The Canucks thought they had problems ... until they arrived in Toronto to face the woeful Leafs.
They say that if we all pushed our troubles into the middle of the table, by the time you saw what ails everyone else you would end up taking your own problems back.
And so the Vancouver Canucks head into the Air Canada Centre Saturday night, dogged by problems. Real, serious problems.
For instance, the Canucks are just 3-5 away from Rogers Arena, and were shut out Tuesday in Montreal. Sure, they beat Ottawa up by a 6-2 score Thursday night, but the second line … what's going on with the second line?
So far on this road rip, Mario Blizak has more goals (one) than Michael Samuelsson and Mason Raymond combined.
In fact, in seven road games, the Ryan Kesler-Samuelsson-Raymond line has scored just three goals -- all by Kesler. Together they are minus-11.
At home they're plus-12 with nine goals. What gives?
"I don't know what to say," Samuelsson told the Vancouver Sun before the Ottawa game. "You could expect a little better out of us, that's for sure."
Yes, Leafs fan, these are what pass for legitimate worries in Vancouver.
The Canucks' first place standing in the Northwest? That's expected.
Henrik and Daniel floating along in the Top 15 NHL scorers? Cruising along on pace for 98 points each?
Like they say, it's never a story when a plane lands safely.
But do you think that if the Canucks could push those problems into centre of the table, that the Toronto Maple Leafs wouldn't trade them for their own troubles in a heartbeat?
Yes, what passes for disconcerting on the West Coast must cause a Leafs fan to shake his toque.
A 2-0 loss at Montreal has Canucks fans fretting? Try seven straight losses by Toronto, as the Leafs have earned just three points in their past 11 games.
Having fun yet, Leafs Nation?
"This should not be pleasant for anybody," goalie J.S. Giguere said on Thursday. "If you are in this and having fun, you should question where your head is at."
Toronto has, like poor Vancouver, had a rough time on the road this year. In fact, things haven't been so swell at home either, which means the Leafs could qualify for that old Harry Neale line, searching for somewhere else to play after being brutal both at home and on the road.
"We're just talking about staying positive right now," admitted defenceman Brett Lebda, after the latest fixture, a 4-1 loss in Florida. "We see flashes in our game that give us hope and we have to turn those flashes into long periods of time."
Yeah, flashes. Lately, when the Leafs see a flash, it probably means a photo radar ticket is in the mail.
The Leafs power play hasn't scored in three games, and overall the team has dented the ol' twine just 16 times in its last 11 games. Vancouver's offence has produced 15 in its last four games -- and 31 goals in its last eight games -- despite the shutout in Montreal.
Toronto doesn't score that many in practice, which is perhaps why GM Brian Burke -- who has steadfastly promised to bring Nazem Kadri along patiently -- switched gears and called him up from the Marlies along with Keith Aulie on Friday. It defines desperation, when the injection of a 20-year NHL rookie is considered a solution for a lineup he clearly wasn't good enough to make two months ago.
The move comes in concert with head coach Ron Wilson's shakeup of his lines at practice Thursday. Most notably, he broke up rookie centre Tyler Bozak and struggling sniper Phil Kessel, another sign of patience wearing thin in Toronto.
Bozak, who had just 37 games of NHL experience before being thrust into the No. 1 centre role this season, was predictably overmatched by the responsibility. It was simply too much to ask from the near-rookie, and flew in the face of any conjured notions of patience in this Leafs’ rebuild.
Meanwhile Kessel has begun to make his home on the perimeter, and it's showing on the scoresheet. He hasn't registered a point in seven games, let alone a goal.
"We're getting enough shots, we're getting enough scoring chances. It is psychological, it gets in your head," said Wilson. "The power play had a number of scoring chances (in Florida), and sometimes we're so tight we don't see an open corner, the five-hole and things like that."
It is noteworthy that Leafs beat writers felt compelled to note Thursday that Clarke MacArthur has embarked on a four-game goalless streak. Seriously -- the guy has never scored more than 17 in a season.
It's like, "In other news, Travis Moen was scoreless for Montreal."
Alas, that would be Montreal's problem.
Vancouver has enough of their own.
