Post-Game Talk: Game 9: Leafs vs Blackhawks | Kostka's Revenge

[Nithoniniel]

Don't see the need for hunting a scapegoat, especially one like Ranger who was generally pretty decent. But anyone at all really. Who in the team reached their normal standard this game? Rielly and Orr. That's about it. If you want someone to blame, then point your finger on the whole team.

 

[Radiohead]

I told you and KNEW IT early on. Wrote about today too. Yesterday also.

I knew that Carlyle and the leafs would lose tonight and that they wouldn't play their best game by intention tonight. They want to save energy for more important games as all these 82 games cannot be won anyway.

I know hockey and my team through out. Should have listened to me.

We will win this same game in the future. With our full lineup Clarkson and Frazer McLaren and Fraser being very important to us and bringing crucial energy boost into our game. Kulemin etc being important too.

I knew it, and won some money by knowing it early on.

There is no such thing as an unimportant game. A professional team does not lose on purpose.

This team just isn't very good.

 

[bunjay]

Damn is Jones ever good. He would easily be the Leafs most talented defenseman.

 

[definedMF]

At this moment i'm fine by trading Gardiner with Liles or someone, for a worthy centre, i can't bare witnessing the lack of coordination from Bozak. We put a player that has been in top 5 in scoring for a few years in Kessel, with a college centre who in his best year is going to net 55 points. And on that note, we payed the flunky 4.2 million, which limits the chance of shipping Mr.Flozak out of toronto. Its very irritating seeing were spending loads of money on worthless players and then having struggles signing a future Top 4 D in Franson.

 

[CG14]

The Leafs finally form an identity last year. A tough team to play against who will wear you down all night physically and have success (marginally) last year doing it. Show up this year and play like a bunch of softies

 

[nemapasara]

Hello Earth.
That game was brutal, do we even know how to complete a pass?
Where was Bozak this entire game? The only time I noticed him was during that failed attempt of drawing a penalty.
I didn't even WANT to see Kessel on the ice, he was not in it at all.
Only positive I can think of is Rielly...I thought he had a solid game.
And no, I don't take it as a positive that Orr was better than most our forwards tonight.

 

[garce]

We were just completely dominated from the time the game started to the time the game ended. Felt like an AHL vs NHL team out there...

Hawks kept coming in waves one after another and we were completely dominated. I can barely remember any of the ~20 shots on goal we had because they were all harmless.

Thanks to Nazem Kadri's goal that it wasn't a shut out, otherwise it would have been one of the easiest shut outs ever.

Games like this really make me sad...we're so far from being true contenders.

On a positive note, Morgan Rielly looked great again. He's our only hope as far as D goes...just a terrible group of defenseman that get caught in their zone far too often.

Gunnarsson needs to go. Leafs need their bigger bodies back because there was absolutely no one except JvR (sporadically) even trying to get the puck from the corners or battle against the boards whereas the Hawks had every single player involved in the game.

Kessel sucked. It was like watching him vs Boston through the years.

I'll agree but isnt time to say that Gardiner can't play a lick of defense and the offensive upside is totally missing? Where is the great puck moving, and passing that Rielly has already surpassed him at?

 

[Ari91]

Having to play without a few regulars, coming out with zero intensity for about 8 games in a row is a strange game plan.

The Leafs 'looked' a lot better last season than they have so far this season and I really don't know if missing experienced players has anything to do with but I sure as hell hope that's what it is.

 

[New Liskeard]

Poor effort by the Leafs tonight, lots of confusion. I expect a dominant performance from the Leafs soon, and the Gardiner/Rielly pairing near the end of the game was frightfully awful. OT, nice goal by young Jones to put Nashville up 2-1 in the 3rd near the end of the game. Seth is going to be quite the player.

 

[William Nylander*]

Both Montreal and Ottawa losing makes this loss much more bearable

 

[Nithoniniel]

No matter how you spin it, at the end of the night, Bernier let in 2 softies

A good shot from prime scoring position with the goalie screened is NOT a softie, even if it goes armpit. All any goalie can do there is hope it hits him. It did and went in unfortunately. I can give you that it is so-so, but that's it.

So one bad rebound, a so-so goal and tons of great saves on quality scoring chances that kept the score way down.

That's absolutely not a bad game by a goalie.

 

[AuGsY]

We would see a major improvement with this team if carlyle would roll:

Lupul -Kadri - Raymond/clarkson
Kessel - Bozak - JVR

The lupul and Kadri line have showed up for almost every game this year, Kadri should be getting the most icetime out of all of our Centers. Period.

 

[yakfish]

Its called effort boys

 

[The Beyonder]

I don't understand Randy's mindset sometimes. What is he thinking putting Kadri with Orr/McClement/Leivo/Bodie and only put him with Lupul/raymond for a few shifts when Kadri is creating the most chances for your team. A good coach assess when players are playing well and plays them more when your team needs some offense. Bozak is an anchor on that line, the only reason it works is because of JVR and Kessel, so how about you put either Kadri or even Bolland up in the 1st line; or does that make too much sense?... oh well.

 

[Daisy Jane]

at this point, I'd be all, flip Gards back to forward. what - really - at this point could it hurt?

 

[34]

Get used to it guys. This is the team at its best.

 

[Beleafer4]

Worst game this season hands down, leafs were outclassed. I wasted my life these past three hours.

 

[FlareKnight]

I just don't get it. They shot more in the third period than the first and second combined. Didn't hit 10 until the third period.

I don't mind getting outshot. But that's just stupid levels of outshot.

Kessel needs to give a damn or get the Kadri treatment and get dropped to the third line.

 

[Hurt]

Blanket statements against other fans (such as homers, koolaid drinkers etc) and flaming each other will NOT be allowed.

 

[Mr Scarface*]

There is no such thing as an unimportant game. A professional team does not lose on purpose.

This team just isn't very good.

Not true at all. And history has proven me right many, many times. Teams lose by purpose and SAVE ENERGY AND PLAYERS AND EVEN GOALIES. Even personel in other jobs for the team. Everyting is saved and taken care of cause of the long, long 82 game regular season. 82 games cannot be won, so intelligent coaches save the team and its players by not showing up every night. That's the way to win stanley cups, by losing the right games. Picking those few games to lose. It's fun. Winning that is. In the end.

 

[bunjay]

I'll agree but isnt time to say that Gardiner can't play a lick of defense and the offensive upside is totally missing? Where is the great puck moving, and passing that Rielly has already surpassed him at?

I don't know whats going on with Gardiner. He's no getting any better defensively, he's such a liability it makes whoever he's partnered with look worse than they are. And yet he's getting nothing done offensively, either.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

Once again Carlyle ***** the bed. Hasn't he ****ing realized yet that bozak is a ****ing scrub?

If the goalie doesn't stand on his head this team just ***** the bed.

To all the bozo fanboys your FO God is the worse FO guy on the leafs with 36% and gets the most time on PP. **** THAT

I am just so frustrated watching this POS on the 1st line and the 1 PP unit. Also, cant wait till Fraser comes back and Ranger is a ****ing healthy scratch.

Cannot believe Phil "The Cookie" Kessel has been just floating past few games. in the past if we went on goal less streaks at least he would be making plays he is completely packed it in.

Carlyle: WOW Having Orr out when down by 2 goals. Just ****ing wow

Nonis: you POS trade Bozak we do not need him. He is a waste of space at 4.2 mil @ 5 years. Oh but I forgot that deal and the player are so ****ing bad that deal will never get made. Great another buyout.


At least the Habs, Sens, Panthers, Tampa and Sabres lost.

 

[Duffman955]

what happened to our grit, toughness and physicality?

No heart no grit no effort

 

[hockeystick89]

Looks like Bozak forgot his only real standout skill.

Kessel looks like hot garbage, back to being probably the softest top 6 forward in the game. Like seriously, if there is a even a remote chance of any slight physical contat occurring, then he will simply give up on a play. He's not going to scoring areas and 75% of his passes are horrible. Real disappointed in him all season so far, I thought he was going to continue turning into the player we wanted him to be when he signed that new contract.

Our defensive coverage is abysmal and the forwards never support each other or provide any quick outlets when we do eventually get the puck back.

Phaneuf is probably playing his best hockey since coming to Toronto but sorry, the guy is a complete slug out there. SLOOOOOOOWWWWW skating and zero clue of what to do on the powerplay. And where's the leadership on the ice? In a game like this, the team needed some emotion and our tough guy captain went MIA.
Keep him around, but there is no way he is a $6.5 million dollar player.

Let's face it, we limped into the playoffs last season, then got good for 5.9 games and now it looks like we've picked up where we left off last year.

 

[Azura]

Our team gets pumped with 40 shots+ on net with so many of them being quality chances after another and people are blaming goaltending?

Get out of here.

If we had Crawford in net and the Hawks had Bernier this game would be 6-0+ Hawks. Be lucky that you have Bernier...this game had blow out written all over it if not for Bernier.

Thank you, kind sir. Said it better than I could.