TSN: McGuire: Expect Leafs to be a 'home ice' team in Eastern Conference playoffs

[Ratboy]

Oh for sure, it was trap all the way and let Brodeur be awesome.

The system benefited Martin as much as he aided the system.

I wonder what his numbers would've been like on a bad team?

 

[Ricky Bobby]

When your best acquisition over the summer for the big club this year who is Marleau, it just raises eyebrows. The team for the most part is exactly the same from last year. Then again we are a young team and I wouldn't trade any of the big three.

You can't always get what you want. What Dman was available by the time they signed Marleau?

Leafs tried for Hamonic but that's a big price that the Flames paid for a 2nd pair guy. Then in the UFA market Shattenkirk was going to the Rangers all along as had been long speculated. Alzner got a 5 year term that comes with a lot of risk that wouldn't have worked for the Leafs.

Marleau, Hainsey and Moore will all help on the defensive side. The forwards were a big part of of the team's defensive issues last season. Neither Hainsey or Moore got significant term. Marleau meanwhile got a deal that clearly is set up for us to be able to unload in the 3rd year with how it was front loaded.

 

[Bluelines]

Marleau, Hainsey and Moore will all help on the defensive side. The forwards were a big part of of the team's defensive issues last season. Neither Hainsey or Moore got significant term. Marleau meanwhile got a deal that clearly is set up for us to be able to unload in the 3rd year with how it was front loaded.

Yep and they add speed, experience, defencive acumen and they are low maintenance guys, guys that do the right thing right and don't have to be told where to be , or what to do to put the team first.

Smart buys.

 

[Burke the Legend]

The Leafs' offence is probably good enough even in there's a setback (injuries, declines from career years) but last year was the first in a while they crawled out (just barely) of the bottom 5 of league GA.

They are going to really have to dramatically improve that GA to finish with say 100 points and although another year of Babcock should help incrementally, to punch into that top 2 finish I think you might need Andersen to have a breakout year.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Ok ,,then Top 1....

From recent history, I have these goalies ahead of him: Hasek, Roy, Belfour, Dryden and Parent. Going further back there are more.

 

[Bluelines]

From recent history, I have these goalies ahead of him: Hasek, Roy, Belfour, Dryden and Parent. Going further back there are more.

If I had a glove close I'd smack you... sacrilege...

I suppose you would rank Stevie Y low too? ...

I know there is no tone in text but I'm just playing with you.

 

[LeafFever]

When your best acquisition over the summer for the big club this year who is Marleau, it just raises eyebrows. The team for the most part is exactly the same from last year. Then again we are a young team and I wouldn't trade any of the big three.

Why would they get anyone better than Marleau? What were you expecting exactly? The team made great strides and has aa great future.

 

[biotk]

They are going to really have to dramatically improve that GA to finish with say 100 points

If they had a decent shootout record last year, instead of being last in the league, they could have finished with 100 points and the exact same number of GA.

 

[Nylanderthal]

If they had a decent shootout record last year, instead of being last in the league, they could have finished with 100 points and the exact same number of GA.

Yup going 6-3 in the SO instead of 1-8 we would of had 100pts.

 

[Lightsol]

Remember Babcock wanted Hanifin not Marner at the draft (Dman not winger), and Shanny and Lou have Cup rings based on "Defense wins Championships" so the team is aware of these methods.

Told ya. THIS is what pisses Mess off so much. If he were GM, we'd never bother to draft wingers, because wingers are "worthless".

 

[Gary Nylund]

If I had a glove close I'd smack you... sacrilege...

I suppose you would rank Stevie Y low too? ...

I know there is no tone in text but I'm just playing with you.

Yeah, I have 99 ahead of Stevie Y, maybe a couple of others.

 

[zeke]

Oh for sure, it was trap all the way and let Brodeur be awesome.

The system benefited Martin as much as he aided the system.

I wonder what his numbers would've been like on a bad team?

that trap team was a top-5 offense in the nhl over their 4-5yr string of dominance around the turn of the millenium.

 

[Mess]

Told ya. THIS is what pisses Mess off so much. If he were GM, we'd never bother to draft wingers, because wingers are "worthless".

Simply team building priorities.

#1G, #1D, #1C .... Wingers

"Build from the goalie out through strong defense and strength down the middle".

The best way to fill these positions is drafting and developing your own, as its hard to find them via trade and the cost is generally prohibitive.

I think GM and coach will in time continue to move in this direction as the Leafs continue to increase competitiveness and challenge for the Cup.

 

[nsleaf]

offense = defense + goaltending

Why do you separate the goaltender from the defense? Isn't the tender part of the defense?
I believe CORSI will reveal that he certainly is not on offence.

 

[Gary Nylund]

offense = defense + goaltending

I don't know about that. I've seen more than one playoff series where goaltending > offence + defense.

Bottom line, goaltending is a whole world unto itself.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

I don't know about that. I've seen more than one playoff series where goaltending > offence + defense.

Bottom line, goaltending is a whole world unto itself.

Yea but goaltending is so volatile. In the sense that a hot goaltender can steal a playoff series, yes I think that's true and we've all seen it so often and can alone be a deciding factor so long offence/defence were otherwise fairly close in a matchup. But you don't have control over when your goalie gets hot. The best you can do is find a steady goaltender and put a steady team defensive system in front of them, and if they get hot at the right time they could happen to steal you a championship. If they don't, then you can still win.

So just talking about the overall body of work and quality of your goaltender, I would agree with Zeke that offence = defence + goaltending, with the caveat that both offence and defence are shared by all the forwards and defenders on the ice.

Needless to say, I think all this talk about getting a defender to improve our SA is not necessarily sound logic on its own. For example, it could be a matter of our forwards having more experience and putting themselves in better positions to receive a first pass from the defensive zone that significantly improves our SA.

 

[Mess]

Yea but goaltending is so volatile. In the sense that a hot goaltender can steal a playoff series, yes I think that's true and we've all seen it so often and can alone be a deciding factor so long offence/defence were otherwise fairly close in a matchup. But you don't have control over when your goalie gets hot. The best you can do is find a steady goaltender and put a steady team defensive system in front of them, and if they get hot at the right time they could happen to steal you a championship. If they don't, then you can still win.

Who would you prefer Carey Price or Auston Matthews in terms controlling the outcome of a game?.

A #1G trumps all others when it comes to potential success.

An All-star goalie + average defense + average offense >> An average goalie + average defense + All-Star forward.

Crosby might carry the offense by Pens aren't winning anything without Matt Murray, particular when a scoring forward is kept off the scoreboard in a game.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Who would you prefer Carey Price or Auston Matthews in terms controlling the outcome of a game?.

A #1G trumps all others when it comes to potential success.

An All-star goalie + average defense + average offense >> An average goalie + average defense + All-Star forward.

Crosby might carry the offense by Pens aren't winning anything without Matt Murray, particular when a scoring forward is kept off the scoreboard in a game.

AM at $10m or Carey Price at $10m? Definitely AM. No question.

 

[zeke]

Why do you separate the goaltender from the defense? Isn't the tender part of the defense?
I believe CORSI will reveal that he certainly is not on offence.

I'm not separating them. I am including them.

Goaltenders are a huge part of team goals against.

It's you guys that are seperating them by implying that team goals against is just about defensemen.

Goals For and Goals Against are equally important.

But Goaltending is not really a part of goals for, while being a massive part of goals against.

Therefore,

Team offense = Team defense + Goaltending

 

[zeke]

Simply team building priorities.

#1G, #1D, #1C .... Wingers

"Build from the goalie out through strong defense and strength down the middle".

The best way to fill these positions is drafting and developing your own, as its hard to find them via trade and the cost is generally prohibitive.

I think GM and coach will in time continue to move in this direction as the Leafs continue to increase competitiveness and challenge for the Cup.

I think it becomes even truer if you post it like this:

"Build from the goalie out through strong defense and strength down the middle".

 

[ACC1224]

Simply team building priorities.

#1G, #1D, #1C .... Wingers

"Build from the goalie out through strong defense and strength down the middle".

The best way to fill these positions is drafting and developing your own, as its hard to find them via trade and the cost is generally prohibitive.

I think GM and coach will in time continue to move in this direction as the Leafs continue to increase competitiveness and challenge for the Cup.

Yes that's very important.

Who are you quoting?

 

[Gary Nylund]

Yea but goaltending is so volatile. In the sense that a hot goaltender can steal a playoff series, yes I think that's true and we've all seen it so often and can alone be a deciding factor so long offence/defence were otherwise fairly close in a matchup. But you don't have control over when your goalie gets hot. The best you can do is find a steady goaltender and put a steady team defensive system in front of them, and if they get hot at the right time they could happen to steal you a championship. If they don't, then you can still win.

All this is true, agree 100%.

So just talking about the overall body of work and quality of your goaltender, I would agree with Zeke that offence = defence + goaltending, with the caveat that both offence and defence are shared by all the forwards and defenders on the ice.

I still say goaltending is a world unto itself but I guess that's just semantics so whatever.

Needless to say, I think all this talk about getting a defender to improve our SA is not necessarily sound logic on its own. For example, it could be a matter of our forwards having more experience and putting themselves in better positions to receive a first pass from the defensive zone that significantly improves our SA.

Agree 100% with this as well. Defense is a team game and this is often overlooked in these discussions.

 

[Vexed]

AM at $10m or Carey Price at $10m? Definitely AM. No question.

I agree with you. For the most part, in the cap world, I think having a goalie at that sort of cap hit is a detriment to the rest of the squad.

 

[Mess]

Yes that's very important.

Who are you quoting?

Pretty much any GM/Coach past and present.

 

[Bluelines]

Yeah, I have 99 ahead of Stevie Y, maybe a couple of others.

I'm breaking up with you!