Maple Leafs 0 v. Panthers 4: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

by PPP on Mar 18, 2011 12:18 AM EDT in Game Recaps

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"I just feel [Toronto] still has a few more lessons to learn. [The Sharks are] a little more mature. Because they’ve lost a few more times, they’re not so scared of losing."

- Kyle Wellwood

For those that missed it early, that quotation was originally directed at the second team that got fed up with his performance: Vancouver. The hilarity of the second part is that one might suggest that the reason that the Sharks are not afraid to lose is that they have lost so often, in such varied ways, that they are comfortable with losing. Less funny, is the realisation that since the lockout, more often than not, if it is a big game then the Maple Leafs' performance will usually range from unacceptable to incompetent.

You'd think that a chance to cut the Sabres' hold on the eighth and final playoff spot to two points might have been motivation enough. I was a bit hard on Jean-Sebastien Giguere on Twitter but I don't know why he was starting. He is not coming back to Toronto, he hasn't been good this year, and if James Reimer was always scheduled to get a break (defensible) then why not go with Jonas Gustavsson? He had actually been playing, quite well actually, in the AHL and is presumably part of the team's future. I joked that we should call Giguere "The Towel" because when he plays it seems that that is what the team is throwing in.

I don't have much else to say to be honest. It was a listless display and quite dispiriting as a fan. I spoke to the difficulty of being a fan right now on the Houses of the Hockey podcast. While there is plenty to be happy with on a micro level with this team it is tough to not get frustrated with the outcomes. However, at the end of the day, with one of the youngest teams in the NHL the value of these games is that it puts our teams in situations where they need to step it up. When they do, it's euphoric. When they don't however, and there's no doubt they flopped tonight, it's important that they learn something so that the next time they respond better. It's small comfort right now but next year we might look back at this late-season surge as a contributor towards earning a playoff berth

After the jump are the game in six highlights and Ron Wilson's post-game scrum.

Game in Six

Ron Wilson Post-Game Scrum

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Comments

Positive Peet Points

1. We are still only 4 points out of the playoffs

Be a Positive Pete not a Negative Nancy!

by theninjagreg on Mar 18, 2011 12:51 AM EDT reply actions

2. Pete moss is used as a soil conditioner which increases the soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients by increasing capillary forces and cation exchange capacity (CEC). This is often necessary when dealing with very sandy soil, or plants that need an increased moisture content to flourish. One such group of plants are the carnivorous plants, often found in wetlands (bogs for example). Dried Sphagnum moss is also used in northern Arctic regions as an insulating material. Peat moss is also a critical element for growing mushrooms; mycelium grows in compost with a layer of peat moss on top, through which the mushrooms come out, a process called pinning.

Be a Positive Pete not a Negative Nancy!

by theninjagreg on Mar 18, 2011 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions

3. Amanda Peet is an attractive woman: http://by-ss.blogspot.com/2010/12/amanda-peet.html

Be a Positive Pete not a Negative Nancy!

by theninjagreg on Mar 18, 2011 12:55 AM EDT reply actions

4. Another win for Mohammed Aulie

Be a Positive Pete not a Negative Nancy!

by theninjagreg on Mar 18, 2011 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions

She’s even more attractive in erm Norwegian?

GWWWHAAAA!

by Mislav Xterratu Jantoljak on Mar 18, 2011 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Or Danish. No O’s with lines drawn in them.

GWWWHAAAA!

by Mislav Xterratu Jantoljak on Mar 18, 2011 8:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Ups, found one O. “selvfølgelig”

GWWWHAAAA!

by Mislav Xterratu Jantoljak on Mar 18, 2011 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions

But petering out is not a good thing. D played well enough, notably Schenn and Aulie, forwards not so much. Way to much mindless skating, notably Brown, Kessel,….

by dsciswe on Mar 18, 2011 12:57 AM EDT reply actions

Say it with me: no more Giguere

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Mar 18, 2011 1:05 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah. He doesn’t look 100%, I know the guy’s competitive and wants to play but that whole ordeal with his operation didn’t look good and now it’s peeking its ugly head when we need it the least.

GWWWHAAAA!

by Mislav Xterratu Jantoljak on Mar 18, 2011 8:04 AM EDT up reply actions

On another note, nhl.com is down!

C:\Users\grg>ping nhl.com
Ping request could not find host nhl.com. Please check the name and try again.

Be a Positive Pete not a Negative Nancy!

by theninjagreg on Mar 18, 2011 1:17 AM EDT reply actions

Whew, it’s back….

Be a Positive Pete not a Negative Nancy!

by theninjagreg on Mar 18, 2011 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions

I'll admit I missed this entire game

But, can someone give me one legitimate and honest answer as to why Giguere was in net tonight?

You know, I was just starting to feel that hockey, or sports, people were running this team. Not the suits.

by timmyintransit on Mar 18, 2011 1:33 AM EDT reply actions

Maybe Gus’s coach thinks he’s not ready to be back in the big time games yet, because he’s still working on something, and it’s not worth putting his fragile confidence on the line till you are confident he’s got whatever it is down.

Who knows

Glory glory Man United, AND the other MU, AAAAnd the Leafs. I think I need a drink now.

by Wan Ihite on Mar 18, 2011 1:54 AM EDT up reply actions

More likely, Wilson’s always liked Giguere more than Gus (even since the beginning of the season with his comments on Giguere being the #1), and probably thought that his “experience” was worth more than Gus’ current level of play (which is still unknown at this point because he hasn’t played in an NHL game for almost 2 months).

by unavoidable on Mar 18, 2011 2:08 AM EDT up reply actions

A very somber yet comforting recap. I like your take on the reaction as it seemed to capture what we felt during the game. We know what this team is capable of but we’ve learned to accept the growing pains.
Until they are officially eliminated there will always be a flicker of hope. In the meantime im excited to see the young ones grow together and put forth the effort that makes us smile and post awesome Leafsman pictures.

by PhaneufYou on Mar 18, 2011 1:35 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Unfortunately, if you want to be a playoff team, these are the kinds of games you need to win.

The fact the Leafs lose these games time and time again don’t give me a lot of hope.

Visit my blog at: http://50-mission-cap.blogspot.com/
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)

by FiftyMissionCap on Mar 18, 2011 4:36 AM EDT reply actions

yep

i have up on the playoff “push” when we lost to the Islanders about 10 days ago. Losing to Florida while 4 pts back, again, is just a further indictment.

The Leafs are not a great team at the moment, but you can make the playoffs by beating up on crappy teams and treading water against good ones.

We’re not doing that right now.

Maybe next year.

and as an aside, i have NO IDEA why Giguere is playing. I’ve been lobbying for a Reimer/Gus platoon since this run began. Those two MIGHT be the answer in goal. Giguere is not. So why are we not letting them go at it and see who wins the job? Make the end of this season a more high-pressure training camp to win the starting job next year. I don’t understand it

Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs

by pevans on Mar 18, 2011 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d still give ’em a round of applause for a good overall effort this year

Finally we've stopped refining; rebuilding and begun to work with what we have... I guess...

by LeafsLover on Mar 18, 2011 7:49 AM EDT reply actions

I agree. They’ve shown a good overall effort this year (as in, 2011).

by Spezzal Teams Playa on Mar 18, 2011 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

I was at the game

Along with thousands of other Leaf fans on vacation down in south Florida. The Leafs didn’t even show up.

Giguere was bad, the MGK line forgot how to pass, Brett Lebda sucks more live, and Nazem Kadri has some good dangles and was probably their best player. Not much else to say.

Brett Lebda makes me cry myself to sleep every night
Stoik_Leafs Twitter

by Chris Stoikoff on Mar 18, 2011 10:33 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Felt terrible for you guys. That’s twice they’ve shit the bed against the Panthers.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
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by PPP on Mar 18, 2011 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

You’d think that having a large contingent of your own fans in an opponent’s arena would pump you up for a game but no dice

Worst part was this group of teenage(16-18ish) Panthers fans a few rows behind me that kept chanting the dumbest crap all game long and were absolutely convinced that Aulie got his ass kicked

Brett Lebda makes me cry myself to sleep every night
Stoik_Leafs Twitter

by Chris Stoikoff on Mar 18, 2011 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions