Grabovski's Attitude

[HockeyThoughts]

God forbid someone smiles after a game, everyone should have a Dion scowl after every loss. It's not like they lost 6-0, they fought back hard for a point and are still in good position, no point in getting low about it. Just because he's smiling doesn't mean he like to lose; the reason he was smiling was a response to a question he was asked. He's not going to make himself a distraction to the team by being a cancer. When he's on the ice you can clearly see the man is frustrated and lacking confidence, good on him for not sulking and making his play a focal point of a team finding success in spite of him.

If he sulks, he's an enigmatic emotional European. If he smiles, he's an enigmatic carefree European. The man simply cannot win around here.

You think Mikhail Grabovski is genuinely happy? Playing 11:00 minutes, predominately alongside the teams least skilled forwards in Colton Orr and Frazer McClaren? Grabovski was simply trying to halt a news article before it began. He was benched for what seemed like half the game. He had a pretty great bounce-back OT to go along with a solid breakaway chance at the tail-end of the third.

If he remains a bottom 6 center with little-to-no offensive opportunity, he will not rekindle his offensive prowess in a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater, it's as easy as that. I think he'll be traded in the offseason and he'll bounce-back in a big way playing a much larger role on his new team.

 

[The Apologist]

I've always wanted to see him in the playoffs, third line is fine.

I actually think well probably see him back up with Kulie and Koma soon.
Kadri seems to have hit a wall...

 

[SteveV*]

I actually think well probably see him back up with Kulie and Koma soon.
Kadri seems to have hit a wall...

I can see that line as a cycle machine come playoffs. I can also see them really wearing down other teams, see how it shakes out...

 

[The Blue Devil]

I have to say this was one of his best games in a long time...his offensive flair really showed late in the game.

That being said, it's his own fault he's in this situation...he dug the hole himself. He and Kadri are both averaging 16 minutes a night, yet Kadri has 17 goals and 40 points to Grabo's 8 and 15. Yes, Grabovski gets a lot more defensive zone shifts (particularly earlier on in the season), but for a guy making $5.5M a year, it's not a good sign when the youngest guy on the team has almost triple your offensive output in the same amount of minutes.

Then what does that mean for guy like Bozak who plays much more 5-5 and PP minutes with PPG players and puts up half the points who is also looking for a big raise?

 

[HockeyThoughts]

How is a player smiling in an interview in his stall after a hard fought lost? Someone explain this to me, Dion needs to slap some sense into Grabo.

Tonight, he did the worst thing you could do in a post game interview in a losing game, he was smiling all his way through a TSN interview. If I were a teammate of his and saw him smiling in a losing game interview, I would seriously have a few words with him. You don't take losing lightly and wear the Maple Leaf on your chest.

If Pat Burns saw that, he would snap a new one.

You are seriously too much sometimes (-- actually most the time). HOW DARE YOU SMILE. YOU MUST POUT, WEEP, CRY OUT IN ANGER!!!

Handwritten poster on the wall reads:

"Every smile results in one Dion Phaneuf open-palmed slap. If you laugh you better think twice before entering the showers tonight..."

 

[The Blue Devil]

You are a reasonable poster, I respect you probably more than 95% of the posters here because you are a self admitted Grabo fan but you have been very fair in your criticism of him this year.

I think he is clearly struggling without Ron Wilson, he struggles in a structured style of play.

Tonight, he did the worst thing you could do in a post game interview in a losing game, he was smiling all his way through a TSN interview. If I were a teammate of his and saw him smiling in a losing game interview, I would seriously have a few words with him. You don't take losing lightly and wear the Maple Leaf on your chest.

If Pat Burns saw that, he would snap a new one.

LOL and I bet if he was angry you'd call him a bad teammate and how he shouldn't say anything to the media and keep it in the room.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

I actually think well probably see him back up with Kulie and Koma soon.
Kadri seems to have hit a wall...

He showed marked improved on face-offs tonight posting a .714FO% (in contrast to his lackluster .375FO% on Monday), but his line lacked any semblance of sustained offensive pressure throughout the night. Either way, he has 3G-5pts in his last 5 and should see a considerable boon in his offensive production with the imminent return of Joffrey Lupul.

He did have that one glorious chance high blocker side on Henrik Lundqvist at one point during the game (second period I believe?) but somehow Lundqvist was able to see through the screen and make a tremendous save.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Honestly, I watched the TSN interview, and it didn't really seem like a "Haha! We lost! Oh well!" smile it was more of a, "Can you believe this ****** season I'm having? I can hardly believe it either" smile. Almost a disbelief that this is the season he is having and there's no other choice but to try to fake a smile and laugh it off. Kessel had a similar attitude when he had that infamous goal-less drought two seasons ago.

He's well aware of his struggles, he clearly has no more confidence.

Edit: And yeah, good point on the above. Reimer is the happiest guy ever in all of his post-game inteviews including losses, why is Grabo singled out here?

We disagree you simply should not show you are happy after a lost, maybe hours later, you crack a smile, but not in the dressing room so soon after a disappointing lost smack in the middle of a playoff drive. Call it a coincidence but Grabo has never made the playoffs in his NHL career, and this year he may, playing a very minimal role.

 

[Doshy]

The not being all upset thing is just a part of the "don't get too high, don't get too low" philosophy. If you're gonna beat yourself up over every loss and get overly excited over every win, you wouldn't be a very good team. A 2+ game losing streak would kill you if you thought that way.

On to the next. We're 7-1-4 the last 12 and comfortably in 5th. We should be happy with a single point since we went over a period (24 minutes) without a shot on net.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

He deserved better.

He played his tail off, and He shouldn't have taken that shot. That should've been a red hot Kessel, not the guy Carlyle has demoralized, playing him with the two players who hardly contribute more than fists.

As a coach, with his play in OT, you have a face to face in the dressing room, give the guy a pat on the shoulder, and tell him that what he did there, is EXACTLY what you want to see from him in the early stages Saturday. Dangle the carrot, NOTICE when he excels, and commend it. You explain that what you saw there, is what you need to see more of, and show him a path up the depth chart, if that play continues...

It's simple psychology, really, and it works.

 

[BonMorrison]

We disagree you simply should not show you are happy after a lost, maybe hours later, but not in the dressing room so soon after a disappointing lost smack in the middle of a playoff drive.

So what about Reimer always smiling in post-game losses?

 

[ryno23]

What I see from Grabbo is at the start of the year Carlyle wanted fire and him shooting the puck more so he did that but at the expense of using his linemates to set up better scoring opportunities he turned into a hog.

I think the lack of command of the English language and I think he takes everything literally and doesn't understand nuances that coaches try to tell him.

Sure they wanted him to shoot more but when he has a good chance not 1 on 4 and turning over the pucks.

I think he took this shutdown role literally as well and didn't push the pace and play offensive hockey worried that coach wants shutdown. Well a good shutdown centre had the puck on his stick making hard for the other team to score if they don't have the puck and Grabbo just doesn't get it.

He is not a shutdown guy. His skillset is an offensive player and thinks that way all the time.

Having said that he is still a good player just needs to figure out what coach wants and how to go about doing it.

 

[The Blue Devil]

What I see from Grabbo is at the start of the year Carlyle wanted fire and him shooting the puck more so he did that but at the expense of using his linemates to set up better scoring opportunities he turned into a hog.

I think the lack of command of the English language and I think he takes everything literally and doesn't understand nuances that coaches try to tell him.

Sure they wanted him to shoot more but when he has a good chance not 1 on 4 and turning over the pucks.

I think he took this shutdown role literally as well and didn't push the pace and play offensive hockey worried that coach wants shutdown. Well a good shutdown centre had the puck on his stick making hard for the other team to score if they don't have the puck and Grabbo just doesn't get it.
He is not a shutdown guy. His skillset is an offensive player and thinks that way all the time.

You mean like how Grabo's line is almost always in the offensive zone?

 

[The Winter Soldier]

So what about Reimer always smiling in post-game losses?

Reimer is always smiling, there is no one like him. We are talking about a guy who is not always smiling, there's a difference. But he decides to be happy and smile after a lost? Big difference in optics here.

 

[trellaine201]

Thank god if we make the playoffs most teams run 3 lines for the most part? Orr and mcclaren suck. They had a few good weeks, thats it. Our fourth line sucks.

 

[The Blue Devil]

Reimer is always smiling, there is no one like him. We are talking about a guy who is not always smiling, there's a difference. But he decides to be happy and smile after a lost? Big difference in optics here.

What??? Anytime Grabo is interviewed he's always smiling.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Grabo is brilliant. Not sulking, moping, or giving a rabid, bloodthirsty media ANYTHING to spin into an apocalyptic battle of player vs. coach.

Good on him. Keep working, keep fighting, and be a team guy. He's been a great sport through his struggles, and seems inspired to break out of it.

He's going to be a post-season warrior.

 

[The Beyonder]

We disagree you simply should not show you are happy after a lost, maybe hours later, you crack a smile, but not in the dressing room so soon after a disappointing lost smack in the middle of a playoff drive. Call it a coincidence but Grabo has never made the playoffs in his NHL career, and this year he may, playing a very minimal role.

Just because someone is smiling after a loss doesn't mean they're happy about losing. His smile had nothing to due with the game, which i would not consider "disappointing loss"; they got a point, and left a home at home series with a desperate team and managed 3/4 points, where is the disappointment as far as his team is concerned? They are 5th in the east and a huge hold on that position with games remaining, that's nothing to be disappointed about at this moment in time. His smiled was a response to the question, he wasn't asked "what do you think about the loss today?". I've seen Reimer smile plenty after losses, but no one calls him out for it because it's apart of his personality and has nothing to do with his desire to win.

I can't believe people are slamming this guy for smiling in the dressing room, when his words were far more fitting to what a good team mate does; and that's not becoming a distraction in the locker room.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Whoa, careful with those dropping amateur psychoanalysis gems for free. You'll want to call up Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment and sell your crack sports psychology consulting services, not just thoroughly diagnose the source of Grabovski's bizarre facial spasms at no charge.

 

[The Beyonder]

What??? Anytime Grabo is interviewed he's always smiling.

He always has that smirk on his face.

 

[mikeo1]

Reimer is always smiling, there is no one like him. We are talking about a guy who is not always smiling, there's a difference. But he decides to be happy and smile after a lost? Big difference in optics here.

A lost what? What are you talking about? A watch? His cell phone? A dog?

 

[HockeyThoughts]

Thank god if we make the playoffs most teams run 3 lines for the most part? Orr and mcclaren suck. They had a few good weeks, thats it. Our fourth line sucks.

It's not even our true fourth line. Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren are just there to keep the opposing forwards honest and help wear down the opposition in the regular season.

With a full healthy line-up in the postseason I reckon we would see Leo Komarov-Jay McClement as 4th line mainstays with Kulemin or another forward rotating into the other wing. Perhaps Ryan Hamilton even sticks around. Maybe one of the enforcers would check-in for a game or two, if we really needed a shake-up.

For reference:
JVR-Bozak-Kessel
Kulemin-Kadri-Lupul
MacArthur-Grabovski-Frattin
Komarov-McClement-X

X = Kulemin (double shift)/Hamilton/McClaren/Orr

---
A good exercise is to look at the TOI/G distribution in Randy Carlyle's Stanley Cup winning year with the Anaheim Ducks back in 06/07.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20073ANAFAFALL&sort=avgTOIPerGame&viewName=timeOnIce

His 4th liners received next to no ice time throughout that run with a wily veteran like Brad May leading the bottom liners posting 7:21 TOI/G over 18GP of that Cup run. Designated fighters George Parros and Shawn Thornton saw a drop from 5:03 TOI/G and 8:26 TOI/G in a consistent role during the regular season to 3:49 TOI/G (in only 3GP) and 3:57 TOI/G respectively, in the postseason.

 

[The Beyonder]

Whoa, careful with those dropping amateur psychoanalysis gems for free. You'll want to call up Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment and sell your crack sports psychology consulting services, not just thoroughly diagnose the source of Grabovski's bizarre facial spasms at no charge.

That's not a problem. Didn't you know, Hfboards is full of doctorates and specialist willing to give their expertise for free of charge.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Just because someone is smiling after a loss doesn't mean they're happy about losing. His smile had nothing to due with the game, which i would not consider "disappointing loss"; they got a point, and left a home at home series with a desperate team and managed 3/4 points, where is the disappointment as far as his team is concerned? They are 5th in the east and a huge hold on that position with games remaining, that's nothing to be disappointed about at this moment in time. His smiled was a response to the question, he wasn't asked "what do you think about the loss today?". I've seen Reimer smile plenty after losses, but no one calls him out for it because it's apart of his personality and has nothing to do with his desire to win.

I can't believe people are slamming this guy for smiling in the dressing room, when his words were far more fitting to what a good team mate does; and that's not becoming a distraction in the locker room.

Do you think all our players should be smiling after losing a game right in the middle of a playoff run?

 

[The Beyonder]

I can't believe some people are focusing on the man smiling rather than his intentions for smiling and what he actually says.