Game 77: Hurricanes @ Maple Leafs, 7:00pm, Will Rita MacNeil sing ?

[moon111]

I now have to lump watching the Leafs in the same category as Judge Judy, Jerry Springer, Maury, etc.  Shows on TV featuring people that make you feel vastly superior. 

 

[Tigger]

I know it's just one play on one night but does anyone else feel like that 3rd goal kinds of seals it for Gus here?  It was so ugly...especially when they compare it to the way a guy like Ward plays.

Hard to say. From what they said the coaching staff weren't blaming Jonas for the first two ( which just might be saying the right things, yadda yadda ) It's tough for me to buy the notion on one or two plays but that one wasn't pretty.  :-\

There's little trade value in either goalie now and if bringing in a veteran presence is on the dance card because of Burke's position then the path of least resistance seems like just letting Jonas go, though I'd go the other way if I had to. ( Honestly, if I really had my way I'd keep both and plough on with a rebuild but that's not likely )

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

 

[Pucken Chronic]

So........... How long to pre-season? 

 

[ZBBM]

I had a really nice seafood dinner with friends tonight right across the street from the Verizon Center in Washington.  Had to miss the game.... 

Interested to see how Burke spins this.

 

[Jalili]

I know it's just one play on one night but does anyone else feel like that 3rd goal kinds of seals it for Gus here?  It was so ugly...especially when they compare it to the way a guy like Ward plays.

I think Gus' fate was sealed some time ago.

Agreed I would expect that he'll be playing in his native homeland of Sweden next season.

 

[Tigger]

I know it's just one play on one night but does anyone else feel like that 3rd goal kinds of seals it for Gus here?  It was so ugly...especially when they compare it to the way a guy like Ward plays.

I think Gus' fate was sealed some time ago.

Agreed I would expect that he'll be playing in his native homeland of Sweden next season.

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

 

[Jalili]

Isles up 2-0 on Pens. Dare I dream or have i jinxed it?

Dream of what? A top-five pick that will inevitably be a bust?

Not to neg, but man, just seems this team is cursed at this point.

The team isn't cursed, just horrifically mismanaged.

 

[TML fan]

I know. That was my explanation

Wait though, stop making excuses for what then, crappy goaltending or crappy coaching?

As I said, crappy goaltending.

 

[bustaheims]

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a better offer from the SEL or ever the KHL than he does from an NHL team, though.

 

[Tigger]

I know. That was my explanation

Wait though, stop making excuses for what then, crappy goaltending or crappy coaching?

Crappy goaltending. You never made excuses for crappy coaching.

Wasn't crappy coaching implied in your post though? Again, I didn't 'make excuses' for anything, I asked a question about the goals.

 

[Tigger]

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a better offer from the SEL or ever the KHL than he does from an NHL team, though.

I'm down with 'maybe', I have a hunch that those leagues won't matter to him as much, fwiw. We'll see I guess.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a better offer from the SEL or ever the KHL than he does from an NHL team, though.

I'm down with 'maybe', I have a hunch that those leagues won't matter to him as much, fwiw. We'll see I guess.

I'm all for going with Reimer and Gus next year, get the first overall pick who is being compared to Crosby.

 

[bustaheims]

I'm down with 'maybe', I have a hunch that those leagues won't matter to him as much, fwiw. We'll see I guess.

Probably not the KHL, but, going back to the SEL as a starter instead of backup in the NHL could very well hold some significant appeal to him.

 

[TML fan]

I know. That was my explanation

Wait though, stop making excuses for what then, crappy goaltending or crappy coaching?

Crappy goaltending. You never made excuses for crappy coaching.

Wasn't crappy coaching implied in your post though? Again, I didn't 'make excuses' for anything, I asked a question about the goals.

The way I see it, either Gustavsson is just a bad goalie, or the goaltending coach bears some responsibility for his terrible play. Perhaps both.

You asked if the goals were deflected. I say who cares? If you can't ask your goalie to make a difficult save, then you might as well just tie a jersey to the net and pray. That's pretty much how I view Allaire's style anyway.

If Gustavsson wasn't hugging the post like it was his girlfriend, he might have stopped that puck. He had zero mobility and virtually no ability to react to a deflection.

The goalies are basically just dropping and expecting the puck to hit them. They are committing early and are not really prepared to react to where the shot is actually going.

So, either the style is flawed or the goalies are flawed. Or both. There have been way too many bad goals this year, as well as some comments about "typical Allaire goalies" for me to not question the way these guys are being coached. It's not like he's helping the situation. I'm starting to think the game has passed him by.

 

[Tigger]

You asked if the goals were deflected. I say who cares? If you can't ask your goalie to make a difficult save, then you might as well just tie a jersey to the net and pray. That's pretty much how I view Allaire's style anyway.

I think that's pretty short sighted frankly and obviously I give a crap about how the goals went in.

The goalies are basically just dropping and expecting the puck to hit them. They are committing early and are not really prepared to react to where the shot is actually going.

So, either the style is flawed or the goalies are flawed. Or both. There have been way too many bad goals this year, as well as some comments about "typical Allaire goalies" for me to not question the way these guys are being coached. It's not like he's helping the situation. I'm starting to think the game has passed him by.

So it might be the goalies, or the coaching but you're not sure except you are. The game has passed Allaire by? Where do you get the footing for that pov?

The Leafs have the most inexperienced goalie duo on the league, probably has more to do with that than anything else.

 

[Bonsixx]

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a better offer from the SEL or ever the KHL than he does from an NHL team, though.

I'm down with 'maybe', I have a hunch that those leagues won't matter to him as much, fwiw. We'll see I guess.

I'd be shocked if Gustavsson is back in the NHL next year. He's certainly no kid, he's had a few seasons to adapt to the North American game and has pretty much demonstrated a lack of the necessary skill or consistency to be a starter. He's also shown a keen inability to sit for extended stretches and remain any bit sharp, which should kill any potential value as a backup.

He should just go back home to the SEL and enjoy piling up stats in a low-scoring hockey league.

 

[Tigger]

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a better offer from the SEL or ever the KHL than he does from an NHL team, though.

I'm down with 'maybe', I have a hunch that those leagues won't matter to him as much, fwiw. We'll see I guess.

I'd be shocked if Gustavsson is back in the NHL next year. He's certainly no kid, he's had a few seasons to adapt to the North American game and has pretty much demonstrated a lack of the necessary skill or consistency to be a starter. He's also shown a keen inability to sit for extended stretches and remain any bit sharp, which should kill any potential value as a backup.

He should just go back home to the SEL and enjoy piling up stats in a low-scoring hockey league.

I disagree with this pretty square.

Edit to add: Well, except for what you said about being a starter, that could very well end up being true but he'd be an easy risk as a back up for not a lot of dough for most any other team.

 

[L K]

I doubt it, the market's not that strong on goaltending, someone will pick him up if he makes it.

Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a better offer from the SEL or ever the KHL than he does from an NHL team, though.

I'm down with 'maybe', I have a hunch that those leagues won't matter to him as much, fwiw. We'll see I guess.

I'd be shocked if Gustavsson is back in the NHL next year. He's certainly no kid, he's had a few seasons to adapt to the North American game and has pretty much demonstrated a lack of the necessary skill or consistency to be a starter. He's also shown a keen inability to sit for extended stretches and remain any bit sharp, which should kill any potential value as a backup.

He should just go back home to the SEL and enjoy piling up stats in a low-scoring hockey league.

I disagree with this pretty square.

I think Brian Elliott is a perfect example of why he has a good shot of getting another NHL contract.  He got contracts with SV% <.895 and now look what he is doing.  Some team will see his size and "Raw potential" and chalk his results up to a bad team affecting his performance.

 

[TML fan]

You asked if the goals were deflected. I say who cares? If you can't ask your goalie to make a difficult save, then you might as well just tie a jersey to the net and pray. That's pretty much how I view Allaire's style anyway.

I think that's pretty short sighted frankly and obviously I give a crap about how the goals went in.

The goalies are basically just dropping and expecting the puck to hit them. They are committing early and are not really prepared to react to where the shot is actually going.

So, either the style is flawed or the goalies are flawed. Or both. There have been way too many bad goals this year, as well as some comments about "typical Allaire goalies" for me to not question the way these guys are being coached. It's not like he's helping the situation. I'm starting to think the game has passed him by.

So it might be the goalies, or the coaching but you're not sure except you are. The game has passed Allaire by? Where do you get the footing for that pov?

The Leafs have the most inexperienced goalie duo on the league, probably has more to do with that than anything else.

I just look at our goalies, and the complete lack of improvement under Allaire and ask if he's doing a good job. Allaire had most of his success in a different era. The game has changed now and I'm looking at how our goalies are getting beat and asking if his style is effective in today's game. Just look at the goals last night. Particularly the first one. Why is he hugging the post? If he just squares up and reacts to the shot, it doesn't go in, deflected or not. Gustavsson is anticipating the shot to go somewhere it doesn't, and can't react because he's already committed to one location. That is an Allaire trait, and it's a flawed one in my opinion.

The point is, maybe they would be better goalies if they didn't play like that? Or maybe they just suck? I don't know for sure. Unlike you, I don't have all the answers.