Leafs End Season On A High, New Attitude Needed Next Season

Mark RitterApr 11, 2010

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

Entering Saturday evenings game the Toronto Maple Leafs had a chance of eliminating the Montreal Canadiens from the playoffs. The first thing that needed to happen was for the Leafs to beat the Habs in regulation. Sadly, while the Leafs did eek out a 4-3 overtime victory, that did not happen, so the rest of the scenario is irrelevant at this point.

Saturday nights tilt between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs represents exactly how the Leafs are going to need to play next season if they are to have a measure of success—compete hard in all zones, get great goaltending and get every player to play for the name on the front of the sweater, not the one on the back.

Unselfish play, high intensity, the use of the Leafs newly found speed and a focus on staying out of the penalty box and taking advantage of your opportunities on the power play (the Leafs were last in both special team categories this season) will equate to more wins next season, failure to do all these things will see the Leafs make a repeat performance as one of the NHL’s bottom feeders.

One of the things the Leafs will have to do is get out to a better start next season. There was little to no sense of urgency this year, a characteristic that followed this team around for the first half of the season (at least).

Players like Mike Komisarek (who took far too many penalties early on in the season), Dion Phaneuf (who has done little to suggest he is worth the $6+ million he’s making), Luke Schenn (who took a step back this season) and Mikhail Grabovski (who only seems to show up against the Canadiens) must show up in tremendous physical and mental shape and be ready to “kick some ass” from the first drop of the puck next season. Pussy footing around trying to find their game isn’t going to cut it, this much I am sure of.

This seasons departures included Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak (who has played awesome since being traded), Jason Blake, Nik Hagman, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jamal Mayers, and Ian White. Outside of Hagman and White, all of those players had earned a reputation for lackadaisical/inconsistent play and are exactly the kind of players the Leafs want to avoid having on their roster.

To say Leafs general manager trimmed the fat off the Leafs roster is an understatement—clearly, Burke has done an admirable job re-tooling the Leafs this season and should continue to do so over the summer.

The reality for Burke is, given the Leafs lack of depth, this team is going to have to play as a team if they are going to be successful. That means plugging away every single night—no passengers—a roster full of players that want to win for each other and the fans.

The Leafs have not made the playoffs since the 2003/’04 season, a season which saw the Blue and White earn 103 points, placing fifth overall. That’s a long time to ask your fans to wait for a playoff run, a long time with little to cheer for.

In the end management (past) and ownership is as much to blame as the players for the Leafs struggles since the 2003/’04 season—stupid is as stupid does, right? That said, the players are the ones who have to get it done on the ice, simply put, they have failed miserably of late and that losing attitude must change in order for this club to be successful.

Attitude is a reflection of leadership, it’s time the Leafs leaders made it clear that undisciplined, dispassionate play will not be tolerated, a message that needs to be clear from day one, not twenty games into the season.

If Brian Burke and Leafs head coach Ron Wilson can instill a winning attitude early on next season this team has a chance to be a playoff bubble team; if not, well, maybe the likes of Ron Wilson and the rest of his coaching staff should be fired—a bold move no doubt, but a possibility nonetheless.

As a Maple Leafs fan I have no tolerance for players that A) do not want to be here or B) do not give their all every single night. You’re either with the leafs or against the Leafs, if it’s the latter, it’s time to look for a new house and a new uniform—this applies to players and management alike.

Attitude is not everything, but is sure as heck is a good start—it was the lack of a good start that was partially to blame for the Leafs failure to make the playoffs—next season better be different.