Owen Durkin
01/31/2013
Who’s up for another Kessel commentary? Me either. Who does he miss more, Brian Burke or Joffrey Lupul?

Hard to tell, from here in the cheap seats, but suffice to say, the Leaf’s top gun is overdue to unload, and when it finally comes, the opposing goaltenders are bound to see more rubber than all those working gals who keep blowing kisses at my taxi as we drive through downtown Zone Quatre, Abidjan. 

Sorry, too graphic? 

So, what are we learning about the Carlyle-Nonis era Leafs so far?

One, they don’t like playing on home ice. Too many distractions, too many vacant seats which seem to perfectly match the stares produced by the sushi-eating, smartphone-abusing throng in the not-so-cheap-seats. Well, in fairness, they’re usually back in their seats once the first four or five minutes of the each period has been played, bless their cotton socks…

Secondly, it is apparent that JvR has every intention of making his second lease on life as an NHL’er pay off. While he couldn’t get out of third gear in Philly, his role with the Leafs is becoming clear. He is a legitimate top six, if not top three player on any given night. He has the size, the reach and the puck protection skills to grind it out down low and create more offensive zone activity. The other thing he does better than any Leaf I can remember is playing in and around the Paint. Andreychuk played that game once upon a very long time ago. The Leafs have tried numerous times to get someone to play that punishing role. Ponikarovsky flirted with it. He had the size, but he seldom was able to sustain the commitment needed, and his finishing ability was suspect at times. Lots of times, actually. Luca Caputi was acquired from PITT’s system for the same purpose. It’s a tough hole to fill, because courage and tenacity are either part of your makeup as a player, or they are not. In van Riemsdyk’s case, they simply are, as is a very good, accurate shot and underrated passing skills. I’m calling this acquisition a hands-down win…

What else…oh yeah; let’s all refrain from anointing any goalie a shoo-in as the uncontested starter after a game or two, K? And, that includes Reimer, who has played well enough to give the team a chance at a win pretty much on a nightly basis. Either guy could get hot for a spell and steal the team a win here or there. In Reimer’s case, he’s responding well to Ricky St Croix’s methods, and he certainly appears focused and confident…

Mike Kostka? Yeah, he’s a bit of a beaut, isn’t he? Minute-muncher, great shot, and he’s a pretty seasoned player who showing that he’s much more than a career minor-leaguer.

Who does he make expendable? My guess would be Gunnarsson…

Kulemin is re-gaining whatever ground he lost last year, and at a feverish clip with a rock-solid, smart brand of hockey. He’s physical, he’s got an active stick, and he’s wherever the puck is, it seems. The hard work he puts in is making all the difference for his line mates. He does all the little detail things a player need to do to win the small battles that pay big dividends. 

Matt Frattin missed the mark at the beginning of the Leaf’s abbreviated campaign, but he has certainly redeemed himself. He’s strong on the puck, he can handle veteran NHL defenders due to a powerful, thick frame, and he has one hell of a release. While the Leafs battle injury in the top six, Frattin will make it very difficult on the coaches to demote him once the likes of MacArthur and Lupul return, should this torrid outburst prove sustainable… 

Speaking of coaches, I’m giving Carlyle an A-grade at this stage. I like the way he not only mended fences with Lupul, but also went above and beyond with a very public acknowledgement of his importance to the team, as well as his mis-read on the player while in Anaheim. His handling of Kadri has also led to the youngster playing with increased confidence. While he has been kept off the board in the last couple, he is proving to be more than the minor league sensation many feared he would amount to…

I could go on. We could extol the virtues of the league’s newest pest, Leo Komarov, or we could opine regarding Franson’s obviously improved play. There are others as well, like Grabo or Colton Orr, who has done absolutely everything asked of him to reclaim an NHL job, including slaying the 6’8 giant in John Scott, then exacting a little revenge on Deryck Engelland in what was an absolute marathon of a brawl, before giving Mike Rupp in New York all he could handle. In short, Colton Orr has been a beauty. What he does, few can claim to do with as much courage or competence. The sheer impact of his very presence makes the entire bench stand a little straighter, and walk taller.  Welcome back, Orrsy…

We all know the Leafs have some top weapons, some very good secondary’s, and, when they got hot, they can give the Pittsburgh’s and the Buffalo’s a run for their money. Doing so with consistency is another matter altogether…

Share this post