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

[I_am_Belak_2]

Originally Posted by Fireball_IV

They should ditch Kulemin, that kid has done nothing

I agree. He's the longest-serving Leaf but has never really been impressive. I get it that losing his friend Igor Korolev bothered him last year, but he's still slumping this year, and he's on the 2nd line.

Package Kulemin, Komisarek, and Liles for picks.

[ValJamesRules]

Sabres fan here...

Nice to see Toronto playing a very tough lineup and doing well.

The Buffalo-Toronto games have lacked fire ever since the days of Rayzor and Domi. Glad to see it return with Scott (#32) and Orr (#28), and guys like McLaren, Brownie, Fraser, McCormick, Foligno, as well as Otter and Kaleta throwin' their weight around.

[nyrgoal]

Originally Posted by 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.

I dnt see why more enforcers don't do the same. Bust your arse in the offseason and learn how to skate and be a useful hockey player and maybe more teams wouldn't be waiving guys like Gratts and Kassian. I mean even Orr isnt some crazy superstar now but he is where every enforcer should be. A 3rd or 4th liner that isnt a liability and can do more than just drop the gloves.

[blackngold]

Originally Posted by nyrgoal

I dnt see why more enforcers don't do the same. Bust your arse in the offseason and learn how to skate and be a useful hockey player and maybe more teams wouldn't be waiving guys like Gratts and Kassian. I mean even Orr isnt some crazy superstar now but he is where every enforcer should be. A 3rd or 4th liner that isnt a liability and can do more than just drop the gloves.

More than anything, it has to do with the coach of the team. Randy Carlyle likes his tough guys and TRUSTS them to not do stupid **** on the ice that could lead to goals by the opponent. He GIVES THEM A CHANCE to demonstrate that. Unfortunately, there are barely any coaches like Carlyle left in the league.

McGrattan and Kassian would both hold down a regular shift if they played under Carlyle. In fact, McGrattan scored 10 points in 20 games for Syracuse after he was sent down by Anaheim a couple years ago. He's very capable of skating a 4th line shift, as is Kassian.

Hell, all a 4th line is expected to do is to take 7-10 shifts a game, forecheck, throw some hits, play sound defense, and chip in with a scoring chance every so often while at the same time not taking any stupid penalties. That's it. Most enforcers can easily do that, as we're seeing in Toronto.

In today's age, however, most coaches prefer to unleash some 5'8" ***** to float around for those 7-10 shifts and not hit anybody, not score, and not do jack schitt.

[Phillyfan11]

Just wait til Jon Cooper gets to the NHL. He's currently the Syracuse Crunch coach. He's jumped the coaching ranks really quickly but starting int he USHL he took the not so popular root of going with a tough/fighting approach and took a team from worst to first/champions the first year having the most FM's of all teams by a wide margin. Next year was second in FM's and did well. Jumped up to the AHL with Norfolk where last year they were one of the toughest teams in the league and won the Calder Cup title. Affiliation change has them in Syracuse and though the team's struggling right now, they are still near the top of the league and have been much of the year as well as towards the top in FM's. (Only Worcester Sharks have more). There's an article from earlier in the season where Radko Gudas the dman said it's essentially a team rule that they all go in on a scrum and stick up for eachother regardless of where its at on the ice. Cooper has made many references to if a team messes with someone it's expected the guy will have to answer to another Crunch. Also, perhaps the coolest thing, the Crunch skill guys all seemingly have scrapped once or twice this season. (Euro's and small North American dudes alike.) Cooper's a younger guy too which is really refreshing.

Hopefully Carlyle sticks around, Keenan can make a re-emergance in to the league, and some other AHL coaches who dress tougher lineups regularly can make the jump. (Worcester's coach and Scott Pellerin to name a couple)

[Phillyfan11]

Originally Posted by blackngold

More than anything, it has to do with the coach of the team. Randy Carlyle likes his tough guys and TRUSTS them to not do stupid **** on the ice that could lead to goals by the opponent. He GIVES THEM A CHANCE to demonstrate that. Unfortunately, there are barely any coaches like Carlyle left in the league.

McGrattan and Kassian would both hold down a regular shift if they played under Carlyle. In fact, McGrattan scored 10 points in 20 games for Syracuse after he was sent down by Anaheim a couple years ago. He's very capable of skating a 4th line shift, as is Kassian.

Hell, all a 4th line is expected to do is to take 7-10 shifts a game, forecheck, throw some hits, play sound defense, and chip in with a scoring chance every so often while at the same time not taking any stupid penalties. That's it. Most enforcers can easily do that, as we're seeing in Toronto.

In today's age, however, most coaches prefer to unleash some 5'8" ***** to float around for those 7-10 shifts and not hit anybody, not score, and not do jack schitt.

Don't use our beloved Sabres fan's name in vain!!!!

[Cat Smasher]

How four players transformed the once lowly Leafs

With Orr, McLaren and Fraser in the lineup, the Leafs now lead the NHL in fighting majors with 21 and they were the most-penalized team per game with an average of 18.1 minutes in penalties per game before Friday’s schedule. But the room these bruisers create is worth it in Carlyle’s view, although it helps that the Leafs improved as penalty killers from simply awful last season to a middling 15th in the league with an 82.3-per-cent success rate as of Friday.
...
Individually, none of these players can make a difference on a team but collectively their industry and fearlessness rubs off on their teammates. James van Riemsdyk, for example, is shedding his reputation as a big skilled but soft winger by regularly crashing nets and now has 11 goals in 18 games.

[BOSTONMASSACRE]

I guess my top five teams as a fan would be...
Bruins
Rangers
Flyers
Toronto
maybe Ottawa? lol
Ive always been a big fan of Colton Orr though, ive said it before and ill say it again, most dangerous man in hockey today. (Respect to ya Big Mac).
Thought Orr was done for but the kid is on a tear this year again.
Good for him!

[Dark Light]

Originally Posted by ValJamesRules

Sabres fan here...

Nice to see Toronto playing a very tough lineup and doing well.

The Buffalo-Toronto games have lacked fire ever since the days of Rayzor and Domi. Glad to see it return with Scott (#32) and Orr (#28), and guys like McLaren, Brownie, Fraser, McCormick, Foligno, as well as Otter and Kaleta throwin' their weight around.

It's interesting they both took their numbers. I wonder if they will have a long rivalry like Ray and Domi. I doubt it though in this NHL.

[k.L]

Originally Posted by Dark Light

It's interesting they both took their numbers. I wonder if they will have a long rivalry like Ray and Domi. I doubt it though in this NHL.

Scott won't be around long enough for that.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

TORONTO STAR

Leaf players had a front-row seat to a heavyweight tilt between six-foot-five Frazer McLaren and six-foot-eight John Scott, and it left quite an impression.

“They are two big men, and when you have a front-row seat like that, they were about three feet away, I’m telling you there’s energy in those punches,” coach Randy Carlyle said.

“You understand he’s (McLaren) sacrificing for your team.”

[IcePlayer]

As much as I hate the Leafs and I do, their grit, take no sh!t attitude and style of play is everything I want the Sens to be this season. They have 18 more fighting majors this season already.

Frankly it's embarrassing. Hatred aside though, the Leafs are doing a solid job of representing the message already started by Anaheim.

HUGE CRINGE at Kadri saying he can "run around" more, shut up you little gimp

[leafs_fan77]

Originally Posted by IcePlayer

As much as I hate the Leafs and I do, their grit, take no sh!t attitude and style of play is everything I want the Sens to be this season. They have 18 more fighting majors this season already.

Frankly it's embarrassing. Hatred aside though, the Leafs are doing a solid job of representing the message already started by Anaheim.

HUGE CRINGE at Kadri saying he can "run around" more, shut up you little gimp

Haha, it's true though. You think Smith would have been in Kadri's face if Orr was on his line that game? Hell no, Smith wouldn't have even looked at Kadri.

[IcePlayer]

Originally Posted by leafs_fan77

Haha, it's true though. You think Smith would have been in Kadri's face if Orr was on his line that game? Hell no, Smith wouldn't have even looked at Kadri.

haha, yeah I know what you're saying, in truth it's a testiment to Orr that someone like Kadri can say something like that.

I'm just envious...

[JKidd]

Originally Posted by nyrgoal

I dnt see why more enforcers don't do the same. Bust your arse in the offseason and learn how to skate and be a useful hockey player and maybe more teams wouldn't be waiving guys like Gratts and Kassian. I mean even Orr isnt some crazy superstar now but he is where every enforcer should be. A 3rd or 4th liner that isnt a liability and can do more than just drop the gloves.

I agree completely.

We always hear how enforcers always attend the "optional" practices and do stuff after practices, which is all fine and dandy, but if you're not truly pushing yourself or have the true drive to be anything more than a goon, what's the point? I'm not saying these guys are doing these things for the sake of doing them, and not wanting to get anything out of them, but deep down they have to want to be something more. All too often, tough guys get it into their head that all they need to do is drop their mitts and play 3 minutes a game.

The ones that want to make something for themself have the extra drive to be a guy like Darren McCarty, Shawn Thornton, or even Bob Probert in his hey day.

They almost need to be complacent with being just a goon. Sadly, too few enforcers have that, and even worse, too few coaches care to do what Carlyle is doing with Orr and did with Parros.