Rigor Maurice?

I haven’t dipped into the MSM today to check on the status of Paul Maurice’s job as Leaf head coach, but man oh man, things are not looking good for him from where I sit.  

First, let me say this:  Paul seems like a decent fellow and I have quite enjoyed listening to him speak during his press conferences and media scrums.  He seems like an intelligent guy with some very definite ideas about how to do his job, and he has a quiet confidence that I would expect to translate nicely into a leadership role in a hockey dressing room.   Second, let me say that I have always maintained that it is impossible for anyone outside of an organization to express a meaningful and informed opinion about how “good” a coach is at his job;  it has always been my contention that so much of a hockey coach’s job depends upon the personal dynamics on the team and inside the room that anybody who isn’t in possession of direct knowledge about them is necessarily uninformed about the very essence of the subject matter.   Everybody at the NHL level is a wizard with the x’s and o’s and they can all evaluate talent.  The key to the job is getting your twenty guys to want to skate through a wall for each other;  anyone who isn’t part of those conversations just doesn’t know what the deal is.  Bottom line:  for that reason, I think it is nigh on impossible for any outsider to legitimately take the position that a coach “should” be fired because he isn’t doing the job.

Now that those disclaimers are out of the way, let me say that it is quite another thing to forecast that a coach will be fired.  Paul’s situation isn’t good:  he’s got a lame-duck general manager who may himself be in the process of getting washed out to sea.   Everybody knows that a drowning man tends to reach out and clench mightily on to anything – or anyone – that may happen to be near.  In this case, that means that JFJ is more likely than he might otherwise have been to pull the trigger and fire Maurice, if only in an attempt to buy himself some time with his own higher-ups.  Add to that unhealthy dynamic the disturbing lack of grit and determination shown by the players over the last few weeks – aside from a workmanlike effort against a somnolent Senators team, the Leafs have been consistently inconsistent and predictably unpredictable, patiently working a cautious defensive trap for extended periods of time only to then suddenly surrender the puck, the lead and their dignity quickly and decisively in numerous games. 

I was at last Tuesday night’s game against the Bruins, during which the Leafs went up 2-0 on a fifty foot unscreened slapper by Sundin – a shot that no NHL goaltender should miss.  As I said on a related topic over at Cox Bloc, the only way a guy with a “B” on his chest should miss that shot is if it’s preceded by the letters “CNI”.   That goal should have been the figurative boot on the Bruins’ metaphorical throat, and for the first ten minutes of the third, the Leafs were disciplined and attentive and despite prolonged periods of puck possession (whew! say that five times fast!) in Leaf territory, the Beantowners got no important scoring chances.   A bad change led to the 2-1 goal, a turnover to the tying goal and then – despite being given two late opportunities to reclaim the lead with the extra man – the Leafs were suddenly unable to hit the end of the rink with a dump in and completely and utterly unable to identify their check on the home half of centre.  In a flash, the final score was 4-2 for the visitors.

I didn’t watch the whole game on Friday night in Dallas, but the little bits that I did see reminded me very much of the Boston game:  a patient and cautious slim lead built with discipline pissed away in a heartbeat by foolish and careless play.

The rotten cherry on top of the sundae for Maurice is his pre-season guarantee that the Leafs would make the playoffs and contend for the Stanley Cup.  At this rate, they most certainly will not do either.  It is true that the team is missing two of its top-four defencemen, but do not even go there in a season in which the “We’ve lost our lease everything must go for the low low price of $9.99 $8.99 $7.99″ Nashville Predators – minus Kariya, Forsberg, Vokoun and others – are 11 and 8 with two overtime wins at the quarter pole.  Somebody needs to look into Barry Trotz’ background to see if he can produce a deed for his soul, because racking up that kind of record with the team full of bums, stiffs and otherwise-employed furnace repairmen that he’s got playing for him, the guy should either be named Coach of the Century or burned at the stake because he is a witch.   Do you know who is leading the Predators’ defence corps in average minutes per game?  Dan Hamhuis, that’s who.  Yes, “the” Dan Hamhuis.  How many Norris trophies has that guy won?

Lastly, the folk over at Barry Melrose Rocks have upgraded the threat level concerning Maurice on the “Coaching Incompetence Advisory System” (very funny, by the way) to Red or “Lamoriello”, ie. “That coach’s ass is grass.” 

I can’t say I disagree with them.  Paul, we hardly knew ye.