It doesn't matter. Fact is he got injured and the team could not overcome an injury to one player.

Thinking injuries is bad luck is loser talk. Injuries are all but guaranteed to happen during the year. You need depth in your organization to overcome them.
- Tumbleweed

Injuries happen, sure.

But how often does a team lose it's starting goalie during the toughest stretch of the season?

James Mirtle @mirtle
Kontiola: "It happened largely due to family matters but it is also due to fact that this could be my last chance to win the Stanley Cup."


Good one...that guy funny..
- Fruitcakenipple

"I don't know"

Him and komorov the new bozie kessel?

I do.

I think there was a lot wrong with the team last season.

But Bernier was a big part of them being in a playoff position for pretty much the whole season. He and the top line helped the team overcome a lot of it's problems and win games.

Leafs weren't a contending team last year, but with Bernier they were certainly a playoff team.
- Feeling Glucky?

When Bernier played bad, Leafs played bad. When Bernier played good, Leafs played bad, but won games. He was the difference.

It doesn't matter. Fact is he got injured and the team could not overcome an injury to one player.

Thinking injuries is bad luck is loser talk. Injuries are all but guaranteed to happen during the year. You need depth in your organization to overcome them.
- Tumbleweed

so we need Budaj?

ok that's different. If people want to be optimistic fine. Just seems last year when everyone was defeative it was fine.

Either way, like i said i hope we win the cup like i do every year. But whatever.
- clark_griswold

damn right!

i'll still drink my beer and cheer the boys on every game like I always do!!

we can do no less eh?

Van Riemsdyk - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Frattin
Komarov - Holland - Clarkson
Hartikainen - Kontiola - Devane/Ashton

Phaneuf - Bieksa
Rielly - Robidas
Gardiner - Polak
Granberg

Bernier
Reimer

Thats what I would like to see.

The Finnish feisty line. Komarov.Kontiola.Hartikanen
- TonkaPhaneuf

Yeah! I'd love it. Or an Ott in there.

Clarky on the 4th would make me laugh so hard. I don't want him on the 2nd just yet. He comes up when our top 6 go down.

because that was a freak injury.

People say PDO is a luck stat, but for my money, the only real "luck" that affects a team over the course of a season is injuries to key players.
- Feeling Glucky?

its pretty simple and I dont get the problem you have with it.
there is an average.. and if a team is above that average...they are genreally getting some bounces...stuff is going there way. it almost always corrects.. the high sh% comes back down... and the leafs live and die off it.. they crash hard when it evens out

Comes back to coaching and leadership, this is the whole compete level thing.
- LeafMan

I'd have a hard time 'competing' if I was playing every other night being heavily relied upon (Kessel, JVR, Phaneuf). These guys are humans, not robots.

damn right!

i'll still drink my beer and cheer the boys on every game like I always do!!

we can do no less eh?


- Dozzer

You could do much less, I personally like to get super frustrated after we give up 22 shots in the first and switch to global and watch glee. Those kids are so inspiring.

When Bernier played bad, Leafs played bad. When Bernier played good, Leafs played bad, but won games. He was the difference.
- peddy-93

More or less, but when he played well for a stretch, and the team was winning, their confidence went up and they played better.

When he went down and Reimer poop the bed, they lost their confidence.

Hopefully bringing in Robidas and Komarov will help temper those extremes.

David Alter @DavidAlter590
Huge payday awaits Bouchard for her success. A win @ Wimbledon will collect approx $3.2mil Canadian in prize money. $1.6mil for finalist.


No more chicken nuggets...

So, you don't think the Leafs, who were 3rd in the East would be able to maintain a .500 pace, with their starter in net?
- Feeling Glucky?

correct.. the top line went ice cold..

You could do much less, I personally like to get super frustrated after we give up 22 shots in the first and switch to global and watch glee. Those kids are so inspiring.
- Bigzby

Injuries happen, sure.

But how often does a team lose it's starting goalie during the toughest stretch of the season?
- Feeling Glucky?

Oh no, poor leafs. An injury to a key player at a bad time during the season. That's never happened to any team before.

Stop feeling sorry for them.

More or less, but when he played well for a stretch, and the team was winning, their confidence went up and they played better.

When he went down and Reimer poop the bed, they lost their confidence.

Hopefully bringing in Robidas and Komarov will help temper those extremes.
- Feeling Glucky?

More confidence sure, not necessarily better though. They still gave up wayyyyy too many shots.

[quote=BoTtLePoLiCe]
van Riemsdyk - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - ??
Komarov - Kontiola - Clarkson
Frattin - ?? - Ashton

Rielly - Phanuef
Gards - Robidas
? - Polak
Granberg

Bernier
Reimer


I'm thinking this is more our realistic route. With Franson and Holland to spare for now.

Van Riemsdyk - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Frattin
Komarov - Holland - Clarkson
Hartikainen - Kontiola - Devane/Ashton

Phaneuf - Bieksa
Rielly - Robidas
Gardiner - Polak
Granberg

Bernier
Reimer

Thats what I would like to see.
- BoTtLePoLiCe

Please stop with Frattin on the 2nd line....



Please...Or are u supporting a tank??

correct.. the top line went ice cold..
- senstroll

Yeah but their confidence was affected by the Bernier injury.

It'S all connected to Bernier!!!!

Don't you think there's something seriously wrong when a team cannot withstand a ten game absence from its goalie?
- DoubleDown

i dont really have an answer

maybe you know

how did the last 5 and half games you guys had without price go?

correct.. the top line went ice cold..
- senstroll

One word, fatigue.

its pretty simple and I dont get the problem you have with it.
there is an average.. and if a team is above that average...they are genreally getting some bounces...stuff is going there way. it almost always corrects.. the high sh% comes back down... and the leafs live and die off it.. they crash hard when it evens out
- senstroll

I wonder what could have happened to make the pdo go down right when the starting goalie got injured.

I'd have a hard time 'competing' if I was playing every other night being heavily relied upon (Kessel, JVR, Phaneuf). These guys are humans, not robots.
- peddy-93

Someone was saying it was the core, it does not help when you have no 3rd or 4th line contributing game in and game out. Those lines are critical to the success of a team nowadays.

I actually don't agree that the Leafs have a bad core. We have a Top 5 winger, a very, very good PF winger, a very high potential goalie and two exceptional offensive defensemen. Nylander could very well be the playmaking center that is pretty much the last core piece a team would love.

Phaneuf, Lupul and Clarkson are supplemental pieces, they don't detract from the core.

So, you don't think the Leafs, who were 3rd in the East would be able to maintain a .500 pace, with their starter in net?
- Feeling Glucky?

You could also look at it the other way.

Did the Leafs deserve to be in 3rd place in the East when they only won 3 games in Regulation over a span of 3 months? Was the team always as bad as the last 20 games and just got some puck luck?

You are going the opposite way and accentuating the positive too much when a lot of people were pointing out flaws long ago...