Pre-Game Talk: Uhhh, What do we do now? Leafs vs Devils in what will feel like a month.

[Daisy Jane]

Nice to see a fellow Leaf fan who can actually evaluate a players performance and give credit where it is deserved!

Good job.

I don't see why Ranger is getting hate on. he wasn't that bad when he started - and he's quietly, surely, picking up his game every game. Yes. some brain farts, but that's okay.

Franson... I don't even know if by this point you can point "missing training camp." on this. I doubt it's just missing Fraser because Gardiner and he put on a clinic in the playoffs. So then I guess do you stick the two together?

 

[RealisticLeaf55]

with our two top centers out I feel like our Defense will have to do a better job of creating Offense. Phaneuf, Franson and Gardiner all need to step up and make the power play lethal again.

 

[frankthetank91]

I for one don't want to make any trades right now. Let's see what we got first. Let's pray our wingers are good enough to make up for the losses of our centers. I want to roll with this:

JVR-Kadri-Kessel
Lupul-McClement-Clarkson
Raymond-Smith-Kulemin
McLaren-Smithson-Orr

 

[Suntouchable13]

If it's same old same old, I will start to question what are these guys doing at practice.

 

[Daisy Jane]

If it's same old same old, I will start to question what are these guys doing at practice.

 

[PhiladelphiaKessel]

Why not? Franson is use to being able to pinch and make bad plays in protected minutes with Fraser backing him up. Yes, in the playoffs he proved he can do more but that was after a 48 game season. Franson missed training camp and is now playing the PK in addition to PP and second pairing 5 on 5 with an offensive D. He is struggling because of bigger minutes, harder competition, starting the season late, & not have a stay at home rock beside him. I think when Fraser comes back the two of them need to be put back together. I don't know what that means for our second pairing but Franson needs some time back with Fraser to get up to speed and figure his game out.

EDIT: Hoping the line-up will be:

Lupul - JVR - Kessel
Kulemin - Kadri - Clarkson (Kadri needs to show off his nifty mittens with two players who can create a lot of space for him)
Raymond - McClement - Leivo/Broll/Devane
McLaren - Smith - Orr (5 minutes max this game)

Phaneuf - Gunnarsson
Gardiner - Rielly/Ranger
Fraser - Franson

Bernier
Reimer

I like this lineup a lot actually. It's not ideal buts it's the best way to deal with the situation

 

[Asif16*]

I wonder who fraser is gonna be coming in for.

And who are our center will be outside of kadri and Mcclement

 

[nc]

I have a question. Is Smithson Leafs property or is he just on a Marlies contract? The last thing I heard about him was that he was on try out with the Marlies and not that he had signed any contract with the Leafs. And if this is the case, I don't think the Leafs could just call him up without signing him first right?

 

[Cor]

He is on a tryout with the Marlies

 

[The_Chosen_One]

I don't see why Ranger is getting hate on. he wasn't that bad when he started - and he's quietly, surely, picking up his game every game. Yes. some brain farts, but that's okay.

Franson... I don't even know if by this point you can point "missing training camp." on this. I doubt it's just missing Fraser because Gardiner and he put on a clinic in the playoffs. So then I guess do you stick the two together?

That could be the reason. It seems like Gardiner is more of an orthodox puck rushing defenceman than Rielly. If the Gardiner - Franson pair was re-established, we may see higher performance where Gardiner rushes into the offensive zone while Franson is stays back.

 

[Mitchy]

Better puck possession and actually try in the 2nd period.

 

[Daisy Jane]

That could be the reason. It seems like Gardiner is more of an orthodox puck rushing defenceman than Rielly. If the Gardiner - Franson pair was re-established, we may see higher performance where Gardiner rushes into the offensive zone while Franson is stays back.

so i would wonder if randy would try this:

phaneuf/rielly
gunnarson/ranger
gardiner/franson ?

then... i dunno about Fraser when he comes back.

 

[Rielly4]

Fransons not gonna be takin out, points wise hes one of our top d man, and was last year too, he plays on the 1st unit PP and is suppose to be one of our vets out there, hes making some defensive lapses but dont ruin his mojo... Hes a vet on the team let him figure it out, also our only righty, no way he sits. Rather see Gunner sit then anyone else, although Ranger and Rielly will probably take turns sitting.

 

[thewave]

Fransons not gonna be takin out, points wise hes one of our top d man, and was last year too, he plays on the 1st unit PP and is suppose to be one of our vets out there, hes making some defensive lapses but dont ruin his mojo... Hes a vet on the team let him figure it out, also our only righty, no way he sits. Rather see Gunner sit then anyone else, although Ranger and Rielly will probably take turns sitting.

Hahaha you sit Gunner and our D game will fall off the face of the earth.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Seeing the Guelph Storm play this Friday. Hope that by me not watching the game- that they will play better

 

[Community]

I really think the defensive problems are much more significant than what our line-up would be (I think we'll put MayRay 1st line C, Kadri 2nd, McClement 3rd, Smith 4th)

I'm hoping to see one of the following:

Gunnar - Phaneuf
Rielly - Gardiner
Fraser - Ranger

or

Gunnar - Phaneuf
Rielly/Gardiner - Fraser
Rielly/Gardiner - Ranger

or

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Gunnar - Rielly
Fraser - Ranger

Option 1: While I think Gunnar hasn't been better than okay this year, the top pairing has been great all year (mostly just Phaneuf) so I'm alright with keeping them there. I would make our top 4 play the majority of the minutes (Something like 25, 22, 13 or 25, 20, 15).

Option 2: Mostly even minutes... something around 22 - 20 - 18. We got Rielly and Gardiner with Fraser ( a DFD) and Ranger (A OFD/TWD that is at least somewhat gritty... no better defensive option).

Option 3: Same as option 1, but I think Gardiner might do better with the big minutes than Gunnarson would.... Not sure, but I want to know what Gardiner can do with big minutes this season, I think he could do very well with them.

 

[Community]

so i would wonder if randy would try this:

phaneuf/rielly
gunnarson/ranger
gardiner/franson ?

then... i dunno about Fraser when he comes back.

I think Ranger can improve, but there is no way he should be playing more minutes than Gardiner right now (at least Gardiner has worked on his defensive positioning and picking his spots.... Ranger and Franson have done nothing to improve defensively).

 

[Muston Atthews]

JVR centreing Kessel and Lupul this morning. Thats some fire power right there

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Clarkson seems to be favoring his left leg.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Clarkson looks fine. 4 days rest should fix it even if it is a minor thing.

 

[Community]

JVR centreing Kessel and Lupul this morning. Thats some fire power right there

That's a lot of fire-power in our top line... while our second line won't be amazing, it will still be effective at producing offense. If we need to improve our secondary scoring I feel like Clarkson or Kulemin will switch with Lupul, but I think our secondary scoring will be good enough with Kulemin-Kadri-Clarkson (perhaps MayRay on 2nd).

Lupul - JVR - Kessel
Kulemin - Kadri - Clarkson
Mayray - McClement - Leivo/Ashton/Marlie

 

[frankthetank91]

That's a lot of fire-power in our top line... while our second line won't be amazing, it will still be effective at producing offense. If we need to improve our secondary scoring I feel like Clarkson or Kulemin will switch with Lupul, but I think our secondary scoring will be good enough with Kulemin-Kadri-Clarkson (perhaps MayRay on 2nd).

Lupul - JVR - Kessel
Kulemin - Kadri - Clarkson
Mayray - McClement - Leivo/Ashton/Marlie

I'd put Mayray on the 2nd line. Think he'd be a better fit than Kulemin there. Good mix.

I'm curious to see JVR at center. Imagine he ends up being a beast and becomes our #1C

 

[TheLeastOfTheBunch]

Lupul - JVR - Kessel
Raymond - Kadri - Clarkson
Kulemin - McClement - Ashton
McLaren - Smith - Orr

 

[Mowerman]

Why not? Franson is use to being able to pinch and make bad plays in protected minutes with Fraser backing him up. Yes, in the playoffs he proved he can do more but that was after a 48 game season. Franson missed training camp and is now playing the PK in addition to PP and second pairing 5 on 5 with an offensive D. He is struggling because of bigger minutes, harder competition, starting the season late, & not have a stay at home rock beside him. I think when Fraser comes back the two of them need to be put back together. I don't know what that means for our second pairing but Franson needs some time back with Fraser to get up to speed and figure his game out.

EDIT: Hoping the line-up will be:

Lupul - JVR - Kessel
Kulemin - Kadri - Clarkson (Kadri needs to show off his nifty mittens with two players who can create a lot of space for him)
Raymond - McClement - Leivo/Broll/Devane
McLaren - Smith - Orr (5 minutes max this game)

Phaneuf - Gunnarsson
Gardiner - Rielly/Ranger
Fraser - Franson

Bernier
Reimer

Franson missed a training camp and some pre-season games so we should give him a break. Ranger is adjusting to the pace of the nhl after missing how many years and we should cut him for a player who has been worse. The issues in Ranger's game can be explained very simply and the fact that they are improving the more minutes he plays only strengthens their legitimacy. Ranger left hockey for a significant period of time and needs time to pick up where he left off.

Your explanation for Franson's play doesn't line up. The first game against Edmonton he made completely brutal and inexcusable plays that directly contributed to four goals along with countless other scoring chances. Franson has been inexcusably inconsistent and I don't see why a training camp and the presence of defensive stud Fraser would magically change that. Ranger has proven more in the past than Franson has, is looking like he can be a better player in the present, and will likely be a cheaper player to retain. As far as I can see it makes a lot more sense to invest in Ranger over Franson if that is what it comes to.

 

[mikebel111*]

Tony Ambrogio ‏@SNTonyAmbrogio 35m
Lengthy #Leafs practice coming to close. At one point Carlyle yelled "You can't forecheck if you don't dump the puck effectively"


Tony Ambrogio ‏@SNTonyAmbrogio 35m
Also yelled "we are not working hard enough" before saying "we have the ice until 4!"

Mark Masters ‏@markhmasters 21m
During lengthy skate at end of practice, Carlyle actually took a few laps with the players #solidarity

Mark Masters ‏@markhmasters 50m
Carlyle doesn't seem all that happy with how this practice is proceeding; working on the forecheck game right now