Pre-Game Talk: Leafs @ Ottawa, HNIC. Saturday Oct. 21st (Trap?)

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

be a good game I hope, we never beat Ottawa last year gotta change our fortunes!

we also never beat Montreal before this year
we're gonna smoke them imo

 

[MJ65]

I know it is not possible to score the 1st goal every night and you can win a game even when you are down by a goal or two, but it does help to score 1st

Ottawa is a pretty good time, even thought they lost their last still it was a very successful trip for them. They know it very well that they can not win a game against this Leafs in run and gun type of situation, so you are going to see a tight checking game and they will wait for the opportunity to score and we need to be ready for it

I expect Leafs to win this game but they should avoid taking unnecessary penalties and clear the defensive zone efficiently. I am not worried about the offense

 

[Golden_Jet]

That being said, the Leafs are more experienced and refined now, and have more firepower. Just need to push through with speed and break the game open. Also, Ottawa is 29th in shot attempts against/60 minutes. They are getting very lucky and their run isn't going to last.

And, for all the flack the Leafs defense gets, the Leafs are actually the 4th best team in terms of shot attempts against/60.

I feel like you should recheck that,, Ottawa is second CA/60, how do you get 29th.
For reference Leafs are 23rd.

 

[member 262271]

it's be andersen to start not pickard. andersen will be on normal rest

Oh I know, was just joshin' about TML Dynasty's post about the game being today, hence the Pickard thing.

 

[rent free]

Oh I know, was just joshin' about TML Dynasty's post about the game being today, hence the Pickard thing.

lol trueeeee

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

The trap is only effective against a north south team. If you watched last night game Detroit was playing a trapper and even though we did not play well for the most part we created chances with stretch passes forcing the trap past center ice as well as a lot more east west passes opening up the trap. We can also dump and chase creating foot races for the puck and make their D turn and go back for the puck, this will cause their D to adjust by protecting the ice behind them more and allow us to carry to puck with speed through the Netrual zone.

That was really only after we got the lead. They were dominating us beforehand. I'll attribute that to the fact it was a back to back though.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Just wanted to say all teams play the trap, including Babcock's Leafs.

 

[Thread The Needle]

Sens are winless with Karlsson in the lineup and we're undefeated against non-Devils teams. Should be a win

Perfectly acceptable extrapolation. I agree. If the Leafs lose we know who to blame. The Devils.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Ottawa really hasnt looked good in the last two games. We should really overpower them on Saturday

 

[MJ65]

They lost another game tonight in SO

 

[realgoodleafs]

Sens have only won 2 games so far this season outside of the shootout. Their record is actually pretty bad.

 

[1specter]

I feel like you should recheck that,, Ottawa is second CA/60, how do you get 29th.
For reference Leafs are 23rd.

http://naturalstattrick.com/teamtab...=all&loc=B&gpf=82&fd=2017-09-13&td=2018-04-07

Here you go. I think you probably just read it backwards. Sometimes people say 2nd in CA/60 meaning 2nd most CA/60. What I meant was that Ottawa was 3rd worst/29th out of 31 teams from least shot attemps to most.

 

[dimi78]

average toi 17:47 this season good memory there. McDavid is 22:37 almost 6 mins more per game for McDavid. Makes what Matthews does with his limited ice time even more impressive

That's not what I take from that or even care about total TOI. High quality hockey gets played when shifts are low in the 30-45 second span competing hard. Mathews doesn't get limited minutes. I'd argue he gives you higher quality minutes do to his short shifts.

This is the most impressive aspect to Mathews. I don't know if it's a Babcock effect or not but often he's the first to change from his line mates. Vary rare is he caught on an extended shift.

McDavid is an unreal skater even though I'm taking a guess as I don't have the numbers on his shift lengths but if his shift lengths are high that's a reason for Edmonton's crappy start as a team. It's a sign of disrespect and lack of trust the Oilers coaching staff have with the rest of the team with a TOI that high for a forward. Don't care about individual numbers playing right is how you win championships and Mathews plays right that most star caliber players don't start to do well further into there careers.

There's only one guy I've seen that has come into this league with elite talent and just completely not care about individual numbers playing right from the shoot. That's Toews. He's capable of being in the scoring leaders but would rather play right and get wins instead.

Mathews doesn't have to be in an Art Ross, Maurice Richard race for this team to get where they want hosting Lord Stanley. For him to actually understand that with the talent he has is what separates himself from McDavid and all the other young stars as impressive for me.

 

[dimi78]

I know it is not possible to score the 1st goal every night and you can win a game even when you are down by a goal or two, but it does help to score 1st

Ottawa is a pretty good time, even thought they lost their last still it was a very successful trip for them. They know it very well that they can not win a game against this Leafs in run and gun type of situation, so you are going to see a tight checking game and they will wait for the opportunity to score and we need to be ready for it

I expect Leafs to win this game but they should avoid taking unnecessary penalties and clear the defensive zone efficiently. I am not worried about the offense

You should be because it's the way they mange the puck in the neutral zone & play in the offensive zone that will dictate the outcome of the game.

If the Leafs can't establish a forcheck & structured cycle game it will be one frustrating game both for the team and especially us crazy fans. That's what currently is still inconsistent from this team and the main reason why holding leads can leave us like this

 

[Polaris1010]

This should be a physical hockey game.

The way Montreal then Washington, how they played Toronto, kind of indicates how many teams will try to do what to Toronto, which is foremost try to frustrate the attack before it gets going.

That Montreal game last week, was tough to watch, because the whole game was played along the boards in a phone booth. Other than the power play goal, the other two Montreal goals were from plays that came from the boards. Twice Marner did not make the defensive play, and now he's 4th line, and probably not to come off it anything soon, other than for the power play. Just leave him there.

Toronto may actually have a team that can play well along the boards, in the Hyman-Matthews-Nylander line and the Komarov-Kadri-Marleau line. Of those six players, five can really cycle. If the other two lines can hold up, and the defense able to connect on a couple of stretch passes, Toronto will give Ottawa all it can handle.

 

[Polaris1010]

Danm, this really is a good Leafs team.

<<<--- ... guess no more of this ... at least for time being ...

 

[crump]

I want a Leaf Hat Trick.
Mitch, it can be you.

It would be nice for Mitch to break things open against the Sens.

 

[Polaris1010]

The Leafs got their best forwards who can fly off the rush, and go play the game down low below the icing line.

The Leafs defense, mobile and adequate, generate points, and make that stretch pass. (Sorry Polak!) But hey, sometimes it is good just to ice it.

Then goalie is good too.

Go Leafs Go!
Go Leafs Go!
Go Leafs Go!

 

[SeaOfBlue]

A huge factor will be whether the Leafs speed can score a bunch of goals on the Phaneuf-Ceci pairing. It's a very slow, but big, pairing. Really, besides Wideman and Karlsson, none of their defensemen are really that fast. Could be a way for guys like Marner to get back into the scoring column. Otherwise just need to be able to hold off their scorers, but as long as Andersen plays a good game and our top 4 continues to be solid, I have no worries about that. Would be nice to see the bottom pairing play more than 14 minutes though.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

This should be a physical hockey game.

The way Montreal then Washington, how they played Toronto, kind of indicates how many teams will try to do what to Toronto, which is foremost try to frustrate the attack before it gets going.

That Montreal game last week, was tough to watch, because the whole game was played along the boards in a phone booth. Other than the power play goal, the other two Montreal goals were from plays that came from the boards. Twice Marner did not make the defensive play, and now he's 4th line, and probably not to come off it anything soon, other than for the power play. Just leave him there.

Toronto may actually have a team that can play well along the boards, in the Hyman-Matthews-Nylander line and the Komarov-Kadri-Marleau line. Of those six players, five can really cycle. If the other two lines can hold up, and the defense able to connect on a couple of stretch passes, Toronto will give Ottawa all it can handle.

The fourth line is not great at cycling, but they are pretty damn good at fore-checking and making it hard for the other team to get out clean. Usually means a line can only get one good rush in (if that) before they have to get off. I am sure you will see Martin and Fehr in there to try to wear down their defense and hopefully open up some space for Marner against their slower, but bigger, defensemen. Guys like Phaneuf, Borowiecki, and Ceci are the types of guys Marner can have some fun with.

 

[MJ65]

Marner is not going to stsy on that 4th line for very long

 

[CelticDruid]

Mitch ,has to drive the net.He has not done so with any regularity.

 

[Maurice Del Taco]

Just hope Freddy has found his groove after the Caps game. Would be nice with a GAA around 2,5 ish going forward.

 

[Apotheosis]

Just did the calculation; 10 points in 7 games= 1.42 PPG = 119 point pace. That's Matthews current pace. Hard to see him not score 100 points this season because he's on this pace now, which will regulate over the season. If he regressed back to last year's form, he at minimum, finishes with 73 points and he looks so much better than last year, so it's hard to see that happening.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Just did the calculation; 10 points in 7 games= 1.42 PPG = 119 point pace. That's Matthews current pace. Hard to see him not score 100 points this season because he's on this pace now, which will regulate over the season. If he regressed back to last year's form, he at minimum, finishes with 73 points and he looks so much better than last year, so it's hard to see that happening.

I think he's well poised to keep his play up and hit 100 because he's so much less relied upon than other stars. He gets like 6 minutes less average ice time than McDavid, and that gives me the feeling he's gonna be relatively well rested all year. I see 55 goals, 45 assists or somewhere in that ball park