The Leafs are just flat out terrible. They are so bad at defending and also at forecheck. If they don’t score on the rush, it’s over. They have no ability to dump and chase, get and KEEP possession along the wall and down low, and cycle etc. They seem to always try an immediate pass out front, and the Bs in their zone coverage have the “house” all protected, stick in lanes, and instantly the play goes the other way and out of the zone. The Leafs seem to get a two second forecheck and it’s over. This has been really easy on all the Bs D, including Gryz when he was in. I’ll give credit to our Fs being in good position also in our zone, including great C play down low and W out high and collapsing when needed. I don’t think the Leafs know what to do to beat a team as disciplined as the Bs in zone coverage. A lot of NHL teams still play man down low with 2 D and a C, but it’s not easy to play against a skill team. Vegas all of a sudden is a defensive juggernaut since Cassidy arrived and brought the zone. It’s funny, because I’m very old, and all you need to know is that ONLY zone coverage existed when I was young. Along with a few other things, like F stay in your lanes, etc. Hockey was only North South. It was be on the right side of the puck. Dump chase, hard into the corners. First guy blast the D, second get the puck. Protect the puck, keep possession down low, meet at the net, screen, no fly by, stop at the post. It was a simple game. It seems to me the simple game is making a comeback.
