Penguins @ Leafs - Nov. 14th, 7:30pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

[Kessel Run]

2 minute, 2 man advantage, no dice.

 

[Arn]

I think Greiss made an incredible stick save there

 

[ZBBM]

2 minute, 2 man advantage, no dice.

The PP let us down tonite but overall a creditable performance.

 

[Strangelove]

Pass....pass...pass....pass...passs....delay shot....pass....delay shot, delay shot....pass....pass

Yeah with 6 guys on the ice you get the puck through and crash the net.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Too much passing on the 6/4 IMO.  Need to just pump shots into the crowd.

They did and they were getting blocked though.  Can't just fire it every time you get it and hope it goes through.  They had a bunch of great chances, their goalie got rather lucky I think too.

 

[azzurri63]

PP was our doing. Pathetic all night. Shoot the F'n thing. Gardiner seems nervous out there.

 

[2badknees]

Kessel seemed to be playing his off wing a fair bit on the PP, and wasn't having much luck sniping from there. Is that his normal spot?

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The team played a good game apart from parts of the 1st. Clarkson would be an embarrassment if he was making league minimum, I'd love them to scratch him.

Credit to Greiss, he made some unreal saves and that hit from soon was epic.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Kessel seemed to be playing his off wing a fair bit on the PP, and wasn't having much luck sniping from there. Is that his normal spot?

Welcome to the site! Glad you've chosen to watch Leafs games! It will be the start of a lifelong passion I hope.  Yes, Phil Kessel almost solely plays his off wing on the PP.  Again, welcome!

 

[ZBBM]

Too much passing on the 6/4 IMO.  Need to just pump shots into the crowd.

They did and they were getting blocked though.  Can't just fire it every time you get it and hope it goes through.  They had a bunch of great chances, their goalie got rather lucky I think too.

Granted, but still I'd like to see less passing for the one-timer and have the whole lot of them jam the net.  Chaos goal is your best bet there I think.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

PP was our doing. Pathetic all night. Shoot the F'n thing. Gardiner seems nervous out there.

Then again you'd be the first to rip him if he just took a shot and had it blocked and deflect out of the zone.  But then again you can't see the lanes that the players see from the TV camera angle so I can't really lend this opinion much credence anyway.

 

[2badknees]

Poor clarkson could cure cancer in the intermission, and he'd still find a way to get blamed for every failing of the team.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Too much passing on the 6/4 IMO.  Need to just pump shots into the crowd.

They did and they were getting blocked though.  Can't just fire it every time you get it and hope it goes through.  They had a bunch of great chances, their goalie got rather lucky I think too.

Granted, but still I'd like to see less passing for the one-timer and have the whole lot of them jam the net.  Chaos goal is your best bet there I think.

No chance for a chaos goal if the puck doesn't get through.  If they're just firing it every chance they've got to hope it gets through, and if it doesn't get through, that it doesn't deflect to a Pens player who can clear it and you've got to set it all up again.  I don't mind working it around when you've got a 2-man advantage, and I can't see the game from their vantage point either.  It's like the "SHOOOOT" people who want a shot every time, there's a reason they don't shoot it - they look up and see a player or more in the lane.

I still thought they had a number of really good chances there.  Another night they probably score - Pens have #1 PP and didn't score.  It happens, I didn't mind their game overall tonight.

 

[L K]

Poor clarkson could cure cancer in the intermission, and he'd still find a way to get blamed for every failing of the team.

Given his track record, Clarkson would fall over when bringing the only vial of "cure" up to the desk and it would leak all over the floor.

 

[ZBBM]

Too much passing on the 6/4 IMO.  Need to just pump shots into the crowd.

They did and they were getting blocked though.  Can't just fire it every time you get it and hope it goes through.  They had a bunch of great chances, their goalie got rather lucky I think too.

Granted, but still I'd like to see less passing for the one-timer and have the whole lot of them jam the net.  Chaos goal is your best bet there I think.

No chance for a chaos goal if the puck doesn't get through.  If they're just firing it every chance they've got to hope it gets through, and if it doesn't get through, that it doesn't deflect to a Pens player who can clear it and you've got to set it all up again.  I don't mind working it around when you've got a 2-man advantage, and I can't see the game from their vantage point either.  It's like the "SHOOOOT" people who want a shot every time, there's a reason they don't shoot it - they look up and see a player or more in the lane.

I still thought they had a number of really good chances there.  Another night they probably score - Pens have #1 PP and didn't score.  It happens, I didn't mind their game overall tonight.

This reminds me of a comment I was going to make earlier in the game.  When Rielly is on the PP I'd like to see him skate with it more than just hang back at the point.  Even a feint toward the net just to get the opponents out of position.  In other words, use his strong suit to create chaos.  I think that makes the PP less predictable.  In other words, I like chaos on a PP.  When we are making it, that is.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Too much passing on the 6/4 IMO.  Need to just pump shots into the crowd.

They did and they were getting blocked though.  Can't just fire it every time you get it and hope it goes through.  They had a bunch of great chances, their goalie got rather lucky I think too.

Granted, but still I'd like to see less passing for the one-timer and have the whole lot of them jam the net.  Chaos goal is your best bet there I think.

No chance for a chaos goal if the puck doesn't get through.  If they're just firing it every chance they've got to hope it gets through, and if it doesn't get through, that it doesn't deflect to a Pens player who can clear it and you've got to set it all up again.  I don't mind working it around when you've got a 2-man advantage, and I can't see the game from their vantage point either.  It's like the "SHOOOOT" people who want a shot every time, there's a reason they don't shoot it - they look up and see a player or more in the lane.

I still thought they had a number of really good chances there.  Another night they probably score - Pens have #1 PP and didn't score.  It happens, I didn't mind their game overall tonight.

This reminds me of a comment I was going to make earlier in the game.  When Rielly is on the PP I'd like to see him skate with it more than just hang back at the point.  Even a feint toward the net just to get the opponents out of position.  In other words, use his strong suit to create chaos.  I think that makes the PP less predictable.  In other words, I like chaos on a PP.  When we are making it, that is.

That's true, I'd agree with that.  It sucks they didn't score, but the PP had been hot coming in.  If not for a crossbar/Greiss reaching back with his stick they might have had a couple goals too.  I think Clarkson really hampers that 2nd unit though, I'd like to see maybe Panik on there, someone with better hands.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Very disappointed with the 0/5 power play and the fact they couldn't do much against Pittsburgh's back-up netminder. 

Playing against as good a team as Pittsburgh,the Leafs needed to take advantage of every little bit or opportunity that came their way, which is why flunking on the power play placed them at a greater disadvantage.

 

[azzurri63]

PP was our doing. Pathetic all night. Shoot the F'n thing. Gardiner seems nervous out there.

Then again you'd be the first to rip him if he just took a shot and had it blocked and deflect out of the zone.  But then again you can't see the lanes that the players see from the TV camera angle so I can't really lend this opinion much credence anyway.

You trying to tell me if you rewound that last 2 minutes and watched it again you wouldn't find somewhere where Franson or Gardiner couldn't have gotten a shot through. They look for the perfect pass and goal too often and quite frankly look for Kessel too much. We wasted too much time passing around. Ugly goals count to and don't getme wrong I like Gardiner but didn't it look like he was nervous when the puck was on his stick and again I think that has to do with The Kessel thing.

 

[Stickytape]

The Leafs came close several times, but only got lucky on the one goal. This could have gone the other way.

On the other hand, their effort was pretty poor in the middle half of the game, and they have no plan whatsoever on the PP.  I know it was the Pengwengs, but I feel like they threw this game a little.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

One final thought, I think this bunch might be mentally stronger than previous Leafs teams, i think most recent teams would have rolled over after the Pens 2nd.

Let's hope they come out firing tomorrow and don't underestimate the Sabres.