Leafs @ Blackhawks - Oct. 19th, 7:00pm - CBC, SN 590

[riff raff]

Both of those goals have Bernier lookin' pretty ordinary.

Yeah. The more he plays, the more it looks like he's not quite ready to take over the reins as the starting goalie.

The Leafs have been outshot 19-6 (so far). I don't know that I would be pointing at goaltending as the problem.

 

[L K]

Kessel and Phaneuf, who should be two of the team's top weapons on the PP, have not looked especially dangerous of late.

I still think that where the defencemen are on the powerplay really limits their opportunity. On that powerplay Bozak won the draw right to Franson but he couldn't one-time it. If that was Phaneuf on the right side it could have been a scoring opportunity.

I know it's a big difference in sample size right now but Bozak at 48.5% and Kadri at 48.2% doesn't scream a big need to worry about Kadri's faceoff ability.  He's been a lot better this year early on.  He's also 14/21 on the PP.

But I do agree that where the Leafs play guys on the blueline is very strange.  To be honest I really don't like how Phaneuf handles the blueline on the PP.  He holds on to the puck a lot and isn't great at keeping pucks in the zone.  I wouldn't mind seeing Franson on the other side and add a guy like Rielly/Gardiner to split Phaneuf and Franson.

 

[Strangelove]

Cujo and Belfour didn't save everything either, but they made the key saves and got the win.

Look it up.

Also weren't outshot 3 to 1.

Man if we get outshot by a 3 to 1 margin it's been a good night. This is pretty brutal.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Kessel and Phaneuf, who should be two of the team's top weapons on the PP, have not looked especially dangerous of late.

I still think that where the defencemen are on the powerplay really limits their opportunity. On that powerplay Bozak won the draw right to Franson but he couldn't one-time it. If that was Phaneuf on the right side it could have been a scoring opportunity.

I know it's a big difference in sample size right now but Bozak at 48.5% and Kadri at 48.2% doesn't scream a big need to worry about Kadri's faceoff ability.  He's been a lot better this year early on.  He's also 14/21 on the PP.

But I do agree that where the Leafs play guys on the blueline is very strange.  To be honest I really don't like how Phaneuf handles the blueline on the PP.  He holds on to the puck a lot and isn't great at keeping pucks in the zone.  I wouldn't mind seeing Franson on the other side and add a guy like Rielly/Gardiner to split Phaneuf and Franson.

I don't get it - play Phaneuf on the right side at even strength but on the left side on the PP?  You'd think it should be the other way around.

 

[L K]

Carlyle hockey looks spectacular against good teams.

 

[Kin]

Cujo and Belfour didn't save everything either, but they made the key saves and got the win.

Look it up.

It's true. It took a really special goalie in the opposing net to outduel one of those two. Someone like an Esche, Irbe or Roloson.

 

[Kin]

I know it's a big difference in sample size right now but Bozak at 48.5% and Kadri at 48.2%

That's with Bozak taking just about every high priority face-off though.

 

[barney_rebel]

We stink dudes...

 

[Mot the Barber]

Chicago is a good team though.  While the Leafs have yet to register a good game.

 

[bustaheims]

The Leafs have been outshot 19-6 (so far). I don't know that I would be pointing at goaltending as the problem.

I'm not saying goaltending has been the problem tonight. It's more that all those people who were anointing Bernier as the starter last week were getting a little ahead of themselves.

 

[Kin]

The Leafs have been outshot 19-6 (so far). I don't know that I would be pointing at goaltending as the problem.

It's not an either/or though. I can think the offense has looked stale and think Bernier should have had both goals.

 

[drummond]

the leafs are outshot 4 to 1, it takes a miracle to win at this rate

 

[L K]

Not going to blame Bernier on that one, but this is why you don't anoint a guy on the basis of 3 games.

 

[bustaheims]

Chicago is a good team though.

While that's true, if the Leafs want to be anything more than also-rans, the Hawks are exactly the type of team they need to show they can skate with and have a chance to win against.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I know it's a big difference in sample size right now but Bozak at 48.5% and Kadri at 48.2%

That's with Bozak taking just about every high priority face-off though.

That definitely makes a difference. I remember the Colorado game I pointed out Kadri was 53% while Bozak was only 39%. But then someone added that Kadri took 10 of his 15 faceoffs against MacKinnon and won 8 of them.

Still, I do wonder if Bozak's faceoff work this season is something we should be worried about. Tonight he's taken more faceoffs than the rest of the team combined and is only 39%.

 

[Stronger Than All]

Ya wish we took the last game.  We'd be 7-1 having a bad game and getting clarkson back soon!

 

[Mot the Barber]

The Leafs have been outshot 19-6 (so far). I don't know that I would be pointing at goaltending as the problem.

I'm not saying goaltending has been the problem tonight. It's more that all those people who were anointing Bernier as the starter last week were getting a little ahead of themselves.

No.  You take the good with the bad.  Starting goaltender means that he'll have some stinkers, but then he'll bounce back next game because he knows he'll get that next game.  Knowing he's a starter gives him one less thing to worry about and he can focus all his energy and concentration on the game.  I bet Bernier is letting some crappy goals in precisely because he's always thinking about having to battle for the #1 with Reimer.  Ditto for Reimer.  Just make one guy the starter and go with that.

The point is to get the team used to one style of goaltending and puckhandling (by the goalie). 

 

[L K]

I know it's a big difference in sample size right now but Bozak at 48.5% and Kadri at 48.2%

That's with Bozak taking just about every high priority face-off though.

Sure, he does get hurt by his 15/40 faceoff rate on the PK this year.  He's 19/35 on the PP so far this year.  To me, the comparable to Kadri there might indicate that it would be worth a shot to see if Kessel-Kadri can be a little more creative on the PP.  Bozak's great at winning draws in general but he's really a bystander on the PP in terms of creating things.

 

[riff raff]

The Leafs have been outshot 19-6 (so far). I don't know that I would be pointing at goaltending as the problem.

I'm not saying goaltending has been the problem tonight. It's more that all those people who were anointing Bernier as the starter last week were getting a little ahead of themselves.

What I'm seeing (not necessarily from you) are people so in love with Reimer that they are jumping at every chance to discredit Bernier.

As a Leaf fan, what I want is a goalie who's going to give the team the best chance to win.

If it's Bernier, great. If it's Reimer, great.

 

[Strangelove]

Our puck possession issues are pretty glaring in games like this.  I mean, we have offensive defensemen and enough skill guys that we should be able to control the play from to time. But barring the odd Lupul/Kadri shift, it's a mad scramble out there with little physicality.  You have to think it's a coaching issue at this point.