TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs rotating wheel of frustration is now pointing at Mikhail Grabovski.
A number of different players have taken turns in that role so far this season, but the centre from Belarus chose a unique way to signal his arrival in the spotlight. Grabovski, slumping with a goal and three assists in his last 14 games, went after teammate Jason Blake during Friday's practice.
The two appeared to collide inadvertently during a drill a couple minutes before Grabovski skated up to Blake along the boards and started pushing him. They traded a punch or two before teammates got between them.
It was a tangible sign of the tension running through the Leafs dressing room after losses in three of four games on the road.
"Obviously when you lose a couple games, guys are on edge a bit," said forward Matt Stajan, one of the few willing to acknowledge the skirmish. "Things happen. I don't think it's anything serious -- it's just they ran into each other and (showed) a little frustration.
"It's not a bad thing. I think we know everything's fine and (Saturday) night we've got to make sure we have a good effort here."
There's a chance that Grabovski won't be given the luxury when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Air Canada Centre on Saturday (CBC, 7 p.m. ET).
Coach Ron Wilson hinted that Grabovski might be pulled from the lineup for the second time in a little more than a week. He certainly has some lineup options after veteran forwards Boyd Devereaux and Bates Battaglia each cleared waivers on Friday and became available to the NHL team.
Grabovski saw just three shifts in the third period of Thursday's 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. Wilson believes the forward is trying to do too much on his own and hasn't been happy with how reluctant Grabovski is to change his ways.
"The way I can get that out is to not play him," said Wilson. "We don't want to crush his creativity but our game's about creating 2-on-1s and using your speed wide. Just way too many turnovers.
"He knows that. He's just got to use his linemates better and he'll score more points."
The challenge facing the team goes much deeper than a struggling forward or two.
In fact, the Leafs have done a pretty good job of scoring. However, they've allowed five goals or more against in a game a staggering 17 times -- and the season is just two-thirds done.
It should be no surprise that all but one of those games turned out to be a loss.
Defensive play was one of the areas Wilson had once hoped to improve during his first year with the team, but that clearly hasn't been the case so far. His goal now is to identify players who might be suited to helping the Leafs improve in that area down the road.
"I like the fact that we can score some goals but I'm appalled with how we play defensively sometimes," said Wilson. "I don't know if it's within the grasp of some of our guys to be able to do that. That's what we're trying to figure out."
The blame is not solely on the defensive players in this situation -- it also falls squarely on the goaltenders.
It's no secret that Wilson and GM Brian Burke have been disappointed with starter Vesa Toskala, who was pulled in Tampa after allowing four goals on 12 shots. The coach refused to say who would be in goal against the Penguins.
The tension around the team might continue to mount as the March 4 trade deadline inches closer.
In many ways, the season has basically played out exactly as former GM Cliff Fletcher predicted it would prior to training camp. And while some fans might be happy to see the team headed for a lottery pick in the draft, that doesn't make all of the losing any easier on the players.
It was evident during practice on Friday -- even if some of the guys on the ice weren't willing to discuss what happened between Grabovski and Blake.
"That wasn't a feisty practice, give me a break," said Wilson. "There wasn't a hit thrown in the whole practice. There was a punch? Who punched who? ...
"I never saw that."
