General Leafs Talk

[hockeyfan1]

Ok Carlyle in, 18 games left, I'm calling 13-4-1.  92 points and playoffs.

Count me in as an optimist.  I'm onside. 

 

[Bender]

Kinda random, but I just saw Nazem Kadri at Sherway Mall. Sat down for an interview with some dude. Kinda neat, I've never run into anyone in public like that before.

I'm kind of happy he's not with the big club right now. He'd have skid marks all over him from RW throwing him under the bus for not doing
something right...while he leaves the vets alone.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

 

[hockeyfan1]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2012/03/01/sp-february-nhl.html

Statistically-speaking, February was the absolute worst month for the Leafs.  Not only that, but, of all the NHL teams in both conferences, the Leafs spotted the worst w/l record --  at 4-9-1.

(Yes, even the Blue Jackets had a better w/l record).

Also, in the second period, the Leafs had a second league-worst +/- ratio of -23, eclipsing Columbus (-37) and Tampa Bay (-22).

Have a look at the chart (link above), and compare team conference/playoff positions.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Might be seeing a slightly different role from this trio under Carlyle:

One such group on Saturday was the newly formed trio of David Steckel, Tim Connolly and Nikolai Kulemin. "The one thing that we've asked of that group specific," Carlyle explained, "took them aside and talked to them about, 'Hey, we need some safe minutes out of you. We need some grind minutes out of you. You're going to play up and you're going to get more minutes probably tonight than you've had in a while, but you've got to deliver on your end. This is your opportunity. You have a new coach and his expectations are a little different than the last person, that's just the difference in the way it is.'" All three players logged over 14 minutes in the win.

http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/blogs/jonas_siegel/?id=389452

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Might be seeing a slightly different role from this trio under Carlyle:

One such group on Saturday was the newly formed trio of David Steckel, Tim Connolly and Nikolai Kulemin. "The one thing that we've asked of that group specific," Carlyle explained, "took them aside and talked to them about, 'Hey, we need some safe minutes out of you. We need some grind minutes out of you. You're going to play up and you're going to get more minutes probably tonight than you've had in a while, but you've got to deliver on your end. This is your opportunity. You have a new coach and his expectations are a little different than the last person, that's just the difference in the way it is.'" All three players logged over 14 minutes in the win.

http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/blogs/jonas_siegel/?id=389452

I'm not sure Connolly will last at the pace he played last evening, but it was a "safe" line last night and I get where Carlyle is coming from.

 

[Zee]

I've been neglecting my duties what with the new kid and all (plus it hurt me to enter all those losses)

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-4 so far, suffice to say, Leafs need to win the next 5 in a row.

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

I've been neglecting my duties what with the new kid and all (plus it hurt me to enter all those losses)

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-4 so far, suffice to say, Leafs need to win the next 5 in a row.

If they beat Boston tomorrow I see them going on a mini tear.

 

[princedpw]

I've been neglecting my duties what with the new kid and all (plus it hurt me to enter all those losses)

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-4 so far, suffice to say, Leafs need to win the next 5 in a row.

If they beat Boston tomorrow I see them going on a mini tear.

So, does that mean you give them about a 1% chance of going on a mini-tear?

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

I've been neglecting my duties what with the new kid and all (plus it hurt me to enter all those losses)

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-4 so far, suffice to say, Leafs need to win the next 5 in a row.

If they beat Boston tomorrow I see them going on a mini tear.

So, does that mean you give them about a 1% chance of going on a mini-tear?

I think they are over due for a win against Boston. It might as well be tomorrow.

 

[rdowdall]

Kinda random, but I just saw Nazem Kadri at Sherway Mall. Sat down for an interview with some dude. Kinda neat, I've never run into anyone in public like that before.

Like for a job interview?  At a food court restaurant?

 

[4th Liner]

I've been neglecting my duties what with the new kid and all (plus it hurt me to enter all those losses)

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-4 so far, suffice to say, Leafs need to win the next 5 in a row.

If they beat Boston tomorrow I see them going on a mini tear.

So, does that mean you give them about a 1% chance of going on a mini-tear?

The Bruins have been hardly overwhelming of late. They haven't won back to back games since Jan 10-12th, going 10-12-2 with 1 OT and 4 shoot out wins mixed in.

Btw the Leafs have been 8-13-2 over that same time frame for reference.

For 2012? Leafs 12-13-2, Bruins 14-13-2

 

[Zee]

I've been neglecting my duties what with the new kid and all (plus it hurt me to enter all those losses)

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-4 so far, suffice to say, Leafs need to win the next 5 in a row.

If they beat Boston tomorrow I see them going on a mini tear.

So, does that mean you give them about a 1% chance of going on a mini-tear?

The Bruins have been hardly overwhelming of late. They haven't won back to back games since Jan 10-12th, going 10-12-2 with 1 OT and 4 shoot out wins mixed in.

Btw the Leafs have been 8-13-2 over that same time frame for reference.

For 2012? Leafs 12-13-2, Bruins 14-13-2

Problem with the Leafs 12-13-2 in 2012 is that they were 10-4-1 before the last few weeks. :-/

 

[hap_leaf]

For 2012? Leafs 12-13-2, Bruins 14-13-2

It is good that Boston has come down to Earth.
But we simply match up so poorly against these guys.  We have no answer for Chara (2G 5A vs Leafs) Krejci (3G 5A vs Leafs) and Lucic (5G 5A vs Leafs).  And the stats are one thing...its the way they push us around like peewees that is disturbing. 

 

[pnjunction]

But we simply match up so poorly against these guys.  We have no answer for Chara (2G 5A vs Leafs) Krejci (3G 5A vs Leafs) and Lucic (5G 5A vs Leafs).  And the stats are one thing...its the way they push us around like peewees that is disturbing.

In theory our defence has the size and toughness to stand up those big forwards. The problem was our tough role d-men Schenn and Komisarek were playing like crap and Phaneuf hasn't been solid defensively either.  These are problems that Carlyle and the players can potentially fix (perhaps not by tomorrow night but I do expect a simpler and more spirited effort).

The forward-D matchup is a bit more of a problem, although Carlyle is notorious for matching lines he might be able to to get one of our skill lines away from Chara.  He seems to like Grabovski, who has had some success against Chara but I wouldn't count on a repeat of that (I think he almost got killed that one game!).  What he might be able to do is play the hell out of the Grabbo line like he did Saturday against Chara, then it will be up to the Bozak line to make something happen during their time with the 2nd pairing.  He could also just let the Kessel-Chara matchup happen and try to get the Grabbo line out against some weaker opponents.

Either way I expect he'll take a more active role in dealing with these matchups than Wilson did....

 

[Bender]

Kinda random, but I just saw Nazem Kadri at Sherway Mall. Sat down for an interview with some dude. Kinda neat, I've never run into anyone in public like that before.

Like for a job interview?  At a food court restaurant?

LOL!

They could always use a dishwasher!

 

[Fanatic]

No gameday thread yet. I saw this stat and my eyes went 

Leafs had just 7 wins in 22 games against the Bruins while Wilson was the coach.

 

[Bender]

No gameday thread yet. I saw this stat and my eyes went 

Leafs had just 7 wins in 22 games against the Bruins while Wilson was the coach.

Well, then again the Bruins ARE the best team in the league for a reason. We're not nearly as good as them.

 

[Zee]

First set - excellent
7-2-1

Second set
4-5-1

Third set
5-4-1

Fourth set
4-4-2

Fifth set
5-4-1

Sixth set
4-5-1

Next 10:
San Jose L
Washington L
Florida L
@Chicago L
@Montreal W
Boston  -- L
@Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
@Washington
@Florida

1-5 the free fallin' goes on.

 

[rdowdall]

Kinda random, but I just saw Nazem Kadri at Sherway Mall. Sat down for an interview with some dude. Kinda neat, I've never run into anyone in public like that before.

Like for a job interview?  At a food court restaurant?

LOL!

They could always use a dishwasher!

He's got really fast hands.

 

[ZBBM]

Serious question.  If, in the off-season, we could:

1.  Trade Kessel for a proven starting goaltender,
2.  Trade Phaneuf for a 1st,

would you do it?