GDT: Game 72: Columbus vs. Toronto | 3/22 7PM

[DarkandStormy]

The Leafs gooned it up? I get a chuckle out of that.

Babcock said as much post game.

 

[Bobcat110]

The Leafs gooned it up? I get a chuckle out of that.

This game was everything to the Leafs. This was a playoff game seven to the Leafs. Their best game of the season. Just because Columbus is a better team, this game didn't mean as much to them. There was no way Columbus was going to match the Leafs intensity.

Polak is in the top 10 in the league for hits. (216 hits this season) More then Dubinsky. Is he a 'dirty' player though? Well what he did last night is something he's done all season long...rub out players along the boards. So he has more clean hits then anything on his resume. He isn't a repeat offender. Maybe he had a little more drive then normal, as the whole team's intensity was flying high. But really it was a rub out of a player along the boards done multiple times all season. The difference? Bjorkstrand played it horribly. I've seen Mitch Marner do the same thing and walk away. And you could tell it was one of those plays he should of known better. Doesn't mean I liked the play any better then Columbus fans are liking Polak's hit. But in either case, players can't be throwing snow stopping two feet in front of the boards with a blue-liner who's 6th in hits among defensemen coming behind you. When I look at the replay, I can't see something that makes me say, we have to stop this. Polak wasn't intentionally trying to hit him from behind. It was a hockey play gone wrong. It wasn't like a deliberate cross-check to the back of someone's neck.

Thanks for your input. Will pass on to NHL's department of player safety.

 

[Bobcat110]

Any news on Bjork?

Did not travel to D.C.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

The Leafs gooned it up? I get a chuckle out of that.

This game was everything to the Leafs. This was a playoff game seven to the Leafs. Their best game of the season. Just because Columbus is a better team, this game didn't mean as much to them. There was no way Columbus was going to match the Leafs intensity.

Polak is in the top 10 in the league for hits. (216 hits this season) More then Dubinsky. Is he a 'dirty' player though? Well what he did last night is something he's done all season long...rub out players along the boards. So he has more clean hits then anything on his resume. He isn't a repeat offender. Maybe he had a little more drive then normal, as the whole team's intensity was flying high. But really it was a rub out of a player along the boards done multiple times all season. The difference? Bjorkstrand played it horribly. I've seen Mitch Marner do the same thing and walk away. And you could tell it was one of those plays he should of known better. Doesn't mean I liked the play any better then Columbus fans are liking Polak's hit. But in either case, players can't be throwing snow stopping two feet in front of the boards with a blue-liner who's 6th in hits among defensemen coming behind you. When I look at the replay, I can't see something that makes me say, we have to stop this. Polak wasn't intentionally trying to hit him from behind. It was a hockey play gone wrong. It wasn't like a deliberate cross-check to the back of someone's neck.

You make a sound argument and everyone here has changed their minds due to your sound reasoning. You're right, its the guy getting boarded who is at fault.

For the love of God can't you Leafs fans just go bother someone else? The Leafs won one game. Congrats, now go away.

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

And Toronto fans wonder why they are hated around the league. It certainly isn't because everyone else is jealous of their team's success.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Did not travel to D.C.

That is unfortunate

 

[MoeBartoli]

Like DSL, I did not like the Karlsson line either. And like Nanabijou, I'm hoping the Hartnell scratch was a one game message. ...would much prefer to see a 4th line of Hartnell/Sedlak/Calvert. (Wild Bill as healthy scratch).

 

[Major19]

there were actually a number of Leafs fans saying Bjork turned into him and it wasn't even a penalty...be embarrassed to be part of that fan base

Oh get off your high horse. Most fans have acknowledged it was a dirty hit. There's always a few dummies in every fan base but please don't generalize based on the voice of the minority

 

[JKinCLE]

Oh get off your high horse. Most fans have acknowledged it was a dirty hit. There's always a few dummies in every fan base but please don't generalize based on the voice of the minority

but your rational reply seems to be the minority.

 

[Bobcat110]

Oh get off your high horse. Most fans have acknowledged it was a dirty hit. There's always a few dummies in every fan base but please don't generalize based on the voice of the minority

Exactly! Thank you! Sure...there can be some overzealous Leafs fans...much like OSU fans...but most are just normal friendly people. In fact, some of my best friends are OSU fans.


See....It was a dirty hit Moon111. You....... dummy!

 

[ImpartialNHLfan]

Best of luck to you guys.... Going to be a good game.

Was a good game, thought you guys had it during that 7 min powerplay...

How's your guys ice? I seen players slipping n falling all over the place

 

[Nordique]

This was a good loss for us.

Things were coming too easy over the last 4 games, and some guys weren't dialed in. This will get the attention of the room.

I think some guys were overlooking the game, thinking about tonight.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

This was a good loss for us.

Things were coming too easy over the last 4 games, and some guys weren't dialed in. This will get the attention of the room.

This is possible.

I think some guys were overlooking the game, thinking about tonight.

Which ones? And how can you tell?

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Was a good game, thought you guys had it during that 7 min powerplay...

How's your guys ice? I seen players slipping n falling all over the place

The ice at Nationwide is very slippery

 

[Heinze 57]

That was the first game they've lost in regulation this season when coming off a break of 2 or more days. They were 19-0-2 before last night.

 

[Nordique]

Atkinson didn't look prepared mentally to play a game last night.

Looked like Saad did back in Nov/Dec

 

[Bobcat110]

Was a good game, thought you guys had it during that 7 min powerplay...

How's your guys ice? I seen players slipping n falling all over the place

That PP was ugly. I wondered about the ice too, but no reason it should've been bad. Atkinson fanned on puck right in front of Anderson in 2nd period and Seth Jones let puck go right by him on that PP to leave offensive zone.

That was the first game they've lost in regulation this season when coming off a break of 2 or more days. They were 19-0-2 before last night.

That's a wild stat...nice find.

 

[Dk Math]

The Leafs gooned it up? I get a chuckle out of that.

This game was everything to the Leafs. This was a playoff game seven to the Leafs. Their best game of the season. Just because Columbus is a better team, this game didn't mean as much to them. There was no way Columbus was going to match the Leafs intensity.

Polak is in the top 10 in the league for hits. (216 hits this season) More then Dubinsky. Is he a 'dirty' player though? Well what he did last night is something he's done all season long...rub out players along the boards. So he has more clean hits then anything on his resume. He isn't a repeat offender. Maybe he had a little more drive then normal, as the whole team's intensity was flying high. But really it was a rub out of a player along the boards done multiple times all season. The difference? Bjorkstrand played it horribly. I've seen Mitch Marner do the same thing and walk away. And you could tell it was one of those plays he should of known better. Doesn't mean I liked the play any better then Columbus fans are liking Polak's hit. But in either case, players can't be throwing snow stopping two feet in front of the boards with a blue-liner who's 6th in hits among defensemen coming behind you. When I look at the replay, I can't see something that makes me say, we have to stop this. Polak wasn't intentionally trying to hit him from behind. It was a hockey play gone wrong. It wasn't like a deliberate cross-check to the back of someone's neck.

Are you trying to tell me, that it is the victims guild, that he ran in front of the gun, when he was short.
I think it was in Sweden that where one guy was convicted in civil court, because the sport did punished at all. Now I am not Swedish and didn't following the case, but even in the USA, I believe must following the law.
Here the problem is not just the hit on Bjorkstrand, that was dirty and Polak is responsibly. It is the stripping in of Nick Foligno, where I had seen a man end up in a wheel chair, from such incident, because he broke the neck.
In the case of what was made against Nick, I will may be call it an accident, but the hit on Bjorkstand was not. You can abort when you can not make it legal, and in case Bjorkstrand had died, when then it had been murder, even it was in sport. And banging peoples head into a wall, can kill people.
So in my point of view, it is very seriously, even it was not (may be) intended to bang him from behind, I can just not see, how he would had been able to not hit in the back, even from where the play started.
Polak may not had planed on hurting Bjorkstand that bad, but he intended to hit him hard and if needed from the back. He wanted to tell Bjorkstrand, don't try to play around with me and don't show that you are faster, better skilled than me.
That is fair, as long as you don't cross a certain border and in my point of view, the border of dangerously plays was crossed lest 3 time in that game.

I hope Polak get a day to mark to him that there are a border and that Bjorkstrand is fine.
Saidly I see no way that Bjorkstrand do not have a concussion, but one can hope.

 

[ndd17]

Polak suspended two games.
I became Blue Jackets fan after crap season 11/12 and can't remember someone got a suspended for aggression our players.

 

[moon111]

And Toronto fans wonder why they are hated around the league. It certainly isn't because everyone else is jealous of their team's success.

Leaf fans are hated like Muslims are hated. The smallest fraction stirs the pot and the rest get labeled as well. It's like a Columbus fan... do they exist? Have you ever met one? Ever actually see a Columbus jersey? No, never. Gets to be pretty easy not to get targeted that way. There are ALL kinds of Leaf fans. Personally, I'm not a fan of any player. Whether it be Matthews, Crosby, Polak, or this Oliver Bjorkstrand kid. Do I think Polak could of been more careful? For sure. But it wasn't like a Wayne Maki stick-swinging, Bertuzzi sucker-punch, or a Dubinsky's cross-check to neck. These were vicious attacks that could of even killed someone. If I walk out in the middle of the road, the cars should legally stop for a pedestrian. But if I get ran over, what good does it do to say the driver was wrong? Whether Polak is wrong or not, Bjorkstrand can't be setting himself up to get hit like that. As for the Leaf's success. Well you can go back to 1993 and the Leafs were in more playoff games then any Canadian team. They were buying teams and constantly succeeding. Then teams that had no business being in hockey started pouting. Lock-out and a Cap. The Leafs not having a top-10 draft pick in years had no farm system. In fact with the salaries they had, they were worst off then an expansion club. It took time just to get rid of players.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Leaf fans are hated like Muslims are hated. The smallest fraction stirs the pot and the rest get labeled as well. It's like a Columbus fan... do they exist? Have you ever met one? Ever actually see a Columbus jersey? No, never. Gets to be pretty easy not to get targeted that way. There are ALL kinds of Leaf fans. Personally, I'm not a fan of any player. Whether it be Matthews, Crosby, Polak, or this Oliver Bjorkstrand kid. Do I think Polak could of been more careful? For sure. But it wasn't like a Wayne Maki stick-swinging, Bertuzzi sucker-punch, or a Dubinsky's cross-check to neck. These were vicious attacks that could of even killed someone. If I walk out in the middle of the road, the cars should legally stop for a pedestrian. But if I get ran over, what good does it do to say the driver was wrong? Whether Polak is wrong or not, Bjorkstrand can't be setting himself up to get hit like that. As for the Leaf's success. Well you can go back to 1993 and the Leafs were in more playoff games then any Canadian team. They were buying teams and constantly succeeding. Then teams that had no business being in hockey started pouting. Lock-out and a Cap. The Leafs not having a top-10 draft pick in years had no farm system. In fact with the salaries they had, they were worst off then an expansion club. It took time just to get rid of players.

Dude,
You mean like yourself.
You are really turning into the uninvited house guest that just won't leave.
Nobody here gives a **** about the history of the Leafs.

 

[Heinze 57]

That's a wild stat...nice find.

I spotted it on on twitter yesterday. I don't know what that means for anything. 19-1-2 is pretty ridiculous though. How many of those games were against teams also on 2 days rest? IDK, but I assume it's heavy in the wins column for us. Might be something to consider for Game 1's of a playoff series when teams are starting up again after multiple days off. Sometimes that kills a team's momentum one series to the next. It's clearly not a problem for the Jackets.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

OB got pounded pretty good and Tronta had their checking pants on. So be it, hockey can be rough. But I don't want to see any ****** pants from Tronta when Hartnell or Anderson, or Johnson or Savard put a pounding on their player, and my sights wouldn't be on the grinder that hit OB.

I've read through the thread and am very familiar with Tronta fan. I have many family members that live in the area and are avid fans. They generally have their heads in their arses when it comes to anything non Leaf related. That goes for when they are really good or really bad, you would think they have 26 Cups. In the last 50 years they have the same number as us.

 

[db2011]

Leaf fans are hated like Muslims are hated. The smallest fraction stirs the pot and the rest get labeled as well. It's like a Columbus fan... do they exist? Have you ever met one? Ever actually see a Columbus jersey? No, never. Gets to be pretty easy not to get targeted that way. There are ALL kinds of Leaf fans. Personally, I'm not a fan of any player. Whether it be Matthews, Crosby, Polak, or this Oliver Bjorkstrand kid. Do I think Polak could of been more careful? For sure. But it wasn't like a Wayne Maki stick-swinging, Bertuzzi sucker-punch, or a Dubinsky's cross-check to neck. These were vicious attacks that could of even killed someone. If I walk out in the middle of the road, the cars should legally stop for a pedestrian. But if I get ran over, what good does it do to say the driver was wrong? Whether Polak is wrong or not, Bjorkstrand can't be setting himself up to get hit like that. As for the Leaf's success. Well you can go back to 1993 and the Leafs were in more playoff games then any Canadian team. They were buying teams and constantly succeeding. Then teams that had no business being in hockey started pouting. Lock-out and a Cap. The Leafs not having a top-10 draft pick in years had no farm system. In fact with the salaries they had, they were worst off then an expansion club. It took time just to get rid of players.

it's that part. it's that riiiigggghhhhht there

 

[SuperGenius]

Leaf fans are hated like Muslims are hated. The smallest fraction stirs the pot and the rest get labeled as well. It's like a Columbus fan... do they exist? Have you ever met one? Ever actually see a Columbus jersey? No, never. Gets to be pretty easy not to get targeted that way. There are ALL kinds of Leaf fans. Personally, I'm not a fan of any player. Whether it be Matthews, Crosby, Polak, or this Oliver Bjorkstrand kid. Do I think Polak could of been more careful? For sure. But it wasn't like a Wayne Maki stick-swinging, Bertuzzi sucker-punch, or a Dubinsky's cross-check to neck. These were vicious attacks that could of even killed someone. If I walk out in the middle of the road, the cars should legally stop for a pedestrian. But if I get ran over, what good does it do to say the driver was wrong? Whether Polak is wrong or not, Bjorkstrand can't be setting himself up to get hit like that. As for the Leaf's success. Well you can go back to 1993 and the Leafs were in more playoff games then any Canadian team. They were buying teams and constantly succeeding. Then teams that had no business being in hockey started pouting. Lock-out and a Cap. The Leafs not having a top-10 draft pick in years had no farm system. In fact with the salaries they had, they were worst off then an expansion club. It took time just to get rid of players.

Since this is the second time you've decided to bring up the Dubinsky thing, a lot more was made of this than should have and it's only because the other player was Crosby. That play happens several times a game in intense games. It's unfortunate Crosby fell forward a bit and Dubinsky ended up hitting the back of his neck, but you also better believe he played it for all it was worth. The very idea that you'd bring it up in context of the Bertuzzi hit or Maki incident is ridiculous.

The rest of the stuff I don't care about. It's on Polak to make the right play there, not Bjorkstrand. Everything else in your paragraph is nonsense, particularly the bit about the "teams that have no business in hockey" and the cap. If TOR had management worth a half damn, they'd have better teams and more success. The entitlement that pervades that organization and fanbase is exactly why it's been so long since they've done anything.