How long do you except the Nylander at center experiment to last?

[Mess]

He’s been a winger on a team that has consistently underperformed in the playoffs.

Can we maybe try something different. If we want to win we need three dangerous lines. This is one way to potentially accomplish that.

I have been beating that drum for years that the Leafs need to balance their high cap hits, and talent among their top 9, making the team harder to shutdown.

Leafs do the exact opposite and shorten the bench and put all their eggs into their top 2 lines and then it results in near sweep when 3 X $11 players produce 1 goal in 5 games combined.

Having Willy as the Leafs 3rd line centre flanked by a finisher like Knies and a puck hound on the other side would allow for a more balanced attack across 3 lines,

 

[ULF_55]

Will be interesting to see what happens with the Minten experiment.

That will determine top 3 centers.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Will be interesting to see what happens with the Minten experiment.

That will determine top 3 centers.

I don't know that it will.

If Minten doesn't work then they probably just call up Holmberg.

 

[ULF_55]

I don't know that it will.

If Minten doesn't work then they probably just call up Holmberg.

I do see Minten being returned, and Holmberg can play wing.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Willie is a winger, stop the shenanigans please and thanks

Willy always played centre before being drafted, was drafted as a centre, played centre in the minors, and still plays centre with the national team.

Because Dubas signed JT, one or the other had to either play 3C or transition to winger. At the time both were too good for 3C, so Willy moved to the wing, very successfully.

JT is now at the point where he is probably more effective at 3C, so it's worth trying to put Willy back at centre.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Decent 2c? Most teams in the NHL don’t have a 2c as good as Tavares

At 5v5, Tavares is 38th in goals per 60, 46th in points per 60, and 83rd in primary assists per 60.

This despite playing mainly with Nylander, who is 27th in primary assists per 60 and 8th in goals per 60 among right wingers, and with Marner, who is 2nd in primary assists and 34th in goals.

He had the worst +/- among forwards and second worst in the team. He was on the ice for the most goals against at ES, despite being only 8th in ES ice time.

Yes, he can put the puck in the net reasonably well when fed by a top winger, and is still very good at faceoffs, but at 5v5, not much else.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Willy always played centre before being drafted, was drafted as a centre, played centre in the minors, and still plays centre with the national team.

Because Dubas signed JT, one or the other had to either play 3C or transition to winger. At the time both were too good for 3C, so Willy moved to the wing, very successfully.

JT is now at the point where he is probably more effective at 3C, so it's worth trying to put Willy back at centre.

So he's already got 5 points and you can't even use the PP excuse because only 2 of them have come on the PP.

Do you ever get sick of being wrong?

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Decent 2c? Most teams in the NHL don’t have a 2c as good as Tavares

Yeah we’re spoiled with Matthews. Tavares is a top C on a lot of teams

 

[hotpaws]

So he's already got 5 points and you can't even use the PP excuse because only 2 of them have come on the PP.

Do you ever get sick of being wrong?

is he wrong ?

nice that JT has 5 points but none of them are anything more than making a simple short pass which didn't create a scoring chance and which 3 of his points were with us a man up

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

is he wrong ?

nice that JT has 5 points but none of them are anything more than making a simple short pass which didn't create a scoring chance and which 3 of his points were with us a man up

Yes he is wrong, I mean I don't expect Tavares to put up 2.5 points per game for the entire season obviously, that's not going to happen because the Leafs are not going to average 6 goals a game for 82 games.

Production will eventually stabilize but it was always ridiculous to call him a 3C.

It was never true and he's proving it again.

 

[hotpaws]

Yes he is wrong, I mean I don't expect Tavares to put up 2.5 points per game for the entire season obviously, that's not going to happen because the Leafs are not going to average 6 goals a game for 82 games.

Production will eventually stabilize but it was always ridiculous to call him a 3C.

It was never true and he's proving it again.

he's very weak defensively and needs be sheltered , he's to slow to cover ice and he needs his linemates to drive the play and generate scoring chances

i don't know how that screams 1st/2nd line C but to each there own

imo they should have left Willie at C and tried JT on Minten's wing

 

[Maple Leaf]

you have to be strong down the middle but not only that defensively reponsible

 

[Leaf Army]

I have been beating that drum for years that the Leafs need to balance their high cap hits, and talent among their top 9, making the team harder to shutdown.

Leafs do the exact opposite and shorten the bench and put all their eggs into their top 2 lines and then it results in near sweep when 3 X $11 players produce 1 goal in 5 games combined.

Having Willy as the Leafs 3rd line centre flanked by a finisher like Knies and a puck hound on the other side would allow for a more balanced attack across 3 lines,

Exactly. Our problem in the playoffs hasn’t been the top 4 guys. Our problem has been we’ve had zero other forwards that can score goals in those games. Teams know if they shut them down there’s no other threats.

Spreading the offence out might help that.

We’re only two games into the season and my prediction on the Domi-Tavares-Nylander line has already come true.

Those three have a combined 11 points yet are also a combined -3 in two games. They’ve already been split up.

It’s not working now and won’t work in playoffs. Nylander at centre is something we at least have to try for a decent stretch.

 

[notDatsyuk]

So he's already got 5 points and you can't even use the PP excuse because only 2 of them have come on the PP.

Do you ever get sick of being wrong?

I'm not sure I'm wrong, and I don't know what you're talking about.

Edit:
You're talking about the fact that JT has five assists? He has two at 5v5, one primary and one secondary, both on goals by Nylander.

I'm not sure how any of that negates my opinion that Nylander should be given a decent try at centre, or the fact that he might be a better one than JT at this point.

Has it perhaps slipped your notice that Willy also has five points, and three are goals?

 

[ULF_55]

Maybe not long enough.

Nice to see him enter his name into the Leafs record book last night.

A win would have been nice.

I remember John Anderson's streak ... just shows you don't have to be a star to get in the record books.