Toronto is no good

[pylon]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01...ell-do-it-now/

[mister__big]

I don't get why people call Kessel one-dimensional. Last I checked, he's pretty darn round which means he's got plenty of dimensions to him.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by pylon

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01...ell-do-it-now/

Carlyle said he received a text from Leafs GM Dave Nonis on Monday night asking to meet Tuesday at 8 a.m. He was in Sudbury with his ailing brother-in-law at the time (Carlyle also revealed in the interview that his brother-in-law who had ALS died on Wednesday) and wouldn’t be able to make that meeting.

Carlyle then asked Nonis to call him instead, which is when he was fired.

harsh

[Flamescat]

Doesn't Nonis know about skype? tell him to talk to McTavish..

[Flashpoint]

So the Leafs hire a totally unqualified person as president (former player with no management skill) extend their coach by 2 years over the summer, then fire him 40 games into the season while he sits with a dying relative.

Shocker?

I daresay "no".

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Man, that's rough. Doesn't put Nonis or the Leafs in a good light, nor should it.

[crapshoot]

They waited so incredibly far too long to fire him, couldn't they just have waited another few days to avoid firing him while he was litterally at a relatives deathbed? Nice going there, boss.

[868904]

Originally Posted by crapshoot

They waited so incredibly far too long to fire him, couldn't they just have waited another few days to avoid firing him while he was litterally at a relatives deathbed? Nice going there, boss.

The Leafs are so streaky, maybe they were worried they'd go on a winning streak and then they won't be able to fire him?

[Resolute 14]

Leafs bloggers v. media has been considerably entertaining the last few days too. Especially over the Kessel nonsense.

I usually side with bloggers in those conflicts, because the media tends to suffer from the delusion that it knows better than everyone else. But Toronto's bloggers, especially @msle, suffer from the exact same hubris. It tends to be amusing when two sides that are basically mirror images of each other square off.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Nonis is a dud. He stinks without his papa around to make the tough decisions.

Leafs deserve this for not letting Burke see out his 5 year plan.

Kessel would do well in San Jose or Columbus. He needs to be a 2nd line sniper, that plays protected minutes, who gets PP time and plays in a US market where the attention is less intense.

What worthless sack of meat.

WTF? He's second in NHL points the last 3 years. You're saying he's not a first line player? He's PPG with Bozak the last 4 seasons.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

WTF? He's second in NHL points the last 3 years. You're saying he's not a first line player? He's PPG with Bozak the last 4 seasons.

He'd be way better if he was actually consistent.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

WTF? He's second in NHL points the last 3 years. You're saying he's not a first line player? He's PPG with Bozak the last 4 seasons.

He doesn't have first line defensive skills, like a Toews, Datsyuk, Crosby, Getzlaf, etc. So head to head against a top line guy who scores and backchecks, he's gonna lose out.

Now, as a winger, it's not a huge deal, if paired with a good defensive centre. Or he could work on his defensive game. A guy with speed and tenacity should be able to cover the point and half wall well.

[Resolute 14]

Well, at least we know how to bring BigTuna out of his cave when the Leafs are losing... start criticizing fatty Kessel.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

He'd be way better if he was actually consistent.

A complete myth.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He doesn't have first line defensive skills, like a Toews, Datsyuk, Crosby, Getzlaf, etc. So head to head against a top line guy who scores and backchecks, he's gonna lose out.

Now, as a winger, it's not a huge deal, if paired with a good defensive centre. Or he could work on his defensive game. A guy with speed and tenacity should be able to cover the point and half wall well.

So if you're not one of those guys defensively, you're not a first liner? So Stamkos/Ovechkin/Kane aren't first liners?

Second in total points the last 3 years with Bozak centering him. You guys are seriously claiming he's not a true first liner?

He doesn't need a great defensive centre to be a first liner. He has a bad defensive centre and he's already a true elite point producer.

[Resolute 14]

He is a first liner. But he is a first liner in the way Taylor Hall is a first liner. He cares about scoring stats and not much else.

[BigTuna]

It's odd the coach gets fired and it becomes another excuse to crap on Kessel. And it's from the Toronto media. they love the Leafs, right guys?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

So if you're not one of those guys defensively, you're not a first liner? So Stamkos/Ovechkin/Kane aren't first liners?

Second in total points the last 3 years with Bozak centering him. You guys are seriously claiming he's not a true first liner?

He doesn't need a great defensive centre to be a first liner. He has a bad defensive centre and he's already a true elite point producer.

I'd take a Stamkos/Kane backcheck over Kessel's. Ovechkin I think can play defensively - he's a punishing hitter. He just has never been made to do it.

Hall is the best comparison.

And I said it earlier. Kessel is talented, but if he were on a more balanced team, he wouldn't get so many points. If Toronto had a decent second scoring threat, Kessel's time would drop some and he'd score maybe 10 less points a year.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'd take a Stamkos/Kane backcheck over Kessel's. Ovechkin I think can play defensively - he's a punishing hitter. He just has never been made to do it.

Hall is the best comparison.

And I said it earlier. Kessel is talented, but if he were on a more balanced team, he wouldn't get so many points. If Toronto had a decent second scoring threat, Kessel's time would drop some and he'd score maybe 10 less points a year.

They do. Look at the stats.

Excuses, excuses. The guy is putting-up more points than Patrick Kane does with the same ice-time and inferior linemates.

If Kessel played With Kadri, he;d score more than he does now. Kessel doesn't even play with Toronto's best centre.

Let me remind you at the time of the trade to Toronto, everyone said he would never score much without Marc Savard as his centre. Kessel has done the exact opposite as predicted, and somehow now being on the Leafs is some huge statistical advantage.

Kessel isn't even playing that much compared to the league's other top scorers.

[TheDebaser]

I'm with Tuna here, Kessel is good at hockey.

The problem with the leafs is that they have a bunch of players who are really good, but no one to really rally around or lead. Phaneuf and Kessel help any team in the NHL, but they are complimenting pieces, like Ovechkin/Kane/Letang imo, not foundational pieces like Crosby, Toews or Weber.