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Tribute Playoffs Shutdown Line. Head to Head against Best.

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Hockey Crazy said:
The dominance of Hyman with Matthews and Marner is just too much to pass up. I'd go with:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Foligno - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Nash - Kerfoot
Thornton - Moore - Spezza

Simmonds and Galchenyuk would be the odd men out for me. You don't even need to worry about matchups with this line up. Every one is responsible defensively.
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Moore will never play ahead of Simmonds in the playoffs ...he's just starting to round back into form, and his size and toughness are needed

Foligno - Matthews - Marner
Simmonds - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Nash - Hyman
Thornton - Kerfoot - Spezza

Galy is a likely bet to sit if Nash is healthy ...and they can flip flop Kerfoot and Nash too depending on if they need speed or faceoff wins and more weight.

Nash is like the Bermuda Triangle for offense ...hmmn, do youngsters these days even know what the Bermuda Triangle is?
 
Hockey Crazy said:
The dominance of Hyman with Matthews and Marner is just too much to pass up. I'd go with:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Foligno - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Nash - Kerfoot
Thornton - Moore - Spezza

Simmonds and Galchenyuk would be the odd men out for me. You don't even need to worry about matchups with this line up. Every one is responsible defensively.
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.. did I miss something?
 
mydnyte said:
Moore will never play ahead of Simmonds in the playoffs ...he's just starting to round back into form, and his size and toughness are needed

Foligno - Matthews - Marner
Simmonds - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Nash - Hyman
Thornton - Kerfoot - Spezza

Galy is a likely bet to sit if Nash is healthy ...and they can flip flop Kerfoot and Nash too depending on if they need speed or faceoff wins and more weight.

Nash is like the Bermuda Triangle for offense ...hmmn, do youngsters these days even know what the Bermuda Triangle is?
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I think it might be lost on them :)
 
Rants Mulliniks said:
Just do what we did in the three game series where we completely humiliated them.
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That was the most dominating and fast paced games we played before these last few here. The best part of that series really was Mikheyev for me. There was everyone else playing great and then there was Mikheyev. Keefe should show him them games before playoffs start and say, just play like that. Best i have ever seen him play and McDavid was out matched by him in skating numerous times.

That group of games got the Oilers to tighten up their game after that series. I think they were humiliated bad.
 
Wafflewhipper said:
That was the most dominating and fast paced games we played before these last few here. The best part of that series really was Mikheyev for me. There was everyone else playing great and then there was Mikheyev. Keefe should show him them games before playoffs start and say, just play like that. Best i have ever seen him play and McDavid was out matched by him in skating numerous times.

That group of games got the Oilers to tighten up their game after that series. I think they were humiliated bad.
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.....and this was before we added the likes of Foligno and Nash!
 
I feel like the ultimate Leaf chest thump would be to roll the lines the way the Leafs want and just steamroll regardless of matchup. That would be the dream.
 
I love having so much depth that it is an honest debate on who should come in or not.

Having said that i feel like that 4th line if it continues to play the way it has (not just offensively) they are a lock and something you don't mess with, so Brooks makes the team.

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Simmonds-Kerfoot-Mikheyev
Thornton-Brooks-Spezza

Hyman and Foligno are interchangeable. But if things continue the way they are this is our game one lineup i feel.

You don't fix what isn't broken so i wouldn't put Nash in in place of Brooks if the chemistry continues.

Galy is the odd man out when Hyman comes back i would imagine. Simmonds is the toughness we enjoy and does well come post season, but i feel Galy would produce more on the third line so that's always an option as well.
 
Wafflewhipper said:
Keep matched his best against Nash in last years Games against Columbus. Keefe said, you do that to gain a scoring edge. At least you think you will,it didn’t work out like that against him.

Keefe seems to have a higher opinion of him than on the board. I’m going to watch and see what Nash brings before i call him anything but a checking center that can shut down the best apparently. Thats just what he’s always done.

Now he’s just a run of the mill 4 th liner. I’m not so sure thats all he is yet.
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Don't get me wrong, I like Nash and think he can be a useful piece. But he hasn't averaged more than 12.5 min a game over the last three seasons. He also has next to zero offensive ability. He's not a guy who can or should be counted on to get a ton of icetime.

I think he will likely be used selectively by Keefe in key situations but I don't think his presence will lead to any significant redistribution of team icetime/usage. I think the Leafs 3rd and 4th lines will get similar icetime and Nash will be on the unit between those that gets leaned on defensively while Spezza carries the offensive starts for them.
 
That shutty line is looking like it will be Mikheyev/Kerfoot /Nash by Keefers lines in practice. That likely puts Hyman/Matthews/Marner back together.
JT and Willy get Foligno in the top 6.

Chuky,Thornton,Simmonds,Spezza are 4th liners etc. Brooksie won’t get in period if I read Keefe right, and I personally don’t agree. Nash is a defensive role player that Keefe will roll with every game i think.

I don’t like our speed on the 4th line with Jumbo on it but he was in beast mode before saving that game for playoffs. I’m thinking Simmonds might sit the first game. Just a hunch of course.
 
Leafsfan74 said:
As I've said many times, Hyman can play on any line. His playing style is adaptable. I tend to want him to be in the top six come playoffs, which makes this a bit tricky as I also believe Gally can be an important contributor for this team.

There are clearly going to be decisions made by Keefe. My personal opinion would be to have Galchenyuk in and Mikheyev out. Galchenyuk isn't as fast as Mik, but he is harder on the puck. If he plays both ways, he's a major asset in a playoff run. Of this I am in agreement, if Gally doesn't work hard on D, he is half as valuable.

I like Mik, he is creative, his speed alone is a weapon. On the flip side, Galchenyuk can help pin in opponents, he also finishes from time to time, draws penalties and has a bit of a fire in his belly. I've watched him take shots from guys after the whistle and he gives it right back in a "I'm not backing down" manner. I want those guys all week, twice on Sundays. It's the consistency issue. If he plays as he did his first week here, it's an easy decision.

Leafs are in the enviable position of having depth and options, it's obviously a call the coach has to make based on his feel. If I am the opposition team, I prefer to see Mik in the lineup rather than Galchenyuk.
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Mik played the entire year on the 3rd line...Galchenyuk literally spent his time with Tavares and Nylander lol...if Gally can’t play top 6 then there really isn’t much proof he can play a 3rd line role...add in the distinct lack of foot speed (our 3rd line is built on speed and pressure)
Mik-Kerfoot-engvall (or whomever) I can’t see Gally fitting in there...Tavares and Nylander play a very deliberate game which works very well for Gally
 
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Kerfoot Nash Mik
Folks this is our shutdown line
Not bad
Nash will impress everyone as he is exactly what we needed in a 3C
Mik is big and has speed but I have never seen him block a shot
Kerfoot is small and fast but lacks hockey IQ but I think he can do it as he is not scared
 
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