The embers of Francois Allaire’s departure as goalie coach still burning, the Maple Leafs introduced Rick St. Croix as his replacement.

The 57-year-old former Leaf officially took over the challenging post on Friday, promising to keep an open mind about what style he’ll preach.

“They have talent, they have a gift,” St. Croix said of James Reimer and Ben Scrivens. “I’m going to try to identify what I see as their strengths. They’re already good. They have a style already. I hope I can help them move in the right direction.

“I’m a resource to help them become a better version of themselves.”

Allaire, who had some harsh statements Friday for assistant coaches Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin, had been criticized for being too rigid in his approach. His critics said he favoured the butterfly and shot-blocking above all — a style that worked when in the era of the neutral-zone trap, but not in a league that now allows a two-line pass.

St. Croix sounded as if he favoured the hybrid-style, adding reaction and flexibility to the goalie’s arsenal. St. Croix pointed out his greatest protege — Ed Belfour — played that way in winning the 1999 Stanley Cup when the two were together with the Dallas Stars.

“Goalies that have more athleticism tend to be better goalies,” said St. Croix. “Eddie (Belfour) could stand up when he needed to, he could butterfly, he could stop the puck in so many ways. He could cope. That’s the kind of guy you’d love to have playing goal for you.”

St. Croix played 49 career games for the Leafs in the 1980s. He has previously worked with GM Brian Burke and head coach Randy Carlyle. He doesn’t foresee any problems working with assistant coaches.

“We need to be on the same page,” said St. Croix. “If they want to help the goaltenders, and I’m not around, I’m open to that.”

Meanwhile, the bad blood between Allaire and the Maple Leafs linger. Allaire told RDS, Quebec’s version of TSN, he was a victim of a “demolition derby” by people who don’t understand goalies or goalie-coaching techniques.

Allaire pointedly blames Leafs assistant coaches Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin for the collapse of James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson in the latter part of the season.

Allaire pointed to a Feb. 14-21 road trip the Leafs took through Western Canada as the moment his relationship with Gordon and Cronin turned sour, calling it “disastrous” how the two “who have no expertise with goalies” tried to undo what he had been preaching.

“It’s further proof that criticize and point the finger is much easier than training and teaching,” Allaire wrote in French in an email to RDS reporter Renaud Lavoie. “From that moment on, I continued to act as professionally as possible and to offer my moral support to the young Leaf goalies, but the damage mentally and technically was much too big to hope to find a short-term solution.”

The Leafs had lost three in a row but were in eighth place with a record of 28-22-6 when the trip began. They lost those three games (0-2-1) and would lose the next six (0-5-1) before Ron Wilson would be fired and their playoff chances doomed.

Allaire publicly criticized the Leafs when he parted ways, infuriating GM Brian Burke, who had been a friend and supporter of Allaire.

“Was there interference from the staff as he said there was? Yes,” said Burke. “But it was done reluctantly and it was done to change elements of our goaltending that was subpar.”

Burke then pointed to the so-called “hybrid” style of Jonathan Quick and Martin Brodeur, combining the butterfly style with athleticism and quick reflexes, as the style of goaltending that is winning today.

That appears to have made Allaire bristle.

“I also continued to work with the Marlies to help Ben Scrivens who has the best goals-against average in the AHL,” said Allaire. “Curiously, Ben Scrivens uses a hybrid style, even though he played 12 games with the Leafs.

“How come the experts don’t realize that I do not train Ben Scrivens in the same way I trained James Reimer? You need the right candidate.

“It was clear that I would be subject to a demolition derby from the Leafs when I left. This was the price to pay to stay true to my profession, my principles and my guards.”

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