Pre-Game Talk: Leafs @ Oilers - HNIC - 7pm

[PromisedLand]

You can't ask a coach to scratch a 3 year vet in favour of a 4th liner rookie that's played 10 games. I know Brown has been meh lately guys but come on lol

Moore has 1G 7pts in 13 games (0.53 ppg)
Brown has 5G 18 pts in 67 games (0.27 ppg)

and this is the reason people are a bit ticked off

 

[SniperOnTheWing]

Marner is driving his line (yea fine JT plays with him)
Matthews is suppose to drive his line
Nylander is suppose to drive his line

this way you will have three elite players driving their lines while JT/Marner take tough match ups

Yeah in theory you want something like this to work but more often than not you end up with lines 'driving' around in circles with nothing to show for it.

I say it a lot and I'll keep saying it, I'd rather have two loaded lines scoring four goals a night than three diluted ones scoring two or three.

Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak could all probably drive lines on their own too but they don't have to. They score. A lot. And Boston wins. A lot.

In the playoffs when we're rolling these same watered down lines while the Boston top line is lighting us up night after night we'll see how far it'll get us, and how deep of a hole we'll be in before Babs makes the necessary adjustments.

 

[egd27]

Yeah in theory you want something like this to work but more often than not you end up with lines 'driving' around in circles with nothing to show for it.

I say it a lot and I'll keep saying it, I'd rather have two loaded lines scoring four goals a night than three diluted ones scoring two or three.

Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak could all probably drive lines on their own too but they don't have to. They score. A lot. And Boston wins. A lot.

In the playoffs when we're rolling these same watered down lines while the Boston top line is lighting us up night after night we'll see how far it'll get us, and how deep of a hole we'll be in before Babs makes the necessary adjustments.

Leafs are 3rd in GF
Boston is 16th in GF

Those diluted lines must be doing something right

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Leafs are 3rd in GF
Boston is 16th in GF

Those diluted lines must be doing something right

Maybe the leafs just have better players?

 

[PromisedLand]

Yeah in theory you want something like this to work but more often than not you end up with lines 'driving' around in circles with nothing to show for it.

I say it a lot and I'll keep saying it, I'd rather have two loaded lines scoring four goals a night than three diluted ones scoring two or three.

Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak could all probably drive lines on their own too but they don't have to. They score. A lot. And Boston wins. A lot.

In the playoffs when we're rolling these same watered down lines while the Boston top line is lighting us up night after night we'll see how far it'll get us, and how deep of a hole we'll be in before Babs makes the necessary adjustments.

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line is an exception. Also, once that line is shut down boston craps the bed.

Last playoffs Bolts basically played that line to a stalemate in the playoffs in the even strength situation

Even Strength Production
Bergeron 3pts in 5 games (had 3 pts in the first 2 games; and then 0 pts in last 3 games)
Marchand 6 pts in 5 games (had 6 pts in first 2 games; and then 0 pts in last 3 games)
Pastrnak 4 pts in 5 games (had 4 pts in the first 2 games; and then 0 pts in last 3 games)

http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?rep...team.6&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=gameDate



Bolts basically shut that one line down for the last 3 games in even strength situation and then won on depth scoring.

Boston Vs Bolts playoff game log for the team
http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?repor...team.6&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=gameDate


If Leafs stack their lines and they get shut down; Leafs are screwed.

Spreading the offense gives Leafs more opportunities and higher probability of scoring.

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line may be the best line; but that line alone ain't gonna win them the cup or help them go deep in the playoffs.

when the leafs are chasing the game; and then they stack the lines to really go for it no problem but as I showed above this is clear evidence that stacking the lines isn't always the answer as they are easy to shut down

 

[HellasLEAF]

Gonna basically have to win them all now as Boston doesn't look like they are ever going to lose. Or drop a full 2 points. Plus we don't play them rest of season.

Nothing less than a win here.

 

[Marshy]

A win tomorrow vs. the Oilers puts the overall league standings at:

1. TB
2. BOS
3. TML

Atlantic division rules.

 

[moon111]

People want to see Nylander drive the line and start setting up Matthews again.

The problem with this is, the Leafs organization wants Matthews to become a better player. Matthews wants to become a better player.
Matthews stated he wanted more assists this year then goals.

So what's the objective? Satisfy some fans in their obsession about a meaningless game with the Edmonton Oilers or developing your
number one asset into the quarterback he wants to become?

Nylander to Matthews would probably work against Edmonton, but a team like Boston would be all over this. You have to be
unpredictable in order to beat defensive systems. It's no different then saying the best way Marner can improve his passing
is to shoot every once in awhile. The Leafs are a good team, but we're only seeing the beginning of potential. As good as this
team is, they're still developing.

 

[MyBudJT]

Moore has 1G 7pts in 13 games (0.53 ppg)
Brown has 5G 18 pts in 67 games (0.27 ppg)

and this is the reason people are a bit ticked off

Fun game you're playing there man....

William Nylander: 5G 16P 39GP (0.41 P/GP)
Tyler Ennis: 12G 17P in 41GP (0.41 P/GP)
Connor Brown: 5G 18P 67GP (0.27P/GP)

William Nylander: 7M AAV == $437 500/point
Tyler Ennis: 0.65M AAV == $38 285/point
Connor Brown: 2.1M AAV == $116 666/point

Who should we be upset about, exactly?

 

[NiftyMits]

I'm tired of posters that don't realize that being 2nd in the NHL in ROW is pretty impressive and continue to think that coaching comes down to filling up a line up card where you simply rank the players based on offensive skill and slot them in like you do in a video game.

You honestly don't think we have had a stretch of games where we have played perfectly?

LOL Played perfectly......what a joke.

The point is people think we can be even BETTER with this line up but they aren't playing to their true POTENTIAL.
And no there hasnt been a stretch to me where I have been confident that this team has what it takes to go all the way.

 

[PromisedLand]

Fun game you're playing there man....

William Nylander: 5G 16P 39GP (0.41 P/GP)
Tyler Ennis: 12G 17P in 41GP (0.41 P/GP)
Connor Brown: 5G 18P 67GP (0.27P/GP)

William Nylander: 7M AAV == $437 500/point
Tyler Ennis: 0.65M AAV == $38 285/point
Connor Brown: 2.1M AAV == $116 666/point

Who should we be upset about, exactly?

yeah nylander's pathetic production with a 7AAV is unacceptable. That said, his lat two seasons nylander has scored on a higher clip

brown's production has been:
0.44ppg in 2016-2017
0.34 ppg in 2017-2018
0.34 ppg in 2018-2019

Moore has shown a higher point pace and better food speed/compete.

 

[egd27]

The point is people think we can be even BETTER with this line up but they aren't playing to their true POTENTIAL.
And no there hasnt been a stretch to me where I have been confident that this team has what it takes to go all the way.

IMO people's expectations are too high. Taking Tampa's freakish season out of the equation, the Leafs have a similar record to the very best teams in the NHL.

They have the very best goal differential, are tied for the best ROW record, and until the last game, went 32 games holding onto 3rd period leads.

All this without Nylander for basically 3 months (Dec was a write off), Matthews for 14 games, and Freddy for a couple of weeks (?).

Now sure, I still believe they will improve as they gain experience and continue to build, but the amount of complaining and hand wringing over where Brown plays, or ice time for the defence, etc. is IMO ridiculous.

TOP 5 NHL TEAM after a decade and a half of miserable teams, and still a portion of this base wants the coach fired? Laughable.

 

[Nineteen67]

This is a must win game for Edmonton. Although it’s almost impossible for them to make it they should be motivated.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

People want to see Nylander drive the line and start setting up Matthews again.

The problem with this is, the Leafs organization wants Matthews to become a better player. Matthews wants to become a better player.
Matthews stated he wanted more assists this year then goals.

So what's the objective? Satisfy some fans in their obsession about a meaningless game with the Edmonton Oilers or developing your
number one asset into the quarterback he wants to become?

Nylander to Matthews would probably work against Edmonton, but a team like Boston would be all over this. You have to be
unpredictable in order to beat defensive systems. It's no different then saying the best way Marner can improve his passing
is to shoot every once in awhile. The Leafs are a good team, but we're only seeing the beginning of potential. As good as this
team is, they're still developing.

That makes no sense to me honestly. If that was the case than why not have marner and tavares seperated as well? They are and will be getting paid big bucks so they should run their own line as well.

But thats not the case. Marner and tavares are great together! Teams cant shut it down because they have to chose to cover tavares or marner. Both provide space for one another in the ozone. You cant double team one of them because the other will burn you.

Right now, teams are double teaming matthews. That is why he setting up kapanen and johnsson or creating his own chances when he quickly gets the puck. He is not scoring 5 on 5 that much this year. Same goes with nylander. He is getting double teamed and he is passing to the D or marleau/brown which results to nothing.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Moore has 1G 7pts in 13 games (0.53 ppg)
Brown has 5G 18 pts in 67 games (0.27 ppg)

and this is the reason people are a bit ticked off

Not only that but Moore adds some jam