What are the playoffs teaching us?

[Peter D.]

If, for whatever reason, the Leafs must decide between Kessel and Phaneuf, I'd choose Kessel all day long. He brought it. His series reminded me of Sundin's against the Devils back in '01. Many had doubts of their ability to elevate their game, and each of their respective series changed how they were viewed by fans.

Reimer's glove and rebound control -- needs to work on it because it cost us in the end. 

Franson is a stud. There is no reason to bench him ever again.

Gardiner the same.

Grabovski is heart and soul.

 

[Andy007]

If, for whatever reason, the Leafs must decide between Kessel and Phaneuf, I'd choose Kessel all day long. He brought it. His series reminded me of Sundin's against the Devils back in '01. Many had doubts of their ability to elevate their game, and each of their respective series changed how they were viewed by fans.

Reimer's glove and rebound control -- needs to work on it because it cost us in the end. 

Franson is a stud. There is no reason to bench him ever again.

Gardiner the same.

Grabovski is heart and soul.

Reimer didn't cost anyone anything in the end; the porous defensive play of the Leafs, however, did.

Also, Franson can be very, very good. He can also be very, very bad. Game 7 showed this perfectly. I have a feeling that he will garner a big contract and that that contract will be a giant albatross.

 

[pnjunction]

Yep shots 22-8 in 3rd period and OT.  As I just said in the GDT they leaned back on Reimer until he finally broke.

I don't know about Franson.  He's amazing in the offensive zone and has improved in the defensive zone, but will he ever be truly reliable?  When he was on he looked like a top pair stud, but I think between his give away and pretty weak OT play I can see why people have him pegged as a bottom pair PP specialist.

 

[Hampreacher]

After the shock wears off I think what leafs need if they only do one thing is get a center that can win key faceoffs.Kadri will improve but if leafs would have won a couple of faceoffs in the last minute there might not have been an overtime. If can improve defence a maybe but have some that can play. The fans need to be positive even in defeat and stop trashing players. Judging by some comments after the game some fans still play the negative game. The leafs made the playoffs. The leafs won not just one game in the series but were within a minute of advancing to the next round.

 

[nutman]

After the shock wears off I think what leafs need if they only do one thing is get a center that can win key faceoffs.Kadri will improve but if leafs would have won a couple of faceoffs in the last minute there might not have been an overtime. If can improve defence a maybe but have some that can play. The fans need to be positive even in defeat and stop trashing players. Judging by some comments after the game some fans still play the negative game. The leafs made the playoffs. The leafs won not just one game in the series but were within a minute of advancing to the next round.

I like Joe Colborne, he will be a solid center for us. As for your comment on the face offs, I think it was a big part of our down fall. lets hope the leafs find someone who can teach there players in the off season to win a face off.

 

[mr grieves]

Biggest thing I learned about the team is that we have a lot of the personnel needed to compete, but we haven't had a coach that was deploying it properly. I wonder if we would've finished 5th had Carlyle not wasted most of the regular season trying to turn the team into the mini-Bruins. If we had a line-up with the speed that we saw through much of the Boston series, I think we'd have spent less of the last quarter of the season watching Orr and McLaren running (standing) around their own zone, less time watching the team playing not to lose, more time winning. Much as I hope players learned a lot from the playoff experience (and I think they did -- doesn't fit the Burke eke into the playoffs to get destroyed in the first round, I don't think), I really hope Carlyle has a better sense of what the roster can do and adapts his game plan accordingly.

That said, there are obvious holes to be filled. We're center-depth and two defensemen (one top pairing) away from having a solid roster.

 

[Mack674]

After the shock wears off I think what leafs need if they only do one thing is get a center that can win key faceoffs.Kadri will improve but if leafs would have won a couple of faceoffs in the last minute there might not have been an overtime. If can improve defence a maybe but have some that can play. The fans need to be positive even in defeat and stop trashing players. Judging by some comments after the game some fans still play the negative game. The leafs made the playoffs. The leafs won not just one game in the series but were within a minute of advancing to the next round.

I like Joe Colborne, he will be a solid center for us. As for your comment on the face offs, I think it was a big part of our down fall. lets hope the leafs find someone who can teach there players in the off season to win a face off.

I wouldn't beat the leafs up too bad for that, in fairness, Boston is the best faceoff team in the league and do that to almost every team.

 

[nutman]

After the shock wears off I think what leafs need if they only do one thing is get a center that can win key faceoffs.Kadri will improve but if leafs would have won a couple of faceoffs in the last minute there might not have been an overtime. If can improve defence a maybe but have some that can play. The fans need to be positive even in defeat and stop trashing players. Judging by some comments after the game some fans still play the negative game. The leafs made the playoffs. The leafs won not just one game in the series but were within a minute of advancing to the next round.

I like Joe Colborne, he will be a solid center for us. As for your comment on the face offs, I think it was a big part of our down fall. lets hope the leafs find someone who can teach there players in the off season to win a face off.

I wouldn't beat the leafs up too bad for that, in fairness, Boston is the best faceoff team in the league and do that to almost every team.

It was the difference imo.

 

[Zee]

I think the playoffs taught me I was really enjoying the lockout and the forced break from the Leafs.

 

[Hampreacher]

Kessel lost the bruin and trade stigma now He can be Kessel. Reimer needs to work on rebound control, even the greats like Bower worked on that. Kadri and leaf centers work on faceoffs. Carlyle out coached Bruins coach. Fans need to learn to be positive instead of being negative. This series was a character builder.

 

[Jimmified]

The playoffs taught me that Horton is pretty good in the playoffs.
How about we sign him??