R1G3: Bruins @ Leafs - May 6th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[Corn Flake]

I can't help thinking that the Leafs could really, really use another experienced D-man like Paul Ranger in the lineup.

It's too bad they couldn't sign him to a Leaf contract this season. He's got playoff experience and could help rid us of some of the costly mistakes we are seeing from the likes of O'Byrne and Fraser. Hopefully they can sign him in the offseason

Yeah he'd look good with the Leafs, but wasn't there some sort of thing where he'd have to clear waivers before the Leafs could have called him up? Would have lost him at that point.

I think the issue was that Ranger didn't want to play in the NHL this year. I hope he'll change his mind for next season. It would really help shore up the defense.

Gunnarsson-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Franson
Liles-Ranger

Ranger is definitely a candidate for next year.  The 2nd pairing needs an overhaul, IMO.  I'm fine with Phaneuf with Gunarsson and eventually Gardiner, and I'm fine with Fraser Franson as the 3rd pair.. but right now they are the 2nd pair and they aren't handling the better forwards very well. 

What to do with Liles, I don't know.  Looking like a buy-out candidate if he can't be traded.

 

[Kin]

Seriously, I agree with Andy007's analysis, which is bang on.  Last night's game was one of those ones that could have easily gone to OT had a couple of breaks gone our way.  We were not outplayed by a country mile or anything of the sort.

I suppose I'm inclined to look at it slightly differently.  The problem last night was that while you're right, the Bruins weren't fantastic, the Bruins pretty casually took a night where both teams weren't spectacular and won by three goals, never really letting the Leafs back into the game after the first goal absent those 50 glorious seconds post-Gardiner's goal.

The Leafs were down by multiple goals for the majority of the game so the fact that during those periods they weren't, as you say, outplayed by a country mile is really faint praise. They didn't show urgency, they didn't show that extra gear and when they did make progress, they couldn't build on it.

 

[Jalili]

playoff stats:

Mikhail Grabovski 3 0 1 1 -4
Nikolai Kulemin         3      0      1      1      -5   
Clarke MacArthur 1 0 0 0 0

I would miss any of these guys if the aren't back next year.  Please stop talking about Grabbo like he is the best player on our team, because he isn't.  One assist and a minus 4.  Thats pretty bad.

I remember people bashed Grabovski a lot in 09/10 when he had an off season.

The problem was, and still is, who replaces him?

 

[TML fan]

Seriously, I agree with Andy007's analysis, which is bang on.  Last night's game was one of those ones that could have easily gone to OT had a couple of breaks gone our way.  We were not outplayed by a country mile or anything of the sort.

I suppose I'm inclined to look at it slightly differently.  The problem last night was that while you're right, the Bruins weren't fantastic, the Bruins pretty casually took a night where both teams weren't spectacular and won by three goals, never really letting the Leafs back into the game after the first goal absent those 50 glorious seconds post-Gardiner's goal.

The Leafs were down by multiple goals for the majority of the game so the fact that during those periods they weren't, as you say, outplayed by a country mile is really faint praise. They didn't show urgency, they didn't show that extra gear and when they did make progress, they couldn't build on it.

Bingo.

 

[Brian Glennie]

We stink dudes

We stink dudes...

We stink dudes...

Where the hell is everyone tonight? I hope they are watching the game and enjoying company because this is one slow GDT.

 

[Beowulf]

playoff stats:

Mikhail Grabovski 3 0 1 1 -4
Nikolai Kulemin         3      0      1      1      -5   
Clarke MacArthur 1 0 0 0 0

I would miss any of these guys if the aren't back next year.  Please stop talking about Grabbo like he is the best player on our team, because he isn't.  One assist and a minus 4.  Thats pretty bad.

MacArthur is most probably gone, not sure about Grabbo, but Kulemin is a keeper. If they let him go - as you suggest - they would spent the whole summer trying to replace him and would come up with less effective and most likely brutally overpaid alternative. What he brings to the table is not neccesarily measured by amount of goals/points scored.

Btw. using your methodology, everyone with less than 2 points, which is 3/4 of the team, should be sent packing... such as Phaneuf, Gunnarsson, Kadri, Frattin, McCLement, they are all also minus players with one or even no assist...

Agree Kulemin should stay.  He's contributed on the penalty kill and his offence did warm up when he was with a hotter center in Kadri rather than stone cold Grabovski.

Yeah by looking at the stats alone it's not very impressive for Kule but that's what many casual fans who don't really watch the games do and it doesn't come close to telling the real story.

To me despite those stats he's been one of the best Leafs forwards in this series so far. If you look at the goals in which he's gotten the -5, none have been because of mistakes he made (for instance, one of them last night was the empty net goal, and the other was the one where Fraser got beat by Lucic on the pass to Horton).

But he's been flying overall, especially in the last two games - I really think he has elevated his game in the playoffs even if the raw stats don't necessarily show it. He had the backhand post in game 2, the pass to Phaneuf which he posted last night on top of strong forechecking, winning the puck from the likes of Chara and Lucic and finishing all of his checks.

He probably won't cost an arm and a leg to keep around and he's the type of player that is very important to have going forward.