Post-Game Talk: Leafs Stun the Bruins 4-3

[Grasshopperking]

There are??? Fraser was, at the very best, average, Johnson was miserable.

Have Thorty sit down the road here and there, have him fresh for certain match ups

Forget how Florek looked in that sitch?

But personally, I like Thornton and I thought he looked good last night. At least his feet were moving, more than can be said about about 1/3 of the forwards

 

[LSCII]

There are??? Fraser was, at the very best, average, Johnson was miserable.

Have Thorty sit down the road here and there, have him fresh for certain match ups

Even if you have him fresh, what's he going to do? Wrangle a dude's shirt off? He's no longer an effective fighter. The one thing he brought to the table was his fighting. The writing is on the wall. Time to have him take a seat.

 

[cat400]

If the team had buried 1/2 of the great chances that they had in the 1st period, the game would have been easily won.

For all the harping on the 1st line, they had multiple scoring chances that were thwarted by Bernier or fortuitous deflections by the Leafs' D.

As for the PP, why isn't Marchand given an opportunity now that he is back playing his game: creating and getting scoring chances?

 

[ODAAT]

I'm with you on this one. I've always been a Kelly fan. It's funny how some are quick to brush him aside but when he gets injured (this year and last) people can't wait to have him back.

Guy is an incredibly steadying player to have on the ice, especially on that PK.

He doesn`t have the skill set of a Spooner, can`t dazzle anyone with great speed and moves, and far too often, THAT is what attracts people to a certain player.

If the playoffs were to start today, who do you trust more based on their experience and strength in playing against NHL players??? As much as Kelly won`t supply a ton of offense, I`d wager 30 coaches out of 30 coaches will take a very solid defensive player like Kelly before the green rookie

Too many base their Kelly evaluations on his pay cheque.......ain`t my money, I try to base my evaluations on what he can bring to the ice, and in the dressing room, intangibles, some dismiss it here, clearly Chia, Cam and Co do not

 

[ODAAT]

Even if you have him fresh, what's he going to do? Wrangle a dude's shirt off? He's no longer an effective fighter. The one thing he brought to the table was his fighting. The writing is on the wall. Time to have him take a seat.

Long before the Scott KO, I NEVER viewed him as a great or feared player/fighter. I viewed him as a willing one and a guy who`d drop them to help get the team going, or to attempt to settle down something.

I`ll argue, a Quaider scrap is/has long been far more effective and energizing than any of Thorty`s scraparoos.

I have no issues in limiting his play, heck, even moving him, but I also don`t need him to be replaced by a Thornton clone, you`ll never convince me a Cup challenging team HAS to have an "enforcer" type to win er all, it just isn`t true, that aspect of the game becomes totally irrelevant come playoff time

If they can`t play the game, they don`t belong on this roster. Thorty still has some value, but that value has dipped heavily, and how could it not, the guy has played a warrior style for years

 

[pgm16]

I`d say Kelly is a huge missing piece but most here don`t wanna hear it with the Spooner love fest goin on

Chris Kelly will be a great help to the PK even more now that Seids is out. I for one will be glad when he returns......

 

[ODAAT]

Forget how Florek looked in that sitch?

But personally, I like Thornton and I thought he looked good last night. At least his feet were moving, more than can be said about about 1/3 of the forwards

Solid for game 1, but man that`s alot to ask for a young player to step in and consistently play at the level CJ demands of his players

 

[ODAAT]

Chris Kelly will be a great help to the PK even more now that Seids is out. I for one will be glad when he returns......

Agreed


But I have long been on an island it feels in my man crush on Kelly and his value to this team

 

[Jeff077]

Every year for the last few we go through a 8-10 game stretch where everyone wants to hit the panic button, guys should be traded, Lucic sucks, Krejci sucks, do something Chia!!
This team is and has been built for the playoffs, they are not going to be consistent for 82 games with the style they play, but what team is?
It is not a bad thing to go through this once and awhile to make sure they get refocused and start getting ready for the playoffs.
Is there tweaks and upgrades needed probably ( shut down d ) but Chia has been pretty good at that in the past.
We need to relax a bit and know that this stretch will pass and the wins will start happening again very soon.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Guy is an incredibly steadying player to have on the ice, especially on that PK.

He doesn`t have the skill set of a Spooner, can`t dazzle anyone with great speed and moves, and far too often, THAT is what attracts people to a certain player.

If the playoffs were to start today, who do you trust more based on their experience and strength in playing against NHL players??? As much as Kelly won`t supply a ton of offense, I`d wager 30 coaches out of 30 coaches will take a very solid defensive player like Kelly before the green rookie

Too many base their Kelly evaluations on his pay cheque.......ain`t my money, I try to base my evaluations on what he can bring to the ice, and in the dressing room, intangibles, some dismiss it here, clearly Chia, Cam and Co do not

If the question were Kelly vs. Spooner, and that was the only option, I'd say you'd need to wait until the end of the season to properly evaluate.

But it's not, it's more a question of Spooner vs. Thornton, and that's an easy, easy Ryan Spooner for me.

Further still, for all of the little things Kelly does, setting the paycheck aside, he doesn't produce enough to justify playing 3rd line center between Soderberg and Eriksson/Smith. Production isn't everything...but it's a really really big thing. So if the Olympics come and go and the team has decided they can't trust Spooner at 3LC, they need to bring someone into that spot.

First thing's first though, they need to solve their problem on the backend. They have two penalty killing defensemen right now, no manner of PK forward returning is going to fix that.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Agreed, after last year my only concern about Rask was, "can he be a 60+ game goalie". Being over worked is a terrible excuse, 7m says you have to be that guy. He is on pace for 65/66 games, pretty much what a 7m a year goalie has to do.

Having money in your pocket does not make you inexhastable.

You ask me, being overworked is the only excuse for Tuukka's play other than simply being in a slump.

This has always been a concern with him, going back to the year where he wilted in the playoffs for Providence.

Add in the Olympics, and I think it's a real issue this year.

They should play Johnson more. What's the downside? He lets in 4 goals?

 

[pgm16]

Agreed


But I have long been on an island it feels in my man crush on Kelly and his value to this team

& I expect Chia is working the phones as we speak to address getting a top 2/3 d-man

 

[ODAAT]

If the question were Kelly vs. Spooner, and that was the only option, I'd say you'd need to wait until the end of the season to properly evaluate.

But it's not, it's more a question of Spooner vs. Thornton, and that's an easy, easy Ryan Spooner for me.

Further still, for all of the little things Kelly does, setting the paycheck aside, he doesn't produce enough to justify playing 3rd line center between Soderberg and Eriksson/Smith. Production isn't everything...but it's a really really big thing. So if the Olympics come and go and the team has decided they can't trust Spooner at 3LC, they need to bring someone into that spot.

First thing's first though, they need to solve their problem on the backend. They have two penalty killing defensemen right now, no manner of PK forward returning is going to fix that.

Have a peek around the league, check out their 3rd line centerman`s stats....not usually a player who posts big numbers. Problem with Kelly is he had that one big year, and THAT, has become the expectation around here

 

[pgm16]

on a side note....Timmy looks like he is having tons of fun again playing....good for him..!!

 

[BMC]

Expected a better effort on PJ Axelsson night.

 

[qc]

We needed to lose one like that. Time to buck up. If that doesn't light a fire, nothing will. Hopefully Tuukka is given some time to rest...very disappointed with how he's been used lately.

Oh and..

RIP in piece JRV

 

[btech]

4 two on one's, one breakaway early by Iginla. One near-goal in the first minute on a wraparound by Marchand. That's more than you had all game. Then you add that blocker save by Bernier on Krejci, two posts, several 3 on 2's, etc, etc, etc. But yeah, You had a couple of clean entries throughout the game, good on you.

the B's should of won this game especially playing against a bunch of *****es that should be wearing skirts. The leafs have no experience just legs we should of outsmarted them and just slowed the pace of the game, easy team to beat take their legs away and their done, its that easy. Some great hits in the 3rd was expecting more of that from the beginning and boychuk should of hit that goof JVR harder to put him out for the season. Just my 2 cents Go Bruins Go!!

 

[BMC]

Not enough empty nets for the Bruins.

Ahem.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Have a peek around the league, check out their 3rd line centerman`s stats....not usually a player who posts big numbers. Problem with Kelly is he had that one big year, and THAT, has become the expectation around here

Take a peek around the league...at the teams we'll be matching up against in the ECF and SCF. Their 3rd line C is putting up numbers. In fact, some of those teams have 3LCs who have more points than Kelly was on PACE for. Expectations are different here during the Chara window. If you want to contend in this league, your 3rd liners need to produce. I still think it's a mistake to look at 2011 and 2013 as blueprints. We got historical goaltending in those two years, I think it's wrong to count on that.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Wow, glad I missed the game. Wtf a home loss against the Leafs, must have been a brutal game to watch.

What the hell is wrong with Lucic???

He's not scoring, but he's hustling and banging and skating better than he has in any previous year.

He's lucky Gunnarsson lost an edge with Looch bearing down on him, or Looch may have gotten 20 games to life for murder.

The team is slumping in January. It happens.

It happens to every team during the course of a season, and with very few exceptions, it happens to every player.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

He's not scoring, but he's hustling and banging and skating better than he has in any previous year.

He's lucky Gunnarsson lost an edge with Looch bearing down on him, or Looch may have gotten 20 games to life for murder.

The team is slumping in January. It happens.

It happens to every team during the course of a season, and with very few exceptions, it happens to every player.

With Lucic especially, his early season goal binge came from an unsustainable shooting %, which has now regressed (since the start of December his shooting % has been unstainably low.) and now he's about his career average. The effort to me seems to be there, and his shots generated per game is in line with his whole season.

I'm not really concerned about any of the forwards to be honest. They need to replace Seidenberg and put serious thought into upgrading on McQuaid.

 

[LucicIsABeast]

Have a peek around the league, check out their 3rd line centerman`s stats....not usually a player who posts big numbers. Problem with Kelly is he had that one big year, and THAT, has become the expectation around here

I agree that Kelly will help the PK but I doubt having him last night wouldve cemented a kill on both the pp goals for the leafs. Paille and soup were on the ice for both (First goal Boychuk lost his man, 2nd was one you hope Rask would get). But I am only looking at last nights game, not the HORRENDOUS PK the last few weeks.

 

[BMC]

Having money in your pocket does not make you inexhastable.

You ask me, being overworked is the only excuse for Tuukka's play other than simply being in a slump.

This has always been a concern with him, going back to the year where he wilted in the playoffs for Providence.

Add in the Olympics, and I think it's a real issue this year.

They should play Johnson more. What's the downside? He lets in 4 goals?

This ^

I have also always been concerned about Tuukka's durability, physical as well as mental. For awhile those concerns faded but now they're back with a vengeance.

Chad Johnson has played well in his few starts and right now he couldn't possibly do worse than Tuukka has lately. Time for Claude to let him have a few starts. If not then waive him & bring in someone CJ will have more confidence in- I honestly believe that is why Johnson has not played as much as he might have.

 

[ODAAT]

Take a peek around the league...at the teams we'll be matching up against in the ECF and SCF. Their 3rd line C is putting up numbers. In fact, some of those teams have 3LCs who have more points than Kelly was on PACE for. Expectations are different here during the Chara window. If you want to contend in this league, your 3rd liners need to produce. I still think it's a mistake to look at 2011 and 2013 as blueprints. We got historical goaltending in those two years, I think it's wrong to count on that.

So...you are now assuming we have reached or will reach the ECF/SCF?? hmm, I`m assuming you are viewing Brandon Sutter`s 16-17pts in almost 50 games as one baromoter, then I`ll have a peek at the Hawks as the other comparable who rotate Handzus as their 3rd, or have Pirri there (Pirri is an exceptionally talented player by the way if ya haven`t seen him), Handzus has 10pts in 30ish games.

Make no mistake about it, the success or production of the 3rd line is 100% dependant upon what the top 2 lines have done in the past when this 3rd has been at it`s most dangerous (been a while since we have said that)

When at it`s most productive, the B`s top 2 lines were big time handfulls to deal with, other teams scrambled to put a line out to stop them, then the B`s counter with a Kelly/Pevs/Ryder or whomever, and opponents had NOTHING to answer with. Last season was what last season was, a lockout year in which I put zero stock into anything. This season, Kelly was playing solid hockey (solid doesn`t = pts) with Sods and at that time, Smith, then Kelly`s injury happened.

What Spooner offers is an offensive threat up the middle out of the center position (nice), what Spooner is still working on, is his strength and defensive positioning (which aren`t where they need to be for CJ to be 100% trusting) which is hardly an issue with a young prospect still learning.

Again, many here scoff at the intangible aspect of what certain players bring, Chia (ya know, the guy making decisions) doesn`t, and he knows what Kelly can bring. I`ll bet when the B`s brass sits down before the season, they look at every player and project what they "hope" is attainable offensively, and I`d be shocked if they post a number on Kelly any higher than 30pts.

I`m not saying Kelly isn`t or won`t be replaced before the end of his contract, but the way he is undervalued here is silly IMO, much the way Seids was far too often. Chris Kelly isn`t Wayne Primeau or Steve Begin, Kelly is an exceptionally responsible player playing for a coach who loves responsible players, and when he produces, it`s considered a bonus, not an expected event.

When he returns, who knows what will happen.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Certainly appears that way. And it seems there are more bad days than good in recent weeks. PK has been a head scratcher. Certainly not Bruin hockey. Plenty of time to get these things corrected.

If your goaltender cant stop a puck and when he does he puts the rebound on the tape for easy open net goal, Your Pk will stink.

Rask is the root of the issues with this team, they come out strong and if for not great goaltending (leafs) the game could have been over by the 10 min mark. But once again rask let up a softie, killing momentum killing the crowd.

The way this guy is playing is inexcusable.I don't care how many games he's playing when you demand 7m a year you better be ready to take the heat and play a ton.