Pre-Game Talk: Leafs @ St Louis - Saturday Night - HNIC

[likecheese]

I wonder what's the over/under on how many shifts Aberg plays on that line, papa needs a new pair of spats.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

Why is aberg on the 1st line? Random choice.....you have mikheyev or hyman or kapanen or engvall to choose from.

Mikheyev Matthews Nylander
Hyman Tavares Marner
Engvall Kerfoot Kapanen
Aberg Gauthier Spezza

 

[DarkKnight]

JT, Marner Hyman, that could work I think.

 

[egd27]

Another tough test before things ease up a bit.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/game/toronto-maple-leafs-st-louis-blues-20191207

Not sure how much it eases after STL

Next week -> Western Canada
Week After -> 3 game with another B2B
Week After -> 3 game with another B2B
Then a 6pm start on NY Eve in Minny

Probably need to go 7-4 to stay in the hunt. (7-2 if they hold form by losing one of the B2B's)

 

[SprDaVE]

Why is aberg on the 1st line? Random choice.....you have mikheyev or hyman or kapanen or engvall to choose from.

Mikheyev Matthews Nylander
Hyman Tavares Marner
Engvall Kerfoot Kapanen
Aberg Gauthier Spezza

All those players were put in that position and did pretty much nothing. Did we forget that already? Hyman will play with Tavares and Marner as well. That Kerfoot, Mikheyev and Kapanen line has done well together. Keep them together.

Aberg has shown that he can score in bunches. He's got a very interesting skillset. The Leafs are going to throw a bunch of different bodies together like they did last game. He's not going to play prototypical 1st line minutes.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Why is aberg on the 1st line? Random choice.....you have mikheyev or hyman or kapanen or engvall to choose from.

Mikheyev Matthews Nylander
Hyman Tavares Marner
Engvall Kerfoot Kapanen
Aberg Gauthier Spezza

24 points in 22 games in the AHL, lots of those games with Keefe as his coach.

Maybe Keefe thinks he can have success in the NHL as well.

At least the current coach tries new things and changes things up.

 

[ACC1224]

Not sure how much it eases after STL

Next week -> Western Canada
Week After -> 3 game with another B2B
Week After -> 3 game with another B2B
Then a 6pm start on NY Eve in Minny

Probably need to go 7-4 to stay in the hunt. (7-2 if they hold form by losing one of the B2B's)

They seem to do well in Western Canada unless I'm mis-remembering.

 

[egd27]

They seem to do well in Western Canada unless I'm mis-remembering.

Usually 2 out 3 i think.

That's ok if they can upset STL, otherwise it's just another 2-2 road trip.

 

[DarkKnight]

They seem to do well in Western Canada unless I'm mis-remembering.

Three home games lol.

 

[glue]

This team appears to have all the talent and skill, but a lack of will and willingness to take hits to get to the tough spots to make plays. They figure out the will and mental parts of the game and they will start to dominate

 

[Ziggdiezan]

Any word on how long AJ will be out for?

 

[BertCorbeau]

They seem to do well in Western Canada unless I'm mis-remembering.

From 2008 to 2017 while living in Calgary the Leafs won 1 game

 

[ShaneFalco]

No idea why Timoshov is still up with the big club, either trade him or waive him.

Yeah he started ok but has faded recently. So has Goat

 

[SprDaVE]

Any word on how long AJ will be out for?

Minimum until December 31st, the earliest game he can come back.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Yeah he started ok but has faded recently. So has Goat

I don't think they've been a disaster, but they haven't exactly dominated like they did early on either.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Found this rather interesting:

So we are doing better in almost every area except rush passes. I'm going to guess that we get quite a few clean breaks, but we don't counter-attack with numbers very often.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

Usually 2 out 3 i think.

That's ok if they can upset STL, otherwise it's just another 2-2 road trip.

2-2 road trip isn't bad...in fact its probably pretty good.

Problem is, this team needs to be better than pretty good over the next 50.

Need a 3-1 trip to start making up some positive ground

 

[Nithoniniel]

Truth By Numbers: How have the Maple Leafs changed under Keefe? - Sportsnet.ca

Under Mike Babcock for 23 games this season, the Leafs produced the 26th-most inner slot shots on net in the league with 97. Under Sheldon Keefe for seven games they have produced a league-high 51.

The Leafs were 11th in completed passes to the slot with 222 before the coaching change, and since then they lead the league with 102.

Some reason for optimism here.

"The Leafs are really pushing the play in the inner slot, but you know who leads the team in shots from that spot on the ice? Perimeter player William Nylander with 36, the fifth-highest mark in the NHL. Nylander has a reputation for missing the net, but he’s put 84 per cent of his shot attempts from the most dangerous area on the ice on net. He’s one of the more accurate guys in the league."

"Where Nylander does miss a lot is from the high slot. Only 40 per cent of his shot attempts from there have hit the net, which might be why he’s shooting from closer than ever this year."

Nothing new about the first one. Although I'd say that the question isn't really accuracy, it's that he's so mindful of the high and wide shot that he focuses on putting it on net first. I think that's partially why he's conversation rate isn't as good as it should.

 

[ACC1224]

From 2008 to 2017 while living in Calgary the Leafs won 1 game

Wouldn't be surprised if they had that record in many buildings during that time span.
Dark days are over or at least they should be.

 

[Pholus]

Truth By Numbers: How have the Maple Leafs changed under Keefe? - Sportsnet.ca

Excuse me, but this can't possibly be true. Everyone knows that Nylander is a soft-as-melting-butter perimeter player, who avoids the hard areas of the ice like they will give him the plague. So how can he possibly be leading the team, never mind 5th highest in the league, in shots from the area of the ice which is 'hard' to get to?

 

[Rogue Leader]

Didn't think this possible, but our music is even softer than the team!

 

[Community]

Last tough game before an "easy" stretch to end December.

I say "easy" because this team hasn't played in a way that makes me feel like any game is an easy one. However, I think between now and the end of the month gices us a good insight into the team under Keefe and how we will fsre the rest of the season. Hopefully we sneak past STL and set ourselves up for a nice run against some of the weaker competition that is coming up.

 

[Kiwi]

Can't say he's not getting a decent opportunity to shine
Those are solid linemates on your first game back in the NHL for awhile

For all you people talking about things getting "easier" I'd like to point out this team doesn't do easy, it's just degrees of frustration for the fan base

 

[saltming]

Keefe has reunited Hyman-Tavares-Marner. I like it. They were great last season.

About time.
I would like to see soup with M&N instead of aberg

 

[Suntouchable13]

About time.
I would like to see soup with M&N instead of aberg

So our 11 mil dollar players can't get anything going by themselves without Hyman, good to know for the future. If they can help us get some wins now, though, that's all that matters.