Leafs @ Bruins - Jan. 14th, 7:00pm - SN, SN 590

[mc]

I think the Leafs win this. A nice win streak beings here.

 

[freer]

I think the Leafs win this. A nice win streak beings here.

Applauding with approval. I sense a 3-1 victory. GLG 8)

 

[drummond]

Something tells me that today we will see a hard fought win for the Leafs only to get beaten by lowly Sabres tomorrow.

 

[freer]

Something tells me that today we will see a hard fought win for the Leafs only to get beaten by lowly Sabres tomorrow.

Ouch!

 

[drummond]

    Just recalled from the Marlies, Peter Holland back on the fourth line this morning.
    ? Jonas Siegel (@jonasTSN1050) January 14, 2014

WTF

 

[Crucialness Key]

    Just recalled from the Marlies, Peter Holland back on the fourth line this morning.
    ? Jonas Siegel (@jonasTSN1050) January 14, 2014

WTF

....maybe this "fourth line" also has Clarkson & Kulemin on it, and Ashton/McClem/Orr is the "third line" that will not play as much as the "fourth line"??

 

[L K]

    Just recalled from the Marlies, Peter Holland back on the fourth line this morning.
    ? Jonas Siegel (@jonasTSN1050) January 14, 2014

WTF

....maybe this "fourth line" also has Clarkson & Kulemin on it, and Ashton/McClem/Orr is the "third line" that will not play as much as the "fourth line"??

If by Clarkson you mean McLaren and by Kulemin you mean Orr, you would be correct.

 

[pmrules]

Kulemin has struggled offensively for over 2 seasons now.  He gets at least one great opportunity a game and doesn't convert.  I don't think its because he is playing on his wrong side. 

Let him play with McClement on a checking role against the other teams first line.  That's where he will be most useful.

Kulemin didn't struggle offensively last season.

a 12 goal pace over 82 games?  That's a pretty low bar for someone we want to be in a top 4 winger position.

I recall last year kind of being that Kadri had magic with Frattin to start off, and then Kadri having magic with Lupul.  I don't remember Kulemin being an integral part of the equation other than a few good games here and there.

He was on pace for 40 points, while starting only 35% of his shifts in the offensive zone.  Only McClement's % of offensive zone starts was lower on the team.  Add to that the fact that he didn't get any PP time, and 40 points is perfectly fine for a player saddled with tough defensive minutes and given few offensive opportunities.

In the last full season, 40 points would put you 138th among forwards.  30 teams of top 6 players is 180 players. 

How is that not considered good production?

Listen...i don't want to rag on Kulemin, he's one of my favourite players.  I just think he is better suited for the checking assignment against other teams top line with McClement, because they are both pretty good at it, and that's something they can focus on and can excel at. In a fully healthy team this is where I go: 

JVR Bozak  Kessel,
Raymond Kadri Lupul
Bolland Holland Clarkson (or some version of these top 9 as we have 4 centres in here)
XXX  McClement Kulemin (to Match against other teams top line and play ~12-15 mins/game and start off primarily in the defensive zone)

Where XXX is one of D'amigo, T. Smith, Bodie, Orr/McClaren, Ashton (In that order).

 

[bustaheims]

jonasTSN1050: David Clarkson not skating this morning. Has been dealing with an elbow issue.

 

[nutman]

jonasTSN1050: David Clarkson not skating this morning. Has been dealing with an elbow issue.

So did RC move Orr up to his spot.  ;D

 

[Deebo]

jonasTSN1050: David Clarkson not skating this morning. Has been dealing with an elbow issue.

He missed today's skate with the Flu per Carlyle

 

[ZBBM]

Kulemin has struggled offensively for over 2 seasons now.  He gets at least one great opportunity a game and doesn't convert.  I don't think its because he is playing on his wrong side. 

Let him play with McClement on a checking role against the other teams first line.  That's where he will be most useful.

Kulemin didn't struggle offensively last season.

I think all he needs is the right line mates to get him going.

I like Kulemin, but he sure gets a pass around here for not producing more.  As opposed to, say, Bozak, who gets dissed all the time but actually finds the scoresheet.

 

[Arn]

Kulemin has struggled offensively for over 2 seasons now.  He gets at least one great opportunity a game and doesn't convert.  I don't think its because he is playing on his wrong side. 

Let him play with McClement on a checking role against the other teams first line.  That's where he will be most useful.

Kulemin didn't struggle offensively last season.

I think all he needs is the right line mates to get him going.

I like Kulemin, but he sure gets a pass around here for not producing more.  As opposed to, say, Bozak, who gets dissed all the time but actually finds the scoresheet.

Maybe we should stick them on a line together

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I like Kulemin, but he sure gets a pass around here for not producing more.  As opposed to, say, Bozak, who gets dissed all the time but actually finds the scoresheet.

You can't think of any reason why one might be producing while the other isn't?

 

[ZBBM]

I like Kulemin, but he sure gets a pass around here for not producing more.  As opposed to, say, Bozak, who gets dissed all the time but actually finds the scoresheet.

You can't think of any reason why one might be producing while the other isn't?

Obviously.  My point is that there always seems to be an excuse for Kulemin, not so much for Bozak.  It's OK, like I said I like Kulemin well enough.

 

[nutman]

Kulemin has a very good defensive game, and there for is a keeper. One part of the bottom six we keep.

 

[Champ Kind]

Kulemin has struggled offensively for over 2 seasons now.  He gets at least one great opportunity a game and doesn't convert.  I don't think its because he is playing on his wrong side. 

Let him play with McClement on a checking role against the other teams first line.  That's where he will be most useful.

Kulemin didn't struggle offensively last season.

a 12 goal pace over 82 games?  That's a pretty low bar for someone we want to be in a top 4 winger position.

I recall last year kind of being that Kadri had magic with Frattin to start off, and then Kadri having magic with Lupul.  I don't remember Kulemin being an integral part of the equation other than a few good games here and there.

He was on pace for 40 points, while starting only 35% of his shifts in the offensive zone.  Only McClement's % of offensive zone starts was lower on the team.  Add to that the fact that he didn't get any PP time, and 40 points is perfectly fine for a player saddled with tough defensive minutes and given few offensive opportunities.

In the last full season, 40 points would put you 138th among forwards.  30 teams of top 6 players is 180 players. 

How is that not considered good production?

But Kulemin did struggle the year previous to last (11-12) and is projecting to be in and around that same points total (mid 20's) this year.  I agree that he's playing tough minutes and, to me, still provides a meaningful contribution to the team.  But his Paul Fenton'esque 2010-11 year with 30 goals really looks like a distant memory.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Kulemin has struggled offensively for over 2 seasons now.  He gets at least one great opportunity a game and doesn't convert.  I don't think its because he is playing on his wrong side. 

Let him play with McClement on a checking role against the other teams first line.  That's where he will be most useful.

Kulemin didn't struggle offensively last season.

a 12 goal pace over 82 games?  That's a pretty low bar for someone we want to be in a top 4 winger position.

I recall last year kind of being that Kadri had magic with Frattin to start off, and then Kadri having magic with Lupul.  I don't remember Kulemin being an integral part of the equation other than a few good games here and there.

He was on pace for 40 points, while starting only 35% of his shifts in the offensive zone.  Only McClement's % of offensive zone starts was lower on the team.  Add to that the fact that he didn't get any PP time, and 40 points is perfectly fine for a player saddled with tough defensive minutes and given few offensive opportunities.

In the last full season, 40 points would put you 138th among forwards.  30 teams of top 6 players is 180 players. 

How is that not considered good production?

But Kulemin did struggle the year previous to last (11-12) and is projecting to be in and around that same points total (mid 20's) this year.  I agree that he's playing tough minutes and, to me, still provides a meaningful contribution to the team.  But his Paul Fenton'esque 2010-11 year with 30 goals really looks like a distant memory.

Someone went through that at one point, but basically he had an unsustainably high SH% as well as feasted on poor teams/goalies that season.  It's an outlier, but if he gets decent linemates (read: not McClement) he should be good for around 40 points and be solid in his own end.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I like Kulemin, but he sure gets a pass around here for not producing more.  As opposed to, say, Bozak, who gets dissed all the time but actually finds the scoresheet.

Could replace Bozak's name with Kessel when it comes to you, could you not?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I like Kulemin, but he sure gets a pass around here for not producing more.  As opposed to, say, Bozak, who gets dissed all the time but actually finds the scoresheet.

You can't think of any reason why one might be producing while the other isn't?

Obviously.  My point is that there always seems to be an excuse for Kulemin, not so much for Bozak.  It's OK, like I said I like Kulemin well enough.

I doubt you'd see the same "excuses" said about Kulemin if he had been placed on the 1st line when he came to the Leafs and never moved from there and was putting up 50~ points.  Similarly, if Bozak was playing a different role on the team expectations would shift for him as well.