Once again, apologies for the lack of posts lately. Where I last left off, there was no Phaneuf, no Sjostrom, no Giguere and to put it quite frankly, no Luke Schenn or Rickard Wallin. Since the two trades involving the Calgary Flames and the Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks, there has been a transformation of spirit, hitting, and skill taking over the Toronto Maple Leafs dressing room. When I was informed of the trade I was acting as the lead member of the FLQ, Jacques Rose in the Montreal Model UN reconstruction of the Canadian Cabinet during the October Crisis. I was informed of the new trade intel via blackberry from a friend of mine. It has now been just over a week since the team changing trade and this is how I see the team at this point.
Sjostrom - the Bone proclaimed new nicknamed "Sjo-Stopper" was quite an underrated pick up for the Leafs. His presence seems to have excited Rickard Wallin - since the trade they have both been on fire. I'm hoping the two of them together on the PK will actually turn out to be a success. All of the players we received in the trades have in some way excited someone else on the team. Wallin is no longer a healthy scratch caliber player (Well, I used to think he would be a healthy scratch for the Marlies). He has finally been playing well not only defensively but also with strength low in the corners of the offensive zone.
Schenn - right now his improvement is in a league of its own. He's been playing better and better throughout the year however that's not saying much since he wasn't NHL material at the beginning of the season. Now however, he's hitting, shooting, and talking on the bench like a future captain should. The great thing about Toronto media is that when you play well, boy do they play it up. Especially with Luke Schenn since he is such a top prospect for the Leafs future.
Kadri - last night was probably the most excited I've ever been to sit in front of the tube for a game. Watching him play his first shift and spring Stalberg on a breakaway was an incredible feeling. However, the next shift, the kid got hit hard in our defensive corner. After that, he was no longer really a threat. When he was going up against their defensemen in battles for the puck, I was genuinely scared for his health. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Kadri needs to take a couple pages out of Jason Blake's books and learn to play with speed but still avoid the hits.
Kessel and Bozak - like I said in my previous post, Kessel's defensive faults drive me up the wall but how can I complain when he puts up numbers like 7 points in his last 3 games and 10 in his last 5? Although he runs away from any hit coming towards him, he still has that shoot-first mentality that compels him to rip the shot whether or not he even has his equilibrium. Phil shoots from no matter what position; he just likes to score goals. Another positive is his willingness to make that pass when there are too many people covering him - cue Bozak. Bozak has been in the right place at the right time a lot this season. With 11 points in his 15 games up in the show, the two of them make good linemates. Also, with 28 hits in his 15 games, he offers a physical presence to the Leafs' first line that opens up room for Kessel. With Poni's size on the other wing, the line has been quite strong in the few games it's been together.
If these factors, along with the strong play by in net Giguere continues, the Leafs might actually have the opportunity to close the gap between them and...well...not last place. Our largest difficulty this season has been our penalty kill and if the Wallin-Sjostrom tandem can come together as a shut-down pairing then Burkie's trades will have been a roaring success this late in the season.
Let's hope for the best,
Bone
I decided to show the least interesting interview... ever.
Showing posts with label Schenn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Schenn. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Most Improved: Schenn, Blake Or(r) Kulemin?
Leafs Nation is obsessing over our newfound ability to win, especially with a statistic like 7-2-1 in our last 10. It's always nice to know we're winning but this might be a little premature knowing the teams we're playing. In the past 10 games, we've beaten Columbus, NY Islanders, Montreal, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Florida, and an unexpected overtime win over Washington. However, we've lost to Boston, NY Islanders (in OT) and Buffalo.
In the list of teams the Leafs have beaten, Washington is the anomaly being the only elite NHL team we've stolen a win from. Montreal is in a playoff spot and so are the Thrashers but neither are likely to make the playoffs come the end of the year. Washington, Buffalo and Boston are the three actually good teams we've played in this rush and we have that many loses. Washington was a win due to an incredible game by Beauchemin and White, while the other two teams beat us.
Buffalo and Boston are divisional teams which makes winning against them all the more important. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem likely at all. Furthermore, we play both teams 2 more times each in December alone. Also, in December the Leafs only have 2 more games against teams that are not in a playoff seed currently. Those teams are the Oilers and the Islanders. Instead, our Leafers are up against Buffalo twice, Boston twice, Washington, Pittsburgh, and the Pheonix Coyotes of Hamilton (...I wish).
What I'm saying is not that the Leafs should have been 10-0 in their last 10 games, but that they need to win games against great teams if they're going to make a run for the playoffs. they have a very hard month coming up and they need to steal some games from elite teams like they did against Washington.
What I hope for from the past 10 games is a confidence booster from players like Schenn, Kulemin, Blake and Colton Orr.
Schenn has been outstanding during this ten game stint, which is being shown by his plus/minus statistic. In the last 5 games alone, Schenn is a +6. He's had games with about 10 minutes of ice time, some with 15, and 2 with 19 minutes. Ron Wilson is beginning to trust the sophomore defender and it seems he's finally finding his confidence.
Kulemin's statistics look quite mediocre for the year, having only 8 points on the year and a -3 to show for it. However, last 5 games, he has 1G and 1A and is a +1. Still, seems pretty mediocre. What everyone's talking about however, is his defensive abilities. This kid has been stellar in his defensive play, throwing his weight around, fighting for the puck while being a disciplined power forward. His development is not close to being over but he's definitely a good player to have on this Leafs hockey team. The looks of some statistics can be awfully deceiving.
Our local MMA hockey player Colton Orr has certainly picked up his play defensively. The whole fourth line has been able to hem the opposing team into their own end and apply enough pressure that the opposing team doesn't pose a threat. In the game against Washington, Mayers, Wallin and Orr kept Ovechkin and his team in their zone for a couple shifts while the Leafs first line had time to rest. Orr has even potted a game-winning goal recently, tying his NY Rangers statistic last year with 1G all season. This 4th line fighter is only a -3 and has been much better in this 10 game stint.
Last but not least, the player that seems to be the most hated on all of the Maple Leafs, Jason Blake. I only put him on this list because he has finally found his scoring touch. In the last 5 games, Blake is a +6 and has 3G 1A on 20 shots. He's a +2 on this Leafs team and scored the winning goal last night against his old team. Everyone in Leafs nation has been hard on him this season but I still must disagree. Although he hasn't been scoring until recently, he has had incredible speed all year that penetrates the opposing zone and allows the team to set up in a dangerous way. He is also a surprisingly great physical presence behind the opposition's net. Look for him to keep up his scoring.
These are the players that have picked up their play the most in this previous 5-10 games and have hopefully really gained confidence from the Leafs' winning. Honourable mention to Vesa Toskala and Wayne Primeau.
Go Leafs Go
Bone
Since we're playing the Caps soon and I spoke of our win over them a while back, I thought I'd include my favourite Washington youtube clip. Ever.
In the list of teams the Leafs have beaten, Washington is the anomaly being the only elite NHL team we've stolen a win from. Montreal is in a playoff spot and so are the Thrashers but neither are likely to make the playoffs come the end of the year. Washington, Buffalo and Boston are the three actually good teams we've played in this rush and we have that many loses. Washington was a win due to an incredible game by Beauchemin and White, while the other two teams beat us.
Buffalo and Boston are divisional teams which makes winning against them all the more important. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem likely at all. Furthermore, we play both teams 2 more times each in December alone. Also, in December the Leafs only have 2 more games against teams that are not in a playoff seed currently. Those teams are the Oilers and the Islanders. Instead, our Leafers are up against Buffalo twice, Boston twice, Washington, Pittsburgh, and the Pheonix Coyotes of Hamilton (...I wish).
What I'm saying is not that the Leafs should have been 10-0 in their last 10 games, but that they need to win games against great teams if they're going to make a run for the playoffs. they have a very hard month coming up and they need to steal some games from elite teams like they did against Washington.
What I hope for from the past 10 games is a confidence booster from players like Schenn, Kulemin, Blake and Colton Orr.
Schenn has been outstanding during this ten game stint, which is being shown by his plus/minus statistic. In the last 5 games alone, Schenn is a +6. He's had games with about 10 minutes of ice time, some with 15, and 2 with 19 minutes. Ron Wilson is beginning to trust the sophomore defender and it seems he's finally finding his confidence.
Kulemin's statistics look quite mediocre for the year, having only 8 points on the year and a -3 to show for it. However, last 5 games, he has 1G and 1A and is a +1. Still, seems pretty mediocre. What everyone's talking about however, is his defensive abilities. This kid has been stellar in his defensive play, throwing his weight around, fighting for the puck while being a disciplined power forward. His development is not close to being over but he's definitely a good player to have on this Leafs hockey team. The looks of some statistics can be awfully deceiving.
Our local MMA hockey player Colton Orr has certainly picked up his play defensively. The whole fourth line has been able to hem the opposing team into their own end and apply enough pressure that the opposing team doesn't pose a threat. In the game against Washington, Mayers, Wallin and Orr kept Ovechkin and his team in their zone for a couple shifts while the Leafs first line had time to rest. Orr has even potted a game-winning goal recently, tying his NY Rangers statistic last year with 1G all season. This 4th line fighter is only a -3 and has been much better in this 10 game stint.
Last but not least, the player that seems to be the most hated on all of the Maple Leafs, Jason Blake. I only put him on this list because he has finally found his scoring touch. In the last 5 games, Blake is a +6 and has 3G 1A on 20 shots. He's a +2 on this Leafs team and scored the winning goal last night against his old team. Everyone in Leafs nation has been hard on him this season but I still must disagree. Although he hasn't been scoring until recently, he has had incredible speed all year that penetrates the opposing zone and allows the team to set up in a dangerous way. He is also a surprisingly great physical presence behind the opposition's net. Look for him to keep up his scoring.
These are the players that have picked up their play the most in this previous 5-10 games and have hopefully really gained confidence from the Leafs' winning. Honourable mention to Vesa Toskala and Wayne Primeau.
Go Leafs Go
Bone
Since we're playing the Caps soon and I spoke of our win over them a while back, I thought I'd include my favourite Washington youtube clip. Ever.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Another Win Thanks to Dr. Phil
It's nice to know that there's now some distance between the Leafs and Carolina. Even though it's only 4 points, it's hard being thought on the same field as the Hurricanes minus Staal. That's like the Leafs without Kessel, pretty terrible. Also, their lack of Ward is pretty noticeable as well. Superiority complex aside, let's get down to last night.
It's nice to know who our scorers are since it's the same players every night. Kessel, Hagman, Ponikarovsky and Stajan. It's always these 4, except for the odd time Kulemin or White put one in the net. But that's okay, as long as we're getting the points, I don't mind where the goals are coming from. I'm truly starting to like how the Leafs look on a nightly basis - past the 10 minute mark. It's still frustrating to see the Leafs shots directly at the chest of the goalie, but for the last couple games, they've have been able to capitalize on the goaltenders' mistakes because they're putting pressure on them in close and not just taking shots from the perimeter. There have been bodies in front of the opposing teams' net that have finally been resulting in goals. Except for Blake, he just won't score.
Kessel is kinda good, has anyone else noticed this? The one of two forwards with more than 20 minutes on the ice last night, he can really play until the final buzzer. It was his goal in the first period that got the Leafs fired up and by the end of the period it was very likely that the Leafs were going to win. That's one of the very few aspects of Toronto's game that cannot be contested, they know how to make a comeback. With 4 or 5 this year (that mostly ended up with a loss in OT), the Leafs have enough character to stick in the game until we have absolutely lost for sure. Maybe soon we'll actually fight hard enough to get the first goal of the game on a regular basis - that could be asking for too much.
Few things to notice from last night's victory. First of all, I really like this Hanson guy. Yes he was on for a couple goals, but the speed he can generate even with his size is quite useful. On Hagman's winning goal, it was Hanson who dumped it in, won the footrace, qicked it into the corner for Hagman, and then went to the net after Hagman just in case there was a rebound. I haven't seen him play with the Marlies, but I can see that with the style of play he has, points just follow him around because he puts the other team in awkward situations down low. A couple minutes later, he won another footrace for the puck down low that didn't result in a goal but still shows the kid can play.
Ponikarovski was a +3 last night. With a 4 point night (1G, 3A) - he was always in the right place. He used his size in front to gain a solid position in front of Vokoun and got the puck to ricochet off of him into the net. Not the prettiest goal, but he'll take it. He's not going to reach his 61 point total that he reached last year, but this year his plus/minus is his impressive stat with a +4 on a losing team. I've been quite a critic of the guy this year because he doesn't shoot to score but as long as he can plant himself in front of the net like he did last night, he can score a garbage goal from time to time.
Luke Schenn has probably been one of the biggest disappointments for the Leafs this year. We've had a number of them with Blake, Komisarek for the first bit, Beauchemin for the first bit, Stalberg not panning out yet, etc. but Schenn's bad play is finally starting to be dealt with. His minutes are being kept small so he can get his shit together and play like the Luke Schenn the Leafs know and love. He got an assist last night and only played about 12 minutes and +1. If he continues to improve, hopefully we can rely on him the same way we've been relying on Carl Gunnarsson for the past couple games. Wearing my hockey number of #36, he's been repping it perfectly, allowing Wilson to have confidence in him enough to put him out there in all situations. He's the perfect 23 year old to have on a rebuilding team. In the 7 games he has played this year, he's a +4 and has only played one game with under 20 minutes of ice time.
I think having Gunner up with the big club will force Schenn to play like he has to. Wilson has already guaranteed Gunner's place on the team and so when Komi comes back, there's a good chance that Exelby and Finger will be fighting for Schenn's last spot on the D line.
Anyway, riding a 2 game winning streak, the Leafs have two nights off to rest up, sharpen those skates and perfect that familiar Leafs Strategy - GET IT TO PHIL!
Go Leafs Go
OH, I almost forgot. Have you seen this Stamkos kid? He's making it really hard for the rest of Team Canada hopefuls.
...Yea, these Stamkos posts are going to get preeeeetty frequent. As frequent as his goals! HA.
-Bone
It's nice to know who our scorers are since it's the same players every night. Kessel, Hagman, Ponikarovsky and Stajan. It's always these 4, except for the odd time Kulemin or White put one in the net. But that's okay, as long as we're getting the points, I don't mind where the goals are coming from. I'm truly starting to like how the Leafs look on a nightly basis - past the 10 minute mark. It's still frustrating to see the Leafs shots directly at the chest of the goalie, but for the last couple games, they've have been able to capitalize on the goaltenders' mistakes because they're putting pressure on them in close and not just taking shots from the perimeter. There have been bodies in front of the opposing teams' net that have finally been resulting in goals. Except for Blake, he just won't score.
Kessel is kinda good, has anyone else noticed this? The one of two forwards with more than 20 minutes on the ice last night, he can really play until the final buzzer. It was his goal in the first period that got the Leafs fired up and by the end of the period it was very likely that the Leafs were going to win. That's one of the very few aspects of Toronto's game that cannot be contested, they know how to make a comeback. With 4 or 5 this year (that mostly ended up with a loss in OT), the Leafs have enough character to stick in the game until we have absolutely lost for sure. Maybe soon we'll actually fight hard enough to get the first goal of the game on a regular basis - that could be asking for too much.
Few things to notice from last night's victory. First of all, I really like this Hanson guy. Yes he was on for a couple goals, but the speed he can generate even with his size is quite useful. On Hagman's winning goal, it was Hanson who dumped it in, won the footrace, qicked it into the corner for Hagman, and then went to the net after Hagman just in case there was a rebound. I haven't seen him play with the Marlies, but I can see that with the style of play he has, points just follow him around because he puts the other team in awkward situations down low. A couple minutes later, he won another footrace for the puck down low that didn't result in a goal but still shows the kid can play.
Ponikarovski was a +3 last night. With a 4 point night (1G, 3A) - he was always in the right place. He used his size in front to gain a solid position in front of Vokoun and got the puck to ricochet off of him into the net. Not the prettiest goal, but he'll take it. He's not going to reach his 61 point total that he reached last year, but this year his plus/minus is his impressive stat with a +4 on a losing team. I've been quite a critic of the guy this year because he doesn't shoot to score but as long as he can plant himself in front of the net like he did last night, he can score a garbage goal from time to time.
Luke Schenn has probably been one of the biggest disappointments for the Leafs this year. We've had a number of them with Blake, Komisarek for the first bit, Beauchemin for the first bit, Stalberg not panning out yet, etc. but Schenn's bad play is finally starting to be dealt with. His minutes are being kept small so he can get his shit together and play like the Luke Schenn the Leafs know and love. He got an assist last night and only played about 12 minutes and +1. If he continues to improve, hopefully we can rely on him the same way we've been relying on Carl Gunnarsson for the past couple games. Wearing my hockey number of #36, he's been repping it perfectly, allowing Wilson to have confidence in him enough to put him out there in all situations. He's the perfect 23 year old to have on a rebuilding team. In the 7 games he has played this year, he's a +4 and has only played one game with under 20 minutes of ice time.
I think having Gunner up with the big club will force Schenn to play like he has to. Wilson has already guaranteed Gunner's place on the team and so when Komi comes back, there's a good chance that Exelby and Finger will be fighting for Schenn's last spot on the D line.
Anyway, riding a 2 game winning streak, the Leafs have two nights off to rest up, sharpen those skates and perfect that familiar Leafs Strategy - GET IT TO PHIL!
Go Leafs Go
OH, I almost forgot. Have you seen this Stamkos kid? He's making it really hard for the rest of Team Canada hopefuls.
...Yea, these Stamkos posts are going to get preeeeetty frequent. As frequent as his goals! HA.
-Bone
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