Pre-Game Talk: Game #7 Leafs (2-3-1) vs. Canes (4-0-0), 7pm Mon

[BrannigansLaw]

While the storyline will be framed as what response they have to the Pens humiliation this past weekend, I think most of us are still waiting for the response to the Habs humiliation 4 months ago.

We'll need a spreadsheet of humiliations we're waiting on responses for at this point. They just keep stacking them up like a college kid procrastinating on assignments.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Getting Burke/Wilson vibes right now from this team.

I.e. one bad home game in front of the 18,000 Scotiabank faithful could send all of Shanahan/Dubas/Keefe packing.

Already had the jersey toss. We just need the waffles to start raining down and they're done.

 

[Mess]

I'm a big fan of Aho and he is a player I wish Marner emulated more in style of play.

Sea Bass is also a contract that Marner should currently be on @ ~ $8.5 mil per as he is a fair comparable. IMO

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I can't hope against Leafs but not much anyone can do now .. it likely gets ugly again tonight against a very good team .. Leafs will play better but it won't be enough .. tic toc tic toc da bomb likely to go off soon .. will Shanny go down with ship .. or will he sacrifice Dubie? .. that is da question

 

[ToneDog]

I can't hope against Leafs but not much anyone can do now .. it likely gets ugly again tonight against a very good team .. Leafs will play better but it won't be enough .. tic toc tic toc da bomb likely to go off soon .. will Shanny go down with ship .. or will he sacrifice Dubie? .. that is da question

Given they probably don't move a core piece during the season and there are not many better options out there I bet they let the season play out and decide how to go forward during the off season. It will get uglier though if they can't beat the Hawks and Wings.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Frederik Andersen is back on his game after a rough season with the Leafs. The Hurricanes pretended it never happened | The Star

Frederik Andersen had the worst season of his five as a Leaf, with injuries a big factor. He lost his job to Jack Campbell because of them.

“The pandemic was tough on everyone, but I think that that year was extremely difficult for me personally,” said Andersen, who had career worsts in goals-against average (2.96) and save percentage (.895).

His career resumé, however, is impressive: 230 wins vs. 100 losses and 48 loser points, with a 2.64 average and .916 save mark.

“I know it wasn’t a great year for him, but if you look at how he played over the last four or five years you get a lot of good things coming out of that,” said Waddell. “We just felt he was a good fit with our defence, with our team, the way we played.”

And he’s six-foot-four and 238 pounds in a league that increasingly values big goaltenders. Waddell’s Canes lost in the second round of the playoffs last year to Tampa Bay with goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, six-foot-three and 225 pounds. Robin Lehner of the Golden Knights and Anthony Stolarz of the Ducks are the only netminders who weigh more than Andersen.

“We love the size,” said Waddell. “We haven’t had big goalies in the past. So we noticed that last year, we played Tampa in the second round, their goalie is a monster. So we made a decision early this summer as a team that we were going to make changes, try to do something different with our goaltending."

“We had a lot of guys on the list — not only free agents, but through trades. But at the end of the day, we felt Freddie was one of our best (options) and that’s why we went that direction.”

The Canes also signed Antti Raanta to back up Andersen. The Leafs would go on to sign Petr Mrázek, who played for Carolina last season, to form a tandem with Campbell. Mrázek is out with a groin injury, but travelling on this trip.

So, Monday’s night’s game could well be billed as a grudge match for Andersen against Campbell and his old team. After all, Andersen seemed to be painted as the villain in the Amazon series “All or Nothing” — the subject of a shouting match between coach Sheldon Keefe and goalie coach Steve Briere, and his health status questioned at one point by assistant coach Paul MacLean.

“I feel like shows like that would tend to play a little bit on the drama and then over-exaggerate that stuff a little bit,” said Andersen. “I don’t think there was any (acrimony) on my end. I was doing what I could to get healthy. It was a frustrating period for me personally, not being able to figure out what was wrong.”

Healthy now and off to a good start in Carolina, he’s too nice a guy to say he’s holding a grudge.

“You play them as hard as you can and hopefully it plays out,” the goalie said. “But I think overall, I enjoyed my time there."

“It’s an amazing city with amazing people. I have a lot of friendships that I made there and that I’m going to cherish for a long time. We had some success, but not obviously the ultimate success.”

This article made me worry a bit. The Canes had years to study Mrazek and ultimately decided he is not good enough to win ... and they are usually right!

 

[Jozay]

Easy money betting on the Canes tonight.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Seems like much of our fan base has given up on this season already. Hopefully our players are made of stronger stuff.

 

[VanW27]

Given they probably don't move a core piece during the season and there are not many better options out there I bet they let the season play out and decide how to go forward during the off season. It will get uglier though if they can't beat the Hawks and Wings.

Yeah, the only real move the Leafs can make in season is moving Rielly.

Unfortunately Rielly is one of the few guys who actually step up their game in the playoffs so it's a culture change in the wrong direction. It would signal to the team we are no longer in "contender mode" and are in "rebuild/retool mode" though. Meaning trading away UFAs to be instead of keeping and adding more.

 

[All Mod Cons]

It all depends on how you want to look at it I guess.

If you want to measure it in terms of effort, you can only go by looking at if they are outplaying their opponents and getting more opportunities. With the injuries, roster turnover and having one of the tougher schedules to start a season compared with other teams (Starting the season with a back to back, 3 in 4 and two back to backs against rested teams so far) how have the Leafs done for differentials?

Rankings this year (All situations):

Shots attempted differential: 1st in the NHL

Shot differential: 5th in the NHL

Scoring Chance differential: 3rd in the NHL

Expected Goal differential: 5th in the NHL

Actual Goal differential: 27th in the NHL

PDO(Team save%+shooting%): 27th in the NHL

Despite their tough schedule/injuries/tinkering, the Leafs appear to be one of the hardest-working teams in the league having no puck luck atm. I just hope their breakout comes against the Canes as they really do deserve a better record than their 2-3-1 so far.

Of all the things we can accuse the Leafs of, this is certainly one accusation I've never seen attributed to them.

 

[fahad203]

This article made me worry a bit. The Canes had years to study Mrazek and ultimately decided he is not good enough to win ... and they are usually right!

Mrazek looked better than he really is. Canes play a hard and good defensive game. They do well to protect their goalies

 

[All Mod Cons]

Seems like much of our fan base has given up on this season already. Hopefully our players are made of stronger stuff.

They don't appear to be. Looks like they feel the same way the fans do.

 

[Clark4Ever]

If these guys have any heart whatsoever, I expect their best performance of the season tonight that will hopefully result in a win.

 

[Legendary]

I hope Andersen gets a shutout and a goal.

 

[Mess]

The Leafs have gone 6 straight games with 3 or less goals, this hasn't happened to Leafs offense since prior to the Salary Cap being instituted, prior t0 2004.

This is the Leafs worst offense output to start a season in almost 2 decades.

When Leafs big boys aren't scoring the Leafs will struggle with offense and not produce enough as secondary offense to win games unless they're giving up 3 or less goals themselves. The Leafs record is reflective of this struggle to score.

 

[Zybalto]

Of all the things we can accuse the Leafs of, this is certainly one accusation I've never seen attributed to them.

...and yet to be at the top of the league for all of these things are a clear indication they are working hard.

So either the stats are so completely misleading that they are broken or a narrative cooked up by jaded fans could be wrong.

Personally, if you are outshooting/outplaying your opponents despite being on a much tougher schedule, you may be working hard but maybe it's just me. The Leafs/Knights/Avs and Bolts have all got off to roughish starts but I expect all 4 to go on runs soon and it's the Leafs that have, by far, the best underlying numbers of the bunch.

 

[Coachcorner]

This a trump HUUGE statement game for us. AGAIN. Funny, but that's a fact. We always get these, cause we weak. Not ready. That's why we has to make our fans "sure" that we are a manly hockey squad. LOL
Lets see what happens tonight with our thugs and thugettes. Last week was embarassing again. Time for human beings to change, and if that don't happen, some people will get moved. PERIOD.

 

[Caroline Says ll]

Honestly why not atleast start the game with blended lines. Have Spezza higher, Marner lower.

This loyalty to line combos when chemistry vanishes is asinine.

 

[The Blueprint]

Well, we will definitely win the advanced stats game, which half the posters are proud about..im more of a gotta win on the scoreboard kinda guy myself.

Just win. Wanna be happy when I check the scoreboard in the morning !

 

[mapleleafs34]

 

[Gary Nylund]

...and yet to be at the top of the league for all of these things are a clear indication they are working hard.

So either the stats are so completely misleading that they are broken or a narrative cooked up by jaded fans could be wrong.

Personally, if you are outshooting/outplaying your opponents despite being on a much tougher schedule, you may be working hard but maybe it's just me. The Leafs/Knights/Avs and Bolts have all got off to roughish starts but I expect all 4 to go on runs soon and it's the Leafs that have, by far, the best underlying numbers of the bunch.

Yeah the last game was terrible but anyone with their eyes in working order who haws watched all the other games can't possibly think that we've been playing badly all season.

 

[ACC1224]

I like it.

 

[ryno23]

finally the right lineup.

Ritchie is a failed signing and was never good enough to pay on the top line. Matthews now has another shooter on his line so they can't double team him knowing Muffin Marner has no shot.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

It will be interesting to see if the idea that Freddy was the problem and directly responsible for the leafs playoffs exits changes this year. Freddy likely puts up better numbers than the leaf goalies this year leading one to speculate that perhaps goalie stats are drastically effected by the team infront of them not solely the goalie themselves

 

[peconcan]

Like the switch up, just wish they had Spezza with JT and Marner instead of Kerfoot