Pre-Game Talk: We Don't Play Until Next Month... And It's Outdoors! | Leafs @ Caps | March 3rd

[BertCorbeau]

I have bad vibes about this game.

 

[egd27]

Wouldn't the ultimate teaching moment in this case be Nylander learning how to properly control the ice as a centremen. This seems like the perfect time to put him there, let him make a couple mistakes and teach him. This way next year it isn't an experiment anymore, they will know he's a centre or a winger.

@IBeL13f pretty much summed up what I would have said. Either situation could be used as a development opportunity.

 

[disgruntleddave]

Sigh. Plekanek has absolutely no ability to play with the same kind of offensive creativity or intelligence as nylander. Even hyman can't, but hyman will recover a puck often enough for him not be a complete loss with 2 other skilled guys who can do something with it.

We must be backed to defensive hockey lineup time, which doesn't serve us well since the improvement to defense has an even larger negative impact on O.

Nylander looked great at C with marner. Sadness.

 

[Carltons Cup]

only issue is that since almost half of the stadium is active/retired military and the students at the naval academy and the other half is paid fans, who loses out if it moves back inside? the people that paid for the seats or the military

I'm born and raised in Toronto but have been living in Annapolis for 20 years.....Needless to say, that I'll be at the game with my Leafs gear on! They are practicing at the NA rink today. I was SO tempted to go and wait for them but I don't know if they've practiced yet....

 

[PromisedLand]

anyone know what the practice lines were?

 

[Tak7]

I'm born and raised in Toronto but have been living in Annapolis for 20 years.....Needless to say, that I'll be at the game with my Leafs gear on! They are practicing at the NA rink today. I was SO tempted to go and wait for them but I don't know if they've practiced yet....

Enjoy the weekend! Make sure you let us know how it all went. Excited for ya

 

[Tak7]

anyone know what the practice lines were?

Hyman - Plekanec - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
JvR - Bozak - Brown
Komarov - Moore - Kapanen

Rielly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Polak

 

[Carltons Cup]

Enjoy the weekend! Make sure you let us know how it all went. Excited for ya

Thanks. Unfortunately, my fiancée is a Caps fan so I'll let her walk home depending on the outcome.. lol. Our relationship was pretty strained after last years playoff result (imagine that).

 

[PromisedLand]

Hyman - Plekanec - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
JvR - Bozak - Brown
Komarov - Moore - Kapanen

Rielly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Polak

Thanks!

well Status-Quo it is then I guess...

Now that I think about it; suppose Plek-Nylander click

may be babs rolls

Hyman-Matthews-Kappy
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Komarov-Plek-Nylander
JVR-Bozak-Brown

Three amigos driving three lines

Flip Brown and Kappy from the lines above if one has to as Matthews will likely face tough match ups. Hyman-Matthews-Brown did produce even strength last season
?

 

[Tak7]

Thanks!

well Status-Quo it is then I guess...

Yep - Polak in for Carrick, the only change.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Thanks. Unfortunately, my fiancée is a Caps fan so I'll let her walk home depending on the outcome.. lol. Our relationship was pretty strained after last years playoff result (imagine that).

Well it sounds like she still wants to marry you, so there's that

 

[IBeL34f]

Hyman - Plekanec - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
JvR - Bozak - Brown
Komarov - Moore - Kapanen

Rielly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Polak

Where did you get this from?

The only source I could find was Henny, saying that the practice lines were like those used against Tampa, which saw Nylander playing Center between Hyman and Kapanen.

 

[PromisedLand]

Where did you get this from?

The only source I could find was Henny, saying that the practice lines were like those used against Tampa, which saw Nylander playing Center between Hyman and Kapanen.

and am confused again. All my theorizing of three amigos driving three lines is .......

 

[Liminality]

 

[Walshy7]

They could be using the fact that Matthews is out, and they have something like a 20 point playoff cushion, to have Nylander focus on things other than offense for a few games.

Maybe they want to use the opportunity as a teaching moment for him.

very possible, very fine line between that and sapping him of confidence going into the playoffs though depending how long Matthews is out. WE see with Marner what confidence can do with scoring players.

 

[IBeL34f]

Sorry, technically the wording of that Henny tweet just implies that we're icing the same 19 guys that we did against Tampa, not that the lines will necessarily be the same.

Hoping Willy continues to get a look down the middle, though.

 

[Walshy7]

and am confused again. All my theorizing of three amigos driving three lines is .......

id imagine henny misspoke and meant to say lines same as florida.

 

[IBeL34f]

id imagine henny misspoke and meant to say lines same as florida.

It doesn't actually have anything to do with the lines at all, that inference was my bad - The tweet simply sates that we're icing the same roster as we did against Tampa (meaning Carrick out, Polak in), and that lines will likely be known tomorrow.

 

[hockeykicker]

I'm born and raised in Toronto but have been living in Annapolis for 20 years.....Needless to say, that I'll be at the game with my Leafs gear on! They are practicing at the NA rink today. I was SO tempted to go and wait for them but I don't know if they've practiced yet....

they practiced earlier today

 

[Walshy7]

It doesn't actually have anything to do with the lines at all, that inference was my bad - The tweet simply sates that we're icing the same roster as we did against Tampa (meaning Carrick out, Polak in), and that lines will likely be known tomorrow.

oh right, I cant see him moving him back to C. If we are lucky I think we may see Nylander at C at home while Matthews is out babcock can control his competition better and help him learn and grow more into C role. He was one of best players against boston at home but against tampa got a little exposed (a lot of better C's than willy have been exposed by the kucherov and co line this year)

 

[IBeL34f]

oh right, I cant see him moving him back to C. If we are lucky I think we may see Nylander at C at home while Matthews is out babcock can control his competition better and help him learn and grow more into C role. He was one of best players against boston at home but against tampa got a little exposed (a lot of better C's than willy have been exposed by the kucherov and co line this year)

I didn't get to see nearly as much of the Tampa game as I would've liked - Bummer to hear he was exposed, though to be expected, as you said, when going up against the elite of the elite.

I wouldn't mind Babcock sheltering Nylander's Center development to home games where he can control the match-up. If that's the kind of thing we see, I'm definitely on board, but it would also be nice to see that he's earned some trust to play with a little less sheltering. We'll get there eventually, I just gotta be patient.

 

[Walshy7]

I didn't get to see nearly as much of the Tampa game as I would've liked - Bummer to hear he was exposed, though to be expected, as you said, when going up against the elite of the elite.

I wouldn't mind Babcock sheltering Nylander's Center development to home games where he can control the match-up. If that's the kind of thing we see, I'm definitely on board, but it would also be nice to see that he's earned some trust to play with a little less sheltering. We'll get there eventually, I just gotta be patient.

personally he was no where near as bad as some made him out to be, Polak absolutely burned him on the 3rd goal which some still tried to put on Nylander. The first goal he fanned on a pass even Crosby fans on a pass sometime but it led to a goal so he was to blame but still mistakes are going to happen he is out of comfort zone against the best line in the league he is learning.

 

[OVO16]

Whats the damn infatuation with Moore. Would rather have Martin in there.

Hyman-Nylander-Kapanen
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
JVR-Bozak-Brown
Martin-Plekanek-Komarov

Whats wrong with that Babcock?

 

[Loosie]

anyone know what the practice lines were?

Only difference from last game was Polak in for Carrick.

 

[IBeL34f]

Only difference from last game was Polak in for Carrick.

At this point in time, that's only in terms of the roster, not the makeup of the actual lines themselves.

 

[egd27]

very possible, very fine line between that and sapping him of confidence going into the playoffs though depending how long Matthews is out. WE see with Marner what confidence can do with scoring players.

IMO confidence is not one of Nylander's shortcomings, but I hear what you're saying.