General Leafs Talk
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hockeyfan1
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Top 5 NHL dynamic duo(s)... combined points
(goals+assists)...
1. Kessel/Lupul 70 pts. (Leafs)
2. Sedins 67 pts. (Canucks)
3. Toews/Sharp 66 pts. ('Hawks)
4. Versteeg/Weiss. 64 pts. (Panthers)
5. Nugent-Hopkins/ Eberle 63pts. (Oilers)
(goals+assists)...
1. Kessel/Lupul 70 pts. (Leafs)
2. Sedins 67 pts. (Canucks)
3. Toews/Sharp 66 pts. ('Hawks)
4. Versteeg/Weiss. 64 pts. (Panthers)
5. Nugent-Hopkins/ Eberle 63pts. (Oilers)
Corn Flake
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Zee said:
That is a relatively soft 10 game stretch, all things considered. Florida is really the only team in there that you could say is truly a dangerous team night in, night out. Vancouver is unpredictable and certainly not to be taken lightly but they are beatable right now, especially if "SUCKS" is in net.
Very good opportunity to rack up some points for sure.
Zee
Active member
Zee said:
So I was hoping for 6 out of 10, we've lost the first 2, now it's gotta be 6 out of 8. Yikes.
Next 10 games:
@ Buffalo L
Vancouver L
Los Angeles OTL
Buffalo
@ NY Islanders
@ Florida
@ Carolina
@ Winnipeg
Tampa Bay
Winnipeg
0-2-1 so far, 7 left. On track for the worst 10 game stretch so far this season. This needs to turn around ASAP.
Leafs coach Wilson looking for balance
head coach Ron Wilson still managed to shake up his slumping lineup Sunday. Tim Connolly replaced Tyler Bozak on the top line with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul; Clarke MacArthur was reunited with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin on the second line, and Bozak joined Matt Frattin and Joey Crabb on the third line.
?It?s just a chance for us to find a little bit more balance in our scoring and ? defensively too,? Wilson said. ?I want [the Grabovski] line to find some chemistry and to get the job done. We expected them to be our No. 2/No. 1 line and, for whatever reason, it hasn?t always worked. So I want them to get going.?
...
David Steckel, who was sick for Saturday?s game against Vancouver, missed Sunday?s practice and is doubtful for Monday?s game against Los Angeles.
Colby Armstrong also missed practice after taking a shot off the foot in Saturday?s game, but Wilson said he is expected to be in the lineup.
So Connolly is replacing Bozak to try to help the top line defensively. Grabbo line back together - hopefully, Kulemin's goal against the Sabres sparks them.
Steckel may be out for Monday's game.
head coach Ron Wilson still managed to shake up his slumping lineup Sunday. Tim Connolly replaced Tyler Bozak on the top line with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul; Clarke MacArthur was reunited with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin on the second line, and Bozak joined Matt Frattin and Joey Crabb on the third line.
?It?s just a chance for us to find a little bit more balance in our scoring and ? defensively too,? Wilson said. ?I want [the Grabovski] line to find some chemistry and to get the job done. We expected them to be our No. 2/No. 1 line and, for whatever reason, it hasn?t always worked. So I want them to get going.?
...
David Steckel, who was sick for Saturday?s game against Vancouver, missed Sunday?s practice and is doubtful for Monday?s game against Los Angeles.
Colby Armstrong also missed practice after taking a shot off the foot in Saturday?s game, but Wilson said he is expected to be in the lineup.
So Connolly is replacing Bozak to try to help the top line defensively. Grabbo line back together - hopefully, Kulemin's goal against the Sabres sparks them.
Steckel may be out for Monday's game.
ZBBM
Active member
What's Bozak's +/-? I haven't paid any attention to that stat but otherwise I have to question kicking him off the top line (esp. since he was our best forward against Vancouver).
It's the damn second line that's letting us down offensively. It's gotten to be a major problem.
It's the damn second line that's letting us down offensively. It's gotten to be a major problem.
bustaheims
Active member
As good as the Lupul-Bozak-Kessel combo have been in the offensive zone, I have definitely noticed some deficiencies on their end in the defensive zone. Still, with the way that combo has produced, I'd be loathe to break it up right now.
L K
Active member
The problem with the team to me is secondary scoring. It's just not consistent enough for the defensive quality of the team.
Frattin with 3 goals, Kulemin with 3 goals, Dupuis with 0 goals Brown with 1 goal (injured right now), Armstrong with 0 goals, Crabb with 5 goals (hasn't scored in 8 games), Gardiner with 0 goals, Gunnarsson with 0 goals, Schenn with 1 goal, Komisarek with 1 goal (injured right now), Lombardi with 2 goals (injured right now).
It's just a lot of guys who are on pace to finish the year with under 8 goals...I know that's around average for an offensive team and everything, but the Leafs just don't play sound enough defensively to have guys not put up a few more goals outside of the top line.
As for Bozak's defensive play, he put up 3 points against Vancouver and still managed to be a -2. The Kessel line was abused defensively last night, and I think they have been that way for the last few games. Some chances that are really dangerous amid some long stretches where they get hemmed in their own zone.
Frattin with 3 goals, Kulemin with 3 goals, Dupuis with 0 goals Brown with 1 goal (injured right now), Armstrong with 0 goals, Crabb with 5 goals (hasn't scored in 8 games), Gardiner with 0 goals, Gunnarsson with 0 goals, Schenn with 1 goal, Komisarek with 1 goal (injured right now), Lombardi with 2 goals (injured right now).
It's just a lot of guys who are on pace to finish the year with under 8 goals...I know that's around average for an offensive team and everything, but the Leafs just don't play sound enough defensively to have guys not put up a few more goals outside of the top line.
As for Bozak's defensive play, he put up 3 points against Vancouver and still managed to be a -2. The Kessel line was abused defensively last night, and I think they have been that way for the last few games. Some chances that are really dangerous amid some long stretches where they get hemmed in their own zone.
I don't like taking Bozak off that top-line, but hopefully it means he gets some more minutes on the penalty kill. Wilson has said that he's hesitant to play him when the Leafs are down a man because of the minutes he's getting at even-strength and on the powerplay. I've always though Bozak was a pretty decent penalty killer so hopefully he can get an opportunity to help the club there.
Zee said:
Yes, they tried to get him to go there and he handled it pretty well. It was kind of a stupid thing for them to try but those two aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.
I thought there was some value in his remarks about Kadri & the PK though:
1. That when Kadri came down, he was so lousy (had regressed to the previous AHL season) that Eakins told him to shape up or he wouldn't play him in the AHL! He also questioned Kadri's fitness and strength. But he was very complimentary about his offensive skill calling him the most dangerous in the AHL or something like that and that he needed to be allowed to be creative - couldn't keep to tight a rein on him.
2. That their 5 on 5 system is similar to Wilson's but his PK and PP are different - he goes into some detail on the PK which I'm not going to try and type up when folks can listen
WhatIfGodWasALeaf
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Boyce getting the call-up as per Twitter.
Mikhail Bloodnovsky
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WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
He should help out secondary scoring....
Strangelove
New member
freer said:
I don't think there can be any doubt about that. He's been nothing short of terrible this year, probably due to his conditioning.
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