"The Maple Leafs have high-tech gizmos to assist coaches and players improve, but it's time to fix the radar for their mis-firing defencemen.

Toronto's blueline brigade have produced just eight goals in almost 40 games, second fewest in the NHL up to Monday night's 2-1 loss to Boston. That result, by the way, was the third consecutive one-goal loss at home and ninth this year, home and away, for a team averaging 2.32 goals a game. Their defence counterparts on 12 clubs have at least double what the Leafs have produced, so just think of the difference one or two more would make in a couple of those close defeats.

Luke Schenn soared to the team lead of two with a goal on Saturday in Ottawa, with Dion Phaneuf and Tomas Kaberle registering only one apiece.

To be fair, no one said in the summer that the Leafs would ice a team of Paul Coffey clones or had an Al MacInnis in waiting. Phaneuf and Francois Beauchemin have heavy shots, but Phaneuf never duplicated the 20 goals he had in his rookie year with Calgary. Beauchemin hasn't been in double figures since junior, while Kaberle is still in love with the pass as his primary play.

Schenn has made great improvement with his shot, but still has only nine goals in nearly 200 games and Mike Komisarek's value is as a physical player."