Post-Game Talk: Leaf fans dominate Staples Center, Leafs win 3-2. OPTIMUS REIM with a huge WIN!

[Leafs Forever]

It'll be really interesting to see if Carlyle sticks with running 7D come play-off time (assuming the likely scenario we make the playoffs).

I hope he does. Playing a 4th line isn't really worth is when it gets to crunch time in the playoffs. One of the reasons I think we imploded last year was over playing Phaneuf, who can't handle a 27+ minute load very well. 7D fixes that.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Kulemin had me flashing back to Poni in Carolina there at the end.

Weird. I know exactly what you're talking about.

It takes something special to make a simple giveaway in the regular season so memorable.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Folks we will continue to get outshot every game as long as we have our wingers collapsing down low to protect the net.

Its simple hockey if you leave the points open to major flaws happen.

1.Opponents get to throw the puck back to the D and get more shots on net with no pressure on them to make a play

2. Our D get the puck wrap it around the board and how wingers are in the slot covering the net....so what happens point #1 all over their D get shots on net.

We tend to chip out and try to retrieve the puck instead of being able to make short 5 foot passes in our zone to generate speed going thru the neutral zone.

So getting outshot every game is a moot point now unless they decided to cove the points and hope the D and C can play 3 on 3 down low.

SO far it has worked for almost 1.5 seasons. Media needs something to whine about but I don't think the coaches or players care otherwise the system would have been changed way earlier this season. Carlyle wants this system and he feels it works best.

So just enjoy the games and keep hoping the system works.

This is true.

I don't think Carlyle has that much confidence in our D and centers defensively, outside of Bozak and McClement. And Bolland, but he's been gone.

Hopefully that improves with time. But we'll see.

 

[ACC1224]

Weird. I know exactly what you're talking about.

It takes something special to make a simple giveaway in the regular season so memorable.

If I remember correctly the season went downhill very quickly after that.

 

[Drew311]

not to open up a can of warms but im not so convinced it's their actual dman that are causing the shots, i think it's just the system they play, and by no means am i criticizing it like others, i would rather have a randy carlyle team that wins than a ron wilson team that puts up 40 shots a night and loses, anybody remember how the leafs would pepper so many shots and lose when we first hired ron wilson?

Haha yeah so true. Those were really frustrating games to watch, seeing Jason Blake and Niklas Hagman throwing shots on net from 40 feet away at the side boards....bad times.

The Leafs now get a tonne of high quality chances a game, usually on rush 2 on 1's and 3 on 2's. It's exciting to watch and it works the majority of the time. As the defense ages (i.e. Rielly & Gardiner) they will get better at not turning the puck over and playing a smarter game. This team will only get better, which is exciting.

 

[Pyromaniac3]

I'd like to roll out:

Rielly-Phaneuf
Gunnarsson-Gardiner
Gleason-Franson
Ranger.

Keep the 7D going.

The 7D will take pressure off Phaneuf. Plus, anyone feel as confident as me when Rielly gets the puck behind the net? He scoots it out quick and skates out of danger. Think he would look good with Dion - eventhough he is still green.

I think it's fine the way it is. No need to change what's working right?

 

[Commander Clueless]

I'd like to roll out:

Rielly-Phaneuf
Gunnarsson-Gardiner
Gleason-Franson
Ranger.

Keep the 7D going.

The 7D will take pressure off Phaneuf. Plus, anyone feel as confident as me when Rielly gets the puck behind the net? He scoots it out quick and skates out of danger. Think he would look good with Dion - eventhough he is still green.

I'd be interested to see Rielly with Phaneuf. I think they would compliment each other well.

That said, I do think we as fans tend to under-appreciate the value that Gunnarsson brings to that pairing.

 

[Jack Bauer]

The wins are great but nobody can honestly say that their defensive shortcomings aren't cause for concern. They badly need to upgrade their team defence in the off season.

So using that logic you're only ever content after the Cup victory?

I mean if you're whining now about what needs to be done in the off-season.

I will worry about what we need to do to improve after we have full hindsight to use as an evaluation.

We just beat 2 of the best teams in the league in their own building and you're worried about improving our top 4 in the off season.

How can we not be enjoying this as a fan base after being so bad for so long?

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

15-4-3 in their last 22 games, and they likely were outshot in every single one of them. Get over the outshot=outplayed argument. At this point it is so ridiculous.

Over that stretch outshot an average of 36 -28.

 

[Commander Clueless]

So using that logic you're only ever content after the Cup victory?

I mean if you're whining now about what needs to be done in the off-season.

I will worry about what we need to do to improve after we have full hindsight to use as an evaluation.

We just beat 2 of the best teams in the league in their own building and you're worried about improving our top 4 in the off season.

How can we not be enjoying this as a fan base after being so bad for so long?

Absolutely, but you can't really blame the fanbase for being pessimistic, given the past decade or so.





...the laughing hides the pain....

 

[Suntouchable13]

I missed the game as I was just too tired to stay up. Haven't seen the highlights yet either. I was really pumped when I checked the score this morning and found out that they won! Big, massive win

 

[blue82]

Entire roster was good last night, top to bottom. IMO the most impressive game of the season.

Kulemin had me flashing back to Poni in Carolina there at the end.

just as you expected

 

[ACC1224]

just as you expected

I don't follow.

 

[blue82]

I missed the game as I was just too tired to stay up. Haven't seen the highlights yet either. I was really pumped when I checked the score this morning and found out that they won! Big, massive win

be sure to check out the winning goal sequence it was EPIC

 

[blue82]

I don't follow.

i was sifting through the game day thread yesterday and i saw one of your posts saying that you were expecting a win

 

[ACC1224]

i was sifting through the game day thread yesterday and i saw one of your posts saying that you were expecting a win

Yeah I did but I didn't expect them to be so impressive in doing it.

 

[Eb]

What does doughty even mean in his tweet?

 

[Commander Clueless]

What does doughty even mean in his tweet?

Translates roughly to "I'm a great player, but not the most tactful person in the world".

 

[diceman934]

If he had a good shot he'd have 10+ goals.

Maybe he's a practice player shooter.

I do expect he'll do better when he's physically mature.

WTF.....a practice shooter....please. He has a good shot always has, his release is very quick. He shoots for a purpose in most cases unless in the prime scoring area. His propose is to create scoring chances.....imagine that!

 

[diceman934]

I noticed these California teams play with a huge amount of speed, intensity and quick puck movement. Both Anaheim and San Jose were clearly superior to the Leafs in that sense, but they managed to match it last night against LA.

LA is not a quick team over all and you can beat them with speed. The Ducks we matched their speed real well but not their intensity.....we simply did not show up against the Sharks.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think everybody has been trained (by the Leafs) to wait for impending doom based on all our collapses recently.

I think it's time to stop playing cap managers, to stop playing statisticians and stop looking for reasons for why we won't win the next game. I think people need to go back to being fans firstly, and let management deal with all the other junk as long as we're winning.

I used to give a **** about the cap during the regular season, used to give a **** about shots but now I'm going back to my 8 year old self and am watching games to support my team and to see wins. All the analysis can be left up to everyone else. As long as we win, I'm happy.

I do that too when the games are played. I don't stay into that mode 24hrs a day until the season is over though. If you do cool, not saying there's anything wrong with that at all. But I don't see anything wrong with a little objective analysis either. We're a huge long shot to win the cup this year and while I hope we go as far as we can this year, I am even more interested in seeing if we can build a true contender here. It's pretty interesting to me actually. There are some very positive things about this team, and then things that make me want to tear my hair out. Kind of like watching Gardner play sometimes.

 

[LeafOfBread]

The NHL's 'super 16' STILL doesn't include the Leafs, yet they have the Flyers in the 16th spot Absolute joke, probably using corsi as their measuring stick I'm guessing. I don't understand why Montreal or Tampa are on there as well with how bad they have played. How can you not include a team that is 15-4-3 in it's last 22 games?

 

[mikebel111*]

Ducks werent a good posession team when they won the cup with RC as coach.
We will not outsoot a lot of teams. It is what it is.
However these days we are controlling the games.


Outshooting an opponent can go out the window!

 

[mikebel111*]

Are people watching the games? Recently we are not getting outplayed.

 

[p.l.f.]

Kopitar:
"I don't know how they execute their system, but it seemed like they were skating and playing a tight-checking game. But it was just a case of our game tonight not getting it done."