Player Discussion Linus Ullmark (G)

[Gil Gunderson]

I said before this started, for the Leafs to win, Stolarz has to outplay Ullmark. He did last night. They still need to win 3 more games

Shouldn’t be a tough task if that’s the criteria.

 

[Puikiou]

1. Highmore shot into the sun. He's unfit for the ECHL, let alone the Stanley Cup playoffs. Enough is enough.

2. Giroux demoted to a Michal Handzus type role, as faceoffs are just about the only thing he's good at these days.

3. Roll 3 lines fairly evenly, sprinkle in the 4th line.

4. One more start in game 2, but if Ullmark still can't crack a .900 sv% (a feat he has never accomplished in a POs run in North America), Leevi should start game 3.

Tkachuk - Stützle - Zetterlund (18 mins)
Perron - Cozens - Batherson (17 mins)
Greig - Pinto - Amadio (17 mins)
Cousins - Giroux - Reinhardt (8 mins)
Extra: Gaudette

Sanderson - Zub
Chabot - Jensen
Kleven - Matinpalo
Extra: Gilbert

Merilainen/Ullmark
Merilainen/Ullmark​

 

[Gil Gunderson]

All of the goals were explainable. Lousy team defense and great finishing by the Leafs.

But Ullmark didn’t do the team any favours. And Stolarz made several high danger saves.

He starts every game regardless; forget the Levi/Anton talk. But he needs to assert himself.

Why?

 

[DylanSensFan]

The sens had just as many high danger chances. All of the leafs ones went in. Flip the goalies and its an opposite result.

No our team did not. Go back and watch the game. We gifted Toronto the slot on multiple chances that led to goals. On the other hand Ottawa played a perimeter game for most of the night. We got boxed out by their D for the majority of our chances. If we had those clean, clear slot chances like TML, we may have won that game. If we had half as many PP as they did, same thing.

Ullmark wasn't good. I am not sugarcoating his performance. I expect more from him. But we have this guy signed for five more years after this season and he needs more playoff experience. Pulling him doesn't help him or our team long term. It doesn't help his confidence to say, yeah thanks for the regular season, but f*** you it's the playoffs. We don't have a goalie on this team, including Meri who would have a chance last night. It ain't like Stolarz was amazing for multiple seasons before this. He's finally found his game. We need Ullmark to find his playoff game.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

No our team did not. Go back and watch the game. We gifted Toronto the slot on multiple chances that led to goals. On the other hand Ottawa played a perimeter game for most of the night. We got boxed out by their D for the majority of our chances. If we had those clean, clear slot chances like TML, we may have won that game. If we had half as many PP as they did, same thing.

Ullmark wasn't good. I am not sugarcoating his performance. I expect more from him. But we have this guy signed for five more years after this season and he needs more playoff experience. Pulling him doesn't help him or our team long term. It doesn't help his confidence to say, yeah thanks for the regular season, but f*** you it's the playoffs. We don't have a goalie on this team, including Meri who would have a chance last night. It ain't like Stolarz was amazing for multiple seasons before this. He's finally found his game. We need Ullmark to find his playoff game.

If he lays another egg tomorrow I don’t understand why we keep him in. Let him add to his experience another time. At this point of his career he’s played 11 playoff games and his numbers have been god awful relative to his regular season numbers. Same case in his AHL career too.

At least Merilainen would be an unknown rather than a sure dud.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

No our team did not. Go back and watch the game. We gifted Toronto the slot on multiple chances that led to goals. On the other hand Ottawa played a perimeter game for most of the night. We got boxed out by their D for the majority of our chances. If we had those clean, clear slot chances like TML, we may have won that game. If we had half as many PP as they did, same thing.

Ullmark wasn't good. I am not sugarcoating his performance. I expect more from him. But we have this guy signed for five more years after this season and he needs more playoff experience. Pulling him doesn't help him or our team long term. It doesn't help his confidence to say, yeah thanks for the regular season, but f*** you it's the playoffs. We don't have a goalie on this team, including Meri who would have a chance last night. It ain't like Stolarz was amazing for multiple seasons before this. He's finally found his game. We need Ullmark to find his playoff game.

....so you're willing to piss away a playoff series to get Ullmark more experience?

Oof.

 

[DylanSensFan]

....so you're willing to piss away a playoff series to get Ullmark more experience?

Oof.

No, but unless he craps the bed tomorrow you don't just put Meri in and expect we are going to win this series. Ottawa needs to play better on special teams and we need to stay out of the box. But we also need to rely on what got us here.

 

[DylanSensFan]

If he lays another egg tomorrow I don’t understand why we keep him in. Let him add to his experience another time. At this point of his career he’s played 11 playoff games and his numbers have been god awful relative to his regular season numbers. Same case in his AHL career too.

At least Merilainen would be an unknown rather than a sure dud.

Merilainen has crapped the bed on a few games playing for Ottawa this season. It's not as though he was perfect. He had one five goals agains game and another that was like four goals against. He could play out of his mind good, but then so could Ullmark. I would bet money that Green would put Forsberg in before Merlainen though, so we're not going to get what you all hope for.

I am also pretty certain that Ullmark was injure for a few of those series he played.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Merilainen has crapped the bed on a few games playing for Ottawa this season. It's not as though he was perfect. He had one five goals agains game and another that was like four goals against. He could play out of his mind good, but then so could Ullmark. I would bet money that Green would put Forsberg in before Merlainen though, so we're not going to get what you all hope for.

I am also pretty certain that Ullmark was injure for a few of those series he played.

Still haven’t seen him do that yet in a playoff game. We will see, but I think the sample size is there over the years to show that there’s something not there with him once the postseason starts. Even look at his AHL playoff numbers compared to the regular season.

We’ve seen rookie goalies come in for relief and surprise before in the playoffs.