Couldn't have been very many Leaf fans that would have watched last night's game against the Rangers to the bitter end. It was brutal. Much like having to watch a school yard bully victimize one of your children.
I believe you don't gauge a team by outlier games - blow outs either in your favour or against you. They are going to happen over the course of a 82-game schedule. Just as a didn't get too excited by the 9-3 win over Atlanta earlier this month, the 7-0 shellacking from the Rangers can be ignored. It was very nice of the Leafs to revive Marion Gaborik's fading career, for at least one evening.
The Leaf team in front of Jonas Gustavsson was brutal last night. Bad positional play, giveaways and no powerplay, it was a total team collapse. But Gustavsson did not help the cause by his inability to make even routine saves. What's worrisome is that over the last little while the bad games are significantly outnumbering the good games. Unlike last season, he appears to be healthy so there is no easy explanation here. At age 26, will he ever develop into a #1 goalie in the NHL? How much time do you give him before deciding to move on? His sticking smashing tantrums show a lack of emotional maturity. These are questions no doubt are being bounced around the Maple Leaf executive offices.
No comments:
Post a Comment