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2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

This is it, the best roster we?ll have, this is the peak, the cap will not allow this roster going forward. Do it now. Work out next years cap, it doesn?t all fit. Win NOW!

Show me the math where this group comes back under the cap.
 
I won't link the tweet but Justin Bourne made a really great point about how a really deadly PP, like the Leafs should be able to put together, can make other teams more cautious about taking penalties. Effectively making a terrific PP actually serving the purpose people think enforcers do.
 
Zaitsev?s defensive zone passing looked pretty bad.

5-on-5 the leafs really haven?t been very good against teams projected to be at the bottom of the league.

I like Dermott and I wonder how he?d do on the right next to Rielly in big minutes.

Rielly-Dermott (25 min)
Gardiner-Zaitsev (22 min)
Hainsey-Oz (13 min)
 
princedpw said:
Zaitsev?s defensive zone passing looked pretty bad.

5-on-5 the leafs really haven?t been very good against teams projected to be at the bottom of the league.

I like Dermott and I wonder how he?d do on the right next to Rielly in big minutes.

Rielly-Dermott (25 min)
Gardiner-Zaitsev (22 min)
Hainsey-Oz (13 min)
Click to expand...

Going on nothing but my gut, I'd think that the bottom pairing would be awfully slow
 
OldTimeHockey said:
princedpw said:
Zaitsev?s defensive zone passing looked pretty bad.

5-on-5 the leafs really haven?t been very good against teams projected to be at the bottom of the league.

I like Dermott and I wonder how he?d do on the right next to Rielly in big minutes.

Rielly-Dermott (25 min)
Gardiner-Zaitsev (22 min)
Hainsey-Oz (13 min)
Click to expand...

Going on nothing but my gut, I'd think that the bottom pairing would be awfully slow
Click to expand...

Yeah, I totally agree. Wasn?t sure what to do with it. We still need a trade.
 
cfe.gif

PRE-SEASON OVER!!!
 
Highlander said:
Didn't watch last night stinker, but McBackup let in 5 goals and still won 3rd star?  That is weird.
Click to expand...
Yup. Weird when a goalie gets a star letting in that many. Didn't watch the game but I'm guessing he was good.
 
Guilt Trip said:
Highlander said:
Didn't watch last night stinker, but McBackup let in 5 goals and still won 3rd star?  That is weird.
Click to expand...
Yup. Weird when a goalie gets a star letting in that many. Didn't watch the game but I'm guessing he was good.
Click to expand...

All-Marlies roster where the forwards spent the night blowing the zone with the D attempting stretch passes into coverage and failing over and over and over again. Essentially a non-stop turn-over fest that force McBackup to make dozens of high danger point blank saves. I'm not sure he deserved a star but the 5 GA wasn't reflective of any poor play on his part.
 
Hobbes said:
Guilt Trip said:
Highlander said:
Didn't watch last night stinker, but McBackup let in 5 goals and still won 3rd star?  That is weird.
Click to expand...
Yup. Weird when a goalie gets a star letting in that many. Didn't watch the game but I'm guessing he was good.
Click to expand...

All-Marlies roster where the forwards spent the night blowing the zone with the D attempting stretch passes into coverage and failing over and over and over again. Essentially a non-stop turn-over fest that force McBackup to make dozens of high danger point blank saves. I'm not sure he deserved a star but the 5 GA wasn't reflective of any poor play on his part.
Click to expand...
Well then it's still McBackup over Sparks if we're keeping the better goalie?
 
leafs-win.png

"This is who NHL19 predicted who will win the Stanley Cup this year" 8)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsBlkXTWQA
Look at the nests on Patty, Freddy and Naz ;D
 
https://theathletic.com/446671/2018/10/02/mirtle-what-are-realistic-expectations-for-the-new-improved-kyle-dubas-led-maple-leafs-this-season/

Mirtle gives an overview of what changes the Leafs have made to the lineup (Tavares!) and how that might affect their standings this season.

More importantly, he got to talk to Morgan Rielly about what the D corps have been working on. Again, no coincidence there is going to be a fairly heavy Marlie presence on the roster.

?Me and Jake (Gardiner) really wanted to improve on that (D-zone play) and I feel like we put some time in during the off-season to work on specific skills that are going to help with that. I think that?ll lead to smoother breakouts. It?s (about making) quicker plays into the middle (of the ice).

?There?s a lot of responsibility on (our centres) to be in the right place just so the D-men can almost make a play without looking. There?s lots of plays where you try to pass the puck underneath a guy?s stick because that?s the only option, to go to the middle. We worked on that a lot. I feel like we?re a bit more comfortable in our system.?

Will that mean fewer hard outs and long passes out of the defensive zone?

?We?ll still do that,? Rielly said. ?Where the weak-side winger goes across the ice, up to that blueline, and try to get it to him. But not every time. I think there was times last year where, if we were in doubt, we would just do that automatically. I think this year we feel a little more comfortable and we?ll be able to make those plays underneath (the centreman) a little easier.?

That ability to make small, quick plays out of the zone always felt like a focal point for the Marlies last season but one that didn?t quite translate to the Leafs. That could change with slightly different personnel and a different mindset in place.

Rielly certainly made it sound like the Leafs would look more Marlies-like in that regard.

?You go back for a puck and you just want to get it to a forward?s hands as quick as you can,? he said of his focus in the off-season. ?Then jump up as the fourth guy in the rush without the puck. As opposed to try to carry it all the way up. Just go back and make one quick play and be out of the zone and going back and playing offence.

?Lots of (what I worked on this summer) has to do with defensive stuff. I don?t mean blocking shots and stuff. I mean the little smaller plays you have to make underneath people?s stick or little small ones over people?s stick. Me and Jake definitely spent a lot of time working on those little skills that are important for a D-man to be good at when breaking the puck out.
Click to expand...

i.e. play defense like Dermott and Sandin.
 
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