Post-Game Talk: Leafs defeat Sabres 5-3

[Leaftors]

Fun Fact;

Jake Gardiner played 16 mins last night and muzzin played 20.. I wonder if this will continue being a trend post tdl and into the playoffs.

 

[ToneDog]

Fun Fact;

Jake Gardiner played 16 mins last night and muzzin played 20.. I wonder if this will continue being a trend post tdl and into the playoffs.

Only a fool does not play his best dmen the most minutes in the playoffs.

Like O'Dog said last night, you want the big bucks, now go out and show it in the playoffs. Matthews, Tavares, Marner,. Nylander, Kadri, Kappy, AJ, Hyman need to play the most minutes. Unless Marleau and Brown play heavy, they should be playing limited minutes. Rielly, Muzzin, Gardiner and Dermott should be playing more than Hainsey and Zaitsev. Let's hope Sparks does not have to be called upon.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

I wonder how our lines will shape up for the playoffs.

I would still do:

Johnsson Matthews Nylander
Hyman Tavares Marner
Marleau Kadri Kapanen
Moore Gauthier Brown
Ennis/Petan

Rielly Hainsey
Muzzin Dermott
Gardiner Zaitsev

 

[Duffman955]

That's not a hot take. Marleau is among the worst wingers in the NHL and AHL, combined.

Your knowledge of the game is impeccable.

By the way, when did elementary school kids start making HF accounts?

 

[Sweet Leaf]

Hot take but Gauthier has better wingers than Nylander. Sucks for Willy.

Nylander is being paid 7M. At that rate he should be able to drive possession against the other teams third line and 5th/6th defencemen if he has Groucho and Harpo Marx on his wings.

That line was mostly matched against Slobotka, O'Regan, and Thompson. They should bury those guys.

 

[Discoverer]

I wonder how our lines will shape up for the playoffs.

I would still do:

Johnsson Matthews Nylander
Hyman Tavares Marner
Marleau Kadri Nylander
Moore Gauthier Brown
Ennis/Petan

Rielly Hainsey
Muzzin Dermott
Gardiner Zaitsev

I don't think they have the cap space to add another Nylander.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Going by this, wouldn`t you also have to say that every other winger has a better centre than Marleau and Brown? Sucks for Brown and Marleau.

It's a brilliant analysis, based on one game. I'm sure I could find a single game where Gretzky's stats show he was the worst centre on the team.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I really don't care what Babcock has done for us so far, you only get so many chances to win and you can't afford to waste any of them. He has the clout, the resume, the contract and so on, it's time for him to produce. If last night was a preview of how our Dmen are going to be used then we're in trouble. Playing Hainsey almost 6 minutes more than Gardiner is a joke IMHO.

This exactly!

 

[kb]

Can someone please make a gif of Dahlin flopping and flailing on the ice as he loses the puck on the powerplay and Kapenen charges away to score the short-handed goal?



I need to post it every time a Buffalo fan refers to him as "Generational".

Or you could be all class and congratulate them for drafting the second-best Rasmus in that draft.

 

[kb]

I've always said he's a top 3 goalscorer and top 5-10 centre in the league. A franchise player without question but far from a generational one.

He still isn't a point per game player, hasn't been nominated for any major trophies outside the Calder, has had injury and consistency issues and has mediocre playoff numbers (albeit a limited sample size).

He got a generational contract, he's not a generational player. We made him the second highest paid player in the league for 1 UFA year.

Pretty bad especially when you compare it to the Eichel, McDavid and even Tavares contracts.

If he can become a playoff beast, perennial 100 point/50 goal centre, put his injury issues behind him and is regularly in contention for the big individual awards then we can say the deal isn't too bad.

I'm not going to loose too much sleep over it either way. Paying your big guns more isn't what cripples your team. Marleau/Zaitsev type contracts do.

That's some mind meld stuff right there. He was a point per game last year, and is well over a point per game this year, and trending up.

 

[razkaz]

I watch games every night and I do not think the refs or the NHL have a vendetta against the Leafs. Do they miss some? Sure, but it evens out over the course of the game and season. They can’t make up penalties just to give the Leafs a PP.

I think the issue is when you look at the teams the Leafs play and the numbers of PIM/G and oPIM/G they have and how that number shrinks to lower than season average when playing Toronto. Just look at these numbers from the past 5 games:

BUF- (season avg) 7 PIM/G, 8 oPIM/G actual game TOR 10 PIM/G, BUF 2 PIM/G
MON-(season avg) 9 PIM/G, 8.7 oPIM/G actual game TOR 8 PIM/G, MON 4 PIM/G
WSH-(season avg) 9.5 PIM/G, 9 oPIM/G actual game TOR 8 PIM/G, WSH 6 PIM/G
STL-(season avg) 8.3 PIM/G, 8.5 oPIM/G actual game TOR 6 PIM/G, 0 PIM/G
ARI- (season avg) 7.5 PIM/G, 8.3 oPIM/G actual game TOR 2PIM/G, 8 PIM/G

In 3 out 5 games, the opponents PIM/G is less than half their season avg.

 

[1specter]

Agree 100% especially with building vs renting.
I don't see how we can ever blame a GM for not making a deal, deals are hard to make and if the best possible deals out there were bad for us then he did the right thing by not making them.

That said, I was really hoping something would happen, specifically bringing in a RHD. As it is, our D is basically a clusterf..k, the whole seems to be so much weaker than the sum of it's parts and this is to me by far my biggest concern about this team heading into the playoffs.

I really don't care what Babcock has done for us so far, you only get so many chances to win and you can't afford to waste any of them. He has the clout, the resume, the contract and so on, it's time for him to produce. If last night was a preview of how our Dmen are going to be used then we're in trouble. Playing Hainsey almost 6 minutes more than Gardiner is a joke IMHO.

But there were 5 penalties in the game, at 5v5 Jake played more than Ron. If we had 5 PPs and 1 PK, Jake would've played more.

I agree with what you're saying in theory, but it's because of PK this is happening. Though that being said, it angers me what Hainsey is still with Rielly, THAT is unacceptable.

 

[ShaneFalco]

If Tavares and Matthews carry on their current pace and play out the season healthy, both will break 40.

Malkin and Crosby have posted 30+ together in the same season a few times, but never 40+. They were on pace to break 40+ apiece in 2016-17, but Malkin only played 62 games due to injury (of course, they won the Cup that season). The same goes for 2007-08, but Crosby got injured (they made the Cup Finals that season).
Last season, there were 14 teams with one 30+ goal center. The Leafs — with Nazem Kadri and Matthews — were the only team with two. Eight teams didn’t have a 30-goal scorer, period.
I could be wrong here, but I believe you have to go back to Sundin-Sakic on the ’93 Nordiques and then Gretzky-Nicholls on the ’89 Kings to find the last instances of two 40+ goal centers on the same team.
We’re witnessing something truly special here and it’s not to be taken for granted

Game #62 Review: Toronto Maple Leafs 5 vs. Buffalo Sabres 3 | Maple Leafs Hotstove

 

[Rogue]

I think if Merry, Frodo and Pippin got together and had a baby, Ennis would be born.

Can you imagine a tag team of Ennis on the back of the GOAT fighting against John Scott?

 

[Nineteen67]

I think the issue is when you look at the teams the Leafs play and the numbers of PIM/G and oPIM/G they have and how that number shrinks to lower than season average when playing Toronto. Just look at these numbers from the past 5 games:

BUF- (season avg) 7 PIM/G, 8 oPIM/G actual game TOR 10 PIM/G, BUF 2 PIM/G
MON-(season avg) 9 PIM/G, 8.7 oPIM/G actual game TOR 8 PIM/G, MON 4 PIM/G
WSH-(season avg) 9.5 PIM/G, 9 oPIM/G actual game TOR 8 PIM/G, WSH 6 PIM/G
STL-(season avg) 8.3 PIM/G, 8.5 oPIM/G actual game TOR 6 PIM/G, 0 PIM/G
ARI- (season avg) 7.5 PIM/G, 8.3 oPIM/G actual game TOR 2PIM/G, 8 PIM/G

In 3 out 5 games, the opponents PIM/G is less than half their season avg.

That is another concern for the Leafs. They have to find a way to get to those tough areas and draw penalties if they want success in the playoffs

 

[ShaneFalco]

same article

“There are two parts. Zach Hyman — we’d like to have one on each line, but they just don’t make them like that. I think Little John has come a long way in that area. We need Kappy to do more of that. But we have a lot of guys. Willy can really cycle the puck and he has to commit to doing it. Matthews is way more physical on offense than he used to be. That is important as well. We just need to continue to grow that throughout the group.
Moore, for the size of him, has got a heavy keister and hangs onto the puck pretty good there. We need more of that.”
– Mike Babcock on heaviness

LOL

 

[RLF]

It's a brilliant analysis, based on one game. I'm sure I could find a single game where Gretzky's stats show he was the worst centre on the team.

Not sure if that is at me or original post. You know I was just kidding, right?

 

[razkaz]

That is another concern for the Leafs. They have to find a way to get to those tough areas and draw penalties if they want success in the playoffs

I think not getting any calls in their favour does a better job of preparing them for the playoffs where the refs put away the whistles.

 

[Gary Nylund]

But there were 5 penalties in the game, at 5v5 Jake played more than Ron. If we had 5 PPs and 1 PK, Jake would've played more.

I agree with what you're saying in theory, but it's because of PK this is happening.

Fair point. I just had a quick peek at the minutes and didn't think it through so I guess it was a bit of a hot take. It still pisses me off though.

Though that being said, it angers me what Hainsey is still with Rielly, THAT is unacceptable.

Agreed.

 

[Trapper]

same article

“There are two parts. Zach Hyman — we’d like to have one on each line, but they just don’t make them like that. I think Little John has come a long way in that area. We need Kappy to do more of that. But we have a lot of guys. Willy can really cycle the puck and he has to commit to doing it. Matthews is way more physical on offense than he used to be. That is important as well. We just need to continue to grow that throughout the group.
Moore, for the size of him, has got a heavy keister and hangs onto the puck pretty good there. We need more of that.”
– Mike Babcock on heaviness

LOL

We’ve been saying that since the beginning.
Maybe not in those words, but similar.

So bottom line the guys we have either need to play that way or we need to find them.

At some point Marleau and Brown out are the perfect opportunities to add more heavy.

 

[ToneDog]

Marner, the penalty killer is looking more dangerous than Marner, the PP QB. Perhaps Babs should replace Marner with Nylander on the PP1 as this allows Marner to be fresher for the PK?

 

[Nithoniniel]

But there were 5 penalties in the game, at 5v5 Jake played more than Ron. If we had 5 PPs and 1 PK, Jake would've played more.

I agree with what you're saying in theory, but it's because of PK this is happening. Though that being said, it angers me what Hainsey is still with Rielly, THAT is unacceptable.

Yeah that is the main problem, but there are other ways you can make sure to optimize TOI distribution. If we have our second PK in a short while, why not go more than one shift where we top the lineup a bit? If there's a lot of PKs, the extra time a Hainsey plays should be derived in part from the mount of time Hainsey spends at ES. That doesn't happen, instead those minutes of ice time is taken from better players.

 

[WilliamNylander]

I watch games every night and I do not think the refs or the NHL have a vendetta against the Leafs. Do they miss some? Sure, but it evens out over the course of the game and season. They can’t make up penalties just to give the Leafs a PP.

Leafs are last place in powerplays two years in a row and are about to set an all time nhl record.

If you think that’s normal, I have nothing else to say.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Marner, the penalty killer is looking more dangerous than Marner, the PP QB. Perhaps Babs should replace Marner with Nylander on the PP1 as this allows Marner to be fresher for the PK?

Even if it just changes the look of the PP for a while. Keep teams guessing.

I wouldn't mind having Muzzin out there too, if he gets shots off they are cannons.

 

[WilliamNylander]

Fun Fact;

Jake Gardiner played 16 mins last night and muzzin played 20.. I wonder if this will continue being a trend post tdl and into the playoffs.

I think muzzin dermott will be our top pair come playoff time