Pre-Game Talk: Sharks on Friday/@Montreal Saturday

[TML11]

Let's just win both

 

[Ratboy]

Sharks playing well tonight....but the Leafs get Jones tomorrow so that should help.

Yeah Jones hasn't been great. Watch out for Marleau with the hat trick lol.

Seriously he'll do something.. even Lindholm scored against us.

 

[Nineteen67]

Yeah Jones hasn't been great. Watch out for Marleau with the hat trick lol.

Seriously he'll do something.. even Lindholm scored against us.

Frozen played well in net tonight.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

No, he's been sheltered like crazy and when we needed him to take Tavares job against Bergeron he got curb stomped

He's a bad defensive player, he's a forward version of Rielly

Sheltered like crazy? What? he's playing against tougher competition than last year. Even if he was sheltered a little bit, his numbers are great. 1.71 expected goals against/60 is the best on the team, and down from 2.71 from last year. Why you'd rather fabricate things than give recognition to our top player improving defensively is beyond me

 

[stickty111]

If you want him to take a tough matchup, yes Babcock was correct to give him defensively responsible wingers




No, he's been sheltered like crazy and when we needed him to take Tavares job against Bergeron he got curb stomped

He's a bad defensive player, he's a forward version of Rielly

You might want to rethink this statement.

 

[Burnie97]

No waivers will be needed.

Gravel and Petan have already been on waivers, and don't need to go on waivers again.

I think Hyman is on a slightly different timeline than Hyman too... I don't expect Hyman back for another week or so...

Right forgot they don't have to worry about being sent down already. 30 days I think.

Anyway yeah that'll cover Dermott when he's back Saturday most likely.

I guess then another 2 guys go when Hyman is back next week.

Tavares is hopefully back to by what next weekend roughly?

 

[BigGulpsEh]

I like that Matthews is speaking up and holding himself and others accountable. He can lead by example. Clean up the defensive woes and the offensive will take care of itself

 

[Trapper]

I like that Matthews is speaking up and holding himself and others accountable. He can lead by example. Clean up the defensive woes and the offensive will take care of itself

No I don’t like the fact that Matthews used some generic cliches to hold others accountable when players like Kerfoot/Moore/Michayev/Goat/Timo/Muzzin/etc. have been accountable all year.

If the top guys played with half the intensity of that list you wouldn’t need the speech.

Didn’t need to hear what’s painfully obvious.
Start and end the speech with himself.

 

[BigGulpsEh]

No I don’t like the fact that Matthews used some generic cliches to hold others accountable when players like Kerfoot/Moore/Michayev/Goat/Timo/Muzzin/etc. have been accountable all year.

If the top guys played with half the intensity of that list you wouldn’t need the speech.

Didn’t need to hear what’s painfully obvious.
Start and end the speech with himself.

What he said was fine. He focused on himself more today with his comments.

Leafs as a collective group have been dreadful in their own end as of late. Including muzzin and kerfoot who you have mentioned.

It’s time to prove it with their play. The stars need look like they give a f*** out there

 

[DarkKnight]

No I don’t like the fact that Matthews used some generic cliches to hold others accountable when players like Kerfoot/Moore/Michayev/Goat/Timo/Muzzin/etc. have been accountable all year.

If the top guys played with half the intensity of that list you wouldn’t need the speech.

Didn’t need to hear what’s painfully obvious.
Start and end the speech with himself.

Ya, stop looking around the room and look in the mirror. Everyone.

 

[Kiwi]

You might want to rethink this statement.

No, I don't rethink things that are true to keep fans who have lost there objectivity happy

Sheltered like crazy? What? he's playing against tougher competition than last year. Even if he was sheltered a little bit, his numbers are great. 1.71 expected goals against/60 is the best on the team, and down from 2.71 from last year. Why you'd rather fabricate things than give recognition to our top player improving defensively is beyond me

He gets OZS 65% of the time and as soon as Tavares went down and he started getting his usage against top lines he's been getting curb stomped with a more defensively responsible RW Marner, Gauthier and Shore on the 4th line get over 60% DZS

But sure he's only sheltered a little bit

He's one dimensional, it's an awesome dimension but I'm not playing pretend about what he is because he's Leafs property

 

[Nineteen67]

No I don’t like the fact that Matthews used some generic cliches to hold others accountable when players like Kerfoot/Moore/Michayev/Goat/Timo/Muzzin/etc. have been accountable all year.

If the top guys played with half the intensity of that list you wouldn’t need the speech.

Didn’t need to hear what’s painfully obvious.
Start and end the speech with himself.

Goat backing down from Marchand negates anything good he’s done. The goal this year, one way or another, is to get past Boston and allowing Marchand to bully him puts them further behind.

I scratch my head wondering what the heck goes through their minds.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

No, I don't rethink things that are true to keep fans who have lost there objectivity happy



He gets OZS 65% of the time and as soon as Tavares went down and he started getting his usage against top lines he's been getting curb stomped with a more defensively responsible RW Marner, Gauthier and Shore on the 4th line get over 60% DZS

But sure he's only sheltered a little bit

He's one dimensional, it's an awesome dimension but I'm not playing pretend about what he is because he's Leafs property

zone starts have almost no impact on underlying numbers. The only thing they tell you is that Babcock knows Matthews is good offensively. Crosby, Aho, Barkov, Point, Bergeron, O'Reilly, Toews, etc. are all examples of players with comparable offensive zone start% to Matthews. Prior to this year, there was very good reason to criticize Matthews' defensive play. This year, there really isn't

Calling Marner definitely responsible is also genuinely funny.

 

[robertmac43]

I hope the guys can put in a better shift on Saturday night in fron of Hutch. He has played amazing this season but it's not like he has been getting much support either.

 

[stickty111]

No, I don't rethink things that are true to keep fans who have lost there objectivity happy



He gets OZS 65% of the time and as soon as Tavares went down and he started getting his usage against top lines he's been getting curb stomped with a more defensively responsible RW Marner, Gauthier and Shore on the 4th line get over 60% DZS

But sure he's only sheltered a little bit

He's one dimensional, it's an awesome dimension but I'm not playing pretend about what he is because he's Leafs property

Umm you seem to getting irritated for no reason. How can you call Marner responsible, but Matthews bad defensively?

 

[Kiwi]

zone starts have almost no impact on underlying numbers. The only thing they tell you is that Babcock knows Matthews is good offensively. Crosby, Aho, Barkov, Point, Bergeron, O'Reilly, Toews, etc. are all examples of players with comparable offensive zone start% to Matthews. Prior to this year, there was very good reason to criticize Matthews' defensive play. This year, there really isn't

Calling Marner definitely responsible is also genuinely funny.

Matthews is great offensively, he's also brutal defensively that's why Tavares and the 4th line do a ton of donkey work

I wish he was a better 2-way player but he is what he is, a fantastic if flawed player

I've never called Marner defensively responsible, I said that's how Babcock is using him

A lot of our players don't defend well, Marner included, it's been a recurring theme for years

Umm you seem to getting irritated for no reason. How can you call Marner responsible, but Matthews bad defensively?

I'm not irritated, I tend to get into this debate quite a bit so I'm reasonably used to it

I didn't call Marner defensively responsible either, I'd call him overrated in that regard as well

Babcock has used him instead of Nylander in tougher situations since Tavares went down and I'm not sure that's warranted either

 

[stickty111]

Matthews is great offensively, he's also brutal defensively that's why Tavares and the 4th line do a ton of donkey work

I wish he was a better 2-way player but he is what he is, a fantastic if flawed player

I've never called Marner defensively responsible, I said that's how Babcock is using him

A lot of our players don't defend well, Marner included, it's been a recurring theme for years



I'm not irritated, I tend to get into this debate quite a bit so I'm reasonably used to it

I didn't call Marner defensively responsible either, I'd call him overrated in that regard as well

Babcock has used him instead of Nylander in tougher situations since Tavares went down and I'm not sure that's warranted either

Babcock's usage has been a problem, so why do you think he is correct here?
He could be wrong here as well.

 

[Sniper99]

No - its not stupid... In the long run it's beneficial......if he gets fired...

nah, its pretty ****** stupid.

 

[Kiwi]

Babcock's usage has been a problem, so why do you think he is correct here?
He could be wrong here as well.

I didn't say Babcock was correct

I said he's using Matthews Nylander in offensive situations and Matthews Marner in defensive situations, which he is and he thinks Marner is better defensively than Nylander

I believe Marner is overrated as a defensive player, I don't really rate any of the big three defensively

I'd keep Matthews Nylander together because at least they have chemistry and pray basically

Without Tavares we don't have a decent option to take on other teams top players, where my one dimensional, talented but flawed comments come from

 

[Trapper]

What he said was fine. He focused on himself more today with his comments.

Leafs as a collective group have been dreadful in their own end as of late. Including muzzin and kerfoot who you have mentioned.

It’s time to prove it with their play. The stars need look like they give a **** out there

Last year we lost Matthews for a month and didn’t have Nylander at the same time.
Didn’t seem to be the same issue.
So far we have been without Tavares for a few games and no Hyman/Dermott. I really hope Hyman/Dermott aren’t such intricate parts that a few of the leagues highest paid can’t work hard without them.

You can’t control puck luck etc but you can control hard work and intensity.

That hasn’t been the whole team that needs a calling out.

 

[ZEBROA]

Maby we need a salesman to sell the system to the team. Becouse whatever Babcock is selling, the team aint buying.

 

[PuckMagi]

If we lose the next 2 or 3 games in a row... this would be a perfect time to fire Babcock. After the game on Tuesday, we don't play until Saturday.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

I didn't say Babcock was correct

I said he's using Matthews Nylander in offensive situations and Matthews Marner in defensive situations, which he is and he thinks Marner is better defensively than Nylander

I believe Marner is overrated as a defensive player, I don't really rate any of the big three defensively

I'd keep Matthews Nylander together because at least they have chemistry and pray basically

Without Tavares we don't have a decent option to take on other teams top players, where my one dimensional, talented but flawed comments come from

See in my opinion, two or three games dont mean a player sucks defensively. He is our best defensive centre in my opinion. Tavares is very overrated in the D zone.

Tavares got eaten alive last year by boston as well. That line has and always will destroy our team. What the hell did marner or tavares do in the playoffs last year? They got dummied by the bergeron line who was not with pastrnak most of the time btw.

Everyone just takes babcocks word has the end all be all. Tavares is not some amazing defensive centre. Zaitsev wasnt some norris calibre D. Hainsey wasnt the second coming of Lidstrom. Marner isnt this selke winning winger.

 

[al secord]

If we lose the next 2 or 3 games in a row... this would be a perfect time to fire Babcock. After the game on Tuesday, we don't play until Saturday.

Hopefully we win 3 games in a row. That would be swell.

 

[Marshy]

I don't drink any more so I'm only gonna have 1 or 2 if the game goes off the rails...