This Leaf team is really starting to impress me.
In back to back games, they managed to play their best game in many years, then surpass it in the following game.
What more can you say about a team that fired more shots at Brodeur then he has faced in his career? I know! They scored 5 goals in just over 5 minutes against one of the best defensive teams in the NHL this season.
The Leafs are playing so well right now, it's not out of the realm of possibility to consider them currently one of the best teams in the whole league.
Now before you scoff, let's take a look a the results so far: Beat Stanley cup repeat favourite Detroit; 5 goals against Brodeur; 5 goals in 5 minutes in a win over the league's best team so far;4 times clawing back from a 2 goal deficit in the past 2 weeks, 7 points in those games; and they are outshooting opponents 235-149 over the past 6 games including an almost 2 full period stretch without giving up a shot.
If it weren't for a bad start to the season, Detroit game notwithstanding, this team would be near the top of the league.
It seems they are finding scoring and that's a good thing. I do have a very big concern on how long they can keep this intensity up, however.
Eighty-Two games is a long time to be playing this style hockey.
I'm loving it, however.
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3 comments:
Totally agree. It's a long grind, and we're only 11 games in. I put a similar thought up on my blog, great minds...
It is early, I wouldnt expect other teams to really get in gear till about now.
Lots of weaknesses still. When the Leafs play another team team that plays with the same intensity it will interesting.
I think the significant numbe rof blown PK's last night says something. It showed the Leafs still lack the scoring talent required. The 5 goals came as Valiquette fell apart, and the rangers fell apart in front of him. I would feel better if the Leafs had scored throughout the game. But it was sure fun to watch.
The Leafs area long way from great but they are fun to watch, they dont stop trying, they dont lose in stupid ways and they pull out surprising wins when the other team isnt playing its A game....thats what we all asked for this year and Cliff and Ron have delivered so far.
The stats will not be playoff level stats at the end of the year but thats ok...if the leafs lost every game by one goal as 3-2, 2-1 etc I would be happy this year. I think the leafs are learnign the core skills they will need when a really good first and second line are put in place over the next two years.
You couldnt do this kind of a makeover with Tucker and McCabe and Wellwood being passive aggressive refusniks who would grinf**k the coach, or worse.
Cliff and Ron, stick to the plan.
The thing about last night's game, anon, is that while they we're down 2-0, they certainly didn't deserve to be.
They took it to the Rangers all night. A bad defensive breakdown in the first, and a lucky bounce of the end boards, (there's no way a visiting team can predict that kind of bounce) put them down 2-0.
The rest of the game they we're buzzing. NYR's penalty kill stifled the Leafs, but that was really the only part of the game where they we're definitively the better team.
Had Lundqvist been in net made a difference? It's tough to say, the energy was electric and Mitchell's goal seem to spark a sleeping giant that was just waiting for a break.
Who knows, if Kaberle's shot hadn't hit the post in the 2nd instead of going in, the 5 goal outburst might have happened then.
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