Line Combos: TOR needs to **** or get off the pot in regards to our defense

[mammothCacti]

Watch the post game interviews and read mirtles athletic article. It seems to me that the guys are working hard but the System they are playing is shit.

I knew with the names in the lineup, even defensively, we aren't that bad. It really seemed like players were lacking passing options and even Orr himself cant beat 2 guys on you with no breakout options- consistently.


I'm gonna assume Babcock (and DJ Smith) aren't idiots and see that their gameplan isn't working. If they dont change it up and this is the result, then Babcock isn't any better than Carlyle no matter how much he preaches "work and opportunity."

 

[Not My Tempo]

Honestly we could have Erik Karlsson and it wouldn’t matter, ask him to lob stretch passes up the ice for an entire game and he’d come out looking only slightly better than our dmen last night.

 

[ottomaddox]

People keep talking about breakouts.

**** the breakouts!!!

We are talking about players being left open, MTL's scoring chances, shots on goal, Andersen having to stand on his head, and players skating by our defenders.

It was awful last night. We've done nothing to change our D. We are only talking about 1 6th D position being the difference.

Dubas better smarten up!!

 

[Liminality]

People keep talking about breakouts.

**** the breakouts!!!

We are talking about players being left open, MTL's scoring chances, shots on goal, Andersen having to stand on his head, and players skating by our defenders.

It was awful last night. We've done nothing to change our D. We are only talking about 1 6th D position being the difference.

Dubas better smarten up!!

Breakouts and turnovers were the main reason for the Leafs being in their zone more often than not. If the players don't get the puck out, where do you think the puck goes?

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Our breakouts were ass all night. I can't believe Babcock learned absolutely nothing from that Boston series; relying on stretch passes ain't gonna work. And I'm also not a fan of the whole leaving the points wide open in our d-zone. I know the idea is for the forwards to be able to gather up any rebounds down low but it's just plain dumb.

 

[ottomaddox]

Breakouts and turnovers were the main reason for the Leafs being in their zone more often than not. If the players don't get the puck out, where do you think the puck goes?

If you leave players wide open in the slot, if you get out worked in the corners by forecheckers, and if you let players blow by you where do you think the puck goes?!

 

[Liminality]

If you leave players wide open in the slot, if you get out worked in the corners by forecheckers, and if you let players blow by you where do you think the puck goes?!

Don't forwards have to cover the slot, work in the corners in the defensive zone too? Which players were blown by last game, I just remember Hainsey and Dermott who recovered.

Again, it's the defenders job to cleanly exit the zone. Forwards can help but if the defenders can't exit the zone we run into what we did last night which was turnover the puck again and again.

 

[al secord]

Looks like team D wasn't just a Bozak, JVR and Komarov issue.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

if zaitsev keeps it up he should be moved up with rielly. He really needs the help, zaitsev would really stabilize him.

Rielly-Zaitsev
Gardiner-Hainsey(babs would still want him in the top 4)
Dermott-OZ

I thought Hainsey and Reilly were fine last year. We'll see what the pairings are, though I agree with your pairing above also.
Either way, all six/seven guys better be good enough to be NHLers. Even a so called third pairing plays 14 minutes a night, usually at even strength, so they have to be NHL competent.

 

[ottomaddox]

Looks like team D wasn't just a Bozak, JVR and Komarov issue.

That was such a silly theory. Bozak had his moments and JVR wasn't a stellar defender, but to put the blame on them was unfair. It's our D with the warts. I don't know how many times it has to be said and I can't believe we are still hoping for different results from the same cast of characters.

 

[moon111]

We also need to see how replacing Bozak, JVR, Martin, a lost a step Komarov improves overall team D.
Not sure if anyone has the stats, but I'd like to see how a solid defensive forward squad improves the numbers of the 6 guys labelled defenseman in the long run.
You put Parayko on this team from 6/7 years ago, and I'm sure he's a -20. Love to have him but 6 guys also need help from 12.

Well Bozak usually averaged roughly .5 giveaways per game. Tavares had 3.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Posted thi sin the game thread too but it's been such an issue for a while now

 

[Not My Tempo]

People keep talking about breakouts.

**** the breakouts!!!

We are talking about players being left open, MTL's scoring chances, shots on goal, Andersen having to stand on his head, and players skating by our defenders.

It was awful last night. We've done nothing to change our D. We are only talking about 1 6th D position being the difference.

Dubas better smarten up!!

http://www.sloansportsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/Using Zone Entry Data To Separate Offensive, Neutral, And Defensive Zone Performance.pdf


Zone exits and zone entries in a controlled manner are drivers of shots. You generate twice the amount of shots when you enter into the opposing team’s zone in a controlled manner vs dumping or tipping it in. Likewise we allow twice as many shots against when we let the opposition into our zone in a controlled manner. People are complaining about the breakout because it’s directly linked to the amount of shots we get and give up.

 

[Zybalto]

What do you think the odds are Ozhi and Hainsey switch places by the end of the year?

Odds are Cor will be very happy!



In all seriousness, Oz still looks pretty green and we shouldnt be selling Hainsey short quite yet. He was actually very competent the first half of last year and hes an old vet still getting his legs. Gotta give him a few games before passing judgement.

 

[Warden of the North]

Watch the post game interviews and read mirtles athletic article. It seems to me that the guys are working hard but the System they are playing is ****.

I knew with the names in the lineup, even defensively, we aren't that bad. It really seemed like players were lacking passing options and even Orr himself cant beat 2 guys on you with no breakout options- consistently.


I'm gonna assume Babcock (and DJ Smith) aren't idiots and see that their gameplan isn't working. If they dont change it up and this is the result, then Babcock isn't any better than Carlyle no matter how much he preaches "work and opportunity."

Matthews said himself they didnt do a good enough job.

And I dont know how anyone could watch Jake last night and conclude him passing it to the other team repeatedly was somehow the coaches plan.

 

[hockeyes]

Matthews said himself they didnt do a good enough job.

And I dont know how anyone could watch Jake last night and conclude him passing it to the other team repeatedly was somehow the coaches plan.

When all 3 forwards are up ice with no passing lanes, where are the D supposed to pass too? It absolutely is a Babcock/system issue, Gardiner has his warts but it's not as if he is the only defenceman struggling to find options on the breakout.

 

[ottomaddox]

It's a long life and the leafs could go through 1 coach and then 1 GM before they reach their potential.

To use the same D (perhaps the only difference is Oz) for another go and expect different results will be their undoing.

Gardiner made a great play in OT to set up the OT goal, but we know what he's capable of in the offensive zone. How's he doing in the defensive zone? Has he improved at all? People say that "defense can be taught." No. I don't agree at all. You either have the knack and will to play it or you don't.

When can we expect change? In 2021 when Babs is no longer the coach and Dubas is on the hot seat?

 

[luvdahattymatty]

Gramps here. The boys are running the same breakout they practiced the entire camp. The triangle pass plays between 2D and centre with give and gos until someone opens up for the stretch to a high side winger for the deflect into other teams end and the change. Nothing changed on breakout all camp long every single day it was worked on. It is Babs patented play. The man loves it to death and really believes it always works. Again it did work with a top end defenceman sure but with Leaf core I'm afraid it never will until the personnel change or Babs is out.

That said Hainsey has been terrible all camp long, in the preseason and now to start year. He is really impacting Rielly badly with the eye test and as you can see the numbers also look terrible too. The passes from Hainsey are slower and slower and he is not even coming close to hitting the stick so it is forcing Rielly completely out of sync virtually every time he gets the puck. And that is Rielly's strong suit. So it really hurts him a lot. He was never a good checking defenceman and now he is being forced to do more of that then was needs to which doubles up his bad play.

And then there is Gards as a few have mentioned with his classic 3 give aways a game one for each period. When he is not giving it away he is our best defence but his solid play gets crushed after his give aways.

Now Dermott was amazing our best dman in opener. But can he do it with more minutes and better players. I think babs will have no choice in this regard.

OZ and Z were ok. Nothing to write home about but steady and fine.

This is a bad situation for us to be in. I did not think Hainsey would fall off the cliff that fast but folks it has occurred. And if something is not done Rielly will be the casualty.

 

[great]

Yeah it's always been a system's problem, even in the Boston series game 7, blatently you could see that's what the problem was. This team is fast, and is able to carry the puck up, why the stretch passes? Maybe Babs is trying to teach them something, but in the Boston series game 7 the stretch pass spelled their doom.

 

[Battle Lin]

dermott looks like hes ready to be a top 4 D, and will be one fore sure, now its if he can be a 1st pairing guy and only time will tell

igor for his 1st nhl game, minus that dumb mistake and penalty, he looked more than solid