GDT: Leafs@Oilers 7PM CBC/SN HNIC

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Oilers fans talking trash about our defense, like we dont have 2 top 4 D-man out with injuries right now.

Somehow someway, the Leafs defense we have now still somehow looks comparable to the defense the Oilers have LMAO.

Let's not insult the Oilers, they did just make the SCF last year. Oh wait, that's just what their brilliant fans predicted

 

[Pinto]

Oilers fans talking trash about our defense, like we dont have 2 top 4 D-man out with injuries right now.

Somehow someway, the Leafs defense we have now still somehow looks comparable to the defense the Oilers have LMAO.

Meh, they talked a lot of trash before last game too and look how that worked out for them.

 

[OVO16]

The more I see non-leaf fans talking about our defense....the more I start to believe just how criminally underrated Travis Dermott is around the league.

Dermott is potentially our 2nd best D-man behind Rielly, but people have no clue

 

[PromisedLand]

Lets get the week started on the right note.

Trap week ahead. Leafs play 5 games in 8 days, only Tampa is a playoff team. Fatigue could play a factor playing Flyers and Ottawa back to back Friday and Saturday.

We could either go on a magnificent run beating Tampa as the jewel for the week, or be miserable run letting teams with nothing to lose beat us in a busy week. Conceivably 4-1 should be the minimum expected, but fatigue could change that.

Personally I find that is an excuse for not showing up. These are athletes that get millions of dollars to "work" like 8 to 9 months in the year. And that work is a 3 hour game every other day (sometimes back to back); travel and practice. Of that 3 hour game they are only asked to work for about 20 mins per game (some nights few mins more).

With sports science, knowledge of the upcoming schedule and all the top notch facilities being made available to these athletes by MLSE; I am not sure why fatigue should be used as an excuse

 

[Nineteen67]

The played well against Calgary and bad against Vancouver.

They played OK. Freddy played great and Calgary’s goaltending and D gifted them

 

[Suntouchable13]

Personally I find that is an excuse for not showing up. These are athletes that get millions of dollars to "work" like 8 to 9 months in the year. And that work is a 3 hour game every other day (sometimes back to back); travel and practice. Of that 3 hour game they are only asked to work for about 20 mins per game (some nights few mins more).

With sports science, knowledge of the upcoming schedule and all the top notch facilities being made available to these athletes by MLSE; I am not sure why fatigue should be used as an excuse

It's a horseshit excuse. Everybody is battling the same thing. Western teams even more so, because the travel there is much worse. Let's not use fatigue as an excuse.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

The more I see non-leaf fans talking about our defense....the more I start to believe just how criminally underrated Travis Dermott is around the league.

Dermott is potentially our 2nd best D-man behind Rielly, but people have no clue

Until Dermott plays in the top 4 and not very sheltered 3rd pairing minutes that is a tough argument to make.

I'd say in terms of total on ice impact this season it goes Rielly, Gardiner,Muzzin, Dermott,Hainsey, Z

Though you could make an argument for Hainsey > Dermott this year considering how Hainsey gets among the hardest usage and competition in the league and Dermott the easiest.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Until Dermott plays in the top 4 and not very sheltered 3rd pairing minutes that is a tough argument to make.

I'd say in terms of total on ice impact this season it goes Rielly, Gardiner,Muzzin, Dermott,Hainsey, Z

Though you could make an argument for Hainsey > Dermott this year considering how Hainsey gets among the hardest usage and competition in the league and Dermott the easiest.

Performance matters, not Babcock's decision on how to use players. Any other coach would move Dermott up by now

 

[PromisedLand]

It's a horse**** excuse. Everybody is battling the same thing. Western teams even more so, because the travel there is much worse. Let's not use fatigue as an excuse.

precisely. and with the investment that MLSE has made in the sports science department and all the top notch amenities being made available to them there is absolutely ZERO excuse.

If anyone should be calling for fatigue (if at all that is); it should be Freddy; no one else should even open their mouth and use fatigue as an excuse

 

[Marshy]

Excuses are for losers. Winners don't need them.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[crump]

Personally I find that is an excuse for not showing up. These are athletes that get millions of dollars to "work" like 8 to 9 months in the year. And that work is a 3 hour game every other day (sometimes back to back); travel and practice. Of that 3 hour game they are only asked to work for about 20 mins per game (some nights few mins more).

With sports science, knowledge of the upcoming schedule and all the top notch facilities being made available to these athletes by MLSE; I am not sure why fatigue should be used as an excuse

Well, I guess if they were a team of Nietzschean Übermensch's, yes I suppose. Easy to expect that when you aren't the human performing the task. No doubt they are trained well, and should give it everything they have. Effort has to match the skill, all things being equal yes it shouldn't matter. But even race horses show fatigue at the end of their performance.

 

[PromisedLand]

Excuses are for losers. Winners don't need them.

This reminds me of a famous line from the move "The Rock"

Nic Cage: "I'll do my best"
Sean Connery: "Your best? Losers always whine about their best; winners go home and F the prom queen"

 

[Nineteen67]

precisely. and with the investment that MLSE has made in the sports science department and all the top notch amenities being made available to them there is absolutely ZERO excuse.

If anyone should be calling for fatigue (if at all that is); it should be Freddy; no one else should even open their mouth and use fatigue as an excuse

Everyone else does too. If the Leafs had superior athletes it would matter but they same guys as everyone else.

 

[PromisedLand]

Everyone else does too. If the Leafs had superior athletes it would matter but they same guys as everyone else.

so basically Leafs are fatigued and Boston isn't. Boston must have superior athletes

 

[Nineteen67]

so basically Leafs are fatigued and Boston isn't. Boston must have superior athletes

No. Both are at the same level. Boston may have more hockey skill, but physiologically they are the same.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Well, I guess if they were a team of Nietzschean Übermensch's, yes I suppose. Easy to expect that when you aren't the human performing the task. No doubt they are trained well, and should give it everything they have. Effort has to match the skill, all things being equal yes it shouldn't matter. But even race horses show fatigue at the end of their performance.

It's true. Having said that, everybody is pretty much on the same playing field when it comes to fatigue. That's why it shouldn't be talked about that much. Everybody is fatigued the same way pretty much.

 

[PromisedLand]

No. Both are at the same level. Boston may have more hockey skill, but physiologically they are the same.

Correction!

Boston doesn't have more hockey skill; Leafs have a lot of skill.

Boston on the other hand has:

• mental strength,
• self belief,
• never give up attitude,
• relentless puck pursuit
• AND most of the above come from their star players not the so called 3rd or 4th line players

 

[Nineteen67]

Correction!

Boston doesn't have more hockey skill; Leafs have a lot of skill.

Boston on the other hand has:

• mental strength,
• self belief,
• never give up attitude,
• relentless puck pursuit
• AND most of the above come from their star players not the so called 3rd or 4th line players

That’s all skill, IMO.

 

[Zybalto]

Performance matters, not Babcock's decision on how to use players. Any other coach would move Dermott up by now

To replace who?

Rielly, Gards and Muzzin are all better than him atm.

Nothing wrong with letting him develop on the 3rd pairing with some PK time and it's been great having a third pairing with him on it.

Always have to take into account zone starts, qoc, etc...and then realize hes been on for as many goals/60 as our defensive workhorses getting buried in the dzone against top lines.

Hes getting there, just have to be more patient.

 

[ULF_55]

Colleague and I at work have a bet on the results for the year.
He's an Oiler fans.

We both agreed Leafs would be better.

My prediction based on a full and healthy line-up for both teams:

Leafs 2nd. in league, 113 points
Oilers 8th. in league, 103 points

He had Leafs higher, and Oilers lower.

Leafs lost Nylander for 2 months and Matthews for 1.
Oiler only recently got their full defense playing.

We're both disappointed in the year so far. Yes, I'm disappointed I thought the Leafs would be better this year.
Okay, last year Leafs were tied for 6th. and this year tied for 5th., so a small improvement.

Last 10 games Oilers are better.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I have a bad feeling about this game. McDavid will be all over our 3rd pairing.

 

[ULF_55]

I have a bad feeling about this game. McDavid will be all over our 3rd pairing.

Well, they do have 2 players on pace for over 100 points.

They have 2nd. best goal scorer in the league this year.

 

[Leafs87]

One “weird lineup” I’d love to see tried in a game like this is;

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

Gauthier could be a fit with the Johnsson and Kap and the fourth is balanced per say


Tinker with the lines going into the playoffs because I really hate the forwards lines as is

 

[MattySnipes]

Not having Gards and Dermy is very challenging. Looking for a good bounce back game, which we are known to have after a loss.