Maple Leafs are better, but are they a playoff team?

[maplesyrup]

Boston won the cup last year with virtually no PP (horrific actually) but a great PK... I think there's a lesson there somewhere.

Yup, get a goalie with a .938 sv%.... Though their system has something to do with that as well.

Well, we did have a goalie with the 3rd best even-strength sv% in the league so my point remains actually. I mean, I'm not sure Reimer's short-handed sv% is completely all on his own shoulders. You just can't cough up the puck and and fair to clear the crease, etc. on the PK on a consistant basis. The PK I would argue is the primary reason we didn't make the playoff last year.

 

[Tigger]

Special teams in general with a lack of secondary scoring sums it up for me but yeah the pk was a big part of last years failures.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I've thrown this criticism at them before but the PK last year was one of the worst aspects of the team and over the off-season it looks as though they've done very little to improve it in terms of on-ice personnel(outside of what figures to be a marginal change from Brent to Dupuis).

Isn't Connolly considered good on the PK too?

 

[maplesyrup]

I've thrown this criticism at them before but the PK last year was one of the worst aspects of the team and over the off-season it looks as though they've done very little to improve it in terms of on-ice personnel(outside of what figures to be a marginal change from Brent to Dupuis).

Isn't Connolly considered good on the PK too?

I'm not sure but Wilson did point him out as being an asset on the point on the PP so at least he should be able to help at least one of the special teams.  :-\

 

[Kin]

Isn't Connolly considered good on the PK too?

I don't know how well he's considered around the league. I never heard it mentioned when he was signed.

Stats wise he's gotten some time on the PK but not in a particularly prominent role. He was 5th last year among Buffalo forwards in SH TOI/G and that seems to be relatively consistent with how he was used over the years.

 

[sniper55]

Boston won the cup last year with virtually no PP (horrific actually) but a great PK... I think there's a lesson there somewhere.

Yup, get a goalie with a .938 sv%.... Though their system has something to do with that as well.

Well, we did have a goalie with the 3rd best even-strength sv% in the league so my point remains actually. I mean, I'm not sure Reimer's short-handed sv% is completely all on his own shoulders. You just can't cough up the puck and and fair to clear the crease, etc. on the PK on a consistant basis. The PK I would argue is the primary reason we didn't make the playoff last year.

Yea well the sv% jab was more of a joke. As for Reimer, I'm not expecting he'll put up a sv% that high over the course of a full season, not that it's not possible since he did play quite a bit at the end of last season, but he's bound to go through cold stretches mid season, especially since it's his first full season.

I agree that the PK was a big reason we they missed the playoffs last year, but the PP wasn't much better. Also, someone mentioned in another thread that the secondary scoring was terrible last year and I think that will need to be improved just as much as the special teams, though if tonight was any indication, albeit 1 game, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

[nutman]

Boston won the cup last year with virtually no PP (horrific actually) but a great PK... I think there's a lesson there somewhere.

Yup, get a goalie with a .938 sv%.... Though their system has something to do with that as well.

Well, we did have a goalie with the 3rd best even-strength sv% in the league so my point remains actually. I mean, I'm not sure Reimer's short-handed sv% is completely all on his own shoulders. You just can't cough up the puck and and fair to clear the crease, etc. on the PK on a consistant basis. The PK I would argue is the primary reason we didn't make the playoff last year.

Yea well the sv% jab was more of a joke. As for Reimer, I'm not expecting he'll put up a sv% that high over the course of a full season, not that it's not possible since he did play quite a bit at the end of last season, but he's bound to go through cold stretches mid season, especially since it's his first full season.

I agree that the PK was a big reason we they missed the playoffs last year, but the PP wasn't much better. Also, someone mentioned in another thread that the secondary scoring was terrible last year and I think that will need to be improved just as much as the special teams, though if tonight was any indication, albeit 1 game, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I think a healthy Colby changes that, and our sp teams improve.

 

[Zee]

Boston won the cup last year with virtually no PP (horrific actually) but a great PK... I think there's a lesson there somewhere.

Yup, get a goalie with a .938 sv%.... Though their system has something to do with that as well.

Well, we did have a goalie with the 3rd best even-strength sv% in the league so my point remains actually. I mean, I'm not sure Reimer's short-handed sv% is completely all on his own shoulders. You just can't cough up the puck and and fair to clear the crease, etc. on the PK on a consistant basis. The PK I would argue is the primary reason we didn't make the playoff last year.

Yea well the sv% jab was more of a joke. As for Reimer, I'm not expecting he'll put up a sv% that high over the course of a full season, not that it's not possible since he did play quite a bit at the end of last season, but he's bound to go through cold stretches mid season, especially since it's his first full season.

I agree that the PK was a big reason we they missed the playoffs last year, but the PP wasn't much better. Also, someone mentioned in another thread that the secondary scoring was terrible last year and I think that will need to be improved just as much as the special teams, though if tonight was any indication, albeit 1 game, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I think a healthy Colby changes that, and our sp teams improve.

Not only a healthy Colby will help, but the fact that Burke forced the addition of different assistant coaches on Wilson this season.  It was obvious that whatever Keith Acton was trying to teach wasn't being absorbed and/or executed.  Maybe he's just a bad coach?  I don't know, but I defintely think that fresh faces in the assistant coaching can help the special teams.

 

[nutman]

Boston won the cup last year with virtually no PP (horrific actually) but a great PK... I think there's a lesson there somewhere.

Yup, get a goalie with a .938 sv%.... Though their system has something to do with that as well.

Well, we did have a goalie with the 3rd best even-strength sv% in the league so my point remains actually. I mean, I'm not sure Reimer's short-handed sv% is completely all on his own shoulders. You just can't cough up the puck and and fair to clear the crease, etc. on the PK on a consistant basis. The PK I would argue is the primary reason we didn't make the playoff last year.

Yea well the sv% jab was more of a joke. As for Reimer, I'm not expecting he'll put up a sv% that high over the course of a full season, not that it's not possible since he did play quite a bit at the end of last season, but he's bound to go through cold stretches mid season, especially since it's his first full season.

I agree that the PK was a big reason we they missed the playoffs last year, but the PP wasn't much better. Also, someone mentioned in another thread that the secondary scoring was terrible last year and I think that will need to be improved just as much as the special teams, though if tonight was any indication, albeit 1 game, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I think a healthy Colby changes that, and our sp teams improve.

Not only a healthy Colby will help, but the fact that Burke forced the addition of different assistant coaches on Wilson this season.  It was obvious that whatever Keith Acton was trying to teach wasn't being absorbed and/or executed.  Maybe he's just a bad coach?  I don't know, but I defintely think that fresh faces in the assistant coaching can help the special teams.

Agreed...

 

[hockeyfan1]

The Maple Leafs rank 29th out of 30 teams as per "fan value:

http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/puck_money/2011/fan_value/Default.aspx?sp2=

Here is the methodology used:

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/48086--puck-money-methodology

Franchises
The weighting of the Puck Money Fan Value Index is: overall standing (40%), playoff standing (20%), payroll (10%) and fan cost index (30%). The lower the score for payroll and fan cost, the more acceptable the team is to fans.
Fan cost index includes four (4) average priced tickets, two (2) small draft beers, four (4) small soft drinks, four (4) regular size hot dogs, parking for one (1) car, two (2) game programs and two (2) least expensive, adult-size adjustable caps. Source: 2010 Team Marketing Report.

 

[cw]

Nothing I saw in preseason has significantly altered my perception of this team. I think it's a little better than last season in goal, with their forwards and with their D offensively but I expect they'll struggle to make the post season. I think their Achilles heel is team defence - primarily among their dmen and not enough offence to overcome it.

High side: stay healthy, Reimer/Gustavsson good/great - 7th

Low side: injuries,  Reimer/Gustavsson bad/not so good - 13th

 

[slapshot]

Wasn't the Leafs PK better when Bozak was out there? Seemed like they were pressuring down ice more.

 

[AvroArrow]

Wasn't the Leafs PK better when Bozak was out there? Seemed like they were pressuring down ice more.

This is one of the reasons I'm not getting too jumpy about pre-season.  We've never had a set lineup yet.  On any given night, we would be missing some crucial players, that includes on our scoring lines, as well as our PK and PP.

 

[Scot4bz]

After watching the pre-season I will be (pleasantly) surprised if we make it to the playoffs. If they make it I think it will be as a result of other teams not living up to expectations. I am however a firm believer that we are a better team headed in the right direction with more promise for the future. I'm looking forward to this season more than the previous few.

 

[bustaheims]

After watching some of the pre-season, I can safely say that I've watched some of the pre-season. That's about all I feel can really be read into what I saw, since, not once did we see the full Leafs lineup in action, nor did we see them ever face a full NHL lineup on the other side.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

After watching some of the pre-season, I can safely say that I've watched some of the pre-season. That's about all I feel can really be read into what I saw, since, not once did we see the full Leafs lineup in action, nor did we see them ever face a full NHL lineup on the other side.

I agree with that. I don't know how anybody can take anything out of that, other than Gardiner is really good and Grabovski and Kulemin don't appear to be slowing down.

 

[Kin]

I agree with that. I don't know how anybody can take anything out of that, other than Gardiner is really good and Grabovski and Kulemin don't appear to be slowing down.

So the pre-season is meaningless unless it reveals something uniformly positive?

Anyways, I'm not entirely sure that the pre-season has told us anything super-significant outside of the actual lineup of the team that we're likely to see. I think the team is probably better if Frattin is on the club over Kadri and I think Gardiner is an interesting risk to take.

Still, it's tough to look at the Leafs lineup and say without reservation that they'll be better than just about any other team in the league,

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I agree with that. I don't know how anybody can take anything out of that, other than Gardiner is really good and Grabovski and Kulemin don't appear to be slowing down.

So the pre-season is meaningless unless it reveals something uniformly positive?

Anyways, I'm not entirely sure that the pre-season has told us anything super-significant outside of the actual lineup of the team that we're likely to see. I think the team is probably better if Frattin is on the club over Kadri and I think Gardiner is an interesting risk to take.

Still, it's tough to look at the Leafs lineup and say without reservation that they'll be better than just about any other team in the league,

All I meant is that we saw lots of Gardiner and I could make a pretty good judgement on him and that Grabovski and Kulemin looked exactly as strong as they were last year.

Where it didn't tell me anything, was that the "full team" never seemed to be on the ice at the same time, so I can't really make any kind of judgment on what kind of team we have as a unit at all.

 

[Brian Glennie]

Ontario is turning into a surprising place lately. I'm going with the Leafs getting in this year.

 

[hockeyfan1]

There is apparently one hockey writer who actually believes the Leafs will make the playoffs.  Here is his assessment for his rationale.....

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41874-Proteau-My-NHL-predictions-East.html

8. Toronto
Right about now, you?ve either jumped up and cheered me picking the Maple Leafs to make the playoffs ? or more likely, you?ve blown whatever you were drinking through your nostrils and are wiping off the computer screen while noting I live in Toronto and drawing the false conclusion I?m a homer. That?s just not true. The Leafs may not have a superstar player the caliber of Sidney Crosby or Drew Doughty, but they do have more blueline depth than most Eastern teams, as well as some capable contributors up front. Much will ride on the shoulders of goalie James Reimer, but I?ve got a hunch ? and that?s what this pick is ? the Leafs will surprise hockey-watchers and squeak into the playoffs.