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At first the problem was Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and their inability to find the back of the net. Now that the so-called “elite” forwards are finally producing, the problem now is Toronto’s defense and its inability to keep the puck out of its own net.
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“Start with D,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters after a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. “Their touches. Their first touch must be better.
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We guess the next step in this ongoing blame game will be the goalie. And then the power play. Or the penalty kill. Or maybe Keefe will run out of options and point the finger. But after years and years of living in a house where the stairs still creak and the windows don’t close like they’re supposed to, when do you stop blaming the workers and instead shift the focus to the architect who designed the house in the first place?
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Listen carefully. We may already be there.
Asked if changing defense pairings could help in the same way it has helped forwards, Keefe told reporters: “I don’t see that changing anything.”
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At first, it looked like a not-so-subtle dig at personnel, especially defensemen Justin Holl and Rasmus Sandin, who didn’t look much like NHL players in the opening weeks of the season. But if you read between the lines, it’s clear Keefe’s comment was aimed at Kyle Dubas and his building a team that’s no closer to winning a championship today than it was. when he took over as CEO five years ago.
Yes, the team is missing defenders Jake Muzzin, who could be out for the season with a neck injury, as well as Timothy Liljegren and Jordie Benn. But even if they were all healthy, that defense isn’t good enough or deep enough to advance to the second round of the playoffs — let alone reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
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It’s on Dubas more than on Keefe. And it’s not just defense that’s causing the problems.
The Leafs lack scoring depth. And the management. And grain. They lack a Zach Hyman type in their top six and a blue-collar workaholic like There are Lyubushkin on the backend. The decision to sign injury-prone Matt Murray, who was hurt after playing in the season opener, means the team no longer has a backup goalie capable of beating two of the league’s worst teams.
The Leafs aren’t as fast, young or as deep as they used to be. If the Big 4 don’t score, then no one does. If someone gets hurt, there is no one to replace them.
As such, the results are not surprising.
After eight games, the Leafs are 4-3-1. Right now, that’s good enough for a playoff spot. But it’s also in a month where they had games against Montreal, Arizona and San Jose. Imagine when the going gets tough and Toronto has to play Tampa Bay or Florida or the Boston Bruins.
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After all, if you can’t beat the team battling for a first draft pick, then how can you expect to stay afloat in the NHL’s most competitive divisions? How can you expect to pass the first round?
For a team that has talked so much about proving itself after yet another first-round failure, it’s been a troubling start to the year.
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On the one hand, the Leafs are showing all the tell-tale signs of a team trying to get Keefe fired and Barry Trotz bringing in to clean up this mess. On the other hand, they look like a team that, for all its star power, isn’t as good as we imagined.
On paper, Toronto’s goaltenders might be among the worst in the Atlantic Division. The defense, 1-6, cannot face Colorado or Carolina or any of the other Cup contenders. Even offensively, which is supposed to be their strength, the Leafs lack firepower once you get past the front two lines.
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However you want to put it, the team that Dubas has built is in bad shape. It’s not bad for the Canucks. No one is talking about a year-long rebuild or re-equipment. But at the same time, even someone like Mike Holmes would agree that what needs fixing can’t necessarily be fixed with a roll of duct tape or a minor league order.
The Leafs need to make a trade. The kind that involves a baseman and sends shockwaves throughout the locker room. They need a top-four defender – maybe two of them. They need a better backup goaltender and more than just hot bodies that can forecheck and complete their checks to fill the bottom two lines.
If the Florida Panthers, who had the best regular season record last year, were willing to trade their leading scorer and one of their best defensemen to Calgary for Matthew Tkachuk, then maybe the Leafs should do something similar.
It might be time to trade for a defender like Jakob Chychrun. Or for a striker like Patrick Kane. Or even someone like Max Domi.
Something has to change. And it can’t necessarily be the coach.
If Mike Babcock couldn’t win with a group of Hyman, Nazem Kadri and Frederik Andersen, then how do you expect Keefe to win with much, much less?
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