Leafs @ Penguins - Nov. 26th, 7:30pm - SN, Fan 590

[bustaheims]

You know, I'm sure guys like Crosby and Malkin have games like Kessel's tonight but I'll be damned if I've ever seen one.

The difference is, when Crosby has games like that, he puts up 2 points . . . like he did tonight. I really didn't notice him much before the OT goal.

 

[2badknees]

You know, I'm sure guys like Crosby and Malkin have games like Kessel's tonight but I'll be damned if I've ever seen one.

The difference is, when Crosby has games like that, he puts up 2 points . . . like he did tonight. I really didn't notice him much before the OT goal.

Really? I noticed him all over the leafs zone in possession, making great plays. He was dominant, imo.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

you make it sound as if the other team has no say in the game

Obviously, they do, but, that doesn't takeaway from the fact that this is a common occurrence for the Leafs. They showed in the 2nd and 3rd they can hang with the Pens. Why couldn't they do the same in the 1st? Why are they so often finding themselves behind early in games? It's not just the other teams. This is an issue with the Leafs.

But that's kind of like saying ..well the pens could have their way with the leafs in the first ..why couldn't they just do that all the way through the game? 

I think the leafs benefit a little in the second period because it seems to me (could be proven wrong by data) that the leafs pick up a lot of their goals on the rush.  Teams seem more likely to give up those kind of chances with the long change.  The third period probably comes down to fatigue levels in the two teams which is probably a mix of how many games in how many nights and how much of the game one team had to play catch up.  I think in that way the two teams kind of evened out as I think the penguins have played more lately than the leafs.  The leafs had to play catch up for the first two periods. 

Beyond that though ..the leafs are a mediocre team.  I don't believe they're an awful team..but i certainly don't think they're a great team either.  and being that they're a mediocre team I'm sure a lot of teams are going to make them look foolish at times.  This is the nature of the beast.  I wish this team could be mentioned in the same breath as the penguins without laughter but this is where we're at. 

 

[Kin]

The difference is, when Crosby has games like that, he puts up 2 points . . . like he did tonight. I really didn't notice him much before the OT goal.

I think though that if you get two points, and both points were legit contributing to the play points, you're not really having a game like that. I didn't notice Crosby a ton either but he made things happen when he had the puck.

Kessel just has games where he's just not there.

 

[herman]

Caught this game away from the computer, so all my comments had to wait.

I'm really glad Siegel posted that Santorelli piece earlier today. The man plays with a mission: get the puck; take the puck to the net. On our first goal he makes a great backcheck to take the puck, and Kadri eats a hit to shift a very slick drop pass for him to feed Komarov. Leo would probably get stopped if he didn't bobble the pass slightly to delay the shot. Every line Santorelli plays on drives play the right way.

The 'top' line needs to be broken up as none of them seem to know how to play without the puck. The Holland line had some decent cycle time, but those are not scoring wingers. Holland needs to play with skilled players, and having two puck muckers on the same line is ineffective.

Holzer had a more than decent showing. Rielly and Gardiner together is always an adventure (usually of their own making).

On a night were it's immediately obvious your goalie doesn't have his A-game, the team has to bear down and try to keep the puck in the other end of the ice as much as possible. They couldn't do this, and Bernier got burned for it.

Anyway, good to see the team claw back from an ugly hole for a point, but it was a winnable game.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

The difference is, when Crosby has games like that, he puts up 2 points . . . like he did tonight. I really didn't notice him much before the OT goal.

I think though that if you get two points, and both points were legit contributing to the play points, you're not really having a game like that. I didn't notice Crosby a ton either but he made things happen when he had the puck.

Kessel just has games where he's just not there.

This definitely wasn't a stellar night for kessel..but wasn't he up against crosby's line most of the night? 

 

[TheMightyOdin]

when I saw 19 pages in the GDT I figured the Leafs must have lost. We like to complain more than praise.

 

[bustaheims]

Really? I noticed him all over the leafs zone in possession, making great plays. He was dominant, imo.

At even strength, Crosby was only 53% in terms of Corsi for. The puck was basically evenly split between the two ends when he was on the ice tonight. I wouldn't call that dominant at all. I'd say he was pretty ordinary tonight by his standards. Malkin and his line mates controlled the Leafs' zone tonight, not Crosby's.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

when I saw 19 pages in the GDT I figured the Leafs must have lost. We like to complain more than praise.

that's not a leaf fan thing..that's human nature

 

[Kin]

But that's kind of like saying ..well the pens could have their way with the leafs in the first ..why couldn't they just do that all the way through the game? 

Yeah and when you look at both teams that's far more legitimate an outcome than the reverse. The Penguins are just too good to expect most teams, let alone the Leafs, to never get outplayed by them for a period.

All in all the Leafs did about as well as you can expect in terms of being in this one. A goal they could have had back to start it, better play from the #1 PP unit and it could have been a different game. As is, an OT loss to this team isn't a result that really needs to be deciphered.

 

[Kin]

This definitely wasn't a stellar night for kessel..but wasn't he up against crosby's line most of the night?

If he was then as busta points out it wasn't like Crosby's line dominated the puck. The difference was Crosby's line was able to execute and turn their possessions into results.

 

[2badknees]

Really? I noticed him all over the leafs zone in possession, making great plays. He was dominant, imo.

At even strength, Crosby was only 53% in terms of Corsi for. The puck was basically evenly split between the two ends when he was on the ice tonight. I wouldn't call that dominant at all. I'd say he was pretty ordinary tonight by his standards. Malkin and his line mates controlled the Leafs' zone tonight, not Crosby's.

Ok, well, far be it from me to contest Corsi. It seemed that Crosby won a lot of draws, as well.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

This definitely wasn't a stellar night for kessel..but wasn't he up against crosby's line most of the night?

If he was then as busta points out it wasn't like Crosby's line dominated the puck. The difference was Crosby's line was able to execute and turn their possessions into results.

but that makes sense doesn't it?  like we know crosby is better than kessel..so i'm saying that maybe kessel's line was able to do just enough to keep crosby human ..but not enough to do that and be dangerous

 

[Kin]

but that makes sense doesn't it?  like we know crosby is better than kessel..so i'm saying that maybe kessel's line was able to do just enough to keep crosby human ..but not enough to do that and be dangerous

No, I mean, if Crosby's line was dominating the puck that would be one thing but if you can get the puck on your stick and you're a dynamic offensive player like Kessel you should be able to make things happen.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

but that makes sense doesn't it?  like we know crosby is better than kessel..so i'm saying that maybe kessel's line was able to do just enough to keep crosby human ..but not enough to do that and be dangerous

No, I mean, if Crosby's line was dominating the puck that would be one thing but if you can get the puck on your stick and you're a dynamic offensive player like Kessel you should be able to make things happen.

Crosby is a pretty good two way player though.  Like i feel he doesn't cost you much at either end of the ice.  I'm not going to say i wouldn't like to have seen more out of kessel ..but against crosby..i guess i'm not exactly surprised

 

[CarltonTheBear]

but that makes sense doesn't it?  like we know crosby is better than kessel..so i'm saying that maybe kessel's line was able to do just enough to keep crosby human ..but not enough to do that and be dangerous

Kessel played 5:51 against Crosby at even-strength. Crosby's CF% with Kessel on the ice was 66.7% and without it was 47.6%. So Crosby did quite well against Kessel, it was Kadri and Holland who held him more in check possession-wise.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

but that makes sense doesn't it?  like we know crosby is better than kessel..so i'm saying that maybe kessel's line was able to do just enough to keep crosby human ..but not enough to do that and be dangerous

Kessel played 5:51 against Crosby at even-strength. Crosby's CF% with Kessel on the ice was 66.7% and without it was 47.6%. So Crosby did quite well against Kessel, it was Kadri and Holland who held him more in check possession-wise.

wow..okay..well that makes me appreciate kadri's game even more tonight. 

 

[Kin]

Crosby is a pretty good two way player though.  Like i feel he doesn't cost you much at either end of the ice. 

Crosby's pretty good defensively, sure, but he's not good defensively to the point that if Kessel has the puck on his stick I expect Crosby to be able to fundamentally alter Kessel's ability to be an effective offensive player.

Although, that said, as CTB points out most of Kessel's ES ice time was not against Crosby so it's all moot to some extent.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Although, that, said, as CTB points out most of Kessel's ES ice time was not against Crosby so it's all moot to some extent.

Match-ups were pretty spread out for everyone. Crosby was Kessel's most frequent forward opponent at 5:51. Then looking at the other centres he had Sutter for 4:58 and Malkin for 4:39 (stats from NST).

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

Crosby is a pretty good two way player though.  Like i feel he doesn't cost you much at either end of the ice. 

Crosby's pretty good defensively, sure, but he's not good defensively to the point that if Kessel has the puck on his stick I expect Crosby to be able to fundamentally alter Kessel's ability to be an effective offensive player.

Although, that, said, as CTB points out most of Kessel's ES ice time was not against Crosby so it's all moot to some extent.

yeah..point withdrawn.