TORONTO - Does Randy Carlyle value team toughness and a stout defence-first philosophy for the teams he coaches?
Is he hard-nosed and demanding of his players to win every battle within their physical limitations?
Damn straight.
But it doesn’t mean the Maple Leafs coach is one-dimensional in his approach or planning an extreme makeover of players with high-end speed and skill.
Carlyle dusted off the record a little this week, revising the reputation that preceded him when he took over the team following Ron Wilson’s firing last March.
“I think there’s been a lot said that you have to play one specific way to be a valid member of my club or for me to be a fan of you and I think that might be incorrect in some situations,” Carlyle said as he prepared for Saturday’s opener in Montreal. “I like people who compete. I like skill. I like a little bit of toughness and I like a team-oriented game.
