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Leafs Talk (2022/23): Chat away

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AnthonyL140 wrote: The leafs will be better this year IMO.
1. We should have a healthy and ready to go Bernier
2. Our bottom 6 last yr was truly horrible, we actually have a very good bottom 6 this season and that means no more 60 mins a game for our 1st line
3. defence can only get better, with robidas, another yr of rielly and gardner and no more crap d-men playing like paul ranger it will mean less ice time for phaneuf who was gassed last yr
4. This season = depth, which should push players to always play hard or they might not be in the lineup for long
Robidas is like 37 years old. Hard to imagine him making a huge difference to your defence. He alone will not stop the Leafs from being outshot like last season, which was almost 36 shots per game!

If anyone who should be pushed to play hard is Kadri. If he wants that contract, then he'll have to perform. This could be a make or break season for him.
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bobcat99 wrote: So much negativity just because of the last 10 games of the season. Watch everyone hop on by the end of October.
You say that as though Leaf fans have no reason to be pessimistic, as though the stellar performance of this franchise over the 20+ past years should tell us otherwise. It was much more than the last 10 games of the season last year, they broke down after the Olympic break. Watch everone hop on in October, then hop off in January/February. That's the usual cycle.
bobcat99 wrote: We should, but we don't. Look what happened after the 48 game season last year and the playoffs. A year ago there was so much optimism. Don't you think that will happen again after a good start.
I can't count how many times I've seen the Leafs come out of the gate running and get off to a hot start, only to fizzle away for the rest of the season. Happens all too often. A good start means nothing to this franchise, the way I see it the only reason we ended up in a decent playoff spot a couple of years ago was because the schedule was only 48 games. If that was a full year we would probably have been out of the playoff picture.
AnthonyL140 wrote: The leafs will be better this year IMO.
1. We should have a healthy and ready to go Bernier
2. Our bottom 6 last yr was truly horrible, we actually have a very good bottom 6 this season and that means no more 60 mins a game for our 1st line
3. defence can only get better, with robidas, another yr of rielly and gardner and no more crap d-men playing like paul ranger it will mean less ice time for phaneuf who was gassed last yr
4. This season = depth, which should push players to always play hard or they might not be in the lineup for long
Be careful with that statement lol. Phaneuf won the jackpot last year with his nice new contract, he has no incentive to play any better as he's set for the rest of his career. Robidas is an aging defenceman, and you typically lose a step or three once you get to his age. He's not gonna turn around our D on his own. We'd need Gardiner and Rielly to really step it up this year for us to be any better back there, but they aren't the most defensive-minded defenceman. We need more defence from our D and to let less shots on net, not offence which those two are more of.
Sgt_Strider wrote: Robidas is like 37 years old. Hard to imagine him making a huge difference to your defence. He alone will not stop the Leafs from being outshot like last season, which was almost 36 shots per game!

If anyone who should be pushed to play hard is Kadri. If he wants that contract, then he'll have to perform. This could be a make or break season for him.
I actually agree with you on this one, Kadri has to pull up his socks or else. If he does not impress this year it's time to move on and look elsewhere for another top 2 centreman. He's been given ample opportunity, and he had a good (shortened) season, but we need him to pull off a complete season to really know he can handle it. If not, ship him out and find a suitable replacement.
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kramerz80 wrote:

We'd need Gardiner and Rielly to really step it up this year for us to be any better back there, but they aren't the most defensive-minded defenceman. We need more defence from our D and to let less shots on net, not offence which those two are more of.
There D will get better with experience, both skate very well and are hard to beat 1x1. Expect their quickness to start paying dividends as they get to dump ins quickly etc and move the puck out of the Leafs zone.
IMO the Leafs forwards are more responsible than the D for all the shots on goal....and the defensive zone system Caryle has the Leafs play. He won a cup not challenging the puck carrier on the boards, keeping the opposing team to the outside and allowing shots from the perimeter. That system doesn't work well with the Leafs forwards....and opposing teams have adjusted.
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Zamboni wrote: There D will get better with experience, both skate very well and are hard to beat 1x1. Expect their quickness to start paying dividends as they get to dump ins quickly etc and move the puck out of the Leafs zone.
IMO the Leafs forwards are more responsible than the D for all the shots on goal....and the defensive zone system Caryle has the Leafs play. He won a cup not challenging the puck carrier on the boards, keeping the opposing team to the outside and allowing shots from the perimeter. That system doesn't work well with the Leafs forwards....and opposing teams have adjusted.
their d gets plenty of well deserved criticism, but the forwards are definitively a huge part of the problem. starts from allowing the other team to easily break out of their own zone, not clogging up the neutral zone effectively and then failing to pick up their man as they enter their zone. if this mindset hasn't improved it will be same old same old. you can only have success for so long playing like a bunch of undisciplined river boat gambler. that kind of play eventually catches up to you. as for the d getting better with experience one would hope so but the team culture has to change. starts with carlyle first developing an effective strategy for this group and then getting through to them. i haven't seen either so far. using the same approach he had with the ducks won't necessarily work with this cast of characters.
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Would the Leafs be interested in CLB's 22 year-old Ryan Johansen? What would be the price?
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Good setup by Kadri on Nilsson's goal. Kadri would not have that much space and time during the regular season to glide in to the half-boards like he did. This is the proverbial "make or break" season for Nazem. Hope an Ontarian can step-it up in the bigs.

Should add NK looks like he needs to bulk-up more, he looks really petite against the big Ds, like Luke Schenn.
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It looks like David Booth may be the next Mason Raymond. His shoot-out goal was confident. Anyways Go Leafs Go! Let the banter begin.
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fingers crossed but we shall see.
[QUOTE]“Production is huge. I’m an offensive player, so that’s the first thing,” said Kadri, “but becoming the whole package. I think I was a little better on the draws, coming back in my own end. I even saw a few penalty-killing shifts.
It’s just about time for me to develop myself and turn myself into the whole package.”[/QUOTE]
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/201 ... pener.html
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zalapski wrote: Good setup by Kadri on Nilsson's goal. Kadri would not have that much space and time during the regular season to glide in to the half-boards like he did. This is the proverbial "make or break" season for Nazem. Hope an Ontarian can step-it up in the bigs.

Should add NK looks like he needs to bulk-up more, he looks really petite against the big Ds, like Luke Schenn.
And so does Patrick Kane but no one comments about his size, just saying.

Gary Roberts recently talked about these very issues and its not in every hockey players best interest to 'bulk it up'.
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did Nylander play last night?
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Had to look-up Kane vs Kadri and they both are around the same height and weight. Both have magic hands but one is a proven winner. Of course having an elite/Hall of Famer centerman helps.
thechampion116 wrote: And so does Patrick Kane but no one comments about his size, just saying.

Gary Roberts recently talked about these very issues and its not in every hockey players best interest to 'bulk it up'.
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True, bulking-up and being top-heavy are separate things. Really depends on the type of game the player "plays."
thechampion116 wrote: Gary Roberts recently talked about these very issues and its not in every hockey players best interest to 'bulk it up'.
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zalapski wrote: Had to look-up Kane vs Kadri and they both are around the same height and weight. Both have magic hands but one is a proven winner. Of course having an elite/Hall of Famer centerman helps.
they typically play on different lines.

also, kane is solid on his feet while he does his dipsy doodling. kadri not so much quite yet.
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When the game is on the line the two are paired-up.

Kane's lower body strength is something Kadri should strive for. He just seems very "lanky" for the lack of a better word.
ShoNuff2 wrote: they typically play on different lines.

also, kane is solid on his feet while he does his dipsy doodling. kadri not so much quite yet.
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No, he will make his debut tonight at the ACC.

Edit: penciled in for the top line with Kessel and Santorelli. Should be interesting though a right-hander may not suit Kessel too well.
501 wrote: did Nylander play last night?
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Nylanders debut tonight! playing with Kessel!
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plan the parade!!! leafs are undefeated in the preseason so far!!! stanley cup here we come!!!!!!
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discontd wrote: plan the parade!!! leafs are undefeated in the preseason so far!!! stanley cup here we come!!!!!!
Yeah right, because preseason rookie-time is so much indicative of regular season performance.

This is just entertainment without meaning or consequence.


Go Habs go.
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alkizmo wrote: Yeah right, because preseason rookie-time is so much indicative of regular season performance.

This is just entertainment without meaning or consequence.


Go Habs go.
seems clear it was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment on his part.
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