Game 12 - Leafs @ Devils - Wednesday Nov 2nd, 2011 - 19:30 EST - 5-3 Win

[bakeapples]

They got to give up this passive PK still. Got to put more pressure on the puck.

 

[Stebro]

As far as the statements about the PK sucking during Wilson's entire tenure here go, the PK has been in the bottom-5 (bottom-6 in one year) in the league since the lockout. That's 3 head coaches, multiple assistant coaches, countless of penalty killers, and a rotating door of mostly useless goalies.

It used to be that we could legitimately blame the likes of Raycraft, Toskala and Belfour.  But what ails the team now isn't goaltending issues.  It's a pisspoor system.

I'll agree to this slightly, although I think it does have a little to do with players still adjusting. But to say the last 5 years of penalty killing failure rests square on the shoulders of Ron Wilson is ridiculous when you look at the goaltending he's had to deal with in the majority of his Leafs tenure.

I don't think it's ridiculous if we look at the pk, they basically stand around like a bunch of lamp posts just watching. And they've done that game after game, with a few exceptions. That must be a coaching desicion. The best teams at pk have their pk'ers moving around a lot and pressuring so hard that the other team can't get any control. And the leafs just hand it over in a passive way.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Gus really gets hung out to dry.

 

[Propellertop]

Hmmmm. Go watch X Factor or continue watching the Maple Leafs. Both seem to make me want to punch the TV.

 

[leafplasma]

Bad pinch by Gardiner there too.

 

[maplesyrup]

What an exercise in frustration this game is.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Bad pinch by Gardiner there too.

Lombardi had him covered, that was just Clarkson beating Schenn.

 

[Tigger]

Yeah, Wilson has been making Schenn play bad, that's the ticket.

 

[bustaheims]

At the end of the day, the Leafs are still the same struggling defensive team they've been since . . . well, the early 90s. They just used to be solid enough in other areas to cover it up.

 

[Stebro]

Yeah, Wilson has been making Schenn play bad, that's the ticket.

Wilson fan are we?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I think we may see Schenn sit in favour of Franson.

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

I think Gus has been good since the Montreal game, but if the Leafs are going to win some games he's going to stop giving up 3 or more goals per game.

In 7 games (including tonight) this year he's given up less than 3 goals in 1 game.

 

[Kessel Run]

This team is horrible defensively. Like bottom 5, perhaps bottom 3.

 

[Tigger]

Passive is a bloody understatement.  Just standing around.  That's a coaching decision.

Exactly, that must be a coaching decision. I doubt that the players are just so lame that they forgot how to skate. And if things don't work, things must change. And we've seen these lame goals in several games.

Do you guys even read what you write?

 

[Strangelove]

As far as the statements about the PK sucking during Wilson's entire tenure here go, the PK has been in the bottom-5 (bottom-6 in one year) in the league since the lockout. That's 3 head coaches, multiple assistant coaches, countless of penalty killers, and a rotating door of mostly useless goalies.

It used to be that we could legitimately blame the likes of Raycraft, Toskala and Belfour.  But what ails the team now isn't goaltending issues.  It's a pisspoor system.

I'll agree to this slightly, although I think it does have a little to do with players still adjusting. But to say the last 5 years of penalty killing failure rests square on the shoulders of Ron Wilson is ridiculous when you look at the goaltending he's had to deal with in the majority of his Leafs tenure.

Oh I'm not really blaming anybody in particular.  But a common feature of our terrible penalty-kills over at least the past few seasons is their failure to be aggressive.  Wilson seems to emphasize "getting in the lanes" but that's not going to matter if the opposing team has all the time in the world to decide where and when to shoot.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

At the end of the day, the Leafs are still the same struggling defensive team they've been since . . . well, the early 90s. They just used to be solid enough in other areas to cover it up.

Yeah, when CuJo and Belfour were here it's not like we were a sick shutdown team really.  There are plenty of season highlights on youtube of the Leafs running around like chickens with their heads cut off and getting bailed out with huge saves.

 

[pnjunction]

I don't get it, it's like "well I'm a D-man who just signed a big deal from Burke, guess there's nothing to do but completely suck for a season or two".

 

[TML fan]

A pylon would have been better than Schenn on that play.

Fix the PK or miss the playoffs. Your call, Wilson.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Passive is a bloody understatement.  Just standing around.  That's a coaching decision.

Exactly, that must be a coaching decision. I doubt that the players are just so lame that they forgot how to skate. And if things don't work, things must change. And we've seen these lame goals in several games.

Do you guys even read what you write?

You don't think our coaches preach standing around like idiots during penalty killing practice?

edit: If they practice it at all that is.

 

[ZBBM]

At the end of the day, the Leafs are still the same struggling defensive team they've been since . . . well, the early 90s. They just used to be solid enough in other areas to cover it up.

This is sad but true.  And I have to admit, I thought the D was going to be a strength this year.

But I do blame Wilson for some of it.

And Brodeur is WEAK.