Post-Game Talk: Leafs WIN! - 4-3 Frattin with a thriller!

[Hockey Crazy]

Short summary

The Obvious- Frattin and Kadri the good, DRAFT-DEVELOP-PROMOTE - My Slogan that I will keep repeating here.

Observations, Grabo's line was on the ice in the last minutes of the game and again the opposition (Sabres) almost scored to win the game before the end of regulation. This line is dangerously bad at key points of the game. Lucky to escape.

Kessel looks out of shape and gassed, what a change from last year, Bozak looks like he is being dragged down with him. Not a bad game by both but not a standout game by any of JVR/Kessel/Bozie

Mcclement was good.

Synopsis-Again going to cite the Boston model, difficult decisions will have to be made on key personnel, with Kadri looking every bit ready for a bigger role on the team, Nonis can entertain a change of the guard on the roster. There are more Frattin's pushing for jobs on the Marlies, Draft/Develop/Promote. The more emphasis on this, the better this team will be in the near future.

Kessel played over 26 minutes of ice time last night. I don't think you can blame him for that.

 

[ULF_55]

To break the ice for Kessel.

Kulemin-Grabovski-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Frattin
McClement-Bozak-Komarov

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Kessel played over 26 minutes of ice time last night. I don't think you can blame him for that.

He looks gassed, maybe Pat Quinn was smart to not double shift Sundin during his career, shorter quality shifts for some players may increase their output rather than play them to ineffectiveness. Not everyone is built like Gretzky or Gilmour, both thrived on double shifting.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

To break the ice for Kessel.

Kulemin-Grabovski-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Frattin
McClement-Bozak-Komarov

Been saying it for years, Kule is the player that makes a line go. Leafs fans think it is the other guy. Not correct.

 

[bobbyflex]

He looks gassed, maybe Pat Quinn was smart to not double shift Sundin during his career, shorter quality shifts for some players may increase their output rather than play them to ineffectiveness. Not everyone is built like Gretzky or Gilmour, both thrived on double shifting.

lol there was the one shift, it looked as if he didn't have enough strength to come off the ice. I was waiting for him to collapse

 

[achtungbaby]

I was working late yesterday And went out afterwards so I missed this game. Sounded like a good one, ill be watching this afternoon if my kid lets me.

 

[Liferleafer]

OT
Galchenyuk is looking solid!!
With him being a gym rat, the kid is going to be strong and dangerous IMO, when he actually becomes an adult lol

Steal of the draft in my opinion. If he doesn't get injured i believe he would have went 1st overall.

 

[ULF_55]

Steal of the draft in my opinion. If he doesn't get injured i believe he would have went 1st overall.

He is third for the Habs in taking face-offs so he must be playing center.

What a team needs the most, stud center, stud defender, stud goalie.

Galchenyuk 18
Subban 23
Price 25

Can't let them get away.

 

[leafspring*]

Perhaps it is Kostka who should be wearing thin on you? I wonder how Dion feels about being paired with an AHL veteran playing 27 mins? It's almost setting the captain up for failure, should not put him in that position imho...considering all the scrutiny he gets here from fans and media.

AHL players a problem with you?

 

[Rob Brown]

Steal of the draft in my opinion. If he doesn't get injured i believe he would have went 1st overall.

How can he be a steal if he went third overall? It's not like he slipped at all.

Anyway, I was at the game last night. Great time, really good atmosphere. Frattin scoring the OT winner was incredible, so exciting.

And Kessel did seem really gassed. So many times the play would be in our end and he'd be struggling to get back. Not sure if you could see it on TV as he was behind the play. But then out of no where he'd get a pass and he'd fly down the wing. I was behind the net and he was so close on numerous occaisons but missed the net.

 

[leafspring*]

Kessel stayed on for 1:30 in 4on4 last night,and couldn't even skate at the end of it.He should have/could have gotten off.We are lucky he didn't cost us a goal with it.His smarts escaped him big time,and i'm sure Carlyle took notice of it.

Kessel needs a pine ride,and good talkin to. Never seen him at the net in three games,and i have made a point of looking for it. Thats not acceptable,and neither are his long shifts.He needs to wake up.

Cut his ice time back,and he is more effective 17-19 minutes max.

 

[ACC1224]

How can he be a steal if he went third overall? It's not like he slipped at all.

Anyway, I was at the game last night. Great time, really good atmosphere. Frattin scoring the OT winner was incredible, so exciting.

And Kessel did seem really gassed. So many times the play would be in our end and he'd be struggling to get back. Not sure if you could see it on TV as he was behind the play. But then out of no where he'd get a pass and he'd fly down the wing. I was behind the net and he was so close on numerous occaisons but missed the net.

Yes, Kessel has really played well for the most part. He has certainly brought more of a two way game than in the past. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring.

Nothing to worry about.

 

[Darylman]

If Reimer lets in the goal OT that the "godly" Miller did last night, he'd be playing in the ECHL and he'd be the worst goalie in the world.

 

[nsleaf]

OMFG
oh my frattin god what a goal!

 

[Faltorvo]

Yes, Kessel has really played well for the most part. He has certainly brought more of a two way game than in the past. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring.

Nothing to worry about.

Kessel has scored 2 even strength goals in the last 24 games under Carl's system , where is the 2 in two way?

 

[topched]

Yes, Kessel has really played well for the most part. He has certainly brought more of a two way game than in the past. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring.

Nothing to worry about.

Im with you here. Was at the game last night.

I thought he had a great 2 1/2 periods. Kept thinking that there was no way he didn't break the slump tonight.

People will focus on the end of the game purely because it was the most crucial... Phil was completely gassed, but Carlyle kept rolling him out there. There's no doubt he's feeling the pressure right now, but he could have easily had 2-3 goals on the season so far with some good breaks... and no one would be talking about it.

Let's start worrying about Kessel when he's invisible offensively and isn't top 10 in the league in scoring chances.

 

[4evaBlue]

Other than the 3 stars of the game, Carlyle deserves a lot of credit for sticking to the matchup game. The Kadri line destroyed the Grigorenko line.

I'm very happy for Franson. This was no doubt his best game in a Leafs uniform. I'm shocked he still wasn't used on the PP instead of Kotska (the Phaneuf-Kostka pairing was on the ice for 61.5% of our PP time last night).

WRT Frattin, the kid's a bit of an enigma.

In the first period, Frattin was streaking down along the boards on a 2 on 1 with Franson heading down in the middle of the ice, and he elected to try to take a shot instead of attempting a pass to a much higher percentage area.

Next period, the roles are reversed, with Franson on the wing, and Frattin carrying the puck though the slot. He decides to dish it off to the wing for a bad angle shot. I'm glad Miller wasn't on his game last night. Had he played like he did during the previous game, that shot would've been smothered. Credit to Frattin for continuing to drive to the net after he dished the puck off.

Beautiful roof job on the game winning goal, though. No doubts.

At the end of the day, the result is what matters, and not how they were obtained. We got the 2 points, and Frattin scored half of our goals. Great game by him by any measure.

 

[MapleLeafGardens*]

Last nights effort vs a non playoff team that still can't score in the Buffalo Sabres did nothing to convince me we are improving. For long stretches throughout the game the Sabres had the Leafs D pinned in their own end only a lack of finishing by Buffalo kept the game close. And so when the better teams in the east play us and pin us deep and have players that can actually put the puck in the net, Rangers Islanders, unlike Buffalo we are going to get beat more often than not.

Also Reimer continues to always flop down in the butterfly and give up goals over his shoulders and five hole the league knows this and opposing players are targeting Reimer in these areas. Last night 2 goals over Reimers shoulders and 1 goal five hole. Reimer is not the #1 goalie going forward.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

To break the ice for Kessel.

Kulemin-Grabovski-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Frattin
McClement-Bozak-Komarov

Agreed. I would like these lines... The only problem you run into is that Grabbo and Flip like to carry the puck and be the center of the offensive attention.

 

[ULF_55]

Leading scorers Leafs:

Kadri
Frattin
Grabovski
Kulemin

Let's hope Kessel gets going or the pressure is going to be on these guys.

Reimer is 19th. (for starters) in SV%, at .910. Not great, but is getting back to pre-concussion / whiplash stats.

 

[topched]

Agreed. I would like these lines... The only problem you run into is that Grabbo and Flip like to carry the puck and be the center of the offensive attention.

It might help though, its not like they are selfish players, just shoot first guys.

And lets face it, right now playing with Tyler "look for Phil first, make the best play second" Bozak isn't working.

A bounce here or there, jumping on a rebound etc could get Kessel going.

 

[CBinTokyo]

Kessel has scored 2 even strength goals in the last 24 games under Carl's system , where is the 2 in two way?

He is a pure sniper who is becoming a strong 2 way player. Under a new system he is lost in terms of scoring right now. He is shooting a tonne, but under the new system the shots aren't generating the goals he is used to.

He really is elite in my opinion, and will figure it out. Once he does, he will be far more valuable as a player than he was last year.

Kessel is learning to be a solid 2 way player.

 

[ULF_55]

Other than the 3 stars of the game, Carlyle deserves a lot of credit for sticking to the matchup game. The Kadri line destroyed the Grigorenko line.

I'm very happy for Franson. This was no doubt his best game in a Leafs uniform. I'm shocked he still wasn't used on the PP instead of Kotska (the Phaneuf-Kostka pairing was on the ice for 61.5% of our PP time last night).

WRT Frattin, the kid's a bit of an enigma.

In the first period, Frattin was streaking down along the boards on a 2 on 1 with Franson heading down in the middle of the ice, and he elected to try to take a shot instead of attempting a pass to a much higher percentage area.

Next period, the roles are reversed, with Franson on the wing, and Frattin carrying the puck though the slot. He decides to dish it off to the wing for a bad angle shot. I'm glad Miller wasn't on his game last night. Had he played like he did during the previous game, that shot would've been smothered. Credit to Frattin for continuing to drive to the net after he dished the puck off.

Beautiful roof job on the game winning goal, though. No doubts.

At the end of the day, the result is what matters, and not how they were obtained. We got the 2 points, and Frattin scored half of our goals. Great game by him by any measure.

Frattin wanted to pass on that first play, rather than just shoot. He lost the puck in his indecision and it amounted to nothing.

On the last play it was just Frattin being Frattin without overthinking it.

IMO he'll continue to score once he's got his confidence and just goes with his instincts.

 

[leafspring*]

Kessel has scored 2 even strength goals in the last 24 games under Carl's system , where is the 2 in two way?

I just looked at that.What a reminder i just got of how sh! tty he has been going back to last march he has only 5 goals.

Yeah, he needs a slap off the ear to wake him up!

 

[bunjay]

Whats with all this blatantly false "Kessel works hard every shift" and "Kessel is becoming a solid two-way player" stuff?

Last night Kessel had one shift where he fought for the puck on the boards. ONE SHIFT. And he looked like he was going to vomit afterward. It's infuriating how obvious his lack of effort is in his own zone, puck recovery, unwillingness to take a hit to move the puck. 90% of the time in his own zone he's just waiting...waiting...waiting for the puck to materialize. It's only when the puck is going down the ice that he suddenly explodes and shows what he can do.

Of course he's a great scorer, and a great passer, too. But how can you deny that when he's not making goals happen, he's not doing anything? There is not a single player on this team who doesn't work harder than him.