I’m done with # 47 on our team !!

[Twine Tickler]

Matthews line was the prime matchup head to head, Engvall line the secondary matchup.

Engvall line played more against their top line than they did against any other line.

If you want more details, look up the full game reports on naturalstattrick.com and click on the "Opposition" tabs, and they break down exactly how everyone did matched up against everyone else.

I suspect it the TOI against each other was more because Tipp was trying to get the McDrai line out against our 4th line as opposed to Sheldon intentionally icing our *4th line* against their top line. But I will look at the Stats on that nonetheless.

4th line in asterisks because they really were equally used as the 3rd

 

[Papi 4 Hart]

Ya he doesn't hit but this guy barely makes a mistake and covers a ton of ice. He has been great defensively.

 

[crump]

Engvall is doing Ok. His speed and reach are important on that line. He has very low finishing ability though, unless it's going in off his paraphernalia. He needs to step up his physicality game heading down the stretch to the playoffs though. I saw him hit well in his first game this year. Doesn't need to crush guys, but throw them off stride, separate from the puck. He's big and apparently very fit, so he has the tools to do it. Knowing when to do it and when not to is something he has to try otherwise he'll never learn.

 

[baton elevated]

I catch a glimpse of him and Willie on together sometimes and wonder if there could be something there? The Swedish connection with great speed. PE digging in the corners and feeding WN.

 

[Randy Randerson]

I really like the guy. He separates, zones, like Beliveau. If he starts scoring, I really want to see the praise coming in.

Swedish swan.

I almost don't want him to start scoring. What he brings is more than enough to keep him in the lineup, if he stays off the score sheet even just until part way through next season, we can probably get him for another few years on an affordable contract. I'd rather have current Engvall on the roster for 5 more seasons than producing Engvall for 2 personally.

 

[Twine Tickler]

If you want more details, look up the full game reports on naturalstattrick.com and click on the "Opposition" tabs, and they break down exactly how everyone did matched up against everyone else.

So the data on Naturalstatrick don't necessarily support either one of our viewpoints TBH. In the recent 2 games played against the Oil, which were the games I had said I was not a fan of from the beginning, They played ~10min on the ice together. In that time Pierre was on the ice for 2 goals against and 1G for, and had 2 HDCF vs 3 HDCA. Which would be expected given the mismatch in lines. From a statistical perspective he was not horrible, but he certainly did not make Draisaitl his bitch by any means. In fact, he was the guy out in front of the net when Drai fed the pass to Barrie, and he was also below the goal line when hyman turned over the puck on the Draisatl goal (both from Saturday). The Draisatl goal is a bit of tough luck as he didn't turnover the puck. But knowing who you share the ice with at that moment would have helped. The goal he did score was with Auston on the ice, and we can only say it was a bit of a lucky bounce, but then again you make your own luck with hard work I guess.

He has 12 giveaways on the year, which is a bit lower than what I was expecting TBH. But only 3 takeaways. Lowest takeaways among all active Leaf starters. Even Barabanov has the same amount of Takeaways in less than half the games. Not nearly good enough for someone with the reach and length of stick IMO. Which goes back to my original point, waving your stick around aimlessly does f*** all to create turnovers. He has the ability to be more assertive, he just needs to be more consistent. We don't need him to put up points, we need him to be hard to play against. He just wasn't the last 2 games IMO, and Isn't without Hyman on his line.

 

[Teeder Keon]

So the data on Naturalstatrick don't necessarily support either one of our viewpoints TBH. In the recent 2 games played against the Oil, which were the games I had said I was not a fan of from the beginning, They played ~10min on the ice together. In that time Pierre was on the ice for 2 goals against and 1G for, and had 2 HDCF vs 3 HDCA. Which would be expected given the mismatch in lines. From a statistical perspective he was not horrible, but he certainly did not make Draisaitl his bitch by any means. In fact, he was the guy out in front of the net when Drai fed the pass to Barrie, and he was also below the goal line when hyman turned over the puck on the Draisatl goal (both from Saturday). The Draisatl goal is a bit of tough luck as he didn't turnover the puck. But knowing who you share the ice with at that moment would have helped. The goal he did score was with Auston on the ice, and we can only say it was a bit of a lucky bounce, but then again you make your own luck with hard work I guess.

He has 12 giveaways on the year, which is a bit lower than what I was expecting TBH. But only 3 takeaways. Lowest takeaways among all active Leaf starters. Even Barabanov has the same amount of Takeaways in less than half the games. Not nearly good enough for someone with the reach and length of stick IMO. Which goes back to my original point, waving your stick around aimlessly does f*** all to create turnovers. He has the ability to be more assertive, he just needs to be more consistent. We don't need him to put up points, we need him to be hard to play against. He just wasn't the last 2 games IMO, and Isn't without Hyman on his line.

View attachment 415436

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Must say
You are so on point !

 

[Teeder Keon]

I almost don't want him to start scoring. What he brings is more than enough to keep him in the lineup, if he stays off the score sheet even just until part way through next season, we can probably get him for another few years on an affordable contract. I'd rather have current Engvall on the roster for 5 more seasons than producing Engvall for 2 personally.

Engvall is doing Ok. His speed and reach are important on that line. He has very low finishing ability though, unless it's going in off his paraphernalia. He needs to step up his physicality game heading down the stretch to the playoffs though. I saw him hit well in his first game this year. Doesn't need to crush guys, but throw them off stride, separate from the puck. He's big and apparently very fit, so he has the tools to do it. Knowing when to do it and when not to is something he has to try otherwise he'll never learn.

Basically a fast Goat ! No thx

 

[Teeder Keon]

Draisaitl disagrees.

Draisaitl can kiss my Leaf Bud .......

 

[Teeder Keon]

I feel he has a lot of untapped potential

And it looks like it will stay that way

 

[Antropovsky]

Ya he doesn't hit but this guy barely makes a mistake and covers a ton of ice. He has been great defensively.

I dont care if a guy don't hit... so long as he battles hard and is good defensively. Vesey was hard to watch because he looked like a player who really doesn't have a passion for the sport - which surprisingly some people dread playing hockey for a career. Think it was Matt Frattin who said he spent a summer pumping gas when he wasn't sure if he was gonna continue with hockey and quickly changed his mind about a different career haha

 

[Randy Randerson]

Basically a fast Goat ! No thx

Everything we hoped that Goat would be

 

[Teeder Keon]

Everything we hoped that Goat would be

Like a speedy goat
A Gazelle with a giraffe neck

 

[justloveleafs]

Engy was a seventh round pick by our favourite Euro talent scout, in the seventh. Ya gotta love him, right? I do.

He is the Swedish giraffe, ever seen a neck like that in NHL history? Jacques Lapierre? Nah, not close imo.

 

[Leafshater67]

I like some old school from time to time, but never really went looking for those qualities in Pierre Engvall.

Frederik Gauthier though was definitely someone who wasted his immense old school potential. Gentlest giant.

It’s funny Engvall stirred up such an emotional post.. I’d have figured if anyone was frustrating to watch, it would be Gauthier.

If I were the coach of a guy who was 6’5, 240, a good skater and a bottom 6 guy and I had to watch him go out there and refuse to engage most nights, it would have drove me nuts. He needs to be out there mixing it up, using his skating and size and playing chippy hockey and yet he does not. Watching him play like he did drove me nuts because besides face offs, he was utterly useless with a ton of untapped potential.

He needs to spend the offseason getting meaner, doing some boxing and becoming a true grinder. What a bum

 

[moon111]

Ohhhh I thought it was HEN

I thought it was the meh line.

 

[moon111]

Again, Engvall is everything we all wished Gauthier would have been.

And the Leafs didn’t waste the 21st overall pick on Engvall, either.

Now there's a benchmark if I ever saw one.

 

[Twine Tickler]

I've been openly critical of Pierre's game the last week. Still stand by what I said about him. But he was excellent last night. You have to give credit where credit is due. Would like to see him be a little more physically engaged without the puck, but he was positionally excellent last night and was absolutely flying. He drove that line last night. One of his better games IMO.

 

[Clark4Ever]

He is a better 3rd line centre for our team than Kerfoot, and that allows some roster flexibility if we need to move out salary to improve the team.

 

[mydnyte]

I almost don't want him to start scoring. What he brings is more than enough to keep him in the lineup, if he stays off the score sheet even just until part way through next season, we can probably get him for another few years on an affordable contract. I'd rather have current Engvall on the roster for 5 more seasons than producing Engvall for 2 personally.

if he starts scoring, he's getting claimed.
Plays Center, is young, fast, 6'5'' and is responsible defensively ....who doesnt want that?

 

[Caroline Says ll]

I love what Engvall brings to the bottom six.

All metrics show that Engvall on the third line has great zone exits and entries and possession stats. What this indicates is that when he is on the ice the puck is leaving our zone and/or staying in the other zone.

His offensive clip is right in line with most of the leagues third liners. I honestly think it is reasonable to want him and Ilya to cash in on the chances they create more often - but the fact that we have bottom six players getting multiple golden scoring chances per game is an asset.

 

[Rondo Hatton]

How insane would this team be if Engvall and Mikheyev actually could finish?

 

[Randy Randerson]

if he starts scoring, he's getting claimed.
Plays Center, is young, fast, 6'5'' and is responsible defensively ....who doesnt want that?

He'd enter the conversation for sure. Another reason that I don't really want him to, at least until we get him under another contract.

I'm also not expecting him to, hasn't been a big producer at any level. He has some occasional hands when he has space but I think his stick is so long that it makes him a bit of a clumsy puck handler.

 

[Twine Tickler]

How insane would this team be if Engvall and Mikheyev actually could finish?

Ya I've wondered that for a long time now. I keep thinking Micheyev will be our Paul Byron. I remember watching a segment on HNIC on him, where he was talking about his new found success a couple years back. And when he was in calgary he was having issues with finishing. Some Calgary fan made a youtube video of him missing all these chances and put some stupid clown music to it.

I think the story went on to him not gettng tendered or waived, and some scout in Montreal was talking about if they can just get him to practice his b-way, he'd be a 20 goal scorer. SO they picked him up, and worked exclusively on breakaways, and he ended up scoring 20 the next year. I keep seeing videos of Micheyev practicing his shot in the slot at the end of practice. Which is fine and all, but I am shocked that they don't make him do 50 b-ways on the taxi squad guys at the end of practice. I know its more skating, but he apparently is a rink rat and extremely hard working. So I am sure he wouldn't be totally opposed to the extra skating. He must have somewhere near 20 Breakaways this year. I honestly don't think he has scored on 1 lol. I have been very happy with his game on both sides of the puck, but he could easily be a 20 goal scorer over 82 games. He has to figure this shit out. He has single handedly generated so many chances this year. 5G is not doing his play justice IMO

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Engvall's vision, patience, and playmaking have been great the last few games. He used to be kind of "there" in the offensive zone, but now he is actually looking to create scoring chances. Also loving his zone entries with the puck. Mikheyev is bound to finish on some of Engvall's setups lol

Hopefully he keeps it up.