Sportsnet: 3 ways the Maple Leafs can fix their faulty penalty kill

[LeafsNation75]

3 ways the Maple Leafs can fix their faulty penalty kill - Sportsnet.ca

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[Papi 4 Hart]

We are thin on PK talent. Skill heavy line up and a coach who doesn't want to play our 2 best shut down centers Tavares and Kadri on the pk.

We need to bring in some forwards who can pk. Maybe promote moore. Don't see much pk talent from marlies either.

 

[Cor]

Have a center play center on the penalty kill

 

[jaric1862]

I think the big things are adding one more capable Dman who can kill (like a Braun,Larsson type), and having a Center on each Penalty killing unit (or atleast one, i have no idea why Kadri isn't killing). Also need to try out more people on the penalty kill, as i know a lot of the guys promoted have killed penalties in the minors (like Johnsson and Moore)

 

[Fogelhund]

Looking back over time, Kadri has never played the PK. No idea why that is, but since he's played in the NHL, he's never been given PK time.

Tavares was used for his last two season with NYI on the PK. His first season, he was decent, though used in a secondary fashion. The second season below par (11.5 GA/60), used in a secondary fashion. There were seven guys on the team, who had more PK/60 than Tavares, that had a better GA/60 in 17/18 on the Islanders.

Every player on the Leafs, who played a role on the PK last year, had a better GA/60 on the PK, than Tavares had in 17/18.... maybe there is something to that?

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Pressure the D instead of having 4 guys stand in a line. Also like others have said, have a center play center. Kadri or Tavares, then lead with the Matthews line after the PK.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

We need to find replacements for guys like Hainsey. Muzzin, Zaitsev and Rielly should be three main guys. Maybe Dermott, Rosen, Borgman or Liljegren get a chance as well.

At forward, use Gauthier, Mikheyev, Kapanen, Hyman. Plus Tavares, Moore, Brown and Marner are options as well.

 

[Buds17]

IIRC, last season's main PKers didn't have a regular centre amongst them either (Hyman, Komarov, Brown, Kapanen). The article did note that Komarov excelled at draws though. I was surprised that Tavares wasn't utilized more in that situation given his previous experience with NYI. Going to need both coaching and player personnel to step up going into next season. Perhaps steps have been - and will continue to be - taken to feature a new, and hopefully improved, look there. Worst case scenario is conceding a goal, so an effective PK would be great and important to have. Limiting opportunities should also prove helpful.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Fire DJ Smith

Leafs have the worst PK the last three years of playoffs.

It's not even close to the next worst team.

 

[unitedstars87]

Here’s an idea. Try playing better players on the PK with Marner.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Have a center play center on the penalty kill

Would you suggest either Matthews, Tavares or Kadri take that responsibility?

 

[Jeypic]

Really looking forward to the bruins winning the cup and everybody realizing our team isn’t completely broken like the media is trying to make out, and how close we actually were to being the Stanley cup champs.

 

[Cor]

Would you suggest either Matthews, Tavares or Kadri take that responsibility?

Kadri and Tavares both could.

Heck, even Marleau who has a good track record with face offs.

Or let’s get a 4th line Center that we can trust on the PK

 

[IPS]

Really looking forward to the bruins winning the cup and everybody realizing our team isn’t completely broken like the media is trying to make out, and how close we actually were to being the Stanley cup champs.

No closer than we were in 2013.

 

[LeafsNation75]

No closer than we were in 2013.

Yet in 2013 other Leafs fans said if they played an 82 game schedule Toronto would have most likely not even made the playoffs.

Personally speaking losing to Boston this year hurts more than 2013 and 2018 because they were up 3-2 going into Game 6 and had scored first to take a 1-0 lead.

 

[Brobust]

Use skilled forwards. Go to Natural Stat Trick and look at the players who have good underlying PK numbers. It's skilled players. Jaden Schwartz, Timo Meier, Teuvo Teravainen etc. They're great time wasters. We've seen that with Mitch Marner.

Do this and nothing else and the PK looks better next year. I'm not saying go all skill. Marner-Hyman, and Matthews-Brown or something like that would work well.

 

[Big Cactus]

4. Don’t let in goals

I’ll be submitting my resume to MLSE. Look for me on the bench opening day boys.

 

[diceman934]

Our D pairing is the worse pk because neither get to pucks fast enough to make puck battles. Our Forwards were not the issue. Better skaters on the D pairing would have seen us have a better pk.

 

[tmlms13]

Have a center play center on the penalty kill

This, win the opening faceoff basically kills a quarter of PP. Hyman and Brown might as well just hand the puck to the other team

 

[thewave]

Our D pairing is the worse pk because neither get to pucks fast enough to make puck battles. Our Forwards were not the issue. Better skaters on the D pairing would have seen us have a better pk.

I find them way to passive generally speaking. Teams just set up and pass freely around the perimeter until someone slips up and they are awarded a scoring chance. It was like that most of the season and no corrections were made. I do believe that's Smith's baby.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

This, win the opening faceoff basically kills a quarter of PP. Hyman and Brown might as well just hand the puck to the other team

Leafs were 4th in the league on PK FO%.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Would you suggest either Matthews, Tavares or Kadri take that responsibility?

If Matthews was given PK time everyone would shut up about his ice time, ironically.

 

[LeafsNation75]

If Matthews was given PK time everyone would shut up about his ice time, ironically.

Knowing Babcock he would just have Matthews out to win the faceoff and once the puck gets cleared he would get Matthews off the ice, so he replaces him with Hyman.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Knowing Babcock he would just have Matthews out to win the faceoff and once the puck gets cleared he would get Matthews off the ice, so he replace him with Hyman.

I’m ok with that but would rather Matthews get more 5v5 time and just leave him off the PK.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I’m ok with that but would rather Matthews get more 5v5 time and just leave him off the PK.

I was trying to make a joke that if Babcock did something like that it could be his way of saying he played Matthews on the PK.