Post-Game Talk: Game 1: Leafs @ Bruins - A stinker - Get 4 bad plays at price of 1 - Kostko

[Jackothy]

Here's a little blurb about some line changes I would make and who I would try to match them up against. All is not lost in my eyes.

Go Leafs Go


JVR-Grabovski-Kessel-------------------Lucic-Krejci-Horton
Put Grabovski in between our top two. He's the only one who seems to want it and his drive and determination will most likely open up ice for Kessel. Hopefully the tenacity of JVR and Grabo combined rubs off on him as well. Grabovski also has the skill to be dangerous and is quite effective on the forecheck and cycle, which is something that line desperately needs. I think this line would match up quite well against Boston's top unit, they definitely can out skate them and I would argue are significantly more skilled. The biggest question is puck possession, but I think Grabo would help that out a lot more than Bozak.

Kulemin-Kadri-Lupul--------------------Daugavins-Kelly-Jagr
Go back to what was a deadly line just a short time ago. Kulemin to me is the only leaf who could effectively match up against Jagr, and I think he would honestly give him fits. The skill and chemistry of Lupul and Kadri could also expose Kelly and Daugavins and the offensive zone play of these three would be quite a lot for the Boston line to handle.

Macarthur-Bozak-Frattin----------------Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin
You simply have to have Bozak out against Bergeron, unless we want to get dominated on the dot. Also Bozak matches up favorably to the skill-set of Bergeron. They can shut each other down in a sense. While I was incredibly disappointed with the play of Macarthur, he is a skilled player with experience who can be quite an effective player when he's riled up. Wake this guy up and get him on Seguin, tell him to be a rat. He has the speed, skill and tenacity to effectively shut him down. Finally, I put Frattin up against Marchand because I believe Frattin to be someone who you don't want to piss off. He can also be pretty scrappy, and if he catches Marchand with his head down....bye bye.

Orr-Mcclement-Komarov----------------Paille-Campbell-Thorton
While I have nothing against the play of McClaren, Orr is better and when you have Komarov with Mclement, it actually becomes an effective line. High energy and high skilled, great defensively. This line could actually play significant minutes, especially if you double shift Kulemin in Orr's spot.

Gunnar-Phaneuf
No real need to explain
Gardiner-Obyrne
Leafs biggest weakness to me last night was neutral zone play and our break out. Gardiner can significantly help this, hell his speed can often get him to the puck well before the forecheck. When he's on he can be effective in defensive zone with quick passes and foot speed, which leads to a quick exit. If they do get hemmed in you have O'Byrne to clear the way, actually block shots (Kostka ) and dump the puck. Ultimately though, I would only give this line limited minutes.
Fraser-Franson
These two are actually quite an effective pair, bit of a slip though last night. Keep them together and don't over expose them. Have them and the Gardiner pair each play 15-20 mins.

 

[pdmuck]

Yeah, because last night was entirely down to one player

You may want to face palm it, but when you have one defenseman on for all four goals against, there's probably a theme there. Not saying he cost them the game per se, because after all they only scored one goal, but the coaching staff has to look at this and make some corrective roster decisions. You can argue that Fraser had a bad game, but at least he has a body of work through the season that suggests this game is an anomaly for him, not the rule. You can't do that for Kostka.

 

[BertCorbeau]

11 players in their first game last night, IMO they beat themselves .. Boston just capitalized on the Leafs making their own mistakes, that post JVR hit late in the first was the turning point for sure ... Totally different game if that went in

This is definitely a tough learning experience but I think they'll rebound, they just didn't look like themselves last night .. Trying to make too many plays, not making good passes, their nerves were getting the best of them and you could tell Boston is a veteran playoff team.

I take solace in Reimer's good play and I think Carlyle and the leaders of the team will be able to get the team rallied.

At the end of the day, it's just another playoff series .. Keyword being series, we all knew if the Leafs were gonna win it'd be in 6 or 7, so let's hope they can learn quickly now that they've seen their first playoff game ... In any series if the visiting team can steal one of the first two games on the road before going back home, that's huge for them so I'm not worried quite yet

 

[Pi]

You can tell JVR was a Flyer haha he seems to be the only one who isn't playing afraid and that cheapshot was pure Flyer hockey.

JvR is going to be a GEM in the playoffs when our team is actually a contender and half of this excess garbage is off our roster.

He shows up in big games. One of the very few players on our team that has another gear.

 

[egd27]

Does Marchand not wear a cup?

Little poke in the gut, nowhere near his "privates". Typical Marchand BS

 

[Kurisu]

Yes Fraser was brutal last night, probably our worst defenseman. But that was ONE GAME. He's been our most steady and consistent d-man all season long. Now you want to crucify him?

And it makes ZERO sense having both Liles and Gardiner in the lineup. It has to be one or the other. Our defense will get eaten alive by the B's forwards

Anyone who's watched Fraser the last while knows that he's made more mistakes and has been getting constantly getting burned by the opposing team. Teams have him figured out considering how predictable he is. Slow footed, doesn't have any shot, and lacks the first pass making him easy to neutralize. Same with Kostka. Pile that up with Gunnarson's lack of point shot, and you're getting no offensive pressure from the blueline as they're constantly dumping it in. The blueline is a mess. How are you sopposed to get those dirty playoff goals if half your D lacks that ability to get it through the point.

 

[IBeL34f]

I take solace in Reimer's good play and I think Carlyle and the leaders of the team will be able to get the team rallied.

Really glad I'm not the only one who saw this. People look at 4 goals against and jump on him, but he looked really sharp last night, particularly for his first ever Playoff game.

 

[Pi]

Really glad I'm not the only one who saw this. People look at 4 goals against and jump on him, but he looked really sharp last night, particularly for his first ever Playoff game.

True. Reimer played good considering the disaster that was in front of him. I can only blame him for one goal.

All the other goals were stupid turnovers or a half hearted attempt to block a shot.

 

[realgoodleafs]

JvR is going to be a GEM in the playoffs when our team is actually a contender and half of this excess garbage is off our roster.

He shows up in big games. One of the very few players on our team that has another gear.

You could even tell in his post game that he likes the playoffs because he wasn't bumbling like the rest of the players.

 

[The Podium]

Reimer saved us from embarrassment. Only can be blamed on the 4th but the game was already out of reach.

 

[Alflives*]

I take solace in Reimer's good play.

What? He was not good at all. Sure the guys in front of him made mistakes, but Reimer can't let shots go under him. He's a butterfly goalie, and that just can't happen. We all know about his problem over the glove, so he must take away the bottom of the net. He was not as good as Rask. He needs to be better than Rask, or the Leafs are in trouble. Saying that, I beleive Reimer will be better, and the Leafs will win this series.

 

[Loosie]

You simply have to have Bozak out against Bergeron, unless we want to get dominated on the dot.

Umm...Bozak was 57% on the night, Bergeron was 56%....Bozak was 6 for 11 against Bergeron. He can handle his own against Begeron on the dot.

 

[Kurisu]

Reimer saved us from embarrassment. Only can be blamed on the 4th but the game was already out of reach.

I would say the 1st and 4th ones were weak. Actually didn't like 3 of the goals, but I'm not going to get into that discussion. It's embarassing that everyone knows that you have to shoot high glove on him. He's just that bad on them.

 

[SnipeCheeseAllDay]

Kadri, Kessel, Lupul, Phaneuf, Gardiner, McClement, Komarov and Kulemin need to be used as much as possible.

 

[Pi]

I would say the 1st and 4th ones were weak. Actually didn't like 3 of the goals, but I'm not going to get into that discussion. It's embarassing that everyone knows that you have to shoot high glove on him. He's just that bad on them.

Only one goal was high glove...?

 

[Kurisu]

Only one goal was high glove...?

Redden's shot went glove side. Wouldn't say the goal was high glove, but Redden was shooting there. Redden was shooting high glove again on Horton's goal but it deflected in. Would gamble that he would of scored on it anyway.

 

[DD03]

I would say the 1st and 4th ones were weak. Actually didn't like 3 of the goals, but I'm not going to get into that discussion. It's embarassing that everyone knows that you have to shoot high glove on him. He's just that bad on them.

You shoot high on every goalie in the league.. Watch a game.

 

[Pi]

Redden's shot went glove side. Wouldn't say the goal was high glove, but Redden was shooting there.

Redden's shot was off the mark.

Carl Gunnarsson deflected his shot while trying to block it...slowed it down, and then Nathan Horton tipped it.

No goalie is stopping that one.

Redden's goal should have never happened if Kostka wasn't trying to block the shot. He ended up screening Reimer as best as he could.

 

[DD03]

Redden's shot was off the mark.

Carl Gunnarsson deflected his shot while trying to block it...slowed it down, and then Nathan Horton tipped it.

No goalie is stopping that one.

Redden's goal should have never happened if Kostka wasn't trying to block the shot. He ended up screening Reimer as best as he could.

Nah, but it's way easier to blame the goalie then actually watch the play. Come on now.

 

[colchar]

When you're on the ice for all 4 goals and had shifts of nearly 2 minutes on a couple of instances because the Bruins were cycling around your ass...yes, that one player was the WORST among the Leafs.

I never said he wasn't, I said the loss wasn't all down to him. There is a difference.

 

[Kurisu]

You shoot high on every goalie in the league.. Watch a game.

Shoot glove hand X2 on Reimer.

 

[colchar]

You may want to face palm it, but when you have one defenseman on for all four goals against, there's probably a theme there. Not saying he cost them the game per se

And that is what I am saying - he wasn't solely responsible for the loss as some here seem to be insinuating.

 

[DD03]

Shoot glove hand X2 on Reimer.

Shoot glove hand on every goalie. It's not a secret.

 

[Kurisu]

Shoot glove hand on every goalie. It's not a secret.

yet, most analyst point Reimer's glove hand as a real weakness and rarely talk about other goalies glove being a problem.

 

[DD03]

yet, most analyst point Reimer's glove hand as a real weakness and rarely talk about other goalies glove being a problem.

Because he's a Toronto Maple Leaf.