Daisy Jane
everything is gonna be okay!
- Jul 2, 2009
- 70,217
- 9,210
Excuse me. I just wanted to point this out right off the bat. Last Loose-Leafs, I ended the piece stating:
I firmly believe that we can beat those teams. I am expecting 4 points out of California.I know my boys can do it.
So damn proud of my boys
Didn't even blow a lead or anything. Anyway - moving on
Leafs Stats In a Nutshell
still smells like team crap
But - our PK has been really well since January - not 28th in the League bad. I need to start watching hockey games with a notepad when they show the "first XYZ games, last ABC games" so I have it in my mind, all fresh and good. Anyway - our powerplay jumped from 6th to 3rd on the California roady so that's all good
nothing new to report here. If the Playoffs were today
vs 
Works for me.
After watching that gong-show in Montreal last night - I'd want home ice over Montreal. That game was bru-tal.
On the Shelf
David Bolland - Ankle, never coming back ever in life, apparently
Jonathan Bernier: either the flu, and or something groin/leg/ankle related no one knows
Dion Phaneuf: the flu
Milestones
Morgan Rielly for turning 20!
Nazem Kadri for hitting career points, [vs. LA Kings]
Up and Down
No one was re-assigned
Drew McIntyre was recalled to play back up to James Reimer
Lay Down the Hammer, Boys
I don't really watch baseball - maybe the playoffs, if my Daddy makes me. I remember though when Curt Shilling and Randy Johnson were pitching for Arizona and they were playing the Yankees and everyone was all 'mystique and aura, mystique and aura," and Shilling snaps 'those are dancers in a nightclub."
Well they know Destiny, because I'm saying she's at the night club too.
The nail is right there. We are holding the hammer. This week is facing four teams that are below us - three in our own division in Washington (road), Detroit (road), Tampa (home), Montreal (home). We need to smash it down, quick and hard, not hit our collective thumbs, and enter Sunday the 23rd [10 games left - wow this season flew by] - still in 2nd place, and preferably with a 3-4 point spread on Tampa/Montreal.
Something sticks into my mind - it was after the Carolina game, and McClement was speaking and I guess it was something that stuck with me because unless he scores or the PK is really, really bad, (or super excellent) - McClement never really does pressers. And he did call out the team a little bit - but something that he said at the end really put me on notice
He basically said - winning one of the three conference spots was a big goal for them in the start of the year. They talked about it during training camp and saw no reason why it couldn't be done, and so results like this really hurts because it makes people feel that they aren't capable of doing it.
And I agreed because at the beginning of the year I said the Atlantic would go like this:
Boston
Toronto
Montreal
Ottawa
[Tampa/Columbus screwed me over, as well as Columbus's dominating play this season. Again - you knew they'd be really good - just not holy crap. so good for them].
(It also makes me wonder - english major alert - he said one of our, not "the goal" what the other goals are? I'm assuming, winning a playoff round (or two). that would be a good goal to set for this team).
But basically - I find it interesting that since that game [and the loss in Washington, where they played well - they just lost, and everyone was like how the hell do you get happy over a loss] since that comment and that subsequent players only meeting (and you know the Nonis chewed their ***** off meeting), the Leafs went from 0 playoffs - to 2nd in the Atlantic.
And now they can really put a dent on home ice advantage (and playoff aspirations) to 3 teams. The Leafs - have never been in this situation before. Not in almost 9 years. this is where I feel people like Gleason, and Bernier and Clarkson etc help band the guys together and tell them exactly what to do etc.
Also drawing on their California road trip will do wonders. Destiny is not in our hands. Screw Destiny.
The Leafs hammering away at their oppenents mahauhauhaa
that's the image I want the Leafs to invoke.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
When is this team going to get some? Seriously. I tell you, I feel like I'm a momma and these are my babies and I want to start whupping some major tail because everyone is mean and won't share their toys
Seriously though. Every single thing this team does - is marganlized in some way, and it pisses me off when it comes from Leafs fans. I mean come on - everyone else kicks this team, why are you guys? [And whatever, outshot, we suck, screw it] at least keep it within our walls - don't go to other people's boards and go "Oh yeah, guess what, you're totally going to win because _____________"
First of all - we weren't going to do anything because when we were 10 in 4, weren't doing it properly, we were being outshot, and playing crap defense, and blah blah blah. [to which - I said - yes, this is true, and they do need to work on it - but i'd rather them suck defensively and win, then suck defensively and lose. or as others would seem to have it - be defensive beasts, take massive amounts of shots and lose, because, you know at least we're not getting outshot, right?]
then when we were losing - it wasn't because we were down three centres, no - it was because we suck and see Corsi, and Fenwick, and whatever you wanted to fling at us, and all we do is rely on our goaltending. [because all of three teams in the NHL can say they don't have to do that]
then when the Leafs were winning it was "Oh my god - we're not winning in regulation, what a horrendous bad team they are, bad bad bad, all they do is in in a shootout" ] (i find it hilarious that now that the Leafs are 9-4 in shootouts, now the NHL wants to do something about reducing the amount of shootouts (i know the numbers are like 15% of all NHL games are shootout determined, but still. y'all couldn't have done something when we flat out sucked?)
---notice how no one ever goes "You know - Chicago has an awful lot of loser points - i wonder where THEY would be if a huge chunk of their games weren't in overtime/shootout.
Then we start winning again and it's "oh we're not really beating good teams."
seriously?
Then we're 2nd in the East and now it's "Oh but it doesn't matter because the East is weak - and now when we're the 4th team in the entire NHL to go into California - aka Death Valley - aka no one even gave the Leafs a shot - and get 4 out of 6 points.
"well the Ducks suck now, and LA was meh."
1 pissed off Daisy
And Lord help you if you want to see you know - a team that's 15-4-3 since the middle of January on any power rankings (or you know in the top ten of them) because you know - Corsi, Shots on Net, blah blah blah.
Seriously - at this point - and we've even said it at game 35 of this season: the Leafs are, what they are. They are wildly inconsistent, they're scared defensively, the forwards are lazy. they can't beat crap teams, when they don't want to show up, they REALLY don't show up, God help you if you expect a 60 minute game even once every 3 games, they are in the minus column for every column that makes sense of how/and why teams win hockey games - it just doesn't make sense.
But with 69 games tomorrow - the Leafs have 82 points [see what I did there?]. 82. So whatever shade you want to fling at them regarding being all of what I just said above, you can't fake 80 points. You can't take away that since puck drop last year - the Leafs minus 6 calendar days - have been in a high playoff spot.
So quite frankly - if I were any other team - that would scare the living crap out of me - because if the Leafs can do all of this playing crap defense - imagine when our defense grows up - and everything just clicks?
But for crying out loud could the media [and some of you guys] just remember that before you start harping on everything and everyone? The guys deserve some thumbs up here. actually. right now, here we go!
Daisy's Player of the Week
the Leafs contemplating how exactly they are going to Leaf the opposition
Everybody! I don't usually give it to everyone, and I was going to give it to Kadri, Rielly & Ranger because boy howdy - studs. But the California road trip just reinforced exactly what I've been saying since last year. This team is a JENGA team. For most teams you can take away several players and they're good they can keep on trucking - for our team, it's weird how removing one piece seriously affects the entire team. Or if one piece plays poorly, it affects the line etc. [also known: immaturity, also known: trolling].
But - PBJ line not scoring - no worries, the defense will score
But - PBJ is one dimensional - no worries - watch our 2nd line troll you
But - your number one goalie is down - no worries - our other number one will beat you
[seriously, I'm not going to apologise of what I said about Reimer during the SJ game. I think he needs the Mike Babcock "body language' speech. Fake. it. the end - but he's also not poop. He just needs to play. and he's going to have the perfect chance to show why he can be the number one this week. Go forth and kick butt, young Reimer. go forth, and kick butt].
Leaf's Schedule This Week
I'm expecting massive point collection this week, and the Leafs remaining in 2nd spot in the division with some point spread.
Sunday, March 16th
@ 
- 3:00pm, Sportsnet OntarioTuesday, March 18th
@ 
- 7:00pm, Sportsnet OntarioWednesday, March 19th
@ - 7:00pm, TSNSaturday, March 22nd
@ , 7:00pm, HNICSunday, March 23rd
@ 
, 8:00pm Leafs TVsee you next week.
