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Game 2/82 - GDT - Rangers @ Leafs, 7pm HNIC - Bowe Leafs Bowe

Rangers came back strong in 2nd, leafs just werent ready for it and/or exhausted from first period onslaught.
 
If you go with the premise that you continue to improve...doing the things you do well better and fixing the things you don't do well...nowhere to go go but up.

Defence is what requires the work, we knew that at the end of last season, but it's not like a few pre-season games was going to fix everything.
As long as Andersen holds down the fort (I hardly blame him for the 2nd period), the team will get their shit together defensively. Even if it's just better, that still a good thing.

...cause we're going to keep scoring.
 
If you go with the premise that you continue to improve...doing the things you do well better and fixing the things you don't do well...nowhere to go go but up.

Defence is what requires the work, we knew that at the end of last season, but it's not like a few pre-season games was going to fix everything.
As long as Andersen holds down the fort (I hardly blame him for the 2nd period), the team will get their shit together defensively. Even if it's just better, that still a good thing.

...cause we're going to keep scoring.

Pretty much. This is a team that can go and score 4 or 5 goals any night, so if we can keep teams to 3-4 goals that's enough for us to do some damage.
 
Good first, bad second, good third. Glad we recovered and got the dub.

Kadri is fantastic. I hope he breaks out Brad Marchand style this year.
 
Ya, Borgman > Rosen right now for sure.

I don’t agree with a couple of scoring plays. Willy got that second Hyman goal for sure. And Marleau tipped the puck back to Gardiner before his rush for the goal and didn’t get an assist.
 
Good fun game, not exactly the kinda game that coaches look forward to but hey we're now up 2-0

- This team is crazy deep and crazy dangerous offensively ... Lundqvist didn't have a good game at all, but we basically rolled 3 lines (and the 4th line had a good game too imo) and if a goalie is a little off we can put him in shell-shock mode in a hurry

- let's address the elephant in the room, how did we lose a 5-1 lead? Well the 2nd period was ugly, I think it was a combination of the buds trying to make pretty pond hockey plays, some poor goaltending from Andersen (but he closed the gate after) and some bad PK. Babs need to teach this team how to play when we've built a big lead, cause I think that will happen quite a lot this season

- Of the first 4 goals we gave up, 2 were with the Bozak line on the ice (one was ES, the other was 6 on 5 with Marner called for penalty and losing his stick at the same time), the other 2 were PP goals by NYR. Other than those 2 goals, the Bozak line were really bad defensively. Like, REALLY, REALLY bad. Of the 3 of them JVR is the worst. And it's so much a lack of effort imo. Bozak tries really hard defensively tonight, but the 3 of them were SO OFTEN completely lost in our own zone.

- Marner's been playing pretty poorly in first 2 games of the season, and did not have a good training camp either

- Rosen didn't look NHL-ready tonight. Borgman had a MUCH better NHL debut

- Carrick kind of sucks, even for the sheltered minutes he played tonight

- Hainsey kind of sucks too, hope he picks it up. A lot of turnovers, a lot of missed assignments in D zone coverage.

- Hyman had a GREAT game. One thing you gotta give it to him is he hustles, he wins puck battles, and he gives 120% every night. And on a night where the puck went in for him, he did look like a 1st line W.


Should be a fun day tomorrow when Babs tries to analyze this game with the buds, and prepare them for the Monday game. But for now, we're 2-0!
 
yeah, bottom pair and marner line were pretty disastrous.

love seeing the leafs bear down and tale over again after letting up in the 2nd there. that speaks to their confidenxe this year.
 
Rosen looked out of his depth in the preseason and same tonight. Go with Borgman or platoon him with someone else.

The Bozak line was a disaster defensively, as always. Marner, someone asked? This defensive ineptitude didn't start when he began playing with them. Moreover, he's barely had a year in the NHL. Whatever happened to protecting the young players? Marner was overlooked when lined up with these two clowns.

All this negativity aside, great to see them rebound from that ugly second period. Naz was just excellent in this game. Really great leadership and inspired play.
 
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