• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

The "Mr. T" Man of the Match Thread, 2011-12

Game #41, DET vs. TOR: Leafs 4-3.  MotM: Gustavsson.  HM: Lupul.  Others receiving votes (in order): Kessel, Steckel.
Game #42, BUF vs. TOR:
Game #43, TOR vs. BUF:
Game #44, NYR vs. TOR:
Game #45, OTT vs. TOR:
Game #46, MTL vs. TOR:
Game #47, NYI vs. TOR:
Game #48, TOR vs. NYI:
Game #49, TOR vs. PIT:
Game #50, PIT vs. TOR:

motm-41.jpg

 
I love this thread. Can't imagine this place without it but doesn't it strike anyone as odd that Kessel who is having just a phenomenal season - might be the best player in the league at his position through 41 games this year (saying nothing of Lupul) and who hasn't missed a game is only leading the MotM voting by 1 point? I mean, Gustavsson has played just kind of good enough for us to win sometimes and on a part time basis. Basically, here we have a full time all-world all-star ahead of a guy who is just kind of ordinary at his position on a part-time basis within 1 point of each other... Why is that? Moreover, is Gustavsson really the 2nd most valuable player on this team so far? - I point away from being the Leaf's "man" of the year if the season ender today? I don't know... I think not and not by a long stretch.

Anyway, no disrespect to Gustavsson intended... Good for him... and us.
 
One of the flaws of the voting system is that goalies tend to get more accolades simply because they are almost always visible parts of wins (and losses).  Defenders, OTOH, are much less likely to get accolades than forwards.

There really isn't a good solution.  I guess you could have a forward of the game, and a defender (defense + goalies) of the game.

Kessel was miles ahead of everyone else a month ago but for whatever reason Lupul has stood out more to people lately and he's caught up.  I think if you go back and look at the number of games where Kessel got votes of any kind, he'd still be considerably ahead.
 
Part of it is that players that you expect to do well don't get noticed as much.  We are so surprised to have decent goalie performances that we give that precedence over a guy like Kessel that day in and day out performs well. 
 
Sarge:

My thoughts on this is that it just shows how consistent Kessel's been. If you take a player and he gets a goal every game, he's gonna get a lot less votes than a player who scores a hat trick every third game even though they'd have the same number of goals. Kessel's consistency, rather than the ebb-and-flow of his scoring in the past, has lead to reduced votes.

It's the same way with Goose. He hasn't been phenomenal this year, but he's put on a number of excellent individual performances which get him votes, to go along with some mediocre ones.
 
There are often jokes made about the goat of the game, but maybe that is the answer if you are looking for even out some of the scores. Have everybody add a goat to their voting and the "winning" player has a point removed from their season total.
 
Man, it's hard to leave Gus out of the accolades with a SO but -- I'd call that a team-defense SO.  One of the best defensive games I've seen us play in a long time.

So, I'll go Kulemin MotM and have to give the HM to a defensemen, and out of a lot of good performances I pick Komisarek.  Props to Grabovski who was flying all night long, and to the rest of the D.  And to Kadri, who played smart and threw a couple of hits to boot.  And of course to Gus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

About Us

This website is NOT associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs or the NHL.


It is operated by Rick Couchman and Jeff Lewis.
Back
Top