Speculation: *Rifai vs. Liljegren. It's a thing and it's happening.

[thusk]

A good defensive player gets a D zone start, wins the puck back, moves it up ice, and gets 1 or more offensive zone starts hemming in the players he was tasked to shut down. A bad defensive player gets a D zone start and fails to win possession or clear the puck clean, when he ices it or allows a shot on goal he’s stuck for another D zone faceoff that isn’t happening because his coach trusts him.

I’m not arguing Liljegren is better on D but raw zone starts are a bad measure of who the coach trusts defensively, guys like Polak were used defensively but would end up with extreme zone start skews because of their own bad decisions forcing them to be on the ice for 4 or 5 D zone faceoffs in a row. The coach only intended for them to get the first one, the other 3 or 4 are off repeat icings. If this impacts your stats, that’s largely your own fault. Get better at clearing the puck and holding the offensive line.

1- I never talk about coach trust...

2- Whatever what you want, starting more in defensive faceoff will put on spot to make mistake and looking bad at the end. Yes good shutdown D will find way to get out puck more easily but that's change nothing in what i said...

and its pretty hard to look bad in Def when you dont have to defend the first 20-45 second of your shift.

3- Yes icing or whatever can raise number of defensive faceoff but it was not the reason why Benoit. The main shutdown pair was mccabe/benoit. Theyvwas the 2 player started the most in defensive end because they was the 2 guy Keefe wanted there and nothing else.

 

[ULF_55]

With one preseason game to go, my D would look like this on opening night:

Rielly - Tanev
OEL - McCabe
Benoit - Liljegren
Timmins
Hakanpaa (LTIR)

I'd send everyone else to the Marlies. I do like Rifai, and others like Myers have looked good too, but I do believe this is likely a classic example of vets trying to get ready for the season (unscathed) vs AHLers fighting to try to make the team. I think the team will prioritize RHD. I really don't see them moving Liljegren based on preseason performance.

Yes, people will say they understand it is preseason and then pretend the results are more important than a previous full season of NHL play against NHL teams.

Like last night, that was not a Leafs NHL team, but it beat a Wings NHL team.

As I suggested run those 2 line-up again in a month and do we expect the same result? I don't!