Toronto Maple Leafs

Wilson Taps CuJo - Flaake Developing

Let the games begin…

Mind games that is…

In what appears to be a desparate attempt to wake up the team, and perhaps kick start the idea of a Curtis Joseph rejuvenation, Ron Wilson is pulling out all the stops as he tries to right the Leafs.

Curtis Joseph is going to get consecutive starts over the next two games as Wilson attempts to get Joseph “into a rhythm”.  Look out Leafs fans, this could get ugly.

Cujo hasn’t made consecutive starts since 2006-07, the final year of his stint in Phoenix, two seasons ago when he appeared in 55 games. His record that season was 18-31-6, with an .893 SV% and a 3.19 GAA.  That was basically the end of the desert road for CuJo, following up on a decent season in 2005-06 with the Coyotes where he went 32-21-7 with a .902 SV% and a 2.91 GAA.

His numbers thus far in his second go around in Leaf Land have been atrocious.  His record stands at 0-4-1 in 8 appearances, with a .843 SV% and a 4.12 GAA.

This is obviously, to an extent, an indictment of the play of Vesa Toskala of late, despite assertions that he is “not the problem” and that observers should not “blame him” for many of the goals scored against him.  With a 13-12-6 record, a .882 SV% and a 3.32 GAA, Toskala could play a lot better.  If anything it may be construed as judgement that the load of an NHL starter is heavier than Toskala can be expected to bear, as his groin problems, and inability to win consistently have leaked out obviously this season.

The Leafs tend to give up 28.0 shots per 60 mins when Toskala is in net, while they allow 26.2 shots per 60 when Joseph is in net, so the shot totals can’t really be to blame for Joseph’s lackluster play so far.

The Leafs struggles in net have been numerous this season but considering they’ve allowed the 6th fewest shots per game in the NHL, and yet are 28th in GA per game, it’s hard to point the finger elsewhere.  They drop to 29th in the league in 5-on-5 goals against… scary.

Offensively it would help if the team could get out of the gates a little faster.  They are ranked 26th in the NHL in first period goals for, but they are 4th in second period and 5th in third period goals for.  Unfortunately they have allowed the most goals in the league in both the first and second periods, but hey in the third they’re still 9th best in goals against in the NHL.

In an homage to their feistiness it should be mentioned that the Leafs have the 3rd most wins in the NHL when trailing after the first period, and the 6th most wins in the NHL when trailing after 2 periods.  Unfortunately they’re also near the top of the league in losses in those two categories also.  They’re coming from behind far too often… which is why saves are so important early on.

World Junior Prospect Update

I contacted the Cologne Sharks about Leafs prospect Jerome Flaake recently, in an effort to get an idea of how he is fitting in with the team, the amount of ice time he is getting, and whether the former Leafs on the club are having an impact on his development.  This is what they had to say:

“Jerome is a prospect player. He goes step by step. This season he is a regular part of our team roster, not just a young player who gets some shifts. Before he went to U 20 championship he played in the first line, even on the powerplay, and scored some important goals.”

Obviously, Jerome is still a young player at 18 years of age.  He is playing in the DEL, which is the top flight league in Germany.  Cologne is pretty far from the top of the standings, which in a sense is a good thing, as Flaake can expect lots of ice time to develop.  So far in 28 DEL games he has registered 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points to go along with 8 penalty minutes.  This is playing alongside men remember.  The ex-Leaf teammates I referred to are Mike Johnson, Todd Warriner, and Dave McIlwain, all of whom are apparently helping Flaake with his adjustment to the pro game.

At the World Juniors thus far, Flaake is tied for the team lead in scoring, registering 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points and a +4 rating through 3 games.  He also leads the Germans in shots on goal with 12.

What was most notable to me, was for a player his size (6′2″, 190 lbs), Flaake was knocked off the puck fairly easily by the Canadians.  He needs to be a bit stronger on his skates, but his speed and puck handling were relatively solid considering the level of his competition.  Hopefully after another season or two of development in Germany, the Leafs can bring him over to play for the Marlies and see where his size and skil can take him.