Post-Game Talk: Leafs vs Sens- Preseason game 1, Tuesday September 17th 5:30, let the hockey begin

[JT AM da real deal]

It is preseason hockey. Very sloppy game.

A lot gets said when Goat is your best player. Having said that very very surprised at the improvement in his speed which was what was holding him back. If he can skate like that every game at 6ft6 then he becomes a player. Maybe a 1st rounder that pans out to a 3rd line centre over an extended time. I have always known really really big guys take a lot longer to develop. Anyways happy for him he is the underdog in the fight for his hockey career.

Spezza and Marner played OK. Clearly a lot of rust for both with the 2 bad giveaways leading to 1st and 2nd goals. Freddy was Freddy but if you watch the highlight you will see that after Spezza makes a gift pass to Ottawa defense he then comes from behind the net and totally screens Freddy. That said Freddy has to have it with a flat stick on ice. Mitch had his jump but he was a little too casual with his passes but totally understandable after missing 3 weeks of on ice camp - his timing is off.

Marincin is just not an NHL defense. So many mistakes with his hands which really hold him back. When game pace picks up he just can't hack it. Every time he is out there we are in trouble. He must have pictures on Babs.

Bracco you can see the skill and hockey sense is there but he is not fast enough to play a 2 way game yet although he is much closer. Given we have Spezza I think his fate is sealed. Next year for him.

Engvall got his chance and I think you have seen the end of him. Big man and can skate but no hockey sense.

Barrie needs a better defender with him. He makes a ton of defensive mental mistakes. Even on the empty netter he does not read the defensive side of puck/play. He was playing for a takeover, pass to him and a reverse attack. Most solid defenders would have sliden over and protected the empty net shot off the safe play up boards. But clearly he does not think like a defender. It is very obvious to anyone who has played a defender role. And we really did not see his offensive skating game which i wonder if Babs put the hooks on him. This is what makes Barrie shine. If babs is doing that to Barrie then the fans will turn on him because he clearly does not think defense first. I hope Babs has not decided to make Barrie a defensive project. Big error if that is the case.

 

[mydnyte]

Even the second goal could have been saved by Kask as well, not to excuse a giveaway-of-the-year candidate though. I don't think it's a stretch to say the Leafs were the better team in this horribly sloppy (both teams) game.

its actually very hard to make a save when you are not 'set' or expecting a shot. ...on a turnover like that, its typically a goal unless the player hits the goalie, or misses the net.

 

[therealkoho]

His acceleration is an issue, once he gets up a head of steam he looks ok but on the smaller ice acceleration is mightily important

I wouldn't mind him doing some work with Underhill and trying to mitigate that weakness somewhat, a bit like Gauthier

you don't think he worked with her all summer, along with Brooks, Gauthier and Marchement?

 

[Not My Tempo]

If I can be completely honest with you guys, I'd rather Babcock not be sold on Spezza, than fall head over heels for him like he did with Marleua, and with Babs there's no middle ground.

 

[stickty111]

I'm in the camp that thought he looked good. Not only did he play with ambitious and effective passing, I like how he read the game off the puck. He had a number of reads where he noticed problems in the neutral or defensive zone and covered holes. Kept his feet moving. Superb poise. Started a couple of effective transitions by waiting for pressure and making a good, short pass to bypass it.

His biggest issues were along the boards where he got outmuscled rather easily, and in earning space for himself in the offensive zone to utilize his great vision and passing. I don't think he'll ever be a strong board player, but he's like one step skating-wise away from being an effective NHLer in my book.

Thanks for the analysis.

 

[therealkoho]

I missed it, what did Babcock do to Spezza?

he's apparently let Spezza know that he has to "make" the team

how rude, how unprofessional, how utterly ego driven, imagine a coach expecting a player to actually earn a spot

 

[Cor]

Korshkov crushed a couple guys last night, which was nice to see. Showed some flashes of ability.

Not sure he’s a guy to fill in on the bottom 6 just yet, but who knows, if he gets more comfortable as the pre-season goes on, he very well may end up there.

 

[therealkoho]

Can we not already. Neither of you watched the game, as admitted, so don't put focus on the wrong things because other people are gonna run with it. It takes 5 mins to watch the highlights.

Goal #1: stinker by Andersen
Goal #2: high-risk and poorly executed pass right into the slot by Marner
Goal #3: empty net

Also, it's the first preseason game. Guys are rusty, faces are new, systems are changing and most of each team isn't even playing.
These early preseason games are the very definition of meaningless.

If the LeaFlanders don't express their angst at the most trivial of things then hockey just isn't worth having

 

[MyBudJT]

Korshkov crushed a couple guys last night, which was nice to see. Showed some flashes of ability.

Not sure he’s a guy to fill in on the bottom 6 just yet, but who knows, if he gets more comfortable as the pre-season goes on, he very well may end up there.

You might not like me saying this, but he stood out just as much (if not more) than Bracco, too me.

 

[inthe6ix]

Can we not already. Neither of you watched the game, as admitted, so don't put focus on the wrong things because other people are gonna run with it. It takes 5 mins to watch the highlights.

Goal #1: stinker by Andersen
Goal #2: high-risk and poorly executed pass right into the slot by Marner
Goal #3: empty net

Also, it's the first preseason game. Guys are rusty, faces are new, systems are changing and most of each team isn't even playing.
These early preseason games are the very definition of meaningless.

just saw the highlights

sorry, thought you would have caught on with my meh and wake me up oct 2 comment

time for coffee i guess

 

[Cor]

You might not like me saying this, but he stood out just as much (if not more) than Bracco, too me.

Bracco was fine. Made a few nice plays. I’d like to see him with some NHL finishers. Even if it’s just a game with Mikheyev and Kerfoot for example.

But i think your statement says more about Korshkov. He was noticeable for the right reasons. If he keeps laying out hits like he did last night, he’ll quickly become a favourite around here

 

[inthe6ix]

Bracco was fine. Made a few nice plays. I’d like to see him with some NHL finishers. Even if it’s just a game with Mikheyev and Kerfoot for example.

But i think your statement says more about Korshkov. He was noticeable for the right reasons. If he keeps laying out hits like he did last night, he’ll quickly become a favourite around here

how was bracco's skating? saw a yahoo clip where kappy was saying bracco has vision but his skating is not pretty

tough commentary coming from kap who skates the like the wind and makes it look easy

 

[JT AM da real deal]

how was bracco's skating? saw a yahoo clip where kappy was saying bracco has vision but his skating is not pretty

tough commentary coming from kap who skates the like the wind and makes it look easy

He is likely never going to be a good skater. He was never a good skater from time he was a kid. But he is getting better. He is showing signs of improvement. But like poster above said it would be nice to see him with an NHL level finisher. But I can't see him maing it this year with spezza here. If Spezza gets cut then I think he has a chance. But can't see Babs having 2 slow guys on the squad.

 

[Sypher04]

I didn't think Bracco really stood out in any real way in the game. Neither negatively or positively. It is however only the first preseason game. But he'll need to show a lot more if he's gonna force his way onto this roster

 

[GoonieFace]

I missed it, what did Babcock do to Spezza?

Nothing really, just people overreacting.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Nothing really, just people overreacting.

Babs is setting us up for a cut which is mutually agreeable. He is clearly not happy with something. Everyone thought Spezza was a sure thing after he signed and now we are all wondering if he is going to be on the team. or maybe it is Babs way of talking to get Spezza more fired up to make team. Something is not right.

 

[Heisen]

Marner really earned his 100mil+

Defensive trade acquisitions don’t play good defense

Babcock slamming guys already



Everyone fired in May

 

[Mess]

Maybe offensively.

Defensively, not really. The guy was constantly getting beat and was out of position far too many times for a team of that quality. Muzzin wasn't much better at least, so hopefully both get better. Otherwise it's looking like he'll just be a RD-version of Gardiner with better offensive skills... Which is not what the Leafs need.

Fair assessment.

I've described Barrie best as a "Rover". He seems like RHD version of Gardiner who is better aggressive offensively, but not as strong defensively.

Fans are not going to like his play without the puck at times and he struggles in his own zone defensively mainly do to being out of position, and overpowered at times due to his size against bigger forwards.

 

[pspot]

not sure what people expect from GOAT, i thought he looked good
I also thought Schmaltz looked really strong and should be in the running for that bottom pairing RHD

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Korshkov crushed a couple guys last night, which was nice to see. Showed some flashes of ability.

Not sure he’s a guy to fill in on the bottom 6 just yet, but who knows, if he gets more comfortable as the pre-season goes on, he very well may end up there.

He seems like the guy who will replace Mikheyev next year when he likely prices himself out.

 

[MyBudJT]

He seems like the guy who will replace Mikheyev next year when he likely prices himself out.

I don't think he will price himself out. He will make Johnsson expendable.

 

[Beanzy]

Only preseason game #1 in the books and we are getting some scorching hot takes in here lol. I like to wait until at least the 20 game mark of the regular season before I spiral into a deep depression over every little mistake each player makes.

 

[Thissiteisgarbage]

Babs is setting us up for a cut which is mutually agreeable. He is clearly not happy with something. Everyone thought Spezza was a sure thing after he signed and now we are all wondering if he is going to be on the team. or maybe it is Babs way of talking to get Spezza more fired up to make team. Something is not right.

Slow? Have you seen him play more than last night? Read every scouting report on him - they all credit him with above average skating/speed. He ain't slow, just has a very unorthodox style to his stride. It doesn't look "pretty" and more along what Kapannen probably meant by his comments.

 

[MyBudJT]

Only preseason game #1 in the books and we are getting some scorching hot takes in here lol. I like to wait until at least the 20 game mark of the regular season before I spiral into a deep depression over every little mistake each player makes.

I think its about time people start getting out of the "This team sucks and everything they do is wrong" mentality. That was so 2016. .

Hockey is a game of mistakes... but our team will make a lot less of them than most other NHL teams.

 

[MJ65]

Babs is setting us up for a cut which is mutually agreeable. He is clearly not happy with something. Everyone thought Spezza was a sure thing after he signed and now we are all wondering if he is going to be on the team. or maybe it is Babs way of talking to get Spezza more fired up to make team. Something is not right.

Just after 1 pre season game you have given your (expert) verdict - great