Post-Game Talk: Game 1, Leafs lose 4-3 .. Come up short in the shootout

[theIceWookie]

Figured I'd see some Franson bashing.lol
He was by far our best d-man last night. Even on the goal against, Gardiner floats within 10 ft of him giving him an almost impossible out pass. Yes, Franson should have just threw it down the wall, but Gardiner should not have been 10' from him as his outlet. Typical Franson luck, he makes a mistake, and it ends up a goal against and people forget the rest of his game. Loov was brutal last night and Franson bailed him out more than a few times. Let's give Franson a little credit, he has been good so far this pre-season.

I like Gardiner, great skater and talent, but has anyone thought what it must be like to play with this guy from a positional stand point? Because he is everywhere, everyone else is constantly having to re-adjust because Jake could be anywhere. Offensively a treat to pay with, positionally a nightmare.lol

So far, really like Holland and Frattin's game. Kontiola, Santo are behind Holland as centres at this point.imo

Hoping Clarkson and Bozak can get some games in...they need to get some flow going before the season starts.

You have always loved Franson. You're a Franson homer through and through. Even on HTR (I'm RJ).

You've always argued that Franson "covers" for other defenders. Last year it was him "covering" for Rielly/Gardiner. Now it's Loov (although he wasn't good last night)? At some point you have to realize that maybe the common element in those situations is Franson. And maybe that common element is the cause of these mistakes, not the one covering them.

Franson is what he is. A PP specialist that isn't a very good defensive player. He's not "covering" for younger players. He's the one making the mistakes. Typical Franson luck is not luck. It's just him being a bad player who isn't the smartest on the ice...

Maybe it's time you stop blaming other players for Franson's mistakes...

 

[Gary Nylund]

Someone also said "You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking downâ€.

Or if you prefer this one, "Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.â€

Or "It's always darkest before the dawn."

Course in the case of Leafs Nation, no-one knows how long the darkness will last.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Embarrassing that we get outshot by that Senators B squad.

Fixed. Same old Leafs.

 

[Al14]

Damn you Leafs! All I ask is that you BEAT Montreal, and especially Ottawa!

Not only did you lose to Ottawa, you lost to Ottawa TWICE in the same day!

Oh, and, I don't care if it was ONLY PRESEASON! Get it RIGHT next time!

 

[TLeafsFan]

Time for some cuts...

 

[SprDaVE]

Time for some cuts...

They literally just did.

 

[Trapper]

Damn you Leafs! All I ask is that you BEAT Montreal, and especially Ottawa!

Not only did you lose to Ottawa, you lost to Ottawa TWICE in the same day!

Oh, and, I don't care if it was ONLY PRESEASON! Get it RIGHT next time!

Lol the joke going around is with the Leafs losing twice to Ottawa on the same night they are in danger of missing the regular season.

 

[RLF]

You have always loved Franson. You're a Franson homer through and through. Even on HTR (I'm RJ).

You've always argued that Franson "covers" for other defenders. Last year it was him "covering" for Rielly/Gardiner. Now it's Loov (although he wasn't good last night)? [B]At some point you have to realize that maybe the common element in those situations is Franson. And maybe that common element is the cause of these mistakes, not the one covering them[/B].

Franson is what he is. A PP specialist that isn't a very good defensive player. He's not "covering" for younger players. He's the one making the mistakes. Typical Franson luck is not luck. It's just him being a bad player who isn't the smartest on the ice...

Maybe it's time you stop blaming other players for Franson's mistakes...

I would not call myself a "Franson homer". I call it as I see it. He had a bad season last year and I said so. What I have said, is he is not as bad as many claim. I have said he would be a good number 4 with the right partner. He has played well in the 2 pre-season games, and yes, he covered Loov's mistakes on a few occasions last night. I also said he should have put the puck on the wall on the goal against and said he made a mistake, but pointed out that Gardiner was not in position to help. This makes me a Franson homer? ok?

I have not argued that Franson always covers others mistakes. I have said that paying him with 2 rookies who are not strong defensively is not suitable to Franson's game. He needs a strong defensive, positionally sound partner. Ad I said put Don with the rookies and he wouldn't look as good either. Very different than what you claim I say. He looked petty good with Phaneuf, who is usually pretty sound positionally.

As for the bolded, that's a rich statement from you considering Dion has been bad during all 3 collapses and you have had every excuse on here for Dion's poor play in pressure games...including others not performing and Dion takes too much blame.
Who was the captain for all 3 collapses? Dion. Who had one of the worst +/- in the series against Boston and made poor decisions? Dion. Who went like -20 and just admitted he did not play well the final 20 games last season? Dion. Common element? Dion. Since the common element is Dion in these situations, are you going to realize that Dion just hasn't performed well under pressure?

 

[theIceWookie]

I would not call myself a "Franson homer". I call it as I see it. He had a bad season last year and I said so. What I have said, is he is not as bad as many claim. I have said he would be a good number 4 with the right partner. He has played well in the 2 pre-season games, and yes, he covered Loov's mistakes on a few occasions last night. I also said he should have put the puck on the wall on the goal against and said he made a mistake, but pointed out that Gardiner was not in position to help. This makes me a Franson homer? ok?

I have not argued that Franson always covers others mistakes. I have said that paying him with 2 rookies who are not strong defensively is not suitable to Franson's game. He needs a strong defensive, positionally sound partner. Ad I said put Don with the rookies and he wouldn't look as good either. Very different than what you claim I say. He looked petty good with Phaneuf, who is usually pretty sound positionally.

As for the bolded, that's a rich statement from you considering Dion has been bad during all 3 collapses and you have had every excuse on here for Dion's poor play in pressure games...including others not performing and Dion takes too much blame.
Who was the captain for all 3 collapses? Dion. Who had one of the worst +/- in the series against Boston and made poor decisions? Dion. Who went like -20 and just admitted he did not play well the final 20 games last season? Dion. Common element? Dion. Since the common element is Dion in these situations, are you going to realize that Dion just hasn't performed well under pressure?

Oh touched a nerve hacen't I

Every excuse? Nope. I actually said that he wasn't supported up till that point and got burnt out. Which is exactly what he said.

And at least Phaneuf was actually good for 3/4's of the season. Franson has just been terrible all the time.

 

[RLF]

Oh touched a nerve hacen't I

Every excuse? Nope. I actually said that he wasn't supported up till that point and got burnt out. Which is exactly what he said.

And at least Phaneuf was actually good for 3/4's of the season. Franson has just been terrible all the time.

Didn't touch a nerve at all. Just showing if that's the way players are judged "common element", that doesn't sit well for Dion. You asked me to "just except". I am saying maybe you should do the same then.

I have read a lot of your Phaneuf response to those that have questioned his play and it has gone well beyond...he got burnt out.

So, Dion got burnt out 3 seasons in a row when he is needed most because of lack of support? Even in a shortened season? That is not an acceptable reason for playing poorly when it matters.imo
As I have said in the past, you have to wonder how other D-men that go deep in the playoffs year after year and play increased minutes under as tough(er) circumstances(playoff drives and playoffs)...do it every year without burning out. How did guys like Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda playing 22-23 mins a night on a suspect d-core, not burn out down the stretch for Colorado?

Bolded - so you admit he was bad down the stretch and folded when we needed him most...again?

 

[Trapper]

Didn't touch a nerve at all. Just showing if that's the way players are judged "common element", that doesn't sit well for Dion. You asked me to "just except". I am saying maybe you should do the same then.

I have read a lot of your Phaneuf response to those that have questioned his play and it has gone well beyond...he got burnt out.

So, Dion got burnt out 3 seasons in a row when he is needed most because of lack of support? Even in a shortened season? That is not an acceptable reason for playing poorly when it matters.imo
As I have said in the past, you have to wonder how other D-men that go deep in the playoffs year after year and play increased minutes under as tough(er) circumstances(playoff drives and playoffs)...do it every year without burning out. How did guys like Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda playing 22-23 mins a night on a suspect d-core, not burn out down the stretch for Colorado?

Bolded - so you admit he was bad down the stretch and folded when we needed him most...again?

What I don't understand is how did Phaneuf burn out when there was a 3 week Olympic break between the time we were in 3rd to the epic collapse 16 games or whatever later? What were players not in the Olympics doing?

 

[RLF]

What I don't understand is how did Phaneuf burn out when there was a 3 week Olympic break between the time we were in 3rd to the epic collapse 16 games or whatever later? What were players not in the Olympics doing?

Or how did the players in the Olympics not burn out? They had no rest, plus traveled to Russia.

There was 22 games left when the Olympic break was over and Dion admitted he was not good the last 20 and was burnt out around the 70 game mark. He has a 3 week break and then is burnt out 10 games later? Also doesn't explain the poor pay from game 62-70.

 

[WinB4IDIE]

The Leafs aren't the Detroit Red Wings or the Boston Bruins I think they can get away with the old excuse "Its early or its just preseason" we hear that every year in Toronto with every team in Toronto. No its no to early and preseason is when this stuff has to get on the right track.

I mean its not rocket science why can't these guys play a system? it doesn't make any sense, these guys are pros not Pee Wee's.

Lol... Everybody just relax. I get that this game was disturbingly reminiscent to the way the team played during the epic collapse last season but it is just preseason. Everyone is still trying to find their legs and the Ottawa team had a lot more to play for than this Leafs squad that was mostly comprised of legit NHL players. Interesting to not that Komarov was not playing and the team looked really flat. He may be the straw that stirs the drink

 

[Pholus]

Is Sparks hurt? Thought he'd get some playing time over Gibson.

Yes. I'm guessing it's not very serious or the Leafs probably would have cut him already if they knew he wouldn't be able to play any preseason games.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Someone also said "You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down”.

Or if you prefer this one, "Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.”

I prefer this, some people subscribe to only wanting to see the glass half full, and miss that fact the glass is half empty.

 

[TLeafsFan]

They literally just did.

Wow, I guess my timing was pretty good on that one, LOL.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

From a Sen fan view i was impressed by Kadri, Gardiner and Nylander. Loov or whatever his name is was the worst player on the ice. Remier had a good game. Franson wasnt half bad either.

 

[Beleafer4]

I thought the coaching last night was awful. Our best line in the beginning of the game (Nylander-Kadri-Brown) were pretty much benched in the 1st and 2nd after they scored the goal... and when they finally started getting playing time again in the third they were already cold.

And they overplayed players who were clearly having bad nights (like leivo and loov).

Just awful decision making... Hopefully we don't see the same once the season starts.

 

[-DeMo-]

I thought the coaching last night was awful. Our best line in the beginning of the game (Nylander-Kadri-Brown) were pretty much benched in the 1st and 2nd after they scored the goal... and when they finally started getting playing time again in the third they were already cold.

And they overplayed players who were clearly having bad nights (like leivo and loov).

Just awful decision making... Hopefully we don't see the same once the season starts.

the coaching staff and management staff don't need to see Kadri play, kessel etc. play there already on the team, those guys got more ice-time because there trying to evaluate the lesser players to see who deserves to make the team.

btw Kadri had over 21 minutes of ice-time

 

[Faltorvo]

Don't matter Kessel fat

Actually Cox did not say Kessel was top three fittest.

Look closely, he posted like three names and said they are among the fittest in camp. A open ended statement like that can mean many things.

Where does he draw the "among" line? Top 23? out of the 50 at camp? Impossible to say.