Game 14, Carolina at Toronto 7PM Eastern, on Leafs TV and TSN radio

[L K]

Have the Leafs won a single puck battle in this game?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

This doesn't explain the terrible defensive play tonight, but I think the Leafs are going to struggle a lot while both Lupul and Frattin are out. It pretty much depletes any secondary scoring that we have. Grabovski, MacArthur, and Kulemin have obviously had their struggles and don't seem to be producing much of anything right now. Komarov and McClement have been solid this season, but can't really replace what Lupul and Frattin bring to the table. Kadri's been great of course, but he needs somebody to play with.

Might be time to break up Grabovski and Kulemin.  They are stagnating.

Could be an option. I'd also consider taking JVR off the top line to play with Kadri so the offense is a little more spread out.

 

[Peter D.]

They were due to come out flat sometime soon, every team does.....the good teams just don't do it often.

Hopefully they bounce back with a win on Saturday.

Pretty much sums it up.

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

This doesn't explain the terrible defensive play tonight, but I think the Leafs are going to struggle a lot while both Lupul and Frattin are out. It pretty much depletes any secondary scoring that we have. Grabovski, MacArthur, and Kulemin have obviously had their struggles and don't seem to be producing much of anything right now. Komarov and McClement have been solid this season, but can't really replace what Lupul and Frattin bring to the table. Kadri's been great of course, but he needs somebody to play with.

Yeah, you can really see how thin the forward ranks are tonight.

 

[bustaheims]

They were due to come out flat sometime soon, every team does.....the good teams just don't do it often.

Hopefully they bounce back with a win on Saturday.

Yeah. Hopefully, this is an isolated incident rather than the beginning of a trend.

 

[ZBBM]

Really glad we are testing the impregnable Dan Ellis.

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

Wow, Skinner really is getting owned physically tonight.

 

[Edeagle]

Always a good sign when our best players get hemmed in by Drayson Bowman and Tim Wallace.. sorry if I misspelled a name or two.

 

[bustaheims]

Just an A+ effort by everyone on the ice in this one - the Leafs, the Canes and the refs. A+ effort.

 

[L K]

Well the Leafs were consistent at least.  They gave very little effort in the first two periods and gave about the same in the 3rd.  That was ugly all the way around.

 

[pnjunction]

Ugh.  I guess the streak had to end sometime but what a stinker.  Carlyle has his work cut out trying to put whatever pieces we have together for Saturday.

 

[maplesyrup]

Pure slop.

 

[ZBBM]

Well, as they say at the Westminster Dog Show, even a champion chihuahua coughs up a furball once in awhile.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Carolina where amazing at clogging the neutral zone and not allowing us to get any sustained offensive pressure, good for them, that's something the Leafs have done to a few teams this year. 

The officials had a real shocker tonight too though, putting the Leafs on a 5 on 3 and the Grabovski getting lifted through the air no call really stand out.

Without Frattin, I'd try Naz between JVR and Phil, stick Bozie with McClement and Komarov as a real shutdown line and pray that Grabo, Kooly and Mac find their magic.

 

[Kessel Run]

Why do the Leafs always have so much trouble with Carolina? I just have the mentality that every game is a loss vs them, whereas vs a team like Pittsburgh I would be optimistic.

 

[barney_rebel]

We stink dudes...

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

Why do the Leafs always have so much trouble with Carolina? I just have the mentality that every game is a loss vs them, whereas vs a team like Pittsburgh I would be optimistic.

this is probably how fans of every team we win against feel

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

do we HAVE to pick a MotM and or HM tonight?

 

[Britishbulldog]

Without Frattin, I'd try Naz between JVR and Phil, stick Bozie with McClement and Komarov as a real shutdown line and pray that Grabo, Kooly and Mac find their magic.

I agree WIGWAL.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Without Frattin, I'd try Naz between JVR and Phil, stick Bozie with McClement and Komarov as a real shutdown line and pray that Grabo, Kooly and Mac find their magic.

You still have the same problem where we really only have one scoring line, assuming the Grabo group doesn't turn things around immediately. Kadri also still isn't good enough on the draw to be on the top line. There's no point in having him with Kessel if it means the other team starts with the puck most of the time.