Pre-Game Talk: It’s almost time.... Habs @ Leafs | Wednesday @ 7pm

[Isaac Nootin]

Chiarot, Weber, Petry and Edmundson....thats a Big and Physical defense.

Big and physical, and.......slow.

 

[Leafslet]

We need to change the narative around this team, we need to shut mtl down, win puck battles, and win the game.

I’m not interested in being cycled against for 30 minutes and unable to clear the puck, get pushed around, no net front presence, and somehow still win just because matthews & nylander & marner & tavares are each better offensively than every single one of their players.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

We need to change the narative around this team, we need to shut mtl down, win puck battles, and win the game.

I’m not interested in being cycled against for 30 minutes and unable to clear the puck, get pushed around, no net front presence, and somehow still win just because matthews & nylander & marner & tavares are each better offensively than every single one of their players.

I think the idea of bringing in Bogo,Simmonds, and Thornton was so we'd be tougher to play against.

 

[ToDavid]

We need to change the narative around this team, we need to shut mtl down, win puck battles, and win the game.

I’m not interested in being cycled against for 30 minutes and unable to clear the puck, get pushed around, no net front presence, and somehow still win just because matthews & nylander & marner & tavares are each better offensively than every single one of their players.

I agree with you but also think that would be kind of a funny way to win game 1, as long as it wasn't a habit.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

I gotta say the team looks hungry but we have been paper tigers in the past. I gotta see it to believe it. Leafs have the team to finish top 3/5 in the league and go deep in the playoffs.

 

[Cpt Maple Leaf]

not in the lineup though. Going from Dermott to Bogosian is a pretty heavy downgrade and hard to agree with

Bogo has looked good and he is by far no serious downgrade from Dermott imho.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Habs have actually have a decent squad on Paper.

They're also a relentless team on offense. They dont stop skating

I still don't think they make the playoffs though.

I will say Winnipeg would look a whole lot more dangerous if they prioritized LD a little bit more than they did. They could have added better guys than Forbort and Beaulieu for a fraction of the 2.25 mill combined they will be making next year.

 

[Marshy]

Eh fans are allowed their opinions obviously but for me personally new players have a clean slate. How they perform on the ice this season is all that matters. I'm gonna watch and see who steps up and who falters. We need some guys in the low rent district to outperform their contacts because if most of them do, we're going to the final four kids. Likely with a TDL difference maker.

 

[TheDoldrums]

So if we split the PP and Lehtonen goes to the taxi squad who mans the 2nd unit? Dermott? Muzzin?

Brodie was doing it at practice, so probably him.

After Rielly our two best PP options imo are Sandin and Lehtonen. The fact that both will be benched is even more reason to load the top unit, but whatever.

 

[Cpt Maple Leaf]

I seriously hope Sandin and Liljegren are our bottom pair next year. I do not want the likes of Bogosian and Marincin near this roster again.

Let's give Bogo a chance here, eh? They haven't even played a bloody game yet.

 

[kevsh]

However it happens, no matter how unlikely, if the hockey gods have any love for us Toronto and Montreal fans - and they should as we've been here since One Eyed Frank McGee was potting hat tricks every period - they will give us a Habs-Toronto playoff series.

I'm not even asking for it to be the second round to see who wins the division, just ... make ... them ... play.

 

[Rude Dog]

Hoping the Habs come out trying to prove how tough they are only to take a few dumb penalties. Leafs score a few PP goals and shove the red light behind Price down their throats.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

We need to change the narative around this team, we need to shut mtl down, win puck battles, and win the game.

I’m not interested in being cycled against for 30 minutes and unable to clear the puck, get pushed around, no net front presence, and somehow still win just because matthews & nylander & marner & tavares are each better offensively than every single one of their players.

Completely agree with you. Watching them come out and get outworked by Montreal would thoroughly piss me off; even if we won off raw talent like you said. It’s time to see this team actually want it and outwork the other team for a change. We won’t get anywhere until that attitude is changed

 

[Notsince67]

Eh fans are allowed their opinions obviously but for me personally new players have a clean slate. How they perform on the ice this season is all that matters. I'm gonna watch and see who steps up and who falters. We need some guys in the low rent district to outperform their contacts because if most of them do, we're going to the final four kids. Likely with a TDL difference maker.

win or lose, every player needs to be accountable for their intensity.

 

[zeke]

Here's how the two teams match up according to Evolving-Hockey's 3yr Weighted Sample Percentile Rankings. These use the last 3yrs of Gar data, weight them for recency, and add aging curves on top to come up with a total offensive and defensive contribution, then compare it on a percentile basis (i.e. 50 is average, 99 is tops, 1 is bottom). Asterisks indicate that the player only has 1yr of data to go on so its a less reliable measure.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Here's how the two teams match up according to Evolving-Hockey's 3yr Weighted Sample Percentile Rankings. These use the last 3yrs of Gar data, weight them for recency, and add aging curves on top to come up with a total offensive and defensive contribution, then compare it on a percentile basis (i.e. 50 is average, 99 is tops, 1 is bottom). Asterisks indicate that the player only has 1yr of data to go on so its a less reliable measure.

View attachment 383445

So we're better everywhere except for 1LW, 3RW, and the 4th line... pretty good.

 

[Notsince67]

So we're better everywhere except for 1LW, 3RW, and the 4th line... pretty good.

it is conservative. 3yrs is a leading indicator on a younger team and a lagging one on an older

 

[horner]

I was under the impression that Lehtonen would make our opening night top 6, no?

With no exhibition games ,but think they want to watch a few games and practice vin the small ice surface.
By next week he will be in the lineup to stay.

 

[The Podium]

Habs fans seem flabbergasted that I compared Thornton to Anderson.

It’s almost like they have no idea that the guy had 1 goal and 4 points last year, or that Thornton in a lesser role last season outscored every season but Anderson’s outlier season.

I personally think very little of Josh Anderson. Maybe I’ll eat crow on that but IMO the Habs got fleeced on that trade and on that contract.

 

[Gary Nylund]

However it happens, no matter how unlikely, if the hockey gods have any love for us Toronto and Montreal fans - and they should as we've been here since One Eyed Frank McGee was potting hat tricks every period - they will give us a Habs-Toronto playoff series.

I'm not even asking for it to be the second round to see who wins the division, just ... make ... them ... play.

Yeah as soon as the divisions and PO format was announced I started dreaming about this. I remember losing to those guys last time, been waiting for a chance at revenge for a long time now. Gotta win the division and hope MTL slides into 4th somehow.

So we're better everywhere except for 1LW, 3RW, and the 4th line... pretty good.

We've been good on paper for some time now really hope we see it on the ice in the playoffs this season. Another failure this season would be hard to take.

 

[ottomaddox]

Here's how the two teams match up according to Evolving-Hockey's 3yr Weighted Sample Percentile Rankings. These use the last 3yrs of Gar data, weight them for recency, and add aging curves on top to come up with a total offensive and defensive contribution, then compare it on a percentile basis (i.e. 50 is average, 99 is tops, 1 is bottom). Asterisks indicate that the player only has 1yr of data to go on so its a less reliable measure.

View attachment 383445

Your last sentence is really funny.

Do you really think that this is a reliable measure?

It seems closer to an EA Sports measure than anything.

Perhaps this might help a fantasy draft, but this cannot predict the outcome of a game/season/playoff series.

 

[ottomaddox]

Habs fans seem flabbergasted that I compared Thornton to Anderson.

It’s almost like they have no idea that the guy had 1 goal and 4 points last year, or that Thornton in a lesser role last season outscored every season but Anderson’s outlier season.

I personally think very little of Josh Anderson. Maybe I’ll eat crow on that but IMO the Habs got fleeced on that trade and on that contract.

Maybe you're right. A very risky move by MTL with the hope that Anderson will bounce back to his best self.

 

[The Podium]

Maybe your right. A very risky move by MTL with the hope that Anderson will bounce back to his best self.

Like I said, I may eat crow on this one. He certainly has the potential to be better, but I wouldnt be so smug as to say with any confidence that he will, like so many Habs fans are.

We have gone down this road before with a PWF who had a breakout season and then fell back to earth (Clarkson).

 

[kk87]

Maybe your right. A very risky move by MTL with the hope that Anderson will bounce back to his best self.

Best case scenario, Anderson bounces back to being a 40ish point scorer and it’s only a slight overpay. Worst case, it’s Clarkson level bad.

No reason for a team to offer that kind of money before seeing him play for them - especially after the year he had.

 

[zeke]

Habs fans seem flabbergasted that I compared Thornton to Anderson.

It’s almost like they have no idea that the guy had 1 goal and 4 points last year, or that Thornton in a lesser role last season outscored every season but Anderson’s outlier season.

I personally think very little of Josh Anderson. Maybe I’ll eat crow on that but IMO the Habs got fleeced on that trade and on that contract.

Well they're so different that maybe its not a great comparison.

Maybe compare Thornton to drouin next time, as drouin really stinks.