Pre-Game Talk: Ottawa @Leafs

[TMLeafer]

Please just demolish this Sens team at least once.

 

[Cotton]

Edmonton has gotten lucky. If you take away the Edmonton games, Ottawa is almost a .500 team. Many of those Edmonton games could have gone either way too.

Not to mention Ottawa is the only team not to get shut out yet. They are not an easy win.

I don’t know what you call it but McDrai have been kicking the snot out of them all season on the scoresheet - both have over 20pts in 9 games.

I can’t make sense of it, but Auston and Mitch produce better against the three better teams than Connor and Leon do. And better than they do against the bottom three (which is where guys like Connor and Leon separate themselves in production).

Vs Playoff teams
Mitch 20-8-17-25
Connor 20-7-18-25
Matthews 17-12-10-22
Leon 20-10-10-20

Vs Van/Cgy/Ott
Connor 21-16-28-44
Leon 21-12-29-41
Auston 20-16-10-26
Mitch 20-5-18-23

Not likely to happen, but it would be nice to see us blow the Sens out, have our guys pad some stats while giving Campbell and hard one to lose.

 

[Bellzy]

Shows how little you know about hockey.
He thinks Thornton is a great addition.

Thornton does nothing, he has 1 point in his last 15 games.
He got carried by Matthews/Marner, he's an absolute pylon, can't play D, and can't skate.

Kerfoot is one of our best players. He PKs, plays like a dog, has scoring touch, speedy, and, he's an excellent passer. He's only played on the 4th/3rd line this whole year and is producing.
Engval is also definitely miles ahead of Thornton. He's amazing at zone entries, PKs, and is speedy.

They brought Thornton in for his leadership/playoff experience. He brings more wisdom and calmness to the locker room and on the ice then any of us would ever understand. They didn’t sign him expecting 80 point Thornton.

 

[RealisticLeaf55]

The thing about being a Leafs fan that frustrates me is how badly we need a whipping boy. Kerfoot has some bad games but by no stretch is he our worst player. He has been a good penalty killer along with Marner. His cap hit is high but he has provided some offense.

I find Engvall is a little overhyped here. He is good. I see what he brings to the table, but he takes a lot of unnecessary shots that just get blocked.

 

[BTP]

How so?

hope im wrong but:

It would be very leafy for campbell to set the record in the previous game against a formidable opponent, then lose the next game to a bottom feeder.

plus we just came off playing a high emotion game, this team just never gets up for ottawa. and i dont blame them. Even I, a super fan, doesnt give a shit about tonights game lol

 

[MattySnipes]

 

[Zybalto]

I would like to see them play to full potential against these guys for once. Oilers went 9-0 against them. Think their stats are padded just a bit or is Ottawa better than everyone gave them credit for. In think a bit of both. Always a hard fought game and never easy. I thought more of this Ottawa team season start than most. They play hard.We need to have a really good game and our bottom 6 hopefully won’t get out played by their’s.

The Ottawa/Edmonton shots difference in the series is actually almost even.

Ottawas team save% at .854 vs. Edmonton goalies rocking a .935 looks to be the big difference....and thats not just goaltending but also who shooting the puck of course.

Leafs win tonight and we'll be 5-2-1 against the Sens which isnt too bad.

 

[Zybalto]

I just want the team to stay healthy at this point.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Would it not make more sense to switch Spezza and Hyman? Then each unit has a net-front presence.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Galchenyuk SZN

Note sure I agree with changing the top 2 lines as they've looked fantastic.

 

[X66]

Note sure I agree with changing the top 2 lines as they've looked fantastic.

I agree, but one thing Keefe is better than Babcock for is trying new things when we have a cushion like this.

We can afford taking new looks, maybe Galchenyuk with Matthews is the best thing ever, with Babcock, we'd never know.

 

[Darth Menace]

Is it just me or am I stupid. Has Skynet taken over, or am I in a time Warp, but the maple leafs app, maple leafs website and NHL website all show leafs not playing today, but playing tomorrow.

The Ottawa/Edmonton shots difference in the series is actually almost even.

Ottawas team save% at .854 vs. Edmonton goalies rocking a .935 looks to be the big difference....and thats not just goaltending but also who shooting the puck of course.

Leafs win tonight and we'll be 5-2-1 against the Sens which isnt too bad.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Note sure I agree with changing the top 2 lines as they've looked fantastic.

I don't mind some experimenting. We know Hyman is good with Matthews and Marner. If Galchenyuk can find some chemistry with them, then that frees up Hyman to help Tavares' line.

Good to know your options.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I agree, but one thing Keefe is better than Babcock for is trying new things when we have a cushion like this.

We can afford taking new looks, maybe Galchenyuk with Matthews is the best thing ever, with Babcock, we'd never know.

Hyman-Tavares-Mikheyev is also a rich man's version of the type of line Tavares almost won the Hart with, I'm curious to see how it works out. If the top two lines work well, that also gives us the option of building a 3rd line around Nylander like Pittsburgh's HBK line.

Being able to switch from a spread out set-up like this to stacking two big lines on the fly could be a huge tactical weapon in the playoffs.

 

[MR4]

Note sure I agree with changing the top 2 lines as they've looked fantastic.

I like trying it out honestly, since what if these top 2 lines turn out amazing?

Then we can look towards creating a 3rd ‘1st line quality’ line that Nylander centres, flanked by likely Engvall and a skilled trade pick up like Hall/Rakell

 

[Bluelines]

I’m sorry , your right , you got me ...
I know less than little about hockey
I’m almost 70
Been watching hockey for about 60 plus years
Have been involved with hockey for about 55 years
Have played at a relatively high level for many years
Have coached for over 25 years
Have managed teams
Have played 4 major sports at high levels
My children have always been in sports and still are
Sorry again , that I just don’t know as much as you friend
Go Leafs Go

..but can you do the chicken dance while wearing skates?

 

[Zybalto]

Is it just me or am I stupid. Has Skynet taken over, or am I in a time Warp, but the maple leafs app, maple leafs website and NHL website all show leafs not playing today, but playing tomorrow.

Thats my bad on that one.

 

[Aashir]

Edmonton style suits Ottawa’s relentless puck hounding and effort very well. They are able to get the puck to McDrai and beat a winger around with the puck and get odd man rushes, looking at their goals, it’s either powerplay or rush chances, that’s why when we just stood back a bit with extra men, mcdavid couldn’t really get anything going as he’d have a swarm of 2-3 players cutting him off and blocking pass lanes, same with draisaitl. Even in the game where mcdavid does play well, it’s cuz we aren’t able to stop him from rushing, not because he and his line mates set up a nice long cycle and out work us.
anyways, back to the topic of Ottawa. Just win, if it’s Campbell in net, hopefully convincingly, if hutch, hopefully winningly. These aren’t points you should drop and while we have a lead, I’d rather maintain it for now, then use it up. Hopefully Marner and Matthews can light it up. Tavares and galchenyuk should keep gaining chemistry.

 

[ottomaddox]

Please just demolish this Sens team at least once.

 

[crump]

Note sure I agree with changing the top 2 lines as they've looked fantastic.

Yes I wonder if this is some kind of test to see how Galchenyuk plays on a #1 top line. His results may sway a trade scenario one way or the other. Or do they feel Hymn will get Tavares and Mikheyev going better than Galchenyuk without Nylander on that line .

 

[Teeder Keon]

..but can you do the chicken dance while wearing skates?

And cluck

 

[OB34KNH]

You know he's just going to say "OK Boomer" now?

I used facts and evidence. @Teeder Keon has yet to provide any, other than "oh he has wisdom"

My point still stands, doesn't matter if you've been watching hockey for 1000 years. If you think Thornton is better than Kerfoot you really don't know much about hockey --- sorry to tell you old man.

Alex Kerfoot is used in a shutdown role, plays PK, blocks shots, scores short handed goals.
He creates far greater offensive chances than Thornton, and, is 5x the player Thornton is.

Just remember, after getting demoted from the 1st line, Thornton only manage to produce 1 point in 15 games (WHILE GETTING PP time).
Kerfoot (who doesn't even get PP anymore, just PKs) has produced better than Thornton will playing 4th line minutes throughout the season.

"OH but Thornton brings wisdom". Who gives a shit about wisdom? Why not put him in the press box instead? He can still travel with the team, give them "wisdom", and not be a bum on the ice.

 

[Marshy]

I used facts and evidence. @Teeder Keon has yet to provide any, other than "oh he has wisdom"

My point still stands, doesn't matter if you've been watching hockey for 1000 years. If you think Thornton is better than Kerfoot you really don't know much about hockey --- sorry to tell you.

Alex Kerfoot is used in a shutdown role, plays PK, blocks shots, scores short handed goals.
He creates far greater offensive chances than Thornton, and, is 5x the player Thornton is.

Just remember, after getting demoted from the 1st line, Thornton only manage to produce 1 point in 15 games (WHILE GETTING PP time).
Kerfoot (who doesn't even get PP anymore, just PKs) has produced better than Thornton will playing 4th line minutes throughout the season.

"OH but Thornton brings wisdom". Who gives a shit about wisdom? Why not put him in the press box instead? He can still travel with the team, give them "wisdom", and not be a bum on the ice.

I'd like Thornton to get some games off down the stretch. Maybe after the TDL. There is no reason to play him every game after that - especially not both halves of a B2B.

 

[MattySnipes]

Note sure I agree with changing the top 2 lines as they've looked fantastic.

Yah i dont think it's so much as changing rather trying to develop some chemistry between those 3 because of their skill. It would give them another option.

We know Hyman is amazing with them.

 

[RealisticLeaf55]

As long as Matthews scores. Don't care. I'll happily take 1 point.