GDT: Sens @ Leafs pre-season - 7PM EST

[Torontonian]

Feel for Cowan having to play with Reaves.

 

[Dekes For Days]

The trade off to those great results is unreliable playoff contribution, which resulted in the coaching staff getting fired. So if things were good enough, they wouldn't have resulted in people losing their jobs... this is also game 1 of preseason on a split squad, so hardly validating your world view.

There is no trade off. Great regular season results don't create "unreliable playoff contributions". They're just great results. A lot of things factored into the coaching change. Most of all it just seemed like wanting a fresh voice, and deflecting from management failures. I'm not sure how you've concluded that the coaching change was about our PP unit configurations.

If we want to work on improving our results in the playoffs, seems like no better way than getting good practice in with our best combination. Seems as if the coach agrees. The only one trying to "validate their world view" here is you, even though what's actually happened so far contradicts it. I'm just talking about the PP.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Feel for Cowan having to play with Reaves.

Cowans parents vehemently disagree. In fact they probably asked for it.

 

[ACC1224]

Feel for Cowan having to play with Reaves.

They’ve posted the lines?

 

[rumman]

Jealous.

Though I’ll be enjoying Nor’easters roll in from the ocean from my deck.

beautiful, always admired the way the east coaster's handle that weather, hold fast, a storm is brewing..........

Jason Allison was a weird combination of being extremely productive while ineffective at the same time in Toronto. His slow, bad brand of hockey post lockout was definitely headed towards extinction, the team struggled and missed the playoffs. And yet the stats line was pretty damn solid. Oddball player, extremely intelligent.

did okay in LA.........

 

[Leafs1991]

A healthy and rejuvenated Patches would be pretty huge for sure.

Marner, Pacioretty, Knies, Robertson, Domi, Cowan, Greb, McMann, Jarnkrok still looks like it could be excellent winger depth if Willy sticks at C

Is it too much to ask for something good to actually happen for the Leafs?

The amount of depth the team will have if Pacioretty actually does return to form and then on top of that they have if Knies, Cowan and MaMann take another step, even Greb too.

But knowing how things go with this team, that won't happen.

 

[RunItBackAgain]

Didn’t see a GDT

 

[ULF_55]

There is no trade off. Great regular season results don't create "unreliable playoff contributions". They're just great results.

Yes, great regular season results do not create anything in the playoffs, except an invitation.

However, if just talking about PP.

Out of 16 teams:
2023-2024 - 15th.
2022-2023 - 6th. best - made 2nd. round
2021-2022 - 11th.
2020-2021 - 14th.

2020-2024 - 19th. out of 23.

Historically, they've had a poor PP in the playoffs, and it doesn't matter how it was regular season.

 

[notbias]

Yes, great regular season results do not create anything in the playoffs, except an invitation.

However, if just talking about PP.

Out of 16 teams:
2023-2024 - 15th.
2022-2023 - 6th. best - made 2nd. round
2021-2022 - 11th.
2020-2021 - 14th.

2020-2024 - 19th. out of 23.

Historically, they've had a poor PP in the playoffs, and it doesn't matter how it was regular season.

So how do we optimize for the postseason if the regular season results don't matter? Guess?

I agree that the PP needs to improve in the postseason.

 

[ACC1224]

Yes, great regular season results do not create anything in the playoffs, except an invitation.

However, if just talking about PP.

Out of 16 teams:
2023-2024 - 15th.
2022-2023 - 6th. best - made 2nd. round
2021-2022 - 11th.
2020-2021 - 14th.

2020-2024 - 19th. out of 23.

Historically, they've had a poor PP in the playoffs, and it doesn't matter how it was regular season.

It’s a new season.

 

[ULF_55]

Is it too much to ask for something good to actually happen for the Leafs?

The amount of depth the team will have if Pacioretty actually does return to form and then on top of that they have if Knies, Cowan and MaMann take another step, even Greb too.

But knowing how things go with this team, that won't happen.

Everything is great right now.
Embrace the moment.

 

[ULF_55]

So how do we optimize for the postseason if the regular season results don't matter? Guess?

I agree that the PP needs to improve in the postseason.

As coaches have said, you flush the regular season.

 

[notbias]

As coaches have said, you flush the regular season.

So how do you figure out the best PP configuration, that is what I am asking.

The regular season PP doesn't seem to matter, so how do you figure it out?

 

[ULF_55]

It’s a new season.

Yes, no one can should praise the PP before a puck is dropped.

 

[ACC1224]

Yes, no one can should praise the PP before a puck is dropped.

Yep or have issue with it.

 

[ULF_55]

So how do you figure out the best PP configuration, that is what I am asking.

The regular season PP doesn't seem to matter, so how do you figure it out?

You and I don't.
Results indicate the previous coaching staff didn't either.
Did they?

We don't have to make anything up with regards to history. It is written.

 

[PeE eL DuBoiS]

Ottawa's first chance at winning their Stanley Cup for the season. Probably some goonery to come from their end. Should be funny.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Hockey is back!

Regardless of how I feel about the team composition, it's always nice for the first pre-season game to roll around.

 

[ULF_55]

Ottawa's first chance at winning their Stanley Cup for the season. Probably some goonery to come from their end. Should be funny.

Be nice if both teams dressed similar level players.

Very long shots looking to make some statement / get noticed can feel free to pull a Marchand and purposely try and injure someone without repercussion. (Marchand admitted he tries and injure players. "The more guys you take out, the more advantage your team has.)

In this case it is worse, as they likely never face retribution.

 

[Rude Dog]

Watching the colours change in my backyard is the highlight of fall fir me this will be a myriad of colours in a few weeks…

Leafs have played about 7 games more per season since then (the other was 6 (win against bolts)+5 (loss against panthers) = 11 games)

If you look at it that way the only progress has been that Leafs just play about 7 more games per season........

Not a fan of the 7 more game diss. While true let’s not forget the joy of the other 82. How many times have we watched the Leafs and let’s throw in the jays play meaningless games after the quarter mark. I will take the 89 meaningful games all day long.

 

[Stephen]

Cowan gives me Nazem Kadri meets Stumpy Thomas vibes.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837847214506340532

Eyes on Cowan, Grebenkin, Webber, OEL
I know what to expect from the rest

 

[Dekes For Days]

2020-2024 - 19th. out of 23.

Ironically, the unit in question only played 17% of that PP time. Maybe some of the issue was them not together enough.

 

[Martin Skoula]

So how do you figure out the best PP configuration, that is what I am asking.

The regular season PP doesn't seem to matter, so how do you figure it out?

I think the trial and error facts based approach has gone too far, there’s dozens of men making millions in the front office who are being paid for their expertise, intuition, and probably a combined century of professional hockey experience to be able to intuitively identify the problems without needing to throw every possible permutation at the wall and see what sticks.

We haven’t seen a PP configuration that involves more than 2 shooting threats in total and more than 0 shooting threats specifically from the point. The PPs that score on us in the playoffs regularly do their damage directly from the point or from plays that are caused by either the point shot or the threat of one. I can’t remember many PPs that ate us alive off drop passes and playmaking wingers dipsy doodling at the point. I’m sure the numbers based approach will suggest that point shots are wasteful in terms of possession and that’s why we’re seeing puck dominant forwards at the point instead but the law of big numbers breaks down in a 7 game series where every potential weakness in your set up is being hyper focused and exploited.

There are other teams who do well on the PP in the playoffs, we’re allowed learning from what works for them and what doesn’t.

 

[Mitch nylander]

Who I will be watching today:

Forwards
Pacioretty - How healthy does he look? Can he keep up as an injury prone 36 year old?
Knies- How does his weight gain affect his speed? Guy is 227. Does he take another step forward?
Cowan - Is he NHL ready? His compete is.
Grebenkin - How does he look at this level on NA Ice? Can he be another Knies?
Quillian - He's an exceptional skater, how does he look as a two way piece for the future? Can he stand out?
Reaves - Will he get waived? Which version of him are we getting pre injury or post.. Post injury, I thought he played quite well, and was deserving of a spot.

Defenseman
Timothy Liljegren - At 25, he's gonna need to prove himself. Is he a top 4 guy? Is he just a bottom pair with good skating?
OEL - Not sure what to expect, just want to see how he looks.
Chris Tanev - One long-term deal, will this allow Morgan to look like his 2019 self with 70+ points.
Cade Webber - He's huge, he's got a good frame, but will his skating keep up at this level. How will his gap control look?
Noah Chadwick - Again a big guy with average skating, how will he look at this level?