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SUNRISE, Fla. – At the very end of what was then an unprecedented late-season collapse, Randy Carlyle, the recently named Maple Leafs head coach, stood in front of a lectern and determined what he believed was wrong with a hockey team that had spiraled out of a playoff position in now infamous fashion. "Whats wrong with the team?" he said, repeating the question. What was wrong, he continued, was the consistency level of the group, the work ethic, the competitiveness, the inability to win one-on-one battles, a one-and-done rush attack that was not conducive to success (and needed more cycling and offensive zone time), and lastly, a defensive game "that we feel needs the most attention paid to it." "We feel that this group can score goals," he said, "but the defending of our net has been an issue." Fast-forward exactly two years to the day and Carlyles Leafs look very much the same. Rarely have they resembled the feisty, physical group he imagined, still an inconsistent, high-risk, defensively-challenged product most nights. Its been equal parts frustrating and befuddling for the Sudbury native, who has managed to find reason for optimism on only the rarest of occasions this season. There were close-matched games against Boston, a December loss to the Kings and a rousing swing through the challenging California triangle, but more often than not it was inconsistency – from shift to shift, period to period, game to game. It was a house of cards he feared was doomed to collapse and eventually did. Carlyle saw the omen in October when his team won 10 games on the strength of terrific goaltending, a scorching Phil Kessel and superior special teams. "We didnt want to get too excited and we didnt want to get too hard on individuals because winning is what its all about," he said before the 11th loss in 13 games on Thursday night. "A wins a win, youre not going to critique it." But still he worried even as his team picked up 11 victories in 14 games before the Olympics – mostly on the strength of Kessel and Jonathan Bernier. Carlyle and his coaching staff even designated a weeks worth of practice during the extended break in February to tighten up defensive-zone coverage. But the message didnt stick and the troubles continued. Team defence remained at the heart of this teams troubles all year – cushioned last season with a superb penalty kill. Carlyle was supposed to help change that. He was the man charged with bringing order and structure to a team that favoured Ron Wilsons high-risk, high-reward brand. But even with elite-level goaltending from Bernier – something Wilson only had for 30 or so games of James Reimers initial rise to the NHL – Carlyles team has actually been worse at goal prevention this season than Wilson in his final full season behind the bench – 2.99 goals per game in 2010-11 versus 3.09 in 2013-14. In question for Nonis and new team president Brendan Shanahan is how much of those troubles lie at the feet of Carlyle – his system, player usage and preferred style of play – and how much are tied to a flawed roster, one ill fit to play his bruising, aggressive style. Preferring a nastier edge to his teams, Carlyle wants them to grind, cycle pucks down low and be an enduring physical presence in the offensive zone. Amongst the worst possession teams in the NHL, it happened only sparingly with these Leafs. "We try to every night and then we just stray away from it," Tyler Bozak told the Leaf Report. "I dont know why it happens. I think we try and get too fancy a lot of the nights. When you look at San Jose – when we went into their building they dumped in every single puck the whole night, no matter which player it was. I think we start trying to make plays in the neutral zone and at the blue-line and kind of get away from what wins games some nights and thats what hurts us." Why they stray from that system is part of the riddle thats mystified Carlyle. "The systems in place and you have to execute the system," Tim Gleason told the Leaf Report, noticeably frustrated with the Leafs lacklustre team defence. "Hes the boss. Weve got to do what were told and weve got to do a better job of executing [the system] at the end of the day. "Its our defensive zone that needs work in my mind," he continued. "As a group of five we have to do a better job of shutting things down and we have such a good offence that thatll take care of itself. If we just put more focus on our defensive zone play, sticking to the system, doing what were told and executing I think well be better at the end of the day." That execution was spotty from day one – they gave up 37 shots to Montreal in the opener, a sign of things to come. And despite constant drum-beating and daily direction, Carlyle could not affect change and remains befuddled as to why. The 57-year-old admitted to feeling "helpless" when the losses piled high in recent weeks, soon to be disillusioned and embarrassed when the Leafs were finally eliminated from postseason contention earlier this week. "Youre always questioning," he said. "Theres lot of questions that youre going to ask yourself." At probably his lowest point in Tampa on Tuesday – "numb" was among the emotions he described as feeling – Carlyle seemed to shoulder some responsibility for what transpired this season, unable to enforce his imprint in Toronto. He was embarrassed for it, believing the roster had more than the little it ultimately accomplished, a better hockey club for that matter than the group that took Boston to Game 7 last spring. His befuddlement continued in a lifeless BB&T Center on Thursday night. In spite of the fact that 30-year-old Drew MacIntyre was making his first NHL start – nearly 13 years after he was drafted – his Leafs showed up with meek energy and little fight, yielding three two-on-ones and eight quality scoring chances, according to Carlyle, in the opening 20 minutes of a 4-2 loss. "The way we played," he said, fighting off disgust, "was somewhat surprising. I thought that wed have a little bit more compassion for the goaltender that was going in the net for his first NHL start ... If thats all we have we shouldnt be thinking too much of ourselves in that situation." They were the words of despondent man with no answers, whose future remains very much in doubt. 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Cheap Reds Jerseys China .com) - One point guard will return, while another will sit when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Cheap Reggie Sanders Jersey . Joel Embiid was nearly unstoppable in the paint in the second half, and Naadir Tharpe seemingly couldnt miss.FONTANA, Calif. -- With tires and tempers blowing up all over the track for 400 crazy miles, Kyle Busch stayed calm and relied on his remarkable knack for big finishes at Fontana. Busch won on this 2-mile oval for the second straight year Sunday, holding off Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart and his older brother Kurt on a frantic two-lap sprint to the finish. Kyle Busch capably blocked Larson and outlasted a crowded field to win a race featuring a track-record 35 lead changes and numerous tire problems. Busch stayed out of trouble and roared up late for his second straight stunner in Southern California, following up the Las Vegas natives final-lap surge to victory a year ago. "Holy cow, what do you expect when youve got a green-white-checkered finish and everybody has to come down pit road and put four tires on?" Busch asked after his third career win at Fontana. "That was Days of Thunder right there. Unbelievable day." With his 29th career Sprint Cup victory in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch is NASCARs fifth winner in five races already this season. He led just five laps -- the fewest of his career in a win. Jimmie Johnson was comfortably in front when he blew a tire with seven laps left, precipitating the wild finish. Jeff Gordon moved in front until Clint Bowyer spun with two laps to go, setting up an overtime finish. Gordon was hoping to finish on old tires when Bowyer spun, but then elected to pit along with most of the leaders. Kurt Busch gambled with just two tires, allowing him to restart in second, but his younger brother came up from fifth in the final two laps to win. "I came off the fourth turn in disbelief that we won this thing, because we were mediocre all day," Kyle Busch said. "It was really weird for us, not a race that were typically used to. But now theres a load off your shoulders that you can go out the rest of the season and race the way you want to." He also got a thrill from outlasting Larson, the 21-year-old rookie who held him off Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race. "I guess you couldnt ask for more, but I was surprised to get up there late in the race," Larson said. "We were probably a 12th-place car for most of the day." He had to settle for the best finish of his Sprint Cup career in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. Kyle Busch, who went to Larsons car Saturday to congratulate him on his Nationwide win, pointed out his window at Larson after Sundays finish, pumping his fist in approval. "What a shoe that boy is," Kyle Busch said of Larson. KKurt Busch finished third, with Matt Kenseth in fourth and 2012 champion Stewart in fifth.dddddddddddd Several teams had serious tire problems on this weathered track, with multiple flats and cautions for various problems throughout the hot afternoon. The problems likely were the latest effect of NASCARs new aero rules, which are producing higher speeds that lead to extra stress on the tires -- particularly on the bumpy asphalt on Fontanas back straightaway, which already wears out tires aggressively. Those problems might frustrate pit crews, but they can also lead to phenomenal racing, as the sellout crowd on its feet for the finish could attest. "By no means is this a problem for Goodyear," Kurt Busch said, referring to NASCARs tire manufacturer. "Its just a thumbs-up for NASCAR for allowing teams to get aggressive in all areas." The intrigue and weirdness started early on at Fontana -- which somehow seemed appropriate for a race in which the Muppets Gonzo told the drivers to start their engines. Several drivers complained during an early pit stop that the red light was on, indicating pit road was closed. Gordon, Bowyer and Brad Keselowski did not pit because of the red light, and all were adamant NASCAR needed to correct their position in the running order. Robin Pemberton, NASCARs vice-president of competition, was told that the official in charge of displaying the flag got his uniform caught in a hole in a fence and couldnt move, preventing him from flipping off the red light. Its the second consecutive week an issue with the caution light affected the race: At Bristol last Sunday, someone in the flagstand leaned on the button that turned the caution lights on right before Carl Edwards took the white flag. Rain then began to fall heavily, and the race could not be resumed, so Edwards won under caution. Edwards finished 10th at Fontana and stayed one point ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 12th, for the overall points lead. Fontana didnt get a repeat of last years exciting duel between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, the unfriendly rivals who crashed into each other on the final lap while racing for the win. Hamlin was a last-minute scratch with a sinus infection, depriving him of the self-described chance for redemption after getting airlifted away from the track last year with a broken vertebra. Sam Hornish Jr. took his place in the No. 11 JGR Toyota and finished 17th. Logano, in a backup car after a crash earlier in the week, had to go to the garage after 114 laps, knocking him out of contention. He finished 39th. 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