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

[HockeyGuruPitka]

This game has high scoring written all over it

 

[SprDaVE]

Nah Carrick will score spurning an outrage around here

People lose their minds over a 35 year old backup goaltender... yeah, I'd expect that as well.

 

[zeke]

if carrick/polak look better on another team, that's either an indictment of Babcock's "system", or of leaf fans'/media's objectivity.

 

[Morbo]

“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.

"Okay Roman! who wants to blast it off the boards for an icing, me or you buddy???"

 

[moon111]

Either Polak or Carrick is guaranteed a goal.

Will be a fun game, I expect a win every night. feels good man

But will this goal be on the Leaf's net or their own?

 

[PuckMagi]

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

That's close to my son's bed time... might get to watch live tonight!

 

[leburn98]

Connor Carrick - Roman Polak​

 

[moon111]

if carrick/polak look better on another team, that's either an indictment of Babcock's "system", or of leaf fans'/media's objectivity.

Carrick's managed three secondary assists. Let's not start calling him Bobby Orr all of a sudden.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

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

Ennis is fine on the 4th line. It is still early, but 4th line minutes look appropriate for him right now. I'd argue he's been the Leafs' worst forward by a decent margin, even with Brown and Johnsson having less than inspiring starts. At least there have been bright spots with them. I have not really seen much out of Ennis at all, and considering he's on the shortest leash and was given Matthews to start (which he seemingly lost quite fast based on his play), I would say he has not done anything to earn more than a 4th line role. Gauthier or Holl (who does have experience on the RW) may even start to take him out of the lineup altogether if he does not start showing something.

You have got to give the Kadri line some time to gel. This is only the 4th game, and there are no plans for this line to change once Nylander comes back (unlike Ennis on Matthews' wing). The systems just need to tighten up to reduce mistakes, because that's what is killing us the most right now. If this coaching staff is worth half their money, that'll improve with time.

 

[zeke]

Carrick's managed three secondary assists. Let's not start calling him Bobby Orr all of a sudden.

I said "IF" !

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Ozhiganov will probably be in......

As much as I think it is far too soon to give up on Ozhiganov, Marincin had a pretty strong game in Chicago. I am surprised Babcock did not give him another game.

However here's hoping Ozhiganov can play well enough to earn more than 13 minutes tonight. They need to unload his cannon.

 

[ShaneFalco]

As much as I think it is far too soon to give up on Ozhiganov, Marincin had a pretty strong game in Chicago. I am surprised Babcock did not give him another game.

However here's hoping Ozhiganov can play well enough to earn more than 13 minutes tonight. They need to unload his cannon.

He needs to play like Hyman

 

[Pi]

Our first regulation win.

5-2 Leafs.

 

[Morbo]

As much as I think it is far too soon to give up on Ozhiganov, Marincin had a pretty strong game in Chicago. I am surprised Babcock did not give him another game.

However here's hoping Ozhiganov can play well enough to earn more than 13 minutes tonight. They need to unload his cannon.

I wouldn't worry about it, they scouted Ozhiganov all last season and have invested in getting him here. they like him a lot and he's going to play.

Not worried about the odd decent game from Marty Marooch blocking any of that.

 

[Mess]

Hopefully our Leafs can start playing some better hockey as right now they've been carried by our star centres Matthews & Tavares.

 

[X66]

Hopefully our Leafs can start playing some better hockey as right now they've been carried by our star centres Matthews & Tavares.

Need your goalies to make routine saves before you expect the team to play better.

 

[Not My Tempo]

I don’t know if this is a hot take or whatever, but it’s been shows that QoT impacts players around 5 times as much as QoC does. If we went with a top pair of Reilly - Dermott I honestly do think a lot of our defensive issues would be solved. Dermott’s game would suffer a little by the increase competition, but the increase in the quality of his partner would more than compensate for it. Same goes for Rielly. By most metrics right now Dermott is a second pairing guy, but maybe playing Rielly could evalate him to top?

 

[Advanced stats]

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.

He wax the best fantasy goalie last year in most leagues

 

[Zybalto]

Hoping Anderson has a bounce back game after handing the Sens those points last time.

Dallas has been outplayed through their first two games but Bishop has been a rock back there.

Will he be able to stop the leagues best offense so far?

 

[Nithoniniel]

I don’t know if this is a hot take or whatever, but it’s been shows that QoT impacts players around 5 times as much as QoC does. If we went with a top pair of Reilly - Dermott I honestly do think a lot of our defensive issues would be solved. Dermott’s game would suffer a little by the increase competition, but the increase in the quality of his partner would more than compensate for it. Same goes for Rielly. By most metrics right now Dermott is a second pairing guy, but maybe playing Rielly could evalate him to top?

Yeah. QoC might mean more on a per minute-basis, but you simply spend so much more time on the ice with your partner compared to the different levels of opposition. Playing 20 minutes per game with Rielly weighs more than getting 10 minutes against comparable talents on the other side.

Dermott is said to be almost as good on the right side. I would most definitely have him up there over Hainsey. I would also rather go with Gardiner - Rielly as top pairing over what we do now.

 

[TheLeafsBro]

I think Andersen is going to have to win us this game. Either that, or we win another shootout.

 

[HatchtrickBateman]

Dallas has been outplayed through their first two games but Bishop has been a rock back there.

Lol wut.

 

[Not My Tempo]

Yeah. QoC might mean more on a per minute-basis, but you simply spend so much more time on the ice with your partner compared to the different levels of opposition. Playing 20 minutes per game with Rielly weighs more than getting 10 minutes against comparable talents on the other side.

Dermott is said to be almost as good on the right side. I would most definitely have him up there over Hainsey. I would also rather go with Gardiner - Rielly as top pairing over what we do now.

Yea, my problem with Hainsey and Rielly is a lot of plays just end up dead due to Hainsey, because he just isn’t as talented as everyone else he plays with. There was a good article in the Athletic last week that showed him having the puck at the point with Marner to his right and Rielly to his left and a defending coming to pressure him from the slot. Instead of passing it to either Marner or Rielly, he made the safe play and just dumped it into the corner, but with Hyman and Tavares both battling in front of the net neither of them could get to it in time. He had the option of passing it, to either Marner or Rielly or shooting it and hoping for a tip from Tavares or Hyman but he just didn’t have the awareness to make either of those plays under pressure, which isn’t his fault, he’s just not that kind of player. Someone like Dermott could have done either of those two options.

 

[ottomaddox]

"Okay Roman! who wants to blast it off the boards for an icing, me or you buddy???"

Sadly you have to have pressure on Polak to cough the puck up like that.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Sadly you have to have pressure on Polak to cough the puck up like that.

no you really don't