Penguins @ Leafs - Oct. 11th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[cw]

Carlyle laying the groundwork to pull Percy from the lineup tomorrow in the post-game presser.

... one of the few who have played pretty well in both games ...

 

[Kin]

Sorry, I did mean particularly in back-to-back situations. I don't think Reimer should be starting every game against Pittsburgh this season. But in this situation one goalie was going to play tonight and another tomorrow night. May as well have played the odds a little with Reimer's history.

No, I got that. I'm just saying that if the decision was "Well, we have confidence in both guys but between the two Reimer's had more success with Pittsburgh in the past" then that might be something but given that Bernier hasn't had success against Pittsburgh it's important that he get another crack and that the narrative that emerges, especially if Reimer wins, isn't that Bernier can't beat Pittsburgh. Especially early in the season, the Leafs can afford to look bigger picture than that.

 

[cw]

The Leafs look flat, slow and unprepared.  Sounds like a familiar theme from last year.

The only logical next step is to extend Carlyle's contract.

This joke was the high point of the thread....

for sure 

I read another forum tonight (HF?)

Leafs fan #1 "Not Randy. The top players have to eat this loss!"

Leafs fan #2 "I think Phil has had enough to eat"

 

[Kin]

Bernier has yet to look like a #1 this season. If Reimer has a great game tomorrow, I'm guessing the debate will be back on. Mind you the team in front of Bernier hasn't looked good, but he hasn't done much to help his case.

That's a separate issue though. If you're not confident in Bernier, then you begin gameplanning around that fact. Like you say though, that'd be pretty premature.

 

[Madferret]

He's never lost to Pittsburgh in regulation and that still didn't do it.

Did you honestly think they were going to be platooned based upon which team each one historically played better against? 

Coaches cite a goalies record against another team all the time as a reason for starting him.

Literally all the time.

 

[Tigger]

"They have arguably the best players in the world, and they bring it every time they come and play," Reimer said. "I'm just lucky enough to have teammates step up and play big games. I don't know if it has much to do with me more than the guys in front of me working their butts off. Again tonight I thought they worked as hard as they could, and they really earned it."

From Oct 26 last year after a 4-1 win over the Penguins where Malkin was -3 and Crosby -2.

 

[ZBBM]

The Leafs look flat, slow and unprepared.  Sounds like a familiar theme from last year.

The only logical next step is to extend Carlyle's contract.

This joke was the high point of the thread....

for sure 

I read another forum tonight (HF?)

Leafs fan #1 "Not Randy. The top players have to eat this loss!"

Leafs fan #2 "I think Phil has had enough to eat"

OK, now THIS is the high point of the thread.

Seriously, though ... I know it's boring to rag on Kessel but I do have to wonder whether his apparent lackadaisical attitude toward training is starting to catch up with him.  (Yes, I understand that he is injured in some way.)

 

[Kin]

Seriously, though ... I know it's boring to rag on Kessel but I do have to wonder whether his apparent lackadaisical attitude toward training is starting to catch up with him.  (Yes, I understand that he is injured in some way.)

And more than that, you have to wonder how it affects the team. I know he seems to actively eschew a leadership role but whether he likes it or not being the best player on the team is going to put him in that position regardless of whether or not he's got a letter on his jersey. Having all of the talent in the world is great and everything but not everyone is going to be able to get by on that.

 

[Madferret]

The Leafs look flat, slow and unprepared.  Sounds like a familiar theme from last year.

The only logical next step is to extend Carlyle's contract.

This joke was the high point of the thread....

for sure 

I read another forum tonight (HF?)

Leafs fan #1 "Not Randy. The top players have to eat this loss!"

Leafs fan #2 "I think Phil has had enough to eat"

OK, now THIS is the high point of the thread.

Seriously, though ... I know it's boring to rag on Kessel but I do have to wonder whether his apparent lackadaisical attitude toward training is starting to catch up with him.  (Yes, I understand that he is injured in some way.)

The Leafs were doomed the second their best player arrived for camp noticeably overweight and talking about how he didn't really train or skate at all over the summer.

 

[skrackle]

The Leafs aren't good-period. They are a poorly constructed team with several enticing parts that would really help other teams if they were traded. Further, some of those younger enticing parts should be kept and built around.

Good luck with sorting that out Mr.Shanahan. I do mean that.

 

[cw]

The Leafs look flat, slow and unprepared.  Sounds like a familiar theme from last year.

The only logical next step is to extend Carlyle's contract.

This joke was the high point of the thread....

for sure 

I read another forum tonight (HF?)

Leafs fan #1 "Not Randy. The top players have to eat this loss!"

Leafs fan #2 "I think Phil has had enough to eat"

OK, now THIS is the high point of the thread.

Seriously, though ... I know it's boring to rag on Kessel but I do have to wonder whether his apparent lackadaisical attitude toward training is starting to catch up with him.  (Yes, I understand that he is injured in some way.)

The Leafs were doomed the second their best player arrived for camp noticeably overweight and talking about how he didn't really train or skate at all over the summer.

He said he skated 10 times but he didn't say that he did not train.


https://twitter.com/DamoSpin/status/514197460215160832
Damien Cox @DamoSpin ? 1h
Word is three of the fittest Leafs during pre-camp testing were Cody Donaghy, Connor Brown and Phil Kessel.

James Mirtle @mirtle ? 2h @GrinWithGuilt @almuirSI @bobbycappucino I don't think Kessel is in poor shape. Have covered him for five years

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Kessel is injured, he was hit by Torrey Mitchell in preseason the same game Franson went down, he didn't play or practise the rest of preseason and he has no explosion in his stride these first two games, personally I'd scratch him till he is healthy.

 

[princedpw]

I just watched Carlyle's post game passer. He sounded tired and defeated to me. As if losing was old hat, but it is only game 2.  I'd say this was a bad sign, but most people thought the bad sign was extending him instead of firing him over the summer ....

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

The Leafs look flat, slow and unprepared.  Sounds like a familiar theme from last year.

The only logical next step is to extend Carlyle's contract.

This joke was the high point of the thread....

for sure 

I read another forum tonight (HF?)

Leafs fan #1 "Not Randy. The top players have to eat this loss!"

Leafs fan #2 "I think Phil has had enough to eat"

OK, now THIS is the high point of the thread.

Seriously, though ... I know it's boring to rag on Kessel but I do have to wonder whether his apparent lackadaisical attitude toward training is starting to catch up with him.  (Yes, I understand that he is injured in some way.)

Is there any indication that he trained any differently than past years?

 

[Redleaf]

Well good night.

Tough schedule to start plus system changes plus a lot of personnel changes plus assistant coaching changes = really hard to get off to a good start. This stuff takes some time to shake out (10-20 games).

Carlyle is up against it to survive.

Looks like Reimer's going to get a shot to win his job back. They cannot afford many softies right now.

Stop using so much common sense, cw. 

 

[Highlander]

Only watched the first period, the good, Percy, the bad, the rest.  Oh and Cherry, man I have never disagreed with him more, his rant about not drafting Canadians is crazy, you pick the best player at the best spot.  If Don lives long enough Nylander will make him eat his words.

 

[ZBBM]

The Leafs look flat, slow and unprepared.  Sounds like a familiar theme from last year.

The only logical next step is to extend Carlyle's contract.

This joke was the high point of the thread....

for sure 

I read another forum tonight (HF?)

Leafs fan #1 "Not Randy. The top players have to eat this loss!"

Leafs fan #2 "I think Phil has had enough to eat"

OK, now THIS is the high point of the thread.

Seriously, though ... I know it's boring to rag on Kessel but I do have to wonder whether his apparent lackadaisical attitude toward training is starting to catch up with him.  (Yes, I understand that he is injured in some way.)

Is there any indication that he trained any differently than past years?

No. And that may be a problem, is what I'm suggesting.

 

[Boston Leaf]

Only two game sample as they say but I fell Jake Gardiner has easily been our worst D-man. he makes so many errors and poor coverages in his own end..Kessel will still end up with 35 -40 goals..Im afraid the team in general is tired of Randy.. That and we are just not that good.Lot of band aids trying to help

 

[TML fan]

Is Randy gone yet?

 

[hap_leaf]

Only watched the first period, the good, Percy, the bad, the rest.  Oh and Cherry, man I have never disagreed with him more, his rant about not drafting Canadians is crazy, you pick the best player at the best spot.  If Don lives long enough Nylander will make him eat his words.

The Leafs made their choice - a small European.  We will see how that works out.
Like Don said, it never hurts to compare your team to the Cup winners as a benchmark.
Just imagine if we had a Mike Richards or Jeff Carter or players like them at C, how more well rounded our lineup would be.  Those are the types of players I want to watch every game - and Nick Ritchie would have fit that as well.