O-Dog on Leafs: ‘The biggest percentage of the blame pie, it’s that D-core’

O-Dog on Leafs: ‘The biggest percentage of the blame pie, it’s that D-core’

like the injuries are. I don’t know. I I’ve said it a million times. I’ve learned a long time ago. You never question what’s going on there. But it’s just like it’s must be frustrating for Barubian. The people that need like just stop with the new like new coach. You guys, you want them to mow through a new coach again. No, it’s that the coach isn’t the problem. Yes. Everybody can be better. I Well, he has to bear some responsibility, Jim. You can’t totally absolve him, but I understand that. I mean, it’s like Go ahead. Like, get rid of him. get a different coach in there. But that is just complete insanity. I like I I get it and you could probably get a new coach bump here or there, but you know, again, there are different factors. Brian, you can weigh in on this, but if you had to do a percentage pie, there’s lots of blame to go around, but I still believe the players would have the biggest percentage on the pie. Yeah, I think I think there’s the coach. I think there’s the manager. I think there’s lots of different things that that come into that percentage of the pie, but injuries are one of them, too. What Greg Baruby can’t put his gear on and go, I’m gonna go block a shot. He’s got to put out Dakota Mermis, you know? He’s got to put out guys that aren’t everyday NHLers. Like, they don’t have Austin Matthews. They don’t have Matthew Knives. They don’t have Chris Tan. They don’t have Stall. I keep saying this, Noodle. Even when those guys were back, they were terrible then, too. And the biggest percent the biggest percentage of the blame pie is it’s that decor, man. I know there’s some forwards that are completely invisible. And we can touch on those guys later, but that decor just can’t injured, not injured, healthy. They don’t move well enough and they’re not moving the puck up to the forwards. They’re just they’re too slow. You they’re incapable. All of us watch a lot of hockey. That’s got to be one of the worst decores in the league. They’re not getting it done. Not even close. And no, they are there. It’s not up for debate. It’s it’s probably the worst the worst in the league. Yeah, it it is. Um and and again, Tanv would clean up a lot of that and there’s, you know, a couple other guys that could just you could expect to play better. Well, Carlo and Tan if Carlo would play better and if Tanv was available, you’re at least looking there was an NHL decor there. That’s the truth. I mean, we started the season, they brought back the same six. The same six that looked really good in the playoffs last year. the same six that were hard to play against and and whatever else that verbs that we used um to to describe them in a positive way. They didn’t forget how to play hockey. But there is you miss players and the players aren’t playing to their capabilities. That’s two things I would say that are hurting that defensive core. Yeah. And again, the I mean, the depth of the organization is is being challenged and this is again a reality of a 9-year run. Yeah. Where they kept going for it and going for it and going for it and I and you know, it’s not you understand why, you know, whether you agreed or disagreed with certain trades, everyone’s going to have an opinion on that, but in terms of the you know, larger picture and the philosophy that there was nine years, they thought, okay, we’re right there. They knew they were going to the playoffs. They knew they had high-end talent. They knew they had a lot of younger players that were very good that were in their prime. And as a result, they traded a lot of picks and a lot of prospects. And now they’re in a situation here where when they do run into any injuries, they just simply don’t have replacements. Like they don’t have them. And you know, defensively in particular, it has been it’s been an issue with this organization throughout my lifetime. You know, they just like you talk about the 6D that they started with, one of them was drafted by this team, Morgan Riley. The other five all acquired from somewhere else. Y, you know, the other guys they’re calling up here, you know, don’t have a track record of drafted and developed and guys that can step into the lineup and play and perform and, you know, up front they seem to have that. Cowan Quillin, he came out of the lineup on Saturday, but they might have a couple of guys there, you know, in net, I guess, Joseph Wall. They drafted, they developed, and they’re not alone. You know, every a lot of teams have to deal with this, but it’s just the the realities of, you know, an all-in mentality for a long time are coming back to get them now. And it happened quickly. Like, it happened quickly. And yes, they have 60 games left, but that’s, you know, it’s 60 games. I was kind of doing the math last night. Now, we’ll see. Par, there’s a lot of parody in the East right now, and maybe that continues throughout the year, and maybe there just aren’t that many separators. Hit us with it. What do they got to go? Something like, again, it it changes. Some years the second wild card might need 92 points. Some years they might need 98. You know, like every year’s a little bit different. The Calgary had 96 last year. They missed and they didn’t get in. Exactly. Some years you do. Sometimes it’s that third team in the division that has like 89 points and they get in just cuz the division stinks and the top two teams run away. But something around 35 20 and five the rest of the way like something like that. Something 30 30 20 and five. Sorry I got the math wrong. 30 20 and five. Something you know something like that in in around they gota get to like 95 points. Yeah. And I don’t know, can you see them winning 34 35 games the rest of the way? Like, can they can they get there? I don’t know. I mean, that’s The only thing is, Brian, like, if we were looking at the roster that was iced Saturday night, you’d probably say no. Well, if it’s Saturday night, it’s definitively no. Like there, if that’s their roster, and it’s not. To be fair to the Leafs, it’s not. That’s what I’m trying to get. That’s the roster. They are They might be dead last in the NHL. Legitimately, they’re chasing Nashville with that lineup they had on Saturday night. But what do they got coming up here? They got a road trip. So, it’s Columbus. It’s what on Saturday night. Is that Apparently, it’s Friday, too. So, it’s Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington on Friday, Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh on Saturday, and it’s uh Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus. So, it’s three games in four nights. Columbus, Wednesday, Washington Friday, Pittsburgh Saturday, and then they go into the following Tuesday into Florida and into Carolina. Carolina next Thursday, right? Yeah. You can kind of look at it, guys. If they just if they don’t get it together on that road trip and they fall even farther back, there’s big time trouble. You know, you you’re right, O they have to be 500 on that road trip. like these long road trips right now with parody in the league. You got to hope for 500, but what you need to do is make hay at home. They can’t do that anymore, though. Noodles, guys. Look at their schedule. They’ve had They’ve had a gift from God with their schedule. The easiest schedule you could ever imagine. They would be so far ahead of the pack right now. It’s insane. I believe they have the toughest schedule remaining in the NHL. They do because they’ve they’ve had the easiest up to now. So that’s the that’s the thing. Like I again I’m not I don’t I hear you. It’s a Monday. I don’t want to come in here and be a all negative and hating, but I keep talking with Leaf fans who are like, “Well, they all they got to do is win five in a row.” Yes. But what if they lose five in a row? Then what? Like it’s just it’s actually more likely that happens than the other way. The way they’ve been playing. Like you know, yes, they could win five in a row and then reset and you’re a point out of the playoffs and then maybe everyone comes back and it’s all good. That is that possible? Of course. Is that what they’re hoping for? Obviously. Should that be the mentality around that team? Yes. You know, there’s still 60 games left. They’re a veteran team. There’s no trades coming. It doesn’t happen in the NHL. Nothing of substance is going to happen here. So, you just you got to play it out. You got to hope Bub has some answers and can some push some buttons and goalies get hot or whatever. Yeah. But they have the toughest schedule left. Like I said, with 60 games left about, you know, something like 35, 20 and five, you know, give and take. They got to get going. So 500 over any run probably isn’t doable anymore because the other teams, like you said, are also winning. Ottawa is perfect on this road trip. They’re in LA tonight and Brady Kachchuck is going to return this week. Yeah. And Tampa’s hot and Detroit keeps winning and Boston keeps going and Florida. Yeah, they got they got tons of injuries, too. They’re still playing okay, you know. They’re keeping their head above water. Um, so you said it you said it a couple weeks ago, Brian, they have to injuries or without injuries, put this in their rearview mirror and have it be their worst stretch of the season because they can’t do anything like it again or they’re just like we talked about this road trip. If they get clubbed in this road trip, it’s game over. They’re probably not making the playoffs. You you you just talked about the math. the the math has to the math doesn’t lie. The biggest challenge you look at, you know, let’s look at even last year or in previous years always you have to have a very good home record and your road record has to be very respectable 500 or better. What I’m saying is this now this road trip they started 0 and one they’ve got five more. You’ve got to find you can’t go 0 and5 0 and six. You’ve got to find a way to scratch and claw. I’ll give you an example. The Oilers had that seven game road trip. They ended up 33 and one like and it’s an ugly road trip and they had to go but you you end up 500 and now you’re going Oh,

Bryan Hayes, Jeff O’Neill and Jamie McLennan discuss why the Maple Leafs defence is the most to blame for their struggles this season and whether Toronto can turn it around and be a playoff team.