GDT: Senators @ Leafs 7PM Sportsnet/CBC

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MapleLeafs9

Registered User
Sep 22, 2011
7,740
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Only three pages yet? Wow, the enthusiasm didn't last long.

I'm sure they'll play much better tonight, have fun, I'll watch it in the morning.
What? lol

Don't worry about it, the GDT will be goin'
 
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smitty10

Registered User
Aug 6, 2009
9,805
2,643
Toronto
Im expecting a higher scoring game for the leafs tonight.

My main focus on watching the game besides winning will be solely on Hainsey aka Hainsolak or Polainsey. He looked literally terrible out there the first game and preseason. Doesnt skate for pucks instead waits for the oppenent to get the puck then he tries to angle himself near that oppenent because hes so slow. He looks like he fell of a cliff but I never use a 1 game sample size so we shall see. My eyes will be glued to his play.
I'm hoping he can find his groove and be effective again. He never should have been slotted in our top 4. An improvement in play from him would make him a cert good third pairing guy. I would be happy with that.
 

supermann_98

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May 8, 2002
9,433
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Babcock says Hainsey is the only guy upto speed everyone one is still catching up. What the hell did I miss the last game? I watched the entire game - did I miss something regarding Hainsey?

Babs can be really confusing sometimes with his mind games, probably just pumping Hainsey’s tires a bit because it was obvious he absolutely sucked last game against a fast team like the Habs.

He’ll be much more in his element against teams like the bruins or the western teams with size, but yeah, last game he was a tire fire
 

Pi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2010
48,856
13,830
Toronto
I am done blaming our D, I consistently watch teams whose personnel on D is terrible have better breakout schemes. The problem is almost entirely on our breakout schemes. IIRC, DJ Smith handles our defense. Either he's the problem or Babcock is the problem.

They need to fix it before the playoffs begin this season or we'll continue to put up 3-3.5 goals in the regular season and then wonder what the hell happened in the playoffs.
 

Puckstuff

Registered User
May 12, 2010
11,037
3,267
Milton
Does anyone think our 4th line wingers are better then our first line wingers?

I'd rather see

Johnsson-Kapanen
Marleau-Marner
Leivo-Brown
Hyman-Ennis
 
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LeafGrief

Shambles in my brain
Apr 10, 2015
7,616
9,532
Ottawa
Super stoked!

The three players I'm watching closely this game are:

1. Matthews - He's dynamite this year
2. Marner - Want to see him get on the scoresheet and really take over a game.
3. Dermott - Looked really good against Montreal, he's #1 on my list of players that I'm hoping to see big improvements from.
 

Blanche Blanche

Torontoooooo
Dec 2, 2017
3,449
3,455
Toronto
I am done blaming our D, I consistently watch teams whose personnel on D is terrible have better breakout schemes. The problem is almost entirely on our breakout schemes. IIRC, DJ Smith handles our defense. Either he's the problem or Babcock is the problem.

They need to fix it before the playoffs begin this season or we'll continue to put up 3-3.5 goals in the regular season and then wonder what the hell happened in the playoffs.

Glad its not just me.
Last season this fiasco was levied on the likes of Polak, Komarov and Martin and sophomore slumping 20 year olds.

This season however, should be a VAST improvement for possession and break outs due to our roster. If its like this come mid season - DJ smith and Babs need to get the hot seat.
 
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Pi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2010
48,856
13,830
Toronto
Glad its not just me.
Last season this fiasco was levied on the likes of Polak, Komarov and Martin and sophomore slumping 20 year olds.

This season however, should be a VAST improvement for possession and break outs due to our roster. If its like this come mid season - DJ smith and Babs need to get the hot seat.

Just does not make sense that a team that has Rielly, Gardiner and Dermott have trouble moving the puck. The problem isn't them... they are coached to just look for those stretch passes that get picked off or lob the puck out of the zone.

That's a very poor strategy. We can't blame the forwards for the bad possession numbers because they are coached to blow the zone.

What's left to blame?
 
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luvdahattymatty

Registered User
Apr 8, 2018
511
405
Heading downtown now for my pre-game meal. Expecting a game tonight where we score 6 plus. Could be an 8 to 4 game. Go Leafs Go!
 

Apotheosis

Registered User
Mar 27, 2014
11,605
5,140
Toronto, Ontario
I am done blaming our D, I consistently watch teams whose personnel on D is terrible have better breakout schemes. The problem is almost entirely on our breakout schemes. IIRC, DJ Smith handles our defense. Either he's the problem or Babcock is the problem.

They need to fix it before the playoffs begin this season or we'll continue to put up 3-3.5 goals in the regular season and then wonder what the hell happened in the playoffs.

I have been professing this for well over a year. Glad people are finally coming around. They are genuinely being coached to do stretch passes all the time, which causes more icings and turnovers. If they took advantage of the fact that all of our LD are mobile, we could skate the puck in or move it to mid ice and pass it off to a winger/centre who dumps it in and starts a possession cycle. But nope, can't have nice things apparently.
 
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member 298589

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I think tonight will be a better game by Toronto, but that's not saying much. Thankfully Ottawa is nearly devoid of high end talent so I think losing is unlikely.
 

Mitchy

#HFOutcasts
Jul 12, 2012
14,477
5,962
The Citadel
Ottawa's a fast team and they're going to come out with a point to prove, similar to the Habs.

We struggled against the Habs because of our horrendous breakouts and breakout defence. Hopefully, they'll be much better tonight. With our talent, as long as we're decent in the aforementioned categories, we should blow them out.
 

Blanche Blanche

Torontoooooo
Dec 2, 2017
3,449
3,455
Toronto
Just does not make sense that a team that has Rielly, Gardiner and Dermott have trouble moving the puck. The problem isn't them... they are coached to just look for those stretch passes that get picked off or lob the puck out of the zone.

That's a very poor strategy. We can't blame the forwards for the bad possession numbers because they are coached to blow the zone.

What's left to blame?

Ya i agree.

Despite our 105 Pt season, and by last years midseason, we looked way sharper, there were still more games where we looked lost in the D and N Zones.
I could only remember a few games where we played possession hockey and just dominated in textbook fashion.

Our theme last year was despite being outplayed - we would win. It showed in the playoffs.

Our talent is another notch or two higher than last year - there is another way to bring up the puck and still use speed to score.
34 - 91 - 43 up the middle FFS
 

Not My Tempo

Registered User
Feb 22, 2015
3,663
3,701
Toronto
I am done blaming our D, I consistently watch teams whose personnel on D is terrible have better breakout schemes. The problem is almost entirely on our breakout schemes. IIRC, DJ Smith handles our defense. Either he's the problem or Babcock is the problem.

They need to fix it before the playoffs begin this season or we'll continue to put up 3-3.5 goals in the regular season and then wonder what the hell happened in the playoffs.

The following are 5 v 5 only

SeasonCF%xGF%Sv%
2016-201750.3850.880.923
2017-2018 Oct51.5854.680.899
2017-2018 Nov - April49.5950.470.933
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

At the beginning of the 2017-2018 season we were playing the same systems as 2016-2017, however with our young players developing more we were basically flying, but unfortunately Andersen had a bad month and so to minimize goals against, they changed to a system that would minimize turnovers in our own zone (which neutered our offense and actually increased neutral zone turnovers)

Obviously there are sample size issue with 2017-2018 Oct as it was only 12 games. But I really do think going back to the old system would be better for this team.
 
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FrozenJagrt

Registered User
Dec 16, 2009
10,446
4,488
Really want to see Kappy play with 34
Why? What is this fascination with Kapanen? The kid's feet move too fast for his hands or brain to keep up, to the point where huge offensive opportunities die on his stick.

Secretly hoping for a Kapanen hat trick
 
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Polaris1010

Registered User
Mar 23, 2017
3,800
1,300
grandma's cellar
Does anyone think our 4th line wingers are better then our first line wingers?
I do not know why they signed Tyler Ennis. Nothing against him, but he is what he is, and undersized forward who has some skill. The Leafs got a lot of those guys.

Hyman should be back on the first line.

Matthews looked like the-playoffs-against-Boston-Matthews, they need three guys on the first line going for Matthews to be effective. Not 2, not 2½, but 3 guys.

Hyman is the answer!

:dunce:
 

dimi78

Registered User
Aug 9, 2008
4,348
294
I have been professing this for well over a year. Glad people are finally coming around. They are genuinely being coached to do stretch passes all the time, which causes more icings and turnovers. If they took advantage of the fact that all of our LD are mobile, we could skate the puck in or move it to mid ice and pass it off to a winger/centre who dumps it in and starts a possession cycle. But nope, can't have nice things apparently.

That's not true at all. Your glorifying it as it's ALL THE TIME when it isn't. They resort to this when the opponent has established a forcheck on them as a means to slow them down and turn the tides in establishing a forcheck game on the opponent instead of playing punt hockey. The problem remains with our very own inconsistent play in that regard of establishing a forcheck game. You know work exceeding your skill play to establish a cycle game and play a puck possession game. That's why Babcock keeps saying that.

You guys have it backward and flat out just don't get it. When the Leafs establish a forcheck game they're almost impossible to beat as they're the ones forcing turnovers and having the puck in positions for there skill & talent to make the mark on the game... Problem is they're skill level tends to overtake they're effort and end up thinking too much, play too much as individuals rather than 5 man units working hard towards a puck possession cycle game that ends up the root in why the opposition at times finds it easy to break out and establish a forcheck on them instead. In short they beat themselves because they don't work hard enough as groups.
 
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