Post-Game Talk: When in Doubt, Shootout: Sabres 3 Leafs 4

[LEAFSIN4]

We'd be fifth in the east right now if the divisions/playoff format never changed..

How is that possible? we have been **** the past 2 and a half months lol.

We are 5th anyways as of right now (1-2 more GP than the teams below us)

Over the last 22 games (possible 44 points) we have 22 points... .500 hockey since December 3rd. Not bad considering the injuries+24/7.

 

[Raym11]

Bozak is great this year glad to see him succeeding his contract looks at the very least normal. He's playing great this year without the puck and having some decent offensive production with it couldnt ask for more

 

[TheVision]

Bozak is great this year glad to see him succeeding his contract looks at the very least normal. He's playing great this year without the puck and having some decent offensive production with it couldnt ask for more

And when the cap continues to go up, his caphit will continue to look better!

 

[X66]

Those tickets in Buffalo are like $60 bucks. Nice try.

Ever been to an arena that the leafs dominate in fan numbers? Good luck finding tickets that are that close for 60 bucks.

 

[JMcLeaf]

We are 5th anyways as of right now (1-2 more GP than the teams below us)

Over the last 22 games (possible 44 points) we have 22 points... .500 hockey since December 3rd. Not bad considering the injuries+24/7.

Doesnt matter if we are 5th in pts in the conference. Under the new system we are currently in the higher wild card spot which means if the playoffs started today we're facing the Bruins.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Burn the Boats should be replaced to Get it to a Shootout.

I just hope we don't get into a tie breaker situation for the last wildcard spot. Need to make it on points with our shootout wins.

 

[SprDaVE]

Decent game. Missed a lot of our chances and played decent defensively, all though the way it should be against Buffalo.

We got unlucky a bit with the third goal and some bad calls against us but the first 2 goals shouldn't have happened either.

Holland has been great. Seems like the puck follows him around, just like Kadri last year. He's very poised with the puck and can deke in a phone booth. Really impressed by him. Easily worth the 2nd round pick.

It's tough to see the Kadri, Lupul and Raymond line struggle but the other 2 lines are clicking well, so I understand why Carlyle doesn't want to mess that up. The only other move I would do would be to put Ashton there instead of Raymond, but Raymond would be worst as a 4th line player, so that doesn't work. Kadri and Lupul just need to go back to their success from last year, which is skating and intensity. They haven't showed that recently. They also overthink plays, trying to pass when they should shoot and vice versa. They have been fairly unlucky as well on their big chances. Kadri has probably missed 3 sure goals in the last 5 goals.

 

[Grant]

In the Shootouts:
JVR + Bozak + Lupul = 15/22

Everyone else on the leafs = 2/13 (Raymond is 2/7)


With JVR + Bozak + Lupul scoring at 68% of the time, we won't be losing many shootouts.

To put it in perspective. The best team in shootouts this year is the Oilers at 60% of shots being goals, but they have only had 10 attempts. Of teams that have had 20+ attempts, the leafs are first at 48.6% with washington at 40.4% in 2nd. 68% is MUCH higher. With leafs goalies letting in 1/3 shots, means we need 2 to win, 68% is higher than that, we should win just about every shootout we enter HURRAY FOR LOSER POINTS!

 

[Stats01]

We are 5th anyways as of right now (1-2 more GP than the teams below us)

Over the last 22 games (possible 44 points) we have 22 points... .500 hockey since December 3rd. Not bad considering the injuries+24/7.

No we're not 5th. A lot of you need to get the old system out of your heads. We are in the 1st WC spot. Top 3 in each division automatically get it. We're barely in a playoff spot right now with teams behind us with games in hand. We have to keep getting points because we're ****ed in any tie-breaker. 5th place my ass.

I'm hoping for a Mtl win and that NYR-Det game sucks because one of those teams are going to get 2 points on us, best case it ends in regulation, thats all we can hope for

 

[Stats01]

Doesnt matter if we are 5th in pts in the conference. Under the new system we are currently in the higher wild card spot which means if the playoffs started today we're facing the Bruins.

At this point right now I don't care who we face, just getting in would be an accomplishment, a lot of teams have 2 games in hand on us.

I'd prefer the Rangers winning against Detroit. It kills a game in hand for the Wings and all it does is tie us with the Rangers with the same games played and we're still in a playoff spot. Right now I'm hoping the teams ahead of us for the 3 spots in our division continue to beat down on the teams chasing us. I rather keep gaining distance on the teams behind us rather than chase down the teams ahead of us because it just means we have to keep winning and winning to keep an edge on Ottawa, Detroit etc.

 

[Stats01]

Burn the Boats should be replaced to Get it to a Shootout.

I just hope we don't get into a tie breaker situation for the last wildcard spot. Need to make it on points with our shootout wins.

This 3 game streak is nice, but to really start gaining ground a 5 or 6 gamer is necessary. I wish this team would really go on a big streak, when was the last time we had like 7 or 8 wins in a row?

 

[SprDaVE]

This 3 game streak is nice, but to really start gaining ground a 5 or 6 gamer is necessary. I wish this team would really go on a big streak, when was the last time we had like 7 or 8 wins in a row?

Definitely need a big streak, not just a 3 or 4 game winning streak and then lose a couple in a row. We did have a point streak of 6 or 7 games I believe this year though.

We really need to string together wins like right now. Lose here and there but get back on the winning track after a loss. Going 6-2-2 for awhile would get us in a good position.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

This 3 game streak is nice, but to really start gaining ground a 5 or 6 gamer is necessary. I wish this team would really go on a big streak, when was the last time we had like 7 or 8 wins in a row?

Big game Saturday night against Montreal, I like the way we are heading. This is a huge game to say the least.

 

[Stats01]

Definitely need a big streak, not just a 3 or 4 game winning streak and then lose a couple in a row. We did have a point streak of 6 or 7 games I believe this year though.

We really need to string together wins like right now. Lose here and there but get back on the winning track after a loss. Going 6-2-2 for awhile would get us in a good position.

See thats the thing, I don't mind if teams have games on us if we keep winning because at some point the teams behind us will start losing and the games in hand will start being reduced..but if we start losing 2 in a row here and there then the teams behind us stay within reach while still having 2 or 3 games in hand which is really worrisome. Thats why Saturday's game is huge and quite frankly the rest of this month is important. We can't go on any more 3 game or 4 game slides, we don't have room to do it.

 

[TheVision]

Definitely need a big streak, not just a 3 or 4 game winning streak and then lose a couple in a row. We did have a point streak of 6 or 7 games I believe this year though.

We really need to string together wins like right now. Lose here and there but get back on the winning track after a loss. Going 6-2-2 for awhile would get us in a good position.

One of the big tests coming up, IMO, are those 3 games vs non playoff teams out west: Phoenix, Dallas, & Winnipeg (3 of the next 5games). I just hope they don't take these teams lightly due to where they are in the standings. It could be a great opportunity to climb back up the standings, but the effort has to continue.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Not sure why people put Kulemin all the way down on the fourth line yet keep the abysmal second line together. I'd prefer to see this lineup if healthy:

JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson
Holland - Bolland - Kulemin
Raymond - McClement - Ashton/Orr/D'Amigo

We'd keep our third line as a two-way puck possession line, we'd get much needed dirty work and net presence on the second line, and Raymond can skate around abusing fourth liners.

 

[Alexanderthe89]

Decent game. Missed a lot of our chances and played decent defensively, all though the way it should be against Buffalo.

We got unlucky a bit with the third goal and some bad calls against us but the first 2 goals shouldn't have happened either.

Holland has been great. Seems like the puck follows him around, just like Kadri last year. He's very poised with the puck and can deke in a phone booth. Really impressed by him. Easily worth the 2nd round pick.

It's tough to see the Kadri, Lupul and Raymond line struggle but the other 2 lines are clicking well, so I understand why Carlyle doesn't want to mess that up. The only other move I would do would be to put Ashton there instead of Raymond, but Raymond would be worst as a 4th line player, so that doesn't work. Kadri and Lupul just need to go back to their success from last year, which is skating and intensity. They haven't showed that recently. They also overthink plays, trying to pass when they should shoot and vice versa. They have been fairly unlucky as well on their big chances. Kadri has probably missed 3 sure goals in the last 5 goals.

I really wouldn't mind seeing Ashton with some more offensive linemates. Poor guy has done everything asked of him playing 5 minutes a game.

 

[Stats01]

I really wouldn't mind seeing Ashton with some more offensive linemates. Poor guy has done everything asked of him playing 5 minutes a game.

Carlyle reminds me of Quinn so much with how he handles rookies/young players. Just does not give them any type of opportunity or when he does he's quick to either rip them apart on the bench like he does to Kadri or he takes away their minutes, or just puts them with goons like he does most of the time with Ashton. Carlyle isn't as bad as Quinn was but boy oh boy he sure shows similarities.

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Carlyle reminds me of Quinn so much with how he handles rookies/young players. Just does not give them any type of opportunity

You mean like how he's kept Kadri on the second line, playing sheltered minutes over the past couple weeks despite him bordering on useless? Or how he gives Gardiner 20+ minutes a game when he's on?

I wouldn't be entirely opposed to a coaching change either but some of these criticisms of Carlyle I'm hearing lately are just pure fantasy.

 

[KuleminFan41]

After last nights game, season stats for defensemen are

Phaneuf + 10
Gunnarsson + 9
Gardiner -2
Gleason -4
Ranger -8
Fraser -8
Franson -12
Rielly -12

I don't like that stat all too much but yikes lol

 

[mikebel111*]

I really wouldn't mind seeing Ashton with some more offensive linemates. Poor guy has done everything asked of him playing 5 minutes a game.

Carlyle is ruining ashton. Give him 3rd line minutes and he will flourish. He was on a tear with marlies. He has some offensive upside. Play the kid.

 

[KuleminFan41]

Now I'm confused. This is the standings on NHL.com

 

[rj24]

Now I'm confused. This is the standings on NHL.com

Click the wild card standings, Leafs are in the first wild card spot

 

[BertCorbeau]

Missed most of the game, asides from half of the third and OT/shootout ... Leafs looked solid overall just couldn't pot a winner in regulation or overtime

After a big win the night before in Boston, this had trap game written all over it ... Glad the boys didn't mail it in and picked up a crucial 2 points despite it going to OT/SO

Getting ROW's would be nice but the Leafs are getting behind other teams in the hunt - at least 4 ROW's behind most of them .. The only team that they're ahead of is Washington, who has 14 ROW's .. At this point I'll take the points over regulation wins however some regulation wins would inspire some more confidence in me with this team

How did Gleason look in this one??

 

[leafs in five]

still find it strange to hear the term "wild card" used in NHL standings.