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How long will this thread get?

Early goal for Lombardi. He needs to make his presence felt for the games he does play.

Steckel is our go to guy. Puck possession is important.

Don Cherry is right about players not finishing checks. It's kind of pathetic to watch. Like an exhibition basketball game.

Horrible 1st period, great 2nd period, solid 3rd period. They obviously came out nervous and were all over the place. Luckily they settled in and picked up the intensity in the 2nd period. Reimer played really well which is a great sign. Lombardi had a solid 1st gm, he'll get better with each game and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him take the C spot on the Kessel line permanently eventually. Phaneuf was our best defenceman by far. I thought all our other defenceman were just solid. Frattin had some nice jump, Grabo too. Steckel was key in the draw. Bozak and Armstrong had poor games up front. I really want Bozak traded, can't stand him.

We should also point our Habs sucked tonight. I see some commentators saying they aren't even a playoff team.

I agree, Bozak was atrocious. Kessel was right behind him. They can't play together, I thought Ron would have learned that last year. Hemmed in all night. Reimer looked pretty shaky despite the shutout. Seemed like he lost the puck quite a few times, but he had some money saves on screened shots. I'll give Komisarek credit, he did everything he was supposed to. Good game from him. Grabbo-Kulemin showed why we probably didn't need to pay MacArthur.

Don Cherry never used to get to me, but tonight I was just about to puke. He points out two instances where a guy thought better of making a hit that might have been dangerous as "the worst hockey" and then punctuates his point by showing a highlight reel of Scott Stevens elbowing guys in the head, including the Lindros career-ender.

hi stanley

"OUR" habs??! gtfo...


just like venom said... horrible 1st, great 2nd, solid 3rd.

Overall an average game played i think if macarthur and connolly were in there would be a little less nervousness especially for the grabo line. But overall it was satisfying.. frattin and gardiner looked great, and komo looked NOT BAD.. Dion is expected to carry over his play from the end of last season and he's shown it so far. Nice blaster of a goal (thanks to that give away by pk subban) and thats what we need to see more from our captain. Again, only one game (last year WE started 4-0 and we all know how that song ended) but i think leafs can make more noise throughout the consistency of the season than they did last. Just got to stay focused and do the little things.

GO LEAFS GO!

That first period was atrocious, we could've been put in a big hole if the Habs had any ability to finish tonight.

Reimer looked shaky. He's a hard sell for me. I don't like the process, but I can't complain about the results... yet.

That goal had to feel good for Lombardi.

Reimer was far from shaky. He was nervous in the first 10 minutes of the game, and then settled in nicely. His supposed 'shaky' play came as a result from scrambles in front of the net.

Apart from that, I was impressed with the Grabo/Kuli/Frattin line...and our defense settled down and played a strong game in the 2nd and 3rd period.

Put it in perspetive...
I think the Habs are a non-playoff team.
As are the Leafs.
Less than 20 shots on net and you give an impotentteam like the Habs 35 shots. That isn't great news.
But a win is a win

I would say the Leafs had way more scoring chances than the Habs. The Habs really only came close when Reimer flubbed easy looks and lost track of the puck. The Leafs were generating some great looks (Grabbo and Lupul alone in front of the net), so I think the shots on goal tally is a little misleading. I think both teams are bubble teams, but this early in the season everyone's still finding their legs.

Regarding Cherry, his examples were tough to look at. Lindros and Kariya with career changing hits by Scott Stevens.

BUT, we all grew up with the understanding that in hockey, you cannot skate through open ice with your head down. And the only reason you can't do it is because you'll get your bell rung. Those hits were tough to look at, but you understood that those hits defined how other players would keep their head up.

If players are no longer worried about getting hit in those situations, the game will change. What happens the next time a skater in the offensive end comes around the net with his head down, and a defenceman does not hit him, and that guy scores? The whole game is redefined.

i don't watch hockey to see Kariya unconscious or Lindros x 2 out for life.

i like goals and skills.

Hitting itself has redefined the game. The game has changed to allow more hitting. To take a few steps back is a natural progression for the NHL.

YogiStewart wrote:i don't watch hockey to see Kariya unconscious or Lindros x 2 out for life.

i like goals and skills.

Have you been watching the skill in basketball scrimmage games this summer?

Do you tune into hockey all-star games for the goals and skills?

One of the skills used to be getting by a defenceman who was trying to beat you down. Imagine if getting by a defenceman now was like a point guard blowing by Bargnani?

I'm not pro-fighting at all. If anything, I think people are trying to avoid the inevitable. Certain sports have run their course. Hockey, football and boxing.

Good thing there's lots of ways to get the puck off a guy without hitting him.

I don't understand why anyone would want hitting out the game.

_venom_ wrote:I don't understand why anyone would want hitting out the game.

People unrealistically want both. They want their own players intimidating the other team with big hits, but they don't want players getting hurt and missing games.

Back to the Leafs we have the Sens on a back to back tonight.

Almost collapsed there at the end, but a win is a win. Kessel with his first hat trick for the Leafs.

Pathetic display in the 3rd. We're not good enough to sit back and relax after building a lead.

Nice to see Kessel and Lupul have good games.

At least we pulled off the win. But a winning team would have shut things down in the third and just wasted time. We were getting caught trying to play the same game in the third as the first couple of periods.