GAME DAY: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators - 7:00pm ET - Sat. Feb. 23rd, 2013

Hoags wrote:

shabbs wrote:Also, mad props to the fans in attendance last night. They matched the Leafs intensity and were relentless at booing their stars and drowning out the boos for The Alfie. Awesome job.

So did we have a sizable group of Sens fans in attendance? It sounded like Leaf fans packed the house before the game.

I don't think it's the strictly the numbers. It's more a matter of the Leafers being louder and more belligerent, usually.

Hoags wrote:

shabbs wrote:Also, mad props to the fans in attendance last night. They matched the Leafs intensity and were relentless at booing their stars and drowning out the boos for The Alfie. Awesome job.

So did we have a sizable group of Sens fans in attendance? It sounded like Leaf fans packed the house before the game.

Hard to tell on camera but from the reports by fans at the game, it was about 8,000 or 9,000 in attendance. I certainly noticed the Sens fans via the broadcast, drowning out the Laffs.

EDIT: I meant 8,000-9,000 Leaf fans. Rest were Sens so they had the majority.

When we scored the last goal I saw tons of people standing, so I'd say we had more fans.

Yup, pretty sure I heard Phanuef and Kessel booed every time they touched the puck too so... just happened boos are louder than cheers.

As for the game after a nights sleep, Zibanejad is playing really solid hockey right now and they need him too. A player getting the time of ice he does and playing the center position needs to be noticeable. Condra and Greening playing with him kept his game simple and that's probably exactly what he needs. Nothing fancy, nothing special, hard work and drive. Credit to those two flanking him as well.

Gryba my new boyfriend has had 1 bad shift in the NHL. He's unreal.

Bishop, stopped the puck but looked awful doing it. Every time he made a save it seemed like I would hold my breath and expect the puck to go in. Looked nervous again but got the job done.

Gryba was awesome.

Thought Gonchar, Phillips, and Methot really led that team, Benoit is doign everything asked of him, and Weircioch seems to make a solid offensive play each game

Smith's line was solid again as well, made life tough for the Leafs. All you want from him besides a goal but it will come.

Gryba was great.

NEELY wrote:

Smith's line was solid again as well, made life tough for the Leafs. All you want from him besides a goal but it will come.

I was convinced Dzyurzinski was going to score last night. He was going to the net pretty hard. No goals but, like you say, everything else was there. Derek Grant looked like he didn't lose a faceoff but I checked and he was at 70 percent. He won some big ones though. Benoit keeps proving he's NHL material with better than average hockey sense and offensive skills.

https://twitter.com/TGORSteve/status/305684922159489024

Why do we hate their fans again ?



Oh yeah ...

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:

Smith's line was solid again as well, made life tough for the Leafs. All you want from him besides a goal but it will come.

I was convinced Dzyurzinski was going to score last night. He was going to the net pretty hard. No goals but, like you say, everything else was there. Derek Grant looked like he didn't lose a faceoff but I checked and he was at 70 percent. He won some big ones though. Benoit keeps proving he's NHL material with better than average hockey sense and offensive skills.

Amazing having all this depth where you can talk about depth guys having a huge impact. Grant still looks like he has to bulk up some and pick it up physically a bit but he's been solid, DD has been very good and IMO should be the last guy up front sent back, he's ready for the role he is in, that entire line is clicking. Gryba has been fantastic as well if I haven't mentioned that.

Benoit should get his 1 way deal before the year is up... not sure if it will be a 1 or 2 year thing but he's the perfect 6, 7 guy that you know will appreciate every single second he is in the NHL and take nothing for granted. Things like this are great to see.

Hoags wrote:https://twitter.com/TGORSteve/status/305684922159489024

Why do we hate their fans again ?



Oh yeah ...

if you are over 12 and bring a sign to the game you need a life. As well as asking a player for an autograph short of it being for a charitable cause.

Love this Dung haha

The 1st line has looked great, hasn't been mentioned and didn't show on the scoresheet but they've had a lot of offensive zone pressure

Smith was smart there with Kadri and didn't take a dumb penalty.

I would also like to say that the officiating was actually pretty good. Other than the questionable Neil penalty late (Toronto with a PP late in the 3rd?? Never!), the referees did a good job. The linesmen were horrible, waving guys out constantly, but the referees were pretty much spot-on. There were a couple Sens plays (like the Methot hip check) where I held my breath and looked at the refs, but thankfully they didn't make any really dumb calls.

Also, Gonchar was really good all night. Really solid defensively. I normally berate his lack of speed, but he does a good job making up for that with really sound positional play, and a great stick.

On the fans, I was in attendance. It was a typical Sens-Leafs crowd, and Sens Army drowned out the Laffers for the most part. It was awesome. I certainly wouldn't want to bring my kid to a Sens/Leafs game (which for some reason I am doing on March 30th), as the language gets pretty colourful, but it's a two-way street.

I did NOT see that clown with the "Cooke 4 MVP" sign, and if I had, I would've ripped it out of his hands. That's just dumb, and really classless, especially in our barn. I hope someone caved in his stupid face.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:

Smith's line was solid again as well, made life tough for the Leafs. All you want from him besides a goal but it will come.

I was convinced Dzyurzinski was going to score last night. He was going to the net pretty hard. No goals but, like you say, everything else was there. Derek Grant looked like he didn't lose a faceoff but I checked and he was at 70 percent. He won some big ones though. Benoit keeps proving he's NHL material with better than average hockey sense and offensive skills.

Grant and Dizzy have played 5 NHL games. It's unreal how they have fit in. It goes to show how much of an advantage a team has when their AHL team plays the same system. Same with Gryba.

I hope when the injured players come back.. Michalek, Spezza & Regin (if he plays in Ottawa again) that the team does not let up -- keeps playing hard. Hard work and belief in each other is getting it done.

I hope that continues on Monday... going to the game..

sandysensfan wrote:It's unreal how they have fit in. It goes to show how much of an advantage a team has when their AHL team plays the same system. Same with Gryba.

Yep, it's amazing how they came together in Bingo, then came here and already knowing each other.

Hoags wrote:https://twitter.com/TGORSteve/status/305684922159489024

Why do we hate their fans again ?



Oh yeah ...

That's pretty disgusting. I don't care which team you root for, Karlsson is the reigning Norris winner and was well on his way to a second one and, don't take this the wrong way, but he was doing it differently from Chara and Weber. What I'm trying to say was that there is nothing in Karlsson's game to make anyone dislike him (not like Chara with Pacioretty or McCabe -- that kind of stuff). Just a player who gets you out for your seat cheering for the sheer skill on display. I hate Crosby (whiny, pampered, privileged, over-exposed) but when he was injured I didn't gloat. I just don't understand why someone who has a mother and father that are supposed to be proud of him, and likely has children that want to look up to him, as well as co-workers and friends -- why would someone do something this disgusting?

I know a ton of Leafs fans. None of them are like this.

Ha!

“We have our share too; we just haven't made as big a splash about our share of injuries I guess. Our media isn't allowed to do that I guess.”

- Carlyle, addressing the Senators injury situation.

Sens are basically just crying louder, I guess.

http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/blogs/jonas_siegel/?id=416723

wprager wrote:why would someone do something this disgusting?

I know a ton of Leafs fans. None of them are like this.

That's the kind of D-bags that show up to SBP. They're just jealous ( they thought Schenn would be better).

spader wrote:
Sens are basically just crying louder, I guess.

http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/blogs/jonas_siegel/?id=416723

Typical pre-gamesmanship.

MacLean outcoached Carlyle, although CBC thinks he is great at line matching because he'd put McLaren out against Neil who'd try and get him to fight.

spader wrote:Ha!

“We have our share too; we just haven't made as big a splash about our share of injuries I guess. Our media isn't allowed to do that I guess.”

- Carlyle, addressing the Senators injury situation.

Sens are basically just crying louder, I guess.

http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/blogs/jonas_siegel/?id=416723

No, no, it's true. They lost Lupul -- that's the equivalent of Michalek for us. Except Lupul was lost for a lot longer (or at least we think so). And Reimer is their #1. And they do have some AHL players in their lineup, for sure. Some are callups.

But, please:

Anderson
Cowen
Karlsson
Spezza
Michalek
Regin
Latendresse

Carlyle thorws himself under the bus...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2013/02/24/randy_carlyle_takes_blame_maple_leafs_loss_senators/

"We talked about the deficiencies in last night's game and some of the things we could have done better -- the coaching staff included," Carlyle said Sunday after practice. "I think I've got to bear responsibility, I should have called a timeout with 28 seconds left for the faceoff. Those are the things that you have to do.

"I made that mistake or we as a coaching staff made that mistake, so we have to learn from that."

Leaf fans are hanging it on Scrivens and Gunnarson as well. Sens out played the Leafs. PMac out coached Carlyle. It is what it is.