GDT: Leafs@Blues 8PM SNO

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PromisedLand

I need more FOOD
Dec 3, 2016
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All streaks come to an end.

Lets hope the Blues take the Leafs lightly.

Mitch should have a big game tonight. He should be over his contract dispute hangover and focused on just playing again.

Unlikely

reasons:
  • Leafs beat blues the last time they played this season
  • Blues are holding onto the playoff spot by a thread (western conference is just way too close to call)
  • Leafs aren't bottom dwellers anymore; and teams usually show up to play against them
  • Blues are on a hot streak and feeling good about themselves
 

HamiltonNHL

Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
Jan 4, 2012
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Hope Bozak plays well. I bet he owns Matthews on the draw
 

DarkKnight

Professional Amateur
Jan 17, 2017
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And let's keep Nylander on the third line for reasons....
Bro, there is one reason he's on Kadri's line. They've looked great together. Is there something you haven't liked about Nylander since he was put on with Kadri? You don't have to agree, but the reason is obvious, that line has been our best the last few games. Can't we at least acknowledge it isn't pure insanity?

Nylander will end up back with Matthews at some point. Has Auston not been scoring of late? Has Nylander not been producing of late? Is that really our problem right now?
 

DarkKnight

Professional Amateur
Jan 17, 2017
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I watched the whole STL/MIN game on Sunday and the Blues really impressed me of how structured they were defensively. Definitely an eye opener coming from what we used to see here in Toronto.
They're a slow team, they can't possibly compete any other way.
 

DarkKnight

Professional Amateur
Jan 17, 2017
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Not a shocker, but they had Pang on radio today and he said the book is out around the league on the Leafs. Dump the puck in down low, we will cough it up and play soft.
 
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Mr Hockey

Toronto
May 11, 2017
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Leafs always running into hot teams or their star players magically become healthy when the Leafs are in town
 

HamiltonNHL

Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
Jan 4, 2012
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Not a shocker, but they had Pang on radio today and he said the book is out around the league on the Leafs. Dump the puck in down low, we will cough it up and play soft.
The Boston method
 

ULF_55

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I'd LMAO if the blues strategy involves putting out bozak against matthews or tavares :laugh:

I'd guess:

ROR Vs Tavares
Schenn/Sundqvist Vs Matthews
Bozak Vs Kadri (finally all those threads are coming to fruition :laugh:)

One would think that except they're using Schenn on the wing?

BLUES GAME DAY LINES
Brayden Schenn Ryan O’Reilly Vladimir Tarasenko
Jaden Schwartz Tyler Bozak Robby Fabbri
Zach Sanford Oskar Sundqvist Patrick Maroon
MacKenzie MacEachern Ivan Barbashev R. Thomas/A. Steen

Bozak is 7th. for ES TOI/g for forwards, but Steen is out for family reasons, so that moves Bozak's ice time into top 6 for forwards.
 

Mr Hockey

Toronto
May 11, 2017
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Not a shocker, but they had Pang on radio today and he said the book is out around the league on the Leafs. Dump the puck in down low, we will cough it up and play soft.

HFBoard leaf fans say that's old school hockey (dump and chase) and it doesn't win in the modern game, so we should be good to go :thumbu:
 

MSZ

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Oct 5, 2014
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Unlikely

reasons:
  • Leafs beat blues the last time they played this season
  • Blues are holding onto the playoff spot by a thread (western conference is just way too close to call)
  • Leafs aren't bottom dwellers anymore; and teams usually show up to play against them
  • Blues are on a hot streak and feeling good about themselves

The Blues won the first meeting this season.
 

tom leafers

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Jan 25, 2017
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The Blues won the first meeting this season.

Beat me to it.

And if i remember correctly, that game was absolutely terrible. Toronto looked like crap and couldnt connect on passes 10 feet away from each other. we also didnt score until the last couple minutes. That was during 2 week stretch of terrible play though.
 
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Vaive50

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Dec 24, 2015
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I just looked it up, in their last 7 games they beat TB, then NSH twice back-to-back, then beat NJ 8-3 followed by 3 shutouts. I'd guess that's as hot as any team has been this year.

And before this winning streak of theirs, they were far out of the playoffs with one of the worst first-half seasons they have had in a long time. Yeah, they beat Tampa 1-0 in OT but we also beat Tampa in regulation 4-2. Hopefully the Leafs will bring their A game (there should never be an excuse not to but they always find one against the weak teams) and silence these Blues. The Leafs lost to the Blues when the Blues sucked, so lets see how they do against them when the Blues are playing as the best team in the league.
 

BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
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Beat me to it.

And if i remember correctly, that game was absolutely terrible. Toronto looked like crap and couldnt connect on passes 10 feet away from each other. we also didnt score until the last couple minutes. That was during 2 week stretch of terrible play though.

Yeah I was at that game and it was awful
 

ShaneFalco

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Jul 15, 2012
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Bro, there is one reason he's on Kadri's line. They've looked great together. Is there something you haven't liked about Nylander since he was put on with Kadri? You don't have to agree, but the reason is obvious, that line has been our best the last few games. Can't we at least acknowledge it isn't pure insanity?

Nylander will end up back with Matthews at some point. Has Auston not been scoring of late? Has Nylander not been producing of late? Is that really our problem right now?

He says stuff like this and then proceeds to keep PM on the top line.





Yes it's nice to get kadri going but it's our #1 line, and is that what we'll be going into the playoffs with?
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
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And before this winning streak of theirs, they were far out of the playoffs with one of the worst first-half seasons they have had in a long time. Yeah, they beat Tampa 1-0 in OT but we also beat Tampa in regulation 4-2. Hopefully the Leafs will bring their A game (there should never be an excuse not to but they always find one against the weak teams) and silence these Blues. The Leafs lost to the Blues when the Blues sucked, so lets see how they do against them when the Blues are playing as the best team in the league.

The first half of the season is a distant memory, STL is playing very well right now and that's what matters.
 

Kamiccolo

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Aug 30, 2011
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If the book is out teams arent following it very well considering were one of the top teams in the league

Ehhh not every team can play that method either. It seems the Leafs excel against "modern" built teams but struggle against any team with old school elements like Boston, the Wild, Blues, Red Wings, Islanders, etc etc. All games this year where that was the theme and the boys had no response.

That is why the playoffs are predictable. Babcock either is not willing to make changes to counter this or doesn't know how to counter it. If they face a team who tries to play with speed and skill they can beat anyone (which is why they look so good vs Tampa). However if they draw a team who can play that style of game, they will lose.

Difference between us and Tampa is they have pride and heart. Skill is the same but on that team all their stars play like Marner. On the Leafs, it's only JT and Marner most nights looking like they give a shit. Everyone else on the team is prone to nights off and that includes the 11+ million dollar Arizona man.
 

Nithoniniel

Registered User
Sep 7, 2012
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Skövde, Sweden
Dangling a carrot in front of Nylander is probably not the worst thing. Can't deny that the quote irks me a bit though. At least say that he needs to show he can keep it up or something, it would make a a lot more sense than saying that our best player over the last few weeks need to be much better, while being quiet about others that are not performing to their standard right now.

Ehhh not every team can play that method either. It seems the Leafs excel against "modern" built teams but struggle against any team with old school elements like Boston, the Wild, Blues, Red Wings, Islanders, etc etc. All games this year where that was the theme and the boys had no response.
That's a collection of teams with very different systems put in place.
 
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