I agree Clifford will get in and (hopefully) be smarter and play tough but nothing like his bad hit in game 1. Oddly enough the hit he threw right before the one that cost him a game was great and had he just left it at that he'd have been fine.

I think the crowd reacting so loudly to the 1st hit maybe prompted the brain cramp and the "oh that was good, they liked that DO IT AGAIN" thoughts overrode the "Don't do that, you can't hit him from behind" thoughts for a moment and then it was too late.

I would sit Blackwell over Spezza - Blackwell has not been an offensive threat at all and Spezza is just that and likely very motivated after watching 2 games from the press box.

I also feel that Spezza has proven he can and will push back, get nasty and drop the gloves if he needs to and I haven't seen much or any of that from Blackwell in games 1 or 2.

Time to give Spezza a shot.

#releasethevintageoldmanpower
- Cush29

If Keefe keeps the line mix up he was trying last night and you end up being correct I’m okay if it is Blackwell they sit I guess.

A fourth line of Clifford Kampf Spezza won’t score much but I’m willing to be they’d be decent defensively and Spezza could help PP2 step up.

I guess we will see how Keefe responds.. I do think Blackwell Kampf Spezza would be the most productive offensively for a fourth line but I can’t know with certainty that it’s what Keefe wants from that line.

Then Blackwell will be sat or over on the RW while Spezza remains out.

Not sure if I like that.
- Dozzer

Take someone else out of the line up. It's possible.

If Keefe keeps the line mix up he was trying last night and you end up being correct I’m okay if it is Blackwell they sit I guess.

A fourth line of Clifford Kampf Spezza won’t score much but I’m willing to be they’d be decent defensively and Spezza could help PP2 step up.

I guess we will see how Keefe responds.. I do think Blackwell Kampf Spezza would be the most productive offensively for a fourth line but I can’t know with certainty that it’s what Keefe wants from that line.
- Dozzer

This is really what will drive the decision and who is in/out (way to state the obvious Cush...). I'm just basing it on what he has said before the series, his reputation for apparently liking a tougher line up and the level of bs and nasty that has occurred so far. If the 4th line was Blackwell, Kampf and Spezza who answers the bell if need be when the goonary starts?

It's nice to say "just ignore it and out skill them" and assume Tampa will take penalties by doing so and the Leafs would get lost of PP time but we haven't seen that strategy be effective in past years nor in these playoffs where (shockingly I know) the refs let a lot go uncalled and the game is much different than the regular season.

I do think Keefe believes he needs a Simmonds / Clifford type in the line up, and we all wish it was someone with more skill but you gotta' dance with who ya brought!

I still want to see this big bastard be successful and end up as an NHL player with the Leafs as a bottom 6 guy (centre or wing) because of his size! If he can make it and keep some of the scoring touch he has now maybe he's the future resident 'tough guy' who can actually score a bit?

He was signed to a 2 year entry level deal by the Leafs that starts next season.

And he would instantly hold an NHL record apparently if he played a game?! lol

He's listed as 1 inch shorter and 1 pound lighter than Chara....get him on the stretching rack and feed him Big Macs stat!

Douglas is listed by the Toronto Marlies at 6-foot-8 and 249 pounds, which would make him the biggest forward in NHL history if he ever skated in a game.

https://theahl.com/stats/...er/8680/73/curtis-douglas

Just read an article on JT not contributing in any significant way so far.

It's true, but if he can turn it on and the Leafs can be threatening with more than just one line, might be hard for Tampa to beat us.

Keefe should try:

Bunting, Matthews, Marner
Micheyev, JT, Willy
Kerfoot, Kampf, Kase
Engvall, Spezza, Simmonds/Clifford

To me that spreads things out to be a little more dangerous. Engvall isn't being demoted either, he's needed to speed up the 4th line so that Spezza can Spezz.

Micheyev adds speed and Willie adds finish to the 2nd line.

Kerfoot, Kampf and Kase were good together before.

Engvall really does make any bottom line he's on better but top 6 just isn't a fit.
- underhill14

😑

how should i make the salmon tonight?

how should i make the salmon tonight?
- TheMussel

In a delicious manner

McDonagh especially he's getting away with plenty, "the HockeyWriters" had an article on the 10 dirtiest players in the NHL - and I couldn't disagree too much with the list

1) Tom Wilson
2) Brad Marchand
3) Brendan Lemieux
4) Ryan Reaves
5) Matthew Tkachuk
6) Nazem Kadri
7) Radko Gudas
8) Antoine Roussel
9) Corey Perry
10) Eric Cernak

Honorable mentions Ovechkin, Doughty and Kucherov

That's 3 of the dirtiest players in the NHL playing for Tampa, not one Leaf on the list, not even mentioning Maroon, yet somehow by some miracle Leafs are being called for more penalties and the only suspension.
- winsix

I've never noticed McDonagh to be dirty. Although, last night looked bad.

Cernak was/is a head-hunter. He doesn't done it much these last two seasons, but he has been known for high hits and elbows to the head in the past. He used to cruise around looking for victims to blindside. I actually griped about it in these forums and wanted him traded. He appeared to tone it down some and turned out to be a solid physical D-man, so I quit griping about him.

Perry is garbage. I hate that he plays for my team. He's fair game. Run the poop out of him, he deserves it.

Maroon is genuinely a love him or hate him, like people say about Perry. But unlike Perry who is straight garbage, Maroon is only half garbage and the other half is beer and donuts. This won't win me fans here, but I don't mind Maroon as much as Perry.

Kucherov is a pissy girl. She's fine most of the time, but she gets sassy when she gets frustrated. I don't like her dirty side and I wish she would tone it the phuck down. But man, that girl is Datsyuk 2.0 with the puck - if Datsyuk was an arsehole.

Marchand and Wilson are pure sewage and should be banned.

😑
- Garnie

I know and I have repented many of times to you lately.

Hated him for a long while. But even you have to admit he has picked his game up over the past 2 or 3 months? Before, meh.

In a delicious manner
- Aaron_85

I've never noticed McDonagh to be dirty. Although, last night looked bad.

Cernak was/is a head-hunter. He doesn't done it much these last two seasons, but he has been known for high hits and elbows to the head in the past. He used to cruise around looking for victims to blindside. I actually griped about it in these forums and wanted him traded. He appeared to tone it down some and turned out to be a solid physical D-man, so I quit griping about him.

Perry is garbage. I hate that he plays for my team. He's fair game. Run the poop out of him, he deserves it.

Maroon is genuinely a love him or hate him, like people say about Perry. But unlike Perry who is straight garbage, Maroon is only half garbage and the other half is beer and donuts. This won't win me fans here, but I don't mind Maroon as much as Perry.

Kucherov is a pissy girl. She's fine most of the time, but she gets sassy when she gets frustrated. I don't like her dirty side and I wish she would tone it the phuck down. But man, that girl is Datsyuk 2.0 with the puck - if Datsyuk was an arsehole.

Marchand and Wilson are pure sewage and should be banned.
- GalacticStone

Great honest post.

how should i make the salmon tonight?
- TheMussel

If you want healthy - go for baked with herbs, If you want something a little different try coconut curry salmon over rice - super tasty. Try with an nice gewurtztraminer.

If you want healthy - go for baked with herbs, If you want something a little different try coconut curry salmon over rice - super tasty. Try with an nice gewurtztraminer.
- winsix

We are all out of gewurz but we have a bottle of off-dry german riesling kicking around.

I just remembered I have a himalayan salt block kicking around too. I also have some garlic chives that are coming back in the garden, will probably go and pick some of those.

This is really what will drive the decision and who is in/out (way to state the obvious Cush...). I'm just basing it on what he has said before the series, his reputation for apparently liking a tougher line up and the level of bs and nasty that has occurred so far. If the 4th line was Blackwell, Kampf and Spezza who answers the bell if need be when the goonary starts?

It's nice to say "just ignore it and out skill them" and assume Tampa will take penalties by doing so and the Leafs would get lost of PP time but we haven't seen that strategy be effective in past years nor in these playoffs where (shockingly I know) the refs let a lot go uncalled and the game is much different than the regular season.

I do think Keefe believes he needs a Simmonds / Clifford type in the line up, and we all wish it was someone with more skill but you gotta' dance with who ya brought!

I still want to see this big bastard be successful and end up as an NHL player with the Leafs as a bottom 6 guy (centre or wing) because of his size! If he can make it and keep some of the scoring touch he has now maybe he's the future resident 'tough guy' who can actually score a bit?

He was signed to a 2 year entry level deal by the Leafs that starts next season.

And he would instantly hold an NHL record apparently if he played a game?! lol

He's listed as 1 inch shorter and 1 pound lighter than Chara....get him on the stretching rack and feed him Big Macs stat!

Douglas is listed by the Toronto Marlies at 6-foot-8 and 249 pounds, which would make him the biggest forward in NHL history if he ever skated in a game.

https://theahl.com/stats/...er/8680/73/curtis-douglas
- Cush29

The problem isn’t getting out gooned by their 4th line, it’s getting badly outplayed by them. Keefe thinks Clifford makes the line better. He thinks he’s good defensively. If he thinks that outweighs the bonehead play he’s in.

Apparently the Matthews line has absolutely dominated the Stamkos line so far. Last night we gifted them a win with the penalties.

It’s strange that some of the guys from other threads will dig into numbers that don’t flatter Tavares but completely ignore anything that makes the leafs look good.

But they’re just here to talk about hockey.

I've never noticed McDonagh to be dirty. Although, last night looked bad.

Cernak was/is a head-hunter. He doesn't done it much these last two seasons, but he has been known for high hits and elbows to the head in the past. He used to cruise around looking for victims to blindside. I actually griped about it in these forums and wanted him traded. He appeared to tone it down some and turned out to be a solid physical D-man, so I quit griping about him.

Perry is garbage. I hate that he plays for my team. He's fair game. Run the poop out of him, he deserves it.

Maroon is genuinely a love him or hate him, like people say about Perry. But unlike Perry who is straight garbage, Maroon is only half garbage and the other half is beer and donuts. This won't win me fans here, but I don't mind Maroon as much as Perry.

Kucherov is a pissy girl. She's fine most of the time, but she gets sassy when she gets frustrated. I don't like her dirty side and I wish she would tone it the phuck down. But man, that girl is Datsyuk 2.0 with the puck - if Datsyuk was an arsehole.

Marchand and Wilson are pure sewage and should be banned.
- GalacticStone

Love your posts.

Stick around

Take someone else out of the line up. It's possible.
- Aaron_85

Not their top 5 scorer so far in the playoffs

how should i make the salmon tonight?
- TheMussel

https://www.theshirtlist....he-salmon-mousse-t-shirt/

Corey Perry is twisting the knife in this team again. In retrospect, Simmonds should have fought him, even at 5-0 in game 1, and beaten the tar out of him. Too much imprint on the game for a fourth liner.

Also Spezza needs in.

And if we don't get something more from Tavares in this series, well...

Corey Perry is twisting the knife in this team again. In retrospect, Simmonds should have fought him, even at 5-0 in game 1, and beaten the tar out of him. Too much imprint on the game for a fourth liner.

Also Spezza needs in.

And if we don't get something more from Tavares in this series, well...
- fifty__missions

Agree on Perry
Agree on Spezza
Tavares is fine, good faceoff, great shot, about a point a game guy, good leader and works his ass off. Can't compare him to Matthews, he's about as good a 2nd C as you can expect in the NHL

Agree on Perry
Agree on Spezza
Tavares is fine, good faceoff, great shot, about a point a game guy, good leader and works his ass off. Can't compare him to Matthews, he's about as good a 2nd C as you can expect in the NHL
- winsix

Tavares is exactly what he’s always been. He has never been fast but he grinds away.

Love your posts.

Stick around
- bryant

There's no Lightning blogger, so you guys are stuck with me.

Agree on Perry
Agree on Spezza
Tavares is fine, good faceoff, great shot, about a point a game guy, good leader and works his ass off. Can't compare him to Matthews, he's about as good a 2nd C as you can expect in the NHL
- winsix

He's not "fine" for 11M, unfortunately.

For that $, you need him to drive play, and to dominate the opposition. Tavares is "fine" if the play comes to him - he still has a great shot. The problem is in the first couple games, he's creating basically *nothing* himself. For that kind of $, at 2C, this what I mean when I say they need more from him.

how should i make the salmon tonight?
- TheMussel

Boiled

Boiled
- drexel

I've never noticed McDonagh to be dirty. Although, last night looked bad.

Cernak was/is a head-hunter. He doesn't done it much these last two seasons, but he has been known for high hits and elbows to the head in the past. He used to cruise around looking for victims to blindside. I actually griped about it in these forums and wanted him traded. He appeared to tone it down some and turned out to be a solid physical D-man, so I quit griping about him.

Perry is garbage. I hate that he plays for my team. He's fair game. Run the poop out of him, he deserves it.

Maroon is genuinely a love him or hate him, like people say about Perry. But unlike Perry who is straight garbage, Maroon is only half garbage and the other half is beer and donuts. This won't win me fans here, but I don't mind Maroon as much as Perry.

Kucherov is a pissy girl. She's fine most of the time, but she gets sassy when she gets frustrated. I don't like her dirty side and I wish she would tone it the phuck down. But man, that girl is Datsyuk 2.0 with the puck - if Datsyuk was an arsehole.

Marchand and Wilson are pure sewage and should be banned.
- GalacticStone

Awesome post