Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Laments Puck Skills, Others Question Team Lineup

This is turning out to be a season that the Toronto Maple Leafs would prefer to forget. Toronto is lagging at 29th position in the league and averaging an embarrassing 2.13 goals per game as reported by the Montreal Gazette. The latest setback for the Toronto Maple Leafs has been back to back losses to Tampa Bay and Florida where the Maple Leafs could just muster a single goal while conceding eight.  While Coach Ron Wilson is conscious of the wayward passing and shooting that has afflicted his team, he manages to keep his chin up and expresses optimism over a rebound. At the same time, he accepts that “we aren’t so confident with the puck right now.” That’s something of an understatement in the face of seven consecutive losses with few goals. The players have looked confused on the ice, often struggling to figure out when to shoot and when to pass. The result has been limited coordination and no clear strategy during their games. When a team is willing to shell out $100 million for a winger, it expects more.  Wilson was particularly harsh on sophomore Tyler Bozak questioning why he was not able to figure out when to shoot rather than pass.  TSN hockey analyst Pierre Mcguire has been vocal about his insights on the performance of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He accepts that “they are competing” but declares that “they have limited depth down the middle.” General manager Brian Burke declined to comment but has given no indication that Toronto Maple Leafs are set to go shopping for some fresh blood to help arrest the decline. The name of Nazem Kadri has been whispered time and again as a potential recruit. Some critics feel a coaching overhaul is due given Wilson’s lukewarm performance. The reverberations of these decisions are felt in the ticket market as well. Scott Briggs of TicketLuck.com notes “A steady decline in sales of tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs over the past few weeks.”  About Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern conference. Their main rivals are the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. Toronto has won 11 Stanley Cups as the Maple Leafs.  In terms of valuation, the Maple Leafs are the most valuable team in the NHL. Toronto Maple Leafs Tampa, Toronto Maple Leafs Fort Lauderdale, Toronto Maple Leafs Newark and Toronto Maple Leafs in Buffalo  are among the most popular events in ice hockey.

via Posterize