Playoffs of Laine/Matthews

[BB88]

It's cause #1C's usually cannot risk making hits because it puts them out of possession. They need to dictate the play, be defensively responsible and be aware of the developing play. Hitting mostly puts people out of possession. That's why you rarely see #1C's hitting and wingers are always hitting, because they don't have the same responsibility.

Off the top of your head, what active #1C is physical?

Look at the compete level of Bergeron, he's a #1C and he battles, not just in hits.

Laine enjoys playoff type games.

 

[DashingDane]

It changes nothing. Matthews is the better overall player.
And BTW, calm down on this it's been 2 games. Matthews looked great last season in the playoffs and you've forgotten already. Matthews had 5 points in 6 games against the caps.
NHL fans today are all about what happened last night.

Please tell me what happened last night

 

[Couchcaptain]

Matthews is going against the best line in hockey. It's precisely situations like this that make comparing playoff numbers between players so iffy. The competition players face is so different.

If Laine has a Conn Smythe-esque dominating performance, then that's probably enough to sway him above Matthews. Otherwise, no.

He's already above Matthews, by a fair margin. It just seems to be some kind of tabu here to say it out loud, why is that, is beyond me.

 

[kyle o connor]

It’s a good thing the Leafs picked up a veteran like Marleau to teach him how to consistently disappoint in the playoffs...

 

[rent free]

no it doesn't and shouldn't. matthews is facing the best line in hockey with playing with a grinder on his left wing (hyman gm 1 komarov gm 2) where as laine is playing with much better linemates against an easier opponent.

 

[Laineux]

He's already above Matthews, by a fair margin. It just seems to be some kind of tabu here to say it out loud, why is that, is beyond me.

Laine's play in the 2nd half was in that tier, but I'm having a hard time putting him above Matthews. Laine struggled heavily in the 1st half and as a whole there's not much debate that Matthews was better than Laine this past regular season. He was consistently an elite impact player.

Now if Laine keeps playing like he has in the past couple of months then it's definitely worthy of discussion.

 

[Chimpradamus]

I don't even care about this comparison, because it's irrelevant. Bruins are a much more competitive team than Minnesota at this point and have their wheels rolling, while Minnesota doesn't have anything going for them. It's not comparable and I'm even more of a Laine fan than a Matthews fan.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

Hit tracking is weird. With all the hits last game I bet they missed a fair portion of them. That 2nd game against the Wild was probably the most physical game of the entire playoffs so far.

The stats don't say what I want so I'll ignore them.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

He's already above Matthews, by a fair margin. It just seems to be some kind of tabu here to say it out loud, why is that, is beyond me.

Laine's claim to fame is scoring goals and yet Matthews scores as much or more.

 

[Daximus]

The stats don't say what I want so I'll ignore them.

It also says Little and Stastny have 0 hits which is simply not true. Buff is tagged with 12. Anyone whose anyone knows that hits aren't tracked with 100% accuracy. Unless you are implying they are? In which case I question your knowledge of how stats are tracked.

 

[Daximus]

Laine's claim to fame is scoring goals and yet Matthews scores as much or more.

The stats don't say what I want them to so I ignore them.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

Ever wonder how Laine would make out if he was going up against Bergeron, Marchand, Chara & McAvoy? I do.

 

[Lempo]

Ever wonder how Laine would make out if he was going up against Bergeron, Marchand, Chara & McAvoy? I do.

Yeah I'm not gonna judge.

 

[Saitama]

Ever wonder how Laine would make out if he was going up against Bergeron, Marchand, Chara & McAvoy? I do.

I hope we get to find out!

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

Yeah I'm not gonna judge.

Well played sir.

 

[Daximus]

Ever wonder how Laine would make out if he was going up against Bergeron, Marchand, Chara & McAvoy? I do.

We're not to sure our 4th line of Lowry, Copp and Tanev were to busy completely shutting them down the last time we played them. Oh yeah and that line also scored on them twice at ES and once shorthanded so....

Pasta -3
Marchand - 3
Bergeron -2

Our 4th line basically owned them.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

We're not to sure our 4th line of Lowry, Copp and Tanev were to busy completely shutting them down the last time we played them. Oh yeah and that line also scored on them twice at ES and once shorthanded so....

Pasta -3
Marchand - 3
Bergeron -2

Our 4th line basically owned them.

Get out of here talking about regular season games. Leafs have been 7-1 against Boston last two years and that don’t mean jack.

 

[Daximus]

Get out of here talking about regular season games. Leafs have been 7-1 against Boston last two years and that don’t mean jack.

Not if your players can't step up in the playoffs it doesn't. Bostons obviously can.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

Not if your players can't step up in the playoffs it doesn't.

You think your 4th line can shut down the Bergeron line in the playoffs lol. Good one chum, its obvious you have no clue what you’re talking about.

 

[Kuhta]

Not that concerned about the points, but Matthews has really looked weak at times.

 

[BB88]

Ever wonder how Laine would make out if he was going up against Bergeron, Marchand, Chara & McAvoy? I do.

The bar right now isn't too.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

The bar right now isn't too high for that.

Insightful rebuttal bud.

 

[Daximus]

You think your 4th line can shut down the Bergeron line in the playoffs lol. Good one chum, its obvious you have no clue what you’re talking about.

They've done it before. Then again they've shut down a lot of teams top lines this year. Look into it they are actually pretty good, chum.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

Will these playoffs change the unanimous belief held by everybody outside of Jets fans that Matthews is better than Laine if these two players continue on their trajectories?

To me, and im sure everybody else, Matthews has been invisible and the Jets are scorching hot with Laine leading the charge. In this up and down fluctuation of determining who is the better player, has Laine surpassed Matthews for the time being?

Why do you think one playoff determines the better player? That is absurd.

 

[BB88]

Insightful rebuttal bud.

0+0, team down 0-2.

Like I said above Laine enjoys these types of games.

I do expect Matthews to get a few points in Toronto, 0+0 for the whole series seems unlikely.