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Game 2 - Sens @ Leafs - Saturday Oct 8th 2011 - 19:00 EST - 6-5 Win

Well unlike last year I like the defensive game of most of our forwards.

Steckel, Kuli, Grabbo, Lombardi, Army, Dupuis and the addition of Connolly (and Frattin?) will give the Leafs forward group an above average group of two way type forwards.

The defense itself will need some work, but there is some serious potential to see more games turn out the way they did against Montreal than the way they did tonight.
 
Hats off to Kessel. He looked great out there. He really looked like he had a killer instinct.... and best of all his work in the dying moments of the game was great. I have not seen him that scrappy before. Well done Phil.

I felt bad for Reimer. He was left hanging out there a few times. I hope the Leafs learned something tonight.

But the Leafs won and that is what matters most.

oh, and for what it is worth, I did not find Komi hard to watch at all tonight - he actually looked fine most of the time.
 
Loved the way Kessel went to the end boards to battle for the puck at the end of the game - a complete game from him tonight.
 
They almost blew the game away again, but, Kessel's goal was the insurance marker needed to help inflate the lead (sigh of relief).

Liked Phaneuf's hit on Da Costa, clean and mean.  That's the 'art' of bodychecking -- no head shot -- just a hard-hitting, clean jolt.

 
I haven't gone through the thread yet so forgive any duplication.... Now, I don't want to focus on the negatives of this game (I'm sure there's a whack of it on here by now) so I'll just mention the positives;

1) Really loved Kessel and Phaneuf last night. If they can play like (or close to that) on a consistent basis, we'll be fine. TSN says we don't have any top 50 players (and I agree) but a season where we see a bunch of those kind f games from those two might change that.

Speaking of Kessel, I liked his hat-trick celebration. Just subdue enough to not be cocky... I find he's also becoming (as Burke would call it) more of a 200' player.   

2) Maybe it's a design of one of the two new assistant coaches but I like the way we're entering the offensive zone with that little drop pass. I fear it might hurt us on a miss from time to time but so far, it seems to be causing opposing defensemen fits.

3) In spite of giving up 5 goals in the third (again for reasons I don't want to get in to) Reimer not once (as far as I could tell) started a hissy-fit.... Just stayed calm all the way through and was (as usual) all smiles after the game. I just though that was nice to see.

4) All for lines seem to be contributing in some fashion which is also nice to see.     
 
I'm very happy for another win, but I have to agree with Nik, it didn't feel as good as it should have over the Sens. I went from feeling elated, to feeling like I was a little let down. A top team would have taken advantage of the Leafs in that 3rd period and likely stole 2 points.

Either way I'm glad they got the 2 points and that Wilson acknowledges that they will have to practice a few things and stay humble over the next week, that was close!
 
The third was Ian Mendes's fault, by the way.  He was tweeting about Reimer getting two shutouts in a row near the end of the second.
 
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