Bumping from last blog because I had to actually take calls and do work between writing my novel and Mike posted the new blob before I finished!

Good to see everything is normal in here, Leafs win and most of the commentary is how Freddy sucks, Willy needs to be traded etc.

IMO some of the analysis I've read here of what is wrong with Freddy's game is very god, some of it is m'eh and some of it is absolute garbage from folks who figure because they have watched hockey they are goal tending gurus. lol

I will say on goal 1 last night - Freddy being down to seal up the lower portion of the ice is what I have been told by numerous actual goalie coaches is the right play in an in tight, scramble when you can only see some or none of the puck and everyone is playing whack a mole.

Any goalie who would stand up and hug the post on that (so play it 80's style) is getting burned 99% of the time. The fact the Canucks smacked it and it popped up and got in was the lower percentage outcome and really as my non-goalie friend texted me right after the goal "how the hell is nobody in a Canucks jersey on their ass in front of the net on that and allowed to just stand there and swing away?".

I see a lot of talk & frustration about Freddy being on his chest (or tits as someone called it) too much and I think he's trying to do something that is actually taught as good technique, he is just doing it poorly. Sliding across with your chest up and making yourself big etc. sounds great, but does have some draw backs in comparison to what I think he is trying to do with the forwardness (for lack of a better term) of his body when he comes across.

He is trying to shorten the path the puck travels before it (hopefully) hits him by leaning forward towards the puck. It's often referred to as a goalie 'attacking' the puck but it's a delicate balance as it can end up with a goalie way too far forward and out of position (aka on his tits/chest/chin or whatever you choose to call it) and giving up a goal.

That being said when this is done correctly it can allow a goalie to catch, block or get a piece of a puck as the puck is rising that they are less likely to have if they came across straight up and down and trying to make themselves look as big as they can. It's essentially cutting down an angle as much as you can, stopping the puck from getting up to the point where it can get to the top portion of the net.

Freddy tries to do this almost every time he comes across the net in a bfly slide and I think he is leaning too far forward, too early and too quickly and getting burned on it. Sometimes it just doesn't matter, on a cross crease pass a good shooter will get the better of you regardless but I totally get that it's hard to look at a goalie on his chest on the ice and not question why he didn't stay up and get big. I look at those goals and would say the mistake was not what he did (attempted to do) but but rather the poor execution by over committing to attacking the puck. a

My 2 cents.

Oh and my other thought on Freddy - he's a 5M dollar goalie as per his contract, how does he compare to other 5M dollar goalies in the league? I think that's a better comparison vs comparing him to a guy like Price @ 10M/ year.

Would it be nice to have a lights out goalie, top 5 in the league? Of course....should we expect the 5M goalie we have to be that? I'm not so sure that's a realistic or fair expectation.

And before anyone says it - yes I like Fred, I like and cheer for whomever is between the pipes for the Leafs but.....I'd be very happy to have a guy like Gibson as a Leaf, I'm just not sure how much you have to give up to get him?
- Cush29

My kid is a goalie and I spent lots of time watching his lessons (and sweating through games).

I agree on the first goal. He was set pretty well properly.

He should not have had his upper body fall forward on the second goal though. The whole idea is to leave your upper body as quiet and as upright as possible when pushing off and coming across. Having as few holes as possible is important too. Obviously the more desperate the quicker you have to come across the more desperate you become and then it’s just getting as much as you can there.

It’s a question of technique, tracking the puck well and just general confidence.

Freddy went from a horrible defensive Leaf team to a decent defensive Leafs team and looks worse
- Santo_44

The first place team in the league should have a better goal differential than +8 if they're a "decent defensive team"

Freddy went from a horrible defensive Leaf team to a decent defensive Leafs team and looks worse
- Santo_44

The first place team in the league should have a better goal differential than +8 if they're a "decent defensive team"
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Thats not how you measure defence...Leafs could win every game 10-5 and would have an amazing goal differential...but letting in 5 goals a game is good defensively?

Try again.

How many games suspension did Kadri get for Chatfield boarding Kerfoot?
- GreatGigInTheSky

- Cush29

he's spun.

The first place team in the league should have a better goal differential than +8 if they're a "decent defensive team"
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Sorry but isn’t goal differential based on difference between goals for and against? Montreal is outscoring us. Does that make us bad defensively? Why not look at Goals against in the division?

Thats not how you measure defence...Leafs could win every game 10-5 and would have an amazing goal differential...but letting in 5 goals a game is good defensively?

Try again.
- Santo_44

wut?

you're like a (frank)ing shelter dog.

ur so defensive lol.

Hisense and TCL are very good TVs.

If you get a Hisense you want to get the q8g model if you can over the 78g. The TCL series model 6 series (4/5 are good too) are good TVs. Not top end, but good value.

TCL 6 Series
https://www.rtings.com/tv...reviews/tcl/6-series-2018

Hisense H8G (Q8G)
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/hisense/h8g


Alternatively something like the Vizio P-Series are good value as well

https://www.rtings.com/tv...o/p-series-quantum-x-2020
- Archaic

I'm not qualified nor educated in this area myself, but a friend of mine who is has great things to say about Hisense as well.

I love Jason Spezza , his name is on the first ever jersey I ever bought. I still wear my Ottawa Senators #19 jersey with pride!
- TheUltimateJet

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iqMV1Mdm8ZA

Now I know why Nighthawk didn’t show up last night. He just hacked people’s accounts.

wut?

you're like a (frank)ing shelter dog.

ur so defensive lol.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Don't be mad that I proved you wrong hun.

4th in the entire league in shots against.(per game) Huge improvement from the past few years.

Sorry but isn’t goal differential based on difference between goals for and against? Montreal is outscoring us. Does that make us bad defensively? Why not look at Goals against in the division?
- Canada Cup

The only positive thing to take away from the small goal differential is that the Leafs are winning lots of close games. They're starting to play a more structured game.

Now I know why Nighthawk didn’t show up last night. He just hacked people’s accounts.
- Canada Cup

he showed up for a bit..

The only positive thing to take away from the small goal differential is that the Leafs are winning lots of close games. They're starting to play a most structured game.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Good on you for realizing your mistake

Good on you for realizing your mistake
- Santo_44

ok gluey..

run along.

My Samsung makes me reconnect my network connection every single time I boot it up. Pain in the ass. I have a Dynex that's like 10 years old. Weighs a ton but never let me down.
- mgriffen

I've had nothing but LG tvs for a decade, priced comparable to Samsung's but all my LG's have outlived the Samsung I had before. Surprised they haven't been brought up.

Impressed enough with the tv I now have LG phones, dishwasher, fridge, washer and dryer. All durable as hell and I can wash my dishes from work 🤷🏻‍♂️

Hit him right between the 1 and the 5

- Ray Ferraro 🤣
- Garnie

Ferraro has got some great quips.

The only positive thing to take away from the small goal differential is that the Leafs are winning lots of close games. They're starting to play a more structured game.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

They’re doing all the things they’ve been ragged on for not doing including not letting a lot of goals in. Remember, you’re not going to win run and gun 6-5 games in the playoffs. Their goals against is under 3 and that’s including 9 goals against in the first two games.

But, (frank) why talk about a 7-3 win and a Spezza Hattie, etc?

- AdamFrench

Stupid game that makes no sense and even less sense that people like it.

Freddy haters gonna..


- Arctic_AARDVARK

Yeah, I had nothing to do so I was backreading a bit of the last blog. Mistake.

They’re doing all the things they’ve been ragged on for not doing including not letting a lot of goals in. Remember, you’re not going to win run and gun 6-5 games in the playoffs. Their goals against is under 3 and that’s including 9 goals against in the first two games.

But, (frank) why talk about a 7-3 win and a Spezza Hattie, etc?
- Canada Cup

idk, i didnt start this topic.

i prefer to talk about positive things, theres just nonstop freddy hate in here.

They’re doing all the things they’ve been ragged on for not doing including not letting a lot of goals in. Remember, you’re not going to win run and gun 6-5 games in the playoffs. Their goals against is under 3 and that’s including 9 goals against in the first two games.

But, (frank) why talk about a 7-3 win and a Spezza Hattie, etc?
- Canada Cup

Remember when the Leafs would win but would allow 40 shots? People on here were not even happy with winning because the Leafs were allowing too many shots.

We finally have a team(so far) that is limiting shots at an elite level and we can't give them credit? There is an obvious improvement from the D team wide and we should be grateful after the last decade we had.

Bumping this from last thread:

Sooooo...

Accidentally broke my TV last night. Yea! I'd like to tell you it was whipping a brick at the screen in frustration of Andersen or something, but alas, no.

Anyhoo, I'm looking at Costco right now, and there are some brands I've never heard of.

Hisense

Element

TCL

Skyworth

Are any of these good?

Are any of these to be avoided?
- Atomic Wedgie

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

You can get a Sony or Samsung for one or two hundred more

Bumping from last blog because I had to actually take calls and do work between writing my novel and Mike posted the new blob before I finished!

...
I see a lot of talk & frustration about Freddy being on his chest (or tits as someone called it) too much and I think he's trying to do something that is actually taught as good technique, he is just doing it poorly. Sliding across with your chest up and making yourself big etc. sounds great, but does have some draw backs in comparison to what I think he is trying to do with the forwardness (for lack of a better term) of his body when he comes across.
...
Freddy tries to do this almost every time he comes across the net in a bfly slide and I think he is leaning too far forward, too early and too quickly and getting burned on it. Sometimes it just doesn't matter, on a cross crease pass a good shooter will get the better of you regardless but I totally get that it's hard to look at a goalie on his chest on the ice and not question why he didn't stay up and get big. I look at those goals and would say the mistake was not what he did (attempted to do) but but rather the poor execution by over committing to attacking the puck. a

My 2 cents.

Oh and my other thought on Freddy - he's a 5M dollar goalie as per his contract,
- Cush29

The bolded part is really the part that those of us complaining are complaining about. It's not that he only did it last night, it's that it's become a prevalent part of his game. It's a flaw in his game that he needs to address. Once addressed we can move on and moan about other things we don't like.

It doesn't make him not a good goalie, but it is something he could improve upon.

In some ways I liken it to the later years of Curtis Joseph's game. As the Leafs became even more porous on defense, and Joseph started to slow down (thinking really his last year here), he had this irritating habit of pulling off the near post in anticipation of the cross-crease pass, leaving his short side high exposed. Teams started to pick up on that near the end of his time here.

. . .basically when a goalie starts to expose a hole in their game, teams move to exploit it.