The Hockey Thread

[SeanDMan]

That's the CFL, not the NHL.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Pfft... Haha, whoops. I saw a Leafs logo near his post and just assumed haha, Whoops!

[SeanDMan]

Basha, get off the sauce.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Two first rounders, though. I'd rather have two Schenns and two Kadris than one of each and a Kessel.

I can't say I would, not least because I'm quite skeptical about the chances we have of drafting another Schenn and another Kadri (or even that the Kadri we have is going to pan out properly). Kessel, at the very least, is proven talent - yes, you can point to Marc Savard and give him all of Kessel's success if you really think it makes your point look any stronger, but it does take a little more skill than you might think to score 30+ goals. Admittedly, I'm not Canadian, I wasn't fitted with skates and handed a stick at six minutes old, but I don't think I could do it.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Kessel's not Canadian either, just to get that out of the way.

And look at Rob Brown - 115 points, including 49 goals, in 1988-89, with Mario Lemieux feeding him the puck. Moves around a bit, spends a few years in the IHL, finishes off his career as a low-liner back in Pittsburgh. Blake and Kessel are slightly better than Brown, and they were fed the puck by players slightly worse than Mario, but it's the same idea.

[Gabriel]

I want to find out how many assists Savard had on Kessel goals last season.

I also want someone to go back and look at his 30+ goals and tell me how many of them were gimmes because of the pass that set them up... because they showed a highlight package of 10 or so of his goals from last season, and regardless of the play that set them up, most of them were blistering shots that picked an open part of the net. Doesn't matter who's feeding you the puck when you shoot like that.

[Clawson]

I want to find out how many assists Savard had on Kessel goals last season.

I also want someone to go back and look at his 30+ goals and tell me how many of them were gimmes because of the pass that set them up... because they showed a highlight package of 10 or so of his goals from last season, and regardless of the play that set them up, most of them were blistering shots that picked an open part of the net. Doesn't matter who's feeding you the puck when you shoot like that.

Somebody has done it...the number was 6. 6!

[Gabriel]

The Leafs' offensive woes are due to not putting the puck on net enough and being strong enough down low.

I look at a guy like John Mitchell, who has a similarly good shot to Kessel's, and if they work with him and get his aim to be better, he could be extremely dangerous... and with Kessel coming in, giving them a legitimate sniper, that's going to add 3-5 shots per game, all of which will be dangerous shots for goalies to face.

Stalberg is back from injury, and he's been dangerous. Tyler Bozak is getting a look again, and I think that a youth movement might be exactly the way they need to go right now. During the pre-season, the team had a lot more fire and was a lot more dangerous... and I look at that and attribute it to the fact that there were only a handful of veterans dressed each night. These guys come in with all sorts of baggage and worry, and it's effecting their game. The young kids though, they just want to play, and that creates a world of difference.

Burke says that he's been entertaining offers, but that everyone's just low-balling him right now... but I wholly expect him to make at least one move before Xmas, that brings back a piece meant to help this season. That is, unless the team gets their shit together and goes on some crazy sort of winning streak.

[TGWL]

2005-2006

Petr Prucha

68 Games,

30 G

17 A

47 P

2006-2007

Petr Prucha

79 Games

22 G

18 A

40 P

Since playing with Jagr

114 Games

14 G

24 A

38 P

You lose a player who draws a crowd like Jagr and Savard and that'll change a lot.

[Clawson]

Petr Prucha 240th overall in 2002.

Phil Kessel 5th overall in 2006.

One of these things is not like the other.

[SeanDMan]

Brent Johnson, defensive lineman for the B.C. Lions, said in the paper today that the real reason Hamilton can't get an NHL team is because then Toronto would want one too.

[Clawson]

The reason why the Maple Leafs haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967 is because Vancouver would want one and start crying about a conspiracy that they didn't get one.

[The Sultan of Swank]

What? That doesn't even make sense...

Montreal plays their first home game of the season tonight and I'll be on the road to Toronto of all places. I don't expect the fan 590 to be broadcasting the game haha.

Montreal needs to go 3-2-1 or better on this homestand otherwise it'll be time to hit the panic button and fire Bobbo, burn the Bell Centre to the ground and burn a effigy of Hal Gill.

Edited October 15, 2009 by The Sultan of Swank

[Plubby]

*gleeeeeeeee*

[Toe]

Montreal had 7 attackers on the ice at the end of the game against Colorado. They had Price out of the net for six, then Hal Gill came out of the penalty box and didn't realize he was the seventh player for them. The referee's didn't notice either. The Avs still held on for the W though.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Hey Toronto, Montreal will race you to the draft lottery this year.

[Guest Mr. Football Head]

I think barring major injury troubles, the Habs can turn it around. It takes players a while to gel, and I imagine it's just a matter of the coaching staff finding the right combinations and the players reaching the right comfort level with each other.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I did say I'd give them 10 games, but losing 5 is always just very frustrating...

[Toe]

The game on Saturday had some positives for us Leafs fans. The team fought hard for the first two periods and were not beaten for a lack of effort but by an incredibly hot goaltender. Joey MacDonald was okay in goal but the wrap around should not have gone in and he never made the big stop we are looking for. The penalty kill is just awful though.

[Cactus Drags]

That fake from O'Reilly against the Red Wings was beautiful. I'd never heard of him, amazed he made the roster and from what I've seen he's playing really well.