Pre-Game Talk: Ducks @ Leafs - Tuesday Dec 16 @ 7:30 PM

[ACC1224]

Didn't Kessel get a Hat Trick last year against them? Think I was there but don't remember.

 

[Budsfan]

James Mirtle @mirtle
Why do some act like what the Leafs are doing right now is unprecedented? They went 11-2-1 before the Olympics last year!

 

[Daisy Jane]

Didn't Kessel get a Hat Trick last year against them? Think I was there but don't remember.

yes he did

 

[jasonleaffan]

Didn't Kessel get a Hat Trick last year against them? Think I was there but don't remember.

You must go to alot of games if you don't remember that.

 

[Chandrashekhar Limit]

James Mirtle @mirtle
Why do some act like what the Leafs are doing right now is unprecedented? They went 11-2-1 before the Olympics last year!

Yea. It's not the surge I care about - I know this team can play well. It's the dip that comes after that surge that has most ppl worried.

This teams problem is leadership, and work ethic.

 

[ACC1224]

yes he did

Thanks, thought so.

You must go to alot of games if you don't remember that.

Define alot?

 

[Darkside Blue]

James Mirtle @mirtle
Why do some act like what the Leafs are doing right now is unprecedented? They went 11-2-1 before the Olympics last year!

Thanks, James. Were you wearing a black cat suit when you posted this? Trying to throw a big whammy on the team?

 

[Budsfan]

Yea. It's not the surge I care about - I know this team can play well. It's the dip that comes after that surge that has most ppl worried.

This teams problem is leadership, and work ethic.

I don't think that will happen this time around, we have quite a number of character players this year, Santorelli,Winnik, Booth and Robidas, most are good locker room Guys and could lead through their good playing and the players from last year are more mature too.

 

[Leafidelity]

Thanks, James. Were you wearing a black cat suit when you posted this? Trying to throw a big whammy on the team?

Mirtle tends to pout when teams win without out mathing the opposition. It shouldn't always be about championing stats.

 

[Gary Nylund]

James Mirtle @mirtle
Why do some act like what the Leafs are doing right now is unprecedented? They went 11-2-1 before the Olympics last year!

Bite me.

 

[jasonleaffan]

Thanks, thought so.



Define alot?

Well I would still remember something like that even if I have gone to 10 games since then.

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

I smell a letdown game/stinker...hopefully I'm wrong. I envision a high amount of time hemmed in our zone. Hopefully Bernier is up to the task.

 

[frankthetank91]

I have to admit Mirtle is one of my go-to media guys for analysis but the guy is such a negative ********* that is annoying. He almost seems mad when the Leafs do well.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Yea. It's not the surge I care about - I know this team can play well. It's the dip that comes after that surge that has most ppl worried.

This teams problem is leadership, and work ethic.

Well I think that was the idea when they brought guys like Robidas, Winnik and even Komarov in to keep the competitive spirit high and to provide leadership.

I think the issue(one of) last year was the 1st line as well as Phaneuf ran out of gas and Bernier was injured twice, So that's usually a recipe for a bad streak even before you factor numbers into it.

 

[zeke]

the only problem with mirtle right now is that he's actually ignoring the math in order to pretend the team is the same as last year. the leafs' possession numbers have improved a great deal this year, while the sh% and sv% are nothing out of the ordinary for this roster.

the math shows clear improvement, in every area. anyone who claims to be data driven would be arguing this team is significantly better than last year.

even comparing this streak to last year's pre-olympics streak shows a clear difference:

Last Yr: 15gms, 11-2-2, +0.60gdiff
This Yr: 11gms, 9-1-1, +1.82gdiff

this streak is actually backed up by their goal diff. outscoring your opponent by 1.8 goals per game will lead you to an insane record. outscoring them by 0.6 goals per game should result in a good record, but needs plenty of close-game luck to turn into a hot streak like that.

 

[Pi]

the only problem with mirtle right now is that he's actually ignoring the math in order to pretend the team is the same as last year. the leafs' possession numbers have improved a great deal this year, while the sh% and sv% are nothing out of the ordinary for this roster.

the math shows clear improvement, in every area. anyone who claims to be data driven would be arguing this team is significantly better than last year.

even comparing this streak to last year's pre-olympics streak shows a clear difference:

Last Yr: 15gms, 11-2-2, +0.60gdiff
This Yr: 11gms, 9-1-1, +1.82gdiff

this streak is actually backed up by their goal diff. outscoring your opponent by 1.8 goals per game will lead you to an insane record. outscoring them by 0.6 goals per game should result in a good record, but needs plenty of close-game luck to turn into a hot streak like that.

Mirtle is extremely biased. Keeps spouting on and on about PDO yet he doesn't realize that most good teams have high PDO.

This team outside of the 1st line has played the kind of hockey you need to play in this league to win on a consistent basis.

We're no longer reliant on Kessel's line for scoring..heck I've barely noticed them in the last 11 games and the Leafs keep rolling along because Kadri is finally getting the ice time he deserves and our 3rd and 4th lines are composed of hockey players over facepunchers.

Leafs have been a high SH% team for the past 4-5 years. Teams like the Habs, Flames are also top 10 in PDO but that just slips under the rug.

The Habs have been far more reliant on their goalie to win than the Leafs have this year. If Carey goes on a slump, the Habs are done for. If Bernier slumps, the Leafs can still outscore their problems whilst getting average goaltending from Reimer.

 

[Gary Nylund]

(shrug) i don't really mean to lecture you on this stuff (heh she says as she's about to lecture you), but almost every pre-game/post game thread, it's just this doom and gloom "this is going to happen, because our Leafs are ____"

like. just hope they can win or get a point. I don't think we need to 'rely' on a winning streak. we need to rely on the fact that our team can play well, and for the past 11 games they have done so minus a poor period , and the Wednesday game last week, which was, the end of 5 in 7, and aback to back). they responded very well on the weekend.

i get not wanting to get too high, but sometimes to me, you seem always too low. we're doing well now. just enjoy it for what it is

Daisy gets it!

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

We play real well against Anaheim. They dont clog up the neutral zone with obstruction like many of the "good" teams and rely on skill to win and that gives both teams a chance.

Your in for a suprise, Ducks have completely changed the defensive strategy this year. Yawney is charge of that, They play high pressure and clog up neutral zone

 

[Raging Bull]

James Mirtle @mirtle
Why do some act like what the Leafs are doing right now is unprecedented? They went 11-2-1 before the Olympics last year!

Mirtle is the worst. Who is acting like this streak is unprecedented? I haven't heard anyone say that.

 

[TheLeastOfTheBunch]

Hopefully we get big games out of Kessel and JVR

 

[zeke]

Mirtle is extremely biased. Keeps spouting on and on about PDO yet he doesn't realize that most good teams have high PDO.

This team outside of the 1st line has played the kind of hockey you need to play in this league to win on a consistent basis.

We're no longer reliant on Kessel's line for scoring..heck I've barely noticed them in the last 11 games and the Leafs keep rolling along because Kadri is finally getting the ice time he deserves and our 3rd and 4th lines are composed of hockey players over facepunchers.

Leafs have been a high SH% team for the past 4-5 years. Teams like the Habs, Flames are also top 10 in PDO but that just slips under the rug.

The Habs have been far more reliant on their goalie to win than the Leafs have this year. If Carey goes on a slump, the Habs are done for. If Bernier slumps, the Leafs can still outscore their problems whilst getting average goaltending from Reimer.

yup.

i mean, i wish we were a high corsi AND high PDO team like the top teams are consistently. but at this point it's tough to argue that this isn't legit a high PDO roster, even if the corsi sucks. our shoting percentage has been elite five years running now, and our goaltending since replacing gus with bernier has been above average too.

there are enough teams - and enough good teams - that post consistently high PDO that we know that relying just on corsi is just lazy.

 

[bpower]

Yes, Montreal , those footsteps you hear are indeed the Leafs coming up fast. Only a one point separation now with a game in hand.

Polak and Komi set to return. Leading the league in scoring. Phaneuf top ten in plus minus, scoring from 4 lines. This Leaf team is sick. GLG.

You scared me there, had to re-read that. For a second there I thought Komisarek was coming back

 

[AuraSphere]

Komarov come back already :'(