Dein erstes Forum » We have to take a hard look at ourselves

TORONTO – The bubble has just about burst and whatever remained of the Maple Leafs sinking playoff hopes is probably just on life support. A game they had to have Saturday fell apart like so many others during a losing skid that now numbers eight games. And a season, promising as recently as two weeks ago, has unraveled into a collapse that mirrors, if not eclipses, the infamous 18-wheeler of 2012. "I cant describe it right now," said a befuddled Joffrey Lupul following a 4-2 loss to Detroit, the Red Wings jumping two points ahead of the Leafs with two games still in hand. "This is probably the first time, after this game, that things are probably looking a little bleak for us." The scene was cheery in the visitors dressing room at Staples Center in Los Angeles after a resilient win over the Kings on March 13. The Leafs had stomped through the deathly California triangle with a pair of victories and had their sights set on claiming second spot in the Atlantic Division, a berth in the postseason all but assumed following their 15th win in a remarkable stretch of 22 games. They havent gotten a point since, losing eight straight in regulation for the first time in more than 25 years. It was more of the same in defeat against the Red Wings, still playing without their two best players in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. There was the stunning and all too familiar inconsistency. At once energetic, sharp and urgent in the opening period, the Leafs sputtered with errors in the second, spewing three goals in less than eight minutes. Troubling defensive breakdowns continued in that middle period meltdown. Detroit approached double-figures in odd-man opportunities for the evening, scoring three of their four goals in such situations, including two in that disastrous eight-minute stretch. "Its a very tough time," Dion Phaneuf said after the defeat, the third to the Red Wings this season. "This loss is the most disappointing out of the eight. Theres no hiding that." Perplexed Leafs like Phaneuf were struggling to comprehend how it could unravel so quickly, how a season filled with so much promise could deteriorate in a manner of a couple weeks. "Sometimes, its just been poor execution," Lupul said. "Sometimes, its been defensive lapses. Other times, the other teams played really well, but its our job to win hockey games and we havent been able to do it." Technically still alive, the Leafs would need to find an unbelievable and unlikely winning streak to revive their playoff hopes along with plenty of help from the likes of Columbus, Detroit, and even Washington. Up three points on Montreal after that win in L.A., Toronto now trails the Habs by 13, an incredible and hurried reversal rarely seen. "We went from a position where we were in control of our own destiny now to sitting at home cheering against other teams," Lupul said. "That part of its very frustrating." And now, or perhaps very soon, come the difficult questions for general manager Dave Nonis and his management team. What should the future hold for head coach Randy Carlyle? How much of what took place this season falls on his shoulders? Are the teams constant defensive failings a matter of coaching or are certain segments of the roster simply too flawed? How much of the collapse, for that matter, is the roster? Is it both the coaching staff and roster that need adjusting? Does a core featuring Kessel, van Riemsdyk, Lupul, Phaneuf, Kadri, Clarkson, Bernier and Rielly need serious tweaking? Are these the foundations of a team that can eventually win the ultimate prize? Where and what improvements can be attained? Where does the club go from here? A collapse of this magnitude should throw everyone and everything into question. Ron Wilson got the axe during the 2012 meltdown with only minor roster adjustments that summer (Luke Schenn notably traded). Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin were among the jettisoned following the Game 7 unraveling last spring. What comes next this time around? Six games do still remain, but hope has been drained from these Leafs and a once (and perhaps still) bright future has suddenly become muddled with questions. The bubble has just about burst. "These are the tough days in sports when you dont get the job done," said Carlyle. Five Points 1. Nothing Quite Like This Formerly with the mostly dominant Kings, Jonathan Bernier said hed never been through something quite like this. "Probably not," Bernier said. "Having a long losing streak like that, especially close to the end of the season, never happened to me before." Others like Cody Franson were forced to reflect on the horrors of 2012, which saw the Leafs lose 19 of 24 games en route to another absence from the postseason. "I dont think it brings back memories of that," he said. "We havent thought about that stretch back then. I thought weve come out with a lot of good efforts and theyre ending up on the wrong side of the stick. Its not like were playing bad hockey, its just one of those things where every mistake that we do make ends up [in the net]." "The try is there, [but] we didnt get the job done," said Lupul. "We have to deal with that now." Losers in nine of the past 10, the Leafs lost 10 of 11 before Wilson was dismissed in March of 2012. 2. Bernier Back-to-Back Probably still not at 100 per cent, Bernier nonetheless started both ends of a back-to-back for just the second time in his NHL career. Facing a slew of odd-man rush opportunities, the 25-year-old gave up four goals for the third consecutive game. "I felt really good tonight," he said. Darren Helm scored three of the four on Bernier. The first saw him pick off Jake Gardiner at the offensive blue-line shorthanded before eventually outmaneuvering Torontos power-play unit for a backhand marker. Helm would add a second on a redirection - he was all alone in front - the third and final dagger on a breakaway. Gustav Nyquist notched the other Detroit goal, beating Bernier five-hole after Johan Franzens shot attempt ricocheted off the skate of Phaneuf moving in reverse. In three starts upon returning a groin injury that kept him out five games, Bernier has allowed 12 goals on 105 shots for an off-kilter .886 save percentage. Considering his earlier theatrics this season, its worth wondering just how healthy he really is. 3. Kadri Benched Nazem Kadri was on the ice for back-to-back goals on consecutive shifts in the middle frame and was eventually benched for it. The 23-year-old was casual on the back-check on the sequence that led to the second Wings goal from Nyquist, out-muscled by Joakim Andersson in a one-on-one battle that resulted in the third marker from Helm. Kadri began the third frame on the fourth line, joined by Jay McClement and Troy Bodie. He totaled just four shifts and less than four minutes in the period, finishing with just over 14 minutes on the evening. The London, Ontario native has just one goal and four points in the past 11 games. 4. Kessel 40-Goal Chase Rightfully lost in the Leafs collapse, but still a point of intrigue, is Phil Kessels chase for 40 goals. The 26-year-old posted a career-high of 37 back in the 2011-12 season, but remains stuck on 36 this year with just six games to play. The teams leading scorer finished March with four goals and 10 points in 15 games. Stung on the foot by a James van Riemsdyk pass attempt in the second frame, Kessel was seen limping around the underbelly of the ACC afterward. Carlyle had no update on his status. 5. Gardiner Revival With two assists in defeat on Saturday, Jake Gardiner finished March with 11 points and a share of the team lead (Tyler Bozak). The 23-year-old is up to 28 points on the year, third on the defence behind Dion Phaneuf (31) and Cody Franson (30). He led the Leafs with more than 23 minutes on Saturday. Franson, who scored the first Toronto goal, set a career-high with his 30th point of the year, eclipsing the 29 he posted last season. Stats-Pack 1-9-0 – Leafs record in the past 10 games. 11 – Points in the past 12 games for Jake Gardiner. 30 – Points this season for Cody Franson, a new career-high. .886 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier in three starts after return from a groin injury. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-2Season: 20.4% (6th) PK: 3-3Season: 78.4 (28th) Quote of the Night "I cant describe it right now. This is probably the first time after this game that things are probably looking a little bleak for us." -Joffrey Lupul, following the loss to Detroit. Up Next Calgary visits the ACC on Tuesday evening. NHL Jerseys From China . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (5) - Simply put, Lundqvist was brilliant. Authentic NHL Jerseys Cheap . And yet as they left TD Garden amid the slush and snow of a winter storm on Thursday evening, there was a sense among the Leafs that they had finally stood toe to toe with their long-time bully, only to fall just short. http://www.cheapnhlcustomjerseys.com/ . Everton Preview West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been around the game long enough to not get too high when things are going well and not get too low when they arent. Stitched NHL Jerseys . -- Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone above his left eye but has no other serious injuries after being hit in the face by a line drive in a spring training game. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Authentic . Some members of the U.S. Congress arent so sure. They say Russia isnt doing enough to assure that athletes will be protected at the Feb. 7-23 games, happening not far from an Islamic insurgency that Russias huge security apparatus has struggled for two decades to quell. Russia may run greater risks in towns outside the tightly controlled Olympic zone. Suicide bombs last month a few hundred kilometres (miles) away have increased concerns, and an Islamic warlord has urged his followers to attack the Sochi Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putins pet project.CHICAGO -- Try as they might, the Chicago Bulls couldnt get Loul Deng his first triple-double. No matter, the Bulls still won handily. Deng had 19 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and five steals to lead Chicago to a 97-73 victory over Utah on Friday night that snapped the Bulls two-game skid and kept the Jazz winless. Carlos Boozer added 18 points, Joakim Noah had 14 and Derrick Rose 12 for the Bulls. "I think we tried like five times (to get the triple-double for Deng), but it didnt work out," Rose said. "When Tibs (head coach Tom Thibodeau) brought him out, the fans got kind of upset, but if anything, Im super proud of his performance tonight." The Bulls dominated in the paint, scoring 56 points to 22 for Utah. Overall, Chicago outshot Utah 52.8 per cent to 29.8 per cent in winning its sixth straight against the Jazz. "I thought there was a lot of unselfish play, guys making the extra pass," Thibodeau said. "I thought the screen was a lot better, hitting the open man, running the floor, a great effort defensively, and thats what its going to take." The Jazz (0-6) are off to their worst start since their debut NBA season in New Orleans in 1974-75, when they lost their first 11 games. "We have to make sure that we dont feel sorry for ourselves," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We have to just keep fighting. Were struggling. Were in a bad spot right now. Theyre a good defensive team. We made them look real good tonight, shooting 29 per cent." Chicago built its biggest lead of the first half at 38-22 with 8:10 left in the second quarter and never looked back. The Bulls took their biggest lead at 89-60 with 8:39 left in the game. With the game in hand, Thibodeau gave his reserves plenty of playing time, and four of the Bulls starters (Rose, Boozer, Noah and Jimmy Butler) played 28 or less minutes. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 15 points, while Derrick Favours and Alec Burks had 10 points apiece, and Rudy Gobert grabbed 12 rebounds. "(Were) frustrated, frustrated," Hayward said. "(Weve) got to find some way to get the job done. We just got to get through this real rough patch were going through. If you cant score the basketball, it just puts too much pressure on your defence.ddddddddddddquot; Chicago jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead, backed by five points from Rose, but the Jazz got back to 9-7, the closest they would get in the game. Chicago then went on a 21-11 streak to close the first quarter ahead 30-18. The Bulls outshot the Jazz 72.2 per cent (13 of 18) to 33.3 per cent (7 of 21) in the opening quarter. "I thought the first quarter was terrific and that set the tone for the game," Thibodeau said. "Our starters made sure that the group functioned well together and that was a big plus for us." Utah never got closer than eight points the rest of the way, shooting a 27.7 per cent (13 of 47) in the first half. Chicago made 60.6 per cent (20 of 33) of its shots in the first half and led 51-40 at intermission. Things didnt get much better for the Jazz in the second half. Before the game, Corbin said fatigue had been an issue with his young team thus far, and that showed once again in the final two quarters. Even with the win, Thibodeau was not completely happy with the game, particularly turnovers. Chicago coughed up the ball 21 times, leading to 13 Utah points. "We still have a lot of questions we have to (answer)," Thibodeau said. "One game doesnt mean everything is straightened out. We have to take a hard look at ourselves and make the necessary corrections." Added Rose, "Were just trying to iron out the wrinkles and I think were still a good team." NOTES: Thibodeau had long-time friend and Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford on his mind before the game. Clifford had two stents inserted in his heart earlier in the day after complaining of chest pains Thursday night. "Ive been texting with him," Thibodeau said. "Thankfully, hes feeling better. Hes a good friend. Ive worked with him a long time. Im concerned." Assistant coach Patrick Ewing coached the Bobcats as Clifford missed Fridays game against the New York Knicks due to the procedure. ... Corbin, who starred at Chicagos DePaul University, is trying to stay patient with his teams poor start. "Its a process to win," Corbin said. "Were asking more of some guys in certain situations and we have a lot of games back-to-back. Its wearing on the guys." ' ' '