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Game 26: Penguins @ Leafs, 7:00pm - CBC, NHLN-US,ROOT-PIT

Even Strength:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 16G 20A
Kulemin-Grabovski-McClement - 13G 19A
Kadri-MacArthur-Komarov/Frattin - 18G 21A

Power Play:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 8G 8A
Kadri-Grabovski-MacArthur - 6G 6A

So overall, the team has actually been pretty down the middle in terms of offensive production.

Seeing as Kessel is only -4 on the season right now it's not like the guy is getting destroyed on the score-sheet at even strength.  And if anything he has 17 points in his last 19 games so he's producing not all that far off his pace from last year, just passing a little more.

I don't like his soft play but Kessel is not the reason that the Leafs are losing right now.
 
L K said:
Even Strength:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 16G 20A
Kulemin-Grabovski-McClement - 13G 19A
Kadri-MacArthur-Komarov/Frattin - 18G 21A

Power Play:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 8G 8A
Kadri-Grabovski-MacArthur - 6G 6A

So overall, the team has actually been pretty down the middle in terms of offensive production.

Seeing as Kessel is only -4 on the season right now it's not like the guy is getting destroyed on the score-sheet at even strength.  And if anything he has 17 points in his last 19 games so he's producing not all that far off his pace from last year, just passing a little more.

I don't like his soft play but Kessel is not the reason that the Leafs are losing right now.
Click to expand...

They've been playing with fire all season getting outshot/outchanced and the goaltending has been bailing them out.
 
Potvin29 said:
pnjunction said:
Geez our top line looks shorthanded up against theirs
Click to expand...

Something tells me Bozak v Crosby is a win for them.
Click to expand...

That's an easy comparison but JVR and Kessel are not exactly playing their assignments tight either.  Crosby is passing it to them and getting it back again.
 
pnjunction said:
Potvin29 said:
pnjunction said:
Geez our top line looks shorthanded up against theirs
Click to expand...

Something tells me Bozak v Crosby is a win for them.
Click to expand...

That's an easy comparison but JVR and Kessel are not exactly playing their assignments tight either.  Crosby is passing it to them and getting it back again.
Click to expand...

Just picking out the one that is neither good offensively nor defensively.
 
Small sample size but Colton Orr has two shifts to Kadri's 1 to start the second period.  I don't understand.
 
Potvin29 said:
L K said:
Even Strength:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 16G 20A
Kulemin-Grabovski-McClement - 13G 19A
Kadri-MacArthur-Komarov/Frattin - 18G 21A

Power Play:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 8G 8A
Kadri-Grabovski-MacArthur - 6G 6A

So overall, the team has actually been pretty down the middle in terms of offensive production.

Seeing as Kessel is only -4 on the season right now it's not like the guy is getting destroyed on the score-sheet at even strength.  And if anything he has 17 points in his last 19 games so he's producing not all that far off his pace from last year, just passing a little more.

I don't like his soft play but Kessel is not the reason that the Leafs are losing right now.
Click to expand...

They've been playing with fire all season getting outshot/outchanced and the goaltending has been bailing them out.
Click to expand...

Sort of.  I think in the early games the team was playing pretty well defensively even in light of the shots against, forcing a lot of low percentage shots and inflating the goaltenders' stats in the process.  In the past 10 or so games they've been exposed a lot more - particurarly with the top two lines it's been messy hockey and a lot of goals against. With the better chances the goalies' stats are starting to normalize to where they're likely to be going forward.
 
Potvin29 said:
L K said:
Even Strength:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 16G 20A
Kulemin-Grabovski-McClement - 13G 19A
Kadri-MacArthur-Komarov/Frattin - 18G 21A

Power Play:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 8G 8A
Kadri-Grabovski-MacArthur - 6G 6A

So overall, the team has actually been pretty down the middle in terms of offensive production.

Seeing as Kessel is only -4 on the season right now it's not like the guy is getting destroyed on the score-sheet at even strength.  And if anything he has 17 points in his last 19 games so he's producing not all that far off his pace from last year, just passing a little more.

I don't like his soft play but Kessel is not the reason that the Leafs are losing right now.
Click to expand...

They've been playing with fire all season getting outshot/outchanced and the goaltending has been bailing them out.
Click to expand...

Oh, on that I totally agree.  I don't actually think it's a good line, but in terms of raw scored vs. not they aren't getting destroyed 5 on 5.  I think the line has a big problem in that Bozak can't set anyone up and JVR isn't all that effective at being a playmaker either.  So essentially it's Kessel who is forced into the facilitator role on the line and it's really not the strongest aspect of his game.

Bozak wins faceoffs for the line but he's really just a decent two-way player and hardly a defensive stalwart.  I think the line would be better off at this point with Grabovski if Carlyle isn't willing to try Kadri there.

Kadri's 5 on 5 play has obviously been helped by having decent defensive players in Komarov and MacArthur (plus being the 3rd line) but he's leading the team in forward +/- and while he makes mistakes I would hardly call his defensive game "bad" this year.  I think it would be interesting to see if Kadri's skill would translate to Kessel's shot.  Imagine if Kadri was playing with Kessel instead of Orr when he was feeding stone hands night after night.
 
Strangelove said:
Potvin29 said:
L K said:
Even Strength:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 16G 20A
Kulemin-Grabovski-McClement - 13G 19A
Kadri-MacArthur-Komarov/Frattin - 18G 21A

Power Play:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 8G 8A
Kadri-Grabovski-MacArthur - 6G 6A

So overall, the team has actually been pretty down the middle in terms of offensive production.

Seeing as Kessel is only -4 on the season right now it's not like the guy is getting destroyed on the score-sheet at even strength.  And if anything he has 17 points in his last 19 games so he's producing not all that far off his pace from last year, just passing a little more.

I don't like his soft play but Kessel is not the reason that the Leafs are losing right now.
Click to expand...

They've been playing with fire all season getting outshot/outchanced and the goaltending has been bailing them out.
Click to expand...

Sort of.  I think in the early games the team was playing pretty well defensively even in light of the shots against, forcing a lot of low percentage shots and inflating the goaltenders' stats in the process.  In the past 10 or so games they've been exposed a lot more - particurarly with the top two lines it's been messy hockey and a lot of goals against. With the better chances the goalies' stats are starting to normalize to where they're likely to be going forward.
Click to expand...

Possibly, it's hard to measure/remember, but just trying to point out that successful teams almost always outshoot the opposition.

Off that topic - Healy's sarcastic tone is so annoying.
 
Has Carlyle changed the matchups to Bozak/Malkin and Grabovski/Crosby?  I was going to suggest that after the horrendous first shift on the period
 
pnjunction said:
Has Carlyle changed the matchups to Bozak/Malkin and Grabovski/Crosby?  I was going to suggest that after the horrendous first shift on the period
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why Grabovski's line was used as the shutdown line all season and then not tonight.  I guess maybe Pittsburgh has two #1 lines so maybe it wouldn't matter as much.
 
L K said:
Even Strength:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 16G 20A
Kulemin-Grabovski-McClement - 13G 19A
Kadri-MacArthur-Komarov/Frattin - 18G 21A

Power Play:
Kessel-JVR-Bozak - 8G 8A
Kadri-Grabovski-MacArthur - 6G 6A

So overall, the team has actually been pretty down the middle in terms of offensive production.

Seeing as Kessel is only -4 on the season right now it's not like the guy is getting destroyed on the score-sheet at even strength.  And if anything he has 17 points in his last 19 games so he's producing not all that far off his pace from last year, just passing a little more.

I don't like his soft play but Kessel is not the reason that the Leafs are losing right now.
Click to expand...

My main point from that is/was that I didn't think our top line was great 5 on 5. The fact that our 3rd line has produced the most and is playing a lot less than 1 and 2  is part of the reason we're not in it...

And then we score!
 
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