Pre-Game Talk: Leafs @ Rangers - #Meh

[HellasLEAF]

I think the only bright side is, as miserable as it's been, we are still picking up points and hanging onto a playoff spot.

Hopefully, we can pluck along in the 5-8 range until this team can become whole again.

By then, maybe Nonis adds a piece or two and we hopefully heat up heading into the playoffs.

This is, all best case scenario of course..

 

[Daisy Jane]

I think the only bright side is, as miserable as it's been, we are still picking up points and hanging onto a playoff spot.

Hopefully, we can pluck along in the 5-8 range until this team can become whole again.

By then, maybe Nonis adds a piece or two and we hopefully heat up heading into the playoffs.

This is, all best case scenario of course..

this is very true. God bless the loser point.

I think this team is in serious need of Christmas and just some time to get their collective heads on straight, and think "Dec 29 is another whole half of a season, we can totally turn this around!"

 

[Sergei Berezin]

I want to see these forward lines vs. Rangers:

Lupul - Kadri - Kessel

Reason: Lupul has had sustained success and chemistry with both Kadri and Kessel, and will hopeful ignite some sort of a spark on the first line.

JvR - Holland - Clarkson

Reason: JvR has been dragging his ass and needs a wake-up call. Clarkson deserves a move-up in the lineup. You got one guy who will go in the corners in Clarkson, a guy who can go in the corners, but has been playing soft of late in JvR, and you got a guy playing his heart out in Holland who can hopefully develop some short-term chemistry.

Raymond - Mcclement - Kulemin

Reason: the remainders who can play a cycle game and can play a bit of a pest role against the opposition. I think Kulemin and Raymond showed some chemistry earlier in the season. I wouldn't mind D'Amigo slotted in somewhere for some energy shifts if either of Raymond or Kulemin are playing like ****.

D'Amigo - Smithson - Bodie

Reason: D'Amigo and Bodie have earned more time with the big club over others. Smithson is literally the last possible centre we have left.

 

[BonMorrison]

PF media bias? maybe in the NBA lol. Never heard of that one before in regards to hockey...nice try though.

Really?

Guys get drafted for no other reason then "can skate and big". Theres definitely a bias to large tough players in the media.

Further to this, mere SECONDS after Biggs was drafted, none other then Bob McKenzie was comparing him to Lucic.

Thank you.

 

[Puckstuff]

I want to see these forward lines vs. Rangers:

Lupul - Kadri - Kessel

Reason: Lupul has had sustained success and chemistry with both Kadri and Kessel, and will hopeful ignite some sort of a spark on the first line.

JvR - Holland - Clarkson

Reason: JvR has been dragging his ass and needs a wake-up call. Clarkson deserves a move-up in the lineup. You got one guy who will go in the corners in Clarkson, a guy who can go in the corners, but has been playing soft of late in JvR, and you got a guy playing his heart out in Holland who can hopefully develop some short-term chemistry.

Raymond - Mcclement - Kulemin

Reason: the remainders who can play a cycle game and can play a bit of a pest role against the opposition. I think Kulemin and Raymond showed some chemistry earlier in the season. I wouldn't mind D'Amigo slotted in somewhere for some energy shifts if either of Raymond or Kulemin are playing like ****.

D'Amigo - Smithson - Bodie

Reason: D'Amigo and Bodie have earned more time with the big club over others. Smithson is literally the last possible centre we have left.

That first line could be pretty deadly on offence but they're definitely a liability defensively. However I agree on JVR and I like these lines and wouldn't be against this.

 

[Eb]

people keep dismissing this - but it's soo very very true.

Same could be said for Bozak as it shifts each center down a line.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

I want to see these forward lines vs. Rangers:

Lupul - Kadri - Kessel

Reason: Lupul has had sustained success and chemistry with both Kadri and Kessel, and will hopeful ignite some sort of a spark on the first line.

JvR - Holland - Clarkson

Reason: JvR has been dragging his ass and needs a wake-up call. Clarkson deserves a move-up in the lineup. You got one guy who will go in the corners in Clarkson, a guy who can go in the corners, but has been playing soft of late in JvR, and you got a guy playing his heart out in Holland who can hopefully develop some short-term chemistry.

Raymond - Mcclement - Kulemin

Reason: the remainders who can play a cycle game and can play a bit of a pest role against the opposition. I think Kulemin and Raymond showed some chemistry earlier in the season. I wouldn't mind D'Amigo slotted in somewhere for some energy shifts if either of Raymond or Kulemin are playing like ****.

D'Amigo - Smithson - Bodie

Reason: D'Amigo and Bodie have earned more time with the big club over others. Smithson is literally the last possible centre we have left.

I'd go with

JVR Holland Kessel
Lupul Kadri Raymond
Kulemin McClement Clarkson
Bodie Smithson D'Amigo

 

[Daisy Jane]

and the rangers won their game against minnesota - which means we need to be on our toes boys!

 

[FlareKnight]

and the rangers won their game against minnesota - which means we need to be on our toes boys!

Definitely need to pick up the points now. A ton of teams are massing up behind us. We need to start winning since another slide could have us sitting almost in top 5 in the draft .

Still at least they are on the second part of back to back games so...maybe we can take advantage.

 

[Super Mega]

I'd go with

JVR Holland Kessel
Lupul Kadri Raymond
Kulemin McClement Clarkson
Bodie Smithson D'Amigo

I would swap clarkson and raymond. clarkson and JVR should be in front of the net potting dirties

 

[JackJ]

I mean - should the rangers win today and beat the Leafs tomorrow, they are 2 points behind the Leafs.... so you'd instantly assume that the Leafs would show up and kick some New York behind, but

who knows - it depends if the team shows up or not.
anyway - this is the last game they play before the Christmas break, they don't play again until the 27th.

especially since the Rangers played yesterday.

 

[I Am The Stig]

and the rangers won their game against minnesota - which means we need to be on our toes boys!

Expect some of this tonight.

 

[SprDaVE]

I assume we will see the bad Leafs team where they get outworked and outshot 2:1, especially since we are playing a team that played the night before.

We've seen that team too many times...

 

[jeangauthier]

The Leafs are dangerously close to being out of the playoffs. We really badly need to get back on track here. If the SMURFS can pull together some wins, of course we can too. There is no excuse to miss the playoffs this year.

really........that is the best you can come up with.......really

 

[SprDaVE]

really........that is the best you can come up with.......really

Daaaah it'll be ok Jean.

 

[Nithoniniel]

really........that is the best you can come up with.......really

You have to see the humour in it.

You might have a better team than us, and have more consistent success.. and yeah your future is probably brighter as well. But we're TALLER, so there!

 

[Kelly]

One thing I've noticed about the leafs is that they try the long passes in the neutral zone way too much, which usually results in a turnover and an odd man rush for the opponent.

We need to keep it short and simple in our zone, and the neutral zone, and keep all the fancy stuff in the offensive zone.

GO LEAFS GO, lets start this win streak boys.

 

[TmlHockeyFan]

I want to see these forward lines vs. Rangers:

Lupul - Kadri - Kessel

Reason: Lupul has had sustained success and chemistry with both Kadri and Kessel, and will hopeful ignite some sort of a spark on the first line.

JvR - Holland - Clarkson

Reason: JvR has been dragging his ass and needs a wake-up call. Clarkson deserves a move-up in the lineup. You got one guy who will go in the corners in Clarkson, a guy who can go in the corners, but has been playing soft of late in JvR, and you got a guy playing his heart out in Holland who can hopefully develop some short-term chemistry.

Raymond - Mcclement - Kulemin

Reason: the remainders who can play a cycle game and can play a bit of a pest role against the opposition. I think Kulemin and Raymond showed some chemistry earlier in the season. I wouldn't mind D'Amigo slotted in somewhere for some energy shifts if either of Raymond or Kulemin are playing like ****.

D'Amigo - Smithson - Bodie

Reason: D'Amigo and Bodie have earned more time with the big club over others. Smithson is literally the last possible centre we have left.

I wouldn't mind too much seeing this for a while.

 

[Ramboshaw]

Expect some of this tonight.

Toskala, is that you?

 

[Blufreezy]

I'm guessing whoever was making the GDT is one of the people without power lol

 

[NSLeafer]

One thing I've noticed about the leafs is that they try the long passes in the neutral zone way too much, which usually results in a turnover and an odd man rush for the opponent.

We need to keep it short and simple in our zone, and the neutral zone, and keep all the fancy stuff in the offensive zone.

GO LEAFS GO, lets start this win streak boys.

I wish the forwards would just remain in the same time zone with the D when they are trying to get out of their end. These long neutral zone passes occur when you can't find a forward with a telescope. As you say Hennig, keep it short and simple.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Cam Talbot is starting

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I want Carlyle to surprise me tonight with switching the lines, but he is a stubborn man.

If I see Holland with Kessel and JVR
Kadri with Lupul and Clarkson

I will predict a win.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Rags played last night, gotta pull out a win here in regulation!

 

[I Am The Stig]

Cam Talbot is starting

So basically we get shut out tonight.