Pre-Game Talk: NYI @ Leafs 7:30 (TSN4) Feb, 14th

[paulhiggins]

#FreeTheGoat

 

[Thread The Needle]

I'll be pleased if we let in only 3 goals against this team, especially considering we let in 3 against BUFFALO.

 

[1specter]

I'll be pleased if we let in only 3 goals against this team, especially considering we let in 3 against BUFFALO.

Since the new year Buffalo is top 10 in goals.

They also have the #1 ranked PP in the league (for the whole season).

 

[Thread The Needle]

Since the new year Buffalo is top 10 in goals.

They also have the #1 ranked PP in the league (for the whole season).

Aren't the Islanders also in the top 10 in 2017?

 

[BertCorbeau]

Since the new year Buffalo is top 10 in goals.

They also have the #1 ranked PP in the league (for the whole season).

Plus Buffalo is scoring at a 2.45 goals per game pace .. It's not outlandish that they can score 3 goals.

If it was Colorado, that's another story.

 

[TheMadNavigator]

If there was ever a game to call a "must-win" at this point in the season...

That's every game, dude.

 

[1specter]

Aren't the Islanders also in the top 10 in 2017?

They're 7th in GF/GP for the whole season.

 

[PlietscherDassel]

I think Babs should change it up.

JVR - Matthews - Nylander
Brown - Kadri - Marner
Hyman - Bozak - Komarov
Martin - Smith - Leivo

First line could be fun to watch but bad defensively.

Would honestly love to see the second line for a couple of games.

Bozak is good at face offs, which helps if you want to keep away the puck from the opponents top line, but defensively not good enough to play against it.My hope would be that Hyman and Leo, being defensively responsible players, can make up for that and that Bozak can generate as much offense as you need from your third line.

Smith because he needs to play 6 more games.

 

[1specter]

I think Babs should change it up.

JVR - Matthews - Nylander
Brown - Kadri - Marner
Hyman - Bozak - Komarov
Martin - Smith - Leivo

First line could be fun to watch but bad defensively.

Would honestly love to see the second line for a couple of games.

Bozak is good at face offs, which helps if you want to keep away the puck from the opponents top line, but defensively not good enough to play against it.My hope would be that Hyman and Leo, being defensively responsible players, can make up for that and that Bozak can generate as much offense as you need from your third line.

Smith because he needs to play 6 more games.

Well, last time Babcock put Bozak with Brown and Komarov, they looked awful and got dominated. He ended up having to revert the lines back about 11 minutes in.

 

[member 262271]

Never feel particularly confident in the Leafs when they play the Islanders, hope I'm wrong though, they really need these 2 points. No more sleepy starts pretty please.

 

[1specter]

Never feel particularly confident in the Leafs when they play the Islanders, hope I'm wrong though, they really need these 2 points. No more sleepy starts pretty please.

Neither do I, and honestly nobody really ever should. Even when they've been bad, they've always given the Leafs a very hard time. One of our kryptonite teams, like San Jose.

Getting torched repeatedly by Tavares, Moulson, Okposo, Nielsen, Cizikas etc has left me with PTSD.

 

[666]

Washington 0.0
Pittsburgh -3.5
Columbus -3.5
NY Rangers -5.0
Montreal -8.0
Ottawa -8.5
Toronto -10.5
Boston -11.0
NY Islanders -11.0
Philadelphia -11.5
Florida -12.0
Carolina -13.0
Tampa Bay -13.5
New Jersey -13.5
Buffalo -14.0
Detroit -15.0

 

[Mess]

Never feel particularly confident in the Leafs when they play the Islanders, hope I'm wrong though, they really need these 2 points. No more sleepy starts pretty please.

That is because of Johnny Tavares and his leading his team upward.

 

[Apotheosis]

Just hoping to see Matthews and Marner on the same line. They are always buzzing when they play together.

 

[TheMadNavigator]

Never feel particularly confident in the Leafs when they play the Islanders, hope I'm wrong though, they really need these 2 points. No more sleepy starts pretty please.

We always treat them like a dumpster fire and it's usually what we turn into when we play them. Maybe one day the Leafs will stop playing down to teams worse than them.

 

[Mad Brills*]

babcock needs to go

 

[sync95]

If there was ever a game to call a "must-win" at this point in the season...

To be fair, almost every game falls under that category for the rest of the season

 

[Willy Styles]

if we loose tomrrow its tank nation for me, I cant handle another 18-wheeler of the cliff, due in part to mediocre in-game coaching and adjustments.

babcocks in-game decisions are mediocre at best, hes an amazing coach, but icing Hyman, Brown, Carrick and Komarov with the goalie pulled is just stupid. I understand spreading out the lines is good, but if the lines are scoring why not put the best players together.

If we had Matthews-Nylander and Marner together I can almost gurantee we'd have more than one goal last game. Its frustrating because what is so apparent to everyone watching the game who is less knowledgable than Babcock goes directly over his head.

Another example: Starting Kadri and Komarov in OT?

Tying Matthews and Hyman together at the hip.

Constantly icing Hunwick and Polak together despite the fact that they suck.

Icing Ben Smith every single game, never scratching Martin (IMO we should give Sosh and Leivo a look together with a scoring fourth line)

Playing the fourth line (with Hunwick and Polak with three minutes left in a tie game), philly scored and took two points from us.

These little things pile up, and cost us points each and every single game, im sick and tired of it, because i just want the Leafs in the best position to win.

 

[member 262271]

Neither do I, and honestly nobody really ever should. Even when they've been bad, they've always given the Leafs a very hard time. One of our kryptonite teams, like San Jose.

Getting torched repeatedly by Tavares, Moulson, Okposo, Nielsen, Cizikas etc has left me with PTSD.

Not to mention I don't even think Czikas and Moulson have scored against us this year, so there's still the possibility of that to look forward to!

 

[member 262271]

That is because of Johnny Tavares and his leading his team upward.

Yep, Tavares is starting to drive the team, which is terrible news.

We always treat them like a dumpster fire and it's usually what we turn into when we play them. Maybe one day the Leafs will stop playing down to teams worse than them.

I sure hope so. It's been a great season so far but when they get beat by teams far worse than they are it gets a little irritating. That's one thing I'd like to see worked on going forward.

 

[StatsNightHeroes]

I think Babs should change it up.

JVR - Matthews - Nylander
Brown - Kadri - Marner
Hyman - Bozak - Komarov
Martin - Smith - Leivo

First line could be fun to watch but bad defensively.

Would honestly love to see the second line for a couple of games.

Bozak is good at face offs, which helps if you want to keep away the puck from the opponents top line, but defensively not good enough to play against it.My hope would be that Hyman and Leo, being defensively responsible players, can make up for that and that Bozak can generate as much offense as you need from your third line.

Smith because he needs to play 6 more games.

Hyman- Matthews- Marner
JVR- Bozak- Nylander
Komarov- Kadri- Leivo
Martin- Smith - Brown

Let's Babcock keep his precious pairs together and stacks the top line. Brown and Leivo can be swapped out but I think with his shot Leivo could really help the 3rd line produce. Marner and Matthews seem to compliment eachother so well I think they'd really get a boost. Nylander should be able to do what Marner does on the 2nd line.

 

[Willy Styles]

JVR and Bozak should only be together on the PP, they are our worst defensive forwards, and should be spread out throughout the lineup.

 

[1specter]

Not to mention I don't even think Czikas and Moulson have scored against us this year, so there's still the possibility of that to look forward to!

Cizikas has. Moulson hasn't and he hasn't really torched the Leafs since leaving NYI

 

[PuckMagi]

#FreeTheGoat

 

[member 262271]

Cizikas has. Moulson hasn't and he hasn't really torched the Leafs since leaving NYI

Ah my bad. Was that the first meeting this year? Pretty forgettable what with Enroth, the boards with a multi-assist night and skating on sand etc.