[cornflakes]

close game with the Rangers too. THe leafs are quickly proving to be a better team than everyone expected for a rebuilding year. I think the leafs might flirt with .500 and unfortunately that will take us out of the tavares/hedman draft.

To this day i still think the SHOOTOUT is just a gimmick and not a real way decide the outcome of a match. Sure its a crowd pleaser but really to only shallow fans who don't really know much about the game.

It would be like having a homerun derby in baseball to decide the outcome of tie game after 9 innings and 1 extra inning of overtime.

How is that supposed to say a team is better than another team? All it is a simply a skills competition of individuals.

Just leave it a hard-earned TIE and stop adding all these LOSSES when really they aren't losses from shootouts.

The leafs 1-4 record should really be more like 1-1-2 which shows how competitive they have been so far.

Thank God they don't use shootouts for playoffs (but they probably will).
It would suck if baseball went to a homerun derby in the 11th inning to decide the world series. How stupid would that be.

[cornflakes]

Also to add how silly the standings look now with (for example) a 2-12 record but you could still be in 2nd place cuz you have 11 overtimes so you have 15 points with a 2-12 record! how messed up is that?

Also, for goaltenders who worked their ass off to put up a shutout for the whole game + overtime only to have all their confidence shot down when they are made to look like fools being scored on 2 or 3 times in the shootout.

So the goalie goes home earning a shutout but feels like a dumbass for being undressed for 3 goals still and LOSING. How do you get a SHUTOUT and Lose the game??

That's like a pitcher getting a no-hitter or perfect game and still losing the game on a consistent basis.

So if the pitcher had 10 no hitters but his record was 0-10, he would probaly not get the cy young award.

BESIDES 4 on 4 hockey is way more fun than watching kubina or blake taking penatly shots.

[ANTHONYD]

Agreed!

If you go back in all the old hockey threads we have kicking around here, you'll see that I too have a problem with the shoot-out.
God bless America for that one.

Could you imagine grinding back from a 4-0 deficit to lose in a shoot-out?
Bull*hit in my opinion.

Toskala seems to be getting better and better as we progress too.
Leafs will be okay this year, unfortunately you're right about being TOO good (if that's possible) and missing out on the draft.

For a VERY strange reason, I feel alright with the senile Fletcher up in the head office. He's done what what was asked of him...he trimmed the fat, got rd of the fixtures and put a bunch of youngsters on the ice that will for sure get better and possibly attract future trades.

Now if we could only put a nice big bow on Stajan and get him the hell out of here. I'm sure the ACC could use a few more boxes of beer cups.

I always wondered how Stajan manages to float under the radar all these years with anyone noticing how useless and soft he is.

[NefCanuck]

I must be going senile then because I like the shootout to settle games because it forces teams to play for a win in regulation.

I can't count the number of games in the past where the mantra of the coach obviously was "Play for the tie" once the game was tied and there were only a few minutes left to go, made for damn boring hockey IMO.

Sure losing by shootout sucks, but short of them doing something even more drastic like say taking the five minute OT and taking a player off the ice every minute the game remains tied, how else would you suggest we settle things? :unsure:

As to Stajan: I dunno, he's starting to remind me of Kyle Wellwood but he's obviously in better physical shape...

NefCanuck

[02ztsian]

FWIW, Wellwood was sent down to the Moose.

[NOS2Go4Me]

Yeah, I have zero use for Stajan.

I'm so not interested in watching him attempt to play / float this year.

One more week of heavy re-conditioning to go and then it's back on the ice for me!

[Flofocus]

How many games you think Mair is going to get?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqzOtW4zpBc

[ZX3_2NV]

LET'S GO RAPTORS!!!!

[GFXjamie]

lol wrong sport junior haha, speaking of hockey and the leafs, i gave up on them when i found out that santa was really my dad eating the darn cookies

[NOS2Go4Me]

Ugh, lost to Tampa :(

[ANTHONYD]

They didn;t look to bad.
That Vinnie Lacavalier isn't a bad little player :lol:

One thing I've noticed out the gate this year is the unbelievable back checking and hard work of this Leaf team.
Odd man rushes are almost all but gone this year.
These guys are working hard, you have to give em' that.

And I'm beginning to think Stajan reads this board. We were dogging him the other day and he's been on fire ever since.

Alright guys.
Let's give Blake the gears.

[NefCanuck]

Indeed, the Leafs of this sdeason don't just roll over & die when behind in the third period. Now they make life absolutely miserable for their opponents late in games, esp. when the difference is only a goal.

As to giving Blake the gears, dunno if he's long for this team at this point, seems from what I hear that he and Wilson don't share the same philosophy and Wilson gets rid of "distractions" :ph34r:

NefCanuck

[cornflakes]

Well since Stajan was put on the line with Antropov and Poni, that line has been the best and most dominant line! I think you guys threw in the towel way too early on stajan.

The one thing i can say about the leafs team is they are entertaining. Except for the one game against Montreal, the leafs are always battling and fighthing back. Even the TSN commentators mentioned how after having a goal or two scored against them, they come right back with a strong shift and there's no quit in this team.

Wilson has been coaching them well. The Mitchell, Grabovski, Hagman line was amazing! Moore and Stajan won like 90% of the facoffs.
The leafs consistently pepper their opponents with 30+ shots a game. THey crash to the net. THere's a lot of positives.....they just need to capitalize and get some goals.

Hollweg in place of Tlusty is a big mistake. Van Ryn is playing awesome, Schenn is developed into top 3 D on our team already.... the leafs are doing as everyone expected.....to be a 500 team.

As for the game vs Tampa, loving Stamkos (it's only fitting he gets his 1st nhl point in Toronto where he grew up (Markham)). But maaan Lecavalier shows why he's the lemieux of our day. Is there really anyone better than this guy?

[ZX3_2NV]

WOW The Make-me Laffs One a Shootout against the Devils. Thats a shock. I still say Lets go Raptors, I've give up on the leafs 3 years agon but who knows maybe this might be the year they turn it around or not don't get your hopes up.

[NefCanuck]

The more I see of the Leafs, the more I think that Wilson is the one that will lead them from the wilderness. Yet again the Leafs fell behind, they turned around caught up, fell behind and caught up again and when NJ did pull ahead, they never fell apart as they would have in years past.

Broduer however did look frighteningly ordinary on a couple of the Leafs goals, I think that's a combination of a weaker defense corps and Father Time knocking on his door... with a crowbar :ph34r:

NefCanuck

[02ztsian]

cornflakes,Oct 29 2008, 03:23 PM Wrote:The leafs consistently pepper their opponents with 30+ shots a game.  THey crash to the net.  THere's a lot of positives.....they just need to capitalize and get some goals.


[right][snapback]275568[/snapback][/right]

They had 48 shots last night (although none in OT). I'm liking what I see!

[cornflakes]

hence everything i said earlier:

1 - never say quit team (down 0-2 and still comes back....again)
2 - avging over 30+ shots a game on opponents
3- exciting/entertaining team play

Yes they may only be a 500 club but this is the most exciting and most competitive leafs team we've had since our last semi-final playoff appearance.

[cornflakes]

Flofocus,Oct 28 2008, 04:02 PM Wrote:How many games you think Mair is going to get?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqzOtW4zpBc
[right][snapback]275394[/snapback][/right]

It didn't look that serious at all...i think he just went to talk with him.
1 game maybe...or a small fine.

[ANTHONYD]

I agree with everything you said Corn, except the comment about throwing the towel in on Stajan too soon.

Don't forget pal, we've been watching this guy skate around, doing nothing for 4 years already. We should have threw the towel in on him 2 years ago. Let's just hope he's one of those "late bloomers"

And as for your comment about the Leafs crashing the net.... that's the only thing they need to do MORE of.
Look around, other than Antropov and Schenn (in 2 years) the Leafs are small.
What we need to do is send everyone to the net and some how teach Van Ryn how to bounce pucks off Antropov's ass like Kaberle can /does.

And for the love of gawd Wilson, throw Schenn on the odd powerplay. I think giving him more ice and the opportunity to shoot more could help his confidence. This kid needs a couple of bullet point blasts to open him up. I think once he get's going, we're all in for a treat. No doubt he's going to get points.

I'm not sure why, but I'm really into these guys this year. I think it's because there is a WHOLE new product on the ice.

That and the Leafs really suck in NHL 09 on the Xbox, so it makes it more challenging.
:lol:

[cornflakes]

What a game! 5 goals in 5 minutes.....comeback again down 0-2. This team is definitely a never-say-die team. I'm really happy to see JM get his first 2 goals (almost a hat-trick).

Moore and Stajan are dominating in the face offs still.... #6 and #20 in the whole LEAGUE.

They outshoot, outchance and beat the league's best team and the league's best defensive team. WTG LEAFS!