MONTREAL -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are counting on a coaching change to get them out of a tailspin and back on course for the NHL playoffs. Randy Carlyle, who has replaced the fired Ron Wilson, will try to get them there. "I sense the club is very tense," Carlyle said at a news conference in the home of the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens, against whom he was to coach his first game for Toronto on Saturday night. "The confidence level is at a low. My responsibility as head coach is to pick these guys up. To get them feeling better about themselves." Carlyle, 56, who coached the Anaheim Ducks to a Stanley Cup in 2007, took over a team that had dropped out of playoff position in the NHL Eastern Conference with a 29-28-7 record. Carlyle was fired by Anaheim on Nov. 30 in his seventh season with the Ducks. The Leafs were 1-9-1 in their last 11 games when Wilson, general manager Brian Burkes longtime friend and former college teammate, was sacked on Friday night. Fans chanted "Fire Wilson" during a loss to the Florida Panthers at the end of a homestand this week and Burke said it would be "cruel and unusual punishment to make Ron coach another game at the Air Canada Centre." He also said it was clear the team had tuned Wilson out after four seasons behind the bench. "It was time," said Burke. "Every coach has a shelf life. "Ive never had a team fall off a cliff like this in my life. Ive seen dips, slumps, rough patches, but this is akin to an 18-wheeler going off a cliff. I dont know what happened. Im bewildered by it. Its like someone hit me with a two-by-four. Ive never had this before where a team just plain, flat out goes into a free fall." But the general manager said he turned down offers at the Feb. 27 NHL trade deadline because he was confident the team was good enough to make the playoffs without making changes. He said bids were made on 12 of his players and a total of four first-rounders were offered, but he elected to stand pat. "We felt this coach gives us a chance to salvage the season, and the way it was going, it wasnt going to happen," he said. "Also, this saves us a month in the fall of a new coach coming in and putting in a system and getting to know the players. "If were going to miss (the playoffs), were going to miss with a coach that gives us a better chance next fall." He also said goaltenders James Reimer and Jonas Gustafsson have taken a "disproportionate and unfair" share of the blame for the teams struggles. Burke flew to Montreal to meet with Wilson in person, delivering the news Friday night. He received permission from Anaheim on Wednesday to talk to Carlyle. The Leafs also looked at other candidates, including Marc Crawford, who coached for Burke in Vancouver, Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins and Leafs assistant coaches Scott Gordon, Greg Cronin and Rob Zettler. He preferred leaving Eakins with the AHL club to help give the teams top prospects a chance to experience post-season hockey. Burke reassigned Zettler to leave room for Carlyle to bring in an assistant of his choosing. That will be Dave Farrish, who works with defencemen. He was not on hand for Saturdays game. "Were getting that done today," he said. Burke thanked fans for their support in a message sent to Leafs season-ticket holders. "Our teams performance of late has been disappointing," Burke wrote. "Most importantly, we are disappointed for our passionate fans. Despite our teams struggles, we remain optimistic with 18 games left in the season. ". . . We are committed to our plan and long-term direction to bring a Stanley Cup Championship to Toronto." Carlyle met with the team for about an hour Friday. "It was short," winger Joffrey Lupul said. "He talked about changes from a system standpoint. He talked about a chance to make a first impression. "Our identitys not going to change. Were still a skating-first team." Burke said he likes coaches that are demanding and tough on players, who clearly define each players role on the team and that like rough, physical hockey. He said Carlyle meets all three criteria. "I dont like coaches who are warm and fuzzy," said Burke. "The game shouldnt be fun. "The fun part is winning. The game itself should be a difficult contest full of hard decisions and hard battles. Look at the coaches who are successful in this league. They arent warm and fuzzy guys." Carlyle put the team through an energetic 40-minute skate on Saturday morning to begin the process of getting to know the team and implementing changes in how they play. "We have to find a way to re-energize the group," said Carlyle. "Its not that theyve lost their skills. "They have an opportunity now to show a new face, a good impression." He also made amends with Lupul, who played sparingly for him in Anaheim before being traded to Toronto after two injury-marred seasons in February, 2011. Lupul has blossomed into a first line winger this season. "Lupul made a comment in Anaheim, saying he felt I didnt use him correctly, and he was right," said Carlyle. "I made a mistake in not putting Joffrey on left-wing in our top-six grouping. "He came back from pretty dramatic back surgery. He had a number of infections. We at one point thought hed never play again. Thats a mistake we made and I take responsibility for it. Ive talked to him about it. Its water under the bridge. Hes a top-six forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs." Defenceman Mike Komisarek acknowledged there was tension on the team and that all the players felt responsible for Wilson losing his job. "It was tough the other night losing and having those chants," he said. "We all know that Wilson was a good coach. "But when the coach changes, its on us. Now its a clean slate. When youre in a slide, everyones looking for answers. Its almost a sense of waiting around, wondering whats going to happen. Youre waiting to bottom out. Now its up to us to respond." Carlyle was a top defenceman in his playing career, which started with the Leafs in 1976-77. He later played for Pittsburgh and Winnipeg before he retired after the 1992-93 campaign. He won a Norris Trophy as the leagues best rearguard in 1981 with Pittsburgh. Nike Air Max 1 Dam .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Nike Air Max 90 Herr . The Basque club improved to four points better than fifth-place Villarreal in the duel for the last Champions League qualifying place. Celta should have come away with more from the high tempo game. http://www.airmaxrea2015.com/nike-air-max-1/nike-air-max-1-dam.html. With four remaining Olympic berths up for grabs, Canadas Peng Peng Lee, Kristina Vaculik, Victoria Moors, Talia Chiarelli, Brittany Rogers and Madeline Gardiner finished second overall with a combined 221. 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"Its got to the point where its painfully obvious to me that I just wasnt going to be able to move forward with this organization," he said before the game. "We see things differently and we talked about it, but it just got to the point where I couldnt continue to move forward. Ultimately, I didnt feel like I could continue to manage here with the circumstances the way they are." Seattle, which has never reached the World Series is assured of its fourth straight losing season and dropped to 70-90. Oakland (95-65) remained two games back of Boston (97-63) with two games left in the race for best record in the AL and home-field advantage throughout the post-season. The As clinched home field in the AL division series starting next Friday. Colon (18-6) became the first major leaguer in his 40s to win 18 games or more since Jamie Moyer was 21-7 for Seattle in 2003. Colon allowed two runs and three hits for the AL West champions, including solo home runs by Franklin Gutierrez in the first and Kendrys Morales in tthe sixth.dddddddddddd His 2.65 ERA is second in the AL behind the 2.64 of Detroits Anibal Sanchez, scheduled to start Saturday at Miami. Ryan Cook, Sean Doolittle and Grant Balfour completed the four-hitter. Coco Crisp went 4 for 5 with a run scored, his third four-hit game this year. Hernandez (12-10) finished the season with his fewest wins since going 9-11 in 2008. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner gave up three runs and five hits in six innings with six strikeouts and a walk, retiring 13 of his final 14 batters. He entered with 14 2-3 scoreless innings against the As this season. With 216 strikeouts in 204 1-3 innings, Hernandez joined Randy Johnson as the only Mariners pitchers with five seasons with 200 innings and 200 strikeouts. Hernandez topped 200 innings for the sixth straight season and is the first major leaguers since Johan Santana (2004-08) with five consecutive seasons with 200 innings and 200 Ks. strikeouts. Oakland boosted its lead to 5-2 in the seventh when Oliver Perez walked Josh Reddick on four pitches and pinch-hitter Derek Norris homered. Josh Donaldson added an RBI groundout against Carter Capps. Norris hit an RBI double in the eighth off Tom Wilhelmsen and scored on Daric Bartons single. NOTES: Oakland OF Yoenis Cespedes left in the fourth inning with shoulder stiffness. He was playing in the field for the first time since Sept. 13. cheap jerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
