Well now that was a scrappy game, a game at times where I felt like falling asleep. Thank god the Leafs decided to come out and play the final period.
Domi?
Domi, and first line?sorry something totally bizarre sounding about that.
Why the hell is this slug getting first line time, first line time that is usually reserved for players who know where the general direction of the net is located, not the penalty bench. Quinn must have a supreme masochistic bent to put Domi up with Sundin. In the least Stajan should be up there, Niuewendyke maybe, but not a former pugilist....
What I like to see is the fact that one of our better stats has been shots against which are way down and so far we sit towards the top of the league in that respect, I disticntly remember that Quinn made mention that he was going to change his coaching philosphy by employing a team first defence system, tonights game is a perfect example, capitalize on the opposing teams mistakes and shut down movement in the defensive zone.
I saw most of the game flipping back between the baseball. The refs sure decided to takeover in the 3rd, but it actually brought some life to this game. Tucker looks lifeless out there. I was impressed with Ken Klee. That line of Stu Barnes, Brendan Morrow and Jason Arnott looks really good. Thank god I'm going to the Sens-Caps game tomorrow to see Havlat make his debut. Boring game tonight which I thought would be exciting!!!
Klee is starting to fit in a lot better then I felt originally. Jackman is getting quality icetime so he should only get better.
Stajan is doing well, seeing as he has been paired with such standouts as Belak and Domi, so I guess we can say that he is getting his baptism in fire. I thought him and Ponikarovski looked good on the goal, Stajan did an awesome job of digging to get the puck to Klee.
As much as people get on Reichel's back, he has been having a good season so far, now the only thing we Leaf fans look forward to is his yearly dissapearance.......
Not a great game entertainment wise, but a victory and thats what we wanted
Stajan is really doing well.. if only he wasn't paired with Belak and played more than 8 mins a game, he could really be much more of a factor, Quinn should smarten up and atleast play him on the third line.
Very few defensive breakdowns, soild goaltending and they once again allowed less than 20 shots! Hopefully, we'll have more success tomorrow in Pheonix!
good team effort last night. man, is it just me or are the leafs rarely allowing more than 20 shots on goal a game? i have to research this when i have time tonight. tucker didnt look great out there, but i think it was his worst game of the season. i think his play has improved and i love having him on our team. roberts and guerin fighting?! that was classic. roberts smacked that pansy around. though i admit, roberts was throwing some sissy punches, guerin still took them without dishing anything back. good game. hopefully we dont have another islanders blowout tonight. go leafs.
Not a great game entertainment wise, but a victory and thats what we wanted
Stajan is really doing well.. if only he wasn't paired with Belak and played more than 8 mins a game, he could really be much more of a factor, Quinn should smarten up and atleast play him on the third line.
Very few defensive breakdowns, soild goaltending and they once again allowed less than 20 shots! Hopefully, we'll have more success tomorrow in Pheonix!
Although Stajan may not play as much as you would like, it is in his best interest not to play him too much at this point. If he played more, for instance like last night, he would have come up alot more against lines like the Modano or Arnott lines. I'm sure he didn't see much action against them. If he had, he would have made many more mistakes and that would not have been beneficial for a player like him where confidence can waver so easily!!!
True but also pairing him with Belak is really not going to instill a lot of confidance.
Well, what's more important, winning games or making sure Matt Stajan develops with better players??? Its a tough dilemna!!! You want Stajan to turn into an impact player, but at the same time, you want to win games, especially in a market like Toronto where winning and losing a game means Cup contender and Cup pretender. If the Leafs are serious about contending for a Cup, then having Stajan sit more then getting top-line minutes should be the aim. If the Leafs are just content to make the playoffs, then playing him more is recommended. They did that here in Ottawa and the results have paid off dramatically here. Its seldom here that someone arrives in Ottawa and get's top minutes.
hes not saying that at all. sure he wants the leafs to win, but hes just saying it wouldnt hurt anyone if he was stuck onto the 3rd line instead of the 4th line playing and learning from players that have had more impact.
he doesnt have to be on the top line. even playing with reichel will help him more than a player like belak. he needs to learn skills, and belak doesnt have the skills this kid needs to learn.
3-1 final
3-1 final
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