Maurice won't let Leafs fall into trap Coach Paul Maurice and the rest of the Leafs management clearly want to reduce goals against this season, but they aren't prepared to adopt a neutral zone trap to do it.'The most talented team I've ever coached,' says Maurice as team starts on-ice drills today
Paul Maurice, who last year stated his club's participation in the Eastern Conference playoff race would be akin to a "dogfight," was even more emphatic at the opening of training camp yesterday.
"We'll make the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup," Maurice said as the club's pre-season roster went through medicals at Ricoh Coliseum in advance of today's first on-ice sessions.
Maurice was also excited about his roster for the start of his second year as Leafs' coach. The Leafs shored up question marks from the last two seasons with the additions of Jason Blake, Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell.
"This is the most talented team I've ever coached," Maurice said.
The opening of camp held a sense of urgency for Alex Steen and the rest of the club's younger players.
"They're no longer rookies, they're no longer second- or third-year players ... it's time for them to take responsibility for the outcome of this club," Leafs GM John Ferguson said.
Steen, along with buddy Matt Stajan, Kyle Wellwood and defencemen Ian White and Carlo Colaiacovo, accepted the new level of scrutiny.
"It's not pressure, it's a challenge, and I like to play with more responsibility," said Steen, who was grilled about his answer to a 2006-07 campaign in which his production fell off from his rookie campaign the season before.
Steen notched 15 goals and 20 assists in his sophomore season, a marked contrast to his rookie year when 18 goals and 27 assists had him ranked 10th in NHL rookie scoring and sixth in team scoring.
Behind the scenes, Steen became a father and settled further into a Toronto hockey hotbed. He visited Sweden in the off-season, browsing potential summer homes with his wife, then played all 82 games last year compared to 75 in his first year, and improved a minus-9 as a rookie to plus-5 a year ago.
Maurice also called upon him, Stajan and the other relatively inexperienced players to alter their roles last season. With injuries to several key veterans, the youngsters were forced to manage scoring assignments with their usual, strict attention to two-way hockey.
It wasn't always the sweetest of marriages, and Steen, while growing as a player, fell off on the stat sheet and took his lumps from the critics.
And then what?! I'm still kind of glad that they missed it the last 2 seasons. It's a bit of a wake-up call to not only the fans, but maybe (just maybe) some of the high-ups in the organisation.
__________________ "It's not the way it's going to be. We have to be very, very patient and build this the right way. We have to go through a process. It may be painful. I hope it isn't. But we're prepared for all the bumps and pratfalls and potholes in the road ahead. I'm prepared for it anyway, or I wouldn't have come." - Ron Wilson, Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
And then what?! I'm still kind of glad that they missed it the last 2 seasons. It's a bit of a wake-up call to not only the fans, but maybe (just maybe) some of the high-ups in the organisation.
Ya it seems if they make the playoffs and make that extra cash they don't care anymore about the cup or anything.
__________________ When you make "big" money, you need to play "big."
So they have a little less faith than the Leafs themselves do, which I suppose is only natural.
__________________
"Toronto shorthanded goal...his 4th goal of the season.....his 3rd goal of the game....and the 500th goal of his NHL career...scored by number 13, Mats Sundin!"
So they have a little less faith than the Leafs themselves do, which I suppose is only natural.
THN is rag. The writing for that magazine is so very sub-par, that it's really not worth taking what they say into consideration. I think the fact that they fail to recognize the Leafs as at least a playoff team is a clear indicator of this, given that the Leafs have only gotten better this offseason, and teams that were above them last season have gotten worse. New Jersey and Buffalo are clear examples of teams that lost key players, and Atlanta will be very lucky to repeat the performance of last year.
The leafs are better this year to start, just given that for now the team is healthy. Outside of that they have added Mark Bell, Toskala, and Jason Blake. I would love for THN to explain to me how the leafs miss the playoffs after adding only these players. And hoping for better luck than last year, Toronto will also have a full seasons production out of Tucker (who I will not bet against 40 goals this season ) hopefully Colaiacovo, and Wellwood. Also, you have rookies Stralman and Kulemin fighting for roster spots, further strengthening their depth on D and offense.
I think that strengthening goaltending was probably the best decision that the Leafs organization made this year, and Toskala does more than that. I see Toskala as a very promising young goaltender, and he will probably be doing more than platooning games with Raycroft by the end of the season. From there, Razor is a more than capable back up goaltender, who is really a starter looking to get back on track.
This is a strong, young team right now, and I really expect that they will make a run for the top 4 spots in the East, if most of the chips in their basket pan out properly.
THN is rag. The writing for that magazine is so very sub-par, that it's really not worth taking what they say into consideration. I think the fact that they fail to recognize the Leafs as at least a playoff team is a clear indicator of this, given that the Leafs have only gotten better this offseason, and teams that were above them last season have gotten worse. New Jersey and Buffalo are clear examples of teams that lost key players, and Atlanta will be very lucky to repeat the performance of last year.
The leafs are better this year to start, just given that for now the team is healthy. Outside of that they have added Mark Bell, Toskala, and Jason Blake. I would love for THN to explain to me how the leafs miss the playoffs after adding only these players. And hoping for better luck than last year, Toronto will also have a full seasons production out of Tucker (who I will not bet against 40 goals this season ) hopefully Colaiacovo, and Wellwood. Also, you have rookies Stralman and Kulemin fighting for roster spots, further strengthening their depth on D and offense.
I think that strengthening goaltending was probably the best decision that the Leafs organization made this year, and Toskala does more than that. I see Toskala as a very promising young goaltender, and he will probably be doing more than platooning games with Raycroft by the end of the season. From there, Razor is a more than capable back up goaltender, who is really a starter looking to get back on track.
This is a strong, young team right now, and I really expect that they will make a run for the top 4 spots in the East, if most of the chips in their basket pan out properly.
Ya I agree, they've been wrong on SOOOO many things over the past couple years with their predictions.
__________________ When you make "big" money, you need to play "big."
THN is rag. The writing for that magazine is so very sub-par, that it's really not worth taking what they say into consideration. I think the fact that they fail to recognize the Leafs as at least a playoff team is a clear indicator of this, given that the Leafs have only gotten better this offseason, and teams that were above them last season have gotten worse. New Jersey and Buffalo are clear examples of teams that lost key players, and Atlanta will be very lucky to repeat the performance of last year.
The leafs are better this year to start, just given that for now the team is healthy. Outside of that they have added Mark Bell, Toskala, and Jason Blake. I would love for THN to explain to me how the leafs miss the playoffs after adding only these players. And hoping for better luck than last year, Toronto will also have a full seasons production out of Tucker (who I will not bet against 40 goals this season ) hopefully Colaiacovo, and Wellwood. Also, you have rookies Stralman and Kulemin fighting for roster spots, further strengthening their depth on D and offense.
I think that strengthening goaltending was probably the best decision that the Leafs organization made this year, and Toskala does more than that. I see Toskala as a very promising young goaltender, and he will probably be doing more than platooning games with Raycroft by the end of the season. From there, Razor is a more than capable back up goaltender, who is really a starter looking to get back on track.
This is a strong, young team right now, and I really expect that they will make a run for the top 4 spots in the East, if most of the chips in their basket pan out properly.
Is this the same rag that named the current top 50 players? If so then I have all the confidence in the world that the leafs will make it to the show
I didn't take much stock in THN's predictions, especially since they predicted a finals Anaheim-Ottawa rematch...how original.
Nevertheless, as odd and inaccurate as it was, at least the magazine was still entertaining in its own rite.
__________________
"Toronto shorthanded goal...his 4th goal of the season.....his 3rd goal of the game....and the 500th goal of his NHL career...scored by number 13, Mats Sundin!"
I didn't take much stock in THN's predictions, especially since they predicted a finals Anaheim-Ottawa rematch...how original.
Nevertheless, as odd and inaccurate as it was, at least the magazine was still entertaining in its own rite.
Ya like I've been reading their magazines for years and tehy have the oddest choices for their predictions like stanley cup match ups or trophy winners. Like they predicted ovechkin for some awards last season and predicted ovechkin over crosby.
__________________ When you make "big" money, you need to play "big."
"We'll make the playoffs"
"We'll make the playoffs"
) hopefully Colaiacovo, and Wellwood. Also, you have rookies Stralman and Kulemin fighting for roster spots, further strengthening their depth on D and offense.
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