Leafs @ Kings - Jan. 12th, 10:30pm - SNO, Fan 590

[GhostofPotvin29]

Rielly with a few more useless fluttering wristshots today, capped off by a comical giveaway.

Outlined by a plethora of great skating plays that took the puck out of danger.

I gotta say I saw him take a shot that did not look fluttering at all.  Looked like a great wrist shot.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I gotta say I saw him take a shot that did not look fluttering at all.  Looked like a great wrist shot.

He had a bullet of a wrister in the 2nd period. Just missed the net I think. Although it's definitely possible I dreamt that.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I gotta say I saw him take a shot that did not look fluttering at all.  Looked like a great wrist shot.

He had a bullet of a wrister in the 2nd period. Just missed the net I think. Although it's definitely possible I dreamt that.

I think that's the one I'm thinking of.  Reminds me of something I read earlier this season about Rielly on Twitter, that he's one of the top D in the league at shots/60.  I don't know if that's changed but it's probably a good sign anyway.

 

[Rebel_1812]

did they give the coach the camo thing again?

 

[herman]

I gotta say I saw him take a shot that did not look fluttering at all.  Looked like a great wrist shot.

He had a bullet of a wrister in the 2nd period. Just missed the net I think. Although it's definitely possible I dreamt that.

I think that's the one I'm thinking of.  Reminds me of something I read earlier this season about Rielly on Twitter, that he's one of the top D in the league at shots/60.  I don't know if that's changed but it's probably a good sign anyway.

Rielly was buzzing all night. Sure, that last pass deep in our own zone was a costly mistake, but he carried the play for a good deal of the game and simply had no one to deal the puck to most of the time. Credit to LA for pressuring each and every puck carrier in their own zone. We kept it in their zone in the back half, but they never gave us any time to put a clean shot away.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

@Jeffler

Randy Carlyle's lowest 3-game shots against total as Leafs coach, in 195 games, was 72. Horachek is at 66 through his first three games.

 

[Strangelove]

Rielly with a few more useless fluttering wristshots today, capped off by a comical giveaway.

Outlined by a plethora of great skating plays that took the puck out of danger.

Obviously he's a good skater and stickhandler. I just hope he develops another tool because right now he's a one-dimensional player--not particularly effective offensively or defensively.

 

[Strangelove]

Rielly with a few more useless fluttering wristshots today, capped off by a comical giveaway.

Outlined by a plethora of great skating plays that took the puck out of danger.

I gotta say I saw him take a shot that did not look fluttering at all.  Looked like a great wrist shot.

Every once in a while he'll rip one, but he still has no slapshot and his wristshot typically seems to be so slow as to be not at all dangerous.

 

[ZBBM]

Can't really complain about the result. Kinks need to be ironed out, but I see a more aggressive team under Horachek that the team isn't rolling over and getting stomped on.

Is it me, or have the players been unable to stickhandle with the puck lately. Seems to either get away from them or it's being fumbled.

Much improved overall effort on all fronts.  The Leafs took the game to the Kings and kept up the pace.  They matched up well, taking and dishing out hits.

Now, as for the offence, I, too, noticed, try as they might and might as they try, they lacked the finishing touch, which at times, did make the puck look like it was rolling away.  Guess against a team like L.A, the Kings rush you, lean on you, to create 'traffic'... this game came down to inches, if not for Kings net minder Jones, the Leafs were close to a goal... (natch!) frustrating!  Maybe if Lupes was there.........

They do miss Lupul.  For all his fragility he does drive the offense more than I think people give him credit for.

 

[ZBBM]

@Jeffler

Randy Carlyle's lowest 3-game shots against total as Leafs coach, in 195 games, was 72. Horachek is at 66 through his first three games.

Not only is Carlyle being buried, they are piling dirt into a big ole mound over his coaching grave.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Rielly with a few more useless fluttering wristshots today, capped off by a comical giveaway.

Outlined by a plethora of great skating plays that took the puck out of danger.

I gotta say I saw him take a shot that did not look fluttering at all.  Looked like a great wrist shot.

Every once in a while he'll rip one, but he still has no slapshot and his wristshot typically seems to be so slow as to be not at all dangerous.

Well he was never really sold as a big shooter.  He built his high draft ranking on his speed, elusiveness, puck skills/passing ability.  I think we've already seen some of his ability to control the transition game and quickly transition from the D zone to the O zone.  If he never develops a great shot that's fine because as those other areas develop at the NHL level.

For example, from Corey Pronman in July 2012:

Rielly is a fantastic all-around offensive talent who is a high-end skater, puck-handler, and passer, who oozes upside. He has the ability to threaten defenses in so many ways because he can be a dangerous player leading rushes, he can dangle through opponents, and he has the hockey sense to slow plays down and show significant playmaking skills. Rielly is a smart player in his own end as well in terms of his reads and positioning. He has all the tools to be a significant puck possession weapon

http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/puck/article.php?articleid=1353

I mean you're free to focus on his shots if you want but I don't really think that's the area of the game that he's most important or that he will be most important going forward anyway.  And I don't think that's what he was advertised as being anyway.

 

[bustaheims]

Rielly doesn't even really need a booming slap shot to be effective. If he can develop an accurate, solid wrister (which we've seen glimpses of), with all his other tools, he'll be a very effective offensive weapon. All he really needs is a shot that creates rebounds or can be deflected relatively easily, and that will lead to goals for the Leafs.

 

[Highlander]

Gotta remember the kid is like 21 or something, just out of diapers?what did Gardiner do last night?

 

[ZBBM]

Rielly doesn't even really need a booming slap shot to be effective. If he can develop an accurate, solid wrister (which we've seen glimpses of), with all his other tools, he'll be a very effective offensive weapon. All he really needs is a shot that creates rebounds or can be deflected relatively easily, and that will lead to goals for the Leafs.

Well, this is the crux of the concern (which on my part at least is fully tempered by the knowledge that he's just a soph).  I think he needs to at least develop a shot as good as Kaberle's in order to reach what I would consider to be the level of praise Pronman gave him as an offensive dman.  That's an open question at this point.

And he still has some defensive weaknesses, which is only to be expected.

My disappointment with him this year is only because I have high hopes that he'll end up as good as Kaberle.

 

[herman]

Gotta remember the kid is like 21 or something, just out of diapers?what did Gardiner do last night?

Gardiner was cutting through the LA zone fairly regularly, generating chances. No one was able to pounce on the rebounds generated.

 

[Bullfrog]

So, Clarkson still on the PP?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So, Clarkson still on the PP?

Can't have too many nice things all at once. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Lupul returns. Horachek seems to like Panik so maybe he boots Clarkson then.

 

[freer]

So, Clarkson still on the PP?

Can't have too many nice things all at once. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Lupul returns. Horachek seems to like Panik so maybe he boots Clarkson then.

To be fair to all. Clarkson did no worse then anyone else on the PP. The whole PP team was not on last night.

 

[Bullfrog]

I'm not worried about Clarkson's performance on the PP last night, but rather his performance throughout his whole career, or even just his career as a Leaf.

It's simply atrocious and there are better players on the team that aren't getting a chance.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Uhh...

Toronto just allowed 20 or fewer shots in consecutive games for the first time in almost seven years.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-kopitar-deal-priority-for-kings/

Almost 7 years!