Game 4: Bruins @ Leafs - Apr. 17th, 7:00pm - CBC, Fan 590

[Peter D.]

I thought it was a wasted opportunity to go up 3-1.  I thought the Bruins did not look good at all in Toronto -- couldn't handle the Leafs speed, and their big guns were rather ordinary. 

 

[herman]

That?s Kapanen, who did exactly what everyone else has been trying to burn Nylander at the stake for tonight: giveaways, turnovers, shots sailing well wide.

Yup. I like Kapanen, and his skill is undeniable, but his hockey sense/decision making leaves something to be desired.

He's perfect for a N-S third line, or as a displacement winger for a right-handed centre at the moment. I think a bit more experience and development helps him refine what he does and can make him routinely more dangerous for extended OZ pressure. The Nylander-esque cutback is a nice new addition this season for him (defensemen find this move very difficult to track their gaps off of), but he needs to pair it with better E-W passing to take advantage of the space he creates.

Once he figures out what his skills can and cannot routinely accomplish in the NHL, it'll come together. You can see Johnsson has sort of already put together that he knows if he plays at this certain speed and with this amount of chutzpah, he can pull off the weaves and passes he was doing in the AHL regularly.

 

[Strangelove]

Given the problems the Matthews line is having, I wonder if there's a chance we'll see Nylander and Kapanen switched so that we have a first line that actually has an opportunity to dominate possession. For the reasons everyone is pointing out, Kap can't cut it in that role at this stage of his career.

Marleau would then switch to centre and the third and fourth line could play 10-12 minutes each.

On a separate note, Zaitsev is getting badly exposed, like he has all year. I think at this point you have to take him off the PK and play him like a sixth defencemen. He just doesn't get it done positionally and is incapable of making a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive instincts are also non-existent.

 

[Zee]

Given the problems the Matthews line is having, I wonder if there's a chance we'll see Nylander and Kapanen switched so that we have a first line that actually has an opportunity to dominate possession. For the reasons everyone is pointing out, Kap can't cut it in that role at this stage of his career.

Marleau would then switch to centre and the third and fourth line could play 10-12 minutes each.

On a separate note, Zaitsev is getting badly exposed, like he has all year. I think at this point you have to take him off the PK and play him like a sixth defencemen. He just doesn't get it done positionally and is incapable of making a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive instincts are also non-existent.

Nylander should 100% be playing with Matthews, but this is where the Kadri suspension will hurt.  Having Marleau as 3rd line center is not good. No use crying about it now but Kadri might have cost the Leafs this series.

Ideally if they leave Nylander as 3C, he needs to have better wingers.  Moore-Nylander-Ennis, leave the rest of the guys as 4th line scraps, Marleau-Goat-Brown.

 

[Highlander]

Given the problems the Matthews line is having, I wonder if there's a chance we'll see Nylander and Kapanen switched so that we have a first line that actually has an opportunity to dominate possession. For the reasons everyone is pointing out, Kap can't cut it in that role at this stage of his career.

Marleau would then switch to centre and the third and fourth line could play 10-12 minutes each.

On a separate note, Zaitsev is getting badly exposed, like he has all year. I think at this point you have to take him off the PK and play him like a sixth defencemen. He just doesn't get it done positionally and is incapable of making a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive instincts are also non-existent.

Nylander should 100% be playing with Matthews, but this is where the Kadri suspension will hurt.  Having Marleau as 3rd line center is not good. No use crying about it now but Kadri might have cost the Leafs this series.

Ideally if they leave Nylander as 3C, he needs to have better wingers.  Moore-Nylander-Ennis, leave the rest of the guys as 4th line scraps, Marleau-Goat-Brown.

Agreed Z this needs to happen.

 

[Highlander]

I only saw the game up till 4-2 but it struck me that Zaitzev was on ice for all those goals against, looks lost out there. They have to change him off the PK.

 

[cabber24]

I only saw the game up till 4-2 but it struck me that Zaitzev was on ice for all those goals against, looks lost out there. They have to change him off the PK.

Tavares line + Zaitzev/Muzzin struggled against the Beregron line. Couldn't get going offensively.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I only saw the game up till 4-2 but it struck me that Zaitzev was on ice for all those goals against, looks lost out there. They have to change him off the PK.

Hyman was on for all 6. Marner for 5, JT 4. Just saying they werent helping much.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Given the problems the Matthews line is having, I wonder if there's a chance we'll see Nylander and Kapanen switched so that we have a first line that actually has an opportunity to dominate possession. For the reasons everyone is pointing out, Kap can't cut it in that role at this stage of his career.

Marleau would then switch to centre and the third and fourth line could play 10-12 minutes each.

On a separate note, Zaitsev is getting badly exposed, like he has all year. I think at this point you have to take him off the PK and play him like a sixth defencemen. He just doesn't get it done positionally and is incapable of making a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive instincts are also non-existent.

Nylander should 100% be playing with Matthews, but this is where the Kadri suspension will hurt.  Having Marleau as 3rd line center is not good. No use crying about it now but Kadri might have cost the Leafs this series.

Ideally if they leave Nylander as 3C, he needs to have better wingers.  Moore-Nylander-Ennis, leave the rest of the guys as 4th line scraps, Marleau-Goat-Brown.

Agreed Z this needs to happen.

+2 but I don't see Babs doing it.

 

[Highlander]

Given the problems the Matthews line is having, I wonder if there's a chance we'll see Nylander and Kapanen switched so that we have a first line that actually has an opportunity to dominate possession. For the reasons everyone is pointing out, Kap can't cut it in that role at this stage of his career.

Marleau would then switch to centre and the third and fourth line could play 10-12 minutes each.

On a separate note, Zaitsev is getting badly exposed, like he has all year. I think at this point you have to take him off the PK and play him like a sixth defencemen. He just doesn't get it done positionally and is incapable of making a good first pass out of the zone. His offensive instincts are also non-existent.

Nylander should 100% be playing with Matthews, but this is where the Kadri suspension will hurt.  Having Marleau as 3rd line center is not good. No use crying about it now but Kadri might have cost the Leafs this series.

Ideally if they leave Nylander as 3C, he needs to have better wingers.  Moore-Nylander-Ennis, leave the rest of the guys as 4th line scraps, Marleau-Goat-Brown.

Agreed Z this needs to happen.

+2 but I don't see Babs doing it.

Yes he won't do it, although it is the right business decision, he just won't demote Paddy because of respect and that should not have a place at this stage in the game.  So where is he going to play Paddy next year???  I hear the rink won't stay frozen on Robidas Island.

 

[ZBBM]

herman, I get that Nylander goes to the net area often, what I'm saying is that when he comes back out from behind and finds no one open, drive the net a couple of time a game and if it makes sense shoot.  He'll got knocked on his ass but might generate a rebound, which is much more likely to produce a goal from his wingers than him trying to make a pass.  And will keep the defenders from just assuming that he'll go to the outside.

But having said all that it's time for Babs to making this a 2.5-line game and put Nylander up with Matthews.  Our top 2 lines have to be better than their top line and the bottom 2 lines have to be a saw-off.  I'd put Moore on the 3rd line  and move Patrick down, with the 4th line getting less than 5 minutes TOI or thereabouts.

Win or lose with your best guys.  It's a short series now.

 

[Guilt Trip]

herman, I get that Nylander goes to the net area often, what I'm saying is that when he comes back out from behind and finds no one open, drive the net a couple of time a game and if it makes sense shoot.  He'll got knocked on his ass but might generate a rebound, which is much more likely to produce a goal from his wingers than him trying to make a pass.  And will keep the defenders from just assuming that he'll go to the outside.

But having said all that it's time for Babs to making this a 2.5-line game and put Nylander up with Matthews.  Our top 2 lines have to be better than their top line and the bottom 2 lines have to be a saw-off.  I'd put Moore on the 3rd line  and move Patrick down, with the 4th line getting less than 5 minutes TOI or thereabouts.

Win or lose with your best guys.  It's a short series now.

Agree again. And I also believe it's time try different combos on the PK. Bad stat...Since 2016 the Leafs have the worst playoff PK...simply can't win that way.

 

[herman]

herman, I get that Nylander goes to the net area often, what I'm saying is that when he comes back out from behind and finds no one open, drive the net a couple of time a game and if it makes sense shoot.  He'll got knocked on his ass but might generate a rebound, which is much more likely to produce a goal from his wingers than him trying to make a pass.  And will keep the defenders from just assuming that he'll go to the outside.

I'm not sure what you're asking for here.

Go 1v4 in the slot to keep them honest? Shoot it at the crest from whatever angle like Kapanen?

 

[ZBBM]

Occasional chaos in front of the net. Makes him harder to defend. Heck he might even score that way once in awhile.

 

[Guilt Trip]

herman, I get that Nylander goes to the net area often, what I'm saying is that when he comes back out from behind and finds no one open, drive the net a couple of time a game and if it makes sense shoot.  He'll got knocked on his ass but might generate a rebound, which is much more likely to produce a goal from his wingers than him trying to make a pass.  And will keep the defenders from just assuming that he'll go to the outside.

I'm not sure what you're asking for here.

Go 1v4 in the slot to keep them honest? Shoot it at the crest from whatever angle like Kapanen?

Drive the net with the puck, cut into the slot, take the shot if it's there instead of usually going for a skate around the perimeter. He's very predictable.

 

[cabber24]

He got the Pasta contract, how about he plays like Pasta?

 

[herman]

Drive the net with the puck, cut into the slot, take the shot if it's there instead of usually going for a skate around the perimeter. He's very predictable.

I think people are just looking for reasons to gripe.

You don't think he would if there was linemate support? He's usually the one carrying it into the zone though, so what people would gripe about then is him turning it over on one of those net drives into a pile of 3 defenders. It's also his responsibility to be the first man back with the defense by default, so people are going to gripe about him being defensively weak.

There's nothing wrong with surveying the perimeter for more options, or waiting for linemates to start extended zone time on the cycle. Marner surveys the perimeter all the time, no one gripes about that because he's got Tavares and Hyman crashing the net. Kapanen drives the net alone all the time or fires off pot shots from whatever angle, but no one gripes about him because he gets a breakaway sometimes.

Nylander drives the net plenty when he has linemate support (see most of Matthews' goal highlights); right now his linemates are nobody's first or even second choice. I also don't see any other centre elevating the play of Marleau + Brown to the extent that Nylander has: not Matthews, not Kadri.

But what about his shooting percentage? Haha, he actually gets the puck into shooting locations consistently. The only other players on the team who are doing that are Marner, Tavares, and sometimes Matthews.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Drive the net with the puck, cut into the slot, take the shot if it's there instead of usually going for a skate around the perimeter. He's very predictable.

I think people are just looking for reasons to gripe.

10.2 million reasons. He needs to be better and produce. I don't care who he's playing with. People here and in the media bitch about Matthews all the time and guess what, he doesn't get to play with JT like Marner does yet he's expected to produce and make things happen. Willy's not living up to the contract right now and we need him to.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

He got the Pasta contract, how about he plays like Pasta?

I think you can make a pretty reasonable case that Nylander's performed better than Pastrnak this series. Pasta was pretty invisible in the first 3 games.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/nickdesouza_/status/1118938290655322112

Lol