Capitals @ Leafs - Jan. 7th, 7:00pm - SN, Fan 590

[Chev-boyar-sky]

Cause I'm free, ___ _______!

 

[Peter D.]

Saw the score was 2-1 before falling asleep with my kids while putting them down.

Is it bad to suggest I'm almost ready to go all in on embracing a tank?  If this is what we're faced with going forward, I'd rather get that blue chipper.

 

[ZBBM]

It's games like this that make me wonder whether they should go all-in with Bernier as the #1.

I haven't seen any of the game tonight - but let's be honest, all goalies have stinkers, even the best. How many times did we see Belfour, Cujo and Potvin get lit up... it happens.

Of course they do.  All I'm saying with Bernier is that he hasn't proven he's capable of shouldering a #1 workload yet, at least not at a high enough level that you'd want to see on a playoff team, that being the objective.

 

[herman]

I could only catch bits and pieces of this game, but it looks (and sounds) like a 'good' loss. Possession trending in the right direction; done in by sub-standard goaltending and a few crucial mistakes that ended up in the back of the net. Youth given plenty of leash tonight, which can only help after this somewhat lost season.

 

[bustaheims]

I actually don't think they've been that bad overall tonight.

I didn't think so, either. Didn't feel like there were long stretches were they were hemmed in their zone or like they gave up a ton of grade A chances. Bernier just wasn't great tonight and Holtby was when he needed to be. They weren't great, but, they weren't bad. This level of play likely isn't going to get them into the playoffs, but it's not going to lead to embarrassingly lopsided possession games, either.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Bernier had an off-night.  It didn't look like his mind was on the game.

Good plays by Trevor Smith and Polak. 
If it weren't for the bad goaltending, the score would have been closer.

 

[Sanecow]

That went well, I thought.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I only watched the 1st, was Smith really all that impressive? Getting MOTM votes, but he played just 10 minutes and had the worst CF% on the team.

 

[bustaheims]

Tonight's loss combined with the Bruins OT win officially pushes the Leafs out of a playoff spot.

 

[hockeyfan1]

I only watched the 1st, was Smith really all that impressive? Getting MOTM votes, but he played just 10 minutes and had the worst CF% on the team.

Smith got mostly Hms.  Polak got MotM.
http://www.tmlfans.ca/community/index.php?topic=2656.0

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Smith got mostly Hms.  Polak got MotM.
http://www.tmlfans.ca/community/index.php?topic=2656.0

Yeah, he got votes in the MOTM thread. I'm wondering if it's solely because he scored a goal or if he actually looked good tonight.

 

[L K]

Smith got mostly Hms.  Polak got MotM.
http://www.tmlfans.ca/community/index.php?topic=2656.0

Yeah, he got votes in the MOTM thread. I'm worried if it's solely because he scored a goal or if he actually looked good tonight.

Pretty much this.  I mean he worked hard, but in the "barely an NHLer" kind of way.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Horachek gets a pass for a few games, but two things bugged me:

1 - Clarkson and the PP

2 - Sam Carrick played about 3 minutes. I get that he's essentially an AHL'er and I get that they where trailing and tried to ride the top guys somewhat, but that kind of ice time distribution was something Carlyle was lambasted for, I hope it's the exception and not the rule with Horachek.

 

[L K]

Horachek gets a pass for a few games, but two things bugged me:

1 - Clarkson and the PP

2 - Sam Carrick played about 3 minutes. I get that he's essentially an AHL'er and I get that they where trailing and tried to ride the top guys somewhat, but that kind of ice time distribution was something Carlyle was lambasted for, I hope it's the exception and not the rule with Horachek.

I don't know why Carrick played so little but I don't think his 3 minutes had much to do with the Carlyle 3-line strategy as every other player played more than 10 minutes.

 

[freer]

Horachek gets a pass for a few games, but two things bugged me:

1 - Clarkson and the PP

2 - Sam Carrick played about 3 minutes. I get that he's essentially an AHL'er and I get that they where trailing and tried to ride the top guys somewhat, but that kind of ice time distribution was something Carlyle was lambasted for, I hope it's the exception and not the rule with Horachek.

As bad as Clarkson looked on the PP, he was able to get 3 or 4 shots on net and did not look bad all night. Carrick had two or three good shifts. Would like to see more of him.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I don't know why Carrick played so little but I don't think his 3 minutes had much to do with the Carlyle 3-line strategy as every other player played more than 10 minutes.

Didn't step up on the ice in 3rd period at all. Crazy.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I don't know why Carrick played so little but I don't think his 3 minutes had much to do with the Carlyle 3-line strategy as every other player played more than 10 minutes.

Didn't step up on the ice in 3rd period at all. Crazy.

Yeah it's strange considering as LK said, every other player had at least 10 minutes.  I don't really recall him making any big mistakes or anything.  Maybe Horachek just doesn't know him.

 

[pmrules]

I don't know why Carrick played so little but I don't think his 3 minutes had much to do with the Carlyle 3-line strategy as every other player played more than 10 minutes.

Didn't step up on the ice in 3rd period at all. Crazy.

Yeah it's strange considering as LK said, every other player had at least 10 minutes.  I don't really recall him making any big mistakes or anything.  Maybe Horachek just doesn't know him.

Score effects probably - need to double shift the better players to at least try to get back into it.

 

[bustaheims]

Yeah it's strange considering as LK said, every other player had at least 10 minutes.  I don't really recall him making any big mistakes or anything.  Maybe Horachek just doesn't know him.

Yeah. It's just one game, so I'm not overly concerned about it, but, it's definitely something to keep an eye on. Maybe he doesn't know him/trust him yet. Maybe he saw some things from him he didn't like that we didn't. It's a problem if it becomes a trend.

 

[ZBBM]

Smith got mostly Hms.  Polak got MotM.
http://www.tmlfans.ca/community/index.php?topic=2656.0

Yeah, he got votes in the MOTM thread. I'm wondering if it's solely because he scored a goal or if he actually looked good tonight.

That, and he played hard too.  Neither of which applied to most everybody else.  That'll get you an HM in a lopsided 6-2 loss where, according to some, the team looked pretty good.