GDT: Leafs @ Sens - 7pm - TSN

[leafsfan2point0]

Knies, Robertson, McMann, Holmberg and Kampf all looked like the NHLers they are on forward.

I liked Rifai’s feistiness on defence.

Stolarz and Hildeby kept us in it.

 

[meefer]

It was fun to watch some hockey again. Not a great game, but I thought an interesting one. G’rending I thought our best area. D was meh, and that giveaway for Ottawas 2nd made me laugh, it was so bad. F: Robertson impressed me, a couple of breakout patterns I liked on the PP, McMann had some hustle, I think Kamph knows he’s on a short leash. But, Cowan disappointed - were/are my expectations to high - finishing was an issue, nobody unexpected stood out in a good way. That said, I think the efforts were pretty good. I hope Berube has a chat with Cowan, settle him down, the kid is better than he’s shown.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Part of it is just the roster mix tonight but a lot of the guys that make up for forward depth in this realization are just too similar. They play that blandly competitive but polite kind of hockey. No offensive pop. No edge. It’s going to take a few offseason cycles and drafts to alter course.

Well yeah, we have none of our picks next year and overhyped our prospects..again. When guys are taken later it's often cause the Gm needs guys to help in at least 2 years. After all those high picks we have no refill. We are going old this year as Berube realizes you can't turn butter into steal.

 

[SprDaVE]

Nothing like Timmins and looking good in the preseason!

I thought Myers and Rifai were also okay.

Liked Knies, Holmberg, and McMann

Knies, Robertson, McMann, Holmberg and Kampf all looked like the NHLers they are on forward.

I liked Rifai’s feistiness on defence.

Stolarz and Hildeby kept us in it.

Agreed. Holmberg was a pest and very good at both ends of the ice. Rifai, Myers and Timmins were solid on defense but overall they all struggled at making plays.

Out of the new players, Mermis and Nylander struggled mightly.

Cowan and Greb had pretty terrible games. Seemed completely lost. Steeves was the best of the "prospects".

 

[Apex Predator]

For everyone upset over the last 2 games.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1838776507474341921

 

[Leafs87]

Cowan has not impressed at all. I get that there are few bright spots, but much like Patches he needed to find a way to be one of them and he hasn’t.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1838776507474341921

 

[Enga Olly]

"Time to panic" ffs does the hockey media in this city have no shame?

 

[colchar]

Apparently it’s only the leafs a team that doesn’t show up for a preseason game because they don’t give a crap

Clearly they're in playoff mode already.

 

[colchar]

Mattinen is not NHL material, and he's too old to fit in a developmental league like the AHL.

Too old for the AHL? Jesus, some people say the dumbest crap here. Check the average of teams in the AHL then think again.

"Time to panic" ffs does the hockey media in this city have no shame?

Ffs, do HFboards members even listen to things before commenting on them? You clearly didn't.

She did not say it was time to panic, she said that in this market many people will say that after two losses. She then agreed with him that it is just the preseason.

 

[rumman]

Myers looked solid, the rest of the D, not so much……

 

[Martin Skoula]

Or… dump and chase times as part of a varied attack. And see how their PK unit does after repeated pastings into the end boards. Why can’t we weaponize an aspect of the game to make life harder on the opposition for a change…

That wasn’t an anti-dump and chase thing, you should be good at every breakout and rotate through all of them unless you’re facing a specifically exploitable defense at one of them. My point about the fast entry off the fake drop pass is that it makes the drop pass more effective when you alternate fakes and real ones, dump and chase is telegraphed before they have an opportunity to bite on a fake drop.

 

[henryasteroidlionnet]

"Time to panic" ffs does the hockey media in this city have no shame?

They are part of the problem and why us Leafs fans have suffered over the years.

 

[Ciao]

Too old for the AHL? Jesus, some people say the dumbest crap here. Check the average of teams in the AHL then think again.

Why don't you do that and get back to me on it?

The AHL is a developmental league with limits on how many players with more than 260 NHL, AHL and European professional games experience can play at once.

There is no upper age limit, and most teams carry a small core of older players, but most of the playing time goes to players about 26 years old or younger. That's the purpose of the league.

 

[Niagara Bill]

I'm thinking business, marketing, education or athletics for a former pro hockey player like Mattinen will be soon enough.

I hope there's something with a future in it for him.

The system chews these kids up and spits them out after spending their prime formative years pursuing a career in hockey. There's got to be a better way.

Why? Nothing wrong with following a dream. People flunk out of medicine,law, engineering, they never make a music album,why not hockey.

 

[Ciao]

Why? Nothing wrong with following a dream. People flunk out of medicine,law, engineering, they never make a music album,why not hockey.

It doesn't take long to flunk out of medicine, law or engineering. There's a very high attrition rate in the first year, let alone those who never get in.

The difference is all the educational things young people do to pursue those careers prepare them for something else, which playing top-tier hockey from the age of 15 or so often doesn't do.

I'm all for following dreams. I would just like a good future for those who try and fall short of their dream.

American college hockey is the way to go, because you can play hockey and pursue an education at once. The junior hockey-minor league pro route is less accommodating of that.

 

[Legion34]

Why don't you do that and get back to me on it?

The AHL is a developmental league with limits on how many players with more than 260 NHL, AHL and European professional games experience can play at once.

There is no upper age limit, and most teams carry a small core of older players, but most of the playing time goes to players about 26 years old or younger. That's the purpose of the league.

Is this true? I have never heard that ever. Once you reach a certain number of NHL games you get put in a pot and only X number can play?

That’s kind of crazy really

 

[crump]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1838755448331141508

This is remarkably accurate to my eye test.

 

[Racer88]

Hockey question. What exactly do these pros do to play such terrible hockey in preason. Do they slow it down ? Or stop skating and pass too early...its like they all suck.

The leafs “pro’s “ just pretend it’s the playoffs

 

[notbias]

Berube is probably thing to himself right now……what the hell did I get myself into

https://x.com/i/web/status/1838776507474341921

Looks like he is thinking that anyone thinking these games are important doesn't know a thing.

 

[Racer88]

Looks like he is thinking that anyone thinking these games are important doesn't know a thing.

Aren’t those games supposed to be important to the prospects hoping to secure a spot?

 

[notbias]

Aren’t those games supposed to be important to the prospects hoping to secure a spot?

They are important for development and trying to secure a spot, but winning is unimportant.

I am sure they are more focused on how they play positionally and decision making wise instead of the outcome.

Robertson for example put up zero points but was hard on the puck, I thought he made better decisions that weren't a rushed shot, and looked positionally more comfortable than in the past.

That's far more important to predicting team success than the points someone put up in these single games, Pacioretty is not scoring 164 goals.

 

[Racer88]

They are important for development and trying to secure a spot, but winning is unimportant.

I am sure they are more focused on how they play positionally and decision making wise instead of the outcome.

Robertson for example put up zero points but was hard on the puck, I thought he made better decisions that weren't a rushed shot, and looked positionally more comfortable than in the past.

That's far more important to predicting team success than the points someone put up in these single games, Pacioretty is not scoring 164 goals.

So your previous statement was inaccurate

 

[Torontonian]

After two games, don't think there's going to be any surprise players making the team this year. Grebenkin has shown flashes of what he can be in the NHL, he needs to polish his defensive side of his game in the AHL for the year.

Cowan hasn't been bad by any means, hustles and plays hard on the wall etc, but I just think when it comes down to the final roster he's not beating anyone out (although, instead of sending him directly to JR, I'd keep him up with the team for awhile, let him play his 8 games, practice with the team etc until it's world JRs time).

A.Nylander is what he is, tweener AHL/NHLER that isn't good enough to be ahead of the likes of Robertson,Patoreitty, Holmberg etc.

 

[notbias]

So your previous statement was inaccurate

No, the game as a whole is unimportant as I said.

How well a prospect produces is also unimportant.

So exactly what I said about the games being unimportant is true.

You chimed in about prospects and I agreed, I just pointed out it likely has very little to do with how many goals a prospect gets and they are likely isolating instances to see if they can win puck battles, have defensive awareness, make the right decisions, etc.