The Iceman
Registered User
- Sep 22, 2007
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We were actually the best team in the entire league at doing this last year if memory serves?
36-0-1 with I think the loss coming in game 82
We were actually the best team in the entire league at doing this last year if memory serves?
I for one am not a fan of Babcock, but more concerning is his lack of desire to change or adapt.
1) zone entries are atrocious on the PP this constant skate to red line then drop pass to trailing player is over it worked the one year and every team figured out how to defend it yet the Leafs continue to use it
2) Giving up the blue line in the offensive zone, defence leaves zone far to early and thus we lose possession more times then necessary
3) Giving the opposing team our blue line all the time, our wingers drop far too deep giving up the points far too often
4) usage of our PK d pairings, PK requires IQ not size it blows my mind at guys like Marincin even get a minute on the PK, the ability to read a play and get the puck out is how you kill penalties
Just my 2 cents
Washington Pittsburgh and St Louis all had an edge to their game where they refused to shy away or back down from being hit or getting hit.
Thats the thing. Its a contradiction. They have speed but quite frankly they are lazy slackers so there wont be that 'aggressiveness' any time soon you are alluding to.We just give the opposition too much time and space. With the speed of this team, I'd like to see an aggressive PK
Oh geez, there goes one whinefest, best find another.We were actually the best team in the entire league at doing this last year if memory serves?
A lot of younger players, playing key roles, just learning the all round game.
Take a look at Steve Yzerman. It took him almost a decade of play in the NHL, to become the completely rounded player he became. I sure hope it takes our core less, but it can take some of these guys quite some time to become great defensively.
A collection of some great players doesn't make a great team.
Wayne Gretzky said it best and it still applies today even if you love to dismiss "physical" or "heavy" hockey in the 21st century.
Gretzky and Messier both admitted they were impacted by walking past the Islanders dressing room after Game 4 to see the four-time defending champs sitting with ice bags, rather than engaging in a wild championship celebration. In their minds, they were made aware that more sacrifice would be needed to climb the final rungs to a title.
You need the right collection of players that find the "it" factor. Until you find it, you can be pretty in 82 games. Even Yzerman didn't do it alone. In addition guys like Fetisov/Konstantinov/McCarty/Draper/etc. all played huge rolls. I'd rather a team of 20 very good skilled hard working players than 2 or 3 passive high skilled players.
Killer instinct.
I don’t want to discount the way they played. That’s what you need to do. Aggressive, in your face and hard on the puck.They played a fantastic first period against the Blues but did not score and eventually lost because Freddy gave up a couple of questionable goals. Which players on this team have that Killer instinct ?
A collection of some great players doesn't make a great team.
Wayne Gretzky said it best and it still applies today even if you love to dismiss "physical" or "heavy" hockey in the 21st century.
Gretzky and Messier both admitted they were impacted by walking past the Islanders dressing room after Game 4 to see the four-time defending champs sitting with ice bags, rather than engaging in a wild championship celebration. In their minds, they were made aware that more sacrifice would be needed to climb the final rungs to a title.
You need the right collection of players that find the "it" factor. Until you find it, you can be pretty in 82 games. Even Yzerman didn't do it alone. In addition guys like Fetisov/Konstantinov/McCarty/Draper/etc. all played huge rolls. I'd rather a team of 20 very good skilled hard working players than 2 or 3 passive high skilled players.
Killer instinct.
Anderson has been the 2nd best goalie in every playoff series so far and has had especially bad game 7s the last 2 years.
I think the conversation should start there no?
And it takes time. Like Yzerman and Ovi. So we have to see who makes the cut because the team/players Yzerman and Ovi started out with weren't all the ones that finished it. That's why you can't invest heavily in everyone. The team must evolve with the collection to win.We've said much of the same thing really, perhaps in different ways. Our kids haven't learned to win yet. It takes time.
That conversation revolves around load management as Freddy plays more games and faces more shots against then almost all goalies that enter the playoffs.
The solution is to rest Freddy more during the regular season to keep him fresher for the playoffs where it appears wear and tear and fatigue is the problem and if you want to go a long way in the playoffs you keeper is the key to that success.
The problem Hutch is a very questionable play to expect wins so you're at risk of missing the playoffs when you don't play Freddy in net, so its a catch 22 here and a fine line balancing act. .
The load management narrative does have some weight but pretty much only applied to last year when both the team and he himself admitted he was banged up...and I thought he had his best playoffs as a Leaf outside of game 7. He just had the misfortune of running into the best playoff Rask seen in years. It's one of the reasons I still have faith in him.
The previous two years he an absolute tank and won MVP goalie at the worlds facing 50 shots a night half a world away after stinking up the net with the Leafs against the Bruins in the first series against them. He wasnt tired, he just played bad.. and he said so himself and I believe him.
It's not quite as bad a narrative as the "right side defense" narrative but it's just not a great explanation for Anderson's play. Anderson has shown he can play under pressure but has just crapped the bed in game 7s.
It is not learning to win but hating to lose so much that you are willing to do what ever it takes to not lose again that we need.We've said much of the same thing really, perhaps in different ways. Our kids haven't learned to win yet. It takes time.
hey man you gotta give Petan props for being a little pitbull out there despite his very small stature.I'd like to see some players who are throwing less hits then Nic Petan to step up their game.
A collection of some great players doesn't make a great team.
Wayne Gretzky said it best and it still applies today even if you love to dismiss "physical" or "heavy" hockey in the 21st century.
Gretzky and Messier both admitted they were impacted by walking past the Islanders dressing room after Game 4 to see the four-time defending champs sitting with ice bags, rather than engaging in a wild championship celebration. In their minds, they were made aware that more sacrifice would be needed to climb the final rungs to a title.
You need the right collection of players that find the "it" factor. Until you find it, you can be pretty in 82 games. Even Yzerman didn't do it alone. In addition guys like Fetisov/Konstantinov/McCarty/Draper/etc. all played huge rolls. I'd rather a team of 20 very good skilled hard working players than 2 or 3 passive high skilled players.
Killer instinct.