TORONTO – Roman Polak doesn't mince words much when it comes to the differences he expects in this year's edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"The biggest change is going to be that everybody's going to work hard," Polak, among the more candid Leafs, said.
Toronto fell apart in the second half last season, the work ethic of the group openly skewered at times by players, coaches and management. That, Polak believes, won't be a problem in the days ahead.
"Last year we got away [from success] because we didn't play as a team; it was just a couple of guys with effort," said Polak. "Sometimes we put everything in, sometimes we didn't. And I think right now it's not going to be a question if we're going to put everything in, it's going be like standard. We're going to do it every night. We're not going to win every night, but we know that we're going to put everything on the line every game."
Why the change?
"I think because the coach is going to demand it from everybody and he already does it during the practice," Polak said. "When he doesn't feel we're doing it right he just blows the whistle down."
Indeed, the Mike Babcock-led practices through the first week of training camp have been quick in pace, Babcock seemingly involved in every little detail. The new Leafs coach has frequently stopped the proceedings if something doesn't look right. He has often had to re-explain concepts, leading to longer practices than he would prefer.
Thursday's second workout, for example, lasted an hour, 20 minutes longer than the coach wanted.
But beyond just the shift at practice, Polak believes that standards will be enforced during games.
"If he's going to feel that you're not doing everything right maybe he's just going to sit you down for a couple shifts to give you a heads up that you have to pick it up," Polak said.
Randy Carlyle, Babcock's full-time predecessor as Leafs coach, struggled to enforce standards during his tenure in Toronto. He only occasionally cut the ice-time or power-play opportunity of top players when their play or effort fell off. Peter Horachek, Carlyle's interim replacement, had the same misfortune.
Structure and work ethic fell apart in tumultuous fashion as the season unraveled.
Horachek even went so far as to build an imaginative playoff series for the final seven games of the regular season just to give the beleaguered group something to strive for.
Toronto lured Babcock on a sizeable eight-year contract and then added highly respected general manager Lou Lamoriello later in the summer. Both were expected to address a culture that was seen as ruinous and in desperate need of fixing.
The Leafs also traded away Phil Kessel, their highest-paid player and most productive player, but also someone who performed less than admirably in the second half.
"That was the accomplishment that management tried to get with is trying to change the culture of the whole organization," said Nazem Kadri, suspended late last season for off-ice issues. "I think so far we're well on our way.
"Mike, he's just honest and truthful whether you want to hear it or you don't. He's not just trying to single any guys out or anything like that; he's just trying to make you a better player and, more importantly, a better person too.
"He's going to hold us to a high standard. He's definitely an accountable guy, so he's going to hold us to the same standard as well."
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