Game 47: MTL @ TOR - Jan. 21 - 7:00pm - CBC

[Captain Canuck]

Its bad whats happening with the Leafs, but its not Buffalo bad at least!

The Leafs have basically spun their wheels for the past 3-4 weeks and stayed in 9th place. 

The Sabres have sunk to 14th and are tied with Carolina for dead last in the conference in points. After all the money Pegula sunk into that team heads are going to roll NOW! 

 

[Kessel Run]

Pretty uninspired effort there tonight. That team was easily beatable.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

It is just time for Wilson to go, I mean come on.

And Burke, WTF dude?  Your teams continually stink.

A coaching change right now might actually be a shock to the Leafs and wake them up for a good run. Of course that means Burke won't do it.

Or maybe they'll play even worse hockey like the Habs have since their coach was fired.

 

[TML fan]

The leafs are just way too soft up front...other then the 4th line, no one else takes the body consistently on the forecheck so they do not intimidate the opposing D whatsoever.
I would rather see guys like Frattin and Boyce in the line-up who provide a little more jam.
I dont know if Kessel is made of glass but he really seems to go out of his way to make sure he doesnt rub shoulders with anyone during the game.

Did you not see the montage earlier in the broadcast of Kessel getting knocked around? He can take it. Maybe he wants to avoid it so he doesn't get hurt? Personally, I'd rather he play 82 games than get involved in too much physical stuff. Can you imagine how bad this team would be without him? Colby Armstrong's good vibes can only do so much...

No I missed that, personally I would rather see him assert himself a little more without the puck.  There are a lot of coaches in the league that would not put up with aspects of his game....like in his own end standing still and reaching for pucks instead of using better body position to win battles along the wall

I understand what you are saying. He's not a good defensive player. I don't think it's unfair to ask him to make sure he gets the puck out of his zone. By the same token, expecting him to be a physical player is a bit like expecting Darryl Boyce to score 30 goals.

Kessel takes his fair share of punishment. Sometimes he picks bad times to avoid it (like in his own end) but overall, I'd rather he avoid contact when he can to increase his chances of staying healthy.

 

[L K]

It is just time for Wilson to go, I mean come on.

And Burke, WTF dude?  Your teams continually stink.

A coaching change right now might actually be a shock to the Leafs and wake them up for a good run. Of course that means Burke won't do it.

Or maybe they'll play even worse hockey like the Habs have since their coach was fired.

It might, but I hardly think that the Montreal situation is all that relevant to Toronto.  Montreal has stunk all season and then when they made their coaching change he had his legs cut out by him by
1) Rene Levesque
2) Molson (his owner)
3) Pierre Gautier (his coach)
4) Molson (his owner again)
5) The rest of Quebec for watching their team be a complete side show
6) Pierre Gautier for being incompetent

Cunneyworth didn't have a chance to get anything going because the change had even any short term momentum cut out from under him by the constant "you can't be coach" talk and apologies about remedies to the coaching situation in the offseason.  He's a lame duck coach on a bad team.

The Leafs don't have a great lineup but even the worst of the Toronto media isn't that bad.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

The point was simply that there seems to be an assumption that coaching change will automatically result in improved play just due to the change itself, when that's not necessarily the case, especially if what is expected is a St. Louis-type turnaround instantly.

 

[L K]

Well sure, but the Leafs have really been a mediocre team since the first 5 games of the season and then the first four games of January.  A coaching change isn't going to turn the team into a contender out of nowhere but I don't think we are exactly looking at a team that is playing up to its potential either. 

There are never any guarantees when you make a change but personally, I'd like to see the one job that has been given the luxury of protection finally held responsible rather than laying the blame entirely on roster, which seems to be the approach that Burke has taken.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Well sure, but the Leafs have really been a mediocre team since the first 5 games of the season and then the first four games of January.  A coaching change isn't going to turn the team into a contender out of nowhere but I don't think we are exactly looking at a team that is playing up to its potential either. 

There are never any guarantees when you make a change but personally, I'd like to see the one job that has been given the luxury of protection finally held responsible rather than laying the blame entirely on roster, which seems to be the approach that Burke has taken.

I, too, would not be upset at a coaching change, depending on who the new one is.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Chalk up one win for the Isles.

And if the Isles win the first half, I fear going into NY when they know they play huge spoilers.

The Isles ain't dead yet. 

 

[brothert]

Poor effort in a very winnable game against a horrid team.

This is my sentiments exactly.  It wasn't an entertaining hockey game by any stretch by either team but you kept watching waiting for the leafs to get going.  In the end the Habs deserved the win because they skated harder when it mattered most.  The leafs didn't start pushing until it was already 3-1.  And where did connolly go?  He was injured most of the year, came back and had a few games where he looked like he was going to start padding the assists column then "poof" nothing.....

 

[sneakyray]

Poor effort in a very winnable game against a horrid team.

This is my sentiments exactly.  It wasn't an entertaining hockey game by any stretch by either team but you kept watching waiting for the leafs to get going.  In the end the Habs deserved the win because they skated harder when it mattered most.  The leafs didn't start pushing until it was already 3-1.  And where did connolly go?  He was injured most of the year, came back and had a few games where he looked like he was going to start padding the assists column then "poof" nothing.....

agreed...time to get rid of the deadweight

buh bye connolly, kooly, mac, schenn, komi,

sigh...there are too many passengers on this team...lets get some more hunger in here

 

[azzurri63]

Well sure, but the Leafs have really been a mediocre team since the first 5 games of the season and then the first four games of January.  A coaching change isn't going to turn the team into a contender out of nowhere but I don't think we are exactly looking at a team that is playing up to its potential either. 

There are never any guarantees when you make a change but personally, I'd like to see the one job that has been given the luxury of protection finally held responsible rather than laying the blame entirely on roster, which seems to be the approach that Burke has taken.

LK you're bang on with your assessment. I have been saying the same thing for a long time and although some here don't see it, and are tired of some of us saying it, it's the truth. Team has been like I said spinning it's tires with Wilson at the wheel and not just this season. Any other coach would have been long gong by now. The friendship between the 2 is killing us. I understand the team he inherited sucked due to JFJ's f'ups but Burke has supplied him with a better team and albeit not a Stanley Cup team I see a lot of the same problems that plagued us last year and the year before still happening. Finally I'm tired of Burke saying he's a great coach with a great record and would be hired the next day if he were fired. I couldn't care less what he did 10 years ago. The team still has some voids. I understand that and Burke is not done tinkering and maybe waiting to give Ron that oppurtunity when he is done but personally I rather see someone else at the wheel and hopefully stop the tires from spinning.

 

[maplesyrup]

Oh and Clarke MacArthur, WTF dude?  Been terrible lately... Giveaways, missing the net time and time again, weak passes... Very bad stretch.

kevin_mcgran Kevin McGran
Clarke MacArthur dressed in fourth-line maroon-- seven games without a point
2 minutes ago

 

[hockeyfan1]

Oh and Clarke MacArthur, WTF dude?  Been terrible
lately... Giveaways, missing the net time and time again,
weak passes... Very bad stretch.

kevin_mcgran Kevin McGran
Clarke MacArthur dressed in fourth-line maroon-- seven games without a point

2 minutes ago

MacArthur might as well be invisible.  Heck, many may have forgotten he actually even plays for the Leafs anymore. That's how bad his season has been!

 

[Zee]

Oh and Clarke MacArthur, WTF dude?  Been terrible
lately... Giveaways, missing the net time and time again,
weak passes... Very bad stretch.

kevin_mcgran Kevin McGran
Clarke MacArthur dressed in fourth-line maroon-- seven games without a point

2 minutes ago

MacArthur might as well be invisible.  Heck, many may have forgotten he actually even plays for the Leafs anymore. That's how bad his season has been!

He's been a huge disappointment no doubt.  That entire trio that was so good last year has been underwhelming.  Something has to give.

 

[Erndog]

Oh and Clarke MacArthur, WTF dude?  Been terrible
lately... Giveaways, missing the net time and time again,
weak passes... Very bad stretch.

kevin_mcgran Kevin McGran
Clarke MacArthur dressed in fourth-line maroon-- seven games without a point

2 minutes ago

MacArthur might as well be invisible.  Heck, many may have forgotten he actually even plays for the Leafs anymore. That's how bad his season has been!

He's been a huge disappointment no doubt.  That entire trio that was so good last year has been underwhelming.  Something has to give.

Grabovski has been decent.  I agree that Mac and Kule have been very dissapointing.

Over the last 25 games, Kulemin has 31 shots... thats about 1.2 shots a game.  Terrible.  This coming from a former 30 goal guy.  Someone who we came into this season relying on heavily for offence (maybe not 30 like last year, but certainly ~25 or so.).  He's been invisible, you barely even see him on the ice now and he's definitely not generating any chances.  I'm not sure what gives, perhaps expectations were too high, maybe he was a victim of opportunity or just had one of those 'one off' seasons, but it's looking more and more that he is a 3rd liner in the ~15 goals, ~35 point mold.  Certainly dissappointing.

 

[Zee]

Oh and Clarke MacArthur, WTF dude?  Been terrible
lately... Giveaways, missing the net time and time again,
weak passes... Very bad stretch.

kevin_mcgran Kevin McGran
Clarke MacArthur dressed in fourth-line maroon-- seven games without a point

2 minutes ago

MacArthur might as well be invisible.  Heck, many may have forgotten he actually even plays for the Leafs anymore. That's how bad his season has been!

He's been a huge disappointment no doubt.  That entire trio that was so good last year has been underwhelming.  Something has to give.

Grabovski has been decent.  I agree that Mac and Kule have been very dissapointing.

Over the last 25 games, Kulemin has 31 shots... thats about 1.2 shots a game.  Terrible.  This coming from a former 30 goal guy.  Someone who we came into this season relying on heavily for offence (maybe not 30 like last year, but certainly ~25 or so.).  He's been invisible, you barely even see him on the ice now and he's definitely not generating any chances.  I'm not sure what gives, perhaps expectations were too high, maybe he was a victim of opportunity or just had one of those 'one off' seasons, but it's looking more and more that he is a 3rd liner in the ~15 goals, ~35 point mold.  Certainly dissappointing.

Yeah, Grabovski has been hot and cold, but he's only slightly below last year's pace.  I guess it just seems worse because the trio was so effective last season and 2 of the 3 aren't pulling their weight now. 

 

[Tigger]

Kulemin is pretty far from invisible in my books.

 

[Erndog]

Oh and Clarke MacArthur, WTF dude?  Been terrible
lately... Giveaways, missing the net time and time again,
weak passes... Very bad stretch.

kevin_mcgran Kevin McGran
Clarke MacArthur dressed in fourth-line maroon-- seven games without a point

2 minutes ago

MacArthur might as well be invisible.  Heck, many may have forgotten he actually even plays for the Leafs anymore. That's how bad his season has been!

He's been a huge disappointment no doubt.  That entire trio that was so good last year has been underwhelming.  Something has to give.

Grabovski has been decent.  I agree that Mac and Kule have been very dissapointing.

Over the last 25 games, Kulemin has 31 shots... thats about 1.2 shots a game.  Terrible.  This coming from a former 30 goal guy.  Someone who we came into this season relying on heavily for offence (maybe not 30 like last year, but certainly ~25 or so.).  He's been invisible, you barely even see him on the ice now and he's definitely not generating any chances.  I'm not sure what gives, perhaps expectations were too high, maybe he was a victim of opportunity or just had one of those 'one off' seasons, but it's looking more and more that he is a 3rd liner in the ~15 goals, ~35 point mold.  Certainly dissappointing.

Yeah, Grabovski has been hot and cold, but he's only slightly below last year's pace.  I guess it just seems worse because the trio was so effective last season and 2 of the 3 aren't pulling their weight now.

Yeah.  You could see the difference from last year to this year on Saturday night.  Grabs makes a great stretch pass to MacArthur, a real nice headsup pass that springs Mac on a breakaway.  Last year Mac scores that goal.  This year?  4 feet wide, top corner almost out of the rink.

Just incredible the difference.  Having the 2 of them really, really struggle has basically put us in the position we are in today.  We needed both guys to come close to replicating what they did a year ago and neither have (or will) even come close.

 

[Erndog]

Kulemin is pretty far from invisible in my books.

You're so forgiving.