Game 32: Vancouver @ Toronto - Dec. 17 - 7pm - CBC

[Zee]

Sigh, Phaneuf is a really bad defensive player.

Leafs were pinching and looking for a goal there. He normally wouldn't have been caught like that against a speedy player

 

[bustaheims]

Mirtle had an article recently using advanced stats that seems to argue otherwise.

Yeah. He's generally a pretty good defensive player, it's just that he seems to make some significant defensive gaffes/decisions at the worst possible moments.

 

[L K]

Why the hell would you do that.  Shoot the puck in from your own side of centre ice and try and win a foot race from the standstill.  Wilson needs to work this team on how to forecheck.  You aren't going to win a footrace when you are starting with a 5+ foot deficit.

 

[ZBBM]

So, yes .... Gus or Reimer next time?  :-\

 

[Kin]

Sigh, Phaneuf is a really bad defensive player.

Mirtle had an article recently using advanced stats that seems to argue otherwise.

I think advanced defensive metrics in hockey are, to put it mildly, not quite to the point that they should play too heavy a role in any such argument.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Leafs were pinching and looking for a goal there. He normally wouldn't have been caught like that against a speedy player

Right, he has just been out of position at the worst times, as Busta has said. I called it wandering. I understand they were pushing, but he was nowhere near where he's supposed to be.

 

[L K]

Mirtle had an article recently using advanced stats that seems to argue otherwise.

Yeah. He's generally a pretty good defensive player, it's just that he seems to make some significant defensive gaffes/decisions at the worst possible moments.

I may have been a little biased given some of his play lately.  He's not always that bad, he's normally pretty good but you just can't have your #1 making plays like that in crunch time.

I think you have to go back with Gus after this game though.  There is a big difference between the 5 goals Gus gave up tonight and the 5 Reimer gave up last night and in general Reimer hasn't looked all that good since coming back and working off his rust plus this loss has put the Leafs on the verge of draft lottery position.

 

[Tigger]

Sigh, Phaneuf is a really bad defensive player.

Leafs were pinching and looking for a goal there. He normally wouldn't have been caught like that against a speedy player

You could be right there, it just reeks considering the result.

Hey, the Leafs won the special teams battle...

 

[bustaheims]

So, yes .... Gus or Reimer next time?  :-\

I say Reimer against LA, and, unless he gets a shutout, Gustavsson against Buffalo.

 

[Tigger]

Jonas looked way better tonight, I'd go with him.

 

[azzurri63]

Sigh, Phaneuf is a really bad defensive player.

Leafs were pinching and looking for a goal there. He normally wouldn't have been caught like that against a speedy player

You could be right there, it just reeks considering the result.

Hey, the Leafs won the special teams battle...

Probably a good thing there wasn't too many called.

 

[bustaheims]

Hey, the Leafs won the special teams battle...

100% on the special teams tonight.

Very loosely called game tonight, but, I'd say evenly called and well officiated as well. For the first time in a while, I can say I watched an NHL game where the officiating was not much of a factor.

 

[ZBBM]

Hey, the Leafs won the special teams battle...

100% on the special teams tonight.

Very loosely called game tonight, but, I'd say evenly called and well officiated as well. For the first time in a while, I can say I watched an NHL game where the officiating was not much of a factor.

Agreed.

I think I also agree with your goalie call.  Alternate them for awhile.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Sigh, Phaneuf is a really bad defensive player.

Mirtle had an article recently using advanced stats that seems to argue otherwise.

I think advanced defensive metrics in hockey are, to put it mildly, not quite to the point that they should play too heavy a role in any such argument.

I think taken in context they can be used as part of an argument, as least with as much weight as "random man who watches hockey"'s opinion.  Stuff like quality of competition and corsi seems pretty legit to me.

 

[Stronger Than All]

I had a bad feeling about this back-to-back.  Not surprised it's also got us on the verge of being out of the top 8.

 

[barney_rebel]

 

[Kin]

I think taken in context they can be used as part of an argument, as least with as much weight as "random man who watches hockey"'s opinion.  Stuff like quality of competition and corsi seems pretty legit to me.

I'm not a huge fan of either stat but I agree for the most part. Put in proper context they can be part of an argument but, for that matter, so can raw +/-.

 

[Zee]

This all goes back to the Buffalo game where I was set to post the game day thread but someone got in there at 1am to snap it up.

Never mess with a winning steak.

 

[TML fan]

Didnt see the game. How was Gustavsson? Reimer hasn't been great since he came back. Hard to say who they should go with at this point.

 

[Zee]

Didnt see the game. How was Gustavsson? Reimer hasn't been great since he came back. Hard to say who they should go with at this point.

Gustavsson was good, Leafs made too many mistakes around him. They should go back to Gustavsson on Monday.