Tribute Playoffs Shutdown Line. Head to Head against Best.

[Wafflewhipper]

Since we are clinched a playoff, the talk of playoffs is fair game as of today. I see a thread on the board about lines for playoffs. This is not that thread. We are all hoping to win the division and win that last change option as much as possible throughout playoffs. The higher in the standing overall the better obviously.

This thread is about building a line that will attempt to shutdown and limit the leagues best offensive lines when we meet them. So i am wondering about ideas all you Leafers have about who would be that line that jumps over the boards every time (McDavid /Draisaitle most relevant) step on to the ice.

I have said recently i see Hyman and Foligno playing Top 6. Not sure about that when it comes to shutdown line. My shutdown line involves Hyman when considering a shadow line. Yes i want McDavid shadowed if we meet him. That guy i want shadowing him is Mikheyev as i want Mikheyev shadowing every scoring threat we come against this playoff.

I have decided i want Mikheyev and Hyman on that line. If you can agree with that then here is the question. Who centers that line. I am leaning towards Kerfoot because of his work ethic and speed on the forcheck hut not totally if Nash were healthy and ready to go. Nash is to unknown but if he was i would ice this shutdown line

Mikheyev/Nash/Hyman

Mikheyev would be told to not let McDavid move. I would want Mikheyev instantly on him as quickly as possible after a draw and drive him to frustration if possible. For this reason i would possibly prefer Hyman in the bottom 6.

Thoughts

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[Clark4Ever]

Mikheyev-Nash-Hyman is probably the closest thing we can put together for a shutdown line in the playoffs, and they could chip in offensively as well.

A lot will depend on Galchenyuk's play down the stretch. If he falters, Hyman should be back in the top 6.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I'd just go power-on-power, like we did in the regular season. Let the Oilers decide whether they want to stack one line or split up McDrai against us. We can go goal-for-goal with their top-six in either scenario, but their bottom-six can't go goal-for-goal with ours.

 

[showtime8]

This is an interesting topic and one that I've thought about.

If the consensus is that Hyman will be coming into the line-up and there's potential that Nash makes his way as a shutdown player, you're taking 2 guys out of the line-up. Who is that going to be?

Easiest answer right now is that Adam Brooks will be coming out. He has shown a lot of progress, but for a playoff run, you're looking for someone that's proven. The 2nd name is the toughest and IMO, it has to be Galchenyuk.

This is where the shutdown line changes and I'm very uncertain. The shutdown line might have to be Mikheyev - Nash - Simmonds, more out of necessity than optimal line structure.

 

[willmma]

I like the idea of the HNM line, in theory it should be better than the HEM line.

F M M
G T N
H N M
T/S K S

Sounds awesome.

 

[123offtheglass]

Definitely Mikheyev-Nash-Hyman; that would be smart to use against top lines like Landeskog-Mackinnon-Rantanen, Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak, & Draisiatl-McDavid-whoever. Engvall may be nice to have in the lineup against Edmonton if they load up McDavid's line, if his focus is shutdown defense then his speed & reach could be an asset.

 

[The Beyonder]

That's a great line. The best thing about that shutdown line is that they can skate with the best of them.

 

[seanlinden]

I don't know that Nash moves around well enough to go up against a McDavid.

There's also a school of thought -- if your goal is to get Riley Nash out against Connor McDavid -- there's a very easy "solution" for the Oilers -- get Connor McDavid out at every possible opportunity, and keep Matthews/JT on bench.

Realistically, the Leafs don't have the centre to create a true "shutdown" line... however both Matthews & Tavares are defensively responsible -- so you go best-on-best. If the other team. If the opponent doesn't like that matchup, well then they can see a Hyman-Nash-Mikheyev unit while running from Matthews & Tavares.

 

[Gallagbi]

For the most part i'd rather go best on best, especially with how were built down the middle.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

Hyman Matthews Marner (wingers are both defensively responsible and I think matty would love to line up agains Connor McDavid)

Hyman Kerfoot Mik (Hyman can drive the line while Mik frustrates the heck out of McD and Kerfoot does his water bug thing)

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I was kind of thinking Mikheyev can shut down anybody with a concrete expectation anything we get from him offensively is icing on the cake. Boom,no pressure. Mikheyev would possibly respond better than ever knowing full well he can skate with anybody and that includes McDavid.
We seen Mikheyev catch McDavid with both-going full out in the three game set when we swept the oilers. This guy is potentially a monster shutdown shadow guy with his work ethic and speed.

We know what Hyman can do and we are told what Nash can do by Keefe himself when he was talking about the Columbus series last year. He couldn’t get a edge against the Nash line out against his best when he fully expected to get that edge in play.

Mikheyev can be physical too. He’s as fast as McDavid and proved that already. I would love to see him shadowing top player. I think it would be fun to watch. Also i think it would improve Mikheyev’s game having a distinct assignment every shift.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

That's a great line. The best thing about that shutdown line is that they can skate with the best of them.

Yeah i think so for sure also. Scoring secondary to to stopping the best would be the assignment. They would likely score some with the speed,cycle and work ethic. My thinking is shadow and defend and thoroughly shut down as a defense first priority line.

Foligno could stay with Matty/Marner to bang and crash and be solid defensively. That’s if someone agrees Foligno can add the same ingredients as Hyman. I think they are very similar.

 

[Martin Skoula]

You can start Foligno-Nash/Kerfoot-Hyman early in the series and hard match them until they're forced to split McDavid and Draisaitl up. You don't even have to shut them down as much as frustrate them and force them to take hits and play the majority of every shift in the corners.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

You can start Foligno-Nash/Kerfoot-Hyman early in the series and hard match them until they're forced to split McDavid and Draisaitl up. You don't even have to shut them down as much as frustrate them and force them to take hits and play the majority of every shift in the corners.

McDavid takes pucks with speed right from defense to ozone regularly and they are looking for him to transition the puck there.It’s important to be right with him in the defensive zone. You need to hit him coming out of his own zone and skate with him through the neutral zone. Mikheyev can do that. Nobody else can on the team. I would shadow the the hell out of him from his own zone.

He and Drai are the team most night’s. We need to match his speed right from his own zone I’m thinking. Give him nothing anywhere on the ice and keep really close gap on him.

Yeah frustrating them is the right idea. Defensemen can’t pinch with him out there and everyone keep high on him. They did it before. Calgary shut him down last night. He’s still dangerous every shift regardless

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Bieksa knows watching the Flames put a weak matchup against McDavid is a terrible plan. He thinks a hard defensive matchup is the way to shut this guy down.
Sutter puts a soft line out and McDavid beats them for a goal on his own.

I would hard matchup that guy with 10 seconds left in a game and a neutral zone faceoff too.

 

[striker3]

I think it depends on how the games are going. The leafs have a team that don’t really need to line match, every line is at least mostly defensively responsible. But having the personnel and a coach willing to stray from either option is a very nice thing to have for a distanced playoff run. To stay with the OP’s theme I think I’d take the foligno/Nash/mik option as a shutdown line. Foligno and nash should have some chemistry jumping onto a line together and we all know hyman/matthews/marner definitely do

 

[Stonehands1990]

Foligno-Matthews-Marner will go against #1 lines

Mikeyhev-Nash/Kerfoot-Hyman will go against #2 lines

Galchenyuk-Tavares-Nylander will go against #3 lines

4th line on 4th line. I’d like to see us rotating lots of bodies on the 4th

 

[majormajor]

Who centers that line. I am leaning towards Kerfoot because of his work ethic and speed on the forcheck hut not totally if Nash were healthy and ready to go. Nash is to unknown but if he was i would ice this shutdown line

Mikheyev/Nash/Hyman

Not bad but if you want to kill off shifts with a strong forcecheck, Kerfoot is better suited than Nash. Nash gets results through good positioning and calm breakouts. But he's slow and can't pressure offensively much. I'm not sure if he can play enough minutes at this point either. If you were stuck in your own end the whole time I'd pick Nash over anyone, but that's a losing situation against McDavid no matter which center you pick. You need a forecheck.

 

[jaric1862]

Foligno-Matthews-Marner in every situation and against anyone. Mikheyev-Nash-Hyman as the shutdown line. Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander to beat up on weaker competition. Thornton-Spezza-Simmonds extremely sheltered.

 

[crump]

Hyman and Mikheyev for sure. We have to choose between Kerfoot and Nash essentially. We know Kerfoot has wheels, that’s a fast, possession line. Not afraid to cycle and forecheck

Not sold on Nash at this point in his career, and after a leg injury. I know he is a good defensive forward when healthy. Would have to see him really shine in a couple of games to close out the season before throwing him in to playoff action. It’s a tough position to be in, but I really think he is considered a depth injury fill in at this point.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I think it depends on how the games are going. The leafs have a team that don’t really need to line match, every line is at least mostly defensively responsible. But having the personnel and a coach willing to stray from either option is a very nice thing to have for a distanced playoff run. To stay with the OP’s theme I think I’d take the foligno/Nash/mik option as a shutdown line. Foligno and nash should have some chemistry jumping onto a line together and we all know hyman/matthews/marner definitely do

Thats maybe what Calgary was thinking last night when they got caught against McDavid. I have watch Edmonton run him over the boards for mismatches going back a while.

You hard match McDavid or you die i think ha. He’s just to fast and dangerous alone as Bieksa said.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Hyman and Mikheyev for sure. We have to choose between Kerfoot and Nash essentially. We know Kerfoot has wheels, that’s a fast, possession line. Not afraid to cycle and forecheck

Not sold on Nash at this point in his career, and after a leg injury. I know he is a good defensive forward when healthy. Would have to see him really shine in a couple of games to close out the season before throwing him in to playoff action. It’s a tough position to be in, but I really think he is considered a depth injury fill in at this point.

Nash just started practicing so he’s a week off for a game. Yeah injury returns are hard enough but he has to learn system too.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Foligno-Matthews-Marner in every situation and against anyone. Mikheyev-Nash-Hyman as the shutdown line. Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander to beat up on weaker competition. Thornton-Spezza-Simmonds extremely sheltered.

Poor Brooksie isn’t getting in

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Not bad but if you want to kill off shifts with a strong forcecheck, Kerfoot is better suited than Nash. Nash gets results through good positioning and calm breakouts. But he's slow and can't pressure offensively much. I'm not sure if he can play enough minutes at this point either. If you were stuck in your own end the whole time I'd pick Nash over anyone, but that's a losing situation against McDavid no matter which center you pick. You need a forecheck.

Maybe Kerfoot is a better forcheck fit and fast enough to get on pucks.

 

[sIDEsHOW93]

Foligno can play center. If yiu want the ultimate leaf shutdown line its gotta be
Hyman - Foligno - Soup
This would disrupt other lines though so Id only use it while defending a lead at the end of the game.