Leafs: October game thread discussion

[J-Roc]

So cool seeing Kessel score just now, and barely even celebrate. All business. We need a win.

[darth_federer]

Beauch and Komisarek can GTFO as far as I am concerned

[J-Roc]

Versteeg with a ridiculous cross pass attempt there. wtf. It's like he thought he was playing NHL 94 and he just had to hit the pass button followed by the shoot button and someone would get a one-timer.

[darth_federer]

I have a feeling that the Leafs are going to win this game.

MacArthur has great hands!

[J Dilla]

I enjoyed that undefeated run guys, but I think we should dumb down our expectations

Things will go downhill from here

[bryant08]

Yikes, Phaneuf has looked terrible today. Keeps going for the hit leading to odd man rushes and then the one time he gets in the right position Hartnell scores anyways. But I hope that those first 4 games showed the potential we have, if we took advantage of chances early on in this game we wouldn't be sitting in this position right now. Definitely need some more good offensive players.

[J Dilla]

Yikes, Phaneuf has looked terrible today. Keeps going for the hit leading to odd man rushes and then the one time he gets in the right position Hartnell scores anyways. But I hope that those first 4 games showed the potential we have, if we took advantage of chances early on in this game we wouldn't be sitting in this position right now. Definitely need some more good offensive players.

The Leafs should've grabbed Ryan.

[darth_federer]

If he was available, Burke would have thrown everything at the Ducks to get him.

Terrible game today. Phaneuf was awful and Beauch and Komisarek werent exactly great either.

On a positive note, Kadri had a great game today. 4 points and a pretty sick goal

http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videoce ... 6&id=79704

[bryant08]

If he was available, Burke would have thrown everything at the Ducks to get him.

Terrible game today. Phaneuf was awful and Beauch and Komisarek werent exactly great either.

On a positive note, Kadri had a great game today. 4 points and a pretty sick goal

http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videoce ... 6&id=79704

Great goal.

[J Dilla]

If he was available, Burke would have thrown everything at the Ducks to get him.

Terrible game today. Phaneuf was awful and Beauch and Komisarek werent exactly great either.

On a positive note, Kadri had a great game today. 4 points and a pretty sick goal

http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videoce ... 6&id=79704

Cherry showed that goal, looks very good. If the Leafs continue to slip, I'm all for bringing up Kadri.

[ablatt]

It's worrisome to me that Burke took Phaeuf and Versteeg. Phaneuf is sooooo sloooooowwwww and Versteeg is overrated.

It makes you wonder what type of player evaluation skills he has.

Either Phaneuf is way out of shape or he simply can't skate. I hope it's the former but I doubt it, given his track record in Calgary.

Versteeg is totally ineffective. He can't skate well, he falls a lot, he can't score and he never wins a battle.

And to top it off, making Phaneuf captain was ridiculous. He hadn't proven anything yet as a Leaf.

[leafsfan89]

Ron Wilson said he shook up the lines for Tuesdays tilt with the Panthers.

Line 1 = Kulemin, Bozak, Kessel
Line 2 = Versteeg, Grabovski, MacArthur
Starting Goalie = Giguere

I think Mitchell will remain as the 4th line centre, haven't heard about Zigomanis getting back in the line up. And im sure the defence pairings will remain the same as the game against the flyers with Lebda out and Gunnarsson in.

I like the shake up of the top two lines even though its very minor and knowing Ron Wilson and if the leafs are losing, he will probably put Versteeg back on Line 1. But i think the defence pairings is what needs to be worked on! Phaneuf and Beauchemin does not work, and we've all seen why from Saturdays game. Kaberle and Phaneuf i dont like much either. I would like to see Wilson work something like:

Kaberle - Schenn
Phaneuf - Gunnarsson
Komisarek - Beauchemin

But that's simply throwing a bomb on the 3rd string pairing because Komisarek and Beauch seem to be the worst defensemen in the fold right now. Neither are playing there best.

As for Versteeg being ineffective, i have to strongly disagree with ablatt. He can definitely skate thats for sure. Balance, yea may not be that strong but when you're skating as fast as he does you do tend to lose balance some times. Also, along with being one of the fastest on the team, hes probably one of the best back checkers as well. Very strong on the puck, and an excellent penalty killer. Don't write 'em off just yet. Maybe he will find a home on the 2nd line and become more dominant?

But i have to agree with the Phaneuf statements. It was pretty early to name him as captain, but i think Burke and the staff did so because of his off ice work ethics and locker room morale. When Sundin left, the team was in a horrible condition. I couldn't really seem to guess who would be the next captain. At that time I was calling for Steen, Kaberle, or Schenn to be captain. Schenn at the time was just way too young (and still is), Kaberle's day's seem to be numbered already, and Steen has found a new home in St. Louis. At this point im kind of on the edge with Phaneuf being captain. IMO, the way Schenn is progressing, i think maybe in a couple of years he will be captain material.

[leafsfan89]

Lebda and Zigomanis are back in, Gunnarsson and Mitchell are out.

[ablatt]

Versteeg was picked up because he got some points last year on Chicago. He's riding those coat-tails.

If you didn't know that, you'd think he stunk. I don't like his skating style and like Kessel, he's soft on the boards. Someone has to get Kessel the puck because he's the only legit scorer this team has.

[YogiStewart]

sorry...is that Colton Orr on a line w/Kessel?????


hahahaha

[leafsfan89]

Much needed win by the boys in blue and white! Kessel showed some wheels on that last goal, dirty snipe. That 2nd goal IMO was definitely a goaltender interference, but you've got to take what you can in this league. 1st line was clicking a bit tonight they produced two goals, hope Wilson sticks with it for a while now.

[bryant08]

Komisarek/Schenn with very strong performances (Schenner is having a great year). That Kessel goal was just pure effort right there, at the end of that long of a shift to come up that far and fire that puck in was just beautiful. Solid through the first 8 games with a 5-2-1 record.

On a separate note, Burke said in an interview they've had two interesting trade offers in the past 24 hours (I believe the interview was yesterday). From the interview it seems they weren't as much player based as they were salary dumps, so you can expect NJ and other teams in cap trouble to be the ones looking at dealing.

[darth_federer]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iC-kKUk6Ws[/youtube]

Kessel has wheels! He was playing hard trying to get the puck out for almost two minutes but he had the energy to score the goal.

Doug McKenzie said that the offers were for Bottom 6 guys only. Burke is just generating interest to let other GM's know that hes already starting to consider offers.

[John F Kennedy]

In the games against Panthers, how did the Second Leaf goal count?

Orr crashed into the opponent goalie and was an obvious Interference, and the goal counted. If that counted then why don't I see players interfering goalies more often, I'm talking about in just about every game there should be a goal like this. Or did the refs just feel bad for the leafs and decided not to waive the goal?

[John F Kennedy]

I enjoyed that undefeated run guys, but I think we should dumb down our expectations

Things will go downhill from here

don't worry, they learned not to have *** the night before the game, unlike hedo.