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Playoffs Round 1: Battle of Ontario

I'm still looking this series over and haven't assembled all my thoughts (if I can find the time to complete them)
But one thing gnaws at me ... the PK

From the end of the Four Nations Cup to the end if the season, our Leafs played .741 hockey (2nd in the league to the Blues)
3.63 GFA and 28.4% PP - who can complain about that

But the 2.70 GAA and 73.2% PK (27th in the league) concerned me some.

It is weird in that the Leafs have Lane Lambert who is alleged to be a very good PK coach.
they have good goaltending.
Marner & Matthews have been Selke nominees - are not a bad pairing though I'd rather the bottom six do more.
Kampf wins 52% of his draws and PKing is the one thing he seems somewhat proficient at
Jarnkrok was good at it prior to this season.
Knies & Lorentz don't seem terrible at it.
They added Laughton who was the Flyers top PK forward for years.
They added Carlo who was one of the Bruins best PK dmen

... and they got worse.

Why? Shouldn't they be able to fix it?

It doesn't make sense.
 
cw said:
I'm still looking this series over and haven't assembled all my thoughts (if I can find the time to complete them)
But one thing gnaws at me ... the PK

From the end of the Four Nations Cup to the end if the season, our Leafs played .741 hockey (2nd in the league to the Blues)
3.63 GFA and 28.4% PP - who can complain about that

But the 2.70 GAA and 73.2% PK (27th in the league) concerned me some.

It is weird in that the Leafs have Lane Lambert who is alleged to be a very good PK coach.
they have good goaltending.
Marner & Matthews have been Selke nominees - are not a bad pairing though I'd rather the bottom six do more.
Kampf wins 52% of his draws and PKing is the one thing he seems somewhat proficient at
Jarnkrok was good at it prior to this season.
Knies & Lorentz don't seem terrible at it.
They added Laughton who was the Flyers top PK forward for years.
They added Carlo who was one of the Bruins best PK dmen

... and they got worse.

Why? Shouldn't they be able to fix it?

It doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...

Check out the video I posted earlier (I include the link again). It goes deeply into this vulnerability from a panel that is half Pro Ottawa and half Pro Toronto.

Basically, Ottawa has multiple top players in terms of ability to draw penalities and have led the league (or second) over past 3 seasons. Leafs have a shite PK.

What is Berube gonna do about it? This series may come down to special teams.

At min 36:00

 
Leafs Depth (players not in line up with a NHL game or more)

Pacioretty Kampf Reaves
Steeves Quillan A Nylander
Abruzzese

Mermis Myers
Rifai Hakanpaa (?)

Matt Murray
Hildeby
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1915151831539367981
David Kampf, rn
spongebob-squidward.gif
 
I love how the talking heads are tripping over each other to explain how the sens have been the better team.

And the others are in full on leafs fan ‘plan the parade’ mockery.
 
Leafs were two missed calls from winning (Pinto SHG was from Nylander being tripped and then Matthews taking an attack route instead of backing up Marner), and Zub elbowing Tavares in the chin to start OT.

They allowed basically nothing on net. I think Stolarz plays better if he gets a few puck touches though, so we don't get those weak goals from distance with such regularity if we let a few easy shots through earlier each period.
 
Every spring, we find ourselves at this familiar crossroads, wondering: Is this the end of the line for this core? If they lose like this again, surely the team will look drastically different next year. It’s hard to imagine them re-signing Marner—or Mitch even wanting to return under these circumstances. As for Tavares, he's had a solid season, but unless he’s willing to come back on a steep discount, there’s no way they commit long-term to a 35-plus-year-old whose game will fade. After all the years and all the hope, it feels like the Shanaplan has finally run it's course.
 
Zee said:
Every spring, we find ourselves at this familiar crossroads, wondering: Is this the end of the line for this core? If they lose like this again, surely the team will look drastically different next year. It’s hard to imagine them re-signing Marner—or Mitch even wanting to return under these circumstances. As for Tavares, he's had a solid season, but unless he’s willing to come back on a steep discount, there’s no way they commit long-term to a 35-plus-year-old whose game will fade. After all the years and all the hope, it feels like the Shanaplan has finally run it's course.
Click to expand...
I’m not trying to split hairs here with you because I agree with everything you said. My issue with the situation we find ourselves in AGAIN is losing Marner and Tavares and keeping Matthews and Nylander moving forward. The 24-25 Auston Matthews, who is defensively sound and plays an amazing 2 way game, but now only scores at a clip of every other game in the regular season, would not be my choice to keep over Marner, all things being equal. I’d prefer Marner and Nylander to remain as core members . Maybe we’re able to add a Bennett type in the off season or somebody else that could add a different more physical element to the core here. Of course, if we’re dreaming, you try to lure in McDavid when his contract expires. He loves playing with Marner. I realize contracts would likely prevent my preference but man…can you imagine Marner with McDavid as his centre ? Regular season and playoffs Connor would have Mitch rolling along . Matthews just can’t push the pace enough to win when it really counts . I realize Marner is similar in the tight playoff games but Marner is still mostly able to play up to his biggest skills in the playoffs …world class passer, and Matthews…whether or not he’s been injured this season …has declined at his world class skill…scoring goals.
 
Redleaf said:
I’m not trying to split hairs here with you because I agree with everything you said. My issue with the situation we find ourselves in AGAIN is losing Marner and Tavares and keeping Matthews and Nylander moving forward. The 24-25 Auston Matthews, who is defensively sound and plays an amazing 2 way game, but now only scores at a clip of every other game in the regular season, would not be my choice to keep over Marner, all things being equal. I’d prefer Marner and Nylander to remain as core members . Maybe we’re able to add a Bennett type in the off season or somebody else that could add a different more physical element to the core here. Of course, if we’re dreaming, you try to lure in McDavid when his contract expires. He loves playing with Marner. I realize contracts would likely prevent my preference but man…can you imagine Marner with McDavid as his centre ? Regular season and playoffs Connor would have Mitch rolling along . Matthews just can’t push the pace enough to win when it really counts . I realize Marner is similar in the tight playoff games but Marner is still mostly able to play up to his biggest skills in the playoffs …world class passer, and Matthews…whether or not he’s been injured this season …has declined at his world class skill…scoring goals.
Click to expand...
I mean at this point I'm open to all suggestions. We keep rolling it back until these guys are ready to retire and still have never broken through, it's mind-numbing. Something has to give, and it has to be something big.
 
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