5 Games to get it right

[budzz]

Really sucks that Ror has been injured, and we haven't been able to nail down our lines. Now with only 5 games left it becomes harder. I know Keefe likes the "stack the top 2 lines" thing with JT and willy on the wings and Ror in the middle. That line definitely showed promise. But I like the idea they mentioned on the panel last night... stack the top 2 lines at home for the favorable matchups, but maybe drop down Ror to 3c on the road for a more balanced D setup. Maybe something like:

Jarnkrok Matty Willy
Bunts Tavares Mitch
Kerf Ror Acciari
Zar Kamph Laff
?

The problem is, Ror has NEVER played a 3rd line shift for the leafs yet, ever. So he needs to get some chemistry going with someone, and only 5 games to do it.

I think at least 3 of those games, Ror needs to be 3c so Keefe can find a fit and see what works. Hoping he's back for the Bruins game?

Click to read more...

 

[Jojalu]

Starting with the Carolina game, the Leafs have been playing well. The results havn't always matched their play but they are starting to control games for the most part.

Hopefully ROR can find his legs in the next 5 and Samsonov and Woll are ready for the task ahead.

 

[robertmac43]

Hopefully ROR can find his legs in the next 5 and Samsonov and Woll are ready for the task ahead.

Good thing with it being a finger injury is my guess is he has been on the ice. Cardio should be decent.

 

[tom leafers]

Really sucks that Ror has been injured, and we haven't been able to nail down our lines. Now with only 5 games left it becomes harder. I know Keefe likes the "stack the top 2 lines" thing with JT and willy on the wings and Ror in the middle. That line definitely showed promise. But I like the idea they mentioned on the panel last night... stack the top 2 lines at home for the favorable matchups, but maybe drop down Ror to 3c on the road for a more balanced D setup. Maybe something like:
Jarnkrok Matty Willy
Bunts Tavares Mitch
Kerf Ror Acciari
Zar Kamph Laff
?
The problem is, Ror has NEVER played a 3rd line shift for the leafs yet, ever. So he needs to get some chemistry going with someone, and only 5 games to do it.
I think at least 3 of those games, Ror needs to be 3c so Keefe can find a fit and see what works. Hoping he's back for the Bruins game?

im all for stacking the top 2 lines at home and moving ROR to 3c in Tampa.

keep Jarnkrok and willy with Matthews but move Marner up to Matthews wing if we need a goal.

with ROR hopefully returning against Boston, i hope we never see 11/7 again

 

[Nineteen67]

The only thing Keefe has to worry about is having Mathews or ROR at C and Marner on the wing against the Point line.

 

[notbias]

Really sucks that Ror has been injured, and we haven't been able to nail down our lines. Now with only 5 games left it becomes harder. I know Keefe likes the "stack the top 2 lines" thing with JT and willy on the wings and Ror in the middle. That line definitely showed promise. But I like the idea they mentioned on the panel last night... stack the top 2 lines at home for the favorable matchups, but maybe drop down Ror to 3c on the road for a more balanced D setup. Maybe something like:

Jarnkrok Matty Willy
Bunts Tavares Mitch
Kerf Ror Acciari
Zar Kamph Laff
?

The problem is, Ror has NEVER played a 3rd line shift for the leafs yet, ever. So he needs to get some chemistry going with someone, and only 5 games to do it.

I think at least 3 of those games, Ror needs to be 3c so Keefe can find a fit and see what works. Hoping he's back for the Bruins game?

I keep going back and forth, but I am now on board with spreading out the talent and having the other team try to keep up. We can run 3 low-end 1st/high-end 2nd lines in the top 9 and have the 4th line as just an annoying line to play against and can take most defensive matchups.

Knies - Matthews - Jarnkrok
Bunting - Tavares - Marner
Kerfoot - ROR - Nylander
Lafferty/ZAR - Kampf - Acciari

The beauty about this is you can still stack lines occasionally for offensive zone draws or situationally.

Matthews' line just came off and ozone draw? Tavares - ROR - Marner
Tavares' line just came off and ozone draw? Matthews - ROR - Willy
ROR's line just came off and ozone draw? Matthews - Tavares - Marner

Then just throw out the Kampf line after (they can be trusted), and then whatever line had just come off can go back on and you can go back to the regular rotation.

 

[Twine Tickler]

5 relatively meaningless games left in the season. You got 1 game against Boston and 1 game against TB in that lot. You put your best foot forward on those 2 games, and you send the "B-squad" out for the remainder. Have a healthy amount of guys in and out of the lineup during that time. Just make it to Game 1 fully healthy.

If you need the final 5 games to "get it right", you're probably not a real threat to begin with. We've been playing meaningless games for well over a month at this point, so sloppiness is to be expected to a degree. The flip side of that is having the guys dialed in for the last 2 months of the season when it doesn't matter and then having the risk of blowing their load a bit too early when the dial gets turned up. We need to have enough gas in the tank to match/better that increase in intensity.

I think we can all agree that what we have seen from Boston this season is nothing short of remarkable. It is easily the most impressive season I can recall in the modern era of the NHL, and it may go down as the best season of all time. They have faced zero adversity all season, and they just keep finding ways to win. I keep waiting for a stretch a bad fortune, but that just hasn't come yet. Of course, we would love that level of consistency from our boys, but at the end of the day we cannot be comparing our readiness to arguably the best regular season team to ever do it. So save yourself the "well Boston isn't taking any time off" comments.

I fully expect our boys to be ready to battle in a couple weeks, the main thing is getting there in 1 piece. Get that last little bit of family time in now, and get that mind right before the end of next week. It will be full throttle from that point on.

It may appear from our perspective that the boys are not doing what they need to do to be fully ready for the playoffs, but I just don't think that is the case. Although the results have never been there for this group in the playoffs, they do have a ton of experience in getting prepared for that battle. We didn't lose to TB last year because we weren't ready to compete. We lost a coin flip series to one of the greatest teams in NHL history and we took em' straight to the wire. I am not worried about not being ready personally. This group will step up and play their hearts out when it matters the most.

 

[Optimist]

If someone were to ask me who our lines and defensive pairs are on this team, I wouldn't be able to tell them. And I watch every game.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I think Keefer will end up going with 3 productive lines for game 1 and an energy defensive 4th line .. he may switch things up to top 2 line formation if things dont go well early though

 

[Buds17]

In fairness, what may or may not work at this juncture of the regular season may or may not work in the playoffs. I think a centre punch of Matthews-Tavares-ROR will be too tempting to not try at some point during the playoffs. Conversely, I also believe that ROR stands to make the greater contribution by playing in the top six. It obviously will be good to have him back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

 

[The Iceman]

Being up 6 points on TB with 4 to play. TB can only get 8 more points if they win out.

If we beat Montreal does that clinch home ice?
Do we have the TB tiebreak or is that still TBA?

 

[Hellcat]

Being up 6 points on TB with 4 to play. TB can only get 8 more points if they win out.

If we beat Montreal does that clinch home ice?
Do we have the TB tiebreak or is that still TBA?

I think tie break goes to ROW I just want the TB game to not matter, end it here and let our stars rest during the TB game, you know they will be running our top 4 and Sammy. The way they played in the 1st period vs Boston, I think I became a TB fan for 20 minutes, they did not give a sweet F about the game, its was brutal frontier justice all period... they got some bite. The team we played last year is nastier but less talented, with the best goalie in the world. With McDonnaugh gone their defence has been a bit of a problem for them all year, that might be one area we can exploit, I say that then the word Hedman comes to mind.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

5 relatively meaningless games left in the season. You got 1 game against Boston and 1 game against TB in that lot. You put your best foot forward on those 2 games, and you send the "B-squad" out for the remainder. Have a healthy amount of guys in and out of the lineup during that time. Just make it to Game 1 fully healthy.

If you need the final 5 games to "get it right", you're probably not a real threat to begin with. We've been playing meaningless games for well over a month at this point, so sloppiness is to be expected to a degree. The flip side of that is having the guys dialed in for the last 2 months of the season when it doesn't matter and then having the risk of blowing their load a bit too early when the dial gets turned up. We need to have enough gas in the tank to match/better that increase in intensity.

I think we can all agree that what we have seen from Boston this season is nothing short of remarkable. It is easily the most impressive season I can recall in the modern era of the NHL, and it may go down as the best season of all time. They have faced zero adversity all season, and they just keep finding ways to win. I keep waiting for a stretch a bad fortune, but that just hasn't come yet. Of course, we would love that level of consistency from our boys, but at the end of the day we cannot be comparing our readiness to arguably the best regular season team to ever do it. So save yourself the "well Boston isn't taking any time off" comments.

I fully expect our boys to be ready to battle in a couple weeks, the main thing is getting there in 1 piece. Get that last little bit of family time in now, and get that mind right before the end of next week. It will be full throttle from that point on.

It may appear from our perspective that the boys are not doing what they need to do to be fully ready for the playoffs, but I just don't think that is the case. Although the results have never been there for this group in the playoffs, they do have a ton of experience in getting prepared for that battle. We didn't lose to TB last year because we weren't ready to compete. We lost a coin flip series to one of the greatest teams in NHL history and we took em' straight to the wire. I am not worried about not being ready personally. This group will step up and play their hearts out when it matters the most.

Well said.

I’m hoping Boston implodes come playoffs like the lightning getting swept a few years back.

A record season and zero adversity.
Then come playoffs and all gaskets and tires get blown right off.

One can hope right

 

[Morgs]

You're worried about RoR playing 3C, which likely would be easier minutes than the 2LW/C he was playing before, and 1C minutes with the Blues? Yeah, there's a bunch to be worried about pre-playoffs but RoR being a good 3C shouldn't crack your top-10.

 

[Rude Dog]

Next 5 should be the playoff lines. When ROR gets back he should be in top 6. Marner with Mathew and Bunting. Dont overthink things Keefe. No Holl

 

[kevsh]

Article on SportsBet yesterday suggested ROR as 3C on the road where the opponent will get the last change and spread the offense out, but at home stack the top 2 lines and use last change to get favorable matchups.

That seems to make sense, though I'd lean to using ROR at 3C at home as well, even if just sporadically, as it's never a bad idea to spread the offense out.

 

[budzz]

You're worried about RoR playing 3C, which likely would be easier minutes than the 2LW/C he was playing before, and 1C minutes with the Blues? Yeah, there's a bunch to be worried about pre-playoffs but RoR being a good 3C shouldn't crack your top-10.

Not worried about Ror at all, he'll be fine. More worried that at 3c he'll be playing with line mates he's never played with before. Chemistry is a thing. I would think you'd want at least 2-3 games with consistent line mates to get a feel for each other. Game 1 of the playoffs isn't really the time for that sort of thing is all.

 

[Morgs]

Not worried about Ror at all, he'll be fine. More worried that at 3c he'll be playing with line mates he's never played with before. Chemistry is a thing. I would think you'd want at least 2-3 games with consistent line mates to get a feel for each other. Game 1 of the playoffs isn't really the time for that sort of thing is all.

Meh, chemistry might be a thing, but it's not going to change enough to dictate play. He'll likely play 2LW/C most, if not all series anyway so it probably shouldn't be something to worry about.

 

[WillyC]

I think we’re ready… the only way the last 5 games make a difference for any team, is if they need to win out to qualify for the postseason.

These last 5 games should be about getting everyone healthy… the playoffs are a completely different animal.

There’s really nothing to be done with these last meaningless games to change what happens in the playoffs… maybe keep Woll in for 2 of the 5 and tell him he’ll be on the bench behind Sammy.

Other than that… we’re ready.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Keefe needs to set a lineup and stick to it. There's no way he should be going into a series with Tampa without building some continuity.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I think we’re ready… the only way the last 5 games make a difference for any team, is if they need to win out to qualify for the postseason.

These last 5 games should be about getting everyone healthy… the playoffs are a completely different animal.

There’s really nothing to be done with these last meaningless games to change what happens in the playoffs… maybe keep Woll in for 2 of the 5 and tell him he’ll be on the bench behind Sammy.

Other than that… we’re ready.

This. I don't think we need to do anything. This team is going to play how they will play.

Last year we won 7 of our final 9 games going into the post season and still lost. Right now people need to stay healthy and keep themselves in shape to play heavy minutes. Things will work out.

 

[IPS]

I do not like ROR by himself on the 3rd line.

 

[GoonieFace]

Well said.

I’m hoping Boston implodes come playoffs like the lightning getting swept a few years back.

A record season and zero adversity.
Then come playoffs and all gaskets and tires get blown right off.

One can hope right

This is a very realistic possibility

 

[IPS]

Well said.

I’m hoping Boston implodes come playoffs like the lightning getting swept a few years back.

A record season and zero adversity.
Then come playoffs and all gaskets and tires get blown right off.

One can hope right

Well the downside is their probably going to absolutely roll the Islanders or Penguins since they're both pretty weak and incomplete teams.

Guess it's up to the Leafs to make Boston implode in the 2nd round!

 

[leafsfan5]

Well the downside is their probably going to absolutely roll the Islanders or Penguins since they're both pretty weak and incomplete teams.

Guess it's up to the Leafs to make Boston implode in the 2nd round!

NYI has a chance, they have Sorokin who can steal a series on his own. Plus they play a heavy style that shown wear the Bruins down as it goes on