Kessel and the shootout?

[Judas Tavares]

I don't know why Kessel keeps trying to deke. He has one of the best shots in the world... use it.

All he does in the shootout is shoot and he misses. The goalies know his shot is great and know he's gonna go high, so it becomes easy to anticipate. He needs to switch it up to a deke, he can do it.

 

[Stephen]

What's stopping him from cutting to the wing then back to the inside?

Ask him!

 

[TheKule]

Remember when the Leafs had that 10 round shootout last year, and Carlyle didn't use our statistically best SO player (Grabovski) at all?

Yea.

 

[LeafsNation75]

The last time Kessel actually scored a goal in the shootout was on Saturday December 4, 2010 against the Bruins. You would have thought since then he could at least score a couple more, however the fact he has not is surprising.

 

[Pi]

Kessel sucks on shootout. It's like Colton Orr getting a penalty shot...you would love it if he scored but you know he isn't going to score.

Kessel needs to be far down the SO list. I'd put Morgan Rielly in a shoot out. He's had some great chances in the game...maybe a SO goal can get him scoring in the real game.

 

[LeafsNation75]

He does the same thing every time. Stick handle back hand forehand for 5 seconds and then shoot glove side, or some times 5 hole. He honestly has no dekes.

The funny thing about that is during the 2011-2012 season when Toronto played Detroit, Kessel was given a penalty shot and was able to score. Wouldn't you say a penalty shot is the same situation as a shootout because the Goalie still has time to think more compared to a regular breakaway? So how was Kessel able to score on a penalty shoot and always miss in the shootout?

 

[Confucius]

Kessel should attack straight down the middle at full speed and snipe, forget about the deke.

 

[Primary Assist]

Teach McLaren some moves. He's got the biggest reach on the team, and there's no way any other teams would have any scouting info on him. That or let Ranger kick it into the goalies head again on the first shot and hope it stuns him for the rest of the shootout.

 

[highslot]

i think everyone agrees, kessel shouldn't be a top option in the shootout. you have bozak, kadri, jvr, lupul, bolland and even kulemin.

 

[Gallagbi]

i think everyone agrees, kessel shouldn't be a top option in the shootout. you have bozak, kadri, jvr, lupul, bolland and even kulemin.

Bolland isn't a much better option at 1 for 9 lifetime in the shootout.

I wouldn't be surprised it Rielly, Gardiner and Franson were better SO players than a lot of our forwards.

 

[Community]

Bolland isn't a much better option at 1 for 9 lifetime in the shootout.

I wouldn't be surprised it Rielly, Gardiner and Franson were better SO players than a lot of our forwards.

our shoot-out should be 3 of the following (IMO):

Raymond
JVR
Kadri
Rielly
Bozak
Gardiner
Kessel

I think Raymond, JVR, and Kadri should be our first 3 shooters... this is pretty much the order I think should be used (IDK why Kessel has had so much troubles with the shoot-out, I bet if we looked at his penalty shot % it would be much higher). I haven't see Gardiner or Rielly in the shoot-out, but I think they would be good.