THe minuses Rielly got though weren't with Gardiner. They were with Ranger and someone else.

And it wasn't the point Gardiner got last night that impressed me, it was the quickness him and Rielly showed last night, breaking up plays and keeping offensive plays going. They created and helped sustain a lot of offensive pressure while finding ways to work together to prevent any defensive zone time. It was like they increased the speed of the leafs game ten fold and actually made LA's players look bigger and slower.
- mykokes

100% agree

Point is, not having Phaneuf in the line up doesn't make the Leafs better.
- Pecafan Fan

Hard to say

the sens not having Karlsson, Spezza, Michalek etc in the lineup made them better. if you consider winning better.

why?

do other players then realize they cant rely on the Go to guy and have to step up?

Does that make them worse? better?
sometimes its better to have a team of lesser players who all step up and work better as a team then one guy everyone sits back and watches try to get it all done.

who the (frank) knows...the magic formula is nowhere near the leafs I believe that

Hard to say

the sens not having Karlsson, Spezza, Michalek etc in the lineup made them better. if you consider winning better.

why?

do other players then realize they cant rely on the Go to guy and have to step up?

Does that make them worse? better?
sometimes its better to have a team of lesser players who all step up and work better as a team then one guy everyone sits back and watches try to get it all done.

who the (frank) knows...the magic formula is nowhere near the leafs I believe that
- senstroll

Last season, as I've said many times, was an anomaly on many levels.

The Sens are coming right back to heart this season.

Last season, as I've said many times, was an anomaly on many levels.

The Sens are coming right back to heart this season.
- Pecafan Fan

Anderson is overrated.

Do you think he'd be -13 if he was paired up with Dion??

Doubt it
- faceto27

actually prolly be worse.

he would have to face the crosby's of the league

rielly is simple.. right now (thats the crucial part) he has NHL offense and WHL defense. plain and simple.

Anderson is overrated.
- jbold

Is he overrated? or just getting older and more susceptible to injuries?

Last season, as I've said many times, was an anomaly on many levels.

The Sens are coming right back to heart this season.
- Pecafan Fan

& so are the Leafs

I can't understand how Gunnarsson is still the default #1 pairing with Phaneuf... he needs to be dropped to 3rd pairing duties. I would give a shot at Ranger and/or Liles with Phaneuf, or anyone else for that matter.
- vermie22

Reilly Phaneuf

Anderson is overrated.
- jbold

Look back on Anderson's career. He had a great year with Colorado followed up with a brutal one, then he was traded.

Same thing in Ottawa. He gets flukey seasons. But in the big picture he's not that good of a goalie.

Anderson is overrated.
- jbold

He played over his head...




....for 1 quarter of a season and in the playoffs.

No. Look who he's been playing with. Fraser, Ranger and Franson.
- jbold

so the only way he is good is to play with all stars?

good argument

Does it really hurt to experiment? I don't think so. At least Yeti agreed with the experiment

- iTOLDu

Never trust anything I say

anyone bag on Ranger yet? or should I lead the charge?

he makes little mistakes, but when he one makes one, it's a big one? Is that a yogi-ism?

I think he has complete lapses, very phaneuf like
- Barx

wow.. that really made no sense

what i meant to say is he makes few mistakes but when he makes one.. its a biggie.

i can recognize this. and for a million.. meh.

Never trust anything I say
- Yeti1181

Thanks for setting me up

Liles shouldn't have sat last night.

Look back on Anderson's career. He had a great year with Colorado followed up with a brutal one, then he was traded.

Same thing in Ottawa. He gets flukey seasons. But in the big picture he's not that good of a goalie.
- faceto27

Bingo said this a few weeks back.

anyone bag on Ranger yet? or should I lead the charge?


- BlowMonkey

I was 1st after the pinch. Too late, noob.

Does it really hurt to experiment? I don't think so. At least Yeti agreed with the experiment

- iTOLDu

listen.. i like ranger.. but i also know he is bottom pairing.. for a reason.

i never once claimed he should be top pairing.. oh man, that would be bad.

actually prolly be worse.

he would have to face the crosby's of the league

rielly is simple.. right now (thats the crucial part) he has NHL offense and WHL defense. plain and simple.
- Dozzer

I'm going to have to disagree with you. When I watch him play, he's no stud on the defense, but he's not bad either.

Anderson is overrated.
- jbold

i dont think so.. Anderson only played 24 of the 48 games last season
couldnt be all him.

he had a good 24 games or 30% of a season

if we come to that conclusion, we probably will about the leafs goalies also.

Liles shouldn't have sat last night.
- mykokes

nursing a minor injury i thought?

Said it last night. Quicker than they have been in a while a s really moved the puck well.
- burn

I think they just played their game finally. We're a rush team (well, at least 2/3s of our top 9) and Randy's just going to have to deal with it. We're too small up front to sustain any kind of a cycle game. I mean, maybe a line with Clarkson, Bolland, and Kulemin could pull that off, but the rest of them (save for maybe JVR) aren't built that way.

I was 1st after the pinch. Too late, noob.
- twiztedmike

thanks for picking up my slack!

Ranger sucks!

listen.. i like ranger.. but i also know he is bottom pairing.. for a reason.

i never once claimed he should be top pairing.. oh man, that would be bad.
- Dozzer

I don't think he is either. I'm not saying that should happen either, I'm just saying it's time for Randy to play with those pairings. Hell, the guy changes o-lines in the middle of almost every game. He needs to spark the D esp if no nuts Nonis decides to just sit around and do nothing. I do want to keep watching Gardiner and Rielly for a few more games tho. Of course, this is probably the only thing RC will change.