1967 was the final year of “The Original Six” era of the NHL. There is more than just a little bit of irony in that it is also that last year that the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup. Yes, it is true. Before the great expansion of 1967-68, before the birth of such teams as the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins the Toronto Maple Leafs last hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Defenseless in a 3-2 League
The NHL is labeled by coaches and insiders as a “3-2 Shutdown League.” With that in mind there are few teams more ill-equipped than the Toronto Maple Leafs to win consistently in today’s game. Sure, the Leafs have one of the better offenses in the NHL but that is undermined by a defense that is simply bad, judging by both the old school eye test and with the modern metrics of Corsi and Fenwick.
Toronto did rank third in the NHL for goal scoring, but that was offset by a defense that ranked 23rd for goals against and 26th for shots against. The defensive problems coincide with an ill equipped team captain.
Phagoof
Since his arrival in 2010 in a trade with the Calgary Flames, top defenseman and team captain Dion Phaneuf has proven to be ill suited for such a role. At best Phaneuf is a number three defenseman, and in no way the type of leader with the credibility necessary to be captain of the Leafs.
Phaneuf was the poster boy of the Leafs’ collapse last spring with numerous errors on his own end that led to enemy goals. Beyond that, Phaneuf has never been close to being a dominant blue liner, even in his prime. The aura of Phaneuf being out of place as team captain is a major cloud over the culture of the Leafs that has created a negative karma that has lasted for years.
A Culture of Entitlement
Forbes recently named Toronto as the most valuable franchise in the NHL as far as finances go and rightfully so. The Leafs are Canada’s team and have been for decades going back to The Original Six Days. But in many ways the Leafs are still mentally frozen in their past and clinging to the memories of Dave Keon, Johnny Bower, and Darryl Sittler. They have had one serious run at the Cup since 1967 when they went down in seven games to Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 Campbell Conference Final.
A great example of Toronto’s entitlement culture is Phil “The Thrill” Kessel. The Leafs top offensive weapon showed up to training camp in September 15 pounds overweight and was unapologetic for doing so. Not one word of criticism was uttered for this utter lack of commitment and professionalism. It is also a stinging indictment about the player’s lack of respect for head coach Randy Carlyle.
Toronto Fans can find the Enemy in their Mirrors
Sellout crowds, huge TV ratings, and the most expensive ticket prices in the league all serve to make the Leafs the most valuable commodity in hockey. They also served as a discouragement to truly get better. From an ownership prospective, if fans choose to act as human ATM machines and support a mediocre product, why is there a reason to make a serious investment at winning like teams in the United States must to do generate fan interest and support? Much like Chicago Cubs fans were doing for decades before finally wising up over the past couple of years, “Leafs Nation” continues to line up in droves top pay top dollar to be abused with poor hockey.
Another Tease
Toronto headed into this week in fifth place in the Atlantic Division and in the thick of the wild card playoff race just as they were last year. But let’s not forget last spring’s epic collapse for the ages in which they blew a seemingly certain playoff spot with 12 losses in their final 14 games. The lack of defense and discipline that led to that collapse is front and center the problem that remains for 2014-15.
