GDT: Toronto Maple Leafs (12-12-7) @ Colorado Avalanche (11-19-1) | 9PM EST | TSN4

[MapleLeafs9]

My 1st ever GDT, here it goes...maybe I can be anti-Cor.

Toronto Maple Leafs (12-12-7) @ Colorado Avalanche (11-19-1)
Pepsi Center
9PM EST
TSN4

The Maple Leafs look to bounce back vs Avalanche after giving up a goal with 6:52 left in the 3rd period to lose vs the Ducks on Monday. Freddy Andersen gets the start tonight.



Forwards
van Riemsdyk - Kadri - Marner
Hyman - Matthews - Brown
Komarov - Gauthier - Soshnikov
Martin - Froese - Nylander

Defence
Rielly - Zaitsev
Gardiner - Carrick
Hunwick - Polak

Goalies
Andersen
Bibeau

Extras/Injuries
Smith (Hand surgery)
Bozak (lower body)
Marincin (lower body)
Corrado
Leivo



Forwards
Landeskog - MacKinnon - Bourque
Grigorenko - Duchene - Rantanen
Comeau - Mitchell - Iginla
Martinsen - Soderberg - McLeod

Defence
Tyutin - Barrie
Wiercioch - Zadarov
Beauchemin - Gelinas

Goalies
Varlamov
Pickard

(Avalanche lineup taken from their board in last GDT, could be changes)

GO LEAFS GO!​

Click to read more...

 

[Albi34]

seeing brown hyman sosh komorov and goat all playing ahead of nylander makes my blood boil lol

 

[mcleex]

Why don't they just put Nylander as 3rd line C and move Gauthier to the 4th line

 

[AINEC*]

seeing brown hyman sosh komorov and goat all playing ahead of nylander makes my blood boil lol

Grit grind, baby

 

[CDP]

Nylander demoted again? Really?

 

[Budsfan]

Maple Leafs at Colorado Avalanche: Thursday NHL preview

Nathan MacKinnon and the last-place Avalanche surprised the Leafs last time out.

By Mark ZwolinskiSports reporter
Wed., Dec. 21, 2016

PEPSI CENTER

FACEOFF: 9 p.m.

TV: TSN4

RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN

KEY PLAYERS

Rielly and MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche scored a highlight-reel goal in Toronto on Dec. 11. MacKinnon, one of the NHL’s best skaters and always dangerous in open ice, took an accidental high stick to the face but kept on going, deking Morgan Rielly and another Leaf before popping a wrist shot past goalie Antoine Bibeau in a 3-1 win.

NEED TO KNOW

Colorado has lost four straight after a 2-0 setback against Minnesota on Tuesday. The Avs, who were shutout for the sixth time this season, rank last in the NHL in goals for and against and goal differential at minus-34. . . . They’re ranked 22nd on the power play — 0 for 5 against the Wild — and penalty kill. . . . They did manage 18 first-period shots in the loss to Minnesota, but just three in the third. . . . The win over the Leafs was one of just two in their last 13 games. . . . No. 1 goalie Semyon Varlamov stopped 31 of 33 shots in Minnesota after missing three games with a groin injury. He was also in net for the win in Toronto, when he stopped a whopping 51 of 52 shots the Leafs took that night.

UP NEXT

Friday at Arizona Coyotes, 9 p.m.

 

[GoonieFace]

Nylander demoted again? Really?

No he is still with the Leafs. People need to relax with this Nylander nonsense. He needs to show a compete level every night, and if he isnt doing that than he should be moved to the 4th line

 

[Pi]

No he is still with the Leafs. People need to relax with this Nylander nonsense. He needs to show a compete level every night, and if he isnt doing that than he should be moved to the 4th line

Hyman penalty led to the game winning goal.

 

[CDP]

No he is still with the Leafs. People need to relax with this Nylander nonsense. He needs to show a compete level every night, and if he isnt doing that than he should be moved to the 4th line

'compete level' good one.

I'm a big fan of Babcock, and I'm all for earning your spot and whatnot, but Nylander isn't the only one of our young guys making mistakes. He had been playing pretty well up to this point and it seems he's the only one consistently getting banished to the 4th line for every little perceived wrongdoing. I don't really get it, that's all.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[ACC1224]

Hyman penalty led to the game winning goal.

It happens but games are rarely decided on one play, that game wasn't either.
Nylander fault on the 2nd goal was much worse and I'm sure there were many other plays that contributed to the loss.

 

[Cor]

There's a difference between a lazy play leading to a goal, and a penalty of frustration after being hit in the head, which didn't get called.

 

[A1LeafNation]

'compete level' good one.

I'm a big fan of Babcock, and I'm all for earning your spot and whatnot, but Nylander isn't the only one of our young guys making mistakes. He had been playing pretty well up to this point and it seems he's the only one consistently getting banished to the 4th line for every little perceived wrongdoing. I don't really get it, that's all.

They have higher expectations for nylander. IMO the Nylander line is the third line not the 4th line. Gauthier and Soshnikov are the 4th line.

 

[ACC1224]

They have higher expectations for nylander. IMO the Nylander line is the third line not the 4th line. Gauthier and Soshnikov are the 4th line.

It certainly could be seen that way.

 

[saltming]

My 1st ever GDT, here it goes...maybe I can be anti-Cor.

Perhaps change your user name to "Aunt Cor"? Hahaha

Should be a fast game. I think we get a win. Kids are hungry.

 

[egd27]

Here's an idea.......let's not worry so much about how some twitter post lists the lines and see how many minutes Nylander actually plays tonight.

 

[Suntouchable13]

You guys get obsessed with line numbering too much. There is no line 1 or 2 or 3 or 4.

 

[iBlaze81]

People need to chill, even tho Nylander is listed on the 4th Line, he doesn't get 4th line minutes. Nylander will go up and down between the 4th line and the Matthews line. If you notice the last time this happened, Nylander played on the PP and after the PK when Brown or Hyman was killing Penalties, Matthews and Nylander jumped on right after. Also if Nylander has jump to his game Babs will put him on the Matthews line. It's all about line match ups since when have the 1st change. Nylander just has to earn Babs' defensive trust on road.

 

[The CyNick]

Why don't they just put Nylander as 3rd line C and move Gauthier to the 4th line

Because Nylander checking the other team's best line would be a nightmare.

Matthews is locked in as the 2nd scoring line centre.

The question with Nylander becomes do you put him in the middle of the #1 scoring line like they did against the Ducks or do you put Kadri in that spot. They chose to put Kadri, likely because Nylander was careless with the puck, so he's being punished. That leaves a hole in Kadri's like (the checking line). The Goat is a better fit in that spot than Willy.

Another reason he's on the 4th line is they seem to be testing out Matthews against other team's top line. Again, in the game against the Ducks Matthews saw minutes against Getzlaf. If the coaches see Nylander as a defensive liability, then you don't want him on Matthews wing going up against other team's top line.

Never fear, Nylander will likely get spot shifts on the wing with Matthews following Leafs penalty kill situations. He's gotta be responsible with the puck and he'll get moved up the lineup. Simple as that. Up to the player.

I find there's a general lack of understanding of roles within a lineup in this forum. It's like some people think you just rank players at each position 1 through 4 and that's how the lines are drawn up. It's more complex than that.

 

[Lauro]

Poor Leivo sitting on the bench again because Nylander isn't able to play C yet :-(

 

[Keato]

i could be imagining things, but isn't the purpose of putting Nylander on the 4th to spread out our scoring on the road, so not having last change doesn't hurt as much?

 

[zeke]

Our road record sucks with Babcock's theory of playing nylander/marner on the 4th line. We keep getting down early and then he ends up moving the guy back up to a scoring line and then we start dominating but rarely come all the way back from the hole already dug.

Maybe his road lineup philosophy isn't working.

 

[ACC1224]

Our road record sucks with Babcock's theory of playing nylander/marner on the 4th line. We keep getting down early and then he ends up moving the guy back up to a scoring line and then we start dominating but rarely come all the way back from the hole already dug.

Maybe his road lineup philosophy isn't working.

For comparison what was the road record before and since this change?

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Think I'll die of shock if that Goat Soshnikov Komarov line scores.

 

[StatsNightHeroes]

Too bad they don't have Nylander at C and Leivo in. Bothers me seeing Froese in the lineup over Leivo.

Colorado isn't very good so I don't see why Matthews needs to be sheltered.

JVR-Matthews-Marner
Leivo-Nylander- Hyman (sheltered)
Sosh- Kadri- Komarov
Brown- Gauthier- Martin