Pre-Game Talk: Toronto at New Jersey | Saturday 7pm CBC

[Hurt]

Hope Kostka is out. Huge goof up game on Thursday. Big game tonight as these are the teams nipping at our heels.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Joe Colborne with Frattin on the 4th line may outshine Grabo's line, but that's not saying much with the 3rd line being invisible for much of the year.

 

[Pi]

So no ROB?

I hope they kick Kostka out of the line up..

 

[Hurt]

Hope Kessel wakes up. Been over 20 days since his last goal. Disgusting from our so called top forward.

 

[mirin]

Any info on the line ups?

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Hope Kessel wakes up. Been over 20 days since his last goal. Disgusting from our so called top forward.

Didn't he lead the team in points through March?

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Henny from the Toronto hallway....

remember when I said no need to panic?

 

[NazemKadri43]

Didn't he lead the team in points through March?

how dare you say something positive about kessel

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Didn't he lead the team in points through March?

yeap it's been 8 games without a goal though, he's become more of a set up man this season. I'm not too worried though, when he gets hot he'll go crazy.

 

[Hurt]

Didn't he lead the team in points through March?

Tied I believe 18 points with Kadri. I did mention goals though. He only had 6 and none in the latter half of the month. Kind of scary that he's the guy that we're looking to when we're down a goal and he can't even score a damn goal these days and it's his second such streak in a shortened season. Streaky or not, going large portions of the season without goals from our top offensive player is not good.

how dare you say something positive about kessel

How dare someone point out a statistical fact about our not-goal-scoring goal scorer??

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Didn't he lead the team in points through March?

Another simple points watcher argument, he has been good at times, for a guy of his talent he should be better. He needs to show more of Lupul or Kadri's determination of being the best player game in, game out, no?

 

[Hurt]

Another simple points watcher argument, he has been good at times, for a guy of his talent he should be better. He needs to show more of Lupul or Kadri's determination of being the best player game in, game out, no?

He is scared. IF we're going to have ONE elite forward on our team, Phil Kessel isn't my top choice.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Another simple points watcher argument, he has been good at times, for a guy of his talent he should be better. He needs to show more of Lupul or Kadri's determination of being the best player game in, game out, no?

That's never been his style of game Interactif. Infact Lupul has never been this type of player until last year. He's been more of a driving finesse player.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Tied I believe 18 points with Kadri. I did mention goals though. He only had 6 and none in the latter half of the month. Kind of scary that he's the guy that we're looking to when we're down a goal and he can't even score a damn goal these days and it's his second such streak in a shortened season. Streaky or not, going large portions of the season without goals from our top offensive player is not good.



How dare someone point out a statistical fact about our not-goal-scoring goal scorer??

It's helpful to watch games isn't it, rather than read box scores. Kadri and Lupul have been better than Kessel in almost every game these 3 have played in together.

Kessel should be our best player game in, game out. He is contributing, but we all know he can be better, and we will need him to be. Especially against opponents like Boston.

 

[Hurt]

It's helpful to watch games isn't it, rather than read box scores. Kadri and Lupul have been better than Kessel in almost every game these 3 have played in together.

Kessel should be our best player game in, game out. He is contributing, but we all know he can be better, and we will need him to be. Especially against opponents like Boston.

I always laugh when people say "But Kessel has to play Chara every game!" Guess what? Every other top forward also has to play against Chara too and they find ways to have success.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

That's never been his style of game Interactif. Infact Lupul has never been this type of player until last year. He's been more of a driving finesse player.

When Kessel is skating, and driving to the net he is at his best. No one is expecting him to be Wendel Clark, he does have a tendency to avoid dirty areas. The Kostka giveaway was the result of Kessel not being on the boards to give a dman an outlet on the shoot around, he needs to get grittier, that's what the playoffs are going to be about. Simple gritty plays that make the difference in a game. I think he has it in him, one day he will show up against Boston.

 

[RhyZa]

It's helpful to watch games isn't it, rather than read box scores. Kadri and Lupul have been better than Kessel in almost every game these 3 have played in together.

Kessel should be our best player game in, game out. He is contributing, but we all know he can be better, and we will need him to be. Especially against opponents like Boston.

I really don't know if he can be better against those types of opponents. There's a pretty large sample size to say he can't.

Watching someone with a diverse skill-set like Brayden Schenn last game made me imagine just what if we had that type of player instead.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I always laugh when people say "But Kessel has to play Chara every game!" Guess what? Every other top forward also has to play against Chara too and they find ways to have success.

Yep, Pacioretty seems to be okay playing against Chara, if anyone should be scared it is him.

 

[JAMmer124]

It's helpful to watch games isn't it, rather than read box scores. Kadri and Lupul have been better than Kessel in almost every game these 3 have played in together.

Kessel should be our best player game in, game out. He is contributing, but we all know he can be better, and we will need him to be. Especially against opponents like Boston.

Shouldn't Grabovski be our best forward, given he makes more than Kessel?

 

[Pi]

Kessel is not a goalscorer..people need to stop pigeonholing him into one. He's a complete offensive player whose playmaking abilities are off the charts.

I've no problem if Kessel doesn't score as long as he is in on the play. Him scoring is the same as him setting up JvR to score for me.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Burn the boats!

 

[Paradoc]

Kessel is not a goalscorer..people need to stop pigeonholing him into one. He's a complete offensive player whose playmaking abilities are off the charts.

I've no problem if Kessel doesn't score as long as he is in on the play. Him scoring is the same as him setting up JvR to score for me.

This. Another thing people forget to mention is that no matter what, kessel will always attract the most attention from D. Even if Kadri, and Lupul are doing well, coaches know kessel can be dangerous if he's not playing against top d pairs.

 

[Hurt]

Kessel is not a goalscorer..people need to stop pigeonholing him into one. He's a complete offensive player whose playmaking abilities are off the charts.

I've no problem if Kessel doesn't score as long as he is in on the play. Him scoring is the same as him setting up JvR to score for me.

...Who also scored for the first time in 10 games and had only 2 in the month of March. Top line isn't the top line anymore with a big body who drives to the net once a month and a scared sniper who acts like he just came back from a shoulder injury.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Kessel is not a goalscorer..people need to stop pigeonholing him into one. He's a complete offensive player whose playmaking abilities are off the charts.

I've no problem if Kessel doesn't score as long as he is in on the play. Him scoring is the same as him setting up JvR to score for me.

I think Kessel suffered from not being in shape early on, I am expecting him to pick it up along with JVR the last 11 games or so. Kessel came into camp in shape last year, and it made a world of difference. He was visibly out of breath at the beginning to the year, I was not too impressed by this lack of commitment early on, someone should send him to kadri for pointers how to get in shape for a season, lay off the cookies also Phil.

 

[Pi]

Gardiner better play good tonight...if he has a bad game, I don't see him playing the rest of the way.

The leash is very tight for certain players..and Gardiner is one of them.