Leafs Whipped, Again....Time for Changes - RIP Carter, Houston

After watching yet another horrific performance by just about every Leaf player on the ice last night, in a 6-2 drubbing at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, Brian Burke must have had an active cell phone all night trying to do something (ANYTHING!) to address the needs of his team. The only problem is that after last night, they appear to be many areas that need to be addressed not just one or 2.


The problem with this team isn't nearly as many as they appeared to be last night. When this team seems to lose lately, it isn't even close. They have had recent results that look like they are either over-matched or that the pressure is getting to them. 6-2 last night, 5-1 against Calgary, 5-0 against Montreal, 5-3 to the Flyers. All of these losses have seen a combination of poor goaltending, shotty defensive play, forwards not playing the way they were only 2 weeks ago and reactionary coaching. Goaltending switches, line juggling (that has yet to work), poorly run powerplays, benching the wrong guys, sticking with guys that should be in the AHL (That would be you Joey Crabb and Darryl Boyce), has all contributed to this teams' poor play over the last 2 weeks which, miraculously, has somehow kept them clinging to the 8th and final Playoff Spot.

In a previous Blog, I mentioned the need to make some massive changes to this team. After their recent string of poor outings, I think it's clear that they do in fact need a major shakeup before they completely fall out of the playoff picture.

In the past week, we have seen 2 people pass away, both of which have made international headlines. Both of which (one could argue) had completely different lifestyles yet both effected millions of people over the course of their respective careers. Gary Carter passed away of Brain Cancer while Whitney Houston died of either drowning in her bathtub or overdosing first on booze and prescription pills before being found in the same bathtub last Saturday, the night before the Grammy's.

I find it easier to accept the death of Carter then I do that of Houston as Carter, from all accounts, did everything the right way. He was an all-star player for the Montreal Expos in the late 70's and early 80's, who always did things the right way (to a fault). He was nicknamed "The Kid" because of his almost limitless enthusiasm and consistent smile that was almost permanently glued to his face during the majority of his career. Even years afterward, whenever he would be interviewed, Carter was always all smiles and always a positive influence on others. He never gave up even when he was told it was a terminal disease and he fought tooth and nail to his dying breath.

Which is part of the reason why I don't feel quite as bad when I hear about someone who had it all and just couldn't find it within themselves to stay sober enough to enjoy it. Yes, there are those that say addiction is a disease as well but for the most part, you have the ability to at least listen to those around you and follow the steps of the professionals who try to help you in rehab. Free will is still part of everyone.  We each have the capacity to accept the advice of those around us and try to fight through whatever addictions we have in order to live normal lives or to ignore everyone and do what we want. It's sad that Whitney choose to ignore those around her and felt the selfish need to indulge herself in her addiction time and time again, but it isn't a tragedy because, for the most part, it was self-inflicted (many will point out that the addiction started because of Bobby Brown and his abuse. It's true that he had a lot to do with it but at some point, you have to accept responsibility for yourself).

A terrific person and a once-incredible voice have left us this week. Each of their stories should be a lesson for all of us; one on how to live your life to the fullest, the other of what not to do with your life if you ever have the fortune to have everything that she did.