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TORONTO — As Paul Maurice conducted what was possibly one of his last media scrums as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he allowed there were few regrets, from Mark Bell's hits in the Leafs' last home game of the season to his own moves as coach.
Bell continued to be the subject of vilification in Ottawa for the body checks he delivered Thursday that injured Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson and centre Mike Fisher.
Senators coach Bryan Murray said yesterday both players will miss "weeks" of playing time but was not more specific. Alfredsson suffered head and knee injuries (although he said he does not have a concussion), while Fisher is out with a knee injury.
Fisher said he was hurt in a knee-on-knee collision with Bell in the first period of the Senators' 8-2 win over the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Alfredsson was flattened by Bell late in the first period on a blind-side hit.
Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice pulled no punches Friday, admitting his club just wasn't good enough. (Peter Power / The Globe and Mail)
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No penalties were called on either play and the NHL decided not to take any further action against Bell, who said yesterday he has never intentionally tried to injure another player.
"I think a team as physically strong as Ottawa's would have exacted some physical revenge on [Bell]," Maurice said. "After the hit there were a couple of purse-swingings that didn't amount to much.
"No offence, ladies," the coach said to a couple of female reporters in the scrum.
The loss left the Leafs with a home record of 18-17-6 this season. Going into the final weekend, only the Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes (both with 17) had less wins on home ice.
The Maple Leafs will finish their season tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens — the third consecutive year Toronto has missed the playoffs — and then turn their attention to hiring a new general manager.
Maurice started to talk about how difficult it was for his team to try hard in its last home game after it had been eliminated from playoff contention on March 27. Then, he stopped.
"How about I don't make excuses? We were just [expletive]," he said.
With one game left in the season, Maurice has a 76-65-22 record in two seasons as the Leafs head coach. With one year left on his contract, Maurice's future will be decided by the incoming GM.
"I think you don't ever finish a season, look back and think there weren't things you should have done differently," Maurice said. "Probably, I would have used a few players in different situations.
"But at the end of the day, you make decisions and stand by them."
Maurice said he plans to watch the NHL playoffs rather than head immediately to a tropical destination for a break from a disappointing season.
"No, to go to those places you want to be mentally in a spot where you enjoy them," he said. "You don't want to be sitting on a beach cursing."
So when will that be?
"A couple of years, no problem."
Many Toronto players will be heading south, although some will stay behind to play hockey.
Forwards Kris Newbury and Jiri Tlusty and defenceman Staffan Kronwall will join the Leafs farm team, the Toronto Marlies, for the AHL playoffs. Winger Jeremy Williams was supposed to join them, but he will not as he would have to clear NHL waivers.
Rookie NHL defenceman Anton Stralman is expected to play for Sweden at the world championships in May, as is forward Alexander Steen.
A few other Leafs might also play in the world tournament, too, such as goaltender Vesa Toskala (Finland), defencemen Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle (Czech Republic) and forward Jason Blake (United States).
The only Leafs player seen as having a chance to make the Canadian squad is centre Matt Stajan.
