Do you really think Bernier isn't going to regress? It's funny how much Leafs fans said Anderson and Lehner would come back last season (and they did) but can't acknowledge the same thing can happen to Bernier.

Bernier also proved that he breaks down after a while. Late in the season he was horrible and it was because he played so much. If the same thing happens again I can see another groin injury or worse. The fact is that the Leafs rely too much on their goal tending and it will once again be a part of their downfall.

Also, you guys barely did anything to fix the D this year. What if Reilly has a sophomore slump like many young player have?

TO will finish 11th or 12th this year.
- riceroni

are you talking about the 3 games he played after coming back early from injury?


Bernier wasn't horrible at the end of last season, Reimer was.

Leafs also made pretty big changes to the back-end, adding more guys who actually play defense... and while Rielly might regress, we also have Gardiner who's past his sophomore stage, who's likely going to step up.

Toronto went from 3rd in the East to picking 8th after their starter went down. They had no depth up front, and a defense corps that didn't know how to play defense.

They've addressed a lot of their issues.

Kind of random seeing all of the other garbage being spewed on here. Could this spell the end of the GW2.0 hot girl of the day?
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

The GW2.0 HGOTD is one of the best reasons to look at the message board... There will be less mods around when Travis posts a blog that doesn't have any remote ties to TO or MTL. When it's only Sens fans and few others we are usually left alone. But it seems the last couple have been sh1t shows.

TO will finish 11th or 12th this year.
- riceroni

Toronto could finish 6th, 9th, or 14th and none would surprise me. Same goes for Ottawa and pretty much every other team not playing for Boston, Pittsburgh or Buffalo. The East is too difficult to predict.

The GW2.0 HGOTD is one of the best reasons to look at the message board... There will be less mods around when Travis posts a blog that doesn't have any remote ties to TO or MTL. When it's only Sens fans and few others we are usually left alone. But it seems the last couple have been sh1t shows.
- riceroni

I think I can explain all the Leaf guys coming round. I think it has something to do with the huge investment the Leafs are making in analytics. Last year most of these guys spent all their time saying that the Leaf game was fine, advanced numbers did not matter. Well I guess time proved them wrong, they collapsed and the fans were left with the same old, same old. Important to remember Travis was one of the first to forecast that the Leafs would tank in the stretch.

Now the Leafs have an analytics faculty and some of the guys think it will enable them to win the Stanley Cup. The guys coming round here now are just looking for some kind of insight into what happened. They think they want to talk about hockey in a serious way, as we do most days on this thread. But, like the story of the scorpion they cannot change their ways. So they start biting and sniping and pretending they actually have done a lot better than one playoff appearance in the last ten years.

Toronto could finish 6th, 9th, or 14th and none would surprise me. Same goes for Ottawa and pretty much every other team not playing for Boston, Pittsburgh or Buffalo. The East is too difficult to predict.
- BetterCallSaul

yeah this is pretty much how I feel about this season...ottawa and toronto are actually pretty comparable in that who the hell knows what is going to happen with either of them...could be good..could be really not good..

are you talking about the 3 games he played after coming back early from injury?


Bernier wasn't horrible at the end of last season, Reimer was.

Leafs also made pretty big changes to the back-end, adding more guys who actually play defense... and while Rielly might regress, we also have Gardiner who's past his sophomore stage, who's likely going to step up.

Toronto went from 3rd in the East to picking 8th after their starter went down. They had no depth up front, and a defense corps that didn't know how to play defense.

They've addressed a lot of their issues.
- Feeling Glucky?

Yep we are hoping the same for our kiddie corps blueline as well

I think I can explain all the Leaf guys coming round. I think it has something to do with the huge investment the Leafs are making in analytics. Last year most of these guys spent all their time saying that the Leaf game was fine, advanced numbers did not matter. Well I guess time proved them wrong, they collapsed and the fans were left with the same old, same old. Important to remember Travis was one of the first to forecast that the Leafs would tank in the stretch.

Now the Leafs have an analytics faculty and some of the guys think it will enable them to win the Stanley Cup. The guys coming round here now are just looking for some kind of insight into what happened. They think they want to talk about hockey in a serious way, as we do most days on this thread. But, like the story of the scorpion they cannot change their ways. So they start biting and sniping and pretending they actually have done a lot better than one playoff appearance in the last ten years.
- spatso

LOL I doubt it. They are just chuking a little s*** as per every year.

Yep we are hoping the same for our kiddie corps blueline as well

- top shelf 15

except we only have 2 kids on the blue line.

are you talking about the 3 games he played after coming back early from injury?


Bernier wasn't horrible at the end of last season, Reimer was.

Leafs also made pretty big changes to the back-end, adding more guys who actually play defense... and while Rielly might regress, we also have Gardiner who's past his sophomore stage, who's likely going to step up.

Toronto went from 3rd in the East to picking 8th after their starter went down. They had no depth up front, and a defense corps that didn't know how to play defense.

They've addressed a lot of their issues.
- Feeling Glucky?

i dunno...its to be optimistic I guess...

@spasto

Or we're just laughing at the geniuses who'd rather have MacA and Turris over Kessel.

Being an optimist is definitely healthier than being a pessimist

But everything I said was grounded in fact... so the correct term is realist.

Being an optimist is definitely healthier than being a pessimist

But everything I said was grounded in fact... so the correct term is realist.
- Feeling Glucky?

i guess we will see...i just don't think the moves they made are going make that huge of a difference...i actually think the front office stuff they are doing is way better than the stuff they have done on ice..except for the huge question as to why carlyle is still there..but im assuming he wont make it through the season which is good.

but as i said..we shall see..thats why they play the games!

i guess we will see...i just don't think the moves they made are going make that huge of a difference...i actually think the front office stuff they are doing is way better than the stuff they have done on ice..except for the huge question as to why carlyle is still there..but im assuming he wont make it through the season which is good.

but as i said..we shall see..thats why they play the games!
- TheMike12

Injuries happen to all teams... last year the Leafs had very little depth, so they felt it a lot worse.

FFS McClement was our 2nd line center for a bit... with JVR as top line C.

Our bottom-6 should look something like this:

Booth-Winnik-Santorelli
Kontiola-Holland-Komarov

Huge improvement over last year, IMO... especially now that the team has a 4th line that can be coutned on to, you know, play hockey.

Injuries happen to all teams... last year the Leafs had very little depth, so they felt it a lot worse.

FFS McClement was our 2nd line center for a bit... with JVR as top line C.

Our bottom-6 should look something like this:

Booth-Winnik-Santorelli
Kontiola-Holland-Komarov

Huge improvement over last year, IMO... especially now that the team has a 4th line that can be coutned on to, you know, play hockey.
- Feeling Glucky?

yeah for sure, i just think, for both the sens and toronto that a lot of things have to go right for them to be succesful, which is true for a lot of teams...just seems like its really true for either of our teams.

either way it should be fun to watch...or super infuriating..one of the 2

@spasto

Or we're just laughing at the geniuses who'd rather have MacA and Turris over Kessel.
- Feeling Glucky?

Not sure why that is a huge issue for anyone. Leafs would not give up Kessel for Turris and MacArthur. But, Leafs don't have anyone the Sens would trade for (other than Kessel) if the Leafs asked about Turris. Silly debate.

Not sure why that is a huge issue for anyone. Leafs would not give up Kessel for Turris and MacArthur. But, Leafs don't have anyone the Sens would trade for (other than Kessel) if the Leafs asked about Turris. Silly debate.
- spatso

id seriously consider (and probably do) JVR or Reilley..but thats about it probably

Injuries happen to all teams... last year the Leafs had very little depth, so they felt it a lot worse.

FFS McClement was our 2nd line center for a bit... with JVR as top line C.

Our bottom-6 should look something like this:

Booth-Winnik-Santorelli
Kontiola-Holland-Komarov

Huge improvement over last year, IMO... especially now that the team has a 4th line that can be coutned on to, you know, play hockey.
- Feeling Glucky?

JVR
McClement
Smithson
Smith

Down the middle. Happy Days.

Really thats it thought there would be more

id seriously consider (and probably do) JVR or Reilley..but thats about it probably
- TheMike12

So would I but Ottawa is not in a position to give up a center on a great long term deal.

The leafs should be better ,if they start slow RC will be looking for work

The leafs should be better ,if they start slow RC will be looking for work
- top shelf 15

Here's hoping they start slow then! At the end of the day I wouldn't be suprised if leafs have a top 10 pick in the draft, it honestly wouldn't crush me anyway I'm a young hockey fan who really just turned into a die hard a few years ago so I haven't had to deal with the poop some fans have for the last 40 years Leafs could use another top prospect in their system like Nylander.

Leaf Rookies vs Sens Rookies in London just three weeks from this coming weekend.

Leaf Rookies vs Sens Rookies in London just three weeks from this coming weekend.
- spatso

Depending on who's playing in the tournament wouldn't put to much stock in it, will be nice to have some hockey being played though. Are those games usually on internet?

id seriously consider (and probably do) JVR or Reilley..but thats about it probably
- TheMike12

Kadri has to be considered here as well.