Leafs @ Wings - Mar. 18th, 7:30pm - SN, SN 590

[mc]

28th in penalty kill. Outshot and outplayed every night by a huge margin. This is the story line for this season. I can probably name two or three games this whole season where they played a full 60 mins. That Chicago game early in the season was one.

 

[bustaheims]

I'm not really disagreeing with you, but what was Kadri tonight? 

In any case, I don't understand why Bozak didn't take them.

Kadri was 53% tonight.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

On the topic of Kadri's faceoff abilities, I tried to look at how his numbers have been throughout the season and stumbled onto this website that easily creates charts for a number of stats (sportsnetics.com). This is Kadri's faceoff chart this season:

As you can see, there's been a pretty consistent improvement over the last 30 games or so.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That's unfortunately what we can't afford.  A stacked team could.  If Rielly weren't here I might have more patience with Gardiner.

If a team can't afford the luxury of two offensive defencemen then there's a problem with the team not the defenceman.

 

[bustaheims]

That's unfortunately what we can't afford.  A stacked team could.  If Rielly weren't here I might have more patience with Gardiner.

They can't afford a guy who makes the occasional mistake in his own end but spends the majority of his ES ice time on the offensive side of the puck? More time on the offensive side of the puck is exactly what the Leafs need. Keep the other team off the board by keeping the puck off their sticks for as long as possible. The Leafs need more guys that do that, not less.

 

[Tigger]

Carlyle on Reimer. "He was okay, just okay."

Reimer on that comment: "He thought I was just okay? Hmm I thought I was good."

One of them is 100% gone in the off season.

Goodbye Randy.

Could be both of them, hard to say.

I have to say.  I'm locked in that the coach is the problem with this team.  I don't think they suddenly become a top puck possession team with a guy like Laviolette but I'm done with this team being considered good when they need their goaltender to give up less than 2 goals a game AND have a .930 SV% to win.

The coaching staff has contributed to my own concerns about the success of the team but so to has the talent level on the roster, in fact, more so the latter.

Make the team better, better results will follow, fire the coach, pretty much the same results will follow on balance.

 

[ZBBM]

That's unfortunately what we can't afford.  A stacked team could.  If Rielly weren't here I might have more patience with Gardiner.

If a team can't afford the luxury of two offensive defencemen then there's a problem with the team not the defenceman.

A defenseman who can't play defense is a problem, always.

 

[ZBBM]

That's unfortunately what we can't afford.  A stacked team could.  If Rielly weren't here I might have more patience with Gardiner.

They can't afford a guy who makes the occasional mistake in his own end but spends the majority of his ES ice time on the offensive side of the puck? More time on the offensive side of the puck is exactly what the Leafs need. Keep the other team off the board by keeping the puck off their sticks for as long as possible. The Leafs need more guys that do that, not less.

If only that were true.

 

[bustaheims]

The coaching staff has contributed to my own concerns about the success of the team but so to has the talent level on the roster, in fact, more so the latter.

Make the team better, better results will follow, fire the coach, pretty much the same results will follow on balance.

Getting the team to a roughly league average defensive performance - which they should absolutely be able to do with the talent on the roster - would cut down 30-40 goals off their current goals against if they maintained their current Sv% (which, with less shots against, shouldn't be a problem - in fact, they could even see it improve slightly). That's about half a goal a game, and would put them in the top 8-10 teams in the league in that category. The talent really isn't the issue. It's how they're deployed.

 

[bustaheims]

If only that were true.

Considering how much ice time he gets, it really is true. It's just that, like with most offensive-minded not particularly physical defencemen, his mistakes get magnified and dwelled on. He's also made a lot of very good defensive plays this season, but, they are obviously being overlooked.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

A defenseman who can't play defense is a problem, always.

And we solved that problem by trading Fraser away.

Gardiner's biggest problem "defensively" is when he jumps into the play and nobody covers for him. And while sometimes he may jump in at inopportune moments, I think tonight's goal is a good example of when people criticize him unfairly. He did everything a defenceman of his talents is supposed to do on a play like that. His team was down by one late and he had an opportunity to pinch and put pressure on a defender when no other Leafs forward was around. It's the responsibility of the forward (in this case JVR) to know what's going on and back him up. So how is that Gardiner's fault that nobody did?

 

[L K]

The coaching staff has contributed to my own concerns about the success of the team but so to has the talent level on the roster, in fact, more so the latter.

Make the team better, better results will follow, fire the coach, pretty much the same results will follow on balance.

Getting the team to a roughly league average defensive performance - which they should absolutely be able to do with the talent on the roster - would cut down 30-40 goals off their current goals against if they maintained their current Sv% (which, with less shots against, shouldn't be a problem - in fact, they could even see it improve slightly). That's about half a goal a game, and would put them in the top 8-10 teams in the league in that category. The talent really isn't the issue. It's how they're deployed.

And even if we agree that the talent of the team IS a problem.  There are things that can be done.

Franson needs to be upgraded with a more responsible defensive player to give a better presence in the top 4.  Giving Gardiner/Rielly more PP time can offset the loss of Franson's offensive contributions.

They could use another banger in the bottom 6...Komarov can probably be brought back in to fill that role.

They need an upgrade on their bottom 6 centermen.  I like Holland but you can't rely on him yet and McClement shouldn't be on the ice in last minute situations.  Bolland was supposed to be that guy but his injury concerns me way too much.  He needs to be replaced or at least brought back cheaply if he can show himself to be healthy.

Ideally you ditch Clarkson but that just isn't going to happen.

Balancing out the roster as a whole could probably pay dividends too if you bring in a coach who plays all 4 lines. Even 5-7 minutes a night from the 4th line, means 1-2 fewer shifts for Kessel in the 1st period so you can ride him a little harder later in games if you are down a goal. 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Saying Gardiner "can't play defense" is grossly overstating it too, and if it were true, he'd be on the ice for a heck of a lot more goals against than he has been.

 

[ZBBM]

A defenseman who can't play defense is a problem, always.

And we solved that problem by trading Fraser away.

Gardiner's biggest problem "defensively" is

Giveaways.  Rarely wins pucks battles.  Not that great positionally.  Passing is not in the same league as Rielly.

He's an outstanding skater and very good offensively.  Defensively he's not very good, and shows no signs that he ever will be.  That's why I'd be willing to trade him if the return were high enough.

But what the hell, if you guys think he's good enough defensively, then you're welcome to it.

 

[Strangelove]

A defenseman who can't play defense is a problem, always.

And we solved that problem by trading Fraser away.

Gardiner's biggest problem "defensively" is

Giveaways.  Rarely wins pucks battles.  Not that great positionally.  Passing is not in the same league as Rielly.

He's an outstanding skater and very good offensively.  Defensively he's not very good, and shows no signs that he ever will be.  That's why I'd be willing to trade him if the return were high enough.

But what the hell, if you guys think he's good enough defensively, then you're welcome to it.

This is absurd.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Carlyle on Reimer. "He was okay, just okay."

Reimer on that comment: "He thought I was just okay? Hmm I thought I was good."

One of them is 100% gone in the off season.

Goodbye Randy.

Could be both of them, hard to say.

I have to say.  I'm locked in that the coach is the problem with this team.  I don't think they suddenly become a top puck possession team with a guy like Laviolette but I'm done with this team being considered good when they need their goaltender to give up less than 2 goals a game AND have a .930 SV% to win.

The coaching staff has contributed to my own concerns about the success of the team but so to has the talent level on the roster, in fact, more so the latter.

Make the team better, better results will follow, fire the coach, pretty much the same results will follow on balance.

Tell that to Anaheim.

Strangely, I think they might of got rid of someone familiar.

 

[nutman]

My two cents... I think the other teams are playing on the fact we have been a one line team. Aka stop the Kessel line and chances are you will win.
Some times the coach gets it right, and moves Clarkson down to the third line (where he belongs) and, we end up having two lines Thus creating two much offence to lose. But still I have to wonder what it will take to get RC to click in on some of the stupid moves he is making. Aka the defensive shell when leading, and his choice of players at all the wrong times. And I have to wonder on this one ...My biggest question of them all. Why are the Leafs not on super charge right now, they should be buzzing with energy. and ready too go for 60mins a night.

 

[Andy007]

LOL at Reimer being "okay." They guy made a couple of gaving saving saves when down 1-0. He was assaulted by odd-man rushes.

I just can't believe Nonis is going to keep letting this moron of a coach burn away valuable assets. I pray every morning for a NJ-esque playoff team firing coach before playoffs scenario because that's the only way this team is going to go anywhere.

 

[Redleaf]

Carlyle on Reimer. "He was okay, just okay."

Reimer on that comment: "He thought I was just okay? Hmm I thought I was good."

One of them is 100% gone in the off season.

Randy's right. Other than some highlight reel saves, he was 'just alright' for the majority of the game last night. That second goal was a back breaker.

 

[Redleaf]

A defenseman who can't play defense is a problem, always.

And we solved that problem by trading Fraser away.

Gardiner's biggest problem "defensively" is when he jumps into the play and nobody covers for him. And while sometimes he may jump in at inopportune moments, I think tonight's goal is a good example of when people criticize him unfairly. He did everything a defenceman of his talents is supposed to do on a play like that. His team was down by one late and he had an opportunity to pinch and put pressure on a defender when no other Leafs forward was around. It's the responsibility of the forward (in this case JVR) to know what's going on and back him up. So how is that Gardiner's fault that nobody did?

Gardiner is playing as well as should be expected for an offensive defensemen with limited NHL experience. He is getting better defensively, but is still a ways off of where he needs to be.