The Toronto Maple Leafs: No Guts No Glory.

Well the time has finally come to put my two cents in in the form of an article instead of a comment.  I've chosen a photo of Doug Gilmour as an appropriate player to pair with my chosen title, there are other players who would serve as well, for example Gary Roberts, both of these players exhibited the traits this current Leaf team so sorely lacks.  These two players are archetypal examples mind you and not so easy to come by.  These are the type of players Burke should want on his team if Burke really wants the type of team he says he wants but anyone watching this team knows he is as far as Pluto is from the Sun in having a "Burke" type of team.

So what exactly do Gilmour and Roberts type of players  bring to a team?  GUTS!  With a healthy degree of skill.  Moxie is another word that frequently comes to mind which to my mind is that quality of knowing intimately what you are engaged in and being able to respond appropriately, effectively, naturally and with spirit.  The desire to win and the willingness to sacrifice to win.  The quality of being able to play with courage and engage the opponent in an aggressive physical way that enables a player to effectively dominate the play.  The ability to play a smart game for example not taking dumb, selfish, lazy penalties, knowing when to shoot and when to pass and the ability to think the game at high speed and see the ice as they say.  These players have dogged determination, are hard on the puck and hard to play against, work their butts off all the time and never quit and they can score and set up plays.  They are, in short, winners and they are to me what really defines the best in a hockey player and I still believe that Canada produces more of these type of players than anywhere else.  These qualities are obvious in Sidney Crosby's  game but he is an extreme example for it is rare that these players will also be found at or so near the top of  the individual point standings because what they usually bring to the game is not to be found there, what they bring is found in the high number in the Wins column.

Now I ask you how many players on the current roster do the Leafs have that fit the above description regardless of where they were born?  If you answered very few then you are an astute observer and student of the game and have been paying attention when you watch Leaf games. Yes, the Leafs need a top notch goalie, the goalie is the most important player on any team, you don't win many games without excellent goal tending but that is something that most  observers already identify as a huge requirement for this team but most observers do not seem to get that this team is also hugely deficient in the gutsy, intelligent forwards and D men department that make for winning clubs and this is as important as anything else and in my opinion I think it is the weakest part of this teams game.

Players like Gilmour, Roberts, Shanahan, Lucic etc. are difficult to come by although the Leafs chose Kulemin over Lucic in that draft, how typical, but players like this are out there, like the Pens Tyler Kennedy, and the Leafs must find ways to acquire them whether they be current NHL players or players languishing in the minors in our own system or other teams systems.  If Burke and crew think the likes of Grabovski and Stajan or Poni*^&$%# or Mitchell or Hagman etc. are going to lead us to the land of victory then I'm afraid that for the Leaf Nation our current situation of NO GUTS will continue to bring us NO GLORY. 

This organization for all it's years of ineptitude has been close three times with excellent teams as serious challengers for the Cup since 1967.  Once  with the late great Roger Neilson coaching  and again in the 90's with Pat Burns and most recently with the Pat Quinn Leafs and if you look at the rosters of those teams you see a large number of tenacious players, the players who know their role on the team and perform it and yes the enforcers too who have a very important role to play whether you like it or not.  So Brian it is possible as GM even in Toronto the centre of the hockey universe to put the pieces together and I for one want you to "SHOW ME THE BEEF" and there's no time like the present Mr. Burke.

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