Maple Leafs (A Converted Touchdown) at Tampa Bay (A Rouge)
by PPP on Nov 23, 2011 9:00 AM EST
in Game Recaps
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PrintThe Toronto Maple Leafs provided a clinic in beating the 'vaunted' 1-3-1 of Bond Supervillain Guy Boucher as they pasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1 on the strength of the youngest roster in the NHL. I guess you could even say that the book is out on Tampa. The Lightning have given up 67 goals this year so I guess the book's been making the rounds.
The Leafs took advantage of the Lightning's lack of discipline (don't supervillains always get undone by their henchmen?) got them into penalty trouble and up stepped the league's third best powerplay. Turns out that Ron Wilson may not be much of a coach but he can see the future:
"Our power play, especially thefirst unit, is scary-dangerous right now." - Ron Wilson, October 3, 2010
Two goals later and a close contest was on its way to becoming a quite enjoyable rout. First, Tim Connolly neatly redirected a Nikolai Kulemin feed past Dwayne "Old Balls" Roloson. In the final minute of the period, on a 5-on-3, Tyler Bozak picked up his first of the game by knocking home a rebound off of Phil Kessel's wrister.
Quotes and highlights after the jump.
Tyler Bozak had a hell of a game. After scoring the powerplay goal, he out thought Dwayne Roloson for an extremely rare 3-on-3 goal as Old Man River made a beautiful bank pass to him for a tap in at the side of the net. That play led to the always hilarious (maybe not always intentionally) Greg Millen:
"The one thing Roloson doesn't do really well is handle the puck"
I might add "stopping pucks" to the list of things that Roloson doesn't do really well anymore. For comparison's sake, here are the stats for the much maligned Jonas Gustavsson who just wins:
Bozak also added an assist on Joffrey Lupul's laser snipe which chased the NHL's collective grandpa from the net with a nice drop pass after Dion Phaneuf had judiciously pinched and kept the attack alive. Wilson was asked about Bozak's play which has seen him pick up four goals and five assists in his last seven games Ron Wilson had this to say:
"Last year was like no matter how he played he was going to be in the lineup. He knows Grabbo is only a week maybe out if that much and he's competing as hard as he can to stay on that line. I mean, I'm rewarding him by continuing to play him on that line because Timmy Connolly is able to play with anybody and make them better."
One of the things that MF37, Chemmy, and I talked about on our last podcast after Connolly was signed was that, along with Colborne's development, that it gave the Leafs' more depth down the middle. When the trade for David Steckel was made I thought that that might leave him as the odd man out. Maybe he had the same premonition because he's quietly put together a good bounceback season. He's almost 50% of his production from last year and, for what it's worth, he's a plus player so far on the season.
Speaking of Connolly, his coach and Bozak threw some laurels his way as well:
"Yeah, well you know that line has struggled for whatever reason and Timmy has come in and made some simple plays."- Ron Wilson
"Whenever TC's in the lineup he makes our team better."
- Tyler Bozak
He might not have played every game this year but you cannot say he hasn't made an impact:
And last, but not least, Matt Frattin returned the favour by setting up Joe Colborne's first career NHL goal. Both of the assists he picked up were on rushes that looked a lot like the highlights he was racking up last year while dominating the NCAA. If his luck has finally turned then he might be able to provide the Leafs with tertiary scoring. And if that can be somewhat consistent then maybe we'll see a few more 7-1 wins.
GAME IN SIX
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7-1! Leafs Win woooo!
August 18th is National Chaim Weisswasser day. Celebrate it by buying a new phone.
He truly was awful once the game got outta hand, the 2nd Bozak goal, the Lupul goal and the Colborne goal were just ugly. Nice plays by our guys, but bad goaltending.
the lupul goal was a pretty nice shot, but yeah Roloson was terrible.
by Goosemonster on Nov 23, 2011 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
Lupul shot was a laser beam into the corner (full props for the snipe), but he did have that entire half of the net to shoot at and Roloson was moving in the wrong direction.
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by CanadianMaple09 on Nov 23, 2011 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
Yep, he was also down and out on that 2nd Bozak goal, so Bozak lobbed it right over him into the net.
TWEET AT ME BRO
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by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
It’s a nice shot by Lupul for sure but guys like Lupul, Kessel, and really anyone with any expectation of producing offense in the NHL take nothing but those shots.
That’s a horrible softie by Roloson, he’s out of position and scrambling and Lupul is just tapping one in there.
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If its the goal I am thinking of it was a perfect snipe. It was unnecessary because Rolo was out of position anyway (a shitty shot probably would have gone in), but he still nailed it.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Everything’s a perfect snipe. An NHL shooter can pick that corner 100 times out of 100 with time and space which Lupul had.
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If you say so.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Its still beautiful to watch :)
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Again: Mirtle was writing a few weeks ago about how Komisarek and Gunnarsson were taking turns firing pucks from the blue line, aiming for the crossbar. They hit it almost every time.
Maybe Mike Komisarek is an elite puck shooter I dunno I’m not and expert.
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No thats completely fair
Watching the replay he had a good second to line up his shot. I just don’t see shots go right in the corner like that a lot, but frankly I don’t see a guy in the slot with a good shot get that much time often either.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
I think it’s kind of confirmation bias: guys are always shooting for the edges of the net and the crossbar but if the goalie stops it we don’t say “WOW WHAT A SHOT”.
Pension Plan Puppets*
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Don't believe you
in the all star game skills competition you get a collection of the better-to-best players in the NHL, they’re given as much time as they want with no pressure to shoot from between the dots, and it’s exceedingly rare that a player hits all 4 targets, even wit quite a few shots
That contest is timed.
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by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
Perhaps it means that these guys can do it consistently in practice but when there is external pressure (timed competition, or fear of slot disappearing in a game) they can’t do it as consistently?
*Just providing a suggestion here, that sounds fishy even to me
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
They have like 15 seconds and a ton of the misses are guys still hitting just inside the posts albeit not the corner.
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I still think Jason Blake would have hit Rolo right in the chest 1 or more times out of 10
by jeffgm on Nov 23, 2011 3:16 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
15 seconds is a lot of time
compared to the half second Lupul had to line that one up.
They get a chance to think about each shot, they’re not THAT far away, and the targets aren’t THAT small. And these guys are the all stars, not just a random collection of 15 goal scorers.
I think it’s simply not true that any reasonable player has pinpoint precision with their shots. Some of the better players are surprisingly good, but picking corners is still far from automatic.
and it doesn’t include checking around you for the screens or checks or sliding blocking players.
They usually get quite a few shots off, and they seem to usually take their time with each shot, cradling it once or twice before letting it go. How much more time do they need?
Havlat missed every shot in the last ASG accuracy competition including flipping a puck dead center into the net.
They’re goofing around.
Pension Plan Puppets*
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Some are, some aren’t. If the competition was so easy that any good player could ace it in their sleep they’d make it harder – shoot from further away, make the targets smaller, something like that. There is no “can you stand still without falling over” competition Clearly the league has set it up to be a task that’s at least somewhat difficult.
Maybe it used to be difficult when players weren’t as good in the 70s but the target competition is one that hasn’t changed in a while
They’re goofing around.
Maybe that’s the right answer here. Have a hard time believing there is more pressure in the skills comp, than a game.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:34 PM EST up reply actions
I was watching some guy teach a hockey school lesson at the rink where I play rec hockey, not sure what level he played, but when he demo
ed drills he’d ring a slapper off the crossbar everytime he took a shot.
I believe it
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:41 PM EST up reply actions
That’s why those guys play “post-post-crossbar” from the blueline or so.
This space for rant...
by fair_n_hite_451 on Nov 23, 2011 5:26 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think Lupul scores 10 times out of 10 on that play, even with Old Man Winter out of position. Odds probably go up, because Grandpa is out of position on the shot. But not to an absolute certainty of a goal.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions
Pretty close to it, I’d wager. Roloson got beat ugly there.
This isn’t Kessel stepping onto the top of the faceoff circle and ripping a laser beam under the crossbar.
It’s a nice goal, I’ll take it, it’s not going to be on anyone’s highlight reel.
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Perhaps. Rolo’s angle seemed way off. I’d probably take the bet against
It isn’t a highlight goal or anything, but it had a few Sens and Habs fans pumping Lupul’s tires last night at my men’s league game. I’ll take it.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:38 PM EST up reply actions
who said rolo is old – the wild sign a 51 year old backup goalie
http://wild.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=62258
That’s crazy. Imagine the back-up’s flight is delayed and Harding goes down. Sounds like something out of the 50’s. Just pull someone random dude off the street to play.
"They build a statue, they knock it down and piss on it, and now they will be out there building it again."
by ThickSkinnedAlive on Nov 23, 2011 6:55 PM EST up reply actions
Frattin...
was awesome last night. Those A’s could have easily been G’s.
With that said, Tampa’s D depth isn’t very good.
Both he and Kulemin were showing some serious power moves last night, too bad Kulie couldn’t find the scoresheet like Fratts
Come get your duds in order 'cuz we're bound to cross the water, HEAVE AWAY, me jollies, HEAVE AWAY -- There's a Loblaws on Carelton?!
It’s pretty bad. A lot of their Dmen are super old and not getting any younger. Same with their offense.
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by UMADBRO on Nov 23, 2011 10:35 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
But………….but Stevie Y is Genius????
Toronto Maple Leafs: All about the Lemon Grabs
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by LeafFan1989 on Nov 23, 2011 10:45 AM EST up reply actions
That’s likely why they play the 1-3-1. If you can stop puck traffic in the neutral zone, your terrible D won’t have to deal with them.
Where the Leafs have a huge advantage is that they have the speed to break through before they can form the trap. I saw it happen a fair bit last night.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 1:46 PM EST up reply actions
Florida and Nashville were funny cases because the offensive chances were there, but the goalie stood on his head. Florida was a laugher because of terrible goaltending on our end.
Leafs are getting better at playing trap teams. They just need to be quick and play a strong forecheck.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
they're
over-rated… they were overrated last year… they still are.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:24 PM EST up reply actions
They got past the first round because: a) their offense; b) Roloson; c) Pittsburgh lacked Crosby and Malkin.
That series happens again today, and the Pens would smoke them.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 2:27 PM EST up reply actions
Roloson
was good for a short while… but he’s ancient…
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
I thought they were overrated too
They have questionable goaltending and losing Ohlund really hurt their D.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
but they
added Brewer near the end of last year, and he’s quite decent.
Brett Clark also isn’t that bad.
I really don’t get it.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
I am actually a big Clark fan randomly enough. I thought they would have a above average D (not great or anything) coming into this year and when Ohlund went down I thought it would be about average (Hedman and Brewer should be top pairing worthy and Clark and Kubina second pairing). But it doesn’t seem to be the case. I think they are being held back a lot by their shitty goaltending though.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
this
I called at the start of the year that they won’t make the playoffs. They’re really not a good team past their big 3.
I did see Brewer stop a lot of rushes. Everyone else on their D seemed terrible.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
really?
you thought Hedman was terrible?
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:27 PM EST up reply actions
Nope, but I still think Kubina is terrible
Fairweather fans can go to hell
Equal oppurtunity asshole and a proud member of the PPPPP
Follow me on twitter: leafer1984
You thought it before?
like when he was here? because that’s just strange.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:39 PM EST up reply actions
I never liked Pavel Kubina.
Fairweather fans can go to hell
Equal oppurtunity asshole and a proud member of the PPPPP
Follow me on twitter: leafer1984
liking
and saying they are terrible are completely different things.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:41 PM EST up reply actions
Fair enough.
I didn’t like him, nor did I think he was all that good. He wasn’t terrible, just not that good
Fairweather fans can go to hell
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Follow me on twitter: leafer1984
he sure did take a stupid penalty last night at the worst time.
by Goosemonster on Nov 23, 2011 5:00 PM EST up reply actions
I saw him make some good plays but he took a bad penalty that resulted in 2 goals against. Thats a big problem.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
it's not like
no other player has ever taken a 4 minute h.s. penalty.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
I shouldn’t have said big problem but instead bad play. When you are responsible for 2 PP GA you probably didn’t have a good night.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
To be clear
I am talking about last night only, not the whole year (haven’t watched them all that much).
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
wait
how is he responsible for 2 PP goals?
He took the penalty… he wasn’t on the PK.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
if you counted
goals against on the guy who TOOK the penalty and not the penalty killers… that’d make stats interesting.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
Okay
I’ll agree with that. How about he holds a fair amount of the responsibility for 2 PP GA.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Frattin embarassed Hedman twice
Resident Internet Tough Guy
by JaredFromLondon on Nov 23, 2011 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
fair enough
but Hedman’s been their best D man this year by far.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
and I think
teams employing the likes of Schenn, Franson, Komisarek, Liles and Phaneuf should be careful with such assessments.
Glass Houses, throwing stones, etc.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:08 PM EST up reply actions
yeah, but he still isnt playing like a #2 over all, only 2 goals and no assists in 18 games?
Imagine the Bolts with Deuchene or Kane?
Resident Internet Tough Guy
by JaredFromLondon on Nov 23, 2011 3:09 PM EST up reply actions
Meh
their offensive production is a little lacking aside from Lecavalier and Stamkos in general.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 3:20 PM EST up reply actions
St. Louis and Purcell are both doing okay (a tad below expectations for MSL). Bergeron is doing great (offensively), and Malone is playing not bad. Thats about it though.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Hopefully mr connylingus stays healthy for a while, it seems he is good at hockey.
Glenn Healy = Human sewage.
Scrivens on a prayer...
by Future_considerations on Nov 23, 2011 9:16 AM EST reply actions
To say it properly, one must be a cunning linguist…
by samspade on Nov 23, 2011 11:32 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hope Connollylingus doesn’t spread to Columbus, or Clitsome might go down with it.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 1:47 PM EST up reply actions
Thought it was funny that when the Leafs rout a team, the Oilers have to match it. Can’t wait to see those two teams go against each other. Could be 1-0 or 9-8.
Well Nugent-Hopkins might be a little distracted by the CBC drooling over him so he might have an off-game that night
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 9:51 AM EST up reply actions
To be fair
RNH has been beastly so for…I mean the kid is 18, and not terribly big
Come get your duds in order 'cuz we're bound to cross the water, HEAVE AWAY, me jollies, HEAVE AWAY -- There's a Loblaws on Carelton?!
there are similarities
Edmonton is playing above their heads because they’ve gotten lights-out goaltending. Leafs are racking up points because Kessel and Lupul are a force.
We’ll see which one keeps up :)
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
My fantasy team hates old balls so much this year
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
this
Toronto Maple Leafs: All about the Lemon Grabs
Twitter
by LeafFan1989 on Nov 23, 2011 10:57 AM EST up reply actions
too lazy to look
What’s the record with and without Connolly?
Maybe I like planning parades, ever think about that?
WITH: 6-4-0
WITHOUT: 6-4-2
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
No real distinction, moving on now…
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
He’s looked really good the last two games as well, also a great sign. Hopefully the leafs invested in a bubble for Connolly to live in while not at the rink, ala Seinfeld style.
Come get your duds in order 'cuz we're bound to cross the water, HEAVE AWAY, me jollies, HEAVE AWAY -- There's a Loblaws on Carelton?!
He exceeded my expectations when he’s healthy. Even though he’s an ex-Sabre who has played us probably a bajillion times, I never realized how amazing his stickhandling his. He can deke the shit out of defenders.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 1:48 PM EST up reply actions
If you haven’t seen this already, check it out. Yeah a lot of it is old footage, but you can see how disgusting his hands are. My favourite is near the beginning when he completely embarrasses Alfredsson.
it’s the one near the beginning where he makes Alf slide into the boards and then goes end to end and scores backhand.
He seemed to score almost all the goals there backhand.
Not sure if this is a tendency for him, or just that’s his most impressive looking ones.
That stretch pass behind the Leafs defence for the breakaway is like deja vu especially with Schenn getting burned.
"They build a statue, they knock it down and piss on it, and now they will be out there building it again."
by ThickSkinnedAlive on Nov 23, 2011 7:07 PM EST up reply actions
Check out how that holds in only the games without Reimer.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
I know some people get tired of me talking about Gus, but last night he really kept the Leafs in the game in the 1st and 2nd when the Bolts were pressing. He did the same thing on Saturday against the Caps, especially on the PK.
Maybe there really is some truth to the team playing better when they have confidence in the goalie. If he gives up a few goals in the 2nd it’s a totally different game.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 10:41 AM EST reply actions
i've been hard on him
But i will give him credit for last night.
The goal he gave up was saveable (not screened, not tipped) but i’ll give him a pass since there were 3-4 other prime chances in the 1st where either he shut the door or was bailed out by a post or a miss.
I’m not anti-Gustavsson. I’m in favour of any goalie who genuinely “wins” the job. I just get tired of people making excuses for a 26 year old goalie with 3 seasons under his belt and a sub-900 SVP.
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
Absolutely
Teams play differently when they trust their goalie – so it’s a self-perpetuating cycle in many cases. Teams collapse back on goalies they don’t trust to make the save (and often wind up hampering the goalie’s ability to stop them anyway).
I’ll be interested to see how Gus does if he can get on a good run. It’s not just for his confidence – it’s for the team’s, in him. A prolonged stretch of even trustworthy, unspectacular play would probably be huge for his numbers. But then they’d probably trade him if he establishes some sort of value :P.
Personally, excuses aside, I’d like to see him succeed. And I hope he does.
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
I certainly agree that Gus played well...
But don’t forget that he did get a bit of help early on from the post… twice in fact.
Good to see him buckle down though and shut the door.
Posts are part of the equipment!
Said the goalie, but I think the biggest thing is the time of the goals. Very early in game, close to period ends, or right after a Toronto goal – all very bad times.
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:28 PM EST up reply actions
I’ll take two off the post. As I said last night, the Leafs didn’t play any worse in Nashville than they did against Tampa. But, the bounces went their way, and got the same number of chances on a goalie who didn’t stand on his head, and there’s the difference between a 7-1 win and a 4-1 loss.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
I am happy to say he had a good game. But even a broekn clock is right twice a day. We all know he has the ability to have a great game. His problem is his consistency. His time here is done at the end of the year if not sooner.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
he also let them
into the game with that soft goal on the Lecavalier shot.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
he held the lead from there on out. sometimes goals go in when you’re up by a goal. true story.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
GTFO that never happens.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
-Paul Maurice
The Leafs are my Rushmore
Certified Grabbo Lover and member of the PPPPP
I also write things about stuff over at the Leafs Nation
by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
What about that hit from behind on Gus last night? Not even a penalty called, those refs were awful.
The NHL better do something about it or we’re going to see a lot more goalies getting hurt.
by ChrisFromParadise on Nov 23, 2011 10:58 AM EST reply actions
I was actually okay with that contact, Gus barely got nudged and we were up big in the game so I wasn’t crying out for a penalty
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
But I thought it was a penalty if the player getting hit has no chance to defend himself. Gus ahd no idea he was there.
by ChrisFromParadise on Nov 23, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
But he didn’t get flattened, he was off balance and was bumped the rest of the way down to the ice
I don’t want to see the refs start calling every tiny bit of contact with the goalies like they do whenever Armstrong skates by the crease. If Gustavsson had been nailed into the boards or smoked with a headshot I’d think differently, but a light breeze could have had the same effect on him on that play
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
I’ll give the hitter credit that he didn’t bulldoze him (on the one replay I saw it looks like the skater was leaning back at the last second and his hands forwards for balance and lightly shoved Gus). So I don’t think it was anything terrible (like supplementary discipline worthy). However he knocked a goalie down. Seemed like a penalty to me.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Yeah, I think its a more sensitive topic right now because of the Miller-Lucic business…it was a bit of a cheap shot, but goalies get bumped behind the net fairly regularly. I think Gustavsson also gave it a bit of a sell job
Come get your duds in order 'cuz we're bound to cross the water, HEAVE AWAY, me jollies, HEAVE AWAY -- There's a Loblaws on Carelton?!
Well it sure didnt hurt his game.
by ChrisFromParadise on Nov 23, 2011 11:03 AM EST up reply actions
I’m fine with giving a dive call that results in 4-4 but don’t not call that. Goalie plays the puck in the trapazoid with his back turned, and gets crosschecked to the ice.
Penalty penalty peanlty.
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by UMADBRO on Nov 23, 2011 11:05 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Didn’t look like much of a cross-check to me
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
I just really don’t like a goalie being hit with his back turned behind the trapezoid. They shouldn’t have to be concerned about being hit when playing the puck behind the net. Should only be concerned about the puck.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Exactly. I don’t want to see goalies getting run like Miller but light contact behind the net is fine in my books
If Tim Thomas can throw a body check on someone behind the net I don’t see why Gus can’t take a slight nudge
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
Remember when Belfour did a jump check behind the net once? Awesome.
by theninjagreg on Nov 23, 2011 12:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
in principle, i’m fine with the “rule” that goalies are fair game when they come out of the crease. But as we all learned with Lucic/Miller, that is NOT the rule.
If that’s the case, i have no idea why that’s not a penalty. That wasn’t incidental contact of a player trying to avoid him. That was Malone running into a player with his back turned. Who didn’t have the puck, either.
That’s interference on a skater, right?
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
Hadn’t he touched the puck a moment before being bumped?
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:32 AM EST up reply actions
not sure about “a moment before” but yes, he had recently gotten rid of the puck.
No doubt he sold it (that or he’s just not used to being hit) but if that’s a dman i think it’s a pretty strong case for interference.
Like i said, i’m fine with the idea of goalies being fair game when they’re out of the crease. But that’s not apparently the rule so I’d love to know what the ref was saying to Gus there.
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
Clearly didn’t affect us, and I don’t wanna be those guys (i.e. Canucks fans). My beef is if they’re gonna call everything, they need to call everything against both teams. There were a couple of blatant calls against Tampa Bay that the refs missed.
If you’re gonna ref a “call everything” game, missing those kind of calls- especially only when one team commits them- is brutal.
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by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 1:54 PM EST up reply actions
I cried bullshit
Because Shanahan just stated, clearly, that goalies are NOT fair game out-of-crease. No it wasn’t a massive hit but it didn’t need to happen; even without injuring him, it takes him out of the play; and he was facing the boards. Even an innocuous hit could sent him chin first into the boards and damage his neck or something. We really don’t need a second goalie down with ‘concussion like symptoms’. I’m totally amazed they let that go (and seconds later whistled us on a very, very marginal call).
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
Did anyone else notice...
That after witnessing the non-call on Malone for running Gus, the “super star destroyer” had two chances later on to run Rolie and he didn’t?
Makes me think that maybe Steckel really didn’t mean to take out Crosby last year and that it really was an accident.
Darth Steckel
… and his Super Star Destroyer
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:29 PM EST up reply actions
he Lightning have given up 67 goals
To be fair, it was only 60 this time yesterday.
by Wan Ihite on Nov 23, 2011 11:04 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
That 7-1 final score is in no way a fair reflection of the actual balance of play (Tampa Bay was in it until that crippling 4th Colborne goal) I have to say it was intensely satisfying to see the Leafs be on the winning end of some good old fashioned puck luck.
Tampa was buzzing and didn’t bury their chances thanks to two posts, some luck and the Monster. The Leafs skaters capitalized on their opportunities (especially on those 3 PPs at the end of the first) and that was the game.
Reimer’s close to coming back and this team keeps coasting along, putting up points more often than not. Things are looking up!
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
I’d argue that we’re putting up points as often as not
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:29 AM EST up reply actions
12-8-2
26 pts in 22 games.
They’ve gotten a point in 14 games out of 22.
Semantics maybe, but that’s “more often than not”. It’s a playoff pace for sure, which is encouraging.
We’re on track to make the playoffs and I don’t think they’re playing particularly well as a team yet. It’s been a long time since I could say that.
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
I mean in November
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:36 AM EST up reply actions
Well except for that little -1 attached to 5-5
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:37 AM EST up reply actions
the leafs goal differential, especially 5v5 is concerning, yes.
At least the PP has been upgraded to “decent” and the PK is no longer a sinkhole.
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
Not really what I was talking about but I do find it interesting that we were pretty much the best 5v5 team in October and an awful one since
Also I think that having the 3rd ranked powerplay constitutes as a little better than decent
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
The Leafs goal differential at
Evens isn’t that concerning:
They’re +3 in situations that are ES + short handed markers for/against.
That’s not particularly atrocious at all.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:38 PM EST up reply actions
I think they’ve been playing really well as a #teamunit, especially the forwards. Compare our rush plays vs. their rush plays.
I'm building a beautiful statue, to make sure that no one forgets you
Leafs offense seems based on speed and rushes now, which is a change of pace. They’re playing “kessel style” hockey later. Huge difference from the dump and chase style it feels like we’ve had for more than a decade :)
A few grinder lines are good at puck possession (the MGK line when they’re at their best) but to my eyes, the plan for most skaters is “get the puck and go go go”
Unabashed fan of the surprise 2012 Stanley Cup champs
Good because fuck dump and chase, our forwards aren’t really big or strong enough for it anyways
Sometimes it seems this cycle never ends, we slide from top to bottom then we turn and climb again.
by Chris Stoikoff on Nov 23, 2011 11:46 AM EST up reply actions
Rollie has been atrocious this entire season, he makes Gus look like Rinne (who actually got yanked last night). I don’t think it’s puck luck when your goalie sucks and he lets goals in.
by Dan Thompson on Nov 23, 2011 1:29 PM EST up reply actions
Who has a weak glove hand now, Tampa???
I'm building a beautiful statue, to make sure that no one forgets you
by jimmyp22 on Nov 23, 2011 12:01 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Love the power move by frattin to set up crabbs goal. ill take a dirty goal like that over a sniper any day of the week.
From Tampa recap
Steve Downie was not on the bench during the third period due to an as-yet undisclosed injury.
So did Phaneuf break him? Or was Downie having a really long hissy fit?
As a Toronto sports fan I proudly follow the lessons of lachrymology.
"He drives that new car around town and feels really good about it." - Ron Wilson
"Vancouver, BC: A massive inferiority complex with a city." - TheOtherAndrew
"HOPE is more than a postponed disappointment" - Epica
Downie’s feminine hygiene product became dislodged, and they had trouble getting it back in
Come get your duds in order 'cuz we're bound to cross the water, HEAVE AWAY, me jollies, HEAVE AWAY -- There's a Loblaws on Carelton?!
lol. how’d you know about this?
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
It sounds vaguely familiar.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Pierre McGuire mentioned it in one of his random rants.
Mike Weber Pressbox Incarceration Status: Transferred to IR Jail.
my wife met him when he was getting his hearing aid.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
Steve Downie was not on the bench during the third period due to an as-yet undisclosed emotional injury.
Come get your duds in order...
by The Bag on Nov 23, 2011 12:40 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I would have liked to have seen Dion beat him, until he cried
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
I would have liked to see a penalty on Downie. Phaneuf ain’t going to fight you when he’s up 4-1, so stop goading him.
by Goosemonster on Nov 23, 2011 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
KILL HIM PHANOOOOOOOOF!
Oh I know he’s not but that can’t stop me a-hopin’
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
they’ll be a time and a place for that. Phaneuf does not forget. But Downie’s an idiot if he thinks Phaneuf fights him with one d-man in the box up 4-1 in a game.
by Goosemonster on Nov 23, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
And at that time Liles was still in the dressing room, so Phaneuf taking a 5 minute major would’ve left the Leafs in a huge bind.
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by CanadianMaple09 on Nov 23, 2011 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
Gentlemen, this is not about strategy!
It’s about fondly held wishes of turd-struction. But I agree (in principle).
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 1:47 PM EST up reply actions
Too bad Rosehill wasn’t on the ice, I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing him pummel Downie’s ugly mug.
Riding the Leafs bandwagon since 1991.
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by CanadianMaple09 on Nov 23, 2011 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
I dunno, I think I got way more satisfaction out of watching Downie’s plans go to waste than I would have if someone had fought him. He looked like a child who wasn’t getting his way. It was hilarious.
Come get your duds in order...
Yeah, him slamming the door on the bench and then yelling “fuck” at the water bottle and slamming his stick was pretty funny.
Riding the Leafs bandwagon since 1991.
Check out my art!
by CanadianMaple09 on Nov 23, 2011 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
GOOSE SO
= 1 goal against?
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
Yes
I laughed
No more moral victories, no more excuses. Put up or shut up.
Lebda-free since July 3.
by nhlcheapshot on Nov 23, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
me too, good times.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 2:37 PM EST up reply actions
One questionable goal. He played really well but that goal got through a hole that a lot of shots sneak through on him.
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Yeah, he’s kinda swiss cheese under both arms
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 2:40 PM EST up reply actions
The “AHL holes”
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 2:49 PM EST up reply actions
I didn’t think it was terrible or anything. Not unstoppable either. Kinda “whatever it happens sometimes to all goalies” (Obviously to Gus more frequently).
Also, I think the fact he played well the rest of the way, changes my opinion of the goal against
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
A-hole?
Yeah, it would be insult to injury to get scored on in your A-hole.
I guess it’s probably bad enough to have two of them.
by The Blue Spirit on Nov 23, 2011 5:44 PM EST up reply actions
So the Monster
is officially still not very good… just to make sure everyone is clear on that.
His SV% has skyrocketed up to .899 though… and his GAA is now a sparkling 3.21…
Hey look everyone, he’s the back up we always expected!
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
in other news
when Ben Scrivens gets demoted back to the AHL and becomes the starter, wtf happens to Rynnas? Owuya has played far better and deserves to stick in the AHL ahead of him.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
Rynnas relocates to the rink of the Reading Royals.
TWEET AT ME BRO
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Nov 23, 2011 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
Did Scrivens go back to the ECHL when Reimer went back to Marlies last year? i.e. precedence for putting Owuya back in the ECHL temporarily.
He did
But the Reimer call up lasted all of 3 or 4 games, and Scrivens didn’t really start much for the Marlies.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:21 PM EST up reply actions
and it wouldn't be
temporary if there’s no significant injuries.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:21 PM EST up reply actions
He has had 2 good games in a row. Haven’t seen anyone say any different anywhere.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 2:39 PM EST up reply actions
don't think
I said anything about anyone saying otherwise… check the fine print if you want though.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
- Sir Winston Churchill
I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.
by Steve Burtch on Nov 23, 2011 2:41 PM EST up reply actions
Ah I see….You were just making sure everyone was clear. Just to be sure. In case, possibily, maybe, potentially someone thought otherwise.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 2:53 PM EST up reply actions
i’m not clear on that at all.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
I hate writing about Gustavsson...
… at this point it’s like arguing that the Sun will come up. Sometimes it’s cloudy and people tell me I’m wrong. Anyways.
I’m going to list every time Gustavsson played two games in a row over .925 and what happened in the next three games.
2009-2010
11/3 & 11/6, 2009 followed by
.972, .867, .400 (came in late), .889
12/1 & 12/18 (!) 2009 followed by
1.000, .900, .909
1/2 & 1/5, 2010 followed by:
.813, .897, .824
3/16 & 3/20 2010 followed by:
.950, .947, .880
Finished the year at .902
10/21 & 10/28, 2010 followed by:
.867, .857, 1.000 (6 shots)
11/18 and 11/20, 2010 followed by:
.955, .893, .893
Ended the season at .890
2011-2012
Has played two games over .925 in a row, no games since.
Pension Plan Puppets*
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This should not happen. No guarantee can be made, but he was treated by the best rhythm specialist in Canada (and one of the best in North America, if not the best). (Note I base this on knowing that he was treated in London and we have this guy here, so I just assume he was treated by him). Assuming he had an SVT it should be good now.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Why is every doctor “one of the best”?
Surely some – even among the actual top-60 paid ones – are simply not very good.
Nobody ever says, “you should see my heart guy – he’s slightly above average”.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 23, 2011 3:31 PM EST up reply actions
I had a lesson from a French Fellow (its after residency) who came to Canada to do an electric physiology (rhythm disturbances) fellowship. He came here specifically to train under this guy because even in France they knew of him as one of hte best in the world. He is apparently internationally renowned.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Gotta love Seinfeld.
The Leafs are my Rushmore
Certified Grabbo Lover and member of the PPPPP
I also write things about stuff over at the Leafs Nation
by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 3:36 PM EST up reply actions
Not necessarily true, unless by average you mean the median. If you’re using the usual definition of average, the mean, then it is possible for more (or less) than half of the population to be below average.
Of course, with Habs fans driving the average down so much, it’s probably less than half the population below average.
I was discussing this with VRN in the FTB. I get the sense Gus will get the next start and shit the bed. It’s rare that he strings together 3 “good” games in a row. Maybe Scrivens starts Friday.
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
Great work thanks for putting this together… Just a few questions (i know we’ve discussed this before)
1) in 2009 the leafs went two weeks with out a game (12/1-12/18) – what happened there? dont remember
2) I can’t really find a trend here or any set pattern that is reliable but i do notice that after he did play those two games (spread out in my point #1) he had a pretty good record the next couple of games. the closer they are seems to result in some worse post-2 game outtings then if they are more spread out. again, more reason for him to be a great backup goalie, i think.
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
Gustavsson had heart surgery after the 12/1 game.
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I’m not sure if there’s a clear trend or anything to gain from this list other than pointing out that “maybe he figured it out” because he played two games is a little silly.
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* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
Right
Ok so were on the same with page in regards to that
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
Where did the “Maybe he figured it out” come from, though?
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:27 PM EST up reply actions
me.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions
ah
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
The saga continues
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions
like i said before, if you discount the first two games, his SV% is like .917. It’s not just the last two that he’s been better.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
If you discount his worse games you have to discount his best games too.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
not necessarily. he hasn’t played an nhl game in 8 months when he got shelled by boston (during which the entire team looked like crap). the following game was the releif game in Montreal.
i didn’t say discounting his two worst games. one of those came 3 games ago.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:20 PM EST up reply actions
If you discount all the games he has played before yesterday his SV% is like .960!!!
Fairweather fans can go to hell
Equal oppurtunity asshole and a proud member of the PPPPP
Follow me on twitter: leafer1984
WOW
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
wow what? If we’re just taking away games here might as well go big.
Fairweather fans can go to hell
Equal oppurtunity asshole and a proud member of the PPPPP
Follow me on twitter: leafer1984
the question is whether the discounting is done on a sensible basis or not.
I mean, if you want to say that NO games should be thrown out, his save percentage is probably awesome because a terrible stretch as a child was balanced out by tons of shots he saved in practice.
The cut offs for what we count are always somewhat arbitrary. But some arbitrary standards are more sensible than others. Saying “we’ll allow you the first game off after an 8 month break, and your relief performances” may or may not be the “right” answer, but it’s a somewhat reasonable one.
If you discount Crosby’s first game in ten months, the kid hasn’t scored a point all year.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 23, 2011 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
if you discount the fact that sid is a god, he’s an ordinary hockey player.
not everyone can be held to the Crosbian-level of expectations.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
If you discount the fact that more than half the league’s goalies went into October having not played a game in 6 months, Gustavsson’s 9-month layoff seems long.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 23, 2011 4:56 PM EST up reply actions
maybe that’s why a lot of guys look kind of shitty early? or is luongo an .895 goalie?
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
Are you arguing that the majority of players look shitty in October? Or just the ones who look shitty in October.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 23, 2011 5:04 PM EST up reply actions
some do. some don’t. some suck forever. some get worse. some get better. some guys have bad seasons. bad weeks. good weeks. good seasons. good games. bad games. momentary lapses. moments of brilliance. good luck. bad luck. some good goalies play for bad teams. some bad goalies play for good teams.
is it dangerous to apply narratives to individuals and situations? sure. is it appropriate sometimes? probably.
is gus’s season below .900? is it possible that he’s been better than that? I think so. why? because his last 9 games he’s been .917.
it’s really not that fucking complicated. or that absurd. I’m really not trying to convince anyone who thinks he sucks otherwise. i’m just trying to give people who like him hope.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 5:11 PM EST up reply actions
And as a Sens fan, I will rarely be caught offering an opinion on the Leafs, one way or the other.
I made a flippant remark about Crosby, which I don’t blame you for interpreting as a rebuttal of your original point. When I re-read my comment now, it does come across as saying that you cannot discount Gustavsson’s first couple of games, but honestly, I simply logged back into this thread and read only Wan’s disjointed reply, after reading the earlier comments, earlier.
I understand that you seem to be in the minority on this issue, but I assure you that I meant no disagreement with my Crosby comment.
That said, allow me to offer a rare opinion.
I have been in the Fire Gustavsson camp for years, and until a few days ago, I saw little to convince me to pull up my tent stakes. Now that he has put up B2B good performances, your consistent support has matured to the point where you should be allowed to cash in and gloat a little.
Others, meanwhile, are reasonable to point out that you are doing just that – taking advantage of this most recent sampling to proclaim yourself vindicated.
Do I, personally, think you shouldn’t gloat? Or that others shouldn’t try to discredit your position? Who the fuck cares what I think.
But no. I have long been a stronger supporter of Brian Elliott than most Sens fans – his is the only numbered Sens jersey I own.
I’m still not going to point out that he leads the league in SV% and GAA as evidence that I was right all along. Firstly, because the larger sampling doesn’t support my position that Elliott was an adequate goaltender, and secondly, because I know that if I argued that now, it would be thrown back in my face when Elliott inevitably falls back to Earth.
So instead, I post inane comments about shit that is usually little more than tangentially related to hockey events, and toss in the occasional serious hockey opinion in an attempt to seem knowledgeable.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 23, 2011 5:36 PM EST up reply actions
One can apply the Grubbs test to see how likely the sv% outlier is from the same Gaussian population as the other values in the group. It is a bit more mechanical then discarding because you think Gus is a better goalie.
I apologize for burying your comment with a dumb joke aimed at poking fun at my own long-windedness.
I might not have a clue about Grubbs or Gauss, but many people do, and would probably have replied to your comment, had I not stepped on it harder than my dealer steps on my heroin.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 24, 2011 12:08 AM EST up reply actions
Now that he has put up B2B good performances, your consistent support has matured to the point where you should be allowed to cash in and gloat a little.
Others, meanwhile, are reasonable to point out that you are doing just that – taking advantage of this most recent sampling to proclaim yourself vindicate
Agreed.
I’m not really frustrated with you. I’ve been having this argument for years obviously, perhaps somewhat delusionaly. But I get frustrated with the requirements for rigor around here when trying to go up against the sacred cows (Gus is bad. Ron Wilson shouldn’t be fired. MGK are the #1 line). I’ve seen scientific journals with less stringent requirements for fact checking and statistical rigor.
People should be free to say things that are true, but aren’t endorsed by behindthenet.ca. E.g., It’s TRUE that if you take out Gus 2 games his SV% is .917. Whether you want to except that as a reasonable argument for signs of improvement is up to you. But instead it quickly degrades into “If you discount all the games he has played before yesterday his SV% is like .960!!!”
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 6:28 PM EST up reply actions
As long as I’m expressing opinions, I’ll agree that people “should be free to say things that are true, but aren’t endorsed by behindthenet”.
For example, ever since I was a teenager, and my tweenaged genius kid brother suggested it, I had been discounting the use of +/- as a measure of one’s defensive prowess, in favour of his GAA system for skaters. He postulated that Gretzky did not deserve his Alka-Seltzer awards because he was no Larry Robinson.
Whether it be on our Commodore 64, or simply with pen and paper, we’d use the complete NHL scoring records published every Tuesday in the Montreal Gazette to compile a list of every skater in the league alongside his +/-, TOI, Pts, and team GAA.
We didn’t know who was on the ice for which events, so we’d assign all GFs/GAs proportionally to each skater’s ice time to approximate how many pluses and minuses that couldn’t be accounted for by EVPts. Sure, the system had obvious flaws, but we thought ourselves geniuses anyway. Hell, my baby brother even pioneered the the idea of QualComp, though we never actually tackled how to go about figuring it out past the theoretical stage.
All this to say that there is a guy named David Johnston (Johnson?) whose site is called HockeyAnalysis, I believe, and his systems seem like something my brother might have invented had he not been cursed to grow up in the 80s. I have not visited his site more than once, a while back, but I occasionally see Mr. Johnston show up here to defend his practice.
Anyway, I am always impressed with the patience he shows when being swarmed, and I keep meaning to actually subscribe to his newsletter. The thing is, math is boring, so I don’t.
But if I did, I think I would enjoy his research, even if other, equally intelligent folks who subscribe to the shots-based measures, would have me believe that Johnston is a crackpot.
I know how he must feel when, in defending his findings as they unflatteringly relate to Schenn or Kaberle or whoever else came out on the bottom of his list, he is forced to provide mountains of evidence to not only convert a single reader, but simply to quell the massive unrest – all in real time, with the SBN page causing his screen to jump up and down with each new protest. I occasionally try to defend Ottawa here, to the same effect.
So if you think that you face hardship in trying to go up against the sacred cows, know that it could be worse – you could be trying to go up against a team of Desjardins, Ferrari, Awad (?), and their legions of Corsiatti, who seem to expand exponentially each year.
I’m far too dumb to tell you if Johnston is a crackpot or not, 19 times out of 20. To me, the guy seems to make good points, but I’m most impressed with his zen-like approach to defending his unpopular opinions.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 24, 2011 12:05 AM EST up reply actions
out of curiosity
what is your baby brother doing now?
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 24, 2011 1:10 AM EST up reply actions
After dropping out of high school, then making me expendable at a job where I had hired him as my assistant, he parlayed ten years at that company into a better position at another transportation firm.
But since we’re only a couple of micks, he eventually realized that that industry was far too mobbed up to truly advance, and now he works somewhere else. I’m embarrassed to say, I don’t know where.
Meanwhile, after wasting a few years in college, while he worked my old job better than I ever did, I am less employable than Gustavsson.
I told him when he was apprehensive about taking over my position that I was totally cool with it, as long as he stayed in school, but the kid was a genius and figured out that school was for fools.
So remember kids. Stay in school only so long as it is convenient, then turn pro as soon as you can. A 31-year old with 15 years of experience is often more successful than a 39-year old with the same education as every single God damned kid in this godforsaken over-educated town, especially when that guy only flirted with the actual workforce throughout his teens and early twenties.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 24, 2011 1:34 AM EST up reply actions
Saying "we’ll allow you the first game off after an 8 month break, and your relief performances" may or may not be the "right" answer, but it’s a somewhat reasonable one.
somewhat reasonable is all i’m ever going for around here. there is actually room between ‘perfectly valid’ and ‘entirely absurd’.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
No there isn’t. ;-)
This space for rant...
by fair_n_hite_451 on Nov 23, 2011 5:44 PM EST up reply actions
wait, the .927, 1.0, .950, and .955? those aren’t above? or are they included in your two game evaluation? i’m confused.
Move along. Nothing to see here...
by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Nov 23, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions
On one hand it’s kinda badass, on the other hand it’s kinda annoying that he won’t tell. What, did he get mixed up in Montreal’s organized crime scene and get shanked as part of his initiation? Did he look in the mirror once and burn his own face with that stare?
Did he have a cancer removed and think its no ones business? Did he have a removal of a salivary gland stone, did he get burned?
Frankly it is no ones business if he doesn’t want it to be.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Pretty clear that it was some sort of trauma, you don’t get a scar like that on your face from a planned procedure. Also pretty clear that I was being facetious.
Untrue on the first part. You can get scars like that, depending on the procedure that needs to be done. And I realized you were probably kidding, but people do expect that out of public figures and I don’t its reasonable. Just addressing the general idea.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Could be some sort of abuse as a child or something (I’m thinking the kid’s ear in Stand by Me), that’s the kind of thing he is right not to want to share.
Flugenweb, space code, twit zone, ass mode, check ze tweets.
Surprised he doesn’t just make up some random story for broader public consumption. It’s not like anyone would care much. Especially if it’s a good story.
He just should start telling everybody a different story like The Joker in “The Dark Knight”
Do you want to know how I got this scar?
Cynically Sarcastic
Сертыфікаваны Grabbo Палюбоўнік
What a great acting job that was.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
never been a fan of Eckhart
Resident Internet Tough Guy
by JaredFromLondon on Nov 23, 2011 3:31 PM EST up reply actions
I think it was the lip licking and noises he made with his mouth. Creeped me out.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
I actually liked Batman Begins better.
by Self Destructive Zones on Nov 23, 2011 3:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Batman Begins overall was a better movie, in no small part because I hated Katie Holmes’ character significantly less than I did Maggie Gyllenhall’s.
But Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart owned TDK so much more than Liam Neeson in BB.
I was furious at the last half hour of TDK because they tried to wrap up the entire Two-Face plot when that logically should have been the third movie.
Cynically Sarcastic
Сертыфікаваны Grabbo Палюбоўнік
the whole bank robbery scene at the start of DK was brilliant
Resident Internet Tough Guy
by JaredFromLondon on Nov 23, 2011 3:49 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah the final stages of TDK drove me a bit nuts as well.
Agreed about the Neeson point as well, although I didn’t have any problem with him either.
by Self Destructive Zones on Nov 23, 2011 3:49 PM EST up reply actions
There is nothing the matter with doing worse than Ledger and Eckhart. Leeson was good, maybe even very good, but those two were both incredible.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
For sure.
I think the main reason I prefer BB has to do with things towards the end of TDK going off the rails a bit, like clrkaitken mentioned
by Self Destructive Zones on Nov 23, 2011 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
Both incredible movies though, IMO.
by Self Destructive Zones on Nov 23, 2011 3:54 PM EST up reply actions
I think I was slightly poisoned against TDK too
I didn’t see it for about 3 weeks after it came out. Everyone was talking like it was the best movie ever created and when I saw it and thought it was similar in quality to the previous one (a top movie for the year), but not life changingly-awesome I may have held that against the movie. I hate when my expectations get so high things can’t up to them.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Yeah I hear ya. I wasn’t disappointed, but intense hype can be pretty off-putting.
by Self Destructive Zones on Nov 23, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
that was inception for me
Resident Internet Tough Guy
by JaredFromLondon on Nov 23, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
Happened to Dexter for me too.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
That’s too bad, because Dexter was a brilliantly-written show. I say “was” because the past few seasons have dropped off considerably, quality-wise. It’s hard to really pinpoint what the problem is, it’s just….not as good anymore.
I only watched the first 2.5 seasons. I found the show extremely predictable (I knew who the killer in season one was as soon as they introduced him). The acting is really inconsistent actor-actor. And finally for a show that is supposed to be so intelligent and well written I found it surprisingly stupid. Like the way they portrayed a police department was just so hollywood-ized.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Same, way better movie overall, Dark Knight just gets all the hype because of Heath Ledger’s amazing performance and subsequent death.
Flugenweb, space code, twit zone, ass mode, check ze tweets.
I liked the scene over the chinese business office, Ledger, and the opening scene a lot.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Yeah, Dark knight had great scenes (both action and dialogue) and great casting and acting, but the overall plot coherency and flow of the movie was just off compared to BB.
Flugenweb, space code, twit zone, ass mode, check ze tweets.
eh, it was fine, if twoface had been knocked out at the end instead of killed it would flow perfectly
Resident Internet Tough Guy
by JaredFromLondon on Nov 23, 2011 4:09 PM EST up reply actions
I am probably one of the only ones
But I dislike a really jumpy camera during a fight scene, that is constantly going to different angles. I understand why it makes sense for batman (he attacks from the shadows, is coming from everywhere, etc), but I find that as often as not, those fight scenes just seem jarring.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
I hate that too. Made the fight and chase scenes in the second and third Bourne movies unwatchable.
"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else."
Albert Einstein
by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Nov 23, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
I saw the third Bourne movie in the first row of the theatre, and I thought my head was gonna explode.
by Self Destructive Zones on Nov 23, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
The Bourne movies are the ones that jump out at me for this. I can’t take it.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
IIRC BB was worse than TDK for it. I think there was a scene in the most recent Bond movie like this too.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
in BB I heard they shot the fights like that the director had never shot a fight scene before so thats why he went with the quick cuts etc rather than coreograph and film from afar.
by Nigel Cadbury on Nov 23, 2011 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
I read the quote before seeing the film and watching the first fight in the Chinese prison I could see that.
by Nigel Cadbury on Nov 23, 2011 4:41 PM EST up reply actions
Why don’t we just ask his mom?
The Leafs are my Rushmore
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I also write things about stuff over at the Leafs Nation
by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 3:38 PM EST up reply actions
oh snap Disssssssss
Feschuk got burned, yo
"I will actually score as many times as Kulemin assists me."
-Mikhail Grabovski
by MapleLeafMole on Nov 23, 2011 3:46 PM EST up reply actions
I’m guessing he was randomly slashed in the face by a crazy person, like Tina Fey, who also refused to discuss her facial scar for years.
On the night of his 25th birthday he got involved in a bar brawl in which he was slashed across the face with a razor, leaving him with that distinctive scar. “Me and two friends were jumped,” he says. "I didn’t have time to worry about myself because my friend was cut even worse. He passed out and was losing blood fast so I had to get him to hospital before he died.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Nov 23, 2011 4:04 PM EST up reply actions
Link?
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
Pretty sure
Guy mentioned sometime last year he was attacked by a pitbull earlier in life, and it left a scar on his face.
Some judgement on Gus
Save percentage by goalies over the last 3 years with 60 GP
. 0.898 43/44.
Save percentage by goalies over the last 2 years with 30 GP. 0.893 43/45
Save percentage this year with 10 GP. 0.899 24th/31
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
coachrw63 Ron Wilson
@armdog Happy B’day. Did you get the flowers and cake I sent?
Think Bruce Boudreau or Hitchcock would ever do that? Who doesn’t want to play for this man lol
I'm building a beautiful statue, to make sure that no one forgets you
They buy a cake for their players and send candles and an empty cake box.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
The cake is a lie.
The Leafs are my Rushmore
Certified Grabbo Lover and member of the PPPPP
I also write things about stuff over at the Leafs Nation
by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 4:12 PM EST up reply actions
Portal.
About time that people finally realized how awesome Gunnar is...
Certified Gunnar & Kule lover!
My new goal: To get the nickname Hebrew Hammer for Mike Brown to take off.
But I still don’t think I “get it”. It’s written on a wall in Portal, right? But what does it mean? Is it just something random that became a meme?
This hurts me…I’m usually pretty good a identifying and comprehending most memeASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL!!
That a reward that was promised to you either will not be delivered, or is not worth the effort.
The Leafs are my Rushmore
Certified Grabbo Lover and member of the PPPPP
I also write things about stuff over at the Leafs Nation
by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 4:41 PM EST up reply actions
(I have no idea)
The Leafs are my Rushmore
Certified Grabbo Lover and member of the PPPPP
I also write things about stuff over at the Leafs Nation
by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Nov 23, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions
HORRIBLE NIGHT
Florida wins vs Rangers in 3 pt game
Boston wins vs Buffalo in 3 pt game
Montreal wins vs Carolina in 3 pt game
Philadelphia wins vs NYI in 3 pt game
Washington wins vs Winnipeg in 3 pt game
New Jersey wins vs Columbus
That’s 11 eastern conference teams I listed, all of them got at least a fucking point. The only east team that didn’t get a point tonight was the Sidney Crosby’s.
I had something really clever to say here. But I forgot.
No crosby’s did.
Florida/NYR wasn’t a 3pt game,
still though, and you get a point, and you get a point!
by Ben Schnell on Nov 23, 2011 10:15 PM EST up reply actions
A three point apocalypse.
I blew up your body
But you blew my mind
by Saanich West on Nov 23, 2011 10:27 PM EST up reply actions
golly
Kris Versteeg is also having a breakout year.
by Jack rides ducks on Nov 23, 2011 11:23 PM EST reply actions
Lots of ties tonight
oops, I mean SO “wins” and OT “wins”. NHL: the only league that rewards you for losing.
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