Go Leafs Go!!

[21pro]

guyroch: the leafs aren't rebuilding... this is JFJr's final year of THE PLAN. So this is his glory year... all the efforts are supposed to succumb to nothing short of excellence. actually, if you ask me: the leafs are just making money, that's about it.

he needs time to work through his conditioning and get back to the level that he showed while popping 40+ goals as a member of Hurricanes.

that only happened once in his career. at best he's a 25 goal scorer. or, more precisely, he averages 23.82 goals per season and he's past his prime... not in age, but because of his health- both mental and physical...

 

[21pro]

but, look at how sweet this looks:

Toronto Maple Leafs 0 - 0 - 0 0pts

a perfectly clean slate to begin with...another chance, a new start!

 

[T-1000]

Sucessful season

Very good point. However, you missed a few more important elements in order for the Leafs to have a strong and successful season. And when referring to a successful season we are safe to say that making the playoffs by having a strong regular season and going deep into the playoffs. So in order for it to happen the following must take place.

1) Mats Sundin have to remain Mats Sundin. He clearly have to be the Leafs best offensive player on the ice night in and night out. He needs to stay healthy all season long. He needs to put up good offensive numbers i.e 35-40goals and 90-95 points.

2) The defensive pairing of McCabe and Kaberle must repeat their offensive numbers from last year. With the addition of Kubina, it should only make them that much stronger.

3) The specialty teams i.e. Power Play and Penalty Killing have to be good if not great. They need to run their power play like it was last year (believe it was second in the league in % and top in goals scored). They need to drastically improve their penalty killing which was pretty awful last year. With the additions of Peca, Gill and Kubina it should improve.

All this plus the points made from the last poster about Raycroft have a solid season like the one he had when he won rookie of the year and the young crops of rookies and sophomores (Stajan, Steen, Wellwood, Ponikarovsky, Suglobov, Pohl, White, Wozniewski) must stay healthy and have solid seasons as well.

 

[PHNINE]

Well boys, it looks like another regular season is starting and the hunt for the cup is once again upon us. The city has been craving Leaf hockey since the team had an early exit last year, and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 8 years. With a few free agent signings in the off season, and a changing of the guard at the head coach position, JFJr is ready to take another stab at running the most profitable hockey franchise in the league.

Usually not known for defence, it seems this year the Leafs have reinforced the blue line, and could end up being the best part of this team at season's end. With only Sundin being the proven goal scorer, the younger guys will have to step up and have career season's in the stat department. The addition of a few veteran's will only prove to be positive as long as they can stay healthy. Goal tending seems deep on paper, but only time will tell if this is true. The new NHL, is here in its second year. Let's see how the new Toronto Maple Leafs do this year.

Season Opener:

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators

 

[shack]

All I know is Al Gill maybe adopted by the fans as the
next Aki Berg ..

He didn't look too good on that second goal when Neil went around him.

 

[T-1000]

Not looking good

2nd intermission score - Sens 3 Leafs 1

The positives - Mats Sundin and Mike Peca.

The negatives - Well where shall we start. The power play has look horrendous thus far. No shots on goal on four opportunities. Raycroft looks shaky.....the 3rd Sens goal was brutal. McCabe looks like his old self, giveaways in the defensive zone. Lack of scoring from wingers looks emminent.

Lets hope they can comeback in the 3rd.

 

[PHNINE]

Leafs 1 Senators 3

Fuck...

 

[T-1000]

Long season

Well final score Sens 4 Leafs 1. It looks like we're in for a loooooong season. The only positives from this game was Mats Sundin and Mike Peca. That is the unfortunate part......they were the only bright spots. They don't have any offense. The defense which JFJ spent millions of dollars in upgrade looks awful. McCabe looks lost out there. Gill is slow as hell. Come to think of it, Aki Berg looks pretty good now.

 

[21pro]

It's not pre-season anymore... this one's for real. and a very important game as it is a division rival, as well. that oughtta worry you leaf fans. nothing good can come of this but a reminder to wake up and find another team to cheer for. this team sucks- and will suck for a few more years.

 

[Gntlmn]

How 'bout TSN's prediction about the Penguins and that Pickledilly guy (whatever his name) that owns RIM in KW? I know a bunch of rabid Leaf fans in KW who are on me all the time cuz I live in Ottawa. They'd implode or something with an NHL team right there. I know it's a friggin longshot (Hamilton MUCH more likely) but I still find the idea cool for the fuck-with-their-heads factor.

 

[PHNINE]

Leafs are up 2-0 in the first period. Time to jump back on the band wagon guys...

 

[PHNINE]

We're on the lead float!!!

 

[T-1000]

Looking good

Woohooo 5-0 Leafs 2nd Intermission.

Raycroft performance looks much better than last night.

Sundin, Wellwood, Tucker, Peca and Kilger is having a strong game so far.

Man, Gerber looks shaky tonight.

 

[21pro]

Raycrofts wasn't to blame for the season opener, though... he did what he could. He was probably the leafs best player on Wednesday night.

BTW 39 shots on goal for game 2 probably won't ever happen again for the leafs... they just taught Ottawa a very big lesson... and I'm sure Ottawa learned.

 

[T-1000]

Raycrofts wasn't to blame for the season opener, though... he did what he could. He was probably the leafs best player on Wednesday night.

You've got to be kidding right!!!

The best Leaf on Wednesday night was Sundin.

 

[new2game]

This is not a Cup Contending team..

...and I'm not talking about the Leafs(they are not either)...I'm talking about the Sens...The Leafs could have won both games had they buried their early chances in game one the way they did tonight...Ottawa has not impressed me yet...I think their defense is suspect,and they do not have top tier goaltending... Granted, I think this Leafs team at least has some more speed, and that is helping. Sundin seems to be playing with more of a purpose, and Wellwood is gaining confidence, and is showing he can play in this league...

Nice effort tonight....any night the Sens go down is a good night..

N2G

 

[21pro]

You are right. but, they aren't chosen to be cup contenders... what you say has been known for 3 months.

I think Wellwood sorda stinks for a 1st or 2nd liner. He can score sometimes, but the rest of his game could use some re-schooling. He is not a first line winger.
I can run through the entire league of 1st line wingers... Every SINGLE one of them are better than Wellwood.

Ovechkin, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Zetterberg, Kariya, Prospal, Gagne, Rolston, Naslund, Tanguay, Straka, Stillman, Sedin, Smyth, Morrow, Cole, Sturm, Calder, Blake, Ekman, Nagy, Jokinen, Rucinsky, Modin, Nash, Cheechoo, Jagr, Alfredsson, Hossa, Selanne, Gionta, Hemsky, Williams, Afinigenov, Bertuzzi, Sullivan, Iginla, Gaborik, Satan, Doan, Knuble, Kovalev, Vyborny, Recchi, Kotalik, St. Louis... just a start of 1st line wingers...

 

[new2game]

there are some on that list...

You are right. but, they aren't chosen to be cup contenders... what you say has been known for 3 months.

I think Wellwood sorda stinks for a 1st or 2nd liner. He can score sometimes, but the rest of his game could use some re-schooling. He is not a first line winger.
I can run through the entire league of 1st line wingers... Every SINGLE one of them are better than Wellwood.

Ovechkin, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Zetterberg, Kariya, Prospal, Gagne, Rolston, Naslund, Tanguay, Straka, Stillman, Sedin, Smyth, Morrow, Cole, Sturm, Calder, Blake, Ekman, Nagy, Jokinen, Rucinsky, Modin, Nash, Cheechoo, Jagr, Alfredsson, Hossa, Selanne, Gionta, Hemsky, Williams, Afinigenov, Bertuzzi, Sullivan, Iginla, Gaborik, Satan, Doan, Knuble, Kovalev, Vyborny, Recchi, Kotalik, St. Louis... just a start of 1st line wingers...

..that I wouldn't take over Wellwood

Recchi...OLD...defintely on his last legs
Sedin..don't know which one you mean, but neither of the twins are better than Wellwood...especially without Anson Carter
Ekman..tends to be streaky..although I will admit this is also a flaw of Wellwood
Zetterberg..overrated..especially as a playoff performer..

I'll certainly say that Wellwood is nowhere near the clas of some of the best on your list..Ovechkin, Heatley,Kovelchuk, and others...but he still is relatively young..and his 2nd full season...he has room to improve..I think Wellwood has a lot of natural talent and skill....Sure we could have someone better with Mats...but we could have worse too..Antropov could still be on Sundin's wing

N2G

 

[21pro]

I've come to 2 possible conclusions:
A) you simply misunderstood what i stated... I didn't ask who you'd take Wellwood over...
B) you are simply overrating Wellwood to think he is better right now than:
-Mark Recchi, 4th highest scoring right-winger of this years stanley cup playoffs... and a proven leader and cup winner. 2nd best RW on that Carolina team in playoff points.you are right though- he is slowing down, big time... i expect him to retire after this season
-both of the Sedin twins can play either wing position and both have a much better P-Kill and D-game.
-Ekman is one of the better 5-on-5 wingers in the league (perhaps why you view him as streaky)... this is his specialty, and why whatever team has him will do better in the standings. You're comparing a +/- of potentially 20 to 40 at season's end to a +/- of 0 to -10 in Wellwood... Pittsburgh is a much better team with Ekman. It's still a matter of opinion, I agree but, the consensus would still be that Ekman is more valuable to his respective team- that's my basis for who's better... he'd make the leafs better too, if he was in Wellwood's situation.
-Zetterberg... just watch and see where he brings the Red Wings to this season. He is a proper 1st liner. and at a greater than 1 Point per game player with again that same consistent high +/- (and playing less minutes- wait till this season)...

he could be better than many players come mid-season, though. let's see how good he times himself to mats' game, first. he looks good so far.

 

[21pro]

pretty decent game saturday night Oct. 7th

Leafs lose 3-2 to montreal in a shootout. the extra OT point puts the leafs in 2nd place in the northeast division.

i think it coulda been a bad coaching decision for Paul Maurice to not include Mike Peca in the first 3 shooters. He has the best shootout record of anyone the leafs have.

Kubina and Gill had a good game and deserve more credit.