BUFFALO, N.Y. – Four goals in the last five games and the first mini-slump of the season.
This is normally when a coach might look to shake things up, but Randy Carlyle doesn’t feel like he has that luxury with the battered, bruised and suspended Toronto Maple Leafs.
With three centres out of the lineup and virtually no other options to turn to, it looked like the Leafs would stick with the same group when they completed a home-and-home series against Buffalo on Saturday night. That meant a top line which continued to feature James van Riemsdyk at centre – he hasn’t recorded a point since replacing the injured Tyler Bozak there – with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on the wings.
Asked by sportsnet.ca whether he might try someone other than JVR in the middle following Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Sabres, Carlyle fired back: “Obviously you think so, so I’ll let you tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
“It’s not a question,” he continued. “I don’t have anybody else, and you’re a smart enough guy, you can figure that out. What else do you want me to do? Put a defenceman at forward? Is that what you’d suggest I do?”
There are certainly no easy answers.
But with the Leafs simply trying to survive this stretch of schedule until some bodies return to the lineup, it’s pretty clear that they need more from their top offensive players to do it successfully. Kessel has one goal in six games while Lupul has one in five. David Clarkson continues to search for his first goal as a Leaf – he had plenty of chances to get it on Friday night – and van Riemsdyk is looking to score his first since Oct. 30.
The big left-winger clearly isn’t comfortable in the middle just yet. He’s been happy with his play in the defensive zone but is starting to feel the pressure to do more at the other end. Against Buffalo, van Riemsdyk saw Ryan Miller make a nice save after he batted the puck out of mid-air and had a late chance to tie it denied by defenceman Christian Ehrhoff.
He bristled when asked if the move to centre is responsible for his recent drop in production. “That’s not for me to decide,” said van Riemsdyk.
Of course, Toronto’s top players could use a little extra help. The team hasn’t received much offence from its back end at all and would benefit greatly if the defencemen showed more willingness to try and get pucks on net from the point.
In fact, that is something Carlyle would like to see from everyone on the team.
“It seems like we’re trying to pick the top corners or trying to pick spots,” he said. “We should be just concentrating on a quicker release, getting pucks directed at the net, having that second and third opportunity.
“I think we’d be rewarded.”
At least they weren’t facing a long wait before getting another shot at one of the NHL’s worst teams. Saturday’s return game against Buffalo will also mark the start of a five-game homestand at Air Canada Centre, which should serve as an opportunity for the 11-7-1 Leafs to get back on track.
For starters, Bozak is expected to return from his hamstring injury by the end of next week while suspended centre Nazem Kadri will be back when Nashville visits on Thursday. Both of those players will help stabilize a lineup that has been in flux since opening night.
You couldn’t fault the depth players for Friday’s loss, with call-up Trevor Smith scoring the team’s lone goal against Miller. That was the fifth of his 34 game NHL career.
While Jay McClement and Jerred Smithson are reliable defensively, neither centre is known for his prowess around the opposition’s goal. That is why it is so important for Toronto’s dynamic wingers to stand up and be counted.
It has been a tough stretch with the organization stretched to the limit and forced to play six of the last seven games on the road.
“We’re testing (our luck),” said Carlyle. “We’re putting a lot of pressure on a lot of people to keep ourselves above water really. We’d like to become more consistent with our lineup. Due to injuries, suspensions and whatnot we’ve been dealt a difficult hand.”
There were a few positives to be taken from the loss at First Niagara Center – a place where the Leafs have won just once in their last 14 games. For starters, they outshot an opponent for the first time since Oct. 5 and received another solid effort in goal from Jonathan Bernier.
Once the offence returns from hiatus, success shouldn’t be too far behind.
“We had our chances in the hockey game,” said Carlyle. “I thought we played a very good road game.”