Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs [s]Refs[/s] Oilers

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The refs calling tons of penalties actually helps the Leafs to be honest. We have great special teams (especially the PP) but pretty lousy 5v5 play

 

[Suntouchable13]

Similar view as you on the bolded.

Interesting thought on the lines as well, but I’d personally prefer Spezza back to 4th line and Vesey on the 3rd. Imagine the conundrum when Thornton comes back (good problem to have but interesting nonetheless)

I am still not convinced Thornton is a good player. Give Travis Boyd or Joey Anderson more of a chance and I think they can do just as good if not better than 41 year old Joe.

 

[Confucius]

Something tells me that we will be complaining about the refs again, but will it will be for letting too much go? or doubling down and calling everything including unsportsmanlike conducts for complaining.

well one is coming back for an encore tonight, do you really think he will have gotten better?

 

[Confucius]

I find the hate from the Edmonton fans, like in the first post of their GDT hilarious, given how little we care about them. Like at all

For some reason I have never went to one of their game threads. Oh yeah, I think it's because I don't give a @#$% about what they say or think.

Edit: Oh come on is there no more filter....

 

[Erdinger]

The refs calling tons of penalties actually helps the Leafs to be honest. We have great special teams (especially the PP) but pretty lousy 5v5 play

Leafs through 9 games

TOI Shorthanded 61:44

TOI Power Play 41:19

While some of that can be explained because of good special team play it's a ridiculous discrepancy for a soft skilled team like the Leafs

 

[ottomaddox]

Leafs through 9 games

TOI Shorthanded 61:44

TOI Power Play 41:19

While some of that can be explained because of good special team play it's a ridiculous discrepancy for a soft skilled team like the Leafs

What's the discrepancy? Why is TOR considered soft skilled in the 21 season?

 

[Nylander88]

That’s works too as Mik was also better on the 3rd line.

Mikheyev just doesn't gel in our top 6 it seems. Good player but better as a third liner who can burn third pairing D men and play defensively responsible

 

[Erdinger]

What's the discrepancy? Why is TOR considered soft skilled in the 21 season?

You don't see a 50% difference as a discrepancy in the era of game management by the refs? Their identity is still soft. Sure they have guys like Muzzin and Simmonds and to some degree Hyman but the main core is still skilled and soft. Marner, Tavares, Nylander, Matthews and Rielly are hardly physically hard to play against

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Leafs through 9 games

TOI Shorthanded 61:44

TOI Power Play 41:19

While some of that can be explained because of good special team play it's a ridiculous discrepancy for a soft skilled team like the Leafs

Even with the penalty discrepancy, the Leafs are still better off with lots of penalties called in the game

 

[Erdinger]

Even with the penalty discrepancy, the Leafs are still better off with lots of penalties called in the game

Not against McDavid and Draisitl. Without the PP's Draisitl in particular has done little so far.

Eventually taking more penalties than the other team is going to catch up to them. Especially the weak calls they are getting against them when the refs feel the ice is getting tilted too far in the Leafs advantage

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Imo hyman's best game was with Tavares and Nylander.

That was also tavares' best game.

They're very good together on the cycle.

Thornton Matthews Marner
Hyman Tavares Nylander

Looks like our best bet for the top 6. Not a fan of Vesey or Mikheyev in the top 6. Joe isn't a great option either tbh though. Maybe Robertson can get a shot there?

 

[Zybalto]

What's the discrepancy? Why is TOR considered soft skilled in the 21 season?

The Leafs Hits differential/Games Played currently sits at -8.556

That leads the league. Part of it is the fact teams are usually chasing our fast skilled players around and another is that we dont play a heavy game....pretty "soft" team in the traditional sense.

The next "softest" teams would be Winnipeg and Buffalo to round out the top three.

Anyone have any data on how their penalty differential is looking?

 

[Nylander88]

Lehtonen mentioned Spezza has been great for him on and off the ice. Also saw him working alot with Robertson last season. Great teammate.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Leafs through 9 games

TOI Shorthanded 61:44

TOI Power Play 41:19

While some of that can be explained because of good special team play it's a ridiculous discrepancy for a soft skilled team like the Leafs

How are we a soft skilled team when we have enforcers like Kerfoot taking 3 penalties a game? I'm surprised we haven't had any suspensions yet to be honest, someone needs to stop us before we hospitalize an opponent.

 

[dfunk]

Just a matter of time before Soup starts scoring, needs to get the monkey off his back then he will be putting up decent numbers.

Who is soup anyway? Lol sorry I’m out of the loop

 

[stickty111]

Who is soup anyway? Lol sorry I’m out of the loop

Mikhayev

 

[dfunk]

Mikhayev

Why soup?

 

[Puckstuff]

The stat i'm paying a lot of attention to this year is goals against per game.

Leafs have the 11th best goals against per game in the league, tied with Columbus. I'd love to see us move in to the top 5 it's a great indication we're becoming more then a good team but an elite team.

TB
Boston
Dallas
Islanders
Devils
Carolina
Arizona
Ana
Min
Colorado
Vegas

These teams are ahead of us. You can see the best teams you may think of (TB, Boston, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas) are all in the top 10.

Note - we have the best goals against per game average in our division.

 

[Leaf4Life]

Why soup?

Yikes. Are you sure you're a leaf fan?

He likes soup.

 

[Optimist]

Why soup?

When he first came here, all he talked about is how much he likes soup. Believe it or not. lol

 

[crump]

Missed soup, everyone eats soup in Russia.

 

[diehardleafsfan9878]

I stumbled onto this site, they keep some interesting stats about the refs. Looks like we get one of the two from last game back, Skilliter#24

Today’s NHL Referees and Linesmen – 1/30/21

Skilliter has a home team winning pecentage of 63% that is insane. The more insane part is that there are 2 refs with a HIGHER home winning %.

 

[zeke]

They're very good together on the cycle.

Thornton Matthews Marner
Hyman Tavares Nylander

Looks like our best bet for the top 6. Not a fan of Vesey or Mikheyev in the top 6. Joe isn't a great option either tbh though. Maybe Robertson can get a shot there?

Yeah and I think Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Engvall would be a beast 3rd line, and Simmonds/Spezza/Vesey/Boyd/Robertson/Anderson more than fine for the 4th line.

And yeah I wouldn't mind seeing most any of those guys in the 4th line mix get a shot at that top line spot if Thornton fades.

It would also be the perfect spot to fill with a deadline trade.

 

[willmma]

Missed soup, everyone eats soup in Russia.

Yup. Soup reminds him of home.

 

[Cotton]

The Leafs Hits differential/Games Played currently sits at -8.556

That leads the league. Part of it is the fact teams are usually chasing our fast skilled players around and another is that we dont play a heavy game....pretty "soft" team in the traditional sense.

The next "softest" teams would be Winnipeg and Buffalo to round out the top three.

Anyone have any data on how their penalty differential is looking?

I was looking at penalty differentials today actually, over a 5 year period.

The largest differential in the league in each of the past 5 seasons.

16-17. Diff 1.4
17-18. Diff 1.7
18-19. Diff 1.9
19-20. Diff 1.7
20-21. Diff 3.7

Toronto’s Differentials
16-17. 0.3
17-18. 0.1
18-19. 0.6
19-20. 0.0
20-21. 3.4

Toronto’s opponents are averaging 3.4 minutes more on the PP per game. This is the 3rd largest gap in the league after St.Louis and Buffalo at 3.7 (Though they both see more PP time than their opponents)

The actual numbers. PIM/G - oPIM/G
Winnipeg 8.7/11.7
Buffalo 4.9/8.6
Toronto 10.6/7.2