Series Talk: Leafs vs CBJ Part 2

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SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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What does Johnsson's return do to Nick Robertson?

Likely out of the lineup. He wouldn't receive the minutes to be effective.

Engvall can PK, Gauthier can win draws. Robertson is like putting Johnsson on the 4th line; it's passable, but not exactly a great use of personnel.
 

Wafflewhipper

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Jan 18, 2014
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What does Johnsson's return do to Nick Robertson?
I don’t think anything negative. Gauthier sits,Johnsson goes on the 4th line to start and it just adds a an array of flexibility to the entire picture. Just complete depth and hopefully Columbus has to deal with scoring threats from the entire 4 lines.

Robertson gaining traction anywhere in the bottom 6 suits well. Just pure flexibility. I would not mind keeping that third line together. Spezza centering Clifford/Johnsson could be a handful too. I like it whatever happens. Just makes us more potent
 

paulhiggins

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Feb 4, 2006
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This year I've seen a mostly soft team that is weak defensively with many players unwilling to pay the price to win. Are they going to start "playing right" before it's over?The refs will call stuff against Toronto they are not calling against Columbus. This could be over soon even though the Leafs are stronger on paper.
 
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Tairy Greene

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Feb 2, 2020
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This year I've seen a mostly soft team that is weak defensively with many players unwilling to pay the price to win. Are they going to start "playing right" before it's over?The refs will call stuff against Toronto they are not calling against Columbus. This could be over soon even though the Leafs are stronger on paper.
I like the positivity
 
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Mickey Marner

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Jul 9, 2014
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Does anyone feel that it's not quite fair for the Leafs to have to play this series to qualify for the playoffs because at the time of the pause they were only 10 games left and they were in a playoff spot. I'm sure that I would consider it a gift if the situation were reversed, but the teams that were in a playoff spot must feel a bit cheated.

While I'm confident Florida would've blown it down the stretch, we do receive 1/8 odds of Lafreniere in exchange.
 
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Nylander88

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Aug 13, 2016
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What does Johnsson's return do to Nick Robertson?
In my opinion? Nothing. Gauthier/Engvall sit. You ease Johnsson back in and give him 4th line and second PP. Clifford-Spezza-Johnsson. Johnsson gains traction you move him up with Kerfoot-Kapanen and knock Robertson down with Clifford-Spezza. Play your best players. We still have PK forwards so the need for Goat and Engvall isn't really there. Marner, Mikheyev,Kapanen,Hyman,Kerfoot. And Johnsson or Robertson could play there too if need be. Unless Robertson tires out or suddenly looks like he is overwhelmed, I think he's here to stay
 
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stickty111

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Jan 23, 2017
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So many people don't see this. Is he worth his 4.5? Absolutely not. Is he a top 6 guy for us? Absolutely.
Yup more then capable bottom pairing d man who is good on the PK. Use him against mid to bottom 2 lines and we should be okay.
 

Jimmy Firecracker

Fire Sheldon.
Mar 30, 2010
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So, heh, minor jinx potential on my part. Last years playoffs for the NHL bracket challenge, every single series I picked ended up being wrong. No team I picked to win moved on past round 1, including our Leafs. :cry:

This year, even though there’s no bracket from NHL.com for the qualifying rounds, I still voted in the Series threads on the Stanley Cup board for a winner. So far, every team I picked to win the series is down 1-0. I’m already in the hole 0-5, and now I’m worried my uncanny ability to NOT pick ‘em is going to haunt the Leafs.

Fingers crossed I’m just paranoid and it’s just a coincidence. :crossfing
 

willmma

Registered User
Jan 5, 2017
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So, heh, minor jinx potential on my part. Last years playoffs for the NHL bracket challenge, every single series I picked ended up being wrong. No team I picked to win moved on past round 1, including our Leafs. :cry:

This year, even though there’s no bracket from NHL.com for the qualifying rounds, I still voted in the Series threads on the Stanley Cup board for a winner. So far, every team I picked to win the series is down 1-0. I’m already in the hole 0-5, and now I’m worried my uncanny ability to NOT pick ‘em is going to haunt the Leafs.

Fingers crossed I’m just paranoid and it’s just a coincidence. :crossfing


:facepalm: You $#@!€£. You just ruined our chances with your reckless picking habits!! :mad:




Jk
 

SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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In my opinion? Nothing. Gauthier/Engvall sit. You ease Johnsson back in and give him 4th line and second PP. Clifford-Spezza-Johnsson. Johnsson gains traction you move him up with Kerfoot-Kapanen and knock Robertson down with Clifford-Spezza. Play your best players. We still have PK forwards so the need for Goat and Engvall isn't really there. Marner, Mikheyev,Kapanen,Hyman,Kerfoot. And Johnsson or Robertson could play there too if need be. Unless Robertson tires out or suddenly looks like he is overwhelmed, I think he's here to stay

I think this is how Keefe will break it down:

Robertson/Johnsson are not going to be valuable playing 8 minutes a night on what is clearly a 4th line that is going to grind it out, forecheck hard, but still have the offensive IQ to make pick up a garbage goal once in a while (plus whatever magic Spezza can produce). If that is the game they are going to play, Engvall or Gauthier are going to come in because Engvall can PK and Gauthier can win draws. Both are more capable of forechecking with their size and styles as well.

Robertson/Johnsson's main value on a 4th line is being available for the 2PP or if they move away from that structure... Likely the former.

Johnsson has mostly played bumper/in front of the net in the 1-3-1. Has a pretty good shot from the slot and is good in tight on the PP. Robertson plays like a Marner who can shoot... Loves to play up high, loves the puck on his stick, loves to facilitate and shoot from the circles.

Kapanen is mostly an in front of the net guy. Johnsson mostly plays bumper or in front of the net. Kerfoot mostly plays bumper. Occasionally all three may end up on the wing at any given time. Spezza is mostly a wing guy. If we run the traditional 1-3-1 like PP1, then it makes sense for Robertson to be on there. Spezza and Robertson are the wings, Kerfoot likely the bumper, Johnsson/Kapanen in front of the net. The questions become which of Johnsson or Kapanen (or I guess Kerfoot) you take off of the 2PP for Robertson, or do you maybe not use Robertson and resort to a more of a 2-2-1/2-1-2 approach where effectively we have two guys in tight for a screen/rebound.

Then there is PK to worry about, but as long as Marner is not on the PK, then it should be fine.
 

Nylander88

Registered User
Aug 13, 2016
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This year he has been far more engaged in puck battles and going to the net. I wouldn't be overly concerned about Nylander not being able to handle things.
The amount he's scored from in tight this year is a shocking difference in his game. I think he'll make a difference in this series/playoffs more than any years prior
 

Zybalto

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Dec 28, 2012
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Then there is PK to worry about, but as long as Marner is not on the PK, then it should be fine.

Was looking at numbers on the PK from this season and they would indicate Marner should be on our top PK unit IMO.

Now the top PK pairing in the NHL at preventing goals this year was Muzzin/Ceci whose 4.02 goals against/60 (an insane -6.07/60 REL) was tops among the 28 top pairings that played over 80 PK minutes this year.

Adding Marner into the mix shows just how effective he was with this pairing as the Muzzin/Ceci/Marner combo has an astonishing 1.36 (-7.57/60 REL) goals against/60 in a not insignificant 44+ minutes of PK time this season.

1.36 goals/60 is less goals allowed than 6 teams had on the powerplay.....


Pretty sure I would have those 3 players penciled in on my top PK unit.
 
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Cor

I am a bot
Jun 24, 2012
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So is Rasmus Sandin not going to get a game during the Columbus series?

Surprised Ceci made it over him.

Ceci wasn't awful against Montreal, so that is a win.

I hope that Ceci drinks from the same tap as Polak, and becomes a beast in the playoffs like Polak generally did.
 

SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
35,591
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Was looking at numbers on the PK from this season and they would indicate Marner should be on our top PK unit IMO.

Now the top PK pairing in the NHL at preventing goals this year was Muzzin/Ceci whose 4.02 goals against/60 (an insane -6.07/60 REL) was tops among the 28 top pairings that played over 80 PK minutes this year.

Adding Marner into the mix shows just how effective he was with this pairing as the Muzzin/Ceci/Marner combo has an astonishing 1.36 (-7.57/60 REL) goals against/60 in a not insignificant 44+ minutes of PK time this season.

1.36 goals/60 is less goals allowed than 6 teams had on the powerplay.....


Pretty sure I would have those 3 players penciled in on my top PK unit.

I don't know where you get your numbers from, or if Marner just did well with those Muzzin/Ceci this season, but I am looking at where Marner ranks individually on the PK.

Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Minimum 50 minutes played on the PK (168 total) from when Keefe took over:
#3 Engvall - 4.35 xGA/60
#8 Mikheyev - 4.55 xGA/60
#38 Hyman - 5.68 xGA/60
#64 Kapanen - 6.03 xGA/60
#114 Marner - 7.00 xGA/60
#158 Gauthier - 8.05 xGA/60

Kerfoot did not really play PK during the regular season.

Other stats like HDCA/60 and SCA/60 put these guys in approximately the same order.
 
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