GDT: Around the League - 2021/22 PART IV

[PromisedLand]

Gotta beat the man to be the man. I like it. To be honest I’m not really too hung up who we get in the first round, no matter who it is it’s going to be a war. I’m more concerned about the performance of our guys, if they’re on they can beat any one including Tampa Carolina and especially Florida. If they’re not rolling we don’t have a chance regardless of who they face, that was proven last spring when they got the what? 18th best regular season team in round 1?
No matter what anyone does on either team playing that night the leafs fate falls on how the big guys go, they’re that good.

Precisely! Top guys have to show up to play. Opposition is not gonna just let you walk over them, especially in teh playoffs. You gotta win your line matches every single game.

 

[PromisedLand]

10 mins to go in the 3rd period for the Avs/Oilers game. Been watching since the 1st period; Avs haven't had easy entries into Oilers zone all night. And Oilers' defense sucks. Their entire team is playing team defense first.

if Leafs can't do the same then shame on them

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

losing to florida and tampa might still be acceptable. losing to canes with freddie in net is gonna be such a leafy move and embarrassing. I'd rather face tampa or florida instead LOL

Half agree. Losing to Tampa would be a breath of fresh air for this franchise. Not Boston and the recent history we have with them, not a hated rival like Montreal. Florida would be more palatable than the last two mentioned, but it'd suck to let them end their "first round elimination" streak while ours continues.

 

[Nylanderthal]

Precisely! Top guys have to show up to play. Opposition is not gonna just let you walk over them, especially in teh playoffs. You gotta win your line matches every single game.

All you can hope for and have to reasonably expect is that learned this from being completely embarrassed by Montreal last spring.

 

[Mess]

Pretty typical season .. Leafs get up on Boston, but Boston holds games in hand. Boston catches up by winning their games in hand and eventually passes the Leafs.

Was only a matter of WHEN and not IF.

Reason :

Young 23 year old Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman is posting 4th best GA/G stats at 2.10 and the 6th best SV% .925 in the NHL.

Our Leafs goaltending SV% combined in 2022 ranks #32 OA and last among all teams and sub .900 for this calendar year. To make matters even worse still Leafs #1A goalie is currently on LTIR and Leafs 1B tandem goalie cleared waivers and was heading for the minors.

Goaltending will be the #1 factor in deciding the final standings in the Atlantic in the last 1/4 season.

Leafs offense will likley not be able to outscore their own goaltending to maintain serve in the standings without something to change significantly to Leafs goaltending soon.

 

[123offtheglass]

3 on 3 OT Avs Oilers, should be a fun one to tune into

 

[2 Slick]

Oilers Lol, gonna get smoked in the playoffs, nice loss.

 

[IPS]

Was only a matter of WHEN and not IF.

Reason :

Young 23 year old Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman is posting 4th best GA/G stats at 2.10 and the 6th best SV% .925 in the NHL.

Our Leafs goaltending SV% combined in 2022 ranks #32 OA and last among all teams and sub .900 for this calendar year. To make matters even worse still Leafs #1A goalie is currently on LTIR and Leafs 1B tandem goalie cleared waivers and was heading for the minors.

Goaltending will be the #1 factor in deciding the final standings in the Atlantic in the last 1/4 season.

Leafs offense will likley not be able to outscore their own goaltending to maintain serve in the standings without something to change significantly to Leafs goaltending soon.

And now Boston has Hampus Lindholm - who is likely going to pair with McAvy to form one of the most fearsome shutdown pairings in the league. Good thing to have when you're in a division of Matthews/Marner, Huberdeau/Barkov, Kuch/Point/Stamkos..

 

[3blizzard4]

Seems like every loss for the Oilers is the refs fault. Well at least according to HFLoilers.

 

[Superstar]

3 on 3 OT Avs Oilers, should be a fun one to tune into

Kadri takes off Nurse's helmet in OT, lol, forces him to leave the ice.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Seems like every loss for the Oilers is the refs fault. Well at least according to HFLoilers.

They do draw the 4th fewest penalties in the league... And have Draisaitl and McDavid on their team.

Colorado has been #1 for like 5 straight years and had 3 more PP's than EDM. Colorado hasn't been good enough to be #1 for that long.

It is not nearly as bad as the Leafs who are last despite having Matthews/Marner/Nylander/Tavares, but Colorado definitely gets the benefit of the doubt in the special teams battle.

 

[TheShape]

I can't wrap my head around the over payment for Lehkonen? He does nothing to solve Colorado's lack of offense in the bottom six. I get he's a great defensive forward and all but if I'm trading my best prospect + a 2nd I want a sure thing who can play higher up in the lineup, which would bump Nichushkin down to the 3rd line to perform the Lehkonen role.

Barron looks like a sure thing, great pickup by Hughes.

 

[Fogelhund]

I can't wrap my head around the over payment for Lehkonen? He does nothing to solve Colorado's lack of offense in the bottom six. I get he's a great defensive forward and all but if I'm trading my best prospect + a 2nd I want a sure thing who can play higher up in the lineup, which would bump Nichushkin down to the 3rd line to perform the Lehkonen role.

Barron looks like a sure thing, great pickup by Hughes.

Credit to Hughes, for having done a pretty good job at selling off average assets, for premium returns. He's got a ton of work to do over the next couple of years, but I've been impressed with his start.

 

[rdogg]

Seems like every loss for the Oilers is the refs fault. Well at least according to HFLoilers.

Let's not forget that after every Leafs loss you have about 50 posters complaining about the refs, too.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Let's not forget that after every Leafs loss you have about 50 posters complaining about the refs, too.

Leafs have played 62 games this year.

There have only been 18 where the Leafs have had more PP's for than against.

And another 17 where it was even.

IDK about you, but 27 games where the Leafs have taken more penalties than the opposition when we are one of the fastest, most skilled teams in the league which doesn't take too many stupid roughing penalties seems a bit sketchy to me... Even with game management.

 

[Apotheosis]

Looks like the Habs are committed to a legit rebuild. Recouped an incredible amount of assets this TDL.

 

[Superstar]

Leafs have played 62 games this year.

There have only been 18 where the Leafs have had more PP's for than against.

And another 17 where it was even.

IDK about you, but 27 games where the Leafs have taken more penalties than the opposition when we are one of the fastest, most skilled teams in the league which doesn't take too many stupid roughing penalties seems a bit sketchy to me... Even with game management.

And don't forget that stretch of 4 games where the Leafs only had 1 powerplay, which included the blatant non-call in OT against Arizona...these refs don't call a fair game when Leafs are playing.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Looking forward to that Canes Lightning game tonight. Two heavyweight contenders going at it.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Come on Carolina.

 

[PromisedLand]

Canes/Tampa game is such a snooze fest.

come on canes beat them in regulation ffs

 

[PromisedLand]

LMAO they are calling a shit crosscheck on the canes as Point dives like a bitch; but opposition can have open season on Matthews but the refs go blind. pisses me off

 

[Suntouchable13]

Canes/Tampa game is such a snooze fest.

come on canes beat them in regulation ffs

I don't see how it matters. Home ice means jack shit. Tampa didn't have home ice till the final (I think) and they still won. I'd rather drop into the wild card and face the Canes or even Florida.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Damn that was a great tip by Paul in his Lightning debut.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Looks like the Habs are committed to a legit rebuild. Recouped an incredible amount of assets this TDL.

I dunno I thought they said they would be big players in free agency?

Maybe they'll be trying to retool .. they have enough picks to trade leverage for sure. Will have to dump some contracts though.

 

[budzz]

Was only a matter of WHEN and not IF.

Reason :

Young 23 year old Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman is posting 4th best GA/G stats at 2.10 and the 6th best SV% .925 in the NHL.

Our Leafs goaltending SV% combined in 2022 ranks #32 OA and last among all teams and sub .900 for this calendar year. To make matters even worse still Leafs #1A goalie is currently on LTIR and Leafs 1B tandem goalie cleared waivers and was heading for the minors.

Goaltending will be the #1 factor in deciding the final standings in the Atlantic in the last 1/4 season.

Leafs offense will likley not be able to outscore their own goaltending to maintain serve in the standings without something to change significantly to Leafs goaltending soon.

Sooo freaking negative! Honestly. yes our goalies in a vaccuum and a sample size have sucked. And we managed to play through it, sitting 7th overall a few points out of 4th. Colorado, florida and tampa, 3 apparent juggernauts of the league, are within a dozen or so goals against compared to us. Upi would think we've fallen off a cliff since christmas or something. Goalies go through slumps. Wierd year due to Mrazeks early imjury added to Jacks load maybe had an effect I dunno.

I do know I'd put our offense up against anyone (florida included), and now I'd put our D and D depth against anyone too. Gimme decent competent goaltending with this team in a playoff series I'll take it.

Let's see what happens... let the new d pairs find their way... the boys have shown flashes of very competent defensive play. Please stop with the doom and gloom. We all get the past records and recent playoffs, we get it.