GDT: Leafs@NYRangers 7 PM SN

[ToneDog]

Found someone more stubborn than even Babcock. Lemme caption that conversation:

Hiller - If we keep putting two guys in the slot and ask them to stand still then eventually it'll go in....off their ass!

As Babs said in an interview last week, if the fans are talking about it (not the PP specifically) you can bet that he is talking about it a lot more.

 

[ToneDog]

If you must shake up the defense..

Rielly - muzzin
Gardiner - Hainsey
Dermott - Zaitsev/Oz

We gave up a lot of shots last night but take away the two bad goals and Leafs win easy. As Randy would say, the Defence was OK last night, even with Rielly playing one of his poorer games.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[Suntouchable13]

Sparks was good last game. Kadri had to bail him out one time, but he was good.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Georgiev starting for New York.

I'm sure both fanbases want the same result here. Biggest concern is that they're rested and we played OT last night.

The game is on NBCSN so it's a "national" broadcast in the States.

 

[Havoc]

I'm expecting 5 in a row tonight.

Half the team took the night off last night so fatigue shouldn't be an issue.

Need big games from Matthews and Kadri.

 

[Vaive50]

Leafs have to be careful and not take the Rags lightly, even though the Rags are a bottom feeder, but they beat the Bruins twice recently and pushed Tampa to a 3-2 Tampa victory after being down 3-0.

 

[The Podium]

It's starting to frustate Babcock as well.



Something has to happen.

The biggest issue right now is the lack of threat from the point. If you watch teams PK against us, all 4 killers are collapsing low blocking any lateral puck movement in tight. Both Rielly and Marner are given time and space at the point but have no options other than passing to each other or along the boards to their respective wingers.

Since the Muzzin trade the 2nd unit has been more successful since he provides another option there.

IMO the easy solution is Kadri off and Muzzin on the 1st unit. Run:

Matthews - Tavares - Marner
Rielly - Muzzin

 

[AreBe]

Fun fact: Only 7 teams have 2 goaltenders with a better SV% than Sparks who have played at least as many games:

Bos,Pit,Nsh,Dal, Phi, Nyi, Wpg.

11 teams don't even have a guy with a SV% higher than Sparks. So in a year where SV% is down, Sparka is having a good year and Freddy is a god.

So we do have one of the better backups in the league. Hopefully he can play well today and we'll start this roadtrip really well.

Idiot Leafs Nation fools would like to be rid of award winning Sparks who has lots of upside, paid a pittance in a salary cap era, and replace him with a more expensive veteran player

This win now thinking and trading away kids has never ever worked out, strategy that include losing players like Sparks is the the road to hell

You need as many young players who will do the work for the least pay as you possibly can so that you can in turn have as many fat- cats max money 10$ mill a year players as possible and be salary cap slayers

But idiot Leafs Nation unashamedly hate analytics and would be rid of Kappanen and Nylander for toughness and are not capable of seeing the war not just on reason but the causes of reason they are waging, and teaching Leafs Nation that they should get up every morning and thank their god that the Leafs have a stats geek as a GM, but distressingly, this is a hard sell

We need to keep Sparks, and we are right to play him on a back- to - back, and we need to strongly disagree with the anti- analytics, penalty box sitter loving , post - concussion - syndrome - liability denying logic naysayers!

 

[CincoHolio]

To me, the best all three looked this year was when Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen were together.

Throw Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander together and kick Brown to the 4th for a bit.

Unfortunately, in Babs post-game presser last night, when asked about the Matthews line, he said something to the effect of 'we think that line can be a real dominant line moving forward'. So you know the lines won't be changed for quite a while, barring a prolonged losing streak or a major demoralizing loss.

I'm the furthest thing from a Babs detractor or a Nylander lover, but in this instance I simply do not agree with the coach. IMHO, wingers from lines 2 + 3 need to be swapped at a minimum (with Johnsson also moving up to Auston's line being ideal).

 

[LeafChief]

Nylander is flying.

Time to reunite him with Matthews. Lets go.

 

[Matthews4Calder]

I must have been watching a different game or my definition of fine and yours differ. Their best players were not close to being their best players. The team as a whole was sloppy and the PP was non-existent. They cannot rely on their skill alone.

I agree with you completely. Matthews, Kadri and Marner other than the assist on the overtime winner were all brutal.
PP boggles my mind and I honestly wonder what you pay coaches for.

This is how I see it and coaching is to blame.
Switch Babcock and Julien and Leafs would be at least 10 points ahead of the Habs not 1.

I hate the Habs but the two teams.
Montreal 50% talent 100% compete.
Leafs 100% talent 50% compete.

Can have all the talent in the world and yes it will bail you out some nights as it did last night but if the compete level isn't there most shifts and most nights players should be sat or traded.

Coaches job to get the most out of his players and quite honestly even with the record they have this team is not playing to their capability.

 

[DarkKnight]

Tough week for the Leafs in terms of travel.

Played in Montreal last night.
In Manhattan today, Denver Tuesday, Vegas Thursday, Phoenix Saturday.

Denver Vegas Phoenix aren't exactly long flights and no back to backs, it's an ideal road trip actually. Not tough at all by NHL standards.

 

[Kiwi]

This game may be harder than many are thinking

We're on a b2b after playing in a playoff type atmosphere last night so there could be some mental letdown, Sparks can be a bit hit and miss as well and the Rangers work hard and play a fast tenacious game

If we show up with no mental letdown we win, if we don't......

 

[ACC1224]

Sparks in net and the natural letdown from last night's big game add up to a Rangers win, IMO.

 

[8816 others]

At least the back-to-backs this season seem to be coming against teams in a similar situation. Tired teams wtith backup vs rested teams with starter makes for bad games.

 

[FlareKnight]

It could be a tough one. Emotional win and all that. But the Leafs need to find a way. Being able to show up against not a great team and play well in these sorts of circumstances would be a nice look for them. Got to take advantage of the games at hand we've got on Boston and Montreal to create more distance.

Fingers crossed.

 

[AllHeartNoSkill]

It's starting to frustate Babcock as well.



Something has to happen.

What can Hiller possibly be saying to defend himself here? How many coaches in this league would sell their first born to have the PP units this guy has at his disposal?

 

[Erdinger]

This game may be harder than many are thinking

We're on a b2b after playing in a playoff type atmosphere last night so there could be some mental letdown, Sparks can be a bit hit and miss as well and the Rangers work hard and play a fast tenacious game

If we show up with no mental letdown we win, if we don't......

Mental letdown? That would imply that more than half the team even showed up last night. Outhit 49-16 by the Habs and a quarter of the Leafs hits were by Gauthier. No more excuses for Matthews. He should be driving his line even if his linemates aren't ideal not the other way around

 

[Erdinger]

What can Hiller possibly be saying to defend himself here? How many coaches in this league would sell their first born to have the PP units this guy has at his disposal?

That's up to Babcock to fix. If Hiller isn't the guy then he should deal with it. Of course he won't

 

[Kiwi]

Mental letdown? That would imply that more than half the team even showed up last night. Outhit 49-16 by the Habs and a quarter of the Leafs hits were by Gauthier. No more excuses for Matthews. He should be driving his line even if his linemates aren't ideal not the other way around

Who cares about hits?

Last I looked they don't calculate hits in the final score
We wnt into a hostile building, against a traditional rival who were fighting for playoff position and won

That's what counts and it takes a lot out of guys mentally

If this board was on pins and needles before the game, imagine how the players feel? It's natural to feel a letdown afterwards against a bottom feeder the next day

 

[Hockey Crazy]

Jealous man, just a day trip or are you visiting for a bit?

My wife is here for a work assignment so I'm back and forth.

 

[Erdinger]

Who cares about hits?

Last I looked they don't calculate hits in the final score
We wnt into a hostile building, against a traditional rival who were fighting for playoff position and won

That's what counts and it takes a lot out of guys mentally

If this board was on pins and needles before the game, imagine how the players feel? It's natural to feel a letdown afterwards against a bottom feeder the next day

Because if the Habs weren't even more pathetic on the PP than the Leafs the score probably would have been different. This collection of guys seem to have half the team having mental letdowns before every game.

 

[Joey Hoser]

IMO the easy solution is Kadri off and Muzzin on the 1st unit. Run:

Matthews - Tavares - Marner
Rielly - Muzzin

I don't hate the idea, but it's certainly not easy. That's an entirely different setup that changes everything, even though you're only swapping out 1 guy.

 

[Once]

Should give Z a night off and let Oz slot in with Dermott/Hainsey. I like Oz much more than Z, think he is a solid top 6 relative to a very poor top 4.