Leafs @ Ducks - Jan. 14th, 10:00pm - SNO, TSN 1050

[GhostofPotvin29]

Analytic  numbers we won.

I would rather be out shot and win. It would be nice to see a goal for some time soon.

You act like it's been forever since they scored.  Scoring slumps happen.  Leafs had 5 or more years of being outshot and losing more games than they've won.

You have to admit that games are not fun to watch as we continue to be shutout.

Being shutout will always be less fun to watch than when your team scores.  But their scoring chances and SH% has been trending down since before Carlyle was fired so it's not like it suddenly became an issue.  Couple that with a very tough road trip and this was a possibility.  Have to look at the process when trying to implement big changes like Horachek is, and not necessarily the short-term results.

It was no more fun for me to watch 90% of the game in the Leafs end and hoping and praying they might hold onto a win or, as happened more often, seeing them lose.

 

[herman]

I actually enjoyed watching that game. They played as a unit for the most part before score effects kicked in. It's clear some players are still adjusting to the requirements and thinking through the process. Once the thinking turns to instinct, we'll see the creativity and chances return.

Like the others have said, it was a constructive loss. We're keeping shots down but puck luck put a couple behind our goaltender (I think Franson nearly had a hat trick on Bernier). If we keep playing on the right side of the puck, we'll start generating our own luck again. It's a pretty brutal travel schedule against some of the top teams in the league who get a free pass from officiating, all while adjusting to a drastically different defensive system (that they're executing quite well, in my opinion) and sorting out some injuries to key secondary players (Holland, Lupul, Komarov, and now Booth).

 

[freer]

I actually enjoyed watching that game. They played as a unit for the most part before score effects kicked in. It's clear some players are still adjusting to the requirements and thinking through the process. Once the thinking turns to instinct, we'll see the creativity and chances return.

Like the others have said, it was a constructive loss. We're keeping shots down but puck luck put a couple behind our goaltender (I think Franson nearly had a hat trick on Bernier). If we keep playing on the right side of the puck, we'll start generating our own luck again. It's a pretty brutal travel schedule against some of the top teams in the league who get a free pass from officiating, all while adjusting to a drastically different defensive system (that they're executing quite well, in my opinion) and sorting out some injuries to key secondary players (Holland, Lupul, Komarov, and now Booth).

Yes they have cut down the shots against. IMO our goalies play better when they have more shots against them. Over the last four games IMO you are seeing our mediocre Bernier has been.

 

[L K]

Carlyle's last 9 games - 20G  = 2.22 Goals/Game
Horachek's last 4 games - 7G = 1.75 Goals/Game

The Leafs were struggling to score before Horachek took over.  This has far more to do with the Leafs inflated shooting percentage falling back to the mean.  It also has a lot to do with our secondary scoring playing hurt/being out with injury.

 

[herman]

Yes they have cut down the shots against. IMO our goalies play better when they have more shots against them. Over the last four games IMO you are seeing our mediocre Bernier has been.

The way I see it, the goals we've given up since Horachek started were on the bad puck luck side of things (tips off defensemen skates/sticks, blatant offside breakaways). These are things that can't be controlled. The goals will come again as we keep learning how to maintain possession in the offensive zone and generating chances.

Carlyle's last 9 games - 20G  = 2.22 Goals/Game
Horachek's last 4 games - 7G = 1.75 Goals/Game

The Leafs were struggling to score before Horachek took over.  This has far more to do with the Leafs inflated shooting percentage falling back to the mean.  It also has a lot to do with our secondary scoring playing hurt/being out with injury.

Agreed.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Carlyle's last 9 games - 20G  = 2.22 Goals/Game
Horachek's last 4 games - 7G = 1.75 Goals/Game

The Leafs were struggling to score before Horachek took over.  This has far more to do with the Leafs inflated shooting percentage falling back to the mean.  It also has a lot to do with our secondary scoring playing hurt/being out with injury.

Yep - as I posted in the Horachek thread: On-ice SH% (5v5) under Horachek is 6.0% through 4 games, On-ice SV% is 88.9%.  For previous 40 games on-ice SH% was 9.5% and on-ice SV% was 92.1%.

 

[bustaheims]

Analytic  numbers we won.

I would rather be out shot and win. It would be nice to see a goal for some time soon.

I'd rather see the Leafs build towards the type of team that can potentially win a Cup. They may not do it with this current group/coach/style, but they definitely weren't going to do it with their old style of play.

 

[Bullfrog]

They've also got an entire NHL line injured. A return of Komarov, Lupul, and Holland in place of Smith, Bodie, and Carrick should help.

Kessel should be back to his old self soon.

 

[bustaheims]

Yes they have cut down the shots against. IMO our goalies play better when they have more shots against them. Over the last four games IMO you are seeing our mediocre Bernier has been.

The problem with that is that we really haven't seen enough games where they don't get a ton of shots thrown at them. There's not enough evidence to really make a judgement. Also, Bernier was hardly mediocre against LA. None of the goals last night were his fault, either. He was pretty good most of the night against Columbus, too. I wouldn't say he's been mediocre at all.

 

[freer]

Yes they have cut down the shots against. IMO our goalies play better when they have more shots against them. Over the last four games IMO you are seeing our mediocre Bernier has been.

The problem with that is that we really haven't seen enough games where they don't get a ton of shots thrown at them. There's not enough evidence to really make a judgement. Also, Bernier was hardly mediocre against LA. None of the goals last night were his fault, either. He was pretty good most of the night against Columbus, too. I wouldn't say he's been mediocre at all.

Against LA, He did not play good or bad, it was average. He has went 2-4 in his last 6 with a  average below .900.

Time to try Reimer out.

 

[Highlander]

Perhaps Bernier is going to sleep when not peppered by shots, perhaps he needs 40+ to keep stimulated.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

NHL Player Safety ‏@NHLPlayerSafety  4 minutes ago
Anaheim's Sami Vatanen has been fined $3,393.82, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for elbowing Toronto's David Booth.

Slap on the wrist, but I'm surprised he was even fined. Seemed like an unfortunate accident to me.

 

[freer]

NHL Player Safety ‏@NHLPlayerSafety  4 minutes ago
Anaheim's Sami Vatanen has been fined $3,393.82, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for elbowing Toronto's David Booth.

Slap on the wrist, but I'm surprised he was even fined. Seemed like an unfortunate accident to me.

That should of been at least two games like Ryan Sutter, more IMO because Booth is going to be out for a while.

 

[herman]

NHL Player Safety ‏@NHLPlayerSafety  4 minutes ago
Anaheim's Sami Vatanen has been fined $3,393.82, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for elbowing Toronto's David Booth.

Slap on the wrist, but I'm surprised he was even fined. Seemed like an unfortunate accident to me.

That's what it looked like to me too. Zero tolerance for head contact though.

 

[Deebo]

Unless its Ovechkin hitting Komarov, they tolerate that.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Unless its Ovechkin hitting Komarov, they tolerate that.

Well all players are equal when it comes to discipline, but some players are more equal than others.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Unless its Ovechkin hitting Komarov, they tolerate that.

Well all players are equal when it comes to discipline, but some players are more equal than others.

The important question here should be whether or not Vatanen gave Booth a hug after the game.