Playing Strategy

[borjesalming]

The Leafs should play dirtier than they do now, as a matter of winning strategy. There are two reasons. Playing dirty can give advantages when such plays are not called. They are often missed.
More importantly, when plays are called, the refs are trying to call them evenly between teams. With very good special teams, the Leafs will do better to have more penalties called evenly on both sides. The way they play, the Leafs have few penalties called against them. But they also find that their opponents are getting away with much more because penalties need to even out. The Leafs can use this fact to their advantage.

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[SeaOfBlue]

The Leafs should play dirtier than they do now, as a matter of winning strategy. There are two reasons. Playing dirty can give advantages when such plays are not called. They are often missed.
More importantly, when plays are called, the refs are trying to call them evenly between teams. With very good special teams, the Leafs will do better to have more penalties called evenly on both sides. The way they play, the Leafs have few penalties called against them. But they also find that their opponents are getting away with much more because penalties need to even out. The Leafs can use this fact to their advantage.

That may work in a fair and equitable system.

If we get called for crap that other teams don't get called on, it won't work.

Just look at the two penalties the Leafs took yesterday. Holl legally outmuscles Anderson... Penalty. Byron and Rielly are in a scrum... Penalty. We show an ounce of pushback, and the refs are just waiting to call us on something. Meanwhile we can take 20 crosschecks in a game and the refs will maybe call one of them.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Penalties dry up in the post season.

Another reason we are disadvantaged in the playoffs

 

[borjesalming]

That may work in a fair and equitable system.

If we get called for crap that other teams don't get called on, it won't work.

Just look at the two penalties the Leafs took yesterday. Holl legally outmuscles Anderson... Penalty. Byron and Rielly are in a scrum... Penalty. We show an ounce of pushback, and the refs are just waiting to call us on something. Meanwhile we can take 20 crosschecks in a game and the refs will maybe call one of them.

 

[borjesalming]

Referees are still trying to even out penalties in a game.

However biased referees are, taking more aggressive penalties to attack and defend in a game will also give the Leafs more power plays. That is how "game management" must work. Some of the infractions against the Leafs that are missed now will be called, just to even things out, no matter what their bias.

They will do better than their opponents all around, on power plays and on penalty kills, because their special teams are good this year.

 

[Dreakmur]

The Leafs just need to work hard, compete every shift, and take defence seriously. They've done that like 6-7 times this year.

 

[Le Cobra]

The Leafs should play dirtier than they do now, as a matter of winning strategy. There are two reasons. Playing dirty can give advantages when such plays are not called. They are often missed.
More importantly, when plays are called, the refs are trying to call them evenly between teams. With very good special teams, the Leafs will do better to have more penalties called evenly on both sides. The way they play, the Leafs have few penalties called against them. But they also find that their opponents are getting away with much more because penalties need to even out. The Leafs can use this fact to their advantage.

i agree with this. but not in the regular season. come playoffs they need to bring up the intensity and physical play X 100 by playing dirty (but in a stealthy way).

 

[deltamachine]

It would definitely be favourable to invite more special teams usage by being more aggressive. The drawback would be if things escalate and someone gets injured, losing someone in their top heavy lineup would be bad.

 

[Chief Leaf]

Maybe not being dirty but also stand up for yourself. (no more rag doll)
For me some advantages are: Keeping your feet moving in order to draw more penalties. Get off the ice as quick as possible.

And,..I always believed in taking advantages of rules that are set in place. i.e. Getting cut vrs not getting cut (show of blood) Ya ya,..Hockey players like to grow beards for playoff hockey but IMHO if they kept a close shave and actually got hit in the face with a stick well it might be easier to get called for 4 minutes w/blood rather than a beard absorbing the brunt. That could be the difference maker in winning the game and losing so best to hedge all your bets.

I always also thought (or like the notion) of the whole team raffling off their golf clubs before the playoffs,...choose a fund to give the $$ It just gets everybody on the same page. expensive page but something us fans would appreciate more than the players probably haha.