A Whipping Boy No More
Published by Toronto Mike on April 27, 2006 @ 17:16 in Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Aki Berg has signed with TPS Turku of Finland's SM-liiga. I, for one, am really going to miss having him around. I'm not going to miss him because he was particularly valuable or skilled, but because he was always there when blame needed to be applied.
Every time he handled the puck I was on turn-over alert, watching every Aki Berg play under a microscope. When we lost, it was easy to blame it on Berg. Berg was our official whipping boy and he excelled at the role.
With Berg gone, who will I blame for our losses, the lousy weather, my car troubles and the rising property taxes?
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Tee
April 27, 2006 / 21:07
I don't like how everyone always bashes Berg (especially my room mate). The fact is that he is a competent defenceman, a solid #5 on any team and is worth his salary. His problem is that the Leafs make him a #3 or 4 d-man and gets too much ice time as a result of lack of depth. The media and fans jump all over him for his one turnover, while ignoring the way he kept so-and-so out of the play, or made that timely clearing pass. The flashy plays make the headlines, while the blue-collar work gets nothing.
On the bright side, his absence wil give a great opportunity for our young guys to get some experience.