GDT: Leafs vs Canucks - 9PM SN

[Bloomberg]

If Nylander isn't playing, I'd like to see

Galchenyuk - Matthews - Mikheyev
Robertson - Tavares - Marner
Thornton - Kerfoot - Simmonds
Engvall - Brooks - Spezza

Muzzin - Brodie
Rielly - Bogosian
Dermott - Holl

 

[sxvnert]

Great, now Andersen and Campbell are garbage.

BSD you're up!

 

[sxvnert]

Willie is one step closer to being traded, I love it.
When you play like you couldn't care less, it's eventually going to spill out to other areas.

Willy had a heck of a game last time out.

 

[Menzinger]

This is very far from the truth. The reason no roster players were traded at the deadline is because of how close they all are.

Nylander was late. He’s being disciplined, he’s human. He’ll man up and apologize, come back and it’ll be forgotten.

Yep. Lots of hyperbole and over analysis going on in this thread. Looks like he made a dumb mistake and team dealing with it. Not the first Leaf and won't be the last who did this

 

[2 Slick]

I knew Engvall would find a way back into the lineup, useless waste of a roster spot. Then again, Simmonds and Thornton aren't much better.

 

[rdogg]

Vancouver is a scary good team right now.

They should probably re-sign Jim Benning for another 5 years or so.

 

[2 Slick]

In the critical part of the season, they may bench Nylander for being late? Why not bench someone that doesn't do anything for this team such as Engvall, Simmonds or Thornton. Send a message, but don't handcuff your damn team.

 

[Gabriel426]

So Minute Wil was late for a team meeting.
What was he thinking? How can you be late for a team meeting while on the road in COVID? The whole team stays in the same hotel.
A whole bunch of soft divas.
Minute Wil better shows up and dominate for a few games to make up for this crap.

 

[ACC1224]

So Minute Wil was late for a team meeting.
What was he thinking? How can you be late for a team meeting while on the road in COVID? The whole team stays in the same hotel.
A whole bunch of soft divas.
Minute Wil better shows up and dominate for a few games to make up for this crap.

Is there a story behind the nickname?

 

[killer1980]

That sucks but honestly I don’t blame him. These guys are in prison and it must be more difficult than we give credit for.

Sorry, but for $7 million I'd sleep in the meeting room. He also laughs when he fs up. If they want to compete for the top spot you have to clear your team of players like that.

 

[mapleleaf979]

After sitting for a week....he shows up late for a meeting, shows up to camp out of shape after his holdout a few years ago, doesnt compete hard 50% of the time. Nylander's 7 million isnt a bad contract but its not a smart 7 million spent on a cup contender. Im tired of his antics. How is Nylander's example for the young guys on the team? He doesnt seem to give a shit on and off the ice. Its Kessel 2.0, just does enough to make people somewhat content with him.

 

[BC Ben]

Vancouver is a scary good team right now.

They should probably re-sign Jim Benning for another 5 years or so.

You shut your dirty mouth!

 

[OVO16]

Canucks are poverty. Clearly they had the NHL gods on their side last time.

This one should be a win.

 

[Gabriel426]

Is there a story behind the nickname?

Well he was in COVID protocol bc he met with ‘someone’ who later tested positive but they didn’t stay together long enough to spread it to someone else.

 

[Havoc]

Fair is fair.

Late for a meeting/practice, you miss a game. League precedent. Already went public. He has no choice but to sit now. Even Ovechkin was scratched when he was late one year.

But if you're going to stick to the rules, a 1% powerplay has an unwritten rule you change your point man and remove guys like Thornton and simmonds.

Bunch of clowns if they are keeping protocol for being late yet can't do what's needed to fix the PP after loads of evidence slap them in the face. At the professional level it takes much less to get kicked off the PP but here we are .

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Fair is fair.

Late for a meeting/practice, you miss a game. League precedent. Already went public. He has no choice but to sit now. Even Ovechkin was scratched when he was late one year.

But if you're going to stick to the rules, a 1% powerplay has an unwritten rule you change your point man.

Bunch of clowns if they are keeping protocol for being late yet can't do what's needed to fix the PP after loads of evidence slap them in the face. At the professional level it takes much less to get kicked off the PP but here we are .

Would you consider taking Marner off of the PP?

 

[Havoc]

Would you consider taking Marner off of the PP?

Hmmm I would say he deserves a chance to see what he can do with Rielly removed first. The two of them together allow the opponents to clog up 70% of the zone. I can't remember the last time any Pkers pressured us high. We lose the powerplay when a puck battle occurs on the boards because it becomes even strength via acting like rielly isn't even there.

The answer is a conditional no. Points follow Marner around so I have faith he can be a main piece of a good powerplay given it is setup properly.

If he struggles after big changes are made then yeah he's high on the list of who'd I'd take off. Galchenyuk looked really good so I would give him a look on pp1.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Hmmm I would say he deserves a chance to see what he can do with Rielly removed first. The two of them together allow the opponents to clog up 70% of the zone. I can't remember the last time any Pkers pressured us high. We lose the powerplay when a puck battle occurs on the boards because it becomes even strength via acting like rielly isn't even there.

The answer is a conditional no. Points follow Marner around so I have faith he can be a main piece of a good powerplay given it is setup properly.

If he struggles after big changes are made then yeah he's high on the list of who'd I'd take off. Galchenyuk looked really good so I would give him a look on pp1.

The reason why I asked is that typically the woes for entering the zone stem from him, and most of the zone control stems from him with very little positive result.

First thing I would do before moving anyone off is getting Marner and Rielly moving more on the PP. I'd also give Rielly more free rein to wheel by pushing our forwards down low as much as possible to open up space up high. Rielly does not have a cannon like a Hamilton or Weber but he can score with his shot and it is really nice for tips, which is perfect for a guy like Tavares in that hashmarks area.



We should start getting our points more involved on the PP. They are constantly active at ES and we are doing excellent at ES. Why not do the same thing on the PP?



Look at 3:06 in our last game's highlights. Rielly gets the puck high slot and it is nothing hard or fancy but it leads to at least 2 good chances in front where Holtby has to make good saves.

I think it is fine if the Leafs continue stacking the 1PP in the meantime (Rielly, Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander). I would do my experimenting with our 2PP. I'd try Dermott at the point instead of Muzzin (save Muzzin for more important minutes, and let Dermott get more involved in something he can do well) and then experiment with Robertson maybe? Thornton, Simmonds/Hyman, Galchenyuk, and Spezza seem to be the 2PP forwards right now. I don't think it would be too hard to give Robertson a chance in there once in a while.

 

[Nooodles]

Oh I see those Willy haters coming out of the bushes with a hard, hard boner. The only one they had in years, finally, it's here, Willy boy, that kid with the hair, made a mistake. Burn him trade him whack him!

 

[Leaf Fans]

So Minute Wil was late for a team meeting.
What was he thinking? How can you be late for a team meeting while on the road in COVID? The whole team stays in the same hotel.
A whole bunch of soft divas.
Minute Wil better shows up and dominate for a few games to make up for this crap.

Willy Styles?

 

[Nylander88]

After sitting for a week....he shows up late for a meeting, shows up to camp out of shape after his holdout a few years ago, doesnt compete hard 50% of the time. Nylander's 7 million isnt a bad contract but its not a smart 7 million spent on a cup contender. Im tired of his antics. How is Nylander's example for the young guys on the team? He doesnt seem to give a shit on and off the ice. Its Kessel 2.0, just does enough to make people somewhat content with him.

It's been said time and time again that Willy is one of the hardest workers in the gym. Guy was just off over a week cuz of covid protocol, with nothing to do and nowhere to be. I'm sure he just slept in. He's human, we make mistakes. Haven't heard of this being a pattern, unless someone else has? In which case he should undoubtedly be benched

 

[Havoc]

The reason why I asked is that typically the woes for entering the zone stem from him, and most of the zone control stems from him with very little positive result.

First thing I would do before moving anyone off is getting Marner and Rielly moving more on the PP. I'd also give Rielly more free rein to wheel by pushing our forwards down low as much as possible to open up space up high. Rielly does not have a cannon like a Hamilton or Weber but he can score with his shot and it is really nice for tips, which is perfect for a guy like Tavares in that hashmarks area.



We should start getting our points more involved on the PP. They are constantly active at ES and we are doing excellent at ES. Why not do the same thing on the PP?



Look at 3:06 in our last game's highlights. Rielly gets the puck high slot and it is nothing hard or fancy but it leads to at least 2 good chances in front where Holtby has to make good saves.

I think it is fine if the Leafs continue stacking the 1PP in the meantime (Rielly, Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander). I would do my experimenting with our 2PP. I'd try Dermott at the point instead of Muzzin (save Muzzin for more important minutes, and let Dermott get more involved in something he can do well) and then experiment with Robertson maybe? Thornton, Simmonds/Hyman, Galchenyuk, and Spezza seem to be the 2PP forwards right now. I don't think it would be too hard to give Robertson a chance in there once in a while.

Here is my issue with keeping everyone the same and changing the plays instead.

They already have the freedom to do this . In their current formation the coaches are open to them being creative. Its just not gonna happen because Rielly doesn't have the toolset for it on the PP. The puck does not move efficiently with Rielly in his current spot . When your PP relies on constant movement it has to move to the right as efficiently as it moves to the left. We dont have that kind of movement. Even the movement to the left isn't anything to brag about. Teams already give Rielly so much room and he doesn't do much with it.

For your idea to work maybe Rielly can move down low and matthews and marner take over points (Marner can get tip shots through and matthews has the bomb) but that just aligns with taking Rielly off period because a forward would be better for the down low role.

Rielly is good ES because things happen differently. Either in transition, off a rush, off a bounce etc etc. PP is systematic and structured. I really want your idea to work but Rielly isn't going to do it when it gets to that structured and high offensive IQ stage.

A good analogy is a NBA player that rains 3s all game but has a free throw percentage below 80%. The 3s are happening off catch and shoot or in the moment plays. Free throw is different. You're just standing there in one spot and have to drain a shot. It's a different craft than normal game play . Similarly, Rielly is good when things are happening in the moment on ES but falters hard when its time to lead a more crafted PP.

Yes the plays you suggest will happen at times but the frequency they occur will be very low if Rielly is your main guy at point.

I obviously hope I'm wrong because I am desperate for the PP to start working.

 

[TMLAM34]

With Hyman out, hopefully the Leafs just decide to give Nylander a fine and let him play tonight.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I'd start Rittich. Let's see what he has. I'm not wed to any of our goalies, so let's see who's hot and who's not.. Play them evenly down the stretch and may the better net-minder play when it really counts.

Agree 100%.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

You shut your dirty mouth!

Lmao not a benning fan I’m guessing?