Depth

[shelf]

Last year our 8th top scoring forward had 12 points. Only 27 games into the season the 8th top scoring forward for the Leafs has 11 points.

Click to read more...

 

[Leafidelity]

4 lines of hockey players is a wonderful thing

 

[Kelly]

The reason we're still winning games.

 

[Maplebeasts]

4 lines of hockey players is a wonderful thing

Ya and not brutes that can't play hockey like Orr

 

[Banic]

I'm definitely happy with the 4 lines. I just wish we could have a guy who can play well and fight with the best of em.

 

[Primary Assist]

4 lines of hockey players is a wonderful thing

let alone 4 lines of guys who can play great hockey and actually score goals. Every line has a chance to be dangerous on a given night, and our depth on D is much better than last year too.

 

[ConnorTO]

depth 4/4

 

[snizzbone*]

I'm definitely happy with the 4 lines. I just wish we could have a guy who can play well and fight with the best of em.

theres a handful of guys in the league with that skillset.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

50 games left...let's see how this depth takes us there. We got ways to go folks.

 

[Tak7]

It's nice to see others chipping in with goals, that's for sure.

I was concerned as to how we would replace last year's "secondary scoring" - in particular Raymond's goals. But guys have plugged away and spread the scoring.

One thing worth noting - last year, if our top line wasn't going, we were done. This season, and in particular the last little while the Kessel line has looked awful and the team is still winning games.

Great signs

 

[Al14]

Rolling 4 lines, that can actually play a little hockey, spreads out the ice time. It gives everyone a little more bench rest between shifts, which allows for every player to work a little harder when they do see the ice.

 

[SprDaVE]

But... but... but... my fights

I'm not surprised the pro-goon fans have been eerie quiet lately.

 

[Mess]

The reason we're still winning games.

We are seeing the effects of the Shanahan era in Toronto moving away from testosterone, pugnacity & top 6 / bottom 6 formation in team building to one of speed and skill throughout the lineup.

Dubas with analytics is improving possession by the way the lines are constructed and hopefully Mark Hunter can begin to improves the scouting, drafting and developing and things are finally starting to take shape of a real hockey team.

 

[TheProspector]

Depth is what failed us last year. Our top 6 was good, and our bottom 6 was terrible.

Now our bottom 6 is one of the best in the league. The players playing on the 4th line are still not used very much despite the increased role to date, and that's actually great news, because it means they have more to give. They're very reliable - Booth has allowed a single goal against since coming back 6 games ago.

 

[Warden of the North]

Amazing that the media in this town pointed and laughed at these moves. "Wont help at all" they said. "Same old team".

 

[indigobuffalo]

Amazing that the media in this town pointed and laughed at these moves. "Wont help at all" they said. "Same old team".

Wasn't just the media... unless they're all on here under various handles...

 

[ShaneFalco]

Nice to have depth this year but ideally it should come form the Marlies so that we're not looking at replacing 3rd and 4th line guys each year with one-year fill-ins..... that walk at the end of the year.

 

[All_blueandwhite]

I've been saying it for a while - the things that get you far in the playoffs (apart from the obvious defence) are goaltending and depth.

We seem to have 2 of the 3, so if we can tighten up at the back...

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Love the depth on this team......with Leo and Polak back this team has a good chance to make some noise..