which C is on for the first shift this year ?

[Fogelhund]

Lindholm

I want to see the reaction on the board afterwards, I'm sure it would be highly amusing

Nah... Gauthier would probably drive more people nuts.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Probably the same one who took it the last two years: Kadri.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I'm fairly confident it will be Marleau

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Looks like it was Kadri ?

Coughed up the puck and ottawa scored

 

[notDatsyuk]

Looks like it was Kadri ?

Coughed up the puck and ottawa scored

I thought we were talking about regular season, but you are right about that game.

 

[Darth Menace]

Regular season. .It will be Kadri is my guess

 

[drewjenks]

If Babcock line matches with this lineup......I'll be calling for his head. Pure stupidity. With a lineup like this, you take the reins and force other teams to match up with the Leafs, not the other way around. Other teams will be jumping for joy if Babcock tries to line match.

I don't get it.

Kadri has proven he can shut down top lines....

So what exactly is your problem with Matthews, Tavares, Marner & Nylander chewing on 2nd/3rd lines all year?

 

[kb]

I don't get it.

Kadri has proven he can shut down top lines....

So what exactly is your problem with Matthews, Tavares, Marner & Nylander chewing on 2nd/3rd lines all year?

Has he proven that? I don't believe he has. I believe that is the narrative created for him that has been repeated so much that no one questions it, when they should be....

Toronto Maple Leafs: Is Nazem Kadri a Good Defensive Player?

Roll the lines and let the other team worry about trying to match up with the Leafs. Do you want Kadri to play 21-22 minutes against McDavid just to try to "shut him down" while Tavares and Matthews are on for 15-16 minutes tops? How dumb is that? That just means that Babcock got brutally outcoached and should be fired for incompetence.

 

[drewjenks]

Has he proven that? I don't believe he has. I believe that is the narrative created for him that has been repeated so much that no one questions it, when they should be....

Toronto Maple Leafs: Is Nazem Kadri a Good Defensive Player?

Roll the lines and let the other team worry about trying to match up with the Leafs. Do you want Kadri to play 21-22 minutes against McDavid just to try to "shut him down" while Tavares and Matthews are on for 15-16 minutes tops? How dumb is that? That just means that Babcock got brutally outcoached and should be fired for incompetence.

I generally don't rely on fan commentary & media narratives to formulate opinions.

- And I don't post links to FANSIDED articles to validate opinion (they're written by fans my brotha).
- With that said, I skimmed through the article & agree with a lot of it (the writer is above average for Fansided).

I'm time constrained, so I'll support my post with 1 argument (a low effort one - not a good one).

- Babcock played Kadri as a match-up center for most of the 2017-18 season (predominantly against 1st lines).
- Kadri's stats in 2017-18 = 80 GP / PLUS 2 (I'm fully aware that we can all poke holes in +/- stats all day).

-------------

- Obviously his wingers + defense + goalie had a lot to do with this (so did luck).
- And I didn't claim Kadri was an elite defensive defensive (I said he's proven he can shut down top lines).
- Last year, he played an 80 game season against (mostly) top lines and came out with a positive plus/minus.
- I'd consider that 1 years worth of evidence showing Kadri can handle the tough match ups.
- And I definitely didn't suggest Kadri should play 22 minutes/night to ensure he matches up every shift.
- But there is ZERO problem with Kadri being #1 option for defensive zone face-offs against top lines.
- The strategy is more about Matthews & Tavares than Kadri (why not let them do what they do best? SCORE).

Assume Kadri plays a match-up role again this season (and finishes at +2 again):

- What do you think the +/- for Matthews line will be? (with 55% plus o-zone face-offs against 2nd/3rd lines)
- What do you think the +/- for Tavares line will be? (with 55% plus o-zone face-offs against 2nd/3rd lines)

 

[HamiltonNHL]

predicting a 5-2 win in which Naz has the first goal!

on the first shift

Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Matthews-Ennis
Leivo-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Lindholm-Kapanen

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Ozhiganov

 

[Schenn]

I hope it is Par Lindholm AND symbolic.

 

[deltamachine]

I hope JT will do the right thing and initiate a team-wide nomination of Matthews for captaincy. JT would not gain anything from having a 'C' on his sweater. This will go far in saying 'hey, this is still your team, I joined cuz of you'. JT can still be the heart and soul leader by example and maybe it will provide Matthews more incentive to stick around on a team friendly.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Auston

 

[FalcorMulch]

Babcock has been singing Matthews' praises all camp. I would bet it's him.

 

[ShaneFalco]

JT is the answer Alex

 

[Smif]

on the first shift

Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Matthews-Ennis
Leivo-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Lindholm-Kapanen

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Ozhiganov

OT: I love that we have two all-Ontario lines.

Normally, I would say it would be Kadri as Babs will be matching him against Montreal's top line but I have a feeling Montreal will put out Plekanec first to match against our top line in which case I like the Matthews line to matchup against Plek's.

Then, I like Tavares to match up against their rookie Kotkaniemi who will likely get eatin up against our vet and Marner.

Then, I like the Kadri - Domi head to head matchup assuming Domi is still pretending to play the part of being a C.

 

[Advanced stats]

OT: I love that we have two all-Ontario lines.

Normally, I would say it would be Kadri as Babs will be matching him against Montreal's top line but I have a feeling Montreal will put out Plekanec first to match against our top line in which case I like the Matthews line to matchup against Plek's.

Then, I like Tavares to match up against their rookie Kotkaniemi who will likely get eatin up against our vet and Marner.

Then, I like the Kadri - Domi head to head matchup assuming Domi is still pretending to play the part of being a C.

FYI, I believe plecanec is a healthy scratch

 

[Smif]

FYI, I believe plecanec is a healthy scratch

Correct. Just saw that myself and I didn't realize Danault is their 2nd line C.

 

[stymie]

1st 19:52- Leivo(1) , (Kadri,Brown)

 

[Hockey Crazy]

It's meaningless and I imagine it's Tavares, new guys tend to start.
Unless it's Kadri as a match up.

Babcock will play Kadri as an FU to the media

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

I think it will be Matthews.

 

[Beaninfritz]

Has he proven that? I don't believe he has. I believe that is the narrative created for him that has been repeated so much that no one questions it, when they should be....

Toronto Maple Leafs: Is Nazem Kadri a Good Defensive Player?

Roll the lines and let the other team worry about trying to match up with the Leafs. Do you want Kadri to play 21-22 minutes against McDavid just to try to "shut him down" while Tavares and Matthews are on for 15-16 minutes tops? How dumb is that? That just means that Babcock got brutally outcoached and should be fired for incompetence.

I recall watching a Toronto vs. Edmonton game last season, and Kadri did a fantastic job of shutting down McDavid. He even out-muscled him and scored the OT winner. Would he be out there for every shift against McDavid? If in Toronto, I think Babs would start him the majority of the time. If in Edmonton, most likely not due to the home team having the last change. You want your top offensive threats playing offense, not defense. Which means the 3rd and 4th lines will have a bias of starting in the d-zone, and the 1st and 2nd lines having a bias of starting in the o-zone.

 

[Apotheosis]

Probably Matthews.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

who was it ?
i got home late.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Matthews.

But the bum didn't score on that shift, so he'll never get another start.