GDT: Quacking Up at the ACC: Ducks vs Leafs at 7:00 (hey Randy)

[Daisy Jane]

Budsfan will do his thing, but i totally didn't know it was a game today.
Let's win.

Click to read more...

 

[taurine330]

Yay, for a game!

 

[TheGroceryStick]

For some reason, I have a good feeling about this game.

Ducks are a good team; have the size of Boston... think we come out like a caged animal after being stiffled offensively by the Bruins.

Hope we see some better neutral zone transition and offensive zone time.

 

[Mugzy97]

2 week home stand with lots of rest against some good teams starts tonight. Hopefully start it off right. The schedule actually looks great for the rest of the season.

 

[Budsfan]

Budsfan will do his thing, but i totally didn't know it was a game today.
Let's win.

Thanks Daisy slow day for info but it's starting to come in...

GAME DAY: Ducks at Maple Leafs
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
GAME DAY: Ducks at Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews, left, controls the puck as Anaheim Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. Kyusung Gong / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANAHEIM DUCKS (25-18-10) at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (30-19-5)
7 p.m., Air Canada Centre
TSN, The Fan 590
BIG MATCHUP
Rickard Rakell vs. Frederik Andersen
Ducks forwards such as Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf aren’t as prolific as they once were, combining for just 15 goals this season. Rakell could be the biggest challenge for ex-Duck Andersen. Rakell scored bloomed with 33 goals last season and leads Anaheim in 2017-18 with 19; one more would give him his third 20-goal season in the NHL. Andersen has a win and a loss against the Ducks since being traded to Toronto.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. No more trouble Bruin?
If the Leafs were looking for a silver lining as they had an off-day on Sunday and presumably tuned into the Super Bowl, it might have occurred to them that they don’t often have bad efforts in consecutive games. As good as the Bruins were on Saturday, the Leafs were bad, and it’s hard to imagine the Leafs coming with no jump versus the Ducks.
2. Ducks can’t kill
One area of the Leafs’ game that sticks in the craw of coach Mike Babcock is an inconsistency in drawing penalties. The Leafs’ 150 power plays had them at 28th in the NHL in that category. Here come the Ducks, who have allowed five power-play goals on 11 chances in their past two games. Special teams, as usual, will impact the outcome.
3. Auston on the attack
Few 20-year-olds are as driven as Auston Matthews, and we think it’s a safe bet he will be looking to atone for his poor showing in Saturday’s game. It ranked as one of Matthews’ most ineffective games as a Leaf, registering just one shot attempt. Either Ryan Getzlaf or Ryan Kesler would pose a challenge but count on Matthews to be motivated.
4. Kadri getting offensive
Nazem Kadri has found some productive mojo playing on a line with Mitch Marner and Patrick Marleau, and takes a five-game point streak into Monday night. Kadri has been opportunistic against the Ducks, scoring six goals on 21 shots in nine games for a lofty 28.6 shooting percentage. Kadri needs three goals for his third 20-goal season in the NHL.
5. Establish a home presence
The game kicks off a five-game homestand for the Leafs, and they might be aided by the fact that they have had success against the Ducks in Toronto, going 14-3-4-1. Of the Leafs’ 28 remaining games, 17 are at home, and they’re looking to improve on a 14-8-2 record at the Air Canada Centre. The Ducks are 1-1-1 in the first three games of a five-game trip.
MAPLE LEAFS LINES
LW-C-RW
Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Patrick Marleau-Nazem Kadri-Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Connor Brown
Leo Komarov-Dominic Moore-Kasperi Kapanen
Defencepairs
Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner-Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott-Connor Carrick
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
DUCKS LINES
LW-C-RW
Rickard Rakell-Ryan Getzlaf-Jakob Silfverberg
Andrew Cogliano-Ryan Kesler-J.T. Brown
Nick Ritchie-Adam Henrique-Ondrej Kase
Chris Wagner-Antoine Vermette-Corey Perry
Defence pairs
Hampus Lindholm-Josh Manson
Cam Fowler-Kevin Bieksa
Francois Beauchemin-Brandon Montour
Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Reto Berra
INJURIES
Ducks — G John Gibson, F Patrick Eaves.
Maple Leafs — D Roman Polak.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power play
Ducks: 17.7% (22nd)
Maple Leafs: 20.7% (11th)
Penalty kill
Ducks: 81.3% (15th)
Maple Leafs: 82.7% (6th)

Monday NHL game preview: Anaheim Ducks at Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen faces Corey Perry and former club at Air Canada Centre.

Monday NHL game preview: Anaheim Ducks at Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto Star

Josh Manson of the Ducks rides Leaf Patrick Marleau into the boards when the teams met in Anaheim in November. The Leafs host the Ducks on Monday night. (Kyusung Gong / AP)

By Kevin McGranSports Reporter
Mon., Feb. 5, 2018

AIR CANADA CENTRE
FACEOFF: 7 p.m.
TV: TSN4
RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
KEY PLAYERS
Perry/Andersen
With nine goals and 17 assists, Anaheim’s Corey Perry is having a very poor year by his standards. But he has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 13 career games against the Leafs, and recently scored his 100th career power-play goal . . . Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen will be looking for a bounce-back game after losing 4-1 in Boston on Saturday. Andersen played his first three NHL seasons with the Ducks.
NEED TO KNOW
The Ducks were on a 3-0-1 run before losing to Montreal on Saturday . . . They have allowed five power-play goals in their last two games . . . Ducks goalie Ryan Miller managed just four saves on seven shots against Montreal. It was his second straight start in place of injured John Gibson and he was replaced by Reto Berra, who made 20 saves the rest of the way . . . This is the fourth of a five-game road trip through the Atlantic Division for Anaheim, which wraps it up Tuesday in Buffalo. The Ducks are 6-5-1 against the Atlantic this season . . . Anaheim centre Ryan Getzlaf has 299 career power-play points . . . Leaf Nazem Kadri puts his five-game point streak on the line.
UP NEXT
Wednesday vs. Nashville Predators, 7:30 p.m.

 

[MarryMarner]

Leafs take this one - 4-2.

Matthews x 2
JvR
Kadri

 

[Gary Nylund]

Regarding this:
1. No more trouble Bruin?
If the Leafs were looking for a silver lining as they had an off-day on Sunday and presumably tuned into the Super Bowl, it might have occurred to them that they don’t often have bad efforts in consecutive games. As good as the Bruins were on Saturday, the Leafs were bad, and it’s hard to imagine the Leafs coming with no jump versus the Ducks.

I thought the Boston game wasn't a bad effort at all, much more a case of Boston being good than us being bad.

Sorry for the nitpick, great GDT as usual. Go Leafs Go!

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

Ya! Game day! Always soothes the Monday blues knowing there is a game later

 

[ULF_55]

Rielly - Hainsey should have the rust scoured off tonight.

If they play a relatively mistake free game they should win, as they are the better team.

 

[ToneDog]

Ducks need this game more than we do so they will be hungry.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Ya! Game day! Always soothes the Monday blues knowing there is a game later

For sure. Also for me personally, I'm still a little down after the last game so I need a solid win to feel better.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

It's matchups like these that will make people realize that the Leafs are too soft. Expect the Leafs to get bullied like they do against Boston. Getzlaf, Kesler, Corey Perry, Nick Ritchie. I mean... Who is going to step up against these guys? Leafs have zero answers for a big, physical squad like the Ducks. Leafs better be prepared to play a mans game tonight.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I have been saying for a long time that I felt that eventually the Leafs would take over 2nd in the Atlantic, this 5 game home stand will go a LONG way to determining if they do It won't kill their chances at home ice. but if they do well on this home stand they will be in much better shape.

 

[Tall Morty]

It's matchups like these that will make people realize that the Leafs are too soft. Expect the Leafs to get bullied like they do against Boston. Getzlaf, Kesler, Corey Perry, Nick Ritchie. I mean... Who is going to step up against these guys? Leafs have zero answers for a big, physical squad like the Ducks. Leafs better be prepared to play a mans game tonight.

Look guys, Dave Poulin has something negative to say!

 

[ULF_55]

For sure. Also for me personally, I'm still a little down after the last game so I need a solid win to feel better.

I'm okay with the last game.

You need those reminders of how far the journey is still to be.

 

[ACC1224]

It's matchups like these that will make people realize that the Leafs are too soft. Expect the Leafs to get bullied like they do against Boston. Getzlaf, Kesler, Corey Perry, Nick Ritchie. I mean... Who is going to step up against these guys? Leafs have zero answers for a big, physical squad like the Ducks. Leafs better be prepared to play a mans game tonight.

Leafs vs Ducks results - Google Search

Go figure.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I'm okay with the last game.

You need those reminders of how far the journey is still to be.

I'm okay with it, doesn't mean I'm happy.

As I posted a few days ago, this 7 game stretch beginning with the BOS game should tell us a lot about whether or not we can seriously contend for the cup or if we should sell JVR at the TDL and focus on the (near) future. There's 5 really good teams in there including BOS/TB who we will almost surely have to beat to win the cup and also PIT/CLB who we might face in the 3rd round and NSH who we may have to face in the final. So if we play like contenders in this stretch I can live with keeping JVR hoping for a cup run. If we don't impress during this time, then that's another story.

My head tells me we're not quite at the level where we can be considered serious contenders. My heart tells me we're awesome and these 7 games will prove it. I'm rooting for my heart (duh) and in that sense, the last game was a reality dose that I didn't want. We did play well though, 6 more games to go so I'm not giving up yet. Tonight is another good test.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Look guys, Dave Poulin has something negative to say!

LMAO.

 

[Advanced stats]

It's matchups like these that will make people realize that the Leafs are too soft. Expect the Leafs to get bullied like they do against Boston. Getzlaf, Kesler, Corey Perry, Nick Ritchie. I mean... Who is going to step up against these guys? Leafs have zero answers for a big, physical squad like the Ducks. Leafs better be prepared to play a mans game tonight.

Skill trumps size. Every single time.

 

[hamzarocks]

Need Matthews to step up and start dominating. To many nights he becoes to passive. A great player but he should be above ppg with the way he is talked about. His line mates are not the problem right now. Matthews needs to have a dominant night. I'm confident he will respond after that deal game with 1+1 and the win tonight against ducks

 

[ToneDog]

Skill trumps size. Every single time.

Every single time? Maybe in shinny.

 

[Advanced stats]

Every single time? Maybe in shinny.

Maybe not literally "every single time", but the vast majority of the time.
Pittsburgh and Chicago have 5 of the last 7 Stanley cups and Tampa dominating this season with skill is proof of the fact.

 

[Drew311]

It's matchups like these that will make people realize that the Leafs are too soft. Expect the Leafs to get bullied like they do against Boston. Getzlaf, Kesler, Corey Perry, Nick Ritchie. I mean... Who is going to step up against these guys? Leafs have zero answers for a big, physical squad like the Ducks. Leafs better be prepared to play a mans game tonight.

The Leafs speed will beat them. I see the Ducks taking a bunch of penalties and the Leafs beat them with ease.

 

[Morgs]

It's matchups like these that will make people realize that the Leafs are too soft. Expect the Leafs to get bullied like they do against Boston. Getzlaf, Kesler, Corey Perry, Nick Ritchie. I mean... Who is going to step up against these guys? Leafs have zero answers for a big, physical squad like the Ducks. Leafs better be prepared to play a mans game tonight.

Hard to be tough when you can't catch anyone. Other than Getzlaf and Rakell, this team's forwards are mostly just a shadow of their former selves.

This is a game I wouldn't mind Martin being in though, as I feel like he's a useful player when moderately used. Still probably would prefer him out of the lineup.