GDT: Maple Leafs (15-8-1) vs Capitals (13-10-1) | 7:00 PM EST | Hockey Night In Canada!

[Dog]

Leafs usually struggle against capitals. Though capitals struggled so far in season. Who knows.

 

[IPS]

Roman Polak..... dear god.

So we're gonna be hemmed in our own zone even worse but holy f*** we're gonna have dat physical prescence!

 

[Oskar The Groucho]

I dont get it. Why bring out Leivo? Just trade him already please.. I cant take it anymore. What more does he have to do to remain in the line up

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Mcbackup already had his career game in his last start.

we better hope not, because if so we are screwed, unless Holtby has his worst career game tonight that is, thankfully we do have the offense to make that happen

 

[Legion34]

Oh bounces holtby. Why did the caps play their backup against Tampa?

Leivo scored. He should have stayed in

 

[Gary Nylund]

Babs is always preaching that guys need to take advantage of their opportunities. What kind of message does it send if he sits Leivo tonight?

Excellent question! I pretty much always defer to Babcock's judgement but this is starting to really get on my nerves.

 

[member 262271]

We won the game...

Hollow victory IMO, I got tired of the "get outplayed and still win" act years ago.

 

[Warden of the North]

Hollow victory IMO, I got tired of the "get outplayed and still win" act years ago.

I for one enjoy moral victories where we outplay the opponent but lose in the end.

 

[weems]

Leafs usually struggle against capitals. Though capitals struggled so far in season. Who knows.

3-4 against them in the past 7 meetings. Definitely wouldnt say we've "struggled".

This also isnt the Caps of previous years. Still a quality team but not one to be feared.

In their past 3 road games they have been outscored 15-6.

 

[member 262271]

I for one enjoy moral victories where we outplay the opponent but lose in the end.

I see your point, but this new era was supposed be about playing the right way, not falling back to the same habits.

 

[Warden of the North]

I see your point, but this new era was supposed be about playing the right way, not falling back to the same habits.

Every single team in the league has bad games. This isnt the same team as before, and the numbers support that

 

[Cor]

Every single team in the league has bad games. This isnt the same team as before, and the numbers support that

People love to be negative. It consumes them.

 

[member 262271]

Every single team in the league has bad games. This isnt the same team as before, and the numbers support that

I didn't say the the team was the same. And while I don't pretend to understand the numbers, our possession has to be way down the last couple of games. I'll ignore last night though cause as I understand it we got smoked in Corsi.

 

[member 262271]

People love to be negative. It consumes them.

If you're staying positive about the team right now, that's nice for you. Not sure how you can watch them lately and not consider the teams play a negative.

 

[weems]

People love to be negative. It consumes them.

Or some people try to be as objective and unbiased as possible.

I dont see how someone pointing out that we have played pretty bad hockey for the majority of the season is being negative.

Sure our record is good and as a fan thats encouraging but we've either outscored our problems or had our goalie stand on his head.

Not like people are saying " Leafs sucks" or "F this team".

Just saying we need to play much better if we want to be a really good team this season.

Things like puck support, back pressure, puck management are huge things and currently we're weak in all 3 areas.

 

[Anthrax442]

This is still a very young team and they are still learning a lot every game. Not worried at all. What's diappointing is that Bozak struggling so much.

 

[WilliamNylander]

Polak back in.

Babcock is going full Randy Carlyle tonight. Washington might put up 60 shots tonight..

 

[DopeyFish]

Hopefully the team plays well since they haven't played since Wednesday.

 

[Nizdizzle]

Not super confident for this game. AO seems to really bring it against us, and we are on the 2nd game of a back to back.

 

[PuckMagi]

I don't mind that Leivo sits tonight... as long as he gets back in the lineup next game.

Though it would be typical of Leivo to get benched after producing.

 

[IPS]

Playing as horribly as we have and still being 3rd in the league is a testament to how loaded our lineup is with talent. It's been awhile since we've had the team firing on all cylinders, but it will happen eventually. This isn't like the Carlyle teams where being outshot horribly and having JVR-Bozak-Kessel score a bunch of goals off the rush was the team firing on all cylinders.

 

[SniperOnTheWing]

Not super confident for this game. AO seems to really bring it against us, and we are on the 2nd game of a back to back.

So are they, but they saved Holtby for us and we are depending on McBackup. The line shuffles that led to AO and Backstrom being reunited seems to have sparked the Caps offense and that scares me.

 

[Cor]

Or some people try to be as objective and unbiased as possible.

I dont see how someone pointing out that we have played pretty bad hockey for the majority of the season is being negative.

Sure our record is good and as a fan thats encouraging but we've either outscored our problems or had our goalie stand on his head.

Not like people are saying " Leafs sucks" or "F this team".

Just saying we need to play much better if we want to be a really good team this season.

Things like puck support, back pressure, puck management are huge things and currently we're weak in all 3 areas.

This is true.

Making the playoffs and having home ice advantage in round 1 seems like an impossible feat this year.

Always next year!

 

[WilliamNylander]

Playing as horribly as we have and still being 3rd in the league is a testament to how loaded our lineup is with talent. It's been awhile since we've had the team firing on all cylinders, but it will happen eventually. This isn't like the Carlyle teams where being outshot horribly and having JVR-Bozak-Kessel score a bunch of goals off the rush was the team firing on all cylinders.

The team is much better than the Carlyle years. But the system and line up decisions are very much Carlyle-esque lately.

We all know Babcock is better than this. I wonder if he’s just playing Polak to show Lou and Dubas he needs a big D who can actually play hockey.

 

[IPS]

The team is much better than the Carlyle years. But the system and line up decisions are very much Carlyle-esque lately.

We all know Babcock is better than this. I wonder if he’s just playing Polak to show Lou and Dubas he needs a big D who can actually play hockey.

I agree that the lineup decisions are super frustrating.
I swear to god if Connor Brown is on the 4th line tonight....

I sincerely doubt we need a "big D who can actually play hockey", what we need is Zaitsev and Gardiner to not be total shit. Roman Polak is also missing the "can actually play hockey" part too.