GDT: Game #4 | LEAFS @ STARS | Tues, Oct 9, 2018 @ 8:30 PM EST | TSN4

[deletethis]

It doesn't take Polak and/or Carrick having great games to come to the conclusion that Dubas has mucked up the defense. Polak and Carrick aren't missing ingredients to a great team, they're just a little better than who replaced them.

 

[Nineteen67]

You’d think this would be a certain loss ......but maybe they’ll be determined and play a solid game.

 

[Budsfan]

GAME DAY: Maple Leafs at Stars
Lance HornbyMore from Lance Hornby

Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.
American Airlines Arena
TV: TSN RADIO: Sportsnet 590
THE BIG MATCH-UP
Leafs C John Tavares vs. Stars C Tyler Seguin
A pair of 91s from the Greater Toronto Area go at it, Tavares coming off a hat trick, while Seguin is finding his scoring touch early as well. The No. 1 Dallas line of Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn seem to be hitting it off with new coach Jim Montgomery and having four games at home to launch the season has helped.
KEYS TO THE GAME
HEY, AREN’T YOU … ?
Not only are ex-Leaf defencemen Connor Carrick and Roman Polak now in green, they’re both playing together as the third pairing.
“In terms of predictability, it helps me, playing and talking to Roman,” said Carrick, who was only aboard for two practices before the season began where Polak was a Day One camper. “Our (entire) defence do a good job reloading, gapping up, to give our (forwards) open space to get cooking.”
KEEP THE POWER ON
Dallas had manufactured three power play goals on seven chances, two by big man Benn. The Leafs, who are more of an artistic lot, have a man advantage goal in every game, so it will be a case of who behaves better.
FREDDY’S BACK
After Garret Sparks had a start on Sunday – and not playing much against Dallas last season – a rested Frederik Andersen is back in Toronto’s goal. His career save percentage in five games versus the Stars is below .500.
KAP SPACE
The Leafs are expected to keep Kasperi Kapanen on Auston Matthews’s right side after an early switch in Chicago. That will give Toronto’s attack some speed and bite, though the Stars have last line change.
HOLD THE FORT
The Stars have allowed one goal in two games, while the Leafs have been a leaky boat at times and given up 13 in three starts. Toronto’s unforced errors don’t help, but 29 shot blocks in Chicago partially atoned for the slip-ups in their end.
STARS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Jamie Benn Tyler Seguin Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark Jason Spezza Blake Comeau
Devin Shore Radek Faksa Tyler Pitlick
Jason Dickinson Roope Hintz Brett Ritchie
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Esa Lindell John Klingberg
Marc Methot Miro Heiskanen
Connor Carrick Roman Polak
GOALIES
Ben Bishop
Anton Khudobin
SICK BAY
Martin Hanzal (back)
Valeri Nichushkin (lower body)
MAPLE LEAFS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Zach Hyman John Tavares Mitch Marner
Patrick Marleau Auston Matthews Kasperi Kapanen
Josh Leivo Nazem Kadri Connor Brown
Andreas Johnsson Par Lindholm Tyler Ennis
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Morgan Rielly Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott Igor Ozhiganov
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen
Garret Sparks
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY
Toronto 42.9% (T-2nd)
Dallas 42.9% (T-2nd)
PENALTY KILL
Dallas 100% (T-1st)
Toronto 88.9% (10th)

 

[Burnie97]

Well one thing forsure in tonight's game. Leafs should have less icings than Dallas tonight.

 

[Stevie28]

Wouldn’t mind having brown on the fourth line and Ennis with Leivo and Kadri, to kickstart some offence there.
Fourth line can become checking line with Aj, Linhold and Brown.

That is hoping Ennis can create something similar to the preseason

 

[Warden of the North]

Seguin goal assisted by Carrick and Polak incoming. You know it

 

[Koolboss]

Expecting a big game from Brown and Lievo. Oh wait never mind

 

[Nineteen67]

Why does Dallas start the game at 7:30 on a week night?

 

[Budsfan]

 

[oconnor9sean]

Montgomery hinted the Nichushkin is finally healthy and will slot in this first game somewhere on the fourth line (as to not mess with the top-3 lines that have been clicking well). Im guessing Dickinson will come out but it could also be Ritchie.

As for Polak/Carrick, we're very much in on Carrick, he's been good so far. Obviously only two games, but so far so good. Polak is not the "deity" that he was alluded to earlier in this thread. No one wants him in and as soon as Stephen Johns is healthy he's out the door and we're rolling:

Lindell-Klingberg
Heiskanen-Johns
Methot-Carrick/Honka

I'm excited for this game. The Stars have looked great so far, and Jim Montgomery's system fits our personnel perfectly. Ken Hitchcock's Stars are very much gone.

Why does Dallas start the game at 7:30 on a week night?

Not sure why the status quo is what it is, but it's been 7:30 pm on weekdays and 7:00 pm on weekends for as long as I can remember. I'm guessing it's because Dallas-Fort Worth is so, so spread out, and a ton of people work in the suburbs, so they want to give people 30 extra minutes after work? IDK

 

[ShaneFalco]

8:30!?!? Damn getting close to my bed-time

 

[Warden of the North]

It doesn't take Polak and/or Carrick having great games to come to the conclusion that Dubas has mucked up the defense. Polak and Carrick aren't missing ingredients to a great team, they're just a little better than who replaced them.

I dont think theyre any better, theyll just play a part tonight because "storylines"

 

[Nineteen67]

The Stars have a pretty physical team. Wouldnt mind putting in Gauthier for Johnsson.

Johnsson has been garbage since pre-season. Can't hurt to give a big man like Gauthier a game or two, especially against a team like Dallas

Ozhiganov will probably be in......

 

[serp]

Montgomery hinted the Nichushkin is finally healthy and will slot in this first game somewhere on the fourth line (as to not mess with the top-3 lines that have been clicking well). Im guessing Dickinson will come out but it could also be Ritchie.

As for Polak/Carrick, we're very much in on Carrick, he's been good so far. Obviously only two games, but so far so good. Polak is not the "deity" that he was alluded to earlier in this thread. No one wants him in and as soon as Stephen Johns is healthy he's out the door and we're rolling:

Lindell-Klingberg
Heiskanen-Johns
Methot-Carrick/Honka

I'm excited for this game. The Stars have looked great so far, and Jim Montgomery's system fits our personnel perfectly. Ken Hitchcock's Stars are very much gone.



Not sure why the status quo is what it is, but it's been 7:30 pm on weekdays and 7:00 pm on weekends for as long as I can remember. I'm guessing it's because Dallas-Fort Worth is so, so spread out, and a ton of people work in the suburbs, so they want to give people 30 extra minutes after work? IDK

I mean my thinking is since it looks like Roman Polak is going to play no matter what for now i might as well worship him as my lord and savior . Slow as hell but he is physical and in limited minutes you might be able to mitigate his problems with speed . He's also kinda hilarious.

 

[ULF_55]

I think we give the new guy as many games as Carrick got before we decide whether he's good enough.

Draft shmaaft ... Leafs defense.

 

[Mess]

I hope we see a lot of the Connor Carrick -- Roman Polak pairing and really looking forward to whichever Leaf forward line is going against them.

 

[wmark]

The revenge of Connor Carrick.

 

[deletethis]

A right side defender playing the left side (Carrick or Polak?) sounds like something that can be exploited especially by ex-teammates.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

8:30!?!? Damn getting close to my bed-time

I know right, by 9:00pm my eyes are already rolling at the back of my head.

 

[CanadasTeam]

Johnsson has been garbage since pre-season. Can't hurt to give a big man like Gauthier a game or two, especially against a team like Dallas

Kinda hard to get him going or establish some kind of a rhythm if he's sitting -- he'll figure it out and can only imagine what it'd be like once he does.

 

[ShaneFalco]

The revenge of Connor Carrick.

Or we make him look silly and outclassed

 

[BertCorbeau]

Nah Carrick will score spurning an outrage around here

 

[inthe6ix]

This is going to be a 10-9 game!

Never thought I'd say it, but I'm glad I don't have Freddy on my fantasy team this year.

 

[X66]

I'd like the first goal in the game for a change.

 

[leburn98]

Nah Carrick will score spurning an outrage around here

The Leafs could win 10-1 and fans here would complain that Carrick got the Stars only goal.