Pre-Game Talk: Penguins @ Leafs - Saturday March 10th, 2018; 7pm EST

[BertCorbeau]

These long breaks suck but we're close enough to the game to start this thread up

Click to read more...

 

[taurine330]

Why such a break ? It's nowhere near Saturday.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Looking at the standings this game doesn't mean much. On the other hand, games against top teams are always interesting, a good measure of where we're at as a team and I would hope the boys are motivated after not doing so well the last few games. Here's hoping we bounce back in a big way. And if Matthews isn't back yet too bad, time for others to step up.

 

[Mugzy97]

These long breaks suck

Suck for us fans, but not for this team needing some rest and missing their best player

 

[tom leafers]

Suck for us fans, but not for this team needing some rest and missing their best player

I am most happy about freddy getting the rest. He has been a work house for us this year and he hasnt looked that great lately. Plus with andrei vasilevskiy coming out sayign hes battling fatigue, i can only imagine how andy feels

 

[ShaneFalco]

They need to put a better effort in if they want to win this
I highly doubt Matthews will play.

 

[ULF_55]

Hopefully getting some line chemistry worked out.

Maybe we'll see the Plekanec they traded for?

Don't want anything chronic so make sure Matthrews is over healed.

 

[Brock Radunske]

They need to put a better effort in if they want to win this
I highly doubt Matthews will play.

This is what gets me.
The Leafs are a good team but if they don't start trying harder/putting in the effort they're going to get embarrassed by Boston.

 

[Alerion]

These extra long breaks are killer, a steady schedule with rest would be much easier. Teams always look awful coming out of 4+ days off and I expect we'll see the same Saturday.

Would be nice if Plekanec showed up, I liked the trade at the time but he looks worse than Moore so far.

 

[Leafs1993]

I want Matthews to get rested until he is 110%...

But i miss auston

 

[Pi]

This is what gets me.
The Leafs are a good team but if they don't start trying harder/putting in the effort they're going to get embarrassed by Boston.

Why do you think that will happen?

Everyone remembers the choke in Game 7 but no one seems to remembers how bad that Leafs team was...that shouldn't have even gone to Game 7.

Leafs were counted out against Washington as well and they played 6 coin toss games against them last year.

Playoffs are a different beast, I really don't think it matters how they are playing right now, everyone naturally gives a better effort in the playoffs unless you're slumping hard into the playoffs.

Trying harder?

Since Matthews has gone down the Leafs are playing 56% CF score adjusted, that's better than the best team in the league over the course of the season. They aren't getting the bounces but besides the Washington game they have played very well. Andersen has become a little leaky recently probably because of the number of games he's played.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the way the Leafs are playing right now. It could be better but they are only in a slump in the standings, they aren't playing bad.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Why do you think that will happen?

Everyone remembers the choke in Game 7 but no one seems to remembers how bad that Leafs team was...that shouldn't have even gone to Game 7.

Leafs were counted out against Washington as well and they played 6 coin toss games against them last year.

Playoffs are a different beast, I really don't think it matters how they are playing right now, everyone naturally gives a better effort in the playoffs unless you're slumping into the playoffs.

Trying harder?

Since Matthews has gone down the Leafs are playing 56% CF score adjusted, that's better than the best team in the league over the course of the season. They aren't getting the bounces but besides the Washington game they have played very well. Andersen has become a little leaky recently probably because of the number of games he's played.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the way the Leafs are playing right now. It could be better but they are only in a slump in the standings, they aren't playing bad.

Agreed. We were just super hot for a month, then we play one bad game followed by one game where we had bad luck and people start freaking out. Some have their calculators our worrying about Florida, others are starting threads ranking who our worst player are ...

There's like a zillion things to be happy about right about now, how do so many people not see this?

 

[PuckMagi]

I doubt we win this game.

Just hoping that Columbus and Florida lose tonight.

 

[Mugzy97]

I doubt we win this game.

Just hoping that Columbus and Florida lose tonight.

I'm guessing you think if we shuffled the lines up we would without a doubt win?

 

[PuckMagi]

I'm guessing you think if we shuffled the lines up we would without a doubt win?

not without a doubt because Pittsburgh is a good team... but we would have a much better chance at winning if we didn't have our top line of Hyman - Nylander - Brown

 

[Zybalto]

Last game was a see saw affair that anyone could have won and its tough to predict what might happen the game as no Matthews for us and no Murray for the Pens. Jarry has looked better as of late after getting pulled against Boston.

Might turn out to be a high scoring affair if we have trouble with Malkin again.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

Last game was a see saw affair that anyone could have won and its tough to predict what might happen the game as no Matthews for us and no Murray for the Pens. Jarry has looked better as of late after getting pulled against Boston.

Might turn out to be a high scoring affair if we have trouble with Malkin again.

Last game the Marleau Kadri Marner line got wrecked against Malkin. I think thats why Babcock had Marner up with Willy and Komarov back on that Kadri line at practice. Lets see if it makes a difference, but I doubt it since Komarov has such a hard time exiting the zone on his off wing.

 

[glue]

We're definitely going to miss Matthews a lot for this game, but its the right decision that he takes till the March 14th game (maybe longer) to heal.

The right formula I think is 2 skilled guys and 1 one gud pro per line, right now we're just unable to do that.

With Matthews:
Hyman (gud pro)-Matthews (skill)-Nylander (skill)
Marleau(gud pro)-Kadri (skill) - Marner (skill)
JVR (skill)-Bozak (skill) - Brown (gud pro)
Komo (gud pro)-Plek (skill for a 4th line C)-Kappy (skill)

Come playoff time, if the Dman settle down and get back to playing the way they are capable of playing and Andersen plays the way he's capable of playing and we have that lineup above....I like our chances against ANY team we play. Gardner normally goes into beast mode come playoff time, so I'm hoping that happens again.

 

[Mugzy97]

not without a doubt because Pittsburgh is a good team... but we would have a much better chance at winning if we didn't have our top line of Hyman - Nylander - Brown

That's likely our 3rd line.

 

[PuckMagi]

That's likely our 3rd line.

well whatever line it is... it's not going to be good. we'd be going back to basically being a one line team again until Matthews comes back.

any line that Hyman is on is going to be bad. the only exception is if his two linemates are Matthews and Nylander because they're both so damn good that my grandma could play LW on that line and have it still be effective.

our only chance to win without Matthews is to get Nylander and Marner away from Hyman (and Komarov, Martin, etc. ) and with some skilled line mates.

 

[ACC1224]

not without a doubt because Pittsburgh is a good team... but we would have a much better chance at winning if we didn't have our top line of Hyman - Nylander - Brown

Rest easy then, that's not the top line.

 

[Schennanigans]

This years schedule is so odd.

 

[Mugzy97]

well whatever line it is... it's not going to be good. we'd be going back to basically being a one line team again until Matthews comes back.

any line that Hyman is on is going to be bad. the only exception is if his two linemates are Matthews and Nylander because they're both so damn good that my grandma could play LW on that line and have it still be effective.

our only chance to win without Matthews is to get Nylander and Marner away from Hyman (and Komarov, Martin, etc. ) and with some skilled line mates.

That's funny because I could've swore we won a bunch of games without Matthews in the lineup and Hyman on Nylander's line.

 

[Albi34]

well whatever line it is... it's not going to be good. we'd be going back to basically being a one line team again until Matthews comes back.

any line that Hyman is on is going to be bad. the only exception is if his two linemates are Matthews and Nylander because they're both so damn good that my grandma could play LW on that line and have it still be effective.

our only chance to win without Matthews is to get Nylander and Marner away from Hyman (and Komarov, Martin, etc. ) and with some skilled line mates.

I get not wanting Hyman on the top line with Matthews (I'd like to try out Marleau or Kapps), but to say any line with him will be bad is so, so wrong. He's been a solid even strength producer this year and hes a kind of player every team wants in the lineup. Ideally second or third line imo.

 

[LeafsNation75]

While the Penguins have a lot of offensive fire power let's remember we have defeated this past December and in the game they lost they were in it until the 3rd period.