Speculation: Why are Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak attached at the hip?

[HockeyThoughts]

Okay, I know they're best friends and they have "chemistry" having played together the past few years.. But can we try a different center with Phil Kessel PLEASE? Why is he attached to Tyler Bozak's hip like a Siamese twin?

Kadri floats up and down the line-up like he's a utility player, we have Colton Orr playing shifts on our second line, but no matter how badly they struggle the Kessel-Bozak pairing appears to be an absolute must.

The excuse used to be that Bozak's faceoff proficiency makes him invaluable for obtaining puck possession on the #1 PP and top line. However, Kadri is sporting a higher faceoff percentage this season making that argument obsolete.

Bozak isn't a terrible player by any means, but when he's not having an effective night his minutes need to be limited and one of Dave Bolland or Nazem Kadri should have the opportunity to play with our top player in Kessel. When Kadri's having a bad game after only a few shifts he's demoted to the bottom lines.. Why doesn't Bozak get the same treatment?

Click to read more...

 

[rdawg1234]

I'm sure he'll get accountability soon and yes he was bad, but who do we replace him with?

Kadri can be defensively liable and constantly putting him with Kessel-JVR will weaken our other line offensively.

long-term Bozak needs to go this summer, at the latest next. It's a definite area that needs improvement. Short term it's time to limit his minutes a bit and shuffle these lines.

 

[A1LeafNation]

LOL, aren't Lupul, Kessel, Kadri, JVR at a PPG pace? The offence is fine and I like two lines.

This team is playing garbage toughness and defence. Where is team Bernier now?

 

[Leafs For Life*]

^Don't need to copy and paste into 2 threads.

And funny thing is, Bozak and Kessel aren't even best buds.

 

[EdBelfour20]

Clarkson, Kulemin, and Fraser are exactly what this team needs right now

 

[The Hockey Life]

LOL, aren't Lupul, Kessel, Kadri, JVR at a PPG pace? The offence is fine and I like two lines.

This team is playing garbage toughness and defence. Where is team Bernier now?

Are you trying to blame Bernier?

 

[Puckstuff]

Clarkson, Kulemin, and Fraser are exactly what this team needs right now

this... as much as I want to see Kadri-Kessel the scoring isn't the problem... we're missing 3 of our toughest players it's an element we're missing right now.

 

[Leafblooded]

Why not at least on PP?

 

[jmart21]

Yep. BOZAK was definetly the reason the leafs lost that game.

 

[7even]

Chemistry.

 

[TheBigThree]

There was that one season where lupul - bozo - kessel had chemistry and even though rc broke the line up moving lupul he thinks having just bozak and kessel will keep the chemistry going. The worst part was that the chemistry was actually between kessel and lupul not bozo and either of them. Really tired of having this clown on the first line, he sucks at face offs, hockey iq is low and is slow compared to his wingers.

 

[Disgruntled Observer*]

Are you trying to blame Bernier?

This is going to be a frustrating aspect of the season.

The leafs have two competent young goalies!!!
Isn't that a good thing?

Why have a lot of leaf fans picked just one goalie to stand by? What's the freaking point?

Neither goalie is perfect. No goalie is. They're going to make mistakes.
Now that a lot of leaf fans have all "chosen their goalie", they're jumping on and nitpicking over the simplest of mistakes when the other guy's in net.

The leafs get out shot 40-20 or something... and people are finding a way to blame the goalie. He wasn't "perfect". Ok. Well, you know what? Neither was the rest of the ****ing team.
So let's hold them all accountable if we have to.

But we're 6 and freaking 3 with one of the youngest teams in the league. Why the **** are people already trying to point to scapegoats?
It's really freaking strange that it's ME of all people that needs to point this out.

 

[CG14]

"Chemisty"

 

[thewave]

There is no rational reason outside Kessel demands to play with Bozak. It does not make sense for two coaches to deem this pair untouchable.

They say the most overrated player in the NHL is Dion, it's not, but we hold his rights, it's Bozak

 

[A1LeafNation]

This is going to be a frustrating aspect of the season.

The leafs have two competent young goalies!!!
Isn't that a good thing?

Why have a lot of leaf fans picked just one goalie to stand by? What's the freaking point?

Neither goalie is perfect. No goalie is. They're going to make mistakes.
Now that a lot of leaf fans have all "chosen their goalie", they're jumping on and nitpicking over the simplest of mistakes when the other guy's in net.

The leafs get out shot 40-20 or something... and people are finding a way to blame the goalie. He wasn't "perfect". Ok. Well, you know what? Neither was the rest of the ****ing team.
So let's hold them all accountable if we have to.

But we're 6 and freaking 3 with one of the youngest teams in the league. Why the **** are people already trying to point to scapegoats?
It's really freaking strange that it's ME of all people that needs to point this out.

Did I say Bernier or Team Bernier?

ahah. No just happy to put ppl saying "trade Reimer now" in their place. I like both goalies, hate "Team Bernier"

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

You need to stop with the goaltending nonsense

 

[A1LeafNation]

You need to stop

You need to read the post above yours.

 

[The Blue Devil]

LOL, aren't Lupul, Kessel, Kadri, JVR at a PPG pace? The offence is fine and I like two lines.

This team is playing garbage toughness and defence. Where is team Bernier now?

Oh yeah just fine, did you see how we just dominated those Hawks last night?

 

[A1LeafNation]

OMGZZZZ one game. The sky is falling.

 

[BudMaster17]

Bozak is a black hole

 

[A1LeafNation]

Bozak is a black hole

To me, it looks like he stays back and lets JVR and Kessel goes balls to the wall. Something better than all three getting caught up ice.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Here's a thought, perhaps Bozak might be the one asking when is Kessel going to show up to help JVR and himself out on the #1 line.

The logic that a 4.2M player needs to get a 8m per player going seems to go over the heads of some.

 

[Corleone]

To me, it looks like he stays back and lets JVR and Kessel goes balls to the wall. Something better than all three getting caught up ice.

Yeah that's pretty obvious, but when the other team knows only the 2 wingers are going to attack, it makes it easier for them to be shutdown.

 

[34Matthews]

Unfortunately as good as Bozak is, he's not an elite, top line, clutch Center, That might be our biggest problem since potentially solving our goaltending issues, then we need a true Shut Down D-man to play with Phaneuf on the top paring.

 

[MrLegend28*]

Oh yeah just fine, did you see how we just dominated those Hawks last night?

you say this like teams regularly dominate the defending stanley cup champs in their building ...