Blue Jackets @ Leafs - Jan. 8th, 7:00pm - TSN4, Fan 590

[CarltonTheBear]

@

24-16-3, 51 points | 25-16-2, 52 points

Projected Lines

Panarin-Dubois-Anderson Calvert-Jenner-Bjorkstrand Milano-Sedlak-Foligno Motte-Schroeder-Hannikainen Werenski-Jones Nutivaara-Savard Harrington-Johnson Korpisalo ​

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander Marleau-Kadri-Komarov JVR-Bozak-Marner Martin-Gauthier-Brown Rielly-Hainsey Gardiner-Carrick Dermott-Polak Andersen​

Scratches

Zac Dalpe Dean Kukan ​

Andreas Borgman Josh Leivo Dominic Moore​

Game Notes

CBJ
?Joonas Korpisalo (4-4-0, 3.10 GAA, .904 Sv%) will likely start for the Blue Jackets
?Bobrovsky started for Columbus in their 3-2 shootout win over Florida last night. Korpisalo made 39 saves in Columbus' 4-2 win over the Leafs 2.5 weeks ago

TOR
?Andersen (22-12-1, 2.64 GAA, .922 Sv%) will likely start for the Leafs
?No word on any line-up changes from Saturday's game, but given that Babcock was impressed with Dermott's play it seems likely that he'll play another game
Injuries

?Cam Atkinson - Foot - Injured Reserve ?Alexander Wennberg - Back - Injured Reserve ?Brandon Dubinsky - Face - Injured Reserve ?Ryan Murray - Upper Body - Injured Reserve​

?Nathan Horton - Back - Out indefinitely ?Joffrey Lupul - Actually Injured - Out indefinitely ?Nikita Soshnikov - Groin - Injured Reserve ?Nikita Zaitsev - Lower Body - Injured Reserve​

Stream Options

https://www.reddit.com/r/NHLstreams
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[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/950389689189515270

Dermott with Gardiner at practice. Carrick out.

 

[herman]

Dermott's been playing RD off and on throughout his career, and he looked pretty good for that shift he spent with Rielly leading up to Bozak's goal.

I hope it works out, but I fear a bit for Gardiner's decision making out there without Carrick's communication.

 

[ZBBM]

Dermott's been playing RD off and on throughout his career, and he looked pretty good for that shift he spent with Rielly leading up to Bozak's goal.

I hope it works out, but I fear a bit for Gardiner's decision making out there without Carrick's communication.

Your fear is widespread throughout The Land.

 

[herman]

When Zaitsev returns, etc., there are going to be some interesting questions on the logjam in the backend on both the Leafs and Marlies leading up to the trade deadline (and beyond).

 

[CarltonTheBear]

When Zaitsev returns, etc., there are going to be some interesting questions on the logjam in the backend on both the Leafs and Marlies leading up to the trade deadline (and beyond).

In an absolutely ideal world, Gardiner-Dermott plays so freaking well that they're impossible to break up, and Zaitsev slides onto the 3rd pairing with Borgman. Polak gets shot into the sun or something. Carrick stays on as the 7D. I could slightly accept Carrick getting traded in this scenario and Polak being the 7D only because I know Carrick's a goner at some point this offseason anyway.

The more likely outcome is that the 3LD spot becomes a decision between Borgman and Dermott, the one who doesn't get it goes down the Marlies. Carrick's the 7D.

 

[Highlander]

When Zaitsev returns, etc., there are going to be some interesting questions on the logjam in the backend on both the Leafs and Marlies leading up to the trade deadline (and beyond).

In an absolutely ideal world, Gardiner-Dermott plays so freaking well that they're impossible to break up, and Zaitsev slides onto the 3rd pairing with Borgman. Polak gets shot into the sun or something. Carrick stays on as the 7D. I could slightly accept Carrick getting traded in this scenario and Polak being the 7D only because I know Carrick's a goner at some point this offseason anyway.

The more likely outcome is that the 3LD spot becomes a decision between Borgman and Dermott, the one who doesn't get it goes down the Marlies. Carrick's the 7D.

I was just reading that Valiev is starting to look NHL ready,  he has been very steady with the Marlies.  Nice to get rid of Polak and Carrick sooner than later

 

[Chris]

I wish I could believe that the various scenarios described would lead to Polak being in the pressbox. I wish I could believe...

 

[herman]

When Zaitsev returns, etc., there are going to be some interesting questions on the logjam in the backend on both the Leafs and Marlies leading up to the trade deadline (and beyond).

In an absolutely ideal world, Gardiner-Dermott plays so freaking well that they're impossible to break up, and Zaitsev slides onto the 3rd pairing with Borgman. Polak gets shot into the sun or something. Carrick stays on as the 7D. I could slightly accept Carrick getting traded in this scenario and Polak being the 7D only because I know Carrick's a goner at some point this offseason anyway.

The more likely outcome is that the 3LD spot becomes a decision between Borgman and Dermott, the one who doesn't get it goes down the Marlies. Carrick's the 7D.

That ideal scenario sounds good. But the first turnover probably turns into Polak playing 18+ minutes.

Borgman v Dermott is one of those situations the Leafs look like they're trying to build towards for pretty much every position that's not 1C or 1G. They both have pretty similar profiles too: not the tallest, but hella tanky LHD that can play RD.

Dermott's leg up on Borgman is that he was drafted by the team and has PK and matchup experience with the Marlies, while Borgman is still very raw and older. Basically, I think Borgman will stay up even if Dermott is currently better because of the long-term gains of giving Dermott 22+ min and letting Borgman grow on the 3rd pair at his more paltry 10-13 min.

Carrick v Polak is a very interesting case in that there is no one breathing down their necks and they're both obviously being used as stopgaps rather than actual players. I had hoped Carrick would be able to supplant Polak's role, but he hasn't been given that shot and doesn't have the waiver/contract flexibility to do it on the Marlies. Borgman - Carrick on the 3rd pair works fine in my mind, if you let either/both of them play PK on the fly.

 

[herman]

This is a very small sample size, but let me just give mad props now to Barb Underhill for the work she's done with Gauthier and Dermott.

Gauthier used to skate like a goat on a frozen pond. He is moving better than I remember and staying strong through contact. His stop and start is a bit faster too (but by no means fast); provided the right reads and anticipatory instincts, he'll be fine.

Dermott was always more strong than agile, and relied on his hockey sense to be in position back in junior. Now he has added a good deal more speed and it's letting him gap up very aggressively as well as carrying the puck through traffic.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Dermott was always more strong than agile, and relied on his hockey sense to be in position back in junior. Now he has added a good deal more speed and it's letting him gap up very aggressively as well as carrying the puck through traffic.

I used to be pretty low on Dermott's NHL potential, and wasn't a fan of his draft selection at the time. But that was largely because I didn't think his style of game would translate to the NHL without above-average skating/speed. I'm pretty excited about what we can do now.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/DaveAMcCarthy/status/950408830625591296

Columbus going back-to-back with Bobrovsky. A little surprising given Korpisalo's success against us but here we are.

 

[disco]

This is a very small sample size, but let me just give mad props now to Barb Underhill for the work she's done with Gauthier and Dermott.

Gauthier used to skate like a goat on a frozen pond. He is moving better than I remember and staying strong through contact. His stop and start is a bit faster too (but by no means fast); provided the right reads and anticipatory instincts, he'll be fine.

Dermott was always more strong than agile, and relied on his hockey sense to be in position back in junior. Now he has added a good deal more speed and it's letting him gap up very aggressively as well as carrying the puck through traffic.

Good point, GOT to be able to skate and skate well in this league above all else now. I read that Auston did yoga over the summer to help his core and I noticed an improvement at the start of the season. I've enjoyed the little snippets of Goat's cycle, we have so few big bodies that do it.

Go Leafs Go.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

PTAP

 

[AvroArrow]

Jeez, why is this clown in the lineup?  He's not a help on the pk, because he's the guy in the box 75% of the time...

 

[herman]

Worth it for Brown?s 1v3 for like 20 seconds

 

[Chris]

At least Polak got his daily penalty out of the way early.

Brown with great work, Gauthier looks solid. Overall the Leafs look fast and tenacious tonight, except for that one shift where the Matthews line got stuck in their own zone.

 

[herman]

Yes, Dermott wheels.
No, Polak?s heavily telegraphed slap shot into the chest.

 

[Hobbes]

Yes, Dermott wheels.

Carpe diem!

 

[Strangelove]

What an awful call. The Columbus guy did that literally the play before.