Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 5.11

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Conventional wisdom says that for a team struggling to score goals, shoot more often. Well the Maple Leafs – tied for twenty second overall in the NHL in terms of goals scored - took that advice to heart in their game against the New York Islanders on Monday night, firing a franchise tying sixty one shots at goaltender Dwayne Roloson but only managed to beat him on three occasions.

If there was anything positive to take from that game, it was the fact that despite falling down 3-0 in the second period, once the Maple Leafs decided to start playing, they dominated much of the remaining time in the Islanders zone. That they were unable to score more than three times is beside the point. Shoot sixty one times and eventually they will start to go in.

Later in the week in their next two games against Tampa Bay and Florida, the shots kept coming – notching thirty five and thirty three shots respectively – and finally, the Maple Leafs were rewarded with some of those shots translating into goals, combining for ten goals in those two games.

With each passing game, Phil Kessel continues to justify the hefty price paid to acquire him, displaying a type of raw offensive talent the Maple Leafs have been unable to boast since perhaps Alex Mogilny. The fact that he is only twenty one years of age though sets him apart from Mogilny who was later in his career when he was with the Maple Leafs. A better comparison might be a young Mats Sundin when he was acquired in 1994 as a twenty three year old.

It’s no wonder that now with an improvement in terms of offensive production, the Maple Leafs are starting to string some wins together. Now with points, including three wins, in their last five games and a solid work ethic during that stretch, this is the team people were expecting to see since the beginning of the season. It’s a shame that it took a quarter of the campaign to get it going though. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 5.10

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Prior to the game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke said that jobs are now on the line and that demotions to the Toronto Marlies, veterans being placed on waivers and possible trades are not out of the question for underperforming players. However, with just four wins through twenty one games, the chance to make the playoffs is now all but gone unless the Leafs get hot and stay hot for an awfully long time.

Prior to the season, all the talk was centered around eradicating the culture of complacency that seemed to become prevalent in the Maple Leafs locker room over the past four seasons. But through twenty one games, very little has been done in terms of roster adjustments to make underachieving players at all uncomfortable. Players have continually rolled out the same clichés of, “We need to work harder,” or “We need to get off to better starts,” and so on. Easy to say, now let’s see it done. Quite frankly, as Vice President of the United States Joe Biden said during his VP nomination acceptance speech, “That’s not change, that’s more of the same.”

The longer Burke waits before making some changes to shake up the comfort level, the more credibility he starts to lose. The lip service only goes so far, it needs to be backed up with decisive action. Send a guy like Jason Blake or Lee Stempniak to the Toronto Marlies, eat their salary and scare other players into thinking I could be the next guy. Yes they’d have to be put on waivers first, but if they lose them (and is there really much chance of that?), what have they really lost.

One can only wonder why it has taken this long to stir the pot. And at this point, these changes are still talk and threats, let’s wait till the hammer actually falls but honestly, is it ever time for it. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 5.9

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For Luke Schenn, his second season in the NHL has not brought the same success that his rookie season did. Rarely has the confident, physical, efficient puck mover from a year ago been seen since the season began. Instead, Schenn has looked tentative, unsure, and has shown a propensity toward committing costly mistakes. Simply take a look at the Patrick Kane goal from Friday night against Chicago if you need anymore examples.

In short and quite frankly, Schenn is no longer developing, he is regressing. However with the Maple Leafs announcing on Thursday that Mike Komesarik will miss at least three weeks with a torn quadriceps muscle, Schenn will have an opportunity to take on a bigger role and play himself out of his early season funk.

If the Maple Leafs are to have success over the next three weeks, they will need Schenn to rediscover the style of play that allowed him to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp as a nineteen year old at the beginning of last season.

If no noticeable improvement in his game is seen though by the time Komesarik is ready to return, it might be time for Brian Burke to consider a demotion for Schenn to the Toronto Marlies. A disastrous year from start to finish at the NHL level will not do either Schenn or the Maple Leafs any good.

Schenn desperately needs to play in an atmosphere where he can regain his confidence before it is gone for good. Chances are he will have a better opportunity of doing just that free from the bright lights of the Air Canada Centre, where every mistake is magnified.

Still a good prospect, Schenn did not have the success he experienced in his rookie season as an eighteen year old by accident, the Leafs have to be careful that Schenn`s struggles don`t turn into irreparable damage. Remember, Jeff Ware was once a top prospect…once. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 5.8 Ft. Jeff Brown

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With points now in seven consecutive games, the Maple Leafs are, dare we say it, rolling. Okay well maybe not rolling but their stretch of improved play that began with a commanding victory over the Anaheim Ducks in the second game of five game road trip has seen the Maple Leafs move out of dead last place in the NHL and to within six points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand on the New York Islanders, the current holders of said position.

All of a sudden the gloom and doom that prevailed over Leaf Nation just two weeks ago has once again given way to the hope and promise that this 2009/2010 campaign was initially founded upon. Phil Kessel has slid in well since his debut on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, giving the Maple Leafs a dangerous offensive dynamic, something they have lacked since the departure of Mats Sundin over a season and a half ago.

Jonas Gustavsson, with each passing start, is beginning to look more like the real deal and less like a one-time thing, having provided the Maple Leafs with exceptional netminding since returning from a groin injury against the Anaheim Ducks.

For the first time in recent memory, the Maple Leafs can boast a netminder whose goal against average begins with a two and whose save percentage begins with a nine. Without that kind of proficiency between the pipes, winning in the National Hockey League becomes exponentially more difficult.

No longer looking lost on home ice either, the Maple Leafs have begun to get the crowd back on their side and slowly, the often blustery winds of Leafs Nation are starting point in the direction of support.

Just like the weather in Western Canada, they say if you don’t like it, wait five minutes and it will change. Well in Leafs Nation, if you don’t care for the mood of the day, just be patient, it’s nothing a couple of wins won’t change. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 5.7

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Two weeks ago when the Maple Leafs departed the hostility that had built up in Toronto after the team had gone winless in seven games to start the regular season, their five game road trip was seen as a saving grace of sorts. It would give them the ability to work out their kinks free from at least some of the constant criticism they had been receiving in the media.

Fast forward two weeks and now with the road trip in the books and a 1-1-3 record to show for it, did the Maple Leafs take enough strides to consider their five game sojourn a success?

Well certainly more than just one win would have been nice but when you assess how the team played in its first seven games and then compare that to how the team played during the road trip, there really is no comparison. And that’s a good thing.

Finally the Maple Leafs displayed elements of hustle, grittiness, energy and hard work, all of which were in far too short a supply before the road trip began. If they lose games playing in that type of fashion, I have no problem with it because at the end of the day, they simply lost, nothing more nothing less.

It’s when there is no apparent effort or hard work that you aren’t even giving yourself a chance and that to me, is what is unacceptable.

When the Maple Leafs return home on November 3rd against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they will likely do so with Phil Kessel in the lineup. In order to have success though, they must exhibit the kind of play they did on the road trip at home and not merely rely on Kessel, not that any one player would be the difference at this point.

Frankly compared to top teams’ rosters around the league, the Maple Leafs just do not stack up yet. If they are going to win games, it will be the hard work and resiliency they showed on the road trip that will make the difference. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.