Our whole powerplay coaching staff should be fired if Tavares is not playing the first unit

[BlueForever75]

PP1 - Sandin, Brodie, Matthews, JT, Nylander

PP2 - Reilly, Spezza, Kerfoot, Marner, Ritchie

Thats how I would roll. Both PPs have shooter at point with net presence shots from the flanks.

 

[hamzarocks]

PP1 - Sandin, Brodie, Matthews, JT, Nylander

PP2 - Reilly, Spezza, Kerfoot, Marner, Ritchie

Thats how I would roll. Both PPs have shooter at point with net presence shots from the flanks.

Take off Kerfoot from unit 2, and Brodie and Sandin from unit 1

Muzzin onto Unit 1 if you want shooting as Brodie isn't offensively capable to move the puck on the PP and has an average shot at best, and Sandin honestly is a bit of a risk on unit 1 with his foot speed issues at the present being concerning.

Using your main unit pieces I'd roll

Muzzin, Spezza, Matthews, JT, Nylander - 1st unit

Rielly, Sandin, Bunting, Marner, Ritchie - 2nd unit

2nd unit, we have Rielly who cn recover for Sandin if he makes a bad read or is caught flat-footed. Marner runs from the half wall, Bunting at the bumper, Ritchie down low, and 2 QB's D-men

If Kase is healthy it gets a lot better as you can play him on unit 1/2. Can drop Spezza to unit 2 in a shooting spot with Sandin taken off

 

[ITM]

Manny Malhotra is on the thinnest ice possible right now. If the Leafs PP starts out poorly, he'll be gone for sure.

Is there a learning curve we're unaware of?

Gone. That's where Malholtra should be from the PP. Gone. Gone. Gone.

For a player that was defined by work ethic and grit, our PP identity, with the kind of skill we can effortlessly ice, sorely lacks, work ethic and grit.

Like someone said: Start with Matthews, Nylander and Tavares...and...what was it Reilly was doing, or the club was doing to get MR to those numbers he had a few years back?

Get that guy back on the power play.

 

[DarkKnight]

You had me at “fired”.

 

[ottomaddox]

PP1 - Sandin, Brodie, Matthews, JT, Nylander

PP2 - Reilly, Spezza, Kerfoot, Marner, Ritchie

Thats how I would roll. Both PPs have shooter at point with net presence shots from the flanks.

Why is Toronto's top Defenseman playing on the 2nd unit?

Why would Keefe smear poo in his face?

 

[DarkKnight]

Why is Toronto's top Defenseman playing on the 2nd unit?

Why would Keefe smear poo in his face?

Because he was redundant on a PP with Marner, without a shot what was the point of Morgs on the point? He just deferred to Marner with 10 foot passes. I love Morgan, but he bought nothing to the PP, essentially just passes to the wall, no screen shots, no movement, slow to pass as well. Sandin might be more dynamic.

 

[ottomaddox]

Because he was redundant on a PP with Marner, without a shot what was the point of Morgs on the point? He just deferred to Marner with 10 foot passes. I love Morgan, but he bought nothing to the PP, essentially just passes to the wall, no screen shots, no movement, slow to pass as well. Sandin might be more dynamic.

I don't think so. He buys lots of things.

Kidding.

___________
I just don't think he's a bad player on the PP, and Sandin has a lot to prove in the NHL. There probably a good reason why Rielly hasn't been traded.

 

[DarkKnight]

I don't think so. He buys lots of things.

Kidding.

___________
I just don't think he's a bad player on the PP, and Sandin has a lot to prove in the NHL. There probably a good reason why Rielly hasn't been traded.

Perhaps they need to rethink the entire PP set up, then Reilly could be more valuable. Watching him defer with 10 foot passes all season was borderline useless for a point guy. The PP needs big changes, agree Sandin isn’t a finished product yet, but isolated to PP alone, he’s intriguing.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Is there a learning curve we're unaware of?

Gone. That's where Malholtra should be from the PP. Gone. Gone. Gone.

For a player that was defined by work ethic and grit, our PP identity, with the kind of skill we can effortlessly ice, sorely lacks, work ethic and grit.

Like someone said: Start with Matthews, Nylander and Tavares...and...what was it Reilly was doing, or the club was doing to get MR to those numbers he had a few years back?

Get that guy back on the power play.

Most of those goals were from him jumping up deep into the play. He's not the guy I want shooting in that situation and I don't want an offensive forward taking his spot in case he misses and it's a turnover.

Not to mention riding insane shooting luck for most of the year. His last quarter of the season was more realistic, his PPG+ numbers through half the season were a mirage.

 

[myleafs]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. But ..... doesn't Sheldon Keefe ultimately make the big decisions regarding who is on which PP unit and for how long? I can see whichever assistant coach being responsible for some tactics, practice, even who is out when to some degree, but the longer term, bigger picture stuff is up to the head coach. If the head coach doesn't like what he sees on the PP he has the authority to change things. (And if he doesn't, to me that's a problem).

It was on Malholtra to start but when it didn't work for as long as it did it was all on Keefe.

 

[Coachcorner]

It was on Malholtra to start but when it didn't work for as long as it did it was all on Keefe.

So this sentence sire? Malhotra started to play our powerplay? But then Keefe continued or had the resbonsibility to do so? Keefe did the final solutions and decisions during our last 20 games no? Or last 30? Which paper wrote about it or did they admit it sire? It still doesn't come clear in this post.

 

[Menzinger]

I'd rather make sure Nylander gets in that first unit, where he and Matthews can be dual shooting threats

 

[Marmoset]

I'd rather make sure Nylander gets in that first unit, where he and Matthews can be dual shooting threats

I just want to see the coaching staff being proactive and changing the lineup more often and more quickly if things aren't working. I don't think you have to fiddle with things when you just have a bad night, but when you're having bad months or even longer there should be more willingness to change, whatever those changes are. This was probably my biggest criticism of Babcock and I was surprised to see Keefe (and staff) have a similar issue.

 

[Lightsol]

Lol at having to cherry pick the stats that far back. Now show his last 1.5 season. It’s been garbage. He’s figured out

Uh, huh. Guess that means Matthews was figured out from the minute he stepped on the ice for a power play, huh? As zeke pointed out, he's never been part of a dominant PP line.

 

[myleafs]

So this sentence sire? Malhotra started to play our powerplay? But then Keefe continued or had the resbonsibility to do so? Keefe did the final solutions and decisions during our last 20 games no? Or last 30? Which paper wrote about it or did they admit it sire? It still doesn't come clear in this post.

Im just saying that as far as I know Malholtra was in charge of the pp so he was responsible for the problems at least for the first little while but after 2-3 months of bad pp the responsibility was on Keefe to make the changes and not leave it to Malholtra anymore, but if he did step in and the pp was still really bad then....I dunno... Ultimately Keefe is responsible.

 

[Coachcorner]

Im just saying that as far as I know Malholtra was in charge of the pp so he was responsible for the problems at least for the first little while but after 2-3 months of bad pp the responsibility was on Keefe to make the changes and not leave it to Malholtra anymore, but if he did step in and the pp was still really bad then....I dunno... Ultimately Keefe is responsible.

I agree 100% with your statement and information on this post sire.

It'll be even puzzling to see what and whom will do what this next, upcoming season. Now we have the new one also... Chynoweth I think was his nezame sire. That's the new coach, but I ain't sure he would play our powerplay. He does other thangs well from what I remember. Like the d-game and all.

 

[Stonehands1990]

How many PP goals did Kadri score in those two best years? Man, what a luxury he was scoring 30+ goals as the 2-3 centre playing net front on that top PP unit you rightfully called dominant.

Almost like trading away good players who add important value to the team without adequate replacement hurts the overall product.

We had a 2C scoring 30 every season while matching up against #1 lines for 4.5. Now we have an 11 million dollar 2C that we shelter

 

[SeaOfBlue]

1-2-2
Ritchie/Bunting
Nylander-Matthews
Liljegren-Marner

Ritchie/Bunting
Kase-Tavares
Rielly-Spezza

1-3-1
Ritchie/Bunting
Nylander-Tavares-Spezza
Rielly

Ritchie/Bunting
Matthews-Semyonov-Marner
Liljegren

Kerfoot, Mikheyev, Kampf, and Marner are your primary PKers. Semyonov is your 5th guy and LH faceoff specialist. Spezza is your RH faceoff specialist.

I would have all of those set ups in your playbook, plus stacking the PP's, having Matthews/Nylander swapping sides and rotating (including using behind the net plays), and having Nylander or Tavares playing in front of the net in a 2-2-1. Find what works and switch things up to keep the opposition's PK off balance.

 

[francis246]

The irony of this thread is that the decline in the leafs' PP happened when.....Tavares got here.


I might try to break down some stats on that at some point, actually.

LMAO this is actually so false. Tavares' 47 goal season happened because he was so effective on the PP. The decline of the PP happened because Marner and Matthews have done the same shit for the last 5 years and the NHL figured it out. They don't move the puck around enough and they are very stagnant. That is the issue

 

[Mugzy97]

I really, really hope they get their heads out of their asses with the PP this year. Running washed up Thonton and Simmonds with Matthews and Marner was incredibly dumb.

Stack the top unit and let them build the necessary chemistry to succeed.

I used to blame Babcock for the weird PP strategy but it clearly wasn't him - it's Dubas' idea and it's him who tries to keeps trying to make this split PP thing work. It ended up in our PP being a monumental mess the 2nd half of the year.

You think Dubas is running the powerplay lines?

 

[diehardleafsfan9878]

i'll give it a try.

Tavares arriving and Matthews and Marner playing on the same unit happened at the same time as well though. So not sure you will find anything conclusive.

 

[ULF_55]

You think Dubas is running the powerplay lines?

I'm pretty sure they have a coach for that.

Do you remember how Lidstrom looked on the PP when he was 20?

I do think they need a threat from the point.

Honestly don't care who is on PP1 or PP2, it just has to be effective.

 

[Mess]

I'm pretty sure they have a coach for that.

Do you remember how Lidstrom looked on the PP when he was 20?

I do think they need a threat from the point.

Honestly don't care who is on PP1 or PP2, it just has to be effective.

Agreed

If you have no big point shot threat, then the opposition doesn't need to protect/defend it, and just creates a tight 4 man box down low in front of their goalie blocking everything out.

Marner manning the point on the PP is best thing that could happen for the opposition, I think its something like 75 games without a PP goal from Mitch. Marner didn't score a single PP in the entire 2020-21, 56 game season and Leafs only faced 6 other teams.

Leafs need to address this via either Muzzin/Sandin on the point on PP1 or need to get themselves a Dman with a blast from the point ability.

 

[Mugzy97]

Agreed

If you have no big point shot threat, then the opposition doesn't need to protect/defend it, and just creates a tight 4 man box down low in front of their goalie blocking everything out.

Marner manning the point on the PP is best thing that could happen for the opposition, I think its something like 75 games without a PP goal from Mitch. Marner didn't score a single PP in the entire 2020-21, 56 game season and Leafs only faced 6 other teams.

Leafs need to address this via either Muzzin/Sandin on the point on PP1 or need to get themselves a Dman with a blast from the point ability.

This whole Marner with his 0 PP goals is overblown, just another way to take a jab at Marner the whipping boy.

 

[ULF_55]

This whole Marner with his 0 PP goals is overblown, just another way to take a jab at Marner the whipping boy.

Leafs were 16th. in the league in PP%.
marner is a key component of that fact.
If you don't have a shot from the right point and you don't have a shot from the left point you(opposition) just use your 4 skaters to cover 3 shooters.
They have to change something, whether it is marner or Rielly.