Leafs targeting 56 starts for Andersen UPDATE: Actually targeting 60

Jozay

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Jul 9, 2012
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Toronto


He's at 49 now, which means he'll only play 7 more games if they stick to their target.

Do you think they should play him as much as possible to try and get home ice?

Update:
 
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Cor

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Jun 24, 2012
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That's actually a perfect number.

So Sparks will play 8 and Freddy will play 7 of the last 15.

@EDM - Sparks
vs TBL - Freddy
vs CHI - Freddy
vs PHI - Freddy
@OTT - Sparks
@NSH - Freddy
@BUF - Sparks
vs NYR - Freddy
vs FLA - Freddy
@PHI - Sparks
@OTT - Sparks
@NYI - Freddy
vs CAR - Sparks
vs TBL - Sparks
@ MTL - Sparks
 

stickty111

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Jan 23, 2017
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That's actually a perfect number.

So Sparks will play 8 and Freddy will play 7 of the last 15.

@EDM - Sparks
vs TBL - Freddy
vs CHI - Freddy
vs PHI - Freddy
@OTT - Sparks
@NSH - Freddy
@BUF - Sparks
vs NYR - Freddy
vs FLA - Freddy
@PHI - Sparks
@OTT - Sparks
@NYI - Freddy
vs CAR - Sparks
vs TBL - Sparks
@ MTL - Sparks
A .500 record with Sparks is a win.
4-4
6-1 with Andersen.
However, I don't agree with what games Andersen and Sparks get.
I would give Andersen the Tampa games and maybe even the last regular season game. I don't think giving Andersen the last 3 games off is a good idea. You don't want him rusty, give him at least one of them.
 
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tom leafers

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Jan 25, 2017
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Shouldn't we clinch a playoff spot before we worry about goalie playoff workload?

were 9 and 10 points clear of the last wild card and 9th place team. Making up 10 points in 15 games is borderline impossible. If Montreal or Columbus start to close that gap, than we can worry
 

Buds17

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Nov 29, 2015
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Andersen started the same amount of games in his two full regular seasons as Leaf starter. He did face more shots in his second season. His playoff numbers against Washington were better than against Boston.

Tough to know for certain that a more rested player will be better than a less rested player, but there's some logic to it. Of course, logic and sports don't always perfectly mix. Playoffs are the biggest stage of all though, so I guess the idea is to try something different from last season and hope it plays a part in things transpiring for the better this time.
 

Martin Skoula

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Oct 18, 2017
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I don't know that sitting Andersen for the last 3 games + whatever amount of time it takes to start the playoffs is a good idea. That could be close to two weeks with no game action.
 

Gary Nylund

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Oct 10, 2013
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Very strange. First of all, if the goal is to play Andersen less, why not space out the rest days instead of cramming them into the last few weeks and risk having Andersen lose his rhythym?

I like the idea of resting but this goes against Babcock's quote which was something like "nobody is tired in the playoffs" and seemed be the argument for NOT resing guys like Hainsey, Marleau etc. If it's important that the goalie be rested, why isn't it important for everyone to be rested??

I just hope that despite these seemingly contradictory indicators, Babcock knows what the f..k he's doing, I wish I could say with confidence that that is indeed the case but alas ...
 

HOF Paul Henderson

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Makes sense, he’s also less likely to get injured if he’s not playing. It’s not just about rest.

It’s that if we lose Anderson our team has no chance.

The same can’t be said for any other player. Although I would like to see Marleau and Hainsey with less minutes just in general.
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
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A bit of a gamble. No guarantee that the rest makes him better prepared for the playoffs. But it doesn't hurt to try. And home ice is still HUGELY at stake.

I'm betting Sparks'll do fine, regardless.
 
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Nooodles

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May 7, 2010
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Just about a few hours ago I said that old stubborn Babcock would never rest Andy.

Well let's see if this really works:

Babcock would never play Nylander with Matthews
Babcock would never give Matthews 25 + minutes
Babcock would never scratch Brown and Marleau
Babcock would never change that stretch pass game
Babcock would never adapt
Babcock would never play this team's strenghts
 

HOF Paul Henderson

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Sparks is 7 - 5 this season as a backup. That’s really pretty much what you want out of your backup. A .500 record is reasonable.

In McElhinney’s first season with the leafs he went 6 - 7.
Granted last year he went 11 - 5 which is terrific but not to be relied on.


Sparks has 1 shutout and a GAA of 3.
3 is high but the leafs defense is their sore spot and you have to play harder with your backup in no matter what.

All in all, Sparks is basically an average backup and might get better with more ice time and more time in the NHL. Will be interested to see if his second year with the leafs goes a little more like McElhinney’s.
 
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ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
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Sparks is 7 - 7 this season as a backup. That’s really pretty much what you want out of your backup. A .500 record is reasonable.

In McElhinney’s first season with the leafs he went 6 - 7.
Granted last year he went 11 - 5 which is terrific but not to be relied on.


Sparks has 1 shutout and a GAA of 3.
3 is high but the leafs defense is their sore spot and you have to play harder with your backup in no matter what.

All in all, Sparks is basically an average backup and might get better with more ice time and more time in the NHL. Will be interested to see if his second year with the leafs goes a little more like McElhinney’s.
Hard to imagine there will be a second year.
 

TheTotalPackage

Registered User
Sep 14, 2006
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If the plan all along was to play Andersen 56 games this season, then I wish the team did a better job of spacing out his workload than having him pencilled in to to sit 8 of the last 15 starts at the most crucial time of the season. That takes into account the couple of games he missed due to injury.

Poor planning out by Babcock and management if that's the case.
 

TOGuy14

Registered User
Dec 30, 2010
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Toronto
Unless there is some sort of fatigue or injury that is way more Sparks than I like to see in net.

Also why is Freddy sitting the last three games of the season? WTF? He seems to be a rhythm goalie (start slow in October, slow upon return form injuries etc). Why would we put him into the lineup so cold for the playoffs?
 
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Kamiccolo

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I don't know... Like others said it makes more sense to give him more games off against poor teams earlier in the year so that he can play a bit more down the stretch. You don't want him to be rusty either. Remember when he first game back from injury he had a meh like 2 weeks until he got back into game shape.
 

deletethis

Registered User
Mar 17, 2015
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Too many starts for Andersen is the underrated consequence of providing a backup the coach doesn't want to use. Babcock and Dubas have been having a season long staring match over this backup and Holl and Marincin. Clearly they don't see eye-to-eye on the roster. Something may give on this relationship between Dubas and Babcock sooner than we may think. Dubas needs fuel to sell swallowing the remaining $25M on Babcock's contract. A 3rd consecutive 1st round exit regardless of the circumstances might do it. Otherwise it's only money to MLSE.

The wrong is on both sides as far as I'm concerned. These two are going to differ on their assessments of talent. Babcock should probably just stomach pencilling in the players he's not crazy about playing and allow them the rope to sink or swim. And Dubas shouldn't throw away roster spots on players he knows the coach doesn't want to play (and have little to no market value). Clearly they're both stubborn.

Lou Lamiorello is gone. Mark Hunter is gone. Dubas hired Sheldon Keefe (twice, once in the Soo and once as an interim GM of the Leafs). Firing Babcock will only cost money, not cap space, not players, not draft picks.
 

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