2013 NHL Free For All Thread

[gohabsgo]

The Leafs took some needless penalties

This has to be one of the most often used and recycled loser Leaf fan excuses.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012...ple-leafs-have-become-an-exercise-in-excuses/

'needless' penalties go both ways - what about the phantom call on Plekanec 1 minute into the 3rd (which lead to a Leaf goal) ?

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

OK the Oilers hit a new low, 3 days ago beaten by the worst team in the league and last night blown out 8 - 1 by the Flames. On the verge of giving up and choosing another team but will wait 1 more year......
Oh well, we have not had a first round pick in over a year and could use another one

 

[Doc Holliday]

As usual you got it all wrong about the Leafs: the team played pretty well and the game was fairly even. The Leafs took some needless penalties (too many players on the ice; like, seriously, at this juncture of the season, shouldn't happen). What did them in was Reimer's poor goaltending on the first 2 goals. If not for that, the complexion of the game would have been different.

The Habs played well in general, made fewer mistakes, and Price didn't let in stupid goals like the ones Reimer did, at the start.

On the whole, was an interesting game to watch.

I totally agree with everything you said. It was an extremely exciting game to watch. One of the best Leafs/Habs matchups in quite a while. The difference in the game's outcome was 3 posts (by the Leafs) and 3 soft goals (by the habs). Reimer was brutal. But he's nothing more than a backup goalie & Budaj was as brutal as he was when Price was out injured. That's why many habs fans now prefer Dustin Tocharski to Petr Budaj & are hoping the habs don't re-sign Budaj after this season.

The Leafs deserved a better fate & two penalties they took didn't help matters: the JVR goalie interference penalty where he was pushed into Carey Price by the habs defenceman, and the too many men penalty that happened when Morgan Rielly didn't come off the ice as expected & Jake Gardiner jumped on in order to get into the play quicker since the habs were rushing into the Leafs zone at the time. To be fair to Rielly, the linesman who was standing next to Gardiner as he came off the ice appeared to be blocking Rielly's view. Had Rielly noticed that Gardiner had come come onto the ice, he likely would have retreated towards the bench. Montreal also could have been called for a too many men penalty at one point in the game, but it wasn't and i didn't have a problem with this. Referees and linesmen are human, after all.

Jake Gardiner was on fire & so was the Kessel line. The Kadri line played quite well, and so did the Bolland line, including David Clarkson. The entire team played very well, but their fate was sealed by poor goaltending on the part of James Reimer, who will not be back with the team next season.

After the game, i wondered: "Where would the habs be without Carey Price?"

 

[joelcairo]

This was published before last night's game. It appears that the Leafs are again championship contenders - for the NHL Golf tournament.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2014/03/21/no_margin_for_error_as_leafs_fight_for_playoff_berth.html

Great article Anon Vlad. Thanks for posting it.

And the COMMENTS (from LEAF fans!) were even better than the article! Here are some of my favorites:

From Muffin: Management were idiots to give Phaneuf a 7 year contract and leave him as captain. He couldn't lead a one man band.

From 21st Century Man: This Captain and most of his team make horrendous mistakes , are easy on the opponents and seems like they aren't winners.

From 21st Century Man again: The Leafs are an embarrassment to this hockey town...Giving Dion Phaneuf a 7 year contract and retaining him as the Captain was an insult to the hockey IQ of Leaf fans.

There are many other great comments there from other LEAF fans. I encourage everyone to read them.

 

[joelcairo]

This has to be one of the most often used and recycled loser Leaf fan excuses.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012...ple-leafs-have-become-an-exercise-in-excuses/

'needless' penalties go both ways - what about the phantom call on Plekanec 1 minute into the 3rd (which lead to a Leaf goal) ?

Another great article GHG...and even though it's from February 28, 2012 the points are still valid today.

Great comments from LEAF fans too. The most amusing...and RELEVANT was this one from Stat Me Maybe: "Tolerance for incompetence in Toronto - this article could have been written 10 years ago and been just as meaningful."

47 YEARS of failure and we still see nothing but weak, lame EXCUSES for the continuing pitiful leaf performances. We even constantly see them from MERB's 3 leaflovers.

 

[joelcairo]

The Leafs deserved a better fate.

No, actually they didn't. In spite of what Leaf fans say EVERY time their team loses, the team that DESERVES to win is usually the team that wins. Not really that difficult a concept!

 

[joelcairo]

Reimer was brutal. But he's nothing more than a backup goalie & Budaj was as brutal as he was when Price was out injured. The entire team played very well, but their fate was sealed by poor goaltending on the part of James Reimer, who will not be back with the team next season.

After the game, i wondered: "Where would the habs be without Carey Price?"

Funny, but I remember when Leaf fans - including at least two of the three on MERB - were praising Reimer as a "stud" and bragging about their TWO #1 goalies.

Budaj IS a backup - Reimer was certainly not SUPPOSED to be!

Comparison

Reimer:


11 - 12 - 1
3.32 GAA
.910 save percentage
1 shutout

Budaj:

8 - 8 -2
2.50 GAA
.907 save percentage
1 shutout

And...again...Budaj IS a backup.

 

[joelcairo]

Haha, says the fan whos so called "team" sits 5 points BEHIND the Leafs and out of a playoff spot, lol (save me the games in hand speech, you have to win them first

And now we're even with the leafs in points and still have 2 games in hand. I guess it helps that the Griffins - oops, I mean the Wings - earned 7 of a possible 8 points in our last 4 games while the leafs "earned" ZERO of a possible TEN in their last FIVE games.

 

[gohabsgo]

The Leafs deserved a better fate & two penalties they took didn't help matters:

 

[gohabsgo]

it gets better ...

Thats what i'm talking about! Clarkson was wanted by over 20 teams and chose the promised land, the mecca and center of the hockey universe...welcome to the Toronto Maple Leafs Mr. Clarkson. :lol::crazy:

 

[anon_vlad]

I don't understand the mental processes of Leaf fans.

When their team was being out shot night after night and being saved by excellent goal-tending, they never mentioned not deserving to win. Lately their goalie is below average and they are losing, but somehow they deserve to win. They supposedly are Stanley Cup contenders, but regard a game in New Jersey, the 21st team in the league, with a overwhelming home record of 18-17, as "tough".

A week ago, I resigned myself to their embarrassing themselves and the NHL in the playoffs in consecutive years. Instead, they impressed me with their dedication to getting an early start on training for their golf championship, avoiding even a single "loser" point in five straight games. In the next week or so, they will play St. Louis, Philadelphia and Boston, so they should be able to coast into golf season. Come to think of it, their captain, Pylon Phaneuf, is ideally suited for a sport which one plays without moving one's feet.

 

[november]

Habs win, ending bruins win streak. Where are all the habs fans? Am I the only one who's happy!

 

[simonpaul]

I am also happy for the Habs they are very close to do the palyoffs,i don't think the Leafs can do the same.

 

[marc7]

Habs win, ending bruins win streak. Where are all the habs fans? Am I the only one who's happy!

Habs fan super happy ! Should Budaj start a series against the teddy bears Yes!

 

[november]

I like Budaj but price is still the guy. Gold medal and now he is well rested, the price is right! I just hope everybody can stay healthy. For the habs to have success they need to be healthy. And home ice advantage. Go habs Go!

 

[Merlot]

Habs win, ending bruins win streak. Where are all the habs fans? Am I the only one who's happy!

Congratulations,

It's not easy going for unlucky #13 against a bitter rival that usually raises their game up a notch or two when we meet. But it still took a shoot-out to do it. Maybe the Canadiens got an edge out of trying to redeem themselves from their 4-1 beating by the Bruins home at the Bell Centre earlier this month.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[G1GBallday]

I'm surprised there's so far no talk of a suspension for Lucic's spear to Emelin's nuts.

I say he should cause it was one of the dirtiest cheap shots I've seen in years.

 

[november]

Thanks Merlot you are a good sport.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I'm surprised there's so far no talk of a suspension for Lucic's spear to Emelin's nuts.

I say he should cause it was one of the dirtiest cheap shots I've seen in years.

I'm not fan of Milan Lucic, but to be honest, i didn't think much of it. In hockey terminology, it's called a 'love tap'. Emelin should get serious Oscar consideration for his acting job on that play.

On another note, the Bruins better hope they don't face the Habs in the playoffs. If there's a team out there that has their number, it's the Habs. Tukka Rask's record against that team is absolutely atrocious and i'd consider playing the other guy if they ever meet up. Petr Budaj also has the Bruins' number.

 

[G1GBallday]

Emelin should get serious Oscar consideration for his acting job on that play.

If it were Subban or in the day Maxim Lapierre I'd agree but when it comes to Emelin, I've never seen him embellish an injury.

[video=youtube;0nssGVSiNYU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0nssGVSiNYU[/video]