Is this the turning point???

[Redleaf]

Well 15 games in and, were still one of the top feeders. I think we have turned the corner, and things will only get better from here on. I think the dark days are behind us. I am not saying we will win a cup right away, but it will be nice winning and playing with the big boys. I can see us being in the playoffs this year,  If we keep playing this well. If we go 7-3 in this segment as I predicted, i will fire up the waggon. ha ha ha

What surprises me is how effective Carlyle's system has been with this young group. They have really conformed to it quickly, and the additions of guys like Holzer, Fraser, Komarov have really supported the adaptation of it. It really isn't that fun to watch, but if they can win more games with it than...giddy up.

 

[nutman]

Well 15 games in and, were still one of the top feeders. I think we have turned the corner, and things will only get better from here on. I think the dark days are behind us. I am not saying we will win a cup right away, but it will be nice winning and playing with the big boys. I can see us being in the playoffs this year,  If we keep playing this well. If we go 7-3 in this segment as I predicted, i will fire up the waggon. ha ha ha

What surprises me is how effective Carlyle's system has been with this young group. They have really conformed to it quickly, and the additions of guys like Holzer, Fraser, Komarov have really supported the adaptation of it. It really isn't that fun to watch, but if they can win more games with it than...giddy up.

I think if we can get by untill our injurys are over the scoring will pick up, and it will be much more fun. and your right, a boring win is better then a loss.

 

[Zee]

Well 15 games in and, were still one of the top feeders. I think we have turned the corner, and things will only get better from here on. I think the dark days are behind us. I am not saying we will win a cup right away, but it will be nice winning and playing with the big boys. I can see us being in the playoffs this year,  If we keep playing this well. If we go 7-3 in this segment as I predicted, i will fire up the waggon. ha ha ha

What surprises me is how effective Carlyle's system has been with this young group. They have really conformed to it quickly, and the additions of guys like Holzer, Fraser, Komarov have really supported the adaptation of it. It really isn't that fun to watch, but if they can win more games with it than...giddy up.

I think if we can get by untill our injurys are over the scoring will pick up, and it will be much more fun. and your right, a boring win is better then a loss.

Like to see what happens when we have a healthy Gunnarson and Gardiner on the back end. Interesting choices to be made for that 6 man group.

 

[nutman]

The leftover parts could get us a nice pick or two, or maybe even a solid prospect, and picks. its going to be a big test for our Gm.

 

[princedpw]

To be honest, my feeling last night was that we played a very weak game against a very weak team missing its top pieces. In the second, we were dominated shots-wise 18-10 by a bunch of no names.  We generated very few scoring chances throughout the game.  We won on the basis of a couple of fortuitous bounces.

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

 

[Bender]

To be honest, my feeling last night was that we played a very weak game against a very weak team missing its top pieces. In the second, we were dominated shots-wise 18-10 by a bunch of no names.  We generated very few scoring chances throughout the game.  We won on the basis of a couple of fortuitous bounces.

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

This is the most doom and gloom I've ever read after a team winning via shutout.

 

[bustaheims]

To be honest, my feeling last night was that we played a very weak game against a very weak team missing its top pieces. In the second, we were dominated shots-wise 18-10 by a bunch of no names.  We generated very few scoring chances throughout the game.  We won on the basis of a couple of fortuitous bounces.

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

I wouldn't go as far to say last night's game foreshadows ominous things to come, but I agree that it wasn't exactly a dominant performance by any means. I certainly wouldn't look to it as a sign of good things to come. I mean, really, what we've seen is two less than great showings in consecutive games. A similar performance on Monday would be a very troubling sign - but, sometimes, a poorly played win can spark things as well.

 

[PG]

By my count, they've only lost one game that they "should" have won, against the Sabres. On the flipside, they have won 4 games that they either should not have won, or could have went either way (both Caps games, the Jets and last night).

Good teams do this all the time because they can just turn it up for a 5-10 minute stretch and that's enough. However with the Leafs I have been left wondering a few times (those aforementioned 4 games) "Huh? How did that happen?".

Don't get me wrong. I don't care if they get outplayed in all of their wins if they make the playoffs.....

It's just that I can't help but think the inevitable crash is coming. I'm a big college sports fan so strength of schedule is a pretty big factor to me and the only team the Leafs have beat that I consider a legitimately good team is the Pens. (I know the Habs' record, they are still not a good team IMO).

 

[princedpw]

To be honest, my feeling last night was that we played a very weak game against a very weak team missing its top pieces. In the second, we were dominated shots-wise 18-10 by a bunch of no names.  We generated very few scoring chances throughout the game.  We won on the basis of a couple of fortuitous bounces.

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

This is the most doom and gloom I've ever read after a team winning via shutout.

I've had a lot of years in a row to teach me to expect the worst. 

 

[nutman]

To be honest, my feeling last night was that we played a very weak game against a very weak team missing its top pieces. In the second, we were dominated shots-wise 18-10 by a bunch of no names.  We generated very few scoring chances throughout the game.  We won on the basis of a couple of fortuitous bounces.

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

This is the most doom and gloom I've ever read after a team winning via shutout.

I've had a lot of years in a row to teach me to expect the worst. 

We all have, but you can start relaxing, I think were over the hump.

 

[L K]

By my count, they've only lost one game that they "should" have won, against the Sabres. On the flipside, they have won 4 games that they either should not have won, or could have went either way (both Caps games, the Jets and last night).

Good teams do this all the time because they can just turn it up for a 5-10 minute stretch and that's enough. However with the Leafs I have been left wondering a few times (those aforementioned 4 games) "Huh? How did that happen?".

Don't get me wrong. I don't care if they get outplayed in all of their wins if they make the playoffs.....

It's just that I can't help but think the inevitable crash is coming. I'm a big college sports fan so strength of schedule is a pretty big factor to me and the only team the Leafs have beat that I consider a legitimately good team is the Pens. (I know the Habs' record, they are still not a good team IMO).

I don't know, I think that subjective SoS (as one that is based on team reputation and not the actual statistic) gets ignored a little too much.

It's all well and good for a team to win against good teams/lose against bad teams, but I think the context of those wins needs to be accounted for.

To me, the Leafs beating Ottawa when they are down Spezza AND Karlsson means a little less than any of Ottawa's other losses because they just aren't the same team. 

In that same light, when the Leafs have beaten Montreal twice in spite of them being first in the NorthEast, I think that needs to count a little more.  Sure, on paper Montreal shouldn't be very good, but in reality they have been very good this year. 

That being said, their 6 losses came against:  Boston, Buffalo, Islanders, Rangers, Carolina x2

Their cumulative record: + 9 wins

Their wins have come against: Buffalo, Montreal x2, Philly, Pittsburgh, Washington x2, Winnipeg, Ottawa

Their cumulative record: +1 wins

So on the whole they are losing to teams that are slightly better, but given the relatively small sample size of the season, that difference can mostly be made up by their direct record against the Leafs.

http://www.playoffstatus.com/nhl/easternsospg.html

This site has the Leafs with the 5th hardest schedule so far this year in the East based off of winning percentage.  Mind you ESPN has the Leafs with the 17th highest SOS in the league.

 

[caver]

To be honest, my feeling last night was that we played a very weak game against a very weak team missing its top pieces. In the second, we were dominated shots-wise 18-10 by a bunch of no names.  We generated very few scoring chances throughout the game.  We won on the basis of a couple of fortuitous bounces.

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

This is the most doom and gloom I've ever read after a team winning via shutout.

I've had a lot of years in a row to teach me to expect the worst. 

We all have, but you can start relaxing, I think were over the hump.

I'm with you Nutman. The new system is working, the players are maturing and the goalies look better under the new goalie coach. The glass is half full.

 

[Kin]

I'm with you Nutman. The new system is working, the players are maturing and the goalies look better under the new goalie coach. The glass is half full.

What's the old saying? Some people see the glass as half-full, others see the glass as half-empty and still others realize that an amount of water in a glass is easily weighed and quantified.

 

[Bender]

By my count, they've only lost one game that they "should" have won, against the Sabres. On the flipside, they have won 4 games that they either should not have won, or could have went either way (both Caps games, the Jets and last night).

Good teams do this all the time because they can just turn it up for a 5-10 minute stretch and that's enough. However with the Leafs I have been left wondering a few times (those aforementioned 4 games) "Huh? How did that happen?".

Don't get me wrong. I don't care if they get outplayed in all of their wins if they make the playoffs.....

It's just that I can't help but think the inevitable crash is coming. I'm a big college sports fan so strength of schedule is a pretty big factor to me and the only team the Leafs have beat that I consider a legitimately good team is the Pens. (I know the Habs' record, they are still not a good team IMO).

I don't know, I think that subjective SoS (as one that is based on team reputation and not the actual statistic) gets ignored a little too much.

It's all well and good for a team to win against good teams/lose against bad teams, but I think the context of those wins needs to be accounted for.

To me, the Leafs beating Ottawa when they are down Spezza AND Karlsson means a little less than any of Ottawa's other losses because they just aren't the same team. 

In that same light, when the Leafs have beaten Montreal twice in spite of them being first in the NorthEast, I think that needs to count a little more.  Sure, on paper Montreal shouldn't be very good, but in reality they have been very good this year. 

That being said, their 6 losses came against:  Boston, Buffalo, Islanders, Rangers, Carolina x2

Their cumulative record: + 9 wins

Their wins have come against: Buffalo, Montreal x2, Philly, Pittsburgh, Washington x2, Winnipeg, Ottawa

Their cumulative record: +1 wins

So on the whole they are losing to teams that are slightly better, but given the relatively small sample size of the season, that difference can mostly be made up by their direct record against the Leafs.

http://www.playoffstatus.com/nhl/easternsospg.html

This site has the Leafs with the 5th hardest schedule so far this year in the East based off of winning percentage.  Mind you ESPN has the Leafs with the 17th highest SOS in the league.

The Leafs are down arguably their second best forward, a strong scoring forward, starting goaltender, and two regular D-men.

It's a wash.

 

[slapshot]

Anything can happen on a given night in this league.

The Leafs are playing excellent 5 on 5, which shows that for the most part they are sticking to Carlyle's system and it is working. They are in the top 10 in the league in both Goals For and Goals Against, while still struggling on special teams.

When injured players like Lupul, Frattin, Gunner and Gardiner get back in the line-up, they will have a glut of players. It would be nice if they could find a package deal where they are giving up quantity for quality.

 

[Bullfrog]

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

I don't even want to know what a loss would have foreshadowed.

 

[louisstamos]

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

I don't even want to know what a loss would have foreshadowed.

 

[caver]

I'm with you Nutman. The new system is working, the players are maturing and the goalies look better under the new goalie coach. The glass is half full.

What's the old saying? Some people see the glass as half-full, others see the glass as half-empty and still others realize that an amount of water in a glass is easily weighed and quantified.

so...  we are back to the old head versus heart scenario...

 

[pnjunction]

I like the way our D is playing but with Reimer, Lupul and Frattin out and Kessel still kind of cold we are going to need more of our 2ndary scoring to wake up if we want to hang onto a playoff spot.

Grabovski 1 point in last 10 games
MacArthur 1 point in last 9 games
Kulemin 2 points in last 8 games

Scrivens isn't going to be able to steal every game these guys need to find a way to earn their pay, especially Grabbo and Mac since they don't even kill penalties like Kulie.

 

[princedpw]

I think that game foreshadows ominous things to come in the near term.

I don't even want to know what a loss would have foreshadowed.

There would have been no foreshadowing.  It would have been ominous in the here and now.