Post-Game Talk: # 50 | Maple Leafs 1 at FLYERS 2 | Thursday, January 26, 2017

[TCTC]

1) everyone has a ***** fit when Couturier and his line doesn't score

2) let's not act like the Schenn line has scored more this season either

You can't expect much scoring when your wingers are Read and Cousins. But that's fine when we have two other lines that should be capable of producing.
When our top 9 was a top 6 you obviously expect more scoring from your 2nd line center.
With the new lines we have a solid top 9 lineup IMO. They all can score, but they don't all have to score.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

"Excellent last night"?!?!

He emphasized it too. Charlie O'Connor asked it, and he even phrased it in praise worthy fashion to say they they were maybe the best line tonight. It was a softball question to praise his favorite line's game, but like come on, Hak. Just say nicely that they battled hard blah blah blah. You don't get out attempted 0-14 and sniff excellence. He then tried to say some of the stuff doesn't show up in the stats. Sure, Dave.

Just further evidence he evaluates them through rose-colored glasses based on a different standard, where at their worst they're "excellent."

He can't really help himself. I'd imagine Weise will be back in soon so probably one of Cousins or Lyubimov will get the hook.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

It's looked better since the break, when they changed it. Literally everything we wanted changed. Konecny is loosely playing Giroux's role, but sometimes he plays bumper and Provorov is on the half wall. Cousins is on the right. They generally have sticks available for one timers, though they haven't done many. Coots in front to screen and get pucks back. I'd commend Mullen except we've asked for this for a long time, and it seemed obvious as can be, especially when your entire job -- not a fun hobby -- revolves around it. But it's good now.

Gotta agree with you there.

I'm happy how they have PP2 currently organized, but the adjustments took too long. Almost every single person on this board wanted Konecny on Giroux's side and Couturier away from the left wall.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hak says Lube is popular on the team.

Phrasing.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Phrasing.

 

[Beef Invictus]

And yeah, commending Mullen for making the incredibly obvious changes feels hollow because they took so incredibly long.

Like if you've got a sibling that's used a bucket as a bathroom for a year because they don't like the way the dead cat in the bathroom looks and smells, then expects praise when they announce they fixed the problem. Yeah, good for you, but why the hell did you spend that much time as a bucket pooper with a dead cat laying around?

 

[TheKingPin]

Phrasing.

Lol. That's awesome.

After watching that YouTube clip I pulled up Gs shift against the Pens. I was so fired up for that. And to hear later that he told Briere "watch this" before getting on the ice...


100% agree MSE. The penalty killing was monstrous. We kept them quiet and that is really saying something.

Big thing I noticed was we were first to a lot of pucks and were always applying pressure on them. It was a well played team game. The only goal against was a glaring reminder on the teams biggest weakness.

 

[Rebels57]

My great record in attendance continues.

You're welcome everyone.

 

[Rebels57]

My boy Lube

flashing

the

offensive skill !!!!!!!!!!!!


woooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooo!

I thought he was completely devoid of any offensive skill?!?

Cough*deadhead*Cough

 

[Magua]

And yeah, commending Mullen for making the incredibly obvious changes feels hollow because they took so incredibly long.

Like if you've got a sibling that's used a bucket as a bathroom for a year because they don't like the way the dead cat in the bathroom looks and smells, then expects praise when they announce they fixed the problem. Yeah, good for you, but why the hell did you spend that much time as a bucket pooper with a dead cat laying around?

Should have raised the dead cat

 

[Beef Invictus]

Dead cat probably generates more offense than VdV.

 

[Rebels57]

Pretty sad that PP2 looks good now that they made the changes we all called for months ago.

 

[Rebels57]

My friend and I were loudly *****ing about Hakstol using the 4th line that late in a timed game..apparently the guys in front of us heard us..when Lube scored they turned around and pointed at us to call us out..we all high-fived and laughed about it than started a "Hakstol"chant

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Pretty sad that PP2 looks good now that they made the changes we all called for months ago.

*years ago in some players cases.

 

[Alex91]

Pretty sad that PP2 looks good now that they made the changes we all called for months ago.

I agree but what do think think biggest change has been if you had to pick one of these

a) Provy confidences?
b) Streit bring back and replacing black holes?
c) Couts switched from being on his backhand to net presences?
d) Konecny trigger man on Lt side?
e) Cousins being high/Rt trigger man?

For me it's a tose up between b and c. Couts to net helps improve nature talent in front of net, low cycles, and allows d to happen. But Striet has been very patient and unselfish by making nice passes to Provy/Cousins/Konecny and not firing at shin pads.

Tough call but think I'm going c

 

[deadhead]

Some thoughts:

Hakstol is going to defend the 4th line because he has no one else to throw out there, and he needs to rotate them in to keep his other lines fresh - this team plays best when it's aggressive but that wears down the legs because they're not that fast overall so they have to push it. And PEB and VdV have been solid on the PK given the shaky goaltending behind them, better than some of the people we've thrown out there, MacDonald however . . .

Cousins played the best game I can remember as a Flyer, he's really blossoming playing LW with Couts, I think it's a synergy thing, Couts is physical and defensively responsible, Cousins is niftier offensively.

Luby is a 4th line guy until he develops a lot more polish offensively, like the hustle and speed, but come on, that was a turn around and fire shot that he got lucky on.

Neuvirth wasn't great, but like Mason the night before, he was good enough, and a little lucky (puck hitting the post, puck bouncing over the net).

When the goalies play well, this is a playoff team - however, I'm not going to believe it until March, they've broken our hearts before.

 

[Rebels57]

I agree but what do think think biggest change has been if you had to pick one of these

a) Provy confidences?
b) Streit bring back and replacing black holes?
c) Couts switched from being on his backhand to net presences?
d) Konecny trigger man on Lt side?
e) Cousins being high/Rt trigger man?

For me it's a tose up between b and c. Couts to net helps improve nature talent in front of net, low cycles, and allows d to happen. But Striet has been very patient and unselfish by making nice passes to Provy/Cousins/Konecny and not firing at shin pads.

Tough call but think I'm going c

D and E

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

From a talent perspective Provorov, Streit, Couturier, Konecny, & even Cousins is more talented as a whole than anything we've had over the years. Yet they were scoring at worse rates than PP's that featured Vinny, Umberger, White, MacDonald, Manning, Del Zotto, etc. That just shouldn't have happened. When you have a righty playing the right wall & lefty playing the left wall you kind of see of type of coaching you're getting there. People have been clamoring for Couturier to play closer to the net for years now.

 

[FlyTimmo]

Cousins has really played well these last couple games.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Cousins has really played well these last couple games.

I had turned sour on Cousins, but he's been solid the last two games at LW with Couturier. Better than Weise.

 

[NYCFlyer]

You can't expect much scoring when your wingers are Read and Cousins. But that's fine when we have two other lines that should be capable of producing.
When our top 9 was a top 6 you obviously expect more scoring from your 2nd line center.
With the new lines we have a solid top 9 lineup IMO. They all can score, but they don't all have to score.

This sort of goes back to the 5v5 discussions. We need to be more assertive and each line needs to score if we have any hope of growing into a championship team. I think Couts would greatly benefit if he firmly believed his job was to score and developed a little more Tude. I think Cousins on the line helps because you can see he WANTS to score. That was a much better team effort than against the Rangers.

 

[Hurricane28]

My great record in attendance continues.

You're welcome everyone.

Im 12-1-1 this year...but was not in attendance tonight

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Luby is a 4th line guy until he develops a lot more polish offensively, like the hustle and speed, but come on, that was a turn around and fire shot that he got lucky on.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand ... boom go the mushrooms again.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

Cousins has really played well these last couple games.

He looks eerily similar to draisatl the way he carries the puck through neutral zone.

 

[beetee15]

id love for lub and cousins to be part of this teams bottom 6 for the future, no problems with them.