Rangers @ Leafs - Jan. 4th, 7:00pm - CBC, SN 590

[ZBBM]

CBC puts Boychuk up as a potential Canadian Olympian on the defence but not Phaneuf. Hilarious.

Is anybody seriously touting Phaneuf as a candidate though?

Not for awhile, no. Of course nobody is touting Boychuk either, CBC literally just needed another name to fill a gap on their graphic. I just find it interesting they went with him.

Even so, they were just trying to add a 4th lefthanded shot and Phaneuf is nowhere to be found.  Ouch.

 

[2badknees]

CBC puts Boychuk up as a potential Canadian Olympian on the defence but not Phaneuf. Hilarious.

Is anybody seriously touting Phaneuf as a candidate though?

Especially on the big ice.

 

[2badknees]

Orr isn't the problem tonight but the lack of need for a pure face masher was never more evident tonight.  Orr tried to engage Boyle on two separate shifts in the second.  Boyle didn't even look at him when he was doing it.

The problem with designated punchers is that you need to find an opposing face puncher to be on the ice on the 4 minutes of ice they'll share in a game, and have a meaningless bout that really does nothing.

Team toughness, that's something else. Orr and McLaren are essentially useless in the new NHL.

 

[Jalili]

It's a perfect analogy. Guys like the ones you mentioned are excellent two way forwards. Players the Leafs have aren't, so why are they trying to play a passive defensive system when they are more suited to an aggressive, up tempo offensive game?

The system is already flawed to begin with, but it's just asinine when you have a group of players who are poorly suited to play it. If you're not going to change the players, then you need to change the system...in other words, the coaching staff.

Fair enough man, I misunderstood what the analogy meant. Thought it was implying that skilled forwards shouldn't get their hands dirty playing defense. Cheers

 

[Jalili]

I wonder if Nash is still strongly regarded for Canada. As much as he's risen to the occasion for them in the past, his play this season certainly hasn't merited a spot on the team.

 

[bustaheims]

Lupul has 7 shots tonight. The rest of the Leafs forwards combined also have 7 shots.

 

[drummond]

another post, this time Kuli

 

[2badknees]

I wonder if Nash is still strongly regarded for Canada. As much as he's risen to the occasion for them in the past, his play this season certainly hasn't merited a spot on the team.

He's been hurt for much of this year, no?

 

[2badknees]

It'll be interesting to see who starts the next game.

 

[ZBBM]

I am really tired of seeing the Leafs dominate in only, oh, like, one out of every twenty games.

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

oh dear?...

 

[bustaheims]

Franson goes behind the net in the offensive zone. Puck comes back down the ice and into Leafs' net.

 

[ZBBM]

Rielly let Richards shoot and Reimer couldn't make the stop.

 

[2badknees]

Franson goes behind the net in the offensive zone. Puck comes back down the ice and into Leafs' net.

If there's one guy who should never be allowed to pinch, it should be Franson.

 

[2badknees]

They should be putting Ranger on the PP. He's got a cannon of a shot. Surely he's a better option than Franson.

 

[azzurri63]

Weber, Doughty, Keith, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Subban, Boyle maybe even Giordano was playing well before he got hurt and Letang I would have as a ? Those would be my picks.

 

[bustaheims]

Franson goes behind the net in the offensive zone. Puck comes back down the ice and into Leafs' net.

If there's one guy who should never be allowed to pinch, it should be Franson.

It wasn't even a pinch. He chased a dump in. Why on earth, as a defenceman, do you chase a dump in behind the other team's net? All you're doing is asking for trouble.

 

[ZBBM]

Let me get this straight.  Phaneuf and Franson could only pull a 0:16 shift on the 1PP because they are tired from playing outdoors 2+ days ago?

 

[2badknees]

It wouldn't be a suprise to me if Team Canada "B" selections could beat Team Canada "A" in any given game.

An embarrassment of depth. Go Canada!

 

[bustaheims]

Let me get this straight.  Phaneuf and Franson could only pull a 0:16 shift on the 1PP because they are tired from playing outdoors 2+ days ago?

You say that as if you still believe Healy has a clue.