Shakes McQueen

Shakes McQueen's Comments

Posted Thursday November 26, 2009, About: Burke itching to make Leafs moves
I expect Blake to be sent down at some point. It's just inevitable. Wallin and Mayers could also be sent down, although both are fourth liners, so it's not like they see tons of time anyway.

Hagman and Kessel are playing really well. Hagman now has 11 goals on the season, and absolutely could be a 1st or 2nd line forward on a good team. Beauchemin has also started to look way better the past few games, after his horrible start in Toronto. Komisarek was too, before he got hurt.

Toskala could get buried, only if Burke needs to clear cap space for a deadline move this season. Otherwise, he will be set adrift after this season.

I'm more excited to see what happens this upcoming offseason, as it will be the first real chance for Burke to make sweeping changes from the JFJ era. We have tons of deadweight coming out of contract after this year.

Hanson, Bozak and Kadri have all looked great on their respective minor teams. Gunnarson has been a great d-man since being called up, and I expect him to stay up after Komisarek comes back.

The Leafs have some of the beginnings of a decent team to come - Kessel, Hagman, Gustavsson, Gunnarsson, Beauchemin, Komisarek, Bozak, Hanson and Kadri all look like they will have the right stuff for the future. And if Schenn snaps out of his sophomore slump, our defense should start to look better too.

If you look past the initial 0-8-1 start the Leafs had, they actually haven't looked too bad since then (5-3-6), and have had some heartbreaking OT losses. And while I think playoffs are out of the picture for this season, I still think they could finish out of the draft lottery. Tons of hockey left to be played.

- Scott
Posted Sunday November 22, 2009, About: Wilson running out of time with Leafs?
I think some of his ranting is somewhat inane, but likewise, I find some of the uninformed heckling of the Leafs and anything having to do with them to be truly insufferable also.

The Leafs have been a terrible team basically since the lockout, but some idiots talk about them as though they've been a long-running dysfunctional joke since 1967.

The reality is that the Leafs had some really good teams in the 1990's, right up into the early 2000's, that made some good playoff runs. If all we are going on is Cup wins, then Boston have been almost as dreadful for almost as long (1971-72, to be exact).

- Scott
Posted Sunday November 22, 2009, About: Wilson running out of time with Leafs?
And how far did the next coach take them the following year, after Wilson? Eliminated in the first round, by Anaheim. Eventually you have to stop blaming the coach, and start blaming the players. And that's the GM's problem.

The fact that the Sharks have been regular season monsters for several seasons now, only to go out with a whimper early in the playoffs, despite a coaching change, says the problem is elsewhere. These are professionals. A coach can only be expected to have a certain amount of influence in most cases.

I'm a Leafs fan, and while I don't think Wilson is the best coach in history, I do think he's a good one, who has a mix of underperforming and untalented players. Under Wilson, the Leafs have been an untalented, but hardworking team. They don't give up on games, despite the lack of skill. And that's a testament to Wilson's coaching. He can't polish turds into diamonds, but he can make sure those turds work hard for him.

People need to stop crying over spilt milk with the Kessel trade. No one could have predicted this Leafs team would start-off worse than the team last season, and it remains to be seen where they will end up. The team has essentially been 4-4-4 since their initial awful run, which suggests they are starting to reach their actual potential for the season - not great, but certainly not 30th.

And we are still less than a full year into the Burke era in Toronto. People need to have some patience, and stop overanalyzing every single thing. Even if the Kessel trade yields one really good player for Boston, the Leafs still came out well. If the Leafs finish in lottery territory this year in next, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. I think it's unlikely.

- Scott
Posted Sunday November 08, 2009, About: Williams: 'I'm not a T.O.'
The Cowboys are playing well, and winning games. And Roy Williams, while he hasnt had flashy numbers this season, also isn't whining about it off the field. So what is the problem here?

Soudns to me like Romo and Williams have a great QB-WR relationship. Romo doesn't feel like he has to throw him the ball (unlike TO), and Williams doesn't sulk or complain if he doesn't get the ball (unlike TO).

- Scott
Posted Sunday November 08, 2009, About: Ex-Eagle: Cowboys everything wrong about NFL
If the Eagles won a Superbowl or two this decade, I could see some truth in his comments perhaps. But they haven't - so how exactly are the Eagles as an organization, superior to Dallas?

- Scott
Posted Sunday November 08, 2009, About: Will Lecavalier ask out of Tampa Bay?
I think all of the Canadiens trade talk last season soured him in Tampa Bay, and I think a trade would do him a world of good.

- Scott
Posted Sunday November 08, 2009, About: Red Wings looking for goalie?
We go through this every season. Osgood has a long stretch of mediocre play, and everyone declares that the Red Wings either have a goaltending controversy, or that they need to trade for another goalie.

Then Osgood really comes on when it counts and down the stretch, into the playoffs - and we spend most of the playoffs cooing about how clutch he is, and that he's one of the most underrated goalies in NHL history.

It get's really old. And they haven't even given Howard a fair shake at the job yet.

- Scott
Posted Friday November 06, 2009, About: Kessel getting new linemate
So Savard assisted on 22 of his goals... that's what happens when you play on the same line. Almost any time someone scores a goal, at least one assist is handed out.

The real question is - were all 22 of those assists passes that a lesser skilled center could never hope to make? Were all 22 assists products of unique skills that Savard possesses?

I mean, there's no denying that Marc Savard is a gret player, and he and Kessel played well together. But I really think this idea that Kessel is nothing without him, is being completely overblown by Bruins fans who just want to reassure themselves that losing Kessel isn't a big deal.

A sniper is a sniper, and he will get his goals. Kessel looked like a man possessed in his first game for the Leafs, and had plenty of fantastic scoring opportunities, despite playing on a line with two bums, in Matt Stajan and Jason Blake.

Kessel will get his goals. His production may decrease a bit until Burke can sign some better top six forwards (something he hasn't done yet), but we've got him signed to a long-term contract - not a one year deal.

Anyway, here's hoping for another win tomorrow. The Leafs have actually played reasonably well the past couple of weeks, and have shown a lot of character and resiliency in constantly coming from behind to force games into overtime. We've just been cursed in terms of not getting favourable bounces - Kessel's shot off the crossbar in overtime about 10 seconds before we lost to Tampa, comes to mind.

- Scott
Posted Thursday October 08, 2009, About: Canucks accuse Burke of tampering
If the documentary didn't air until after the draft, how is there any tampering? And if Gillis revealed that he was looking to make this deal to Burke, how is it tampering if Burke mentions it to someone else at that point?

The NHL already cleared the Leafs for the Sedin twins "controversy" - it doesn't sound like this one has any more traction.

- Scott
Posted Monday October 05, 2009, About: Will Leafs bench Toskala for 'Monster'
If you play as hard as the Leafs did against the Habs, the results will come. Washington was a different story - we deserved to lose that game, and looked hopeless for the first 40 minutes. Not sure where that other guy is coming from.

Listen, to go back to the logic I offered earlier, this is the reality:

The Leafs are certainly no WORSE than last season - they lost Kubina and some low-level scrubs in the off-season, and added Kessel, Komisarek, Beauchemin, and Gustavsson, along with some other filler guys. And despite not having these guys last season, we were pretty solidly in the middle of the NHL standings.

So how does it follow logically that some people think they will be WORSE this season? Based on what? The poor games of two new players still adjusting to their new team?

If Beauchemin and Komisarek still look this bad by the end of October, I will eat a ten gallon hat, and put the video on YouTube. Because I know it won't be the case. Beauchemin is a solid D-man on any team in the league, and Komisarek provides the grit this team has lacked for years. Both just need to settle in.

Some people just always need reality to comport with their "lol Laffs no cup 43 years" viewpoint, even if it doesn't. The Leafs problem has never been that they are bottom feeding cellar dwellers - it's the fact that they are always painfully AVERAGE.

- Scott
Posted Monday October 05, 2009, About: Bettman not sold on Olympic hockey
No, I don't "know it", and framing it like it's common wisdom is dinsingenuous. The China Olympics featured the same soccer stars that will be appearing in the World Cup (albeit some different countries being involved). Your assertion that professional soccer players don't participate in, or in any way ignore the Olympics, is simply false.

Do soccer players generally consider the World Cup a more important tournament? Yes they do. But that's a separate discussion.

For hockey, the Olympics basically are the sport's "world cup". It's the one tournament where all of the best players in the game can play, as opposed to the World Championship, which only features amateurs, and players from teams that didn't make the NHL post-season. Hence, it's also the one tournament where every country get's to play a full strength squad in international competition.

- Scott
Posted Sunday October 04, 2009, About: Will Leafs bench Toskala for 'Monster'
The Leafs top two defensive pairings are still new to eachother, and Beauchemin and Komisarek still need to settle down and settle in after their big new contracts.

I think you're a little optimistic if you expect the Leafs to play defense this poor all season long. Both are "trying too hard" right now - Beauchemin os playing like a riverboat gambler, and Komisarek is spending an inordinate amount of time in the box.

But please, don't let that stifle these goofy declarations after two games - one against a team that your mighty Bruins got stuffed by too.

We were a mid-standings team last season, and that was before adding some better pieces. While we may or may not make the playoffs, I think expecting us to finish bottom five is unfounded at best.

- Scott
Posted Saturday October 03, 2009, About: Bettman not sold on Olympic hockey
Actually Hank, there were several high profile disputes during the China summer games, from soccer players that wanted to go to the Olympics (and whose teams didn't want to let them) - Lionel Messi, being one. The Olympic soccer tournament is packed with pro talent.

As for Olympic hockey - unless Bettman wants more high profile embarrassment in the form of guys like Ovechkin and Malkin walking out on the league to play for their country, I suggest he capitulate to what the players want here.

And I have no doubt Olympic play will be a hard bargaining point for the NHLPA in the next CBA too. All of the players want to play for their country, and I have no doubt that many of them will simply walk off the job to do it, if it comes to that.

- Scott
Posted Sunday September 20, 2009, About: Bruins deal Kessel to Leafs
But that doesn't mean anything at all. It just means he assisted in the goals. Did all of those assists consist of incredible passes that no lesser center could ever hope to make? Or were the vast majority of them typical hockey plays?

Like I said - there's no doubting Savard is a great center, but I think most of these people saying "yeah, good luck without Savard" are just Boston fans who either a) don't like Kessel, or b) are sad he's gone, so they are trying to justify why this is okay to themselves.

And people also don't seem to get that Toronto is still going to be acquiring top six forwards in the coming season or two anyway - the building process is still not complete, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more UFA signings. They've got Kessel for five years, not one.

- Scott
Posted Sunday September 20, 2009, About: Bruins deal Kessel to Leafs
The deal will work out fine for Toronto.

Kessel is still a kid, and his game has been improving dramatically year after year. He's not too great on the backcheck, but that is something that can be improved. People here are talking about the kid as though he's 28-29 years old - he's only 21, and has lots of room to develop.

Not to mention that he is likely still a few years away from peaking as a player - meaning his stats are probably only going to get better. Plus, Brian Burke is the Team USA GM, so if Kessel wants to play for his country, he'd be well advised to work hard, play with heart, and not be a locker room issue.

I think this is a pretty good deal for both teams. I also think this blathering about "oh he doesn't have Marc Savard" is nonsense. Savard is a great center, but if people think that Savard was all that was propping up Kessel's numbers, they clearly need to watch more hockey.

The Leafs get a very young, talented top-6 forward to build with, and the Bruin s get what will likely be a couple of mid to late first round draft picks, and a 2nd rounder. It isn't like Burke traded two proven Sidney Crosby's for a Phil Kessel. Most drafts only have 2-3 potential all-star players.

- Scott
Posted Tuesday September 08, 2009, About: Bruins, Kessell at impasse?
The Leafs actually scored a decent amount of goals last year - their real problem was goals against (they were worst in the league). With a healthy Toskala, and a much better defensive lineup, you have to figure they will at least do as well as last season, if not much better.

Even moreso, if they manage to add a guy like Kessel. I really don't think the Leafs are THAT far off having a pretty decent team.

- Scott
Posted Tuesday September 08, 2009, About: Bruins, Kessell at impasse?
Burkie never said he hated offer sheets - he just hated how Kevin Lowe went about his business. He has said he was infuriated by a) the fact that he was blindsided with the offer sheet by the Oilers, and b) the fact that the Oilers offered way above market value for him, meaning the Ducks couldn't hope to match it.

So basically, Burke was just personally offended by the underhanded way the deal went down.

- Scott
Posted Tuesday September 08, 2009, About: Man City eyes Henry-Robinho swap
Would never, ever happen. Henry would go back to Arsenal, or another league altogether. He would never come back to the EPL, and play for a rival club.

- Scott
Posted Thursday August 20, 2009, About: Leafs shopping for forward?
I should add that he also didn't offer a guy like Cammalleri more than he's worth too, like Montreal did.

Cammalleri would have been ripe for a trademark stupid JFJ contract, if JFJ was still here. Especially with all of the cap room we had at the time. We could have thrown more money than Montreal at the guy, but we didn't I consider that a sign of progress in the organization.

- Scott
Posted Thursday August 20, 2009, About: Leafs shopping for forward?
Like I said - better to sign the right pieces when they become available. The Sedins and Cammalleri are arguably solid pieces for a contender. So he took a shot at both, and when that failed, he did the right thing and didn't start shopping guys like Kaberle for second rate top-six forwards. He also turned down the opportunity to get Kessell, when it had to include one of our draft picks.

He's doing the right thing. First time I've been able to say that about a Leafs GM in a long time.

- Scott
Posted Thursday August 20, 2009, About: Leafs shopping for forward?
I think not adding much offense this season was probably a calculation by Burke. He doesn't want the team to be TOO good, yet. Especially if it means giving up picks, or assets he didn't want to unload for less than market value

Better to be scrappy, entertaining, and still below-average for another season - then add key offensive pieces when the opportunity arises.

No point in adding top six forwards, if they aren't the right ones to make you a legitimate contender for the Cup, instead of simply a team that makes the playoffs. I'd sooner make a serious run at the cup in a couple of years, than become the San Jose Sharks of the East - make the playoffs every year, and absolutely nothing else.

- Scott
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