Is this the turning point???

[Leafaholic99]

We have 8 D on our roster but RC plays 6 night in and night out.  If anything with this compressed schedule, those guys need to get into some games as fresh legs and to keep them game ready in case of injuries.  It blows my mind how RC is not using his full roster.

He did rotate them during the beginning of the season, then stopped, maybe he has found his 6 D he wants to use, but when we have 3 games in 4 nights, he should be rotating them still, to help keep them fresh.

 

[proteus2000]

I really felt last night like some of the d-men were gassed. Phaneuf reminded me of a player in videogame whose endurance is on red and stumbles around on the ice. 3rd game in 4 nights, use the depth man and spread the minutes more. Of course Phaneuf and Holzer will look bad at times playing as much as they have.

 

[Zee]

I really felt last night like some of the d-men were gassed. Phaneuf reminded me of a player in videogame whose endurance is on red and stumbles around on the ice. 3rd game in 4 nights, use the depth man and spread the minutes more. Of course Phaneuf and Holzer will look bad at times playing as much as they have.

This is why Carlyle should mix in the press box guys from time to time.  You have guys who aren't gassed from playing 3 in 4 but instead are just sitting around.  Yes, even Komisarek could get some minutes.

 

[Kin]

I really felt last night like some of the d-men were gassed. Phaneuf reminded me of a player in videogame whose endurance is on red and stumbles around on the ice. 3rd game in 4 nights, use the depth man and spread the minutes more. Of course Phaneuf and Holzer will look bad at times playing as much as they have.

This is why Carlyle should mix in the press box guys from time to time.  You have guys who aren't gassed from playing 3 in 4 but instead are just sitting around.  Yes, even Komisarek could get some minutes.

That's tough though because you can just as easily say that those guys would be rusty and Carlyle would get killed for changing his line-up after a win.

 

[Champ Kind]

ROCK --------  Carlyle --------  HARD PLACE

Leafs are overperforming, exceeding expectations, and headed for their best season in nearly a decade and the coach is being second guessed on every decision. 

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

There MUST be some other issue with Komisarek and Liles.  WHY oh why are your 2nd and 3rd highest paid d-men sitting in the press box for an extended period of time.  Komisarek wasn't playing that bad before he was banished to the press box. 

 

[Strangelove]

I didn't like the Liles deal at the time, but how terrible is it looking now? The guy isn't even getting a sniff of the ice behind several AHL-type defensemen.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I didn't like the Liles deal at the time, but how terrible is it looking now? The guy isn't even getting a sniff of the ice behind several AHL-type defensemen.

I don't think that is any fault of his own to be honest, I think he can still be a serviceable second pairing defenceman who is above average on the PP.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I didn't like the Liles deal at the time, but how terrible is it looking now? The guy isn't even getting a sniff of the ice behind several AHL-type defensemen.

I don't think that is any fault of his own to be honest, I think he can still be a serviceable second pairing defenceman who is above average on the PP.

I think he should be in there over one of those guys at least.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Sooo saying the Leafs are a "good team" means you think they are a "cup contender" ???

Exactly what I thought. I avoided the post as the negativity around here after a Leafs loss is hard to take.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

And the 5 or 6 posts above mine reek of it. 

 

[leafplasma]

I really felt last night like some of the d-men were gassed. Phaneuf reminded me of a player in videogame whose endurance is on red and stumbles around on the ice. 3rd game in 4 nights, use the depth man and spread the minutes more. Of course Phaneuf and Holzer will look bad at times playing as much as they have.

This is why Carlyle should mix in the press box guys from time to time.  You have guys who aren't gassed from playing 3 in 4 but instead are just sitting around.  Yes, even Komisarek could get some minutes.

That's tough though because you can just as easily say that those guys would be rusty and Carlyle would get killed for changing his line-up after a win.

They wouldn't be rusty if he rotated his dman effectively rather than having guys on the bench who haven't played in weeks. 

 

[leafplasma]

Sooo saying the Leafs are a "good team" means you think they are a "cup contender" ???

Do you seriously think that Nutman doesn't feel in his heart the Leafs are a cup contender.  Replying to a post by Nutman as opposed to somebody else on here praising the Leafs is an entirely different kettle of worms.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Sooo saying the Leafs are a "good team" means you think they are a "cup contender" ???

Do you seriously think that Nutman doesn't feel in his heart the Leafs are a cup contender.  Replying to a post by Nutman as opposed to somebody else on here praising the Leafs is an entirely different kettle of worms.

Reasoning with nutman? Are you kidding?

 

[Champ Kind]

Corn Flake was replying to an entirely different post by someone else.  See the post that precedes his.

 

[Tigger]

The issue with the defence concerns the style of the game Carlyle is trying to develop, Liles isn't a grinder type though he is an effective skater and passer, Komi isn't much of anything if he can't beat out Holzer and frankly that is the case.

Giving time in a compressed schedule to see what these players are made of is fine by me, I think they already know what they have with the players that are sitting or in the minors.

Fwiw, to the OP, it's too early to say if this is the turning point but the system Carlyle has the team playing seems a lot more legitimate for success with the playoffs in mind, they were a skating team before, now they're beginning to incorporate some physicality and grind to their game. We'll see how it goes, whether they can sustain this kind of play but it sure seems like they have the capacity for some success now.

Getting some goaltending sure helps...

 

[rdowdall]

The issue with the defence concerns the style of the game Carlyle is trying to develop, Liles isn't a grinder type though he is an effective skater and passer, Komi isn't much of anything if he can't beat out Holzer and frankly that is the case.

Giving time in a compressed schedule to see what these players are made of is fine by me, I think they already know what they have with the players that are sitting or in the minors.

Fwiw, to the OP, it's too early to say if this is the turning point but the system Carlyle has the team playing seems a lot more legitimate for success with the playoffs in mind, they were a skating team before, now they're beginning to incorporate some physicality and grind to their game. We'll see how it goes, whether they can sustain this kind of play but it sure seems like they have the capacity for some success now.

Getting some goaltending sure helps...

I think Carlyle's system is predicated on quick passes out of the zone, and those that want to carry the puck sit in the press box.

 

[Redleaf]

The issue with the defence concerns the style of the game Carlyle is trying to develop, Liles isn't a grinder type though he is an effective skater and passer, Komi isn't much of anything if he can't beat out Holzer and frankly that is the case.

Giving time in a compressed schedule to see what these players are made of is fine by me, I think they already know what they have with the players that are sitting or in the minors.

Fwiw, to the OP, it's too early to say if this is the turning point but the system Carlyle has the team playing seems a lot more legitimate for success with the playoffs in mind, they were a skating team before, now they're beginning to incorporate some physicality and grind to their game. We'll see how it goes, whether they can sustain this kind of play but it sure seems like they have the capacity for some success now.

Getting some goaltending sure helps...

I think Carlyle's system is predicated on quick passes out of the zone, and those that want to carry the puck sit in the press box.

If this is true, then what does it mean for our two blue chip, (carry out of the zone) offensive minded defenseman, Gardiner and Rielly, waiting in the wings?

 

[Tigger]

The issue with the defence concerns the style of the game Carlyle is trying to develop, Liles isn't a grinder type though he is an effective skater and passer, Komi isn't much of anything if he can't beat out Holzer and frankly that is the case.

Giving time in a compressed schedule to see what these players are made of is fine by me, I think they already know what they have with the players that are sitting or in the minors.

Fwiw, to the OP, it's too early to say if this is the turning point but the system Carlyle has the team playing seems a lot more legitimate for success with the playoffs in mind, they were a skating team before, now they're beginning to incorporate some physicality and grind to their game. We'll see how it goes, whether they can sustain this kind of play but it sure seems like they have the capacity for some success now.

Getting some goaltending sure helps...

I think Carlyle's system is predicated on quick passes out of the zone, and those that want to carry the puck sit in the press box.

Funny, that's what Kabs got in trouble for under Wilson...

...Komi just can't do much of anything well and Liles can't grind, though I think he can pass.

 

[TML fan]

The issue with the defence concerns the style of the game Carlyle is trying to develop, Liles isn't a grinder type though he is an effective skater and passer, Komi isn't much of anything if he can't beat out Holzer and frankly that is the case.

Giving time in a compressed schedule to see what these players are made of is fine by me, I think they already know what they have with the players that are sitting or in the minors.

Fwiw, to the OP, it's too early to say if this is the turning point but the system Carlyle has the team playing seems a lot more legitimate for success with the playoffs in mind, they were a skating team before, now they're beginning to incorporate some physicality and grind to their game. We'll see how it goes, whether they can sustain this kind of play but it sure seems like they have the capacity for some success now.

Getting some goaltending sure helps...

I think Carlyle's system is predicated on quick passes out of the zone, and those that want to carry the puck sit in the press box.

That's interesting. It would certainly explain why the Leafs spend so much time in their own end. They don't move the puck very quickly, and can't skate it out of trouble.