Post-Game Talk: Leafs sink the Sharks

[DarkKnight]

It's the EA NHL 18 / Fantasy Pools phenomena. Stats are more important than wins.

Imagine Pat Quinn with this era of fans.

 

[ToneBone03]

Matthews, Nylander, & Marner were all unreal! Great to see.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I remember when we played against Montreal and Babs started Nylander + Matthews against Plekanec and Byron and unsurprisingly we scored. Why wouldn't Babcock use that to realize that scoring in OT is better than playing defense in OT?

I think this has to do with the home/away matchup. The home team gets last line change, so it didn't matter who Montreal had out because Babs would have had to make his decision first.

Interesting in that case how it looks like Montreal tried to line match as well by putting their best defensive centre and better checking wingers against the big guns.

Regardless I'd like to see these forward pairs in OT:

Nylander - Matthews
Marleau - Kadri
Marner - JVR

with Bozak - Brown as a fourth alternative for whatever reason.

Rotate a d-man in the mix from there.

 

[Trapper]

Well Hainsey's the team's best PKer ... So he'd definitely get a shift in OT to kill that Marner penalty

Both Hainsey and Polak were sent out to kill that penalty.
It was survive until the shootout, which we did. Our PK was great all night.

 

[al secord]

Cake walk.

 

[ULF_55]

Harder than it needed to be.

Please stop praising Andersen for his puck handling skills, it seems to be going to his head.

Badly needed 2 points.

Two well played games outside of the Andersen holiday gifts.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Missed the game, but from the game in 6 (yeah I know), it seemed like SJ has no business being in the game. Most of their goals came from weird bounces.

I never watch game in 6, based on this I'd say that's a good thing (mind you I almost always watch the games so I have no need for game in 6). SJ had a ton of great chances, especially on the PP and this was a very close game that could have gone either way.

 

[Erndog]

I think I counted 6 times they replayed the Kadri-Thornton fight. Like, give it a rest. Anyways...

Good win.

 

[iceblue]

It's maybe possible we are considered a diving team, and they are not giving us calls?

I questioned this the last game.

 

[Rogie]

I thought the Goat looked good. That's 2 games in a row for the Goat.

Do you all think he'll be in the line-up now unless he really screws up, which I don't see how he could, since, he's a pretty hard worker and seldom (if ever) takes a shift off. He looked pretty good on the PK tonight as well.

What do you all think? Barring injury or something very unforseen, is the Goat 'in' now?

Probably should of posted this in the other thread, sorry.

 

[Rogie]

Harder than it needed to be.

Please stop praising Andersen for his puck handling skills, it seems to be going to his head.

Badly needed 2 points.

Two well played games outside of the Andersen holiday gifts.

Oh, he has above average puck handling skills, we see it every game, he makes a stretch pass or helps a Dman big time by playing it off the boards or ringing it around the boards, which he can quite a bit better than a lot of goalies cause he has enough strength to get some ooomph on the puck with that big stick.

I wonder maybe if his stickhandling mistakes (these last 2) are just part of his kind of every once in a while not concentrating thingy that he has. His soft goals are just (to me at least) a loss of concentration and I wonder if his puck mishandling is a similar thing; almost a non-chalantness, but, really, a lack of focus and concentration more than an inability to play or handle the puck - is what I mean to say.

 

[BertCorbeau]

I thought the Goat looked good. That's 2 games in a row for the Goat.

Do you all think he'll be in the line-up now unless he really screws up, which I don't see how he could, since, he's a pretty hard worker and seldom (if ever) takes a shift off. He looked pretty good on the PK tonight as well.

What do you all think? Barring injury or something very unforseen, is the Goat 'in' now?

Probably should of posted this in the other thread, sorry.

I think he'll get an extended look at this point. Moore's play was underwhelming and Babcock loves players with some size. We've even seen Babcock not be afraid to pair the Goat with Marner on occasion. Wouldn't surprise me to see Freddie become a regular unless he really starts to struggle. But given he'll only get fourth line minutes I think he'll do well since he'll be playing in his wheelhouse.

 

[ULF_55]

Oh, he has above average puck handling skills, we see it every game, he makes a stretch pass or helps a Dman big time by playing it off the boards or ringing it around the boards, which he can quite a bit better than a lot of goalies cause he has enough strength to get some ooomph on the puck with that big stick.

I wonder maybe if his stickhandling mistakes (these last 2) are just part of his kind of every once in a while not concentrating thingy that he has. His soft goals are just (to me at least) a loss of concentration and I wonder if his puck mishandling is a similar thing; almost a non-chalantness, but, really, a lack of focus and concentration more than an inability to play or handle the puck - is what I mean to say.

No I agree he's good with the puck, but maybe just stop praising him every time the puck gets near his net.

Both goalies were very good, as was the Matthews line that dominated most of the game.

Nice crossbar to end the game.

 

[WestCoastLeafs]

If Leafs and Sharks meet in the finals, Kadri and Thornton should fight every game.

By the end of the series Thornton will be Lou-compliant so we can sign him in the summer.

 

[BayStreetBully]

If Leafs and Sharks meet in the finals, Kadri and Thornton should fight every game.

By the end of the series Thornton will be Lou-compliant so we can sign him in the summer.

That would be nice. And he can fight Burns too, to rip off his ugly beard. They both look ridiculous.

 

[Gary Nylund]

That would be nice. And he can fight Burns too, to rip off his ugly beard. They both look ridiculous.

LOL. My wife caught a glimpse last night and basically said what's the matter with these people. I can't say I disagree.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Well deserved victory over a great team.

My only complaint is the defensive matchups in OT. We have the horses to put other teams on their heels in a 3 on 3 situation.

 

[ULF_55]

LOL. My wife caught a glimpse last night and basically said what's the matter with these people. I can't say I disagree.

Really, is anything unreasonable today, green, blue, purple, rainbow hair, piercings everywhere, half shaved heads, tattoos on all body parts, watering hoses through earlobes, sandals in offices, leggings in offices ... ugly beards are just ugly beards.



I'm okay with people having that freedom, it is their body not mine.

 

[hockeyes]

First full game I've been able to watch since before Christmas so maybe I've just forgotten how the Leafs typically play but they looked even worse than I remember at defending the neutral zone. SJ had absolutely zero problems carrying the puck with speed up the middle whenever they wanted and got a ton of possession time because of that. Contrast that to the gauntlet the Leaf forwards have to face and it's almost like the teams were not even playing the same game.

 

[Ambassador Bridge]

LOL. My wife caught a glimpse last night and basically said what's the matter with these people. I can't say I disagree.

"Look at me, Look at me"

 

[Gary Nylund]

Really, is anything unreasonable today, green, blue, purple, rainbow hair, piercings everywhere, half shaved heads, tattoos on all body parts, watering hoses through earlobes, sandals in offices, leggings in offices ... ugly beards are just ugly beards.



I'm okay with people having that freedom, it is their body not mine.

I'm okay with it too. They have the right to their beards and I have the right to , it's all good.

 

[ottomaddox]

Harder than it needed to be.

Please stop praising Andersen for his puck handling skills, it seems to be going to his head.

Badly needed 2 points.

Two well played games outside of the Andersen holiday gifts.

At least we are not here praising Reimer's puck handling skills.

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

This is just as true for 3v3 as it is for 4v4 and 5v5.

You’re not going to beat that Thornton line at possession. They’ve been one of the best possession lines in the league for many years now. That is exactly what they are known for. If the Matthews line was to be shut down and hemmed in, that was exactly the line that would do it. Not a great use of your highest skill players, playing in the defensive zone, is it?

The Kadri line is not exactly a dump and chase, grinding line. It has speed, possession and stick handling too, which is why they are a shut down unit that can score. There’s a reason Kadri is called Nifty Mittens, even if he’s been dry for a streak which he broke out of today.

Eventually, whatever line that gets put on first will have to come off the ice and someone will go on. Eventually Thornton had to come off and Matthews had to go on. When putting Matthews on, you’re trying to optimise the amount of time he’s going to be spending in the offensive zone. Putting him against Couture means maybe he’ll get 1:45 of ice time total, 0:50 of which in the offensive zone, whereas if he was stacked up against Thornton he might get 2:00 of ice time total, of which 0:45 are in the offensive zone.

You see, hockey is not as black and white as “if you play defence in 4v4, you’re wrong”, a professional knows that which is why you are not. And is probably why stronger thinkers of the game take exception to your over-simplistic yet disproportionately arrogant take on your own opinion.

This should be required reading for everyone criticizing Babcock's coaching in OT.

TLDR? We had a LOW chance of scoring first with Matthews facing Thornton first shift, and a HIGH chance of scoring on the second shift with Matthews facing... whoever they put on.

It's really not that difficult.

 

[ottomaddox]

Really, is anything unreasonable today, green, blue, purple, rainbow hair, piercings everywhere, half shaved heads, tattoos on all body parts, watering hoses through earlobes, sandals in offices, leggings in offices ... ugly beards are just ugly beards.



I'm okay with people having that freedom, it is their body not mine.

I see your point. I can't wait for the day when no beards/tats/piercings becomes the alternative.

 

[ottomaddox]

I am still on a high from last night's win.

That was a well fought game, and to survive the OT/SO was another character building moment. They could have folded, but didn't.