Maple Leafs 2 v. Islander 1: The Future Is Now...
by PPP on Feb 23, 2011 12:10 AM EST
in Game Recaps
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Game Summary | Event Summary | Lighthouse Hockey Recap
The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on the back of one more excellent performance by James Reimer. Whether he is actually the future of the team or Leafs fans are in for a disappointment next year, we're (me included!) happy to have a 22 year old goalie posting a .934 save percentage and a 2.12 goals against average through 16 appearances. You can hardly blame Leafs fans for not being too aware of Reimer before this season began. That he has always been an afterthought is well documented but I defy you to read his quotations from after tonight's game and not feel admiration for the way he has arrived at his new station in life.
At the other end of the ice, there was another goalie that had become more of a rumour than a reality. This one was actually a sixth overall pick by the New York Rangers. Funnily enough, the player he was traded for, Fredrik Sjostrom, was lining up for the Leafs. For the low-low price of a 6th round pick Garth Snow managed to give the franchise another young goaltender to battle for a spot as Goaltender of the Future When DiPietro Is Again Injured. Tonight he was the difference between the tight game that we saw and what could have easily been a laugher.
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Clarke MacArthur wants to stay, Mikhail Grabovski wants him to stay, his contract demands don't sound ridiculous (Jonas Siegel says he's looking for Grabbo money), and he set a career high in goals with his 18th to open the scoring.
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Brett Lebda and Mike Komisarek picked up a pair of stupid penalties and were most often seen pinned in their own zone. Those two are why Brian Burke is looking to add a defenceman.
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The other reason? The Maple Leafs' powerplay. I have no idea how long the Tim Brent Experiment will last, although Dave Shoalts wanted it ended after two powerplays, but it didn't get off to a good start. He has experience running the Marlies' powerplay but the Leafs' PP looked much more dangerous when PP2 was on the ice.
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Luke Schenn and Keith Aulie each laid five hits tonight. I'll just copy and paste this for the next 15 years.
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However, if not for those two boys crossing their wires and letting Matt Moulson score, the main PK forwards - Colby Armstrong, Tim Brent, Tyler Bozak, Fredrik Sjostrom, Nikolai Kulemin, and Mikhail Grabovski - would have had a textbook night.
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Colby Armstrong pasted Michael Haley. I'm not sure what Cheese says to the other teams but they universally want him dead and it makes them take dumb penalties. I really enjoy trying to figure out what he's done to these guys.
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Phil Kessel's game-winning goal was extra special because he picked up the puck in the Leafs' zone because he was covering for a marauding defenceman. His defensive frailty gets overblown mostly because smart plays like this one tend to go unnoticed since they don't end up in goals. This time Kessel flew down the wing, backed down the Islanders' defence, cut into the middle, and fired a wrister through a defender's legs and then Montoya's.
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The Buds then shut down the Islanders. An interesting aspect to who was on the ice to end the game: Kessel, Bozak, and Armstrong were the forwards.
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Tyler Bozak, much maligned for his pointless streak, set up Joffrey Lupul early on for what could have been a tap in but also played another strong game on the PK and won 13 of 17 face-offs.
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Phil Kessel is wonderful. I love him and will not hear a word said against him.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
by article1 on Feb 23, 2011 12:15 AM EST via mobile reply actions
You’re all the way in Scotland, it’d be mighty hard for you to hear my words.
<3 Kessel.
Dave's a killer!
Follow me on Twittaarrr
by happiergilmore on Feb 23, 2011 12:17 AM EST up reply actions
I am not all the way in Scotland. I was there tonight.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
by article1 on Feb 23, 2011 12:28 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I live in Edinburgh. I’m on holiday. Tonight was good. Saturday night, less so.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
by article1 on Feb 23, 2011 12:32 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Gunnarsson had a great game tonight…his penalty killing was excellent. At 24:03 he played even more than Schenn.
Certified Grabbo Lover
by Grabovski's better than you think on Feb 23, 2011 12:20 AM EST reply actions
I thought all the top 4 were – for the most part – solid tonight. Schenn and Gunnarsson especialy.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
by article1 on Feb 23, 2011 12:31 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Thoughts
The awesomeness of Reimnoceros, Kessel and MacA can, under the right circumstances, destroy the suckitude of Lebdasarek.
Kessel needs help out there. Except when he just decides to do it on his fucking own, then he doesn’t.
Not a single player over the age of 29 in the lineup tonight. Not one. Komisarek is the oldest at 29. And he’s horrible at hockey. At least he played 13 minutes tonight.
Mike Brown is a pretty common name. There was a guy next to me wearing a Mike Brown jersey, and I thought ‘wow, that’s pretty hardcore getting a Brown jersey.’ Through eavesdropping on his commentary I determined that his name was actually Mike Brown, which actually cheapened it for me a bit.
Six points out of the playoffs with a game in hand. Just saying.
WE'LL MISS YOU TOMAS
by daoust on Feb 23, 2011 12:27 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
We're
amazingly young… and we won this on the strength of strong D, not strong O.
We still have trouble generating traffic and driving pucks to the net on any line that isn’t MGK-al.
Reimer was awesome, Kessel’s end to end rush was pretty (but I’d like to see him use his linemates more), and the MGK line was still producing.
Schenn and Aulie looked ok on the back end, liked Gunnarsson with Phaneuf, Komi and Lebda were semi-invisible – which is what they need to be if they’re going to not engender hatred.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:41 AM EST up reply actions
There's an obvious answer to this, I think
…Kessel’s end to end rush was pretty (but I’d like to see him use his linemates more)
I’m sure he was drooling with anticipation when the Leafs brass told him he would play almost half the season with Joey Crabb.
Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell
This
Lebdasarek
is funny. Sounds like one of those fail dinosaurs that had no real niche or means of survival…
Here’s hoping it goes extinct.
20 miles to Legoland!
by nhlcheapshot on Feb 23, 2011 4:27 AM EST up reply actions
I voted for Reimer cause he played well, even though he almost ralphed
I'm building a beautiful statue, to make sure that no one forgets you
See, he was almost gonna ralph
I'm building a beautiful statue, to make sure that no one forgets you
Do we know wtf happened
to Lupul? Didn’t see him in the 3rd.
"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.
i think he got bumped down and replaced by Army
Toronto Maple Leafs: All about the Lemon Grabs
by LeafFan1989 on Feb 23, 2011 12:41 AM EST up reply actions
no
but he literally didn’t play for most of the 3rd…
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:42 AM EST up reply actions
ok
I looked he actually played with kessel for most of the period… he just didn’t see much ice time in the last 6-7 minutes.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:45 AM EST up reply actions
He was playing with Kessel
more than Bozak… the replacement with Army was just at the end of the game.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
RW addressed the media regarding Lupul that since he’s being a Leaf he’s played a lot more ice time than he has ever had this season and in the past and is showing signs that it is catching up to him so he cut his ice time or something along those lines.
"There's been four different Cup winners the last four years, and I got one of them (Anaheim) and it was a fighting team. We're playing it that way regardless." - B. Burke, Toronto Maple Leafs GM
RW mad at Lupul for not finishing
He was mad at Bozie at the beginning too, replacing him with Brent
I'm building a beautiful statue, to make sure that no one forgets you
It seemed.like Boyce and Brent centred Kessel more than Bozak did in the 3rd.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
by article1 on Feb 23, 2011 12:51 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
so do we know
what happened in the carolina/rangers game?
"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.
FUCK
SHOOT OUT WIN FOR NY? Seriously… that was the only thing I DIDN’T want to see… the g.d. 3 point game.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:47 AM EST up reply actions
I'll be extremely happy
if we catch Atlanta, NY, and Carolina… that would be awesome.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:49 AM EST up reply actions
also
Buffalo has lost 3 in a row, but they have 2 games in hand so I don’t think that’s going to happen.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 12:49 AM EST up reply actions
since Dec-Jan
From Jan 13th – Car = 7-9-3 with one win in OT. (.447 hockey)
From Dec 2nd – Atl = 12-16-7 with 5 wins in OT or SO. (.413 hockey)
From Dec 18th – NYR = 12-13-3 with 6 wins in OT or SO. (.482 hockey)
From Dec 4th – TOR = 18-15-3 with 4 wins in OT or SO. (.542 hockey… or 89 point pace)
"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 Feb 23, 2011 1:03 AM EST up reply actions
the Leafs have been playing like we expected them to
for almost 3 months now… that’s more than a bit consistent?… despite their inconsistency.
"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 Feb 23, 2011 1:04 AM EST up reply actions
Are there better candidates right now?
Dave's a killer!
Follow me on Twittaarrr
by happiergilmore on Feb 23, 2011 1:10 AM EST up reply actions
I might get flamed for this but I wouldn’t hate it if Dallas Eakins were promoted. He has a history with virtually half the team having coached them in the AHL already, and whenever he’s interviewed he comes across as very similar to Dan Bylsma. Younger guy, very focused, no nonsense/demands respect, but still completely approachable.
Truculligerestosterugnacity.
He’s doing a pretty good job on the farm preparing kids for the Marlies but I’d like to see a bit more than half a season as HC before promoting him.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Like reading thoughts confined to 140 characters? I'm on Twitter too.
It’s possible that 87 points could be the cutoff in the East this year. 13 wins in our remaining 22 and we have a real chance. Four games remaining against the three teams directly in our way.
"I’ve been studying this and I’m pretty sure this is how it breaks down: 'You are allowed one team: The Leafs. In some cases, you can also root for a second team: The Leafs'"
-Cornelius Hardenbergh
So...
Having a solid goalie in net is winning us games… who would have thought?
Baseless D comment...
So, Mike Green was held out again last night…
We smoke and drink all night, hangover 'cause we hung out...
THANK YOU KESSEL
http://gobarbra.com/hit/new-00f91986f1b4aee56c9ca7da7b7e06fb
Dave's a killer!
Follow me on Twittaarrr
Really random question....
But does anyone know where I can watch the LeafsTV opening montage shown before games??
Kessel's Goal.
I love that he just owned that play. He basically said, “Fuck It, I’m ending this bitch.” And then he did. He’s going to be just fine.
We smoke and drink all night, hangover 'cause we hung out...
Playoffs or not, this has become a young team that is competing night in and night out.
At this rate, Leafs could turn some heads in 2011-12.
Visit my blog at: http://50-mission-cap.blogspot.com/
Leaf fan for life! (No, really. They gave me a no-trade clause when I was born.)
by FiftyMissionCap on Feb 23, 2011 2:41 AM EST reply actions
I know it got almost no votes because of how well Kessel and Reimer's play was
but I loved that MacArthur goal as well. Top corner snipe on a great play with Kulemin.
Also… I’m slightly impressed/worried at the amount of ice time Carl Gunnarsson is getting. This is a kid who earlier in the year could be the posterboy for “sophmore slump” and is coming out of it slowly, but is hardly a shutdown guy, PMD or offensive d-man. And he’s playing BIG minutes. I guess closest to a PMD but a hard falloff from the kind of guy we had in Kaberle.
It no longer surprises me that Burke is looking to take on a d-man. We need another player to eat big minutes, even if it means taking on salary. Or at least nab one in free agency.
I’m still in the “playoffs are a really cute idea” category until we actually hit 8th.
20 miles to Legoland!
Honestly, the only thing I care is that Reimer continues to look solid. I hope this kid is the real deal, to have goaltending locked down for a decade would be a beautiful thing.
We smoke and drink all night, hangover 'cause we hung out...
to have goaltending locked down for a decade would be a beautiful thing.
I think you need to step back expectations. The list of goaltenders who go on to be gamechanging legit #1 goalies for 10 years in a row is a very, very short list. Even players like Luongo, Bryzgalov, Thomas, Miller haven’t been solutions for a decade.
In most cases you’re lucky to get elite goaltending for 2-3 years from a single goalie. But who knows what we have in this kid yet? I don’t know but he’s fun to watch.
My favourite quote from the TSN article on tonights game
“He made some big saves,” Islanders forward Matt Moulson said of Reimer. "He was in the right place on the one Jack Hillen had, there was a lot of traffic. I don’t even know if he saw it, but it went in his glove.
“He just seemed to be in the right place.”:
Now THAT is something to be happy about.
20 miles to Legoland!
by nhlcheapshot on Feb 23, 2011 4:47 AM EST up reply actions
I think Gunnar’s struggles were way overblown. He’s a model of quiet consistency. I hope Burke realizes his two worst D are his two oldest D and doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the past by bringing in mediocre to terrible veterans based on the patently false myth that they are “less risky” than kids.
"[Phil Kessel]'s as streaky as a flipped coin" - Shift
by The '67 Sound on Feb 23, 2011 8:35 AM EST up reply actions
Based on what Burke has been doling out to the media, it doesn’t sound like this is the direction he’s trying to go. I’m getting the sense that we’re looking at something like “Blacker + high pick for Liles” kind of deal. Not that those are necessarily the names involved … but getting a guy who fits our team age-wise and can move the puck some appears to be the target.
I hope that let’s McCabe out. Not that I don’t like him, but I just know the fans and the blogs would be all over him all over again if he’s the one who we end up picking up at the deadline. Having said that – having McCabe around might be good for Phaneuf’s game.
This space for rent...
by fair_n_hite_451 on Feb 23, 2011 10:03 AM EST up reply actions
Yikes, I hope neither of those hypothetical deals happen.
by potvin vs hextall on Feb 23, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
Kessel goal was sweet effort and the islander looked out of position.
I think the dman should have been higher at the point and the winger could have taken the body.
On kessel other shots he never got this space, great for him to capitalize on it when he had the chance.
I don’t think the D had a choice. He was flying in at pretty much max speed, and weaving left and right. They didn’t want Kessel to get passed them, so they gave him a tonne of room.
I don’t remember how it happened exactly, but Kessel also credits his linemates for crashing the net and drawing defenders away.
by potvin vs hextall on Feb 23, 2011 10:08 AM EST up reply actions
the main part of the equation on that goal was the shot, it was perfect. Through the defensemens legs then through the goales, from 30 feet out, needle threaded
people bitch about how Kessel has a lot of his shots tipped or blocked, but its because he’s going for a shot like that, when the view of the release is screened by a player and then suddenly the puck appears through that player, it is very very hard to stop
Rule #20
by JaredFromLondon on Feb 23, 2011 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
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