Is Mikhail Grabovski playing like a top-10 center in the league?

When you live in Leaf world, as we all do, certain storylines tend to re-surface—just some more often than others.

Before I get into today's post, here are a few storyline samples in recent times:

• When it comes to trade rumors, perhaps the name most tossed around in these parts is that of Luke Schenn.  You generally have to give up something to get something, right? And Schenn, as a young, powerful defenseman would be a plum pickup for someone—if he was in fact available. Interestingly (maybe only to me) I wrote on this very subject months ago, when Schenn had signed a new contract and his was not the number-one name being bandied about when it came to future Leaf dealings…
• When it comes to speculation (and there is never a lack of that around here) about who the Leafs might try to acquire, well, names like Nash, Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan always seem to surface.  As I mentioned a while back, if I was Bob Murray in Anaheim, for example, here’s what I would insist on in return…
• Then there was the kerfuffle that Don Cherry stirred up recently, on the night the Leafs hosted the troops at the ACC.  Don slipped in a comment just before HNIC went to the doubleheader game at 10pm EST, about Canadian-born Rob Zettler being the only Maple Leaf coach who applauded during the third-period break in the action (when Don grabbed the mic to halt the game and salute MLSE and the troops).   I wrote about it at the time, but the mainstream media largely ignored the comment.  Now, they’re all in a lather that Burke is upset.  This is largely about two arrogant guys who like fights—each protecting their own “turf”.  It shouldn’t surprise us.  (Cherry wins this one, though.  He was doing what he gets paid to do, provide controversial opinions.  Who would watch, otherwise?)
• Goaltending, you say?  I wrote here exactly a year ago about young Reimer and how we should hold back our expectations…
• We also chatted about Gustavsson in a piece here weeks ago, saying that the Leafs should "set The Monster free”.   Since that time, things  have changed in in the Maple Leaf crease- in a way we didn't expect...
• Of course, the most worrisome aspect of the current season if you’re a Leaf fan is perhaps this—will they make the playoffs?  That was also discussed in detail here not long ago…

Trade rumors, Don Cherry, Brian Burke, goaltending concerns and playoff-drought reminders during a stressful playoff drive—all part of the fun of being a Leafer…

***

I’m trying to remember exactly when, but at some point in this space last season I asked if Grabovski had become a top-10 NHL center.  As I recall, some said yes but others thought that was a bit Leafcentric-sounding and not realistic, given the number of truly elite centers that there are in the league.

Former NHL coach Marc Crawford seemed to suggest last night on TSN that Grabovski was now in that elite group.  I’m not sure if that’s the case.  I guess it depends on what we mean by elite, eh?  (We sure didn’t think so six weeks ago, when Grabbo seemed to be trying hard, but was not making much happen through the first 30 or so games of the current season…)

Heck, now the guy may be named the NHL Player of the Month for January (a made-up award in this modern-era, but what the heck, people seem to pay attention to these things) and he clearly has been a big part of any success the Leafs have had in recent weeks.  So, you’ve all watched him play—where does he fit in the pantheon of NHL frontline centers?

Is he in the top 10?  Top 5?  Or is he maybe just playing right now like a top-10 center? 

Before you answer, think for a moment and consider all the other outstanding centers in the league (Sedin, Malkin, Toews and Datsuyk to name just a few…)

I'll say this:  Grabovski is playing like the Grabbo we loved a year ago.

***

Just before the All-Star break, I suggested here that the Leafs would be able to feel good about themselves during the seven days off if they managed to complete a two-game sweep of the Islanders.  And the way they came out against the Penguins, it looked like they felt pretty darn good, for sure.

Now, let’s be honest.  The Penguins were skating in mud Tuesday night for most of the first 50 minutes.  Oh, they had some spurts but overall they were standing around an awful lot and watching the Leafs fly by.  But this is the age-old question:  did Pittsburgh play really poorly (Ray Ferraro obviously thought so on TSN) or did the Leafs simply come out flying?

I tend to not place a lot of importance on the first game after a long break, including things like the Christmas food break, or after a lengthy road trip. But this felt a bit different.  The Leafs were at their speedy best and were moving the puck with authority.  In terms of chances and edge in play, the Leafs were far superior.  Often a team coming off a break of some description looks flat or a bit rusty.  The Leafs had boundless energy and their game showed it. Even as they saw their lead dwindle late in the third period, and then in overtime, they applied tons of pressure and Fleury had to make a number of quite remarkable saves to keep the Penguins in it. (I thought without Fleury, the Leafs win this one in a walk.  As it was, they almost did—and should have.) This is one of those occasions where a one-game “save percentage” analysis—if you didn’t actually watch the action—would not tell the accurate story (Fleury was under .900, for what it’s worth).  He made huge stops and earned two points that his teammates didn’t deserve.

Grabovski alone could have had four goals just in the second period (a post on a break-in and a pass to Kulemin for what should have been a tap-in) and Schenn two as he brought some offense from the back on the rush, but couldn’t quite connect on either occasion.

Kessel had the game on his stick in OT but couldn’t quite corral a rebound to the side of Fleury.  But Monster reciprocated Fleury’s glove action with an utterly Hasek-like save in denying the Pens with less than ten seconds remaining, to send the game to a shoot-out.

The loss stings, but will be somewhat forgotten if the Leafs take the second leg of this second consecutive back-to-back to earn three out of the four possible points.  You’d have to think, though, the Penguins will be buoyed by their comeback win, and won’t come out anywhere near as dormant as they did in this one.

The Penguins are one of the teams the Leafs will be fighting with for a playoff spot—and maybe playoff seeding.  I’m not banking on Pittsburgh playing all the time like they did much of Tuesday night, whether Crosby ever returns or not (and Staal as well). For their part, if the Leafs can continue their disciplined play (resulting in very few penalties being called against them), this bodes well for the future.

Short-term bottom line:  in this first of an old-time back-to-back, the Leafs wanted it a lot more and it showed—until somebody cued a comeback.