compared himself with in the league. "Theres some surp

TORONTO – While the future face of the Maple Leafs was being introduced beside Gate 5 of the Air Canada Centre on Monday morning, the head coach of the hockey club was busy conducting exit interviews for perhaps the final time in Toronto. One player – a young defenceman, almost certain to be 23-year-old Jake Gardiner based on the clues – entered the office of Randy Carlyle and expressed frustration with the constraints he felt from the coaching staff early in the season. Carlyle was admittedly shocked by the revelation, especially taken aback by who this player compared himself with in the league. "Theres some surprising things that come back from players, something youd never imagine," Carlyle said on Tuesday afternoon, his future as the Leafs head coach on the most uncertain of terms at the outset of another disappointing offseason in Toronto. It was one more (and perhaps final) source of befuddlement for a coach still in search of answers following a season that unraveled in rapid and stinging fashion. In less than a month, his team went from chasing home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs to 12th in the East and an eighth absence from the playoffs in the past nine seasons. "We never really created an identity for our hockey club this year," he said, worn down after missing the postseason for just the second time in his NHL coaching career. "We didnt play to an identity and thats what was disturbing because we had been a competitive group in the year previous. We felt that this group going forward was ready to take the next step and a lot of people felt the same way and it didnt materialize." Carlyles imagined idea of Maple Leaf hockey was realized only in the most fleeting of moments, never consistently, be it from shift to shift, period to period, or game to game. He pushed and prodded for a team that was difficult to play against, that defended with vigour and attitude, that slugged it out for extended periods in the offensive zone (Toronto was amongst the worst possession teams in the league) and he rarely got it. Dave Bolland and David Clarkson were supposed to help establish that brand – replacing Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Leo Komarov amongst others – but with Bollands long-term injury and Clarksons year-long struggle, the club actually felt off rather dramatically in terms of the identity and attitude it had established in 48 games last season. The drop-off from Grabovski to replacements for Bolland (and Tyler Bozak thereafter) was considerable as was the dip from MacArthur and Komarov to Clarkson. Those offseason changes, made by Dave Nonis, were seemingly made with the brand of the head coach in mind. Carlyle banged the drum loudly all year for what needed to change – even as the group piled up wins in early October and in parts beyond – but could never figure out how to make it stick, his brand of hockey rarely aligning with a group that was equally hard-headed and ultimately unfit to play such a style or system consistently. "We spent a lot of time and effort on trying to create, sell, visualize what it means to be a Toronto Maple Leaf," he said. "For this year we were not able to create that. Those are the things that youre going to scratch your head and bang your head against the wall Why didnt it happen? Why didnt it happen? And thats what were all asking ourselves: Why didnt it happen? Because we had it the previous shortened season, the lockout season. We were a hard team to play against." But in the lockout year of 2013, the Leafs had a superb penalty kill, a top-10 offence and strong goaltending, elements that glossed over some of the instabilities that became quickly apparent in the 2013-14 campaign that followed. Despite woeful defensive play, they made it to March in good shape on the strength of a top-five power-play, a dominant top line and superb goaltending from Jonathan Bernier. Once those elements quieted some, the house of cards collapsed – Carlyle said they lost their "mojo" following a successful swing through California. (Over-using the likes of Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk down the stretch, with nothing suitable on the fourth line for support, surely didnt help matters.) Replacing the high-risk, high-reward Ron Wilson, Carlyle was supposed to dramatically alter the course of the Leafs upon his arrival in March 2012, both in terms of structure and style. He was supposed to be the elixir, especially, for how they defended, but in 2013-14, Carlyles Leafs were actually worse in keeping the puck out of the net than in Wilsons final full season behind the bench. No team in the league gave up as many shots as the squad in Toronto – 856 more in fact than the NHLs best in New Jersey – forcing the goaltending to be better than average most nights for two points. Carlyle trumpeted the struggle as a matter of compete – part of the problem certainly – obfuscating of course his inability to affect change where it was once promised he would. "Were not asking the players to do something that they havent done before or wouldnt have done in another situation – be it junior hockey or American Hockey League," Carlyle. "You have to play and you have to compete on the defensive side of the puck with will and commitment and we did not want to do that on a day-to-day basis and thats what our struggles were." His status for next season remains uncertain at best. Neither new president, Brendan Shanahan, nor his second in command Dave Nonis would say if Carlyle would be back, preferring to thoroughly assess the group first in the days ahead. "Im here today," Carlyle said. But he was still searching for answers... "If you think you have all the answers youre in the wrong business," he concluded. "Theres things that you know youd like to do differently as a staff, as a person, as an individual. Theres certain ways you deal with certain things. Theres points that you felt shouldve been a lot stronger on or you shouldve been softer on. Theres all those things. Youre going to question yourself all the time." Elgton Jenkins Jersey . Having won the first leg 1-0 in Barcelona, Madrid entered the match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium already in control and quickly sealed its place in the semifinals when Jese Rodriguez scored in the seventh minute. 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In his first qualifying session since his record-breaking debut victory in the RB12 in Spain, Verstappen clipped the barrier on his way into the corner - with the kerb then diverting him into the wall.Debris flew off his Red Bull but the Dutchman was unharmed despite the heavy impact, as Q1 was momentarily red flagged. Qualifying report: Ricciardo on pole, Lewis thirdVerstappen had yet to set a competitive flying lap in the session and will start Sundays race from the pit lane, making his chances of any points incredibly difficult on the narrow Monte Carlo streets.Im ok, Verstappen said via team radio, while Sky F1s Martin Brundle admitted the crash was driver error. The teenager will join Felipe Nasr from the pits after the Sauber drivers engine blow-up at the start of Q1. I turned in a bit too early so I clipped the wall and broke the suspension as I hit the wall, Verstappen added on Sky Sports F1.I felt quite good, I felt confident on my push lap. Car balance was good, it was all coming together but into the chicane I underestimated the grip I had. I turned in too early and it was all wrong.When is the Monaco GP on Sky?Hopefully the weather will help tomorrow but if you start 21st, its going to be difficult.Verstappens woes will be all the more frustrating from him given the Red Bulls pace, with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo going on to secure a stunning pole position. Its desperately unlucky on his first lap, said team principal Christian Horner.dddddddddddd Its a reminder in this sport of how fine the margins are. Well be expecting something a bit special from him tomorrow.Verstappen, competing in his second Monaco GP, crashed in last years race at St Devote while he also clipped the wall at Massinet during P3. Red Bulls Max Ve