GDT: #18 | Wed, Nov 13th, 2013 | Toronto Maple Leafs vs Minnesota Wild | 7:30 PM EST | TSN

[Community]

The Ranger thing is hilarious even though he hasn't been playing too bad lately. Nice GDT. I'd like to see this lineup.

JVR - Raymond - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson
Ashton - McClemment - Kulimen
Smithenson & The Face Punchers

Dion - Gardiner
Rielly - Gunnarsson
Ranger - Franson

Get. Out. Of. My. Head. Same line-up I've wanted for a while now Either this or let Franson sit a game for Fraser (depends if Fraser wants to get playing time to get back from his injury or wants to slowly ease back into the line-up).

 

[Jongdo]

11 goals, 15 pts.

Pominville have 11 goals, 14 pts.

 

[Community]

Ranger is +5 this season, and has played a very defensive role (32.9% offensive zone starts, been on the ice for 30% of PK time).

I don't know what anyone else wants out of this guy. And, yes, he is currently better than Morgan Rielly, who has the same number of points as Ranger, but is the only Toronto D-man with a negative +/-.

Anyway..

Our scoring woes in the past few days are because other teams have done video on the Leafs and found that they scored most of their goals in cross-slot passes. Take away the slot, neutralise the Leafs offense.

In what is a never-ending cat and mouse game, I expect Carlyle will make some tweaks and ask the offensive players to generate more shot production from outside the slot.

Ranger has been a lot better after the first ~4 games. He is still inconsistent and makes a few bone-headed plays (Game against Boston? where he tried to swipe the puck back into the offensive zone and missed it, he got back to stop the 2 on 1, but he should've been backing up earlier as he was on the wrong side of the puck.... he also cleared the puck over the boards on this play which was bad luck).

He's got enough skill to make-up for his mistakes and I hope he starts to play more consistent as I think he could still be a good 2nd pairing Dman at some point this year, but he has work to do.

As for the Rielly comment, his first game (Ott) he played with Ranger and it was one of Ranger's worst games which gave Rielly a -3 despite him playing fairly well for his first game. In another (Edm?) he was paired with Franson who was BRUTAL. Rielly's had to try and defend a lot of 2 on 1s this year which a rookie should never have to do, especially an OFD.

Edit: I chuckled at the gif and at first looked to see if there was any "Paul" on Minnesota... Nothing wrong with joking about our own team instead of making fun of other teams.

 

[ungentrified]

I don't think Ranger has been as atrocious as some have said, but I definitely chuckled at that GIF.

 

[DD03]

Bernier's gonna bail this team out tonight I think.

 

[HockeyGuy82]

***** finally! Game tonight!!

 

[HockeyGuy82]

Paul Hendrick ‏@HennyTweets 4m

Looks like rielly and liles sit out tonight. Orr is expected back in while troy bodie sits out. #TMLtalk

 

[Community]

Bernier's gonna bail this team out tonight I think.

I'm hoping for an overall good game, and I think it's even likely... but if not I still think we have at least a few players shine in addition to Bernier (Kessel + Gardiner... not because they're from Minny, but because Kessel is our best player and I think Gardiner's gonna start to break out offensively. Hopefully Rielly has a great game after being scratched too).

 

[Community]

Paul Hendrick ‏@HennyTweets 4m

Looks like rielly and liles sit out tonight. Orr is expected back in while troy bodie sits out. #TMLtalk

Crap...

 

[HockeyGuy82]

Jon Abbott ‏@HockeyAbbs

#Wild are 3rd in #NHL on draws at better then 55% Randy Carlyle sees it as a good challenge for centres.

 

[glasses91]

lmao@ behind Barker on the depth chart..

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Rielly sitting again. Not sure I agree there. Guess unless Gardiner is moved, he will be the odd man out.

Only room for one of them on current roster. Liles included.

 

[Asif16*]

Rielly sitting again. Not sure I agree there. Guess unless Gardiner is moved, he will be the odd man out.

Only room for one of them on current roster. Liles included.

Gardiner Liles

For

Lindholm and Harrison.

Thank me later guys.

 

[Community]

Rielly sitting again. Not sure I agree there. Guess unless Gardiner is moved, he will be the odd man out.

Only room for one of them on current roster. Liles included.

There's definitely room for both of them (Gardiner + Rielly), we would be a much better team with Rielly in over Franson (or Gunnar or Ranger or Fraser) at this point.

 

[Delicious Dangles*]

Hahahahahaha, that was hilarious. Great job on the GDT.

 

[Cor]

Paul Hendrick ‏@HennyTweets 14m

Ashton, mclaren and bodie all came off late which might indicate that coach carlyle goes with 7 D tonight. #TMLtalk

Appears Rielly is in

 

[zeke]

Line 1

C J.VanRyk (24): 15gms, 7gls, 13pts, 33ht, 4bk, 43.6fo%, 20:34 (82gms, 38gls, 71pts, 180ht, 22bk)
C M.Koivu (30): 18gms, 2gls, 12pts, 12ht, 5bk, 57.0fo%, 20:37 (82gms, 9gls, 55pts, 55ht, 23bk)

W P.Kessel (26): 17gms, 10gls, 19pts, 9ht, 6bk, 19:37 (82gms, 48gls, 92pts, 43ht, 29bk)
W Z.Parise (29): 18gms, 8gls, 15pts, 18ht, 16bk, 20:24 (82gms, 36gls, 68pts, 82ht, 73bk)

W M.Raymond (28): 17gms, 5gls, 11pts, 11ht, 6bk, 19:08 (82gms, 24gls, 53pts, 53ht, 29bk)
W C.Coyle (21): 6gms, 1gls, 2pts, 6ht, 3bk, 16:23 (82gms, 14gls, 27pts, 82ht, 41bk)

Line 2

C N.Kadri (23): 17gms, 5gls, 13pts, 27ht, 8bk, 44.4fo%, 17:11 (82gms, 24gls, 63pts, 130ht, 39bk)
C M.Granlund (21): 18gms, 2gls, 12pts, 15ht, 13bk, 46.6fo%, 15:58 (82gms, 9gls, 55pts, 68pts, 59bk)

W J.Lupul (30): 15gms, 8gls, 12pts, 23ht, 6bk, 18:05 (82gms, 44gls, 66pts, 126ht, 33bk)
W J.Pominville (31): 18gms, 11gls, 14pts, 8ht, 9bk, 17:49 (82gms, 50gls, 64pts, 36ht, 41bk)

W N.Kulemin (27): 5gms, 0gls, 2pts, 12ht, 8bk, 16:14 (82gms, 0gls, 33pts, 198ht, 131bk)
W N.Niederreiter (21): 18gms, 3gls, 10pts, 38ht, 6bk, 14:14 (82gms, 14gls, 51pts, 173ht, 27bk)

Line 3

C J.McClement (30): 16gms, 0gls, 1pts, 25ht, 10bk, 53.8fo%, 16:53 (82gms, 0gls, 5pts, 128ht, 51bk)
C K.Brodziak (29): 18gms, 2gls, 5pts, 9ht, 6bk, 56.8fo%, 16:23 (82gms, 9gls, 23pts, 41ht, 27bk)

W D.Clarkson (29): 7gms, 0gls, 1pts, 23ht, 1bk, 16:48 (82gms, 0gls, 12pts, 269ht, 12bk)
W M.Cooke (35): 18gms, 3gls, 9pts, 35ht, 8bk, 15:16 (82gms, 14gls, 41pts, 159ht, 36bk)

W C.Ashton (22): 11gms, 0gls, 1pts, 22ht, 2bk, 8:23 (82gms, 0gls, 8pts, 164ht, 15bk)
W J.Fontaine (26): 18gms, 6gls, 6pts, 2ht, 6bk, 12:12 (82gms, 27gls, 27pts, 9ht, 27bk)

Line 4

C J.Smithson (34): 2gms, 0gls, 0pts, 5ht, 2bk, 63.0%, 9:17 (82gms, 0gls, 0pts, 205ht, 82bk)
C Z.Konopka (32): 18gms, 1gls, 1pts, 7ht, 7bk, 65.7fo%, 8:35 (82gms, 5gls, 5pts, 32ht, 32bk)

W C.Orr (31): 15gms, 0gls, 0pts, 31ht, 4bk, 6:36 (82gms, 0gls, 0pts, 170ht, 22bk)
W D.Heatley (32): 18gms, 2gls, 4pts, 7ht, 7bk, 15:22 (82gms, 9gls, 18pts, 32ht, 32bk)

W F.McLaren (26): 7gms, 0gls, 0pts, 8ht, 2bk, 3:55 (82gms, 0gls, 0pts, 94ht, 23bk)
W T.Mitchell (28): 18gms, 1gls, 4pts, 16ht, 4bk, 10:17 (82gms, 5gls, 18pts, 73ht, 18bk)



Pair 1

D D.Phaneuf (28): 17gms, 2gls, 7pts, 45ht, 35bk, 24:18 (82gms, 10gls, 34pts, 217ht, 169bk)
D R.Suter (28): 18gms, 0gls, 11pts, 22ht, 25bk, 29:22 (82gms, 0gls, 50pts, 100ht, 114bk)

D C.Gunnarsson (27): 17gms, 0gls, 1pts, 27ht, 42bk, 19:32 (82gms, 0gls, 4pts, 130ht, 203bk)
D J.Brodin (20): 15gms, 3gls, 6pts, 5ht, 21bk, 24:30 (82gms, 16gls, 33pts, 27ht, 115bk)

Pair 2

D C.Franson (26): 17gms, 0gls, 10pts, 54ht, 27bk, 21:12 (82gms, 0gls, 48pts, 261ht, 130bk)
D J.Spurgeon (24): 18gms, 1gls, 6pts, 25ht, 25bk, 21:05 (82gms, 5gls, 27pts, 114ht, 114bk)

D J.Gardiner (23): 17gms, 0gls, 3pts, 25ht, 13bk, 19:38 (82gms, 0gls, 15pts, 121ht, 63bk)
D M.Scandella (23): 15gms, 0gls, 3pts, 10ht, 16bk, 17:30 (82gms, 0gls, 16pts, 55ht, 88bk)

Pair 3

D P.Ranger (29): 17gms, 1gls, 5pts, 45ht, 21bk, 19:12 (82gms, 5gls, 24pts, 217ht, 101bk)
D N.Prosser (27): 7gms, 0gls, 2pts, 3ht, 15bk, 15:39 (82gms, 0gls, 23pts, 35ht, 176bk)

D M.Fraser (27): 4gms, 0gls, 0pts, 13ht, 7bk, 14:14 (82gms, 0gls, 0pts, 267ht, 144bk)
D C.Stoner (28): 16gms, 0gls, 3pts, 21ht, 21bk, 15:26 (82gms, 0gls, 15pts, 108ht, 108bk)



Starting Goalie

G J.Bernier (25): 11gms, 7-4-0, 2.17gaa, 1so, .936sv%
G N.Backstrom (35): 6gms, 1-1-2, 3.42gaa, 0so, .871sv%

Backup Goalie

G J.Reimer (25): 8gms, 4-2-0, 2.30gaa, 1so, .942sv%
G J.Harding (29): 14gms, 9-2-2, 1.22gaa, 2so, .947sv%



Injured/Suspended

C T.Bozak (27): 11gms, 3gls, 6pts, 22ht, 9bk, 46.2fo%, 21:16 (82gms, 22gls, 45pts, 164ht, 67bk)
C D.Bolland (27): 15gms, 6gls, 10pts, 26ht, 9bk, 41.3fo%, 16:15 (82gms, 33gls, 55pts, 142ht, 49bk)

D K.Ballard (31): 9gms, 0gls, 4pts, 9ht, 10bk, 15:54 (82gms, 0gls, 36pts, 82ht, 91bk)

 

[p.l.f.]

Jonas Siegel ‏@jonasTSN1050 46s
Leafs look to be reverting to line combos from start of Saturday's game: Lupul/JVR/Kessel, Raymond/Kadri/Clarkson.

 

[Asif16*]

Carlyle ****ing with everyone's minds.

Either that or he major mood swings.

 

[zeke]

This isn't gonna be easy.

Minny is a legit good team. Not quite a contender but not too far off.

We get a HUGE break that Harding is sick. The guy has been unbeatable this year. Hopefully Backstrom continues struggling for one more game, at least.

 

[The Beyonder]

Looks like Morgan Rielly might be in tonight. Randy's going with 7d? We'll see.


Paul Hendrick ‏@HennyTweets 4h
Fret not morgan rielly fans. He did work the 2nd power play today...Might still slot in tonight....but was the 2nd last D man off. #tmltalk

Paul Hendrick ‏@HennyTweets 47m
Ashton, mclaren and bodie all came off late which might indicate that coach carlyle goes with 7 D tonight. #TMLtalk

 

[Auzzie19]

Jonas Siegel ‏@jonasTSN1050 46s
Leafs look to be reverting to line combos from start of Saturday's game: Lupul/JVR/Kessel, Raymond/Kadri/Clarkson.

Carlyle

there should be a grinder on both lines. Lupul on top line makes no sense, waste of his talents to be playing in JVR-Kessel's shadow.

And JVR as #1C again?!?

Lines should be:

Kulemin-Kadri-Lupul
Clarkson-JVR-Kessel

whatever we'll see what happens game time.

 

[mikebel111*]

Carlyle loves to fool us and the media.

The guy does mistakes. However I think he is one of the better coaches in the league.

Plus I have seen improvements in the D last few games. It's all about consistency.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Rielly sitting again. Not sure I agree there. Guess unless Gardiner is moved, he will be the odd man out.

Only room for one of them on current roster. Liles included.

Leafs have allowed fewer goals last few games with limited role for Rielly. Doesn't take rocket science to figure...

 

[FlareKnight]

Leafs have allowed fewer goals last few games with limited role for Rielly. Doesn't take rocket science to figure...

Have also scored few goals in the past few games. Must mean that Rielly was the real core of our offense right?