GDT: Game # Leafs host Flames 7:30pm ET

[CanadasTeam]

It's the second half of a back-to-back and the perfect time to "rest" Jumbo

As for Foligno I'm pretty sure somewhere I saw the 21st of April against the Jets is the earliest he could be put in after the quarantine.

I wonder if Keefe puts him in the lineup right away without couple full practice with the team first. My guess is he'll probably draw in the last game of the 3-game series vs. Jets.

 

[Leaffan1991]

Engvall has been really bad last few games without Mik and Hyman.

I wonder if when Foligno and Nash get in he's the odd man out.One of Kerfoot, Foligno or Nash will get that 3C spot

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Last season when the PP was struggling they had a forward drop low behind the red line, a few feet from the net. Ideally it pulls a defender out of position and opens up a lane to the bumper in front of the net. It worked a few times then they stopped it.

If nothing else try a new look, put Auston on the opposite wing, for example, or just load up in the slot and fire low looking for a screen, deflection or rebound.

And I disagree that it's "100%" confidence.They know how to score on the power play, they were the best in the league early on and it's a safe bet that they didn't go cold out of lack of confidence. It just looks now like they are so consumed by trying to score and end this slump that they are rushing things.

It’s screwed right from retrieving a icing. From there it’s speed kill and skill kill and drop it a kazillion times wasting time to run it in to a waiting wall. If they get it through its another 15-20 seconds of puck battles from pressuring penalty killers. It’s gross from our own zone out. There haha

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Engvall has been really bad last few games without Mik and Hyman.

I wonder if when Foligno and Nash get in he's the odd man out.One of Kerfoot, Foligno or Nash will get that 3C spot

He was told what he needs to do by Keefe. He hasn’t done it. I’d assume he’s on his way out to the taxi squad

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I thought the Leafs would send mlse private jet to get him but this works even better

Lucic is a really cool man. Good character man.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Pretty much every team runs the drop pass and most do it effectively, the problem isn't with the play itself but how we execute it.

The whole point of the drop pass is to allow a guy to be able to attack the zone a full speed while the defenders are standing still. Our guys come up the ice so slow that nobody has any speed and it's easy to defend.

That is what I am seeing. I feel like Marner is taking way too much of a run up so they have time to adjust.

Really, getting into the zone is not a total disaster for us. Could be better, but it is not the reason why we are running at 3% right now.

Once we set up or get into the zone, there is no movement. Marner and Rielly just get swarmed to the boards and the forwards are never open. Marner and Rielly have something to do with that, but ultimately Matthews and Co. have to work to make themselves open and open quicker. You have an extra guy on the ice but on the PP it looks like we have one less guy. We move the puck around the zone better at 5-on-5 than on the PP right now, and that needs to change.

I think the rest falls into place after that. We are a bit snake-bitten (we should have scored more than we have based on what we have generated). I don't think we need to switch up the personnel that much. Pretty much just keep Thornton off of the PP and use Robertson until Nylander comes back. Maybe give Dermott a chance on the PP instead of Muzzin? He was good at PP on the Marlies, and he has played well enough to earn some more ice time. However I am also fine with sticking with Muzzin as well.

 

[BertCorbeau]

The PP needs movement .. Too much stand still, passing around, waiting for a lane to just magically open up. Marner is at his best when he's moving around.

Either that or put Marner in the bumper spot and put someone like Nylander on the half wall since he's a better shooter. Marner can make a ton of creative in tight plays from that position with tip passes and stuff. He just doesn't have the quality shot from the half wall to keep defenders honest.

 

[BayStBullies]

Is Rielly off the PP yet?

 

[zeke]

Flames lines here are confirmed - we won't know leaf lines until gametime.

With GSVA from theathletic.com:

 

[BertCorbeau]

To add to my point having both Rielly and Marner on the PP is a bit of an issue since neither is a big shooter, and they play in primarily shooter's positions on the PP. Rielly is a mobile, fluid passer and Marner is also a playmaker.

PK's know that when Marner passes high to Rielly that he's rotating it to Matthews (or vice versa). Get someone with a better shot in that position that can one-time and all of a sudden that can open lanes for cross ice passes to Matthews.

 

[zeke]

 

[Gabriel426]

Must Win game as the team need to stop losing and start a new streak.

 

[Smif]

Gotta win the face off on the PP. When they do. Amazing. When they lose it...60 seconds of trying to regain entry. No more point shots. Never ever works. Need more shooters on first PP. Only one is Mathews. Everyone else is pass first. Simmonds just trying to get his body on it.

I would love to know their PP FO% recently, it seems like they're always losing it and with the drop pass breakout it automatically burns 30 seconds riggt off the bat, the #1 unit barely gets any zone time because they change off so fast.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Must Win game as the team need to stop losing and start a new streak.

the bar for must win games is so low on here

 

[Spirit of 67]

BTW, not to be too pedantic or anything but I'm going to be anyway; it's EDT not EST.
We're on Daylight Savings Time now.
Not Standard Time.

 

[Not My Tempo]

To add to my point having both Rielly and Marner on the PP is a bit of an issue since neither is a big shooter, and they play in primarily shooter's positions on the PP. Rielly is a mobile, fluid passer and Marner is also a playmaker.

PK's know that when Marner passes high to Rielly that he's rotating it to Matthews (or vice versa). Get someone with a better shot in that position that can one-time and all of a sudden that can open lanes for cross ice passes to Matthews.

I watch Tampa’s and Washington’s power play and they utilize the half wall to goalie line to bumper for a shoot play so much and so well (Oshie and Point the trigger men) and I don’t understand why we don’t. Our bumper and net front guys are legit never in the play. It feels like we’re playing 3v4 out there sometimes because there’s no movement in the middle.


Seriously, when was the last time Marner did anything on the PP that wasn’t pass back to Rielly or shoot for a tip? We have no creativity. We have one of the best players in the league in Tavares and our coaching staff can’t figure out a way to incorporate him into the top PP unit. He’s one of the BEST goal line players since entering the league and we have him standing around in the bumper as Marner and Rielly play catch.



We saw this play once as far as I can remember. When was the last time this was even attempted?

 

[Teeder Keon]

BTW, not to be too pedantic or anything but I'm going to be anyway; it's EDT not EST.
We're on Daylight Savings Time now.
Not Standard Time.

Love Woody Allan ... my favourite movie maker ....

 

[Le Cobra]

BTW, not to be too pedantic or anything but I'm going to be anyway; it's EDT not EST.
We're on Daylight Savings Time now.
Not Standard Time.

It’s called being detail oriented and I appreciate it

 

[CanadasTeam]

One of the best moments of my life.

 

[Rob Brown]

Is Robertson playing again?

 

[fahad203]

One of the best moments of my life.

I'll never forget that bat flip. Like I'll never forget Joe Carter's homerun.

As for Engvall, yeah he needs to take a seat. I honestly don't know what's with these new NHL players with sizes and good skating ability that don't want to use either.

If I was 6'5 and someone said you could play NHL hockey, get paid million dollars a year to do so and all you had to do was hit. Man I would lined people up ( Looking at you GOAT)

 

[Rob Brown]

I'll never forget that bat flip. Like I'll never forget Joe Carter's homerun.

As for Engvall, yeah he needs to take a seat. I honestly don't know what's with these new NHL players with sizes and good skating ability that don't want to use either.

If I was 6'5 and someone said you could play NHL hockey, get paid million dollars a year to do so and all you had to do was hit. Man I would lined people up ( Looking at you GOAT)

I'm 6'4 and like 225 pounds and would love to go out there and try to hit people. I'm not jacked at all but would at least try lol. I don't get how these guys don't engage at all.

 

[Le Cobra]

Gotta win the face off on the PP. When they do. Amazing. When they lose it...60 seconds of trying to regain entry. No more point shots. Never ever works. Need more shooters on first PP. Only one is Mathews. Everyone else is pass first. Simmonds just trying to get his body on it.

more shooters means Muzzin and Spezza should be on the PP if they aren’t already

 

[Marshy]

Would love to see:

Jumbo get tonight off to rest.

Robertson with Tavares and Hyman. The kid needs to play in the top 6 and Hyman will do the corner battles/puck retrieval - this line could be a great secondary threat. Robertson on the 4th line is a waste.

Rittich between the pipes.

 

[Le Cobra]

He was told what he needs to do by Keefe. He hasn’t done it. I’d assume he’s on his way out to the taxi squad

Is the taxi squad another way to say Robidas island or are they out there driving ubers