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The "no.1" line/Carlyle's usage of centers

Mike1

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Jul 29, 2002
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Can someone care to explain why Tyler Bozak is firmly entrenched on the Leafs first line all the time?

The JVR-Bozak-Kessel might be the "no.1" line of the team but they aren't very effective as a unit. They are constantly in their own end, they give up a ton of chances & this is inspite of the fact Bozak seems to be good on the draws. Why not try someone else in the middle? Why does Tyler Bozak have this golden boy status with this organization when he has done nothing on the ice to justify it?

Why not Grabovski? I'm sitting there watching the Philly game & seeing our "genius" coach put Grabovski with the super talented Colton Orr. On top of putting him with McClement/ Komarov all season & dumb media types/fans want to ***** about the guys numbers. This guy has consistently out-produced Bozak in his time here but never really gets the ultimate shot on the top line, never plays on the first PP unit. Now he doesn't even get linemates that can help him produce offense & contribute to the team.

To me this is a chronic misuse of talent without even bringing up Kadri, who inspite of having the best season of any center on the team, combined with his playmaking potential, never gets the top PP time either.

Isn't it time we tried someone else up there? Especially now when there seems to be options?
 
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Mike1 said:
Can someone care to explain why Tyler Bozak is firmly entrenched on the Leafs first line all the time?

The JVR-Bozak-Kessel might be the "no.1" line of the team but they aren't very effective as a unit. They are constantly in their own end, they give up a ton of chances & this is inspite of the fact Bozak seems to be good on the draws. Why not try someone else in the middle? Why does Tyler Bozak have this golden boy status with this organization when he has done nothing on the ice to justify it?

Why not Grabovski? I'm sitting there watching the Philly game & seeing our "genius" coach put Grabovski with the super talented Colton Orr. On top of putting him with McClement/ Komarov all season & dumb media types/fans want to ***** about the guys numbers. This guy has consistently out-produced Bozak in his time here but never really gets the ultimate shot on the top line, never plays on the first PP unit. Now he doesn't even get linemates that can help him produce offense & contribute to the team.

To me this is a chronic misuse of talent without even bringing up Kadri, who inspite of having the best season of any center on team, combined with his playmaking potential, never gets the top PP time either.

Isn't it time we tried someone else up there? Especially now when there seems to be options?
Click to expand...

Grabo and Kessel don't work. Bozak is the best option we have.
 
If Kadri didn't suck at faceoffs I'd have to assume he would be up there.
 
Total mystery to me as well. There must be some dynamic at play that we are not privy to
 
I don't think you should think of Bozak's role on the top line as any indication of his status as a first liner, he's the complimentary piece on that role that serves as a support player.

Grabovski is playing with goons because he makes anyone he plays with ice cold. He's a black hole of chemistry.
 
leaf fans are strange. Any criticism of Bozak brings about attacks on Grabbo.

Not sure why people invest so heavily in specific players. Invest yourself in the team and see players as assets to move around.
 
Leafs87 said:
Kadri and kessel would. Lupul-kadri-kessel should be the first line
Click to expand...

good luck scoring goalies then.

Other team puts their shutdown pair against them, and we're done.

With Kessel/jvr on 1 line, and Kadri/Lupul on another gives 1 of them a weaker defensive pair to play against.

We need a 2nd center with Kadri, right now we don't have one(maybe Grabo, but apparently he can't play with Kessel).
 
If Grabovski and Kessel don't work well together, then why have the Leafs scored at nearly double the rate when they're on the ice together at even strength?

If Grabovski and Kessel don't work well together, then why have the Leafs scored 58% of the goals while they're on the ice together?

If Grabovski and Kessel don't work well together, then why is it that the Leafs outshoot their opponents by the same margin that the Chicago Blackhawks do when Grabovski and Kessel are on the ice together?

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/showplayer.php?pid=55&withagainst=true&season=2010-12&sit=5v5

The whole "they both like to have the puck" thing and therefore shouldn't play together is nonsense. Grabbo is a puck possession forward. He's good at getting the puck and keeping it. Phil Kessel is an elite scoring winger who has difficulties with puck possession.

Grabo getting pucks, protecting them, and then passing them to Phil sounds like a good plan to me.
 
I still don't understand where the Grabovski-Kessel don't work thing came from. In their years on the team they have played together for like what 5 shifts? I understand we don't see what happens in practice but why is it just assumed they wouldn't play well together?
 
sommervr said:
leaf fans are strange. Any criticism of Bozak brings about attacks on Grabbo.

Not sure why people invest so heavily in specific players. Invest yourself in the team and see players as assets to move around.
Click to expand...

Well said.

I don't undertand why Bozak is so firmly entrenched on the top line when, like you said, OP, there are other options.
 
GordieHoweHatTrick said:
Well said.

I don't undertand why Bozak is so firmly entrenched on the top line when, like you said, OP, there are other options.
Click to expand...

No there isn't.

Having a well-balanced offensive attack is important, and leaving Kadri off the first line helps this.

Having Grabovski on that line doesn't work chemistry wise and would most likely make that line go cold. Grabo is a strictly shoot first player.

I agree, an upgrade on Bozak is needed, but until we find that (Colbourne, FA signing, trade etc.) Bozie is our best option.
 
Leafs87 said:
Kadri and kessel would. Lupul-kadri-kessel should be the first line
Click to expand...

This.


I can see this happening next season, Grabo can move back into his 2nd line scoring role with hopefully some decent wingers. If we can bring in another top 6 winger, I'd be all for it.

- let Mac walk
- resign Bozak for 3rd line. 3.5-4mil per otherwise walk.
- look for top 6 winger.


Lupul-Kadri-Kessel
JVR-Grabo-FA/trade/Frattin
Kulemin-Bozak-Frattin/Komorov
Orr-McClement-Komorov/FA

Phaneuf-Gardiner
Liles-Franson
Reilly-Gunnarson
Fraser

Reimer
Scrivens
 
I'd prefer to get Stastny and keep kadri on the 2nd line(or first, whatever you wanna call his line)

Kessel can create his own chances without an awesome centre like Kadri, yes he needs a better centre but we can't just become a 1 line team.

Lupul-Stastny-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Kulemin
MacA-Grabo-Frattin
Fraser-Mcclement-Orr/Komarov

That top 6 just looks way better with Bozak being replaced, that's a huge hole on the line.
 
It's mind boggling in a way.

We don't have the right centers to play with Kessel so Bozak is there by default. We have a top notch skilled center, but we still can't play him with Kessel because that would put too much offense on one line....How the hell do we get Bozak off the top line!? Become the Pittsburgh Penguins and get several #1 centers?

Just put Kadri on the top line and put Grabo on the second line where he should be. He'll be a lot more effective offensively if you stop playing him as the shutdown center. Build a line around McClement for that. We know Grabo can center a good second line, so just go with it.

Bozak's faceoffs is not enough to be worth it.
 
Stephen said:
I don't think you should think of Bozak's role on the top line as any indication of his status as a first liner, he's the complimentary piece on that role that serves as a support player.

Grabovski is playing with goons because he makes anyone he plays with ice cold. He's a black hole of chemistry.
Click to expand...

:laugh: Harsh...Grabo is probably one of the most over-paid centers in the league. Thanks Burkie...dolt.
 
sommervr said:
leaf fans are strange. Any criticism of Bozak brings about attacks on Grabbo.

Not sure why people invest so heavily in specific players. Invest yourself in the team and see players as assets to move around.
Click to expand...

I dont think you need to like either. They both can be upgraded for sure. No chance either one of these guys are championship caliber.
 
Stephen said:
I don't think you should think of Bozak's role on the top line as any indication of his status as a first liner, he's the complimentary piece on that role that serves as a support player.

Grabovski is playing with goons because he makes anyone he plays with ice cold. He's a black hole of chemistry.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know right. I mean look at Frattin, finally taken off that bums line last night and...oh yeah, he still sucked! Played with Kadri to. I'm betting if Bozak was in Grabo's position people would be saying the same thing instead of making up the whole he and Kessel have chemistry crap.
 
Tie Domi Esquire said:
OP makes the ridiculous suggestion that grabovski should play in his spot.
Click to expand...

Why is it so ridiculous? How many games have Kessel and Grabovski played together? How long ago was that? What's ridiculous is that they won't even try. What's ridiculous is that Bozak is the only possible centre that Kessel will ever play with.
 
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