Monster Getting Ready For The Midway?
Given the early-season struggles of incumbent starting netminder Vesa Toskala, speculation is mounting that Jonas Gustavsson could receive his first NHL start as early as Tuesday night when the Leafs face their Ontario rivals, the Ottawa Senators.
Early speculation is Toskala may not be all the way back, mentally or physically, from the groin and hip surgeries he endured last season. While it is obviously far too early to annoint Gustavsson the starter for the rest of the season (he has yet to play a full game in the NHL), it is not unreasonable to expect that in the wake of Toskala’s struggles he could receive an extended look, in the form of more early-season starts than were initially planned.
In Monday’s Toronto Star, Paul Hunter reported that although coach Ron Wilson has made up his mind who will get the start against Ottawa, he will not divulge his decision just yet. Is this perhaps a ploy to throw off the Senators’ preparation? Or is he doing it to protect a goaltender facing his first start from the relentless crush of the media, and the seemingly-endless hounding that would surely take place if Gustavsson was indeed revealed to be the starter?
To his credit, Wilson has refrained from pinning the Washout In Washington on Toskala’s shoulders, something which lends some credence to a counter theory: that Toskala may still be in line to receive the majority of the playing time — at least throughout the early part of the season.
“It’s so unfair just to point fingers at the goalie when other guys were getting beat up the ice, 3-on-1s. The goalie didn’t yell at someone to fall down or make a bad decision so you’re facing a 3-on-1,” said the coach.
“The red light goes on every time there’s a mistake. We’ve got some defencemen who played like Peewee hockey players but they’re not under the microscope the way our goalie is.”
Chris Johnston, in an article appearing in Monday’s Guelph Mercury, reports that if Gustavsson receives the start (as many expect he will), he is definitely up for the challenge:
Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, dubbed “The Monster” by his former Swedish league coach, is quietly sitting on the sidelines and looking forward to his first career NHL start.
It could come as soon as Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators, although Leafs coach Ron Wilson has yet to reveal his goaltending plans. Gustavsson is good to go if Wilson elects to start him over Vesa Toskala.
“If [coach Ron Wilson] wants me to play, of course I’m ready,” Gustavsson said Monday after practice. “That’s why I’m here. I want to play and try to contribute something to the team. … I feel I’m ready.”
Johnston goes on to write about how well Gustavsson has acclimated to life in North America. For the most part, the transition seems to have gone well … except for one relatively minor hiccup:
One setback came when he failed a written test for his driver’s license because he didn’t realize there were some different road rules between the countries. Teammate Garnet Exelby has been nice enough to drive him from his downtown condo to the team’s suburban practice rink on off days.
Hey, nobody’s perfect. But so long as Gustavsson has spent more time studying up on NHL snipers than he has the rules of the road, he ought to be just fine. And as Johnston reports, his demeanor certainly inspires confidence that he will be up to the task when his number is called.
Very little seems to faze [Gustavsson]. After missing most of training camp because of minor heart surgery, he didn’t allow a goal over three periods of pre-season action against the Detroit Red Wings.
The soft-spoken goaltender comes across as laidback during interviews and has a dry wit — two characteristics that should serve him well in a market where Wilson says the team is under an “electron microscope.”
[...]
Gustavsson is confident that he’ll have some memorable moments as well. It may end up taking a little time so Gustavsson intends to remain patient until given the opportunity.
“Of course you want to play,” he said. “But that’s not up to me to decide. That’s up to the coaches.”
What do you think? Will The Monster see his first start on Tuesday night against Ottawa? Or should Vesa Toskala be given one more chance to regain his confidence? And how much of Toskala’s struggles in the first two games do you attribute to the goaltender, as opposed to the defence in front of him?
Quote of the day:
“I could have Turk Broda and if it’s 3-0 after the first period, you’re going to make a change like that.”
- Ron Wilson, on replacing Vesa Toskala with Jonas Gustavsson during Saturday night’s game in Washington.
garrettbauman@mapleleafshotstove.com
October 6th, 2009 at 8:24 am
@Jordan:
I prefer your second set of forward combos (with Kulemin in), however I would drop Hagman to the third line (as he is more defensively responsible than Salberg) and move Viktor up to the second line.
.
As for the Kessel trade, I think by the time Phil retires (hopefully as a Maple Leaf), this trade will be the “Doug Gilmour Trade” of the Brian Burke Era here in Toronto!!
.
To put things into perspective, lets say the Leafs finish with the 15th overall pick the next 2 years, here is what has been selected 15th and 45th overall for the past 10 years:
2009 – #15: Peter Holland #45: Jeremy Morin
2008 – #15: Erik Karlsson #45: Zac Dalpe
2007 – #15: Alex Plante #45: Colby Cohen
2006 – #15: Riku Helenius (#13 was Jiri Tlusty) #45: Jeff Petry (#44 was Nikolai Kulemin)
2005 – #15: Ryan O’Marra #45: Guillaume Latendresse
2004 – #15: Alexander Radulov #45: Ryan Garlock
2003 – #15: Robert Nilsson #45: Patrice Bergeron
2002 – #15: Jesse Niinimaki #45: Tomas Linhart
2001 – #15: Igor Knyazev (#17 was Carlo Colaicovo) #45: Martin Podlesak (#39 was Karel Pilar)
2000 – #15: Artem Kryukov #45: Mathieu Chouinard
.
After looking over that list, can you name any two players selected with the 15th overall pick and one player selected with the 45th overall pick that you’d take over Phil Kessel??
.
FYI, with Toronto’s current position the Bruins would pick 11th overall and most likely would use that pick to select Mikael Granlund with that pick.
October 6th, 2009 at 8:31 am
This may have been said already as I haven’t read all the comments but lets say we do start Gustavson and we lose by a wide margin like 5-1 or 6-2 do we start rooting for Joey Mac to come in a try to take their job or do we give the other 2 guys chances to prove they can get the job done. Now dont get me wrong I think Toskala is finished as a leaf just biding his time out on his contract but lets at least give him one more oppertunity to prove that it may have been the defence’s fault for the poor effort. i would hate to see us finish the year out with an unmoveable 4 million a year back up.
October 6th, 2009 at 8:56 am
@danvertising
“Early speculation is Toskala may not be all the way back, mentally or physically, from the groin and hip surgeries he endured last season.”
.
Of course. More excuses for this guy. His shitty play this year must be the surgery he received what 7 months ago?
.
The same surgery that was supposed to heal his shitty play all year last year?
.
The guy doesn’t have the mental focus or confidence to stop a puck in this league. Saturday night’s 1st shot from above the circle is a perfect example of this. The 197 foot goal in NYI is another perfect example. He is a joke.
.
.
.
.
Dude what are you talking about? that shot from top of the circle has beat ALL NHL goalies! NOT JUST TOSKALA! OVIE DOES THAT TO ALL GOALIES….TOSK IS NOT THE FIRST!
.
that is by far his favorite shot!
October 6th, 2009 at 8:59 am
@Julie
We don’t need more 1st round picks to do what the Blues have done. As far as talented kids go, they have Berglund, Oshie, Perron. The mid-aged guys they have include Steen, Crombeen, McClement, Backes and Winchester. Then they’ve insulated the whole group with two tough guys in Jansen and King, and surrounded them with quality veterans of varying ages (Kariya, McDonald, Tkatchuk and Boyes). So as far as high talent kids go, they really only have 3. We have Kadri, Kessel, Bozak and Stalberg even if Tlusty, Kulemin and Hanson amount to nothing.
-
I would love for Burke to just go to town in free agency next year, and come away with a huge chunk of the most sought after forward FA’s.
-
Sign Patrick Marleau, 4 years, 24 million
Sign Colby Armstrong, 4 years, 10 million
Sign Rene Bourque, 3 years, 6.75 million
Sign Evgeni Artyukin, 3 years, 3 million\
-
Marleau – Kadri – Kessel
Stalberg – Bozak – Hanson/Tlusty/Kulemin
Hagman – Stajan – Armstrong
Bourque – Mitchell – Artyukin
-
(Orr)
October 6th, 2009 at 9:00 am
If Toskala is not fully recovered, why not put him on the Injury Reserve and call up Joey Mac to back up Gustavsson??
.
Side note: I just tried to make a post over at “Sen’s Chirp” to let them know their Senatruds were gonna have their a$$es handed to them tonight and this is what came up:
“Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval.”
Seems to me like they’re trying to protect their pride, haha!
October 6th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hey my apologies i havent read any comments or the article yet but i have to put this out there before i do.
Anyone seen the Toronto Sun today?
some guy put out a new leaf battle cry, WTF, ive been trying this for weeks and his is horrible.
look at this shit
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2009/10/06/11315911-sun.html
.
i think we could do alot better,
k im gonna go read article!
October 6th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Tonights line up looks to be;
Blake Stajan Stemp
Stalberg Grabs Poni
Kulimen Wallin Hagman
Orr Mitchell Rosehill
Something to those effects anyways (players dressed, not line combos)
October 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
We need a big fuckin win tonite to shut the media and some of your doomsdayers up !!
Lets go LEAFS !!!
October 6th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Don’t know why everyone wants to throw the Stempniak-Wallin-Mitchell line out of the bath, so far its the only real line that has looked consistently solid on the ice. Grabovsky-Ponikarovsky and Hagman was completely anonymous for the first two periods of the Washington game and the best part of the Montreal game. Blake-Stajan and Stalberg seem to get less ice time that the third line and Wilson sems to be allergic to his own fourth line.
Getting bored of seeing people rip on Wallin, at least the guy is working hard and working well with his linemates, he is also turning the puck over a lot less frequently than the more celebrated leafs and is defensively responsible.
As for Rosehill, I like the guy, but Orr-Primeau and Rosehill is a line of plugs, it’s so one dimensional it is instantly mismatched against any team that doesn’t completely populate its own fourth line with fighters and PK speciallists, let alone getting caught on the ice against opponents top lines.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Hey Guys,
I dont want to repeat a whole lot but there is a lot to catch up on. I think there is a ton of panic, but that’s whats so amazing about Leaf Fans. When we win were on top of the world… When we lose we should sell the farm.
.
Tonight we win… 1-1-1. Tonight Montreal, loses and tomorrow they lose. Calgary and Vancouver (Luongo has to win 1 doesn’t he?). 2-2-0
.
Record doesn’t look as bad as some think.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Im looking for a more high tempo game tonight, i wanna see controlled water bugs out there, laying people out!!
October 6th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I just want to see some competent defensive play. I couldn’t see much to blame Toskala with in Washington… but hey, any excuse… let the public stonings begin.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Regarding Ron Wilson’s comments about Toskala in the Toronto Star:
I agree that the defense make mistakes and it shouldn’t only be Toskala to blame, but every NHL team has defensive breakdowns, the difference is that good goalies bail out their defensemen far more often than Toskala does.
As others have pointed out, the Leafs d-men can’t play with a lot confidence when Toskala is in net because they know that any small mistake is going to cost them a goal.
Beauchemin, for example, may be having so much difficulty because he’s used to playing with a goalie who makes bigger saves, so his pinching style of play paid off more often. (Not that I’m making excuses for his poor play.)
Anyway, Ron Wilson’s comments seem contrary to his comments after Gustavsson’s big pre-season two-on-oh save, when Ron shrugged it off as no big deal, saying: “We expect our goalies to make saves.”
And yet, when Toskala let’s us down, Ron wants to focus on the defense.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:23 am
once again… it is time for Burke and Wilson to make some tough decisions – which they have as of yet this season not made…
1) yes – start the Monster – and yes this will be hard for Toskala… but they simply cannot come 0-5 out of the gate
2) send Jamal Mayers down – he has done nothing to earn a roster spot – Jay Rosehill has. Rosehill is more versatile and energetic – isn’t that what 3rd and 4th line guys are supposed to be? With Rosehill in the line-up there is the option not dress Colton Orr – which would allow for some different line arrangements. (I’m not saying this because Colton Orr has played poorly – he’s done his job)
3) Change the PK – RW please admit that the ‘system’ you are trying to put in place for the PK is not working – it didn’t work last year either – sit down and decide which teams PK you want to mimic.
4) Reconfigure lines and free Stalberg: Stajan and Blake were invisible in the Washington game… despite playing prime minutes. We heard lost of talk from the coach and GM about accountability – time for someone to take a comfy seat in the pressbox – and if its “not the goalie’s fault”, and the team was in fact generating chances – then these guys did nothing to contribute or LEAD. Since Stempniak is playing “so well’ right now… put Stajan, Blake and Stempniak together – and I don’t care which line they are called. Grabovski, Poni and Kulemin (which played very well last year) and then combine Mitchell with Stalberg and Hagman. Please take Stalberg away from Stajan and Blake so he has a chance to develop some real attacking skills – instead of the perimeter player nonsense Stajan and Blake delivery consistently. At least Hagman and Mitchell go for it regularly.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Defense is a team game, even teams like New Jersey, who have one of the best in Brodeur, require all of their players to contribute defensively. There are a lot of new players on the roster and the coaching staff is trying to find the right mix as well as who is buying in. The defense has to trust the forwards to cover on the pinches, and they have to trust each other for coverage in front of the net and on the rush. This will take a bit of time, but the new additions all have solid credentials (Beauchemin, Komisarek especially) and the lineup will gel. The goaltending looks good when all of the team plays well defensively, although I will admit that those soft goals given up by Toskala can really sap the energy out of a team. Burke has improved the talent on this team and players that don’t buy into the defensive responsibilities will find themselves in the AHL, or on another team. I don’t know if Toskala is the solution in net for this team , I am beginning to think he has lost the confidence of the players. However, I do think that the team will improve its defensive play and the goaltending will look a lot brighter as a result. Calm down everyone, the springs on the bandwagon are taking a beating. It’s only two games in, let the coaching staff make the adjustments and the talent on the team will begin to respond.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:29 am
@Surfsimply I think Beauchemin’s struggles are rooted in poor utilization. The guy is a defensive defenseman, he simply didn’t jump into plays all that often in Anaheim. Wilson seems to be determined to get this banzai blitz defensive play going which is simply suicidal. Let me put it like this, if you are Birmingham City you don’t go to Old Trafford and try to out attack one of soccers most offensive teams… why Wilson thought stepping into the Verizon Center against one of the NHL’s most pre-eminent offences and pushing defensemen into the aggresive strong side pinching tactic was a good idea is beyond me. Our blueline was simply eviscerated.
One could argue that Toskala’s struggles are creating a drip down effect, I for one am tiring of the excuses, but Wilson is trying to make the whole team accountable for their loses which is a good thing.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:39 am
@Jes – regarding goalkeepers…
this situation is not at all like the Carey Price situation. The Monster should start against Ottawa and at the same time Wilson should announce that Toskala should start the next game. This leaves it clear that he is still in the picture – but that he better be ready and use the time to ready himself. The game playing with announcing the starter is the problem.
Price was hyped to much, protected incredibly by Gainey and Carbo – only letting play low key games until Huet was traded. At that point he was thrust into the limelight without any real previous pressure – and eventually he crumbled.
Toskala was playing injured and didn’t pull himself – which he should have. Maybe then Pogge would have gotten a legit shot at proving himself. If he’s not ready now – for either mental or physical reasons he should NOT be in there – or be putting himself in the position where he appears ready. His confidence is clearly rattled.. and that is not going to benefit by playing poorly or having a messed up group playing in front of him. Toskala has a lot to lose right now – whereas the Monster has very little.
Since the team is currently in construction/development/evolving mode – it is time to experiment – since playing guys like Stempniak, Mayers and even Kaberle (to a degree) are experiments or re-juvenation projects. I would prefer guys – Kaberle aside be experimented with – who have more (any?) upside.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:40 am
for all those shitting on colton orr he played for tom renney, one of the best defensive coaches in the league and played valuable minutes at the end of games. he wont play huge minutes but he is a very responsible grinder. RW doesnt know how to use his toughness in the least as shown by his 4th lines marginal minutes.
.
Question leaf fans-Do you think the team BB is building (toughness,intimidation) plays to RW’s strengths as a coach? I do not…if you look at his teams throughout the years he relies on speed,skill etc…perhaps RW is having trouble guaging the pulse of this team…just sayin
October 6th, 2009 at 10:43 am
@RSW…
couldn’t agree more – except that hopefully Wilson also begins to do things differently … if he doesn’t he’s not making himself accountable for the poor decisions he has/hadn’t yet made.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:55 am
That first goal was hardly a typical Ovechkin snipe. It was very stoppable, and most goalies, first shot of the game, would have stopped it. Toskala wasn’t in the game mentally, so it blew by him. That is a recurring theme with this goaltender and it all falls on the mental side of the game.
.
This isn’t breaking news here.
.
Regarding Fisher’s comments. He isn’t exactly wrong. However once again people underestimate Ian White. He is quite smooth with the puck and a poor-man’s Kaberle. When Wilson put White and Schenn together, they were our best d-tandem.
.
I’d like to see:
Kaberle – Beauchemin
White – Schenn
Finger – Komisarek
.
Beauchemin can settle down, stop pinching, and play a defensive role while Kaberle plays his offensive game. White and Schenn are both reliable in their own zone, can clear their zone, and can move the puck either through first pass or White skating it out. Finger and Komisarek can be a shutdown tandem.
.
Either way, something has to change.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:57 am
appears as though the monster will start. unconfirmed
http://twitter.com/jonas640
October 6th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I also think while we were all saying White should be traded in the offseason, Fisher’s comments are an example of how badly we need puckmoving depth. We can’t rely solely on Kaberle. And let’s face it, Beauchemin, Schenn, Komisarek and Exelby leave little to be desired when it comes to handling the puck.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Primeau is out?
.
Kulemin – Mitchell – Stempniak
Mayers/Rosehill – Wallin – Orr
.
?
October 6th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Luongo is 0-3 lol
October 6th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Its gonna be:
Blake-Stajan-Kulemin
Poni-Grabo-Hagman/Stalberg
Stemp-Mitchell/Wallin-Hagman/Stalberg
Orr-Wallin/Mitchell-Rosehill
October 6th, 2009 at 11:05 am
@ R-S W
Not advocating stoning Toskala, but we have two goalies and one of them has had 3 bad games in a row. Everyone assumed that Gust’s arrival meant that they would be pushing each other for starts at some point.
Toskala’s play has got us to that point much faster than we would have thought. If Gust is ready, he should start tonight.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:06 am
@Richard-Steven Williams
Agreed. But what many Leaf fans are going to take away from the Caps game is not the team’s poor overall defense, but the fact that Toskala let in that first shot. One which he should have had.
So, when fans hear Ron Wilson state that it’s ‘unfair’ to point fingers at the goalie, there’s some cognitive dissonance going on.
Had Toskala snapped that puck out of the air, the Leafs probably still would have lost the game, but maybe then the media and fans really could focus on overall defense and not the painfully weak goaltending.
(Although, there is a healthy helping of finger pointing at Beauchemin right now.)
In summary, if a big save is the equivalent of a big fight or a big goal in terms of elevating the team, Toskala (at the moment) is a fighter who loses every fight, and a goal-scorer who whiffs on every shot.
I think it is fair for Leafs nation to expect more from him. Let’s start with a few confidence-building big saves, and maybe getting that save percentage up to .900 or so.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:24 am
@RSW and a few others
Wilson didn’t intend for his defencemen to make bad pinchs….he wanted them to clog up the neutral zone (along with the forwards help) and not let their stars get their legs going and build up speed heading into the Toronto end. How do you think Pittsburgh defended them in the playoffs last year? The bad pinches are what cost us more in the longrun and the fact that some defencemen don;t know each other well enough yet.
I have to say that the Poni, Hagman and Grabo line has played both ends of the ice well to start this season. We need better special teams play and let the goaltending situation sort itself out (Toskala just needs time) and we will be fine…no reason to abondon ship yet people!!!
October 6th, 2009 at 11:28 am
AM 640 is stating that ‘the monster’ is starting in net tonight.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:29 am
http://www.640toronto.com/News/LeafsNews/Story.aspx?ID=1148280
October 6th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
@Jordan – Schenn just showed it as it will be, getting Kessel will be far better than the players we would end up getting… this guy is an unreal talent… it’s going improve our team so much over the years and especially this season once he get’s back into the groove of things…..
Anyone that is still iffy on the Kessel deal just sit back and enjoy, it’s going to be fun…. don’t worry about the picks
October 6th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
[...] must be logged in to post a [...]
November 30th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Your article is write very well, I like it very much ~
nike sb dunks
ghd Hair Straightener
adidas shoes
adidas shoes sale
ghd Hair Straighteners
ghd straighteners
GHD
hair straighteners
bose in ear headphones
bose on ear headphones
bose in ear
bose on ear
bose headphones for sale
buy bose headphones
nike dunks
I wish you have a wonderful day!Thank you.