Fixing the PK
- Thread starter slapshot
- Start date
bustaheims
Active member
markhmasters: RT @TSNResearch TOR's PK, last time 8 straight games without allowing a goal was in Dec 1997
LuncheonMeat
New member
bustaheims said:
I think giving up only 14 opportunities in 8 games is even more impressive. Hope they can keep it up.
groundskeeper willie
New member
slapshot said:
They had a very good streak in November as well, so the better question would be why did it stop working in the first place? And, more importantly, how can it be prevented from tanking again any time soon?
The Red Polar Bear
New member
groundskeeper willie said:
I have a theory. It has to do with Lombardi and Brown being healthy again.
When they're PKing, they are fast and agile enough that they are able to pressure the opposition yet get back in to position. When our PK was at its worst, the forwards weren't aggressive enough which gave them extra time to work.
x.jr.benchwarmer
New member
[quote author=Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate ]
Well, that's exactly it. They have cut way back on penalties, and even more on dumb ones.
[/quote]
Agreed entirely.
It is a hockey "truism" of sorts that a bad penalty often results in bad penalty killing. And the Leafs to their credit, and almost inexplicably given the past 4 years or so, have not taken these stupid, unnecessary, undisciplined penalties over the last few weeks. Are they listening to the assistant coaches? Hmmm.
It seems that the forwards aren't making that extra "tug" when they are forechecking or "finishing their checks" about 80 feet away from the play, which were particularly bad penalties. And, moreover, it seems that these "offenders" kept on getting the same ice-time during the first 30 games or so.
Obviously some referees have been especially overbearing
when it comes to the Leafs, but guys like Connolly and Crabb and MacArthur were taking just too many bad penalties which often cost the Leafs, especially at critical times. And the penalties they took (and some others too) were often in the offensive zone and did not have any bearing on stopping a goal. This calendar year has been a remarkable change, IMHO.
And of course the fact that Reimer hasn't been playing much, since he has been, by and large, the worst goaltender in the NHL in penalty killing so far this year, hasn't hurt either. (But that might be another topic for another time, perhaps.....).
(Incidentally, thank you for your kind words after an earlier post last month. It seems that when some posters are trying to make points, there can be some nasty responses, which really takes the fun away from these and other boards. Reading postings and responses should be ostensibly enjoyable, IMHO, rather than having somebody immediately attacking the premise or looking for a stat to back up what was said, etc. etc. But that is just my humble opinion and like Dennis Miller I may be wrong).
Well, that's exactly it. They have cut way back on penalties, and even more on dumb ones.
[/quote]
Agreed entirely.
It is a hockey "truism" of sorts that a bad penalty often results in bad penalty killing. And the Leafs to their credit, and almost inexplicably given the past 4 years or so, have not taken these stupid, unnecessary, undisciplined penalties over the last few weeks. Are they listening to the assistant coaches? Hmmm.
It seems that the forwards aren't making that extra "tug" when they are forechecking or "finishing their checks" about 80 feet away from the play, which were particularly bad penalties. And, moreover, it seems that these "offenders" kept on getting the same ice-time during the first 30 games or so.
Obviously some referees have been especially overbearing
when it comes to the Leafs, but guys like Connolly and Crabb and MacArthur were taking just too many bad penalties which often cost the Leafs, especially at critical times. And the penalties they took (and some others too) were often in the offensive zone and did not have any bearing on stopping a goal. This calendar year has been a remarkable change, IMHO.
And of course the fact that Reimer hasn't been playing much, since he has been, by and large, the worst goaltender in the NHL in penalty killing so far this year, hasn't hurt either. (But that might be another topic for another time, perhaps.....).
(Incidentally, thank you for your kind words after an earlier post last month. It seems that when some posters are trying to make points, there can be some nasty responses, which really takes the fun away from these and other boards. Reading postings and responses should be ostensibly enjoyable, IMHO, rather than having somebody immediately attacking the premise or looking for a stat to back up what was said, etc. etc. But that is just my humble opinion and like Dennis Miller I may be wrong).
The Red Polar Bear said:
Well there was also a news story about it that not everyone was on the same page. Komisarek was overheard yelling at a teammate, asking them to fall in instead of trying to go against the system and play the PK the way they saw fit.
It was a few weeks ago where Wilson and the assistants had everyone on the ice going over just PK strategy.
After seeing that everyone seemed to smarten up.
groundskeeper willie
New member
The Red Polar Bear said:
That is no doubt a likely factor, but Lombardi and Brown playing or being hurt doesn't effect the way the defencemen were allowing cross crease passes or not taking the guys in front of the net. I don't know how many goals were scored against the Leafs because of those two things.
Seymore Pucks
New member
Nice stat. Thats even longer than the cup drought. Kessel will have a fight in the next game perhaps.
CannedMango
New member
As of this morning the Leafs are in 29th place in the PK! (suck it Columbus?) Hard to believe this is an accomplishment but there it is.
I'm not sure what Wilson has done since December with these guys but they just aren't taking penalties. Say what you will about Wilson, but this past month has been the most disciplined Leafs hockey I've ever seen.
I'm not sure what Wilson has done since December with these guys but they just aren't taking penalties. Say what you will about Wilson, but this past month has been the most disciplined Leafs hockey I've ever seen.
Zee
Active member
CannedMango said:
I never thought we'd get out of 30th to be honest. Weren't they running at 72% at one point? Being able to move it up 3% points is an accomplishment in itself. Another month or 2 like that and we could be seeing lofty heights of 77-78%
Seriously though I hope this keeps up, overall the PK (both killing and avoid taking penalties) has been glorious.