Kessel ill-suited as Leafs’ frontman ... Leaf must keep 1st.

[charliolemieux]

He has improved a bit. He is making contact (body+stick) more often.

Players stats sometimes dip when a new coach gives them a new task.

More than a bit.

Kessel is in the midst of a serious transition in his carreer, thanks to Carlyle.

 

[Bomber0104]

More than a bit.

Kessel is in the midst of a serious transition in his carreer, thanks to Carlyle.

Improving defensively a bit and dropping off on offence alot.

Time for a new line for Phil Kessel. Bozy needs a wakeup call like Matt Frattin got.

 

[charliolemieux]

Improving defensively a bit and dropping off on offence alot.

Time for a new line for Phil Kessel. Bozy needs a wakeup call like Matt Frattin got.

Who's dropping of on offense?

The guy is averaging around 5 shots a game. Got 4a in 7 games.

Could have had 2 or 3 goals tonight.

It will come.


As for Bozak, well ya. Time for something better. Lets hope we draft that something.



**** is RNH ever ****ing wasted on that EDM top line. He is the best of the three but the other two don't need him.

 

[MoeMoney]

Curious, since it floated into the main board, how y'all thought of something like Schneider + Gaunce/Jensen + 1st + 2nd/3rd for Kessel + Scrivens

That first for Vancouver would be around 27-30 you can get that anywhere for much less than Kessel. Kessel is worth more than Shnieder especially with Reimer looking more comfortable each game IMO, he's an elite level talent and just because he's not scoring goals right now and that's what he's paid to do, it would be ignorant to ignore the fact that he's actually playing well and developing a well rounded game by doing things the old Kessel wasn't known for like backchecking, husstling, playing more physical... give him some more time under Carlye and the conditioning will be there, he's a natural born goal scorer, I'm not worried at all. Gaunce is meh, and Scrivens doesn't mean much either IMO he's a great guy, but he's only a back-up.

 

[Bomber0104]

Who's dropping of on offense?

The guy is averaging around 5 shots a game. Got 4a in 7 games.

Could have had 2 or 3 goals tonight.

It will come.


As for Bozak, well ya. Time for something better. Lets hope we draft that something.



**** is RNH ever ****ing wasted on that EDM top line. He is the best of the three but the other two don't need him.

I'd like to see chemistry being formed with the right players. Bozak and Kessel dont work well together. Kessel and Lupul do. He's not here so try something else.

Edmonton too. They should try new things. There is only so much puck to go around. It has to work for everyone.

I think we need to give Kessel and Grabo at least a chance and then add a big body with them.

 

[charliolemieux]

I'd like to see chemistry being formed with the right players. Bozak and Kessel dont work well together. Kessel and Lupul do. He's not here so try something else.

Edmonton too. They should try new things. There is only so much puck to go around. It has to work for everyone.

I think we need to give Kessel and Grabo at least a chance and then add a big body with them.

JVR Kadri KEssel

is the line that should be tried.

 

[Bomber0104]

JVR Kadri KEssel

is the line that should be tried.

Soft soft soft.

 

[charliolemieux]

Soft soft soft.

Have you watched the last few games?

KEssel was far from soft tonight.

 

[Bomber0104]

Have you watched the last few games?

KEssel was far from soft tonight.

He spent all of five seconds on the boards tonight. That means he was soft.

 

[charliolemieux]

He spent all of five seconds on the boards tonight. That means he was soft.

You watched a different game.

He fought for the puck. He went into the dirty areas.

He backchecked.


I don't know what will hurt more. YOU admitting Burke did something good or that Kessel is not a one dimensional player.

 

[Bomber0104]

You watched a different game.

He fought for the puck. He went into the dirty areas.

He backchecked.


I don't know what will hurt more. YOU admitting Burke did something good or that Kessel is not a one dimensional player.

Kessel did not play along the boards.

That means we need a player on a line that can play on the boards.

JVR does not do that good. Nor Grabovski.

That means we need a really good board player like Kulemin or Macarthur (why he was on there in the first place)

 

[charliolemieux]

Kessel did not play along the boards.

That means we need a player on a line that can play on the boards.

JVR does not do that good. Nor Grabovski.

That means we need a really good board player like Kulemin or Macarthur (why he was on there in the first place)

JVR had an awesome game tonight.

 

[MoeMoney]

Kessel did not play along the boards.

That means we need a player on a line that can play on the boards.

JVR does not do that good. Nor Grabovski.

That means we need a really good board player like Kulemin or Macarthur (why he was on there in the first place)

What the hell is a really good board player?

 

[Bomber0104]

What the hell is a really good board player?

Someone who competes in the corners and along the boards that enclose the surface of the ice.

The puck spends a good amount of time there.

If you lose the board battles, you lose possession of the hockey puck and the play is likely to wind up in your own end.

 

[hockeywiz542]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/game/1289326/

Failing to score

Ovechkin only had one other shot on the night. Leafs sniper Phil Kessel, meanwhile, had six shots and did everything but score.

Kessel, who has no goals and three assists in his first seven games, has now failed to score on 33 shots this season in his bid for his 100th goal as a Maple Leaf.

"We got a win so it doesn't matter," said Kessel.

"I'm trying hard. I'm getting chances. They're just not going in right now," he added.

His drought continued in the first period as Neuvirth stoned him from in close during a four-minute power play with Jason Chimera off for hooking and unsportsmanlike conduct.

But a Kessel shot on the extended power play led to van Riemsdyk's goal as the big forward, stationed in front of goal like a lamppost, tucked in the rebound for his fourth of the season at 8:19 of the period.

Kessel was somehow denied by Neuvirth midway through the second when he tucked a shot between his legs from in-close. Neuvirth did it again with a glove save in the third and later stopped van Riemsdyk on a breakway.

"The goals are going to come ... He's just got to continue to keep working and not get down," Carlyle said of Kessel.

 

[Vexed]

Kessel scoring will spark a winning streak imo. I think we've done well with very little 1st line production.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Kessel scoring will spark a winning streak imo. I think we've done well with very little 1st line production.

What worries me is that Kessel is getting so much TOI and that on every shift all is line mates are looking to pass the puck to him when clearly he is very cold at the moment.

We have some players who are starting to heat up, perhaps it would be better to play them more, especially on the PP and on offensive face-offs.

It is never good for a player when he tries to hard to get a goal, a less exposed role for a few games might give him a better chance to get going again. And perhaps he is not yet physically ready to play as much and that affect his offensive out put?

Not a Kessel fan but as long he is a Leaf I of course hope he will do well and score goals, since we need them. So this post is not a Kessel bashing post. Just a suggestion to get him going again.

 

[Vexed]

What worries me is that Kessel is getting so much TOI and that on every shift all is line mates are looking to pass the puck to him when clearly he is very cold at the moment.

We have some players who are starting to heat up, perhaps it would be better to play them more, especially on the PP and on offensive face-offs.

It is never good for a player when he tries to hard to get a goal, a less exposed role for a few games might give him a better chance to get going again. And perhaps he is not yet physically ready to play as much and that affect his offensive out put?

Not a Kessel fan but as long he is a Leaf I of course hope he will do well and score goals, since we need them. So this post is not a Kessel bashing post. Just a suggestion to get him going again.

I understand your logic but generally you don't punish your best player in a slump. It is just like in basketball, you tell your shooter to keep shooting even if he misses10 straight. Law of averages always comes through.

Now if he was playing poorly it would be different bit he has arguably been one of our beat players. Remember when Kessel went something like 14 games without a goal? Still finished with 30. He also had a season where he missed the first 10 or so games, still finished with 30.

He will end the season as our highest scorer and I wouldn't change a thing unless he stops working out there.

If your gonna give someone hell in that JVR play where he tried to get Kessel the goal, it would be JVR. I bet kessel was even like wtf...

 

[leafspring*]

Kess is not uptight about it because,we are getting wins. That's going to help him enjoy his hat trick against the Bruins that much more!

 

[hullsy47]

Improving defensively a bit and dropping off on offence alot.

Time for a new line for Phil Kessel. Bozy needs a wakeup call like Matt Frattin got.

bozak is going before frattin or kadri IMO.if coach carlyle backs his words by sayng u get minutes according to your producing ...bozak isdropping fast

 

[MajorityRules*]

Kess is not uptight about it because,we are getting wins. That's going to help him enjoy his hat trick against the Bruins that much more!

Now that would be sweet justice for him lol.

 

[Joey Hoser]

What worries me is that Kessel is getting so much TOI and that on every shift all is line mates are looking to pass the puck to him when clearly he is very cold at the moment.

We have some players who are starting to heat up, perhaps it would be better to play them more, especially on the PP and on offensive face-offs.

It is never good for a player when he tries to hard to get a goal, a less exposed role for a few games might give him a better chance to get going again. And perhaps he is not yet physically ready to play as much and that affect his offensive out put?

Not a Kessel fan but as long he is a Leaf I of course hope he will do well and score goals, since we need them. So this post is not a Kessel bashing post. Just a suggestion to get him going again.

He's still occupying the oppositions top defensive units which is allowing the likes of Kadri and Frattin to play as well as they have been. The secondary scoring is getting the job done admirably, and Kessel is playing well enough that the pucks will eventually go in. I don't think there is anything to fix here really.

 

[birddog*]

This thread is so two games ago.