Is this the turning point???

[nutman]

I think Phaneuf brings it this year.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I have a very good feeling about our goalies.

I've heard it mentioned today that Reimer looks terribly rusty.

I was in the 'get Luongo' camp during the lockout but honestly, with the strength of the draft next year I'm leaning back toward the tank nation camp.  If we bomb this year we could add a pretty useful piece at the draft.  Well, at least increase the odds of adding that useful piece. 

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I have a very good feeling about our goalies.

I've heard it mentioned today that Reimer looks terribly rusty.

I was in the 'get Luongo' camp during the lockout but honestly, with the strength of the draft next year I'm leaning back toward the tank nation camp.  If we bomb this year we could add a pretty useful piece at the draft.  Well, at least increase the odds of adding that useful piece. 

Who said he was rusty?

 

[Redleaf]

I have a very good feeling about our goalies.

I've heard it mentioned today that Reimer looks terribly rusty.

I was in the 'get Luongo' camp during the lockout but honestly, with the strength of the draft next year I'm leaning back toward the tank nation camp.  If we bomb this year we could add a pretty useful piece at the draft.  Well, at least increase the odds of adding that useful piece. 

Who said he was rusty?

I heard on LeafsTV that he looked better today.

 

[Redleaf]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.

I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

 

[moon111]

I think the #1 line for the Leafs is going to be Kulemin, Grabovski, and JVR.  Lupul/Bozak/Kessel are the Sergei Berezin line.  Offensively-orientated and totally predictable.  Teams figured it out.

How do you deduce that a line which had two PPG players on it as being 'figured out'?

Not to mention Perreault and Berezin had 50 point seasons in their final year together.

Yeah (no offence intended to moon111) that Berezin/Perreault comparison to Kessel/Lupul is something the Leafs-hating West coast media would come up with.

Lets put it this way, if you take Kessel's goal-scoring rate in his last 40 games and maintains that pace, he ends up with 16 goals in this shortened season. (About 26 in 80 games.)  Okay, but maybe it could be better.  Lupul gives the 1st line options, but Bozak's whole game has been to get the puck to Kessel.  It's no secret, it's predictable, and not going to be as productive as it would be if the opposition is kept guessing.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I have a very good feeling about our goalies.

I've heard it mentioned today that Reimer looks terribly rusty.

I was in the 'get Luongo' camp during the lockout but honestly, with the strength of the draft next year I'm leaning back toward the tank nation camp.  If we bomb this year we could add a pretty useful piece at the draft.  Well, at least increase the odds of adding that useful piece. 

Who said he was rusty?

I don't know exactly, but it was one of the knuckleheads during the TSN game day show today. 

 

[nutman]

K I'm getting hyped.... comon sat....

 

[Kin]

Lets put it this way, if you take Kessel's goal-scoring rate in his last 40 games and maintains that pace, he ends up with 16 goals in this shortened season. (About 26 in 80 games.)  Okay, but maybe it could be better.

Sure, but that's a sign that Lupul was hurt for a big chunk of those 40 games, not that teams had figured out the Kessel-Bozak-Lupul line.

 

[Joe S.]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.

I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

 

[Justin]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.

I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

People are downtrodden on the Leafs because of that horrible finish to last year's season. In reality the team was better than their record showed last year. Their starting goalie was injured (and played not fully 100% when he came back), Lupul was injured for the end there, and a bunch of players just happened to have slumping career-worst seasons at the same time (Kulemin, Lombardi, Connolly, Schenn). I still maintain that this is a playoff team if we get 2011/2012 Reimer.

 

[bustaheims]

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

Well, the Leafs are a pretty easy target. Other fan bases tend to have a fair amount of disdain for them, they haven't been very good for almost a decade and there's been some negative press around the team recently with Burke's dismissal. Calling them out as a last place team or pointing out the team's flaws, etc. is pretty low hanging fruit right now - and it draw people in. Fans of other teams eat it up while Leafs fans get their backs up about it.

 

[Kin]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.

I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

I think to one extent or another though that's just kind of a reflection on the parity of the league. Islanders aside, and the Islanders have some ok pieces in their line-up, are there teams out there in the East that are significantly behind the pack?

I don't see it. I think there are 6 or 7 teams that could finish anywhere from 8th-15th and the Leafs are one of them.

 

[princedpw]

Lets put it this way, if you take Kessel's goal-scoring rate in his last 40 games and maintains that pace, he ends up with 16 goals in this shortened season. (About 26 in 80 games.)  Okay, but maybe it could be better.

Sure, but that's a sign that Lupul was hurt for a big chunk of those 40 games, not that teams had figured out the Kessel-Bozak-Lupul line.

I have to agree.  It is clear that Kessel is more effective when he plays next to a big, skilled guy who can both keep up with him on the rush and also maintain puck possession and make plays in the offensive zone.  Going forward, the Leafs should have a little more depth in that dimension with JVR.  If Lupul gets hurt, it will be interesting to see what happens when JVR steps in to his spot.  On the other side, if Kessel gets hurt, the situation doesn't look so good ...

 

[princedpw]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.

I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

I have a pretty hard time guessing what will happen, but if you told me the year-end save percentage of our goalies, I'd make a wager.

< .900 bottom of the barrel

= .910 within a point or two of the last playoff spot one way or the other

>> .910 in the playoffs

 

[slapshot]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.


I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

I just totally disregard those talking heads, Brady, Lang, Tim, Sid, Jeff what his face. Apart from Hockey Central and Bob McCowan, the rest are just media pontificators.

For all their blah, blah, blah about the Oilers and Schultz (the second coming of Paul Coffey), check the standings and compare the records of Oklahoma with all the big Oiler guns versus the Marlies.

 

[rdowdall]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.


I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

I just totally disregard those talking heads, Brady, Lang, Tim, Sid, Jeff what his face. Apart from Hockey Central and Bob McCowan, the rest are just media pontificators.

For all their blah, blah, blah about the Oilers and Schultz (the second coming of Paul Coffey), check the standings and compare the records of Oklahoma with all the big Oiler guns versus the Marlies.

This illustrates the problems of the Leafs over the last couple of years.  They haven't really been building to anything.  The reason people think they are going to be bad is because they have been bad for so long.  People will continue to say that they are going to be bad until they are actually good. 

The Oilers have also been bad, but they have been rewarded for that lousiness with high end draft picks.  It's easier to point to the Oilers roster and say "They make the jump this year because of their talent base".  It's a harder argument to make with the Leafs, and in order for people to stop considering them as one of the leagues weak sisters, they actually have to prove that they aren't.

 

[Zee]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.


I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

I just totally disregard those talking heads, Brady, Lang, Tim, Sid, Jeff what his face. Apart from Hockey Central and Bob McCowan, the rest are just media pontificators.

For all their blah, blah, blah about the Oilers and Schultz (the second coming of Paul Coffey), check the standings and compare the records of Oklahoma with all the big Oiler guns versus the Marlies.

This illustrates the problems of the Leafs over the last couple of years.  They haven't really been building to anything.  The reason people think they are going to be bad is because they have been bad for so long.  People will continue to say that they are going to be bad until they are actually good. 

The Oilers have also been bad, but they have been rewarded for that lousiness with high end draft picks.  It's easier to point to the Oilers roster and say "They make the jump this year because of their talent base".  It's a harder argument to make with the Leafs, and in order for people to stop considering them as one of the leagues weak sisters, they actually have to prove that they aren't.

Well said. The Oilers have been bad but all their young prospects have huge ceilings if they develop as many scouts have predicted. They're still thin on D and in goal but their young forwards have huge potential.

 

[nutman]

Mirtle:

Youngest team in the NHL this year is Columbus, by a healthy margin. 'Canes, Kings, Leafs and Jets tied for second.

I guess the Oilers have 'aged' this season.

I was listening to the fan this morning (big mistake) but whoever is the host at 9am was saying that the Oilers are going to be a contending team, and the leafs will finish in and around last place. Who knows, could be true, but I just don't see the Leafs as a dead last team.

Same thing on prime time sports today, they were discussing who was going to finish last, Montreal or Toronto.

I'm not saying I see the Leafs in or out of the playoffs, but I can't imagine they finish lower than they did last year...

Joe I know I tend to be a bit on the positive side every year, but this year I think you will see the big cliff drop last season was due to goaltending. and if the goalies make up for it this season we will all see an improvment on the first half team from last season. as for the press.. is there even one out there that picked the Leafs to do well?  I think they all will look like crap when we make the playoffs, is this a case of peer presure maybe so.

 

[cw]

I wouldn't call it a turning point. But I could easily be convinced it's a stepping stone in the right direction.

If I had to make a bet on it, I wouldn't bet on the Leafs making the playoffs. There are too many "ifs" starting with the goaltending and injuries. A number of other teams in the East look like they've improved. But in a short season like this, with little chance to prepare, all teams are subject to more going wrong and therefore, the Leafs stealing a spot if more goes right for them like Reimer finding his form.

This season should sort out whether Reimer or Scrivens can start - and therefore, whether they should look at the UFA market in 2013 or 2014. It should sort out what Kadri can contribute and what upside van Riemsdyk has as a top six or as a center. It should sort out some of the personnel on the D (ie buying Komi out, the AHLers, etc). It should improve the PK. It should help the team develop to play Carlyle hockey for the seasons that follow.

And if they tank, they'll get a good pick and maybe some more picks/talent at the deadline.

So I'll continue to watch with interest.