The blind hate of Polak

[Kelly]

I don't hate him but he's definitely a marginal NHLer at this point. I think his work effort and intensity is a positive for the young guys. He also was pretty damn good down the stretch last year. He shouldn't be a lock in the lineup night in and night out but he's a nice option to have in the mix

I'm with this guy. I wouldn't mind him being a 6-7 for us, but he's playing too much right now. I know some don't like to admit it, but Polak does bring an element our defense lacks -- it's just unfortunate he handles the puck like a hot potato, and takes ridiculous penalties at ridiculous times.

 

[Mr Hockey]

what do you mean?
Kadri and Matthews draw the tough competition so that Babcock can get Bozak out against easier competition. I've never said otherwise

 

[Minus Mitch]

So would the opposition think it's an easier matchup for their line playing against Bozak Marner and JVR? Probably so in the easy matchup category it's a saw off so is it an equal match up, or an easy match up?

 

[Kiwi]

So playing with your favs Bozak and JVR is supposed to be helping him?
Kiwi!! Really? They are sheltered for a reason. If anything you've nailed the reason why the puck is in our end so much when he's on the ice.

That line couldn't be sheltered any more if it tried Salt, it's almost impossible not to have a positive CF% playing behind them and he still manages it somehow

When the pucks in your own zone you have two ways of getting it out with control, pass or skate, Polak can do neither, that's how you get trapped in your own end without possession endlessly

 

[saltming]

That line couldn't be sheltered any more if it tried Salt, it's almost impossible not to have a positive CF% playing behind them and he still manages it somehow

When the pucks in your own zone you have two ways of getting it out with control, pass or skate, Polak can do neither, that's how you get trapped in your own end without possession endlessly

He is 1 of 5 skaters on the ice. So you think they line would be better without him? Borgman skates and passes pretty well but yet when he has the puck that line still can't seem to break out. I can't count the times I've seen the puck at the blueline on a forwards stick 10 inches from the blueline then suddenly it's in deep again.
Is that also Polaks fault?

 

[Kiwi]

He is 1 of 5 skaters on the ice. So you think they line would be better without him? Borgman skates and passes pretty well but yet when he has the puck that line still can't seem to break out. I can't count the times I've seen the puck at the blueline on a forwards stick 10 inches from the blueline then suddenly it's in deep again.
Is that also Polaks fault?

A rookie defenseman doing the puck moving for a pair isn't going to go well, the idea is that the rookie leans on the veteran to get the puck out if there trapped in there own zone, that ain't happening

None of those forwards are good at getting the puck out but getting a decent tape to tape pass helps rather than a board battle because the pucks been flipped off the glass

 

[saltming]

A rookie defenseman doing the puck moving for a pair isn't going to go well, the idea is that the rookie leans on the veteran to get the puck out if there trapped in there own zone, that ain't happening

None of those forwards are good at getting the puck out but getting a decent tape to tape pass helps rather than a board battle because the pucks been flipped off the glass

Point is the whole 5 man unit struggles so why rant about 1 player on that line?

 

[Kiwi]

Point is the whole 5 man unit struggles so why rant about 1 player on that line?

Because he's bad playing with every partner and every line

The under 50.00CF% is with the most sheltering possible, it's downright ugly what happens when he's not getting the **** sheltered out of him

This isn't a rant, these are cold hard facts that people pretend don't exist

 

[Rogie]

Player	Season	Team	Position	GP	TOI	GF	GA	G+/-	GF%	GF/60	GA/60
ANDREAS.BORGMAN	2017-2018	TOR	D	42	9.27	0	2	-2	0	0	12.94
MORGAN.RIELLY	2017-2018	TOR	D	45	64.98	1	9	-8	10	0.92	8.31
NIKITA.ZAITSEV	2017-2018	TOR	D	34	123.03	0	11	-11	0	0	5.36
RON.HAINSEY	2017-2018	TOR	D	45	203	1	18	-17	5.26	0.3	5.32
ROMAN.POLAK	2017-2018	TOR	D	26	59.1	2	5	-3	28.57	2.03	5.08
JAKE.GARDINER	2017-2018	TOR	D	45	25.1	0	1	-1	0	0	2.39
CALLE.ROSEN	2017-2018	TOR	D	4	0.02	0	0	0	NA	0	0
CONNOR.CARRICK	2017-2018	TOR	D	25	0.9	0	0	0	NA	0	0
MARTIN.MARINCIN	2017-2018	TOR	D	2	4.88	0	0	0	NA	0	0
TRAVIS.DERMOTT	2017-2018	TOR	D	2	0.25	0	0	0	NA	0	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Rogie]

Chart above is PK this year - from Corsica site.

Shows Polak has second best GA/60 (after Gardiner) on the PK.

 

[Rogie]

5v5 Score/Venue adjusted from naturalstattrick

Player	GP	TOI	TOI/GP	CF%	FF%	SF%	GF%	SCF%	HDCF%	HDGF%	PDO	Off. Zone Faceoffs/60	Neu. Zone Faceoffs/60	Def. Zone Faceoffs/60	Off. Zone Faceoff %
Morgan Rielly	45	753.35	16.74111	52.14	51.57	51.7	52.45	53.43	50.6	53.64	1.003	19.27	26.04	24.77	43.76
Connor Carrick	25	332.0667	13.28267	51.86	49.32	48.22	59.54	55.05	54.24	53.92	1.051	22.77	21.32	15.18	60
Ron Hainsey	45	747.7167	16.61593	49.53	49.04	49.79	54.1	50.81	48.83	56.88	1.014	18.22	27.28	25.12	42.04
Andreas Borgman	42	541.5833	12.89484	50.62	48.62	47.27	53.59	52.72	57.08	51.77	1.025	18.83	20.16	15.62	54.66
Jake Gardiner	45	827.3833	18.3863	49.27	47.14	46.42	51.95	52.58	53.54	50.65	1.017	19.07	22.92	20.6	48.08
Roman Polak	26	365.9667	14.07564	48.54	47.01	46.64	43.31	51.08	60.08	36.97	0.99	14.59	20	18.85	43.63
Nikita Zaitsev	34	606.7167	17.84461	46.82	45.25	44.23	55.63	49.95	51.47	55.06	1.035	16.52	24.72	21.36	43.6

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Rogie]

5v5 Score and Venue Adjusted (for Dmen): from naturalstattrick.com

Polak:

better CF% and FF% than Zietsiev;
better SCF% than Hainsey and Zietsiev;
better SF% than Zietsiev and Gardiner;
highest HDCF% among Dmen;
lowest of Ozone Face offs/60

LOWEST GF% - that is bad!
LOWEST HDGF% = bad

 

[PlietscherDassel]

Even if Babcock only plays him to teach the kids that they need to work hard, i think it is worth it. Its a small price to pay if they understand the message and make the Leafs a successful team for years by working as hard as Polak is according to...well everyone in Toronto and St Louis.
Every coach has at least one player that is not as talented and maybe even not as good as other options, but still plays. Most coaches are not dumb , they have reason to do so. In most cases these players simply outwork their more talented competition. As a coach you have to reward hard work to keep the rest of the team working hard.

 

[Rogie]

Even if Babcock only plays him to teach the kids that they need to work hard, i think it is worth it. Its a small price to pay if they understand the message and make the Leafs a successful team for years by working as hard as Polak is according to...well everyone in Toronto and St Louis.
Every coach has at least one player that is not as talented and maybe even not as good as other options, but still plays. Most coaches are not dumb , they have reason to do so. In most cases these players simply outwork their more talented competition. As a coach you have to reward hard work to keep the rest of the team working hard.

The coach has control of the ice time - one thing that gives him leverage in getting players to work harder.

Babcock gives JVR/Bozak less ice-time that previous coaches and is giving some younger players more ice time. That is one of thing that goes towards accountability.

It's pretty hard to make veteran players accountable though - they've played a certain way their entire careers and it's worked for them, so, benching them is going to create a controversy and a lot of problems.

ONE tool the coach has is CONTROL of the ice-time and Babcock is using it - WIELDING IT MIGHT BE A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT.

But, it's his tool to WIELD and his alone pretty much.

He thinks (I assume) that the players will come to realize if they want more minutes, they'll have to do what HE WANTS.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Is Polak Polish ?

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Is Polak Polish ?

This is what gets me. He's a defensive defenseman who's bad at defense. Then he's neither Roman nor a Polak. He is just a walking contradiction.

 

[saltming]

Because he's bad playing with every partner and every line

The under 50.00CF% is with the most sheltering possible, it's downright ugly what happens when he's not getting the **** sheltered out of him

This isn't a rant, these are cold hard facts that people pretend don't exist

It is a rant when you single one guy out and lay the whole blame on him when Bozak and JVR have always struggled with or without Polak.
I'm not saying polak doesn't have his flaws because that would be stupid but if you can't see the value he has, even limited value then that's also bias.
I like the way people want Gudbranson over polak. Very lateral move imo if not a slight down grade from polak especially since polak is out producing him but either way a classic #6/7 defenseman just like polak yet people want him instead. Grass is greener scenario?
Polak is what he is, a good #6/7 to say any more is ridiculous but to say he's less is just as much folly

 

[Kiwi]

It is a rant when you single one guy out and lay the whole blame on him when Bozak and JVR have always struggled with or without Polak.
I'm not saying polak doesn't have his flaws because that would be stupid but if you can't see the value he has, even limited value then that's also bias.
I like the way people want Gudbranson over polak. Very lateral move imo if not a slight down grade from polak especially since polak is out producing him but either way a classic #6/7 defenseman just like polak yet people want him instead. Grass is greener scenario?
Polak is what he is, a good #6/7 to say any more is ridiculous but to say he's less is just as much folly

I'm not blaming Polak I'm blaming Babcock for playing him

JVR and Bozak struggle defensivly but with there usage Polak's numbers shouldn't be that bad, I'm pretty sure if you look at the other guys that play with that line do pretty well numbers wise

Gudbranson and Polak suck, I'd take Polak of the two because at least we're not moving assets to acquire him

Polak is a #8 and if one injury has him playing a regular shift your a pretender, hell we don't even need injuries to get him into the lineup

His numbers are appalling
The eye test says he's appalling
The team record is miles worse when he plays
He's a penalty taking God

Those aren't good things

 

[IPS]

I'm not blaming Polak I'm blaming Babcock for playing him

JVR and Bozak struggle defensivly but with there usage Polak's numbers shouldn't be that bad, I'm pretty sure if you look at the other guys that play with that line do pretty well numbers wise

Gudbranson and Polak suck, I'd take Polak of the two because at least we're not moving assets to acquire him

Polak is a #8 and if one injury has him playing a regular shift your a pretender, hell we don't even need injuries to get him into the lineup

His numbers are appalling
The eye test says he's appalling
The team record is miles worse when he plays
He's a penalty taking God

Those aren't good things

The Babcock white-knight crew continually ignores and avoids this like the plague

I repeat: no tangible measure justifies having Polak in the lineup. Only imaginary measures.

 

[Menzinger]

The latest Leafs report podcasts had some interesting discussion on this situation: said looks like Babcock is giving Polak so much usage because he wants to give him a chance coming off that injury to get to how he was playing last year - but then they of course pointed it it looks pretty clearly that he’s not going to be capable of doing that.

They also mentioned he leads the Leafs D since Zaitsev’s injury for being on the ice for the most 5v5 goals against - 11 goals in 11 games.

This experiment needs to come to an end. Old D men just have a pretty hard time coming back from bad injuries.

 

[saltming]

I'm not blaming Polak I'm blaming Babcock for playing him

JVR and Bozak struggle defensivly but with there usage Polak's numbers shouldn't be that bad, I'm pretty sure if you look at the other guys that play with that line do pretty well numbers wise

Gudbranson and Polak suck, I'd take Polak of the two because at least we're not moving assets to acquire him

Polak is a #8 and if one injury has him playing a regular shift your a pretender, hell we don't even need injuries to get him into the lineup

His numbers are appalling
The eye test says he's appalling
The team record is miles worse when he plays
He's a penalty taking God

Those aren't good things

Well at least we agree on Gudbranson over Polak

 

[saltming]

The latest Leafs report had some interesting discussion on this situation: said looks like Babcock is giving Polak so much usage because he wants to give him a chance coming off that injury to get to how he was playing last year - but then they of course pointed it it looks pretty clearly that he’s not going to be capable of doing that.

They also mentioned he leads the Leafs D since Zaitsev’s injury for being on the ice for the most 5v5 goals against - 11 goals in 11 games.

This experiment needs to come to an end. Old D men just have a pretty hard tome coming back from bad injuries.

I think the injury to Z is a pretty big factor too. Polak can't handle the up tick in competition but he's sheltering Borgman right now

 

[leafsfuture]

Ill make this simple.

Hunwick made Polak look good

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

having a Polak type player is fine, but they have to be good at hockey. You want a Radko Gudas, not a Roman Polak

 

[rent free]

our pk is fine without polak. idk why he is in