GDT: Leaves at Canes

[tarheelhockey]

Yick, early evening game + national TV + sub par 3rd string goalie = should have known better than to invest 2.5hrs

At least the tailgating weather was nice?

 

[LBS I Digress]

Super bitter to say about the leafs after a loss and how we played but it’s legitimately embarrassing that a team built to be that top heavy offensively has to resort to basically a play not to lose style of hockey just to have a chance to win.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Honestly it's probably time for management to realize we aren't a team that can go toe to toe with the best in the league. We can beat up on bad and mediocre teams but the best consistently whip us.

Our top line isn't good enough. We have an elite 2nd line but our top line is average at best. You aren't going to win the Cup with an average top line. And if our defense isn't playing it's ass off, our goalies kind of suck.

Unless we are ponying up for Meier, I don’t see that changing.

 

[MisterDobz]

Patches will solve everything….

 

[Identity404]

For all the talk about Toronto being on a back to back it was our 3rd game in 4 nights. The team looked tired and disinterested. We suck on national broadcasts, early games, and against rookie and scrub goaltenders. I totally expected this result.

 

[bleedgreen]

I agree that Freddie is more or less the same as last year, and too much is made of these micro changes between games.

I don’t agree that that is a normal goal to allow. Slavin could have made a better play on the puck, but it’s an acceptable conservative option to shield the puck and let his goalie play it. There’s no reason any goalie at any level should let a loose puck just roll past him like that.

I think Freddie hesitated because he saw Nylander still making a play and that it had a chance to work….and being a bouncer waited an extra second to see how it went as it would be easy for him to jump into Slavins feet and mess the whole thing up, as I suspect he probably also has come to expect Slavin to make a better play there. So yes he could’ve done something different but I wasn’t surprised it went south because Nylander was out working Slavin for positioning and that is a really tough play for a goalie as it’s a guess. Poking a bouncing puck in two players feet is probably considered a bigger risk than trusting your positioning.

I don’t know if everyone saw that it changed direction at the last second?

 

[Sigurd]

That last Leafs goal was f***ing rough. Slavin was right on the guy and didn't stop him, and it seemed like a leaky goal Andersen gave up.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

I’m ready to see Coghlan back in and some more speed in the bottom 6, not sure how you get speed tho with Dzingel, Drury and Rees as the potential call ups.

Agree on Stastny being very disappointing so far. Still, they’ve only played 12 games and won 2/3 of them, they’ll be fine, just need some fine tuning.

Stromwall might be an alright callup. Hasn’t put up a lot of points yet in Chicago but the whole team there isn’t playing very well.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Win tonight and we are a cup favorite, lose and we can’t compete with top teams.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

The meat and potatoes style they play in these Corsi Canes games is not conducive to showcasing offensive ability. A point shot into traffic, generally the conclusion of forechecking and cycling, is a low grade opportunity.

Toronto didn’t give much of anything in transition. Credit to them.

 

[ndp]

Its time for the Mgmt team to approach Stastny and say:
“ if you want any chance of a good contract next year, we will need to find you more ice time elsewhere. It ain’t working here. What do you want?”

Maybe it’s a matter of how he’s being utilized as a player? He came from playing with Ehlers, Copp, Scheifele to Noesen and Stepan. Not exactly an upgrade in line mates. I always figured he was more insurance for KK than anything else, or that he would find a home on Jordo’s wing as a low rent Nino replacement. He’s never really been a grinder has he? I’ve always thought of Stastny as a heady playmaker type, not the type of player suited to 4th line duties imo.

Speaking of, I really feel like this team is missing Nino, hopefully getting Patches back helps that some. But Jordo’s line just isn’t an offensive threat at all. They’re possession beasts and are one of the best in the league at controlling the puck and shutting down other teams top lines. But at some point goals have to be scored. If you’re not scoring 3+ goals a game in todays NHL your not winning the big prize. And I’m not sure if this team, as constructed has the depth to do that against the top teams in the league.

I think they’ll be just fine in the long run, should definitely be a pretty strong playoff team. But they’re going to get skated to death by teams like NJ and NYR. Hard work alone isn’t enough to win a championship, no matter how much Rod wants it to.

 

[ndp]

I would also LOVE to see Aho between Svech and Nacho for a few games. Load up a true #1 top line up and see if they can go out there and compete with the best in the league. And get Slavin and Burns out there behind them as much as possible. How many times was the Aho line out with CDH and Chat tonight? Seems like a few times Aho’s line was getting some decent offensive zone pressure only to have the third pair fumble the puck or shoot it right into the goalies chest killing play and momentum. It’s never going to happen but I would love to see this team turned loose offensively from the start of a game. Might expose the goalies a little too much though.

 

[LBS I Digress]

Maybe it’s a matter of how he’s being utilized as a player? He came from playing with Ehlers, Copp, Scheifele to Noesen and Stepan. Not exactly an upgrade in line mates. I always figured he was more insurance for KK than anything else, or that he would find a home on Jordo’s wing as a low rent Nino replacement. He’s never really been a grinder has he? I’ve always thought of Stastny as a heady playmaker type, not the type of player suited to 4th line duties imo.

I like Stastny, I think he’s a really smart player, and when he’s put on line with guys like a Scheifele or an Ehlers it’s easier to mask some of the deficiencies he has.

Im not as familiar with the style the Jets played last year but with a combination of age and injuries I don’t know if he’s quick enough to play on any of the top three lines. We like to press and forecheck a lot, and it looks like he really struggles sometimes to make hard cuts and get up to speed.

It just ends up making the 4th line extremely slow and like tonight they became a liability on the first goal by not being able to get the puck out of the zone and maybe giving the leafs the most sustained pressure they had up until that point.

 

[ndp]

I like Stastny, I think he’s a really smart player, and when he’s put on line with guys like a Scheifele or an Ehlers it’s easier to mask some of the deficiencies he has.

Im not as familiar with the style the Jets played last year but with a combination of age and injuries I don’t know if he’s quick enough to play on any of the top three lines. We like to press and forecheck a lot, and it looks like he really struggles sometimes to make hard cuts and get up to speed.

It just ends up making the 4th line extremely slow and like tonight they became a liability on the first goal by not being able to get the puck out of the zone and maybe giving the leafs the most sustained pressure they had up until that point.

I agree. I would much rather see some youth with grit and speed in that slot, shouldn’t be that hard to find and shouldn’t cost as much as a Stastny. Same with the 3rd pair. I would love to see the big Russian get called over to smash opponents, maybe even throw a few borderline hits and engage in the fisticuffs when other teams want to make it that kind of game, would love to see a similar type guy on the 4th line.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I agree. I would much rather see some youth with grit and speed in that slot, shouldn’t be that hard to find and shouldn’t cost as much as a Stastny. Same with the 3rd pair. I would love to see the big Russian get called over to smash opponents, maybe even throw a few borderline hits and engage in the fisticuffs when other teams want to make it that kind of game, would love to see a similar type guy on the 4th line.

Nikishin is under contract for a few years in the KHL and ineligible to be called over.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Win tonight and we are a cup favorite, lose and we can’t compete with top teams.

Dammit. I won’t like posts. So I have to just bump this.

 

[The Faulker 27]

The best part about going to this game was the tailgating.

 

[Stickpucker]

Was Andersen a notoriously slow starter in Toronto? I vaguely remember seeing a lot of "can't win with andersen" threads at the start of a couple seasons.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think we should burn it all down and start over at the draft.

 

[Cleetus]

Was Andersen a notoriously slow starter in Toronto? I vaguely remember seeing a lot of "can't win with andersen" threads at the start of a couple seasons.

not sure if im allowed to post in here,delete if not allowed, but yes he was a very slow starter in Toronto, really bad Octobers, but came to life in November, still a big fan of his, kind of got roasted on our board for defending him, but I think he is a top 10 goalie in the league, would of liked to see him go on a run last year in the playoffs, to bad he was injured

 

[Tryamw]

not sure if im allowed to post in here,delete if not allowed, but yes he was a very slow starter in Toronto, really bad Octobers, but came to life in November, still a big fan of his, kind of got roasted on our board for defending him, but I think he is a top 10 goalie in the league, would of liked to see him go on a run last year in the playoffs, to bad he was injured

It's Fine.. Just try to avoid gloating your team won (Figuring Toronto fan)
Nothing at all wrong with this post.

 

[Cleetus]

It's Fine.. Just try to avoid gloating your team won (Figuring Toronto fan)
Nothing at all wrong with this post.

thanks, yea im a leafs fan, but ill tell you the Canes are no joke, such a talented group, led by I think a top 3 coach in the NHL, I enjoy watching hockey, and the Canes are a very fun group to watch, I catch them as often as I can, good luck the rest of way!

 

[RibFrabcus]

lack of finish and meh goaltending bite our ass

 

[Martin Skoula]

Was Andersen a notoriously slow starter in Toronto? I vaguely remember seeing a lot of "can't win with andersen" threads at the start of a couple seasons.

He really struggles when he doesn't face a lot of pucks early for some reason. Most of his better games for us he was seeing 10-15 shots in the first and getting in a groove.

Sounds stupid but your defense might be too good to get the most out of Andersen.

 

[CupInSIX]

That last Leafs goal was f***ing rough. Slavin was right on the guy and didn't stop him, and it seemed like a leaky goal Andersen gave up.

Nylander could have slid through that gaping 5 hole along with the puck.

Although I don't think last year was a fluke with Freddie.