Brophy on Leafs: Dawn of a new age
Posted March 3, 2012 1:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL – Welcome to the Toronto Mighty Ducks.
In an effort to duplicate the success he enjoyed in Anaheim, where the once Mighty Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke hired the coach of that winning team, Randy Carlyle, to replace Ron Wilson whom he gave a contract extension to the first week of December.
The Maple Leafs held a playoff spot just two weeks ago, but have since dropped 10 of their past 11 games, including six in a row, and are now in danger of missing the post-season for the seventh straight year. Burke is convinced Carlyle gives his club a chance to make the playoffs even though simple mathematics would suggest otherwise.
“It became obvious to me in the last week that we needed to make a coaching change if we wanted to try to salvage this season,” Burke said Saturday morning at the Bell Centre. “Obviously I have a track record with Randy, who worked for me in Anaheim and did a great job. We had success there and we intend to do that again. It has been a difficult couple of days for me, but I am excited to be here today. I think this change is something our team needed. I think it was required and I think we have a guy behind the wheel who can get us to where we want to go.”
Only one problem with that theory. James Reimer isn’t Jean-Seastien Giguere. Phil Kessel isn’t Teemu Selanne. Dion Phaneuf isn’t Chris Pronger. John-Michael Liles isn’t Scott Niedermayer. Matt Frattin isn’t Corey Perry.
You get my drift?
Though Burke won’t admit it, this team’s problem isn’t the coaching. It is goaltending. Throw Henrik Lundqvist or Tim Thomas between the pipes and the Maple Leafs are heading to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Not that Wilson was perfect. There is no denying there were other issues that stood between the Maple Leafs and their first playoff appearance since Moby Dick was a minnow.
But give this team capable goaltending and we are not discussing their coaching situation this day. Burke is very protective of his goaltending coach, Francois Allaire, though many wonder if his drop-and-stop style is effective in today’s game. Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson, the team’s two goalies, don’t seem to be getting it.
“Francois Allaire isn’t going anywhere,” Burke said. I think we have the best goalie coach on the planet. I’m not going to change a coach because we have two young goalies that are battling right now.
“I think the goaltending, at times, has been brilliant,” Burke insisted. “I think the reason why we are still alive statistically is because at times Jonas Gustavsson has saved our ass twice during the season. I think the goaltenders have played brilliantly at times.”
Burke said he made his decision to fire Wilson midway through the week. During Tuesday’s home game against the Florida Panthers Leafs fans chanted, “Fire Wilson! Fire Wilson!”
“After the last home game I felt it would be cruel and unusual punishment to let Ron coach another game in the Air Canada Centre,” Burke said. “I wasn’t going to put him through that.”
Burke added: “Every coach has a shelf life. That day comes for every coach.”
Carlyle arrived in Montreal Friday evening and met with his players.
“We met for close to an hour last night and the reality was, I sensed the hockey club is very, very tense right now,” Carlyle said. “There’s a lot of tension. I feel that the confidence level of the group is probably at a low and it is my responsibility as a coach to pick these guys up. They have to feel a lot better about themselves than they do today.
“I remember this hockey club playing against us in Anaheim and the No. 1 thing they proved to me as an apposing coach was they could skate. That’s what they have to get back to. They are a skating hockey club and they have to get back on their horse and start to skate. There are various ways that we have to get them to do that, but first and foremost they have to feel better about themselves than they do right now. We’re going to try to instill come confidence in them in a short period of time.”
Carlyle will eventually be joined on the bench by former Ducks assistant coach Dave Farrish who replaced Rob Zettler. The Leafs apparently have also asked the Columbus Blue Jackets for permission to speak with Scott Arniel, who may also join the organization as an assistant coach.
Having been a player with the Maple Leafs, Carlyle knows what comes with the territory – the pressure that is playing hockey under a microscope.
“There’s a lot of pressure that is put on the professional athlete in the market we play in,” Carlyle said. “Expectations are high; it’s as simple as that. Just taking a look at how many of you people are here today is an indication of an everyday occurrence for these players and the scrutiny that takes place. Again, they are professional hockey players who have made the NHL. They are at an elite level and we have to find a way to re-energize the group. It’s not that they have lost their skills; it’s just that we have to rekindle their spirit. It is important for them to feel good about themselves. They have an opportunity now to show a new face a first time impression.”
Can Carlyle realistically make a difference in this season with just 18 games remaining?
“I think as a coach you are always more concerned about the next one,” Carlyle said. “And tonight is the next one – the most important game of the season. It’s not about anything else that is happening next week; it’s about tonight. It’s about our first shift … it’s about our first period … it’s about being first on the puck … it’s about getting the first body-check in … creating the first scoring chance … drawing the first penalty. All those firsts have got to be front and centre with our group. All the other stuff, in my mind, is window dressing because our focus has to be on tonight’s hockey game.”
Burke believes Carlyle will make an instant impact.
“We think this coach gives us a chance to salvage the season where we felt with Ron, it wasn’t going to happen,” Burke said. “Also, this saves us a month in the fall of a new coach coming in, putting in his system and getting to know the players. If we’re going to miss, we’re going to miss with a coach that gives us a better chance next fall.”
In hiring Carlyle, Burke admitted it’ll probably cost the organization a good young coach in Dallas Eakins, coach of the AHL Marlies.
“Everyone in our hockey operations department thinks that Dallas Eakins is a hell of a coach,” Burke said. “But you look at the size of this group and he has never coached a game in the league. We just felt this was putting him in a tank full of piranhas and sharks and he would have no chance. His day will come. It may not be with us, but Dallas Eakins is going to be a real good NHL head coach.”
Carlyle was quick to downplay any potential friction between himself and Leafs star left winger Joffrey Lupul, who was publicly critical of the way he was handled by by the coach when the two were in Anaheim.
“Lupes made a comment when we were in Anaheim previously that he felt I didn’t use him correctly and he was right,” Carlyle admitted. “I made the mistake – and I said it at that time – that we made the mistake of not putting Joffrey Lupul at left wing in out top six grouping. But you have to remember that he came back off some pretty dramatic back surgery. He had a number of infections and at one point we thought he would never play again. That’s a mistake that I made and I take responsibility for that. I have talked to Joffrey about it and it is water under the bridge. He’s a top six forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs and he’s having a career year and good for him.”
What is also interesting about this whole thing is the fact the Maple Leafs extended Wilson’s contract in December and are said to be on the hook for his salary, roughly $1.5 million next season. It is also said that Carlyle will be paid $5 million to coach the Leafs for the rest of this season and the next three years. That’s a lot of cake for two coaches in an organization that is soon to be taken over by new cost-conscious owners
When Burke failed to make a trade to help his team at the deadline, he said he was sticking with the blueprint. A couple of days later he changes coaches. So, what exactly is that blueprint?
“The blueprint is, we think we put some key assets in place already,” Burke said. “At the trade deadlines all the deals we were presented were deals where we had to wait. We turned down four first-round picks for players on the team; turned down trade offers on I think 12 players. Every trade we were presented meant that we had to wait and our fans had to wait. You get a first-round pick for a guy; what is that? That’s three years for most of them … three years that we have to wait. We think we have a good young group with good team speed. The blueprint is to win a championship. Here will be people that say you need to have your head examined when you are talking about having a parade for a team that is fighting to get into the playoffs, but that’s the blueprint. That’s the goal. That’s all that I am interested in.”
And so the Randy Carlyle era begins.
