Carlyle’s trust in Leafs’ enforcers grows by the game

[Cat Smasher]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle8780755/

“I thought he gave us what we needed,” Carlyle said of Orr’s play on the third line, perhaps for the first time as a Leaf. “And it’s amazing how things quiet down when he’s out there.”

“I kind of knew that maybe I could run around there a little more,” Kadri added, chuckling. “Have a couple more hits. And no one really talked to me. Definitely his presence is felt out there. Guys know when he’s on the ice. I don’t know if you want to go in the same corner with that guy.”

McLaren’s goal, meanwhile, earned Carlyle’s golden star, reserved for those who pull off the kind of ugly goals in ugly areas he believes in above all else.

For a coach who calls playoff hockey “a man’s game,” those are the currency to buy more playing time.

“Go to the front of the net, funny things happen,” he quipped after the game.

Those improbable offensive contributions are likely to be limited; two lightning strikes spaced closely together in an unrepeatable pattern over the long term.

But on a team where Orr has played all 15 games and McLaren has sat just once since coming over on the waiver wire, the two goals will also encourage Carlyle to stick with his plan and play the punchers whenever he can.

...

In the post Brian Burke era, this will be a team with truculence in the lineup, win or lose.

“It’s been nice to get rewarded, when you work hard,” Orr said quietly in the Leafs dressing room on Saturday night, when he was the last player to leave. “I’m just out there trying to make room for my linemates.

[JKidd]

Orr showed in his NY days he was able to take a regular shift, and was a VERY useful guy.

If I remember right, when the HBO line was rolling, they were getting 8-12 minutes a night with PK duties here and there.

Good to see Orr's time away from the show has really helped him as a player. The league, and fight scene, IMO, are far better with a guy like him integrated into things.

[Fireball_IV]

This article seems almost negative...

"Never mind that his team is badly out shot (roughly 30-19 per 60 minutes of even strength ice time, in Orr’s case, and even worse for McLaren) when the bears are on the ice or that not having a more defensively capable fourth line puts more strain on the likes of Mikhail Grabovski."

[Phila26Flyers]

Randy Carlyle gets it. As a fight fan, I'm rooting for the Leafs to do as well as they can to continue the post-lockout statement started by Anaheim and continued by Boston that you can be a badass team and win games.

[leafs_fan77]

Give these guys confidence and respect and they will do well (for a fighter, anyway). Carlyle is the man, I hope he's here for a long time to come.

[I_am_Belak_2]

This isn't a team like Vityaz that dresses fighters just because they're a ****ty team. Toronto is WINNING with this lineup because the scorers are not afraid to do their thing. Plus Fraser and Franson are having a very good year playing together. The goals by Orr and McLaren are a bonus.

This team is fun this year thanks to Carlyle.

[swhite]

Originally Posted by Fireball_IV

This article seems almost negative...

"Never mind that his team is badly out shot (roughly 30-19 per 60 minutes of even strength ice time, in Orr’s case, and even worse for McLaren) when the bears are on the ice or that not having a more defensively capable fourth line puts more strain on the likes of Mikhail Grabovski."

James Mirtle wrote the article and he's been negative towards Carlyle's use of Orr and McLaren all season. There has been more than one occasion where I've wanted to punch him in the face after reading one of his tweets. He'd apparently rather have Steckel patrolling the fourth line.

He can complain about the tough guys but the fact remains Toronto just doesn't shoot the puck and can't make a pass half the time. It's got nothing to do with Orr or McLaren.

[Killah_punk]

The Leafs are an entertaining team to watch right now, love the truculence! Keeping Orr, McLaren, Fraser, and Brown all dressed is awesome.

[grits207]

Originally Posted by swhite

James Mirtle wrote the article and he's been negative towards Carlyle's use of Orr and McLaren all season. There has been more than one occasion where I've wanted to punch him in the face after reading one of his tweets. He'd apparently rather have Steckel patrolling the fourth line.

He can complain about the tough guys but the fact remains Toronto just doesn't shoot the puck and can't make a pass half the time. It's got nothing to do with Orr or McLaren.

Mirtle is just another dork who uses advanced stats to try and make up for his lack of actual hockey knowledge, unfortunately that's the way most Leafs writers/bloggers are these days.

As far as I'm concerned the only pertinent statistic when talking about Orr's impact on the Leafs is their win-loss record with him in the lineup this season compared to their win-loss record last season after he was sent to the Marlies.

[Fireball_IV]

Furthermore listen to every interview with the players. He keeps getting brought up...

[dipandmitts]

Definitely the most entertaining team to watch in the NHL

[FightingIsGood]

Originally Posted by swhite

James Mirtle wrote the article and he's been negative towards Carlyle's use of Orr and McLaren all season. There has been more than one occasion where I've wanted to punch him in the face after reading one of his tweets. He'd apparently rather have Steckel patrolling the fourth line.

He can complain about the tough guys but the fact remains Toronto just doesn't shoot the puck and can't make a pass half the time. It's got nothing to do with Orr or McLaren.

Not a Leafs fan by any means, but Carlyle won a Stanley Cup with this format. Granted, he had more talented players with Anaheim back then, but the facts are the facts. Mirtle can blow it out his ass.

[ghjkfdhgfd]

What happens when Brown, Lupul comes back? Someone is going to be sent down?

[grits207]

Originally Posted by ghjkfdhgfd

What happens when Brown, Lupul comes back? Someone is going to be sent down?

Lupul is still a long way away from returning but when Matt Frattin comes back in another week or so either McLaren or Brown will be taken out of the lineup and either one of them or Dave Steckel will have to be waived.

They will also likely try to trade away one of their d-men since they currently have 8 on the roster.

[Fireball_IV]

They should ditch Kulemin, that kid has done nothing