At the deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs had to bring in a defenseman or a goalie. Since they told everyone that their goaltending was fine, I was pretty sure it would be a defenseman.
The Leafs needed a dman who would help stabilize the sloppy play in the defensive zone. They have to cut down the giveaways and the scoring chances, thus cutting the goals against down.
They needed a steady, no-nonsense defender who adds the odd goal. And that is precisely what the Leafs got when they acquired Mark Giordano. Mark will make Brodie a better dman than he already is.
Gio will set an example to that whole core. He will show them exactly what to do in the defensive zone. He will calm the nerves down in that dressing room make it fun to play hockey again.
Should the Leafs care about where they finish? We know they're playing the Canes, Bolts, Bruins, or Panthers; pick your poison. The only thing that matters is playing well before the playoffs and, of course, home-ice advantage.
One last tidbit of info: it looks like Campbell will be on the roster soon. So we will find out if opting out of another goalie was the right choice after all. Buckle up, ladies and gents—this is going to be fun.
Randy
No comments:
Post a Comment