to-bridge-divided-dressing-room/



I thought that was a pretty significant quote - especially coming from the guy who got a puck in the mouth and returned to set up a goal (not bad for a shutdown D).

Man that was ugly, his face looked like hamburger, I'm just glad he didn't get hit again.

Dave Reid: "bad habits and inconsistent work ethic"

There's a guy ,when he played for the leafs and beyond, who was a good penalty killer and hard worker.

 

[ldnk]

I do enjoy how defensemen who don't put up a lot of points get annointed as shutdown. His advanced defensive metrics don't put him in that position at all.

 

[Ratboy]

I do enjoy how defensemen who don't put up a lot of points get annointed as shutdown. His advanced defensive metrics don't put him in that position at all.

Sorry for being incorrect?

 

[senor martinez]

Glad we have real players like Roman Polak, Leo Komarov, Winnik, Santorelli, David Booth, Kadri and and Panik for example. They do it all.

 

[BLONG7]

The core group, is under seige...can they survive?

 

[varano]

Glad we have real players like Roman Polak, Leo Komarov, Winnik, Santorelli, David Booth, Kadri and and Panik for example. They do it all.

Thats why this team will never be successful.
It's best "Hockey guys" are guys that are signed to 1 year deals and will be gone next season.

 

[ThatQuietGuy93]

They need leaders with skill, the problem is their leaders are grinders and role guys

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-need-to-bridge-divided-dressing-room/



I thought that was a pretty significant quote - especially coming from the guy who got a puck in the mouth and returned to set up a goal (not bad for a shutdown D).

That sounds a lot like the comments Chara made in regards to Kessel and Seguin and their time in Boston. Sometimes you must make sacrifices and do thinks you dont like to be successful. Simple as that. We have several players who simply dont want to do anything else then what they think is fun to do.

 

[Stats01]

Thats why this team will never be successful.
It's best "Hockey guys" are guys that are signed to 1 year deals and will be gone next season.

Couldn't be more wrong. The reason why this franchise won't be successful because it's best players aren't playing a whole 200 ft game. Kessel (one dimensional) Dion (soft as butter), JVR (one dimensional) Lupul(One dimensional) These 4 players are huge hinderances in the D-zone and a big reason why this team gives up so many shots and so many goals. If we had more players who played a hard game we'd be a lot more successful but if you can't get your best players to buy in to a 200 ft game and or commit themselves fully to the cause then the team is doomed. It's been doomed since we got these 2. It's why we have collapses every year.

Guys like Winnik, Santorelli, Polak, etc are support bottom line guys...if these guys are relied upon for us to be successful then we have been long gone for a long time. It doesn't matter if these guys are signed to 1 year deals or not, they aren't the problem. It's the guys with 7 and 8 year deals that are the problem, it doesn't matter how many "hockey guys" we sign or how long we sign them for. We have to get rid of the problems, and Kessel and Dion and others are the problem.

 

[achtungbaby]

Glad we have real players like Roman Polak, Leo Komarov, Winnik, Santorelli, David Booth, Kadri and and Panik for example. They do it all.

Agreed with most. Kadri was caught waiting up the ice for a breakout pass again last game instead of watching his man in the defensive zone. Our scoring forwards have to learn how to be more responsible in their own end if this teams defense is going to improve.

 

[Stats01]

Agreed with most. Kadri was caught waiting up the ice for a breakout pass again last game instead of watching his man in the defensive zone. Our scoring forwards have to learn how to be more responsible in their own end if this teams defense is going to improve.

It's not about learning it's about actually doing it. I'm sure Kessel and Kadri know what to do, they just choose not to do it. It's a big f'in problem and I'm sick of these clowns costing us games. Kessel couldn't care less about playing defence. Like I said to me it's not about learning it's about being committed to doing it and after 5-6 years in the league some of these guys will never be committed IMO Ship em' out

 

[diceman934]

That sounds a lot like the comments Chara made in regards to Kessel and Seguin and their time in Boston. Sometimes you must make sacrifices and do thinks you dont like to be successful. Simple as that. We have several players who simply dont want to do anything else then what they think is fun to do.

We all know this....now it is time fore everyone to admit it. Players need to go.

 

[613Leafer]

Either direct comments, indirect comments, or rumours of comments from Polak, Wilson, JS Giguere, Lieweke, Spott, Chara, Chiarelli, etc.

But yea, there's no problem with Kessel, he's a great team player

 

[BraveCanadian]

“Because it’s hard work,†Polak said before Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to Washington. “It’s always tough to do something you know you don’t like to do. I think we have lots of guys that just want to play offence.â€

I love those few times when hockey players actually tell the truth in interviews.

 

[Rogie]

Hard to know or say what goes on between players and in the room if you aren't insider, but, with this team, it would be pretty amazing if there weren't a lot of conflicts between players. Seems to me anyways. As someone who played the game for a long time, that is my sense - there's got to be a lot of players not happy with the work ethic and the style of play of their teammates. Hockey players may be modest and all that other stuff, but, I can't see some guys being okay with some players refusal to go in a corner or battle for a puck. Sheesh - Johnny Gaudreau looks like Colton Orr compared to half these guys.

 

[Slot]

Either direct comments, indirect comments, or rumours of comments from Polak, Wilson, JS Giguere, Lieweke, Spott, Chara, Chiarelli, etc.

But yea, there's no problem with Kessel, he's a great team player

Wow, Polak's quote seemed to implicate more than one player but let's all single out Kessel. I argue that Kessel has waffled in the defensive zone because other than a couple of times when his feet were held to the fire Carlyle let him and, by extension, all the skilled forwards basically do what they wanted.

This may be management's fault up to this year (Shannahan hopefully brings a different dynamic) as both the ex-coaches have touched on meddling from on high regarding Kessel. We'll see if Horachcuk and Spott have been given the go ahead to bring some pain to the forward squad regarding playing defence.

10-15 games should tell us which way the team is going to go regarding team defence and who may be getting traded.

 

[ACC1224]

Seems like he's stating the obvious with a pretty wide brush.

 

[SenorDingDong]

TO much negativity on these forums, you all need some cheering up. Here is a panda cub.

 

[Slot]

TO much negativity on these forums, you all need some cheering up. Here is a panda cub.

So Cute.... can he play D?

 

[The CyNick]

Good on Polak. hopefully more guys expose Kessel for what he is.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Not surprised, if I were a player on this team, I wouldn't play defence either, seeing how our best players treat that side of the game.

You are only as strong as your weakest or strongest link.

 

[daveleaf]

Hard to make a judgement after last nights game where everyone had their share in bad plays.

I agree with Roman, who came from a hard work, defensive minded team to a loosey goosey one. Let's face it, a structured team takes hard work and sacrifice and everyone pulling for everyone. I'm sure part of this team needs to look in this mirror. That whole defence needs to look in the mirror last night and none of them can say they didn't have a hand in the final score. Coaches were flipping lines all over the place and guys are playing hurt.

Naz will get better since he has shown he cares from his work ethic on faceoffs this year. Clarkson worked hard, at times Phill did as well. You know, guys got to throw their sticks in the middle of the room and ask who's in. Either they want to go off a cliff again and half traded or they decide to play a team game and make it work. Their is plenty of talent on this team to be a playoff team.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I read an interview with Gunnarsson the other week and he said, when asked about it, that the biggest difference between St Louis and Toronto was the attitude. In St Louis they all come ready to train hard and play hard. In Toronto it was more about taking chances.


Translated quote

- It's a little different mentality, both in competition and training. It has been more go (readiness?) , it's no problem to get guys started. We have a hard and fast team.
In Toronto, it was more that we played around, I should not say on chance but it was very up and down.

http://www.hockeysverige.se/2015/01...ke-inte-ar-bra-for-hockeyn-men-det-ar-roligt/



This also correlates pretty well with what Carlyle used to say. That the hardest work for him was to remove pressure from the group, get them in to their comfort zone because they did not respond well to pressure.

A group of players who shy away from hard work, take training lightly, do not like physical play and who are more focused on having fun then being successful (that should be pretty fun to), what chances do they have to achieve anything. Is there really any surprise that this team keeps ending up in the bottom 10 in the league with one of the worst defensive (the boring stuff...) records while being a good to great offensive (the fun stuff...) team?

We need blow up this core of slackers and losers. We will never win with them, maybe not even get into the playoffs. Then I dont care what Nonis say he have seen this group do or dont do, he so full of **** he should be fired as well.

 

[Mess]

Roman is right when he says some players are only concerned about offense, and their own stats padding. Thinking outscoring their mistakes is the best winning strategy.

There is a real lack of commitment to play without the puck and that is why Leafs are 29th in shots against and 27th in goals against and 28th in possession figures and among the worst teams in the NHL defensively.