Leafs Notebook: Team adjusting to Carlyle
Posted March 5, 2012 8:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Randy Carlyle is a no-nonsense coach who lets everybody know exactly where they stand with him.
So far he hasn’t bitten the head off of any of his players on the Toronto Maple Leafs — or any members of the local media, for that matter.
Carlyle makes no apologies for his approach. It helped him win a Norris Trophy when he was an NHL defenceman and a Stanley Cup in 2007 as coach of the Anaheim Ducks.
“I think the fewer fibs you tell, and then you don’t have to have a great memory,” Carlyle joked following practice Monday afternoon. “You tell the truth and you don’t have to remember the fib or the something that you stretched. It is important to be open with the players that I be as honest as I possibly can, because that is how I feel.”
Carlyle won the 274th game of his career as an NHL coach Saturday night in Montreal in his Maple Leafs debut, having replaced the fired Ron Wilson the night before, and is nervously awaiting his home debut in Toronto against the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins Tuesday night.
“I think before the puck drops, there might be a few butterflies; as there were in Montreal,” Carlyle said. “In the home building, we have to make ACC a difficult place for the opposition to come into and have any success against us. That is our goal. We want to have a home ice record that is strong.”
Following practice Monday, Carlyle took a moment to reflect on what has gone on in his life the past few days.
“It has been quite a whirlwind,” Carlyle said. “When you think of it, I was golfing in Anaheim last Wednesday and on Thursday morning I was on a plane to Boston (to meet with Leafs GM Brian Burke) and Friday night I was at a team meeting and on Saturday I was coaching an NHL team.
“So there have been a lot of things that have gone through my mind and a lot of deep thought as to what I would like to do. Now I am amerced in a job and this is a time when you really lean on your assistant coaches.”
Carlyle has put his players through two intense practices following their win in Montreal.
“Today was a little bit more of some of the staples we like to see,” Carlyle said. “Every coach has some things he brings with him when he presents options to his hockey club and today we worked on special teams, which is of vital importance. Power play and penalty killing will have a positive effect in the up-coming game against Boston.”
The Leafs play the Bruins at home Tuesday and then the Penguins in Pittsburgh the following day.
“We made a statement before, that the next (game) was the most important one,” Carlyle said. “We’re not worried about Wednesday. We’re worried about Tuesday. That’s what our focus has to be as a group. We have asked the players not to dwell on the task at hand in terms of the big picture, but to worry about the little picture.”
WELCOME BACK: Leafs tough guy Jay Rosehill cleared waivers and re-joined the team Monday after spending a few weeks playing in the American Hockey League with the Marlies.
“I’m excited,” Rosehill said. “There’s a new coach and a new atmosphere and I’m excited to get back playing. I haven’t spoken with him yet, but it was a good high-tempo practice and I feel a different energy with the boys so hopefully it’s a good thing. I’ve only been here a couple of hours, but there is definitely a different energy here.”
Rosehill said he doesn’t need to be reminded by anybody as to what his role with the team is. Although he has only played in 16 games this season (0 points, minus-2) he has engaged in three fights. The 6-foot-3, 210 pound defenceman-turned-winger is expected to be a physical force for the team that is fighting an uphill battle to make the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. In 57 games as a part-time player over the past three years Rosehill has had 15 fights.
Rosehill said he was not told by Carlyle if he’d play Tuesday night against the visiting Boston Bruins, but you’d have to think that the Leafs, having burned the third of the four call-ups they are allowed to the end of the regular season to get him back on their roster, will play him.
“I got this far knowing what to do and when to do it and I don’t plan on changing too much,” he said. “Hopefully I get some experience behind me here. I just want to get in on the fore-check and hopefully keep the other team on their heels. If they want to bring the rough stuff I’ll be ready to back that up and defend ourselves.”
Rosehill made the team out of training camp, but rarely played before being sent down.
“It was tough,” he said. “It’s part of being a professional, but it starts to wear on a guy when it happens day after day. I was never in the lineup, but I would still come to the rink champing at the bit to play. Obviously it was disappointing, but this is a fresh start for me.”
It was beginning to look like a wasted year until the Leafs sent him to the Marlies where he finally got a chance to play.
“You always want to be in the NHL, but at the same time, I wanted to be playing,” he said. “I got the chance to play with the Marlies and luckily there was a mix-up here where hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to play.”
Carlyle wouldn’t spell out Rosehill’s role, but he knows what the Olds, Alta., native brings to the table.
“Rosy is obviously an aggressive player; a big guy that has to be a physical force and has to be an energy player,” Carlyle said. “He has to defend teammates if that is called for. We always want to make sure we have that comfort for our skilled players.”
WORKING OVERTIME: The Maple Leafs, under coach Ron Wilson, traditionally practised for an hour or so, but under Carlyle, it has been closer to two hours as he tries to teach them his system and get them to understand his sensibilities.
Veteran defenceman Mike Komisarek said the players have no issue with that whatsoever. “It’s what we’re paid to do,” said Komisarek, stating the obvious. “You’re not going to find one guy who will complain about being on the ice for an hour and a half skating hard.
“When the results aren’t there, you want to build confidence and feel good about yourself and your game. That starts in practice. We put in two great days in practice.”
BROWN GOES DOWN: Fourth-line grinder Mike Brown left practice early Monday and will likely be a game-time decision Tuesday against the Bruins. Brown left Saturday night’s game in Montreal with a sore neck after engaging in a fight with Montreal’s Brad Staubitz, but took part in the entire practice the following day. He left practice Monday with a hand issue.
FIVE IS A CROWD: The Leafs had five players wearing maroon jerseys competing for three spots at practice Monday: Jay Rosehill, Joey Crabb, Tim Connolly, Mike Brown and Mathew Lombardi. Only three of them can dress against the Bruins.
“Depending on the injury to Mike Brown,” said Carlyle, “that will definitely have an effect on the lineup decisions for tomorrow.”
Carlyle added that unless Connolly is sick or injured, he will definitely dress.
IT’S NOT ALL HARD WORK: When the Leafs skated onto the ice at MasterCard Centre for practice, the left-shooting players were shooting right and the right-handed players were shooting left. The coaches threw two pucks on the ice and it was like a river hockey game.
Carlyle said it is important that the players work hard at practice, but they need to have fun, too.
“They’re not accustomed to spending an hour and a half on the ice and they have been here since 10:30 this morning,” Carlyle said. “Some of them will leave at 3 o’clock this afternoon. But it’s not all work. There is some play that we try to implement into the program. The rink should be a place where they come and have some fun.”
