Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs Oilers

[ujju2]

Our second line is Ryan Nugent Hopkins with Granlund and Chiasson. Your 4th line is probably just as good.

Pretty sure Granlund was filling in because someone had a maintenance day.

 

[stickty111]

Our second line is Ryan Nugent Hopkins with Granlund and Chiasson. Your 4th line is probably just as good.

You clearly haven't seen how inconsistent we are.

 

[likecheese]

When can we just do:

Matthews - Tavares - Marner
Engvall - Nylander - Mikheyev

with Muzz - Holl on the 1st D pairing

Please make it happen.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Please make it happen.

I am not sure why teams don't follow Boston's model more. Are you saying that our team depth is not as good as Boston's where they can load up 1 line and still have decent production down the lineup? I thought people told us that this the most talented Leafs team in years?

 

[Neutral Hockey Fan]

I am not sure why teams don't follow Boston's model more. Are you saying that our team depth is not as good as Boston's where they can load up 1 line and still have decent production down the lineup? I thought people told us that this the most talented Leafs team in years?

In order to follow Boston’s model, which is really the ideal way to build a successful team, Dubas would have had to actually put his foot down in negotiations. Marchand- Bergeron - Pastrnak make less combined than Matthews and Marner alone. Never mind adding another almost 20 million on Tavares and Nylander.

The “Boston Model” only works when the players buy in and agree that team success is more important than individual paycheques. The leaf players didn’t negotiate with team success at the forefront. It is what it is now

Boston also has an amazing backup goalie, allowing Rask to be fresh come playoff time. The leafs, not so much.

The Boston Model isn’t an option for Toronto

 

[likecheese]

In order to follow Boston’s model, which is really the ideal way to build a successful team, Dubas would have had to actually put his foot down in negotiations. Marchand- Bergeron - Pastrnak make less combined than Matthews and Marner alone. Never mind adding another almost 20 million on Tavares and Nylander.

The “Boston Model” only works when the players buy in and agree that team success is more important than individual paycheques. The leaf players didn’t negotiate with team success at the forefront. It is what it is now

Boston also has an amazing backup goalie, allowing Rask to be fresh come playoff time. The leafs, not so much.

The Boston Model isn’t an option for Toronto

Salary aside, you could still put together JT-Matthews-Marner and cobble together a second line (that probably has as much or more of a chance of working than this "Kappy/Willy on his wrong wing combo).

 

[OVO16]

Pretty sure Granlund was filling in because someone had a maintenance day.

Whats your lines

 

[OVO16]

The team badly needs to go on a 6/7 game Winning streak like the Flames have to turn this around.

I feel like certainly possible because we're been playing a lot better under Keefe and we actually look like legit team.

But our luck has just been so trash. Every time we make a simple misttake, it turns out to be a goal for the other team. Cant catch a break

 

[ujju2]

Whats your lines

He had the right lines except Nygard will draw in on the second line in place of Granlund if he's good to go. Looks like Nygard is a gametime decision, so it wasn't just a maintenance day.

 

[OVO16]

He had the right lines except Nygard will draw in on the second line in place of Granlund if he's good to go. Looks like Nygard is a gametime decision, so it wasn't just a maintenance day.

Havent been following the Oilers much.

Whats Nygard's game like? Skill or Brawn

 

[mikeyz]

This is a big game for me. If they win and have a 3-1 road trip, that would definitely make me believe that they can still make the playoffs.

The fact that we are even questioning whether or not we make the playoffs is insane.

 

[ujju2]

Havent been following the Oilers much.

Whats Nygard's game like? Skill or Brawn

Honestly not too much of either lol. Easily the second-fastest player on the team, but hasn't showed too much other than that so far. I'd much rather see Khaira back with Nuge, personally.

 

[XXIV97]

Havent been following the Oilers much.

Whats Nygard's game like? Skill or Brawn

Speed. He is a really fast player but lacks offence.

 

[CanadasTeam]

Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Nylander - Mathews - Kapanen
Engvall - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Moore - Gauthier - Spezza

We'll at least it looks like we have a somewhat gritty forward squad. The addition of Engvall really does change the dynamic of the group a bit when it comes to toughness

Grit? Tom Wilson will fight them.. all at once.

 

[ujju2]

Speed. He is a really fast player but lacks offence.

I beat you to it lol

 

[XXIV97]

I beat you to it lol

Yup, haven't the leafs won like 6/7 games in a row against the Oilers?

 

[ujju2]

Yup, haven't the leafs won like 6/7 games in a row against the Oilers?

Sounds about right... living in Toronto I really want our boys to beat the Leafs tonight.

 

[OVO16]

Grit? Tom Wilson will fight them.. all at once.

Lol We'd be lucky if any of our players even look back at Tom Wilson

 

[Suntouchable13]

The fact that we are even questioning whether or not we make the playoffs is insane.

Yes, I totally agree on that. It shouldn't have come to that.

 

[Stephen]

Even though we are adjusting expectations for what the Leafs are, I feel like the one game snap shots of good hockey followed by 2-3 uneven contests is still not satisfying.

 

[goleafsgo1990]

Salary aside, you could still put together JT-Matthews-Marner and cobble together a second line (that probably has as much or more of a chance of working than this "Kappy/Willy on his wrong wing combo).

It allows Matthews to be the Kessel he's developing/wants to be.
Matthews/Tavares are the finishers, Tavares/Marner are the playmakers and defensively responsible.
If Matthews wants to float around he can do it on the stacked line as long as they're producing.
None of them would have anything to whine about since they're all playing with the best on the team so that might give them a little moral boost as well. Hell, Matthews wouldn't even have to play much defense since Marner and Tavares are decent in those regards.

Hopefully it happens and the guys take advantage of the opportunity. The few times we've seen Marner with Matthews it's been underwhelming but I could see a stacked line doing well if it's given the chance to build some chemistry. Soon would be ideal since Tavares/Marner seem to be heating up.

I'm done with the likes of Johnsson and Kappy playing too high in the lineup. They're 3rd liners at the moment, who knows if they ever break through but they're a hindrance playing on the 1st/2nd. Engvall and Mikheyev have both passed them on the depth chart IMO so it's time to use one of them (Johnsson) as trade bait for a defensive D/grit.

A 2nd line of Engvall - Nylander - Mikky would suffice. The bottom 6 needs some bite, badly. Please, Agostino! Trade-backs for the Kadri/Barrie trade? Lol

All the most potent offensive threats are a stacked top line. Time for us to follow suit and with Keefe I believe there's finally a chance. Especially when the real desperate times come. Hopefully they make it work!

 

[mikeyz]

Yes, I totally agree on that. It shouldn't have come to that.

I really tepered my expectations and emotional investment in this team after game 7 last year, I figured that we would be 1st, possibly 2nd round fodder.

But, to potentially miss the playoffs??? I never would have predicted that this year and anybody who did, I would have thought was nuts.

 

[ULF_55]

Flames broke up their top heavy approach.

Gaudreau on the 3rd. line ... and who beat the Leafs?

Matthew Tkachuk - Elias Lindholm - Andrew Mangiapane
Dillon Dube - Sean Monahan - Mikael Backlund
Milan Lucic - Derek Ryan - Johnny Gaudreau
Tobias Rieder - Mark Jankowski - Michael Frolik

Leafs equivalent?

Hyman - Tavares - Kapanen
Engvall - Mathews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Marner
Moore - Gauthier - Spezza

Sportsnet960 before the Calgary game said the Flames depth would be better than the Leafs top heavy line-up.

Funny, the Flames used to stack their top 2 lines, but Ward shuffled their line-up and they haven't lost since.