General Leafs Talk

[Kin]

Anyone else a little surprised at the way the team has sat Orr so consistently? It's not a criticism as I think it's probably the right move for the team but it seemed as though whenever you mentioned the possibility in the off-season the consensus would be that a Burke team wouldn't be without a heavyweight for most of the year.

Yet here we are, Orr isn't playing, and nobody seems eager to get him back into the lineup.

 

[leafplasma]

Can't help but think the issues in the offseason with the deaths of 3 former pugilists has soured that part of the game if even inadvertently perhaps.  Guys like Brown are more important anyway

 

[cw]

Anyone else a little surprised at the way the team has sat Orr so consistently? It's not a criticism as I think it's probably the right move for the team but it seemed as though whenever you mentioned the possibility in the off-season the consensus would be that a Burke team wouldn't be without a heavyweight for most of the year.

Yet here we are, Orr isn't playing, and nobody seems eager to get him back into the lineup.

I continue to think part of it is a carryover from the severity of his head injury last season.

I also think it's philosophical in realizing they can get more out of their 4th line in PK/checking and maybe a little scoring if they only dress their enforcer when they need him (like some of us have advocated for a while).

They've only dressed Rosehill and/or Orr in five of nine games (one game with both). Between they two of them, they've played 31 minutes combined and Orr had one fight.

 

[lamajama]

Can't help but think the issues in the offseason with the deaths of 3 former pugilists has soured that part of the game if even inadvertently perhaps.  Guys like Brown are more important anyway

I agree. Spot Orr and Rosehill.

I'm really happy with our 4th line. Totally comfortable with them.

Typically on a 4th line you're hoping for 30 seconds of energy and off and maybe 5 min per game.

 

[puckinthehead]

Muhahahahahaha!

 

[cw]

Can't help but think the issues in the offseason with the deaths of 3 former pugilists has soured that part of the game if even inadvertently perhaps.  Guys like Brown are more important anyway

I agree. Spot Orr and Rosehill.

I'm really happy with our 4th line. Totally comfortable with them.

Typically on a 4th line you're hoping for 30 seconds of energy and off and maybe 5 min per game.

My early impression is that against the fast skating teams like the Rangers & Avs for example, when without an enforcer:
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20112012/ES020064.HTM
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20112012/ES020127.HTM
the 4th liners are getting 9-10+ minutes each in those games.

That helps to have fresher legs for the other lines to skate a little harder each shift and keep up.

Correspondingly, the 4th line with Zigomanis last season for example seemed to get considerably less ice time.

 

[ZBBM]

Muhahahahahaha!

Our +1 goal differential is a bit of a concern.  Just a little bit, though, since a 9-0 loss is the same as a 1-0 loss pointwise, and vice versa.

 

[Bender]

Muhahahahahaha!

Our +1 goal differential is a bit of a concern.  Just a little bit, though, since a 9-0 loss is the same as a 1-0 loss pointwise, and vice versa.

Yeah, in the short term I think that Boston loss is weighing heavily on the GF/GA differential.

 

[Zee]

Muhahahahahaha!

Our +1 goal differential is a bit of a concern.  Just a little bit, though, since a 9-0 loss is the same as a 1-0 loss pointwise, and vice versa.

Yeah, in the short term I think that Boston loss is weighing heavily on the GF/GA differential.

It's early but yeah the Boston game and the late rally by Sens / collapse by Leafs is 11 goals in 2 games. In the other 7 games Leafs gave up only 18 which is very good.  So 2 bad games out of 9 isn't that alarming.

 

[Bender]

I think Frattin needs to go down. I feel like its a D'Amigo parallel when he was in the AHL last year. He needs to score some to get his confidence back. I honestly think he's a bit of an anchor on the third line right now. Its almost expected that he wont score.

 

[Kessel Run]

Is there any reason to carry both Orr and Rosehill on the roster while still carrying the max number of bodies? Seems a bit unnecessary doesn't it?

 

[Jalili]

I think Frattin needs to go down. I feel like its a D'Amigo parallel when he was in the AHL last year. He needs to score some to get his confidence back. I honestly think he's a bit of an anchor on the third line right now. Its almost expected that he wont score.

I was thinking the same thing as well. Frattin's gotten some valuable experience at the NHL level but his lack of production indicates that he's not quite ready yet. In my mind it would be better for his development to succeed with the Marlies rather than tread water with the Leafs.

It would also allow them to revamp the 3rd line a bit, which hasn't been very good lately.

 

[Andy007]

I think Frattin needs to go down. I feel like its a D'Amigo parallel when he was in the AHL last year. He needs to score some to get his confidence back. I honestly think he's a bit of an anchor on the third line right now. Its almost expected that he wont score.

It would also allow them to revamp the 3rd line a bit, which hasn't been very good lately.

I like the idea of keeping Lombardi on the wing and Steckel at centre.

Lombardi    Steckel          Kadri
Brown        Bozak            Frattin/Dupuis

 

[Zee]

Who has some quick stats on what the Leafs record was last November and December?


Edit: actually figured it out.  We started 5-4-1 in October, were 8-11-4 by end of Nov and 13-19-4 by end of Dec.  Pathetic.  So that means Nov-Dec combined the record was 8-15-3.

Something to shoot for this year, let's improve November and December substantially.

 

[Bender]

Who has some quick stats on what the Leafs record was last November and December?


Edit: actually figured it out.  We started 5-4-1 in October, were 8-11-4 by end of Nov and 13-19-4 by end of Dec.  Pathetic.  So that means Nov-Dec combined the record was 8-15-3.

Something to shoot for this year, let's improve November and December substantially.

Yeah we definitely nosedived those two months. I hope that doesn't happen this year. If we get Reims and Armstrong back I think we'll be ok.

 

[Zee]

Who has some quick stats on what the Leafs record was last November and December?


Edit: actually figured it out.  We started 5-4-1 in October, were 8-11-4 by end of Nov and 13-19-4 by end of Dec.  Pathetic.  So that means Nov-Dec combined the record was 8-15-3.

Something to shoot for this year, let's improve November and December substantially.

Yeah we definitely nosedived those two months. I hope that doesn't happen this year. If we get Reims and Armstrong back I think we'll be ok.

Even if they can go .500 over the next 27 (# of games this year in Nov-Dec) we'll be in decent shape.

To put it into perspective, given the good start, the Leafs would have to win only 6 of the next 27 games to be as bad as last year to December 31st.  If we only win 6 of the next 27 I'm jumping off a bridge somewhere.


27 games from until until Dec 31st.

Best case: Leafs win 27 in a row.  Record on Dec 31 sits at 34-3-1.
Worst case: Leafs lose 27 in a row.  Record on Dec 31 sits at 7-30-1

Manage your expectations accordingly.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

 

[Hockey_gal]

 

[Hockey_gal]

Schenn,Gunnar,Gus and Kessel

 

[Hockey_gal]

Armstrong and family