Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 3-1 vs Bruins | #FreeMorganRielly

[Al14]

You're all wrong, the game went downhill after they showed those 2 scary Boston HAGS in the crowd, I was thrown off too.

Seriously though people are blaming Phaneuf? Fraser, Ranger and JVR (because he's playing C) looked awful tonight and I cannot comprehend how people are still backing Ranger up. It'd be awesome if he could return to NHL form asap but it doesn't look like it will be this season.

Fixed. You obviously don't know what MILFs stands for!

 

[Srsly]

I'm actually not that upset. We've historically had issues with the Bruins and the fact we didn't look like a joke and went down fighting was nice to see.

I'm a little disappointed with our inconsistent play. It's definitely something that needs to be addressed. We looked terrible in the first but I suppose we could have been tired from last nights game or even rusty from the long break prior to our game against the devils. The two minutes of play where either Kulemin or Ranger were stickless was also a little embarrassing.

I honestly don't understand Ranger and Fraser being played over Rielly, heck... I'm starting to doubt Ranger being played over Liles.

I don't know why people are so hard on Gardiner, he had some great chances but just couldn't quite put it all together. Wasn't he something like second on the team of terms of shots on goal?

Reimer looked a little shaky at times but to blame him for the loss is silly as well. I'm not trying to make excuses for his constant swimming but he played as well as can be expected from 90% of the other starters in the NHL. The way we played in the first it could have been a lot worse than 1-0 by the end of the period and both goals were impacted heavily by our D hanging out in the blue.

 

[rimshot]

Fixed. You obviously don't know what MILFs stands for!

Moderately Intoxicated Listless Fem-bots?

 

[colchar]

Rielly would have made a massive difference, especially in the first period, when mark fraser got hemmed in his own zone for 3 minutes because he doesn't know how to skate.

So Fraser was entirely responsible for that???

calm down.

Rielly is a very good player, Fraser is a liability.

It would likely have made a huge difference in this one-goal game.

Yeah, Reilly would have got the the goals they needed to win. Sure he would....

 

[colchar]

People lose credibility when I hear them say Phaneuf is horrible. Hear that a lot on these boards.

Some more effort on Boston's empty netter would have been nice.

 

[rimshot]

Amazing. The most intelligent, sensible post here has to come from a non-Leaf fan. Of course, there are many smart Leaf fan observers here saying similar things, but the juxtaposition of this Canucks fan's honest appraisal with the moronic and damaging comments by Leaf "supporters" is shocking.

Yeah, like some posters here, me too, I don't come by much anymore because most comments are so childish and moronic it's simply a waste of precious time.

You are right. Leaf "fans" win first prize for childish and moronic comments and are generally a waste of time. However, due to a distinct lack of alternatives, my time really isn't all that precious...and so here I am.

 

[sommervr]

We lost but I am not that upset. Leafs found their game for a bit there. There is hope.

We are going to need a center though in addition to Bozak. One good enough to trade for. Maybe trade a lot for.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Kulemin seems to be the only player who wants to be first on the forecheck.

Sure, he's a bit rusty - although he nearly setup Kadri with a great tip-in goal - but he's an extremely effective player.

Also Gardiner was excellent.

 

[iceblue]

You must have gone to some school.

Girls are more logical than some of this stuff.

Some of the posters emotions after a loss remind me of conversations with my patients I have at the psychiatric hospital. Quite dramatic and delusional. Take everything with a grain of salt, but their reality is in there somewhere. Might not match the rest of the world's but so be it.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Kulemin seems to be the only player who wants to be first on the forecheck.

Sure, he's a bit rusty - although he nearly setup Kadri with a great tip-in goal - but he's an extremely effective player.

Also Gardiner was excellent.

I don't agree with your assessment in Gardiner, he was okay, but excellent? If Gardiner was excellent than he would have produced something last night. He is not getting anything out of his talent this year. The looks good, but no production refrain is starting to become a norm this year for Jake.

His hockey sense is starting to look questionable.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Some of the posters emotions after a loss remind me of conversations with my patients I have at the psychiatric hospital. Quite dramatic and delusional. Take everything with a grain of salt, but their reality is in there somewhere. Might not match the rest of the world's but so be it.

For every whine post on these forums you have posts like these which just get annoying as well and it happens after every loss. Get off your high horse.

 

[Raging Bull]

I don't agree with your assessment in Gardiner, he was okay, but excellent? If Gardiner was excellent than he would have produced something last night. He is not getting anything out of his talent this year. The looks good, but no production refrain is starting to become a norm this year for Jake.

His hockey sense is starting to look questionable.

He's kind of like the Jason Blake of defense. Great skater, great speed, good at gaining the zone, but 9 times out of 10 nothing comes of it.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

He's kind of like the Jason Blake of defense. Great skater, great speed, good at gaining the zone, but 9 times out of 10 nothing comes of it.

Brett Lebda was fast, had decent skills, looked good in spots too. He never amounted to anything. That's the extreme example.

Yeah, I get the Blake comparison. Looks great, creates chances, but gets a fraction of results. I don't know what Nonis is going to do with Jake. You hold onto to him and his value declines.

I think this is already happening this season. Time to deal him was this summer after the playoffs, that's starting to look like a one off. 3 points for an offensive defenceman with PP time is terrible production.

If we needed a defensive defencman, we have some coming up in Macwilliam, Percy and Granberg in the minors.

He's expendable to me, the more I see of him.

 

[ConnorTO]

wonder if Rielly plays next game

 

[Beleafer4]

Gards was great yesterday. Good defensively with a minimal amount of turnovers, took the body, and helped us gain the zone many many times. also had 7 shots on net.
I hope gards can play like this more consistently, the points will come.
edit: I think playing on the left side really helps gardiners offensive game. he likes to beat players to the outside (on his forehand) with his skating, something he cant do when he is on his right side.. Unless he skates through the center... which is a big nono.

Lupul was really good too, that was one hell of a snipe. But i was happy with pretty much the whole team outside of the 4th line and JVR (i feel putting him at C takes away too much from his game).

 

[zeke]

Thought that ashton was good again and back to his preseason forechecking effectiveness.

When randy put ashton-mcclement-clarkson together they put together some dominant forechecking cycling shifts, which we haven't seen much of.

If we ever get healthy, i'm prrtty sure ashton has taken mclaren's job on the 4th line.

Of course the sad thing there is that it seems clarkson has already fallen behind raymond and kulemin on the winger depth chart. Not all that surprising, but still not good that our $37 mil man might already be our 9th or 10th best forward.

 

[zeke]

Also happy with smithson as an emergency fill in so far. Good on draws, physical, has been blocking shots and covering defensively, and isn't as slow as i feared, either.

 

[HockeyGuy82]

nice effort on the backend of the back to back.

dead even game, even down two centres.

though with Rielly in instead of Fraser, we probably win this one.

haha. not really no.

 

[HockeyGuy82]

Some posters are embarrassing, and should never post again. Blaming Phaneuf when he played almost half the game. Wake up people, and gain some sports/hockey knowledge because a lot of you are missing it.

this.

 

[iceblue]

You must have gone to some school.

Girls are more logical than some of this stuff.

For every whine post on these forums you have posts like these which just get annoying as well and it happens after every loss. Get off your high horse.

Well, sorry you find my post offensive. I do not post after every loss as you suggest, but you are free to express your opinions as am I. I just find the sky is falling mentality after a loss hard to take, and in fact often won't even look at the thread at all, or until the following day.

I believe the Leafs did a decent job playing last night. With the injuries, and the back to back games I did not expect a win. I was happy with their effort after the first period though and don't think it will be all that long before the team can beat the Bruins more consistently.

 

[zeke]

haha. not really no.

Haha. Yeah really.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Well, sorry you find my post offensive. I do not post after every loss as you suggest, but you are free to express your opinions as am I. I just find the sky is falling mentality after a loss hard to take, and in fact often won't even look at the thread at all, or until the following day.

I believe the Leafs did a decent job playing last night. With the injuries, and the back to back games I did not expect a win. I was happy with their effort after the first period though and don't think it will be all that long before the team can beat the Bruins more consistently.

I certainly wasn't implying that you and only you come here all the time and post those types of messages. It was just a general observation.

I just think belittling our own fanbase gets just as annoying as guys ripping into players unjustifiably. Again, this is just a general commentary on these forums.

 

[Kingstonian84*]

this.

Phaneuf is to blame on that goal, I'm sorry but he did nothing to stop the guy from making the pass. I'm not blaming Phaneuf for the loss, with 30 seconds to go down 2-1 odds are we lose that game regardless, however there was some hope to get back in it, Dion killed it though with that moronic play.

 

[soulie]

Hmmm random post game thoughts...

Wow never saw one team totally dominate another team for 2 plus minutes, and then the situation is reversed in the next period.

Early this season the Leafs seem to have forgotten their identity... after Phaneuf drills Paille they seemed to wake up and we saw the brand of hockey this team is capable of... thats the level they need to play at... I hope they build from this game and team toughness becomes a priority once again...

JVR in the middle aint doing it for me, I'd maybe give him one more game and see if he can get comfortable if not I'd look at bringing up someone else maybe even smitty... The thinking being to conserve his energy for the offensive zone instead of getting gassed playing D in our end.

Our 4th line is a waste, 2nd night of a back to back and our 4th line can't play any meaningful hockey minutes... That sucks. Really sucks. Whats the point of dressing our 4th line we might as well not dress them and take a handicap going into big games. I'm blaming the coaching strategy here Coach Carlyle needs to focus on that line if they arent useful, he needs to find a way to make them useful (systems, personnel, something). Every game it's the same story and no one holds him accountable...

Clarkson, either his conditioning is off or his head is still not in the game. Clearly needs to spend time in practice to better understand/utilize his teammates.

Gardiner defensively is improving and becoming consistent overall, however, his offensive game is in a state of flux. He get into the offensive zone so effortlessly but then it's like a switch goes off and he is handling a hand grenade... his shot isn't very accurate and in fact it seems like he just passes it into the net rather than locating a teammate or trying to snipe one to score. ugh can't believe I'm writing this but Gardiner needs to take a look at Krug's game...

Ranger thought he was ok and in fact I was pleasantly surprised with his compete level... too bad he sat on Reimer and they both watched the GWG go in...

Not sure how the refs can miss so many headshots but can catch the softest high sticking call in nhl history... is it because our guys don't crumple to the ice and act dead?... Tired of this c.rap - every week it's a different standard...

Also I write way too much, someone shoot me...

 

[iceblue]

I certainly wasn't implying that you and only you come here all the time and post those types of messages. It was just a general observation.

I just think belittling our own fanbase gets just as annoying as guys ripping into players unjustifiably. Again, this is just a general commentary on these forums.

We are a passionate fan base with different view points, which is much preferable to having a lackluster fan base or none at all.