The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread

[lgna69xxx]

This is a pro LEAFS thread, not about betting fueds. For the record, Joe has paid every single bet he has lost to me, which has not been many because the man does nothing but win win win!

Yes it will be very very tough for the Leafs to get in because of the HUGE hole they built for themselves because of a horrible month of February, but it is possible, they control their own fate, all they gotta do is win, not easy, but anything worth having is usually never easy to attain. GLG!

while I would like to see as many teams from Canada make the playoffs, given my opinion of Burke and Wilson, I predicted the contrary in the 2012 thread two months ago.

Of the Leafs' last 15 games, they are not favored in at least 10. They can't back in either as the four teams ahead of them play each other a fair bit so it is almost impossible for all four of them to have losing records in their remaining games. Even if the Leafs vastly improve immediately, I wouldn't even wager with someone who does pay his gambling debts.

 

[anon_vlad]

Yes it will be very very tough for the Leafs to get in because of the HUGE hole they built for themselves because of a horrible month of February, but it is possible, they control their own fate, all they gotta do is win

My point was that they unfortunately don't have much control of their fate any more.

When most people say that it is still mathematically possible for a team to make the playoffs, they overlook something important. Their calculation is based on their team winning every game and the teams ahead of them losing every game. That is impossible for the Leafs as the teams ahead of them play each other so they can't all lose every game. You are almost certainly correct that there is some almost miraculous combination of outcomes in the remaining 15 or so games of each of the teams immediately ahead of them to have them get in if they win almost every game. Their schedule this week is brutal.

Joe has paid every single bet he has lost to me, which has not been many

As for your losing most bets and collecting on the few you win, I'm happy to hear that your friend is smart enough to pay suckers.

 

[Joe.t]

This is a pro LEAFS thread, not about betting fueds. For the record, Joe has paid every single bet he has lost to me, which has not been many because the man does nothing but win win win!

Yes it will be very very tough for the Leafs to get in because of the HUGE hole they built for themselves because of a horrible month of February, but it is possible, they control their own fate, all they gotta do is win, not easy, but anything worth having is usually never easy to attain. GLG!

You seem to have my number when it comes to betting Iggy, what did you end up doing with the $320 that you won from me the last time?, I hope it came in handy for you my good man.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Kessel feels bad for ex-coach

Carlyle says he won't stifle sniper's creativity, but wants more defence

by Steve Buffery, QMI Agency

Phil Kessel generally does not wear his emotions on his sleeve when speaking to the media.

But the Maple Leafs’ leading scorer seemed genuinely saddened when asked on Sunday about his former coach, Ron Wilson.

Offensively, Kessel has had back-to-back career seasons under Wilson and the two seemed to hit it off on a personal level. So, when Wilson was given the onion by general manager Brian Burke on Friday, Kessel admittedly was upset and more than willing to share his feelings about the situation.

“I have nothing but good things to say about Ron,” Kessel said, following new coach Randy Carlyle’s first practice with the Leafs on Sunday afternoon. “I liked Ron a lot. I thought he did a good job for us. I think the fans here were tough on him. It’s a tough situation. This is a tough town if you go on a skid like that.

“It’s not his fault we were losing games,” Kessel added. “We just weren’t doing the little things to win games. When you’re down 2-0 to start games and you lose by one goal, and stuff like that, it’s not his fault. It’s not his fault we went on that skid. It’s the players. We play the game out there and we didn’t get it done.

“Obviously, for me, I liked him a lot,” the speedy winger continued. “I thought he was a good coach and a great guy to me. He supported me. It’s really tough. Obviously, I liked him. It wasn’t his fault, (despite) what people think.”

So here’s the big question: Yes, Kessel has had career years in Toronto under Wilson, but his play in the defensive zone often leaves something to be desired. As the team’s offensive sparkplug, along with Joffrey Lupul, Wilson seemed to forgive Kessel, and that first line, except for the fact it sometimes appeared confused and indifferent in its own end.

So, under the defensive guru Carlyle, will Kessel’s game be overhauled for the sake of a two-zone style of play? Will the club’s leading scorer, with 32 goals and 36 assists in 65 games, be asked to be more responsible defensively, perhaps at the expense of his offensive output?

“I don’t know,” said Kessel, when asked that very question. “It’s (only) been one day (since Carlyle took over) so we’ll see how it goes for the last 17 games and we’ll figure it out.”

To be fair, Kessel’s defensive play, at least on paper, has improved this season. (He finished the 2010-11 season at minus-20 and is even so far this year). But it will be interesting to see how he plays under Carlyle, a strict taskmaster who won’t let players lollygag in their own end.

Carlyle insisted on Sunday, however, that the last thing he wants to do is stifle Kessel’s, or anybody’s, offensive creativity. He said it’s possible to be a great offensive player under his system while being responsible defensively. He wants his team to be a “conservative, yet attacking hockey club.”

“With Phil Kessel, I just refer to Teemu Selanne, I refer to Bobby Ryan, I refer to Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry — the MVP of the league last year. Those players all have a special sense and a special skill-set that separates them from other players,” said Carlyle. “(And) the one thing I’ve asked all of those players previously (in Anaheim), and what I ask of Phil Kessel, is when it’s his turn to be first on the forecheck, it’s his turn. When it’s his turn to be first on the backcheck, he does that. And usually those things work themselves out. I appreciate the skill set that he comes with. He’s a dynamic young player. Are there areas which we feel he can improve on? For sure, there is. As there is everybody on our hockey club.

“So, to say that I’m going to change Phil Kessel’s game dramatically, I would say not,” Carlyle added. “I’m going to take him for his skill set and his abilities and try to utilize them. I said it when we first came on board, we have to, as a coaching staff, create an environment for Phil Kessel to have success in.”

It promises to be an interesting ride.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2012/03/04/19457601.html

 

[simonpaul]

Don't waste your time, the Leafs and the Habs will not do the playoff this year.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Carlyle has special task

Ron Wilson’s ultimate failure in Toronto revolved around special teams, which is why the hiring of Randy Carlyle will almost certainly pay big dividends down the road.

A quick look at the numbers tells you with a new, detail-oriented coach, the Toronto Maple Leafs should easily be a playoff team next year.

Consider, Wilson’s Leafs were essentially the league’s worst penalty-killing team all four years he ran the club — clearly a coaching issue.

Over six years in Anaheim, Carlyle’s PK units were usually middle of the pack (16th). The difference between his teams’ kill-off percentages amounts to between 15 and 20 goals allowed a year.

With the man-advantage, Wilson’s Leafs didn’t have a team perform in the top half of the league until this year (9th). Meanwhile, Carlyle’s team was top five in the league in four of his six full years with the Ducks, providing his squad with a powerplay efficiency that would amount to 15 to 20 more goals scored on average annually.

Granted, Carlyle had more star power in Anaheim to work with, but the bottom line is that, all told, the difference between the two systems could be a 30- to 40-goal swing on special teams alone — more than enough to push any team into a post-season berth in the Eastern Conference.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/03/05/carlyle-has-a-special-task

 

[Doc Holliday]

Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski signs five-year contract extension

Maple Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski has signed a five-year contract extension with the club.

Financial teams haven’t been officially released but the deal was worth $27.5 million over five years for a cap hit of $5.5 million a season, according to NHL sources, and he’ll have a modified no-trade clause that allows him to name 10 teams that he can be traded to each season.

His new deal makes him the second highest paid Leaf next season, behind captain Dion Phaneuf who will be making $6.5 million.

Grabovski was making $3.1 million this season on a 3-year contract worth $8.7 million.

He would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and could have left the team without the Leafs receiving anything in return. That led to much speculation that he would be moved at the trade deadline last week.

Grabovski’s agent Gary Greenstin said negotiations were “very complicated” but his client was very happy.

“Had he been on the market this summer he would have been the most sought-after centre for sure,” Greenstin told the Star at the Leafs morning skate prior to their game against Boston.

Greenstin said Grabovski, 28, never wanted to leave Toronto.

Grabovski has 20 goals and 25 assists this year.

“We are extremely pleased to have Mikhail under contract for the next five seasons,” Leafs GM Brian Burke said in a statement released Tuesday morning. “His speed and skill are valuable commodities and fit perfectly with our style of play.

“He leads by example and his work ethic speaks for itself.”

Grabovski has always wanted to remain with the Leafs. He has put down roots in Toronto where he has a young family. His Canadian-born wife just gave birth to their second child.

The native of Mink, Belarus is coming off one of his best games of the season. He scored twice, including the winner, in Toronto’s 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, the first game behind the bench for newly-hired coach Randy Carlyle.

Until Saturday, Grabovski had been in his worst slump of the season and was goalless in 13 games.

But Grabovski’s line, with rookie Matt Frattin and Clarke MacArthur, was Toronto’s best unit throughout the game and Carlyle is expected to lean heavily on it again Tuesday against the visiting Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre.

His performance also earned him the first star of the game in Montreal. Earlier this season, he was named the NHL’s first star of the week for games ending Jan. 30.

Grabovski is third in goals behind Phil Kessel (32) and Joffrey Lupul (25).

Last season, he scored 29 goals and had 29 assists.

The Leafs acquired Grabovski on July 3, 2008 from the Canadiens in exchange for the rights to Greg Pateryn and Toronto’s second round pick in the 2010 entry draft. He was originally selected by Montreal in the fifth round (150th overall) in the 2004 entry draft.

In 304 career NHL games with Montreal and Toronto, Grabovski has scored 82 goals and 113 assists for 195 points.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...-grabovski-signs-five-year-contract-extension

 

[JLB]

How are the leafs supposed to stop a force like Jordan Caron !

 

[lgna69xxx]

Tough hard fought game tonight and the Leafs played the Bruins closer than anytime yet this season, just fell short. It is a game to take the positives from and for Carlyle to implement into games moving forward. Still a shot with 16 games left and only 5 points out but need some wins ASAP.

At least we are not the habs. :lol:

 

[Doc Holliday]

Maybe the new 5.5 million/year man will start scoring when it really counts. 1 goal in his last 17 games and Burkie gives him this ridiculous contract. Go figure that one out.

Who gave some bum $8 million to score 2 goals? Oh yeah..........LE CLUB DE HOCKEY CANADIENS DE MONTREAL. Oooops!!!

The 8 Million Dollar Man

 

[Wexdog]

Thread dedicated to the best fans of all hockey & their beloved team dubbed "Canada's team"

Did you have to dub us Canada's Team ?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Lupul out for a month

Joffrey Lupul is likely out for the season due to a separated shoulder suffered in last night's loss. It's not known yet if he'll require surgery. His spot on the roster will be filled by newly acquired Carter Ashton, son of Brent.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Wow, sorry to hear Lupul is out. Let's hope the Leafs don't join the Habs in the cellar and steal their #1 pick away.

You think the Habs will finish even worse than Columbus? Sad.

As for the Leafs, their recent moves absolutely baffle me & the rest of Leafs Nation. Why start Gustavson in back-to-back games? Last night was his 4th consecutive start. He actually fared very well, but as usual, let in a softie which turned out to be the game winner.

I'm also baffled why they spent their final call-up move (you're allowed 4 and this one was the last one) by starting raw rookie Carter Ashton in favor of healthy scratch Mathew Lombardi. Now the Leafs can't call-up anyone for the rest of the season unless there's an injury to one of their forwards.

I also wonder why Carter Ashton was the one getting the call-up when the roster spot to be filled was a skill position (Joffrey Lupul's) who can score. In a must-win game, you call-up & start the kid who has never played an NHL game? A kid who's known for his physicality as a potential power forward one day? What does that say to Nazem Kadri, who performed extremely well when he was called up? Are we to wonder if the organization has given up on him & now regrets wasting its #7 overrall pick three years ago on Kadri? If not Kadri, why not Joe Colborne?

Sad to say, but i'm starting to wonder if Brian Burke hasn't lost it. Considering his constant & many battles with the media over his reign as GM of several NHL teams (i was told what happened in Vancouver was much worse compared to what's going on in Toronto), i wonder how long CEO Tom Andelmi will put up with his act, considering he's yet to take the Leafs to the playoffs in his nearly 4 seasons with the team. On top of not producing a playoffs team, he's now constantly battling it out with media types, going behind their backs to their bosses to get them fired (when it's not even his job in the first place to do this kind of stuff), and let's face it, he's making the entire organization look not only bad, but extremely silly.

I know Burkie has always been extremely thin-skinned everywhere he's been, but geez, start focusing on improving your team & get it to the playoffs!

By the way, i stand by my belief that if it's true (according to Burke) that he refused first-rounders for the likes of Kulemin, MacArthur & Reimer, then i'm seriously starting to question his abilities to remain as a GM & i'm starting to understand his past firings better. And signing Grabovski for 5 years at $5.5 million per season? What??? I wouldn't even have given him $5 million!!!!

If Grabovski gets $5.5 million, what will Phil Kessel expect to get in 3 years? What about Lupul in two years? Unreal!!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Brilliant post Doc! :thumb: :amen:

I have been described as being brilliant on several occasions......thanks!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs’ Franson fortunate to avoid serious eye injury

by David Shoalts, The Globe and Mail

Cody Franson may not play for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers but he considers himself a “fortunate” man.

That’s because he came this close to not being able to play for a long, long time when teammate Tim Connolly’s stick got under Franson’s visor and poked him in the left eye. The butt end of Connolly’s stick came up during a scrum in Wednesday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and left him momentarily blind.

Franson said Connolly lost his balance and by a “fluke” his stick came up at just the right angle to get under the visor on his helmet. The stick “pushed my eyeball right in. But I got lucky.”

The Leaf defenceman said he couldn’t see anything for “15 to 20 seconds” and then experienced triple vision. “It was almost like that don’t drink and drive commercial where you see the three glasses.”

However, there was no bleeding in his eye and the triple vision quickly became double vision and then normal vision. By Thursday, Franson was told by a doctor he “should be all right.”

Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said Franson will be available to play Saturday but stopped short of saying he’ll be in the lineup. At this point it looks like Franson will sit and Luke Schenn, who was a healthy scratch on Wednesday, will dress.

Schenn’s fourth NHL season is not going well and Carlyle said he had a chat with the 22-year-old Friday morning. Carlyle said when he coached the Anaheim Ducks he remembers Schenn continually challenging forward Corey Perry, something he has not seen since taking the Leafs job.

“[The talk] was based on his getting back to being a physical, hard-to-play-against defenceman,” Carlyle said. “He has to be more challenging to opposing players physically.”

Forward Colby Armstrong, who sustained a broken nose on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, will be able to play Saturday, albeit with a full cage on his helmet. Winger Mike Brown is out for a week to 10 days with a contusion on his thigh.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...e-to-avoid-serious-eye-injury/article2364615/

 

[lgna69xxx]

After tonights game, it is clear the Leafs need a true #1 goalie more than a true #1 centre. Doc, I know you dont agree but like I have told you all season long, I still believe Scrivens will be a good NHL goalie soon, I just hope the Leafs give him a chance and dont trade him for a package deal unless a good goalie comes back. He has been lights out in many marlies games this season and especially as of late as they continue their march to the playoffs. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying he will be the #1 going into camp in september, not at all, but he is developing at a rapid pace and has more raw talent than anyone else in the system. The monster has shown flashes but never fit in here, he likely will not be re signed. Go after Harding, Vokuon, or any other vet and let Reimer back up to start the season. Ease Scrivens in when the time is right.

The kids are progressing nicely and a Rick Nash or a Zach Parise would be a great addition if Burke can get it done. I do feel Nash wants to play in the blue and white and come home but it is not worth givng up Jake the snake Gardiner, or is it? Still say no but the front office brass knows better.

The best thing for the Leafs to do is to have Carlyle use his 17 games to see what he has and what he doesnt and to correct it as much as possible this summer with the draft and the kids already in the system, which is strong, and get a fresh start under a whole new system. (which btw must be very tough for them to do the last 17 games since RC took over, but they have a headstart coming into training camp).... If Burke gets a top 3 pick, does he trade it as part of a package for Nash? Could be.... time will tell but if this makes the leafs stronger (getting a top pick) for many years to come, then this season was a success overall. Only time will tell, and we were not gonna get out of the first round this season anyways had we made it so tank and get a top 3 pick. Also bring in a Veteran player to unite this team in the tough times.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I agree that the Leafs need a bonafide #1 goalie. But the answer isn't Ben Scrivens, and i have a strong feeling Leafs management already know this since Scrivens would have been called up a long time ago when it became obvious that Reimer & Gustavsson couldn't stop a beach ball, which triggered on that disasterous February losing streak which killed their season. Tomas Vokoun isn't the answer either: he was as bad as the goalies i mentionned & he's not even playing anymore in Washington.

I don't know what the answer is. Draft a goalie with your 2nd pick & buy time by trading for someone like Tim Thomas or Miko Kiprusoff? Should then tend an offer to Carey Price & hope the offer is so high that Mtl won't match? What about Vancouver's Corey Schneider? Jonathan Bernier? Who knows.

I also wonder if Carlyle's conservative system isn't killing what offense they have. To be honest, i'm not even watching the games anymore since the ones i've watched since Carlyle's arrival are extremely boring to watch & this is almost as worse as "Jacques Martin" hockey. Why did Burke give Carlyle a 3-year contract anyway? Why not two years?

There are some rumblings in Toronto that Burke might be fired after the season ends. But popular belief is that he'll be granted one more season to see if he can finally once and for all take the team to the playoffs. The Raptors' Bryan Colangelo is in the same boat & ownership is losing patience with their GMs. Current ownership inherited Burke and Colangelo from prior regimes & they won't hesitate to replace them if they can't bring home the bacon.

You might be surprised that i'm saying this, but Ron Wilson isn't to blame for the disastrous collapse which killed Toronto's chances for the playoffs. I'm not even blaming the two young (and raw) goalies. I'm blaming Brian Burke for this one. He's the one who decided to go with two unproven young goalies at the start & refused to get the organization a reliable veteran goaltender. I'm also blaming him for sending down crowd favorite Nazem Kadri in February when Kadri had actually played extremely well. The Leafs almost didn't win any more games after Kadri was sent down early in February. And finally, i'm scratching my head with the Carter Ashton call-up last month. The kid is obviously not ready for the NHL & i just hope they didn't kill his career by calling him up too early, and undeservably.

I'm hoping that the team finally solves the Mike Komisarek problem & trades him after the season is over. He's never been able to establish himself in the lineup since his arrival, and it appears that Randy Carlyle has also lost confidence in him. However, at the end, it all starts with quality goaltending, something the Leafs have been lacking of for the most part of the 2nd half of the season. Blame Burke for dropping the ball on that one.

 

[lgna69xxx]

I think like i told you privately, that Kadri is here to stay starting next season, whether he is a Leaf or traded, but he WILL be a full time NHL'er starting in October and I think his time spent in the AHL is the reason why. He has come a long long way and seems ready now, but he needed time in the AHL for sure.

Patience (i know its hard to ask for more from us as fans) is needed for a whole new system under Carlyle and the reason he was hired was because he is, simply put, a tremendous coach and a stanley cup winning coach to boot. He has paid his dues for years in the minors with Winnipeg and once he got his shot, he won a cup. I know the Ducks did not fair well last year under him or the first few games this season, but every hockey expert I have heard speak after Wilson was fired said the same thing, the Leafs have a very sound and a very good coach in Carlyle, heck, even Cairo said it, now that scares me some but it is what it is. :lol:

This summer should see some changes for sure and Burke has got us some big as well as skilled kids since he arrived as we have a strong farm now and more on their way next season and like he always said, we are building a contender for years to come not a one and done flash in the pan like the habs 2 seasons ago. It can help us A LOT with a top 3 pick in this years draft as there is one big centre playing for Patty Roy in Quebec City right now (Grigorenko) who would look soooooooooo good in the Blue and White within the next year or two. Hey, Keep the Faith! :thumb:

PS, why you ask did Burke offer Carlyle 3 years instead of 2? Simple, job security, it is not like Carlyle would not of been offered a long term deal of 3 or more years this offseason from other teams (most likely,he would of easily) and not many stanley cup winning coaches getting hired to a new orginzation get offered 2 or less years. RC might of said no to a 2yr deal, and for all we know, maybe he did. :noidea:

 

[Doc Holliday]

The problem with sending down Kadri at the beginning of February is that it might have cost the Leafs the season. At the time, the Leafs had very good chemistry & Kadri made things happen whenever he was on the ice.

The day they called-up Carter Ashton was the day they threw the season away. The kid clearly isn't NHL material yet & i never understood that move. They could have called up ANYONE and it would have made more sense.

I'm still not sold on Carlyle. Sure, he won the cup one season when the team was full of all-stars & future hall-of-famers. But he turned into a disaster last season & was finally relieved of his duties a few months into this recent season.

The main problem with Carlyle is that Burke always promised he'd never have a Maple Leafs coach using the trap & defensive-minded hockey, and that's what Carlyle's m.o. has always been in his coaching career: defense-first, trap hockey. Expect the boo-birds to shower the Leafs on a regular basis come next season if they play that type of boring hockey & don't regularly find themselves in the win column.

I thought the Leafs finally had the players they could win with, but now with Carlyle as coach, they might have to overhaul at least half of the roster in order to get him the defensive-minded players he needs to make his system work.

p.s. Your Phil Kessel jersey just lost half its value the moment Carlyle was named as coach.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Your Phil Kessel jersey just lost half its value the moment Carlyle was named as coach.

As Yogi Berra said, "A dime ain't worth a nickel anymore."