CHICAGO – These are supposed to be the nights pro hockey players live for.
With a packed house at the United Center to witness an old rivalry renewed, there was an unmistakable buzz pumping through the air here on Saturday – and that was even before Jim Cornelison sent goosebumps through the capacity crowd with his signature rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.”
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, a 6-3-0 team that still has plenty to prove, there was also the chance to make a statement against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Just two hours before the game, Joffrey Lupul told reporters that he and his teammates were “excited” to measure themselves against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yet a funny thing happened once the puck was dropped: Toronto was basically nowhere to be found.
That wasn’t too much of a problem in the opening 20 minutes when the Blackhawks seemed to play down to their competition. However, it quickly became an issue during an explosive 11-minute stretch of the second period when Chicago built a 3-1 lead that would stand until the final buzzer.
Worst of all for the Leafs was the realization that they didn’t so much as give themselves a fighting chance against an extremely skilled opponent.
“One of (our) strengths is that we believe that we can go in and outwork hockey clubs and I don’t think we outworked the Chicago Blackhawks tonight,” said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.
That is one of the more damning assessments he could make of his team, particularly on a night such as this one. While few expected Toronto to come in to a tough building and steal two points, the coach expected his players to put in an honest effort – at minimum.
Hard work was a hallmark of last year’s Leafs, a group that exceeded expectations and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference. That relentlessness hasn’t been present on a consistent enough basis during a recent stretch of games where some big holes have started to show in this outfit.
The only small positive that came out of Saturday night was the desperation the Leafs showed during a strong third period. However, that wasn’t nearly enough to erase memories of the first 40 minutes, when Chicago owned the puck while building a 29-9 shots advantage.
“We’ve got a lot better than that,” said Leafs winger Nazem Kadri, one of the team’s few standout performers in the game. “That’s not our identity.”
To be fair to the Leafs, there have been some significant obstacles that have interrupted the team-building process in recent weeks. The David Clarkson suspension and an array of injuries have kept Carlyle from finding any discernible chemistry throughout his forward units.
On the ice, that has translated to an inability to control the puck in the offensive zone for any meaningful length of time. There has been little or no evidence of a cycle game so far this year. And against the Blackhawks they tried to make too much happen from the outside.
When you combine that with some poor decision-making in the neutral zone, the Leafs have been getting outshot consistently – Jonathan Bernier faced 40 shots on Saturday night and has seen at least 30 in all six starts so far – and they’ve been forced into chasing the game rather than dictating the pace.
While there has been plenty of talk about tightening things up, there hasn’t been enough action. And no one seems to be entirely sure why that is.
“That’s the million dollar question I think right now,” said top-line winger James van Riemsdyk. “I don’t know if it’s a mindset or what it is, but we just haven’t been able to do it.”
So far, Carlyle has remained remarkably even keel.
The veteran coach is almost certainly stewing on the inside but hasn’t allowed his emotions to boil over just yet. Heading into a week that will see him face Anaheim for the first time since he was fired by the Ducks, Carlyle was preaching the need for patience with the Leafs.
He even elected not to hold a practice on Sunday.
“You try to remain positive,” Carlyle explained. “It’s early in the season and we have to find something to build on. Right now we’re not finding enough positives to build something and that’s what is disappointing.”
The Leafs clearly expected to put on a better show against the Blackhawks, the toughest opponent they’ve faced in this young season. On a night when centre David Bolland was making an emotional return to the United Center and Carlyle was challenging his players to raise their game, Toronto instead fell flat.
There were few smiles to be found as the team packed up its gear and headed home.
“I think we’ve all got to look at ourselves in the mirror and play better,” said Bernier.