Hurricanes @ Leafs - Apr. 2nd, 7:30pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

[herman]

Nylander should definitely remain on the right side with Matthews.

A Kapanen-Matthews-Nylander line generally plays out more like: Matthews-Nylander-Kapanen anyway.

Nylander stays very high in the zone if the other two are working a cycle, and then makes runs into the seams of the defense (similar to Pastrnak*). If he gets the puck and doesn't like the initial look, he'll take it around the net for more options or hand off to the defense for resets.

* Pastrnak camps up high above the left dot to lose his check (or cause repeated handoffs). Bergeron and Marchand know to look for him with blind passes to the high slot, or the left post, depending on whether the cycle is low or high (respectively) along the right boards.

On the backcheck, because he's so high up, Nylander's usually the first forward back in support to provide an outlet for the defense or break up the play. If the other team sets up in our zone, then Matthews draws the middle (bigger body) and Nylander is on the wall for high support.

Kappy's cool, but he's so much of a rush option that I like him better with Kadri against lesser competition. Johnsson is a better cycle partner: he is a sneaky, sneaky passer and a fearless body.

I'd start with the standard lineup on paper:
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Moore-Gauthier-Brown

But then really play Moore in place of Marleau every other shift, and OZ start 43-91-16, or 43-34-29 on occasion to spice things up when we catch their bottom pair on the ice.

 

[Andy007]

What about something like this against Boston:

Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Nylander-Matthews-Kapanen
Johnsson-Kadri-Moore
Marleau-rotating double-shifted center (AM, NK, WN ... not JT since he PKs)-Brown

Rielly/Dermott/Muzzin/Gardiner
Hainsey/Zaitsev/Rosen

It's probably impossible to manage, but if you seriously limit the 4th line's icetime ... maybe? And running an extra d-man might help Hainsey and/or Rosen not get overloaded?

Okay let's put Marleau as the 4th line centre flanking Ennis and Brown, and Moore on the 3rd line with Kadri and Kapanen. Use the 3rd line against the Bergeron line and the 1st two lines can eat up the rest of the Bruins. On D forget about handedness and use Muzzin/Rielly, Gardiner/Dermott and either Hainsey/Zaitsev or Rosen/Hainsey/Zaitsev. It's simple!

Tough game though. And brutal officiating, as usual. I have a feeling that playoff hockey is going to be really bothersome in this regard..

 

[CarltonTheBear]

What about something like this against Boston:

Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Nylander-Matthews-Kapanen
Johnsson-Kadri-Moore
Marleau-rotating double-shifted center (AM, NK, WN ... not JT since he PKs)-Brown

Rielly/Dermott/Muzzin/Gardiner
Hainsey/Zaitsev/Rosen

It's probably impossible to manage, but if you seriously limit the 4th line's icetime ... maybe? And running an extra d-man might help Hainsey and/or Rosen not get overloaded?

I mean yeah I've been saying it since Tavares was signed but I wish they experimented more with 7D/3C throughout the season. Who knows, maybe it works tremendously well if they end up using it against Tampa tomorrow and Babcock keeps it, but I doubt it happens.

 

[disco]

Postitives: JT 47th. No injuries. Freddy game off.
Boston vs Toronto @ TD Garden April 11th. 7:00pm.

 

[herman]

This is the nicest thing Babcock has ever said about Sparks:

Any time you get an opportunity, you want a chance to win. That didn?t happen for him. We didn?t give him the help. They didn?t have a ton of chances. We did a good job around our net early, but they had zone time. I thought we got it settled out and going pretty good. In the end, Mrazek did a good job for them. That is the way it is.

via MLHS

 

[herman]

Jake Muzzin sitting out with illness meant he can now no longer hit that elusive 83 games played in one season mark.

 

[herman]

Say what you will, but I?ve never made it personal.

I appreciate this about you, lc9. We certainly don't see things eye to eye (although there are plenty of areas of overlap) -- who ever does? We, and nearly everyone here, want this team to be excellent. Our primary difference is merely expectations and how that is expressed.

Many in the fanbase see this lineup on paper and rightly have their very high hopes repeatedly dashed against the rocks of the senators and their ilk. I remember our Tank Squad surprising a couple of really good teams too and catching the right breaks at the right time (it happens).

I see a very young core on the right path towards maturing their games in the right direction and these (many) bumps along the way are part of the learning and growing process.

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/TheFlintor/status/1113261056963502080
Look after Marner crosses by, Auston pivots from facing down to facing skyward thus saving his ankle/tibia from snapping like a twig. What a maneuver. Keep in mind Auston weighs 223lbs. "Matthews out for rest of season with broken ankle." That. Would suck.

 

[cabber24]

That?s a good shot but a good goalie makes that save.  Between his limited starts last year and this year I?m just not seeing it out of Sparks.  He very could go on to have a solid career but a cheap alternative pops up on the market next year I?m not sure Sparks makes camp

Just hasn't done it at this level. Still waiting on the development to start. You would like to see improvement but we haven't. If he was UFA would anyone sign him?

 

[Deebo]

Which is what you would expect from an underperforming team.

4 of the top 10 teams have similar drop offs in pt% to the Leafs in the 2nd half of back to backs (CGY,TBL,TOR.WSH)
1 has a more significant drop off (NSH)
2 have drop offs, but less significant than Toronto (PIT. SJS)
1 has a minor increase (BOS)
1 has a major increase (NYI)

So 7 of the top 10 teams in the league perform worse in the 2nd half of back to backs. Maybe its your expectations that are out of whack.

 

[Stronger Than All]

I was at the game last night. Being in the stands as a paying customer was not fun during that awful first period.

 

[Highlander]

That is why I didn't pay to see the Leafs in Arizona, just thought they would pull a stinker on that night and glad I saved my money. 
Once they have a real D in place then this team will be showing up more like the Lightning.

 

[Guilt Trip]

That?s a good shot but a good goalie makes that save.  Between his limited starts last year and this year I?m just not seeing it out of Sparks.  He very could go on to have a solid career but a cheap alternative pops up on the market next year I?m not sure Sparks makes camp

Just hasn't done it at this level. Still waiting on the development to start. You would like to see improvement but we haven't. If he was UFA would anyone sign him?

Definitely not. I think he'd even pass through waivers. I don't think he's ever going to be more then an AHL goalie. He's going to be 26 so if it hasn't happened yet, it probably isn't going to. While Dubas made the right decision back in Sept, it didn't work out the way we hoped. I don't see him on the Leafs next season.

 

[Deebo]

That?s a good shot but a good goalie makes that save.  Between his limited starts last year and this year I?m just not seeing it out of Sparks.  He very could go on to have a solid career but a cheap alternative pops up on the market next year I?m not sure Sparks makes camp

Just hasn't done it at this level. Still waiting on the development to start. You would like to see improvement but we haven't. If he was UFA would anyone sign him?

Definitely not. I think he'd even pass through waivers. I don't think he's ever going to be more then an AHL goalie. He's going to be 26 so if it hasn't happened yet, it probably isn't going to. While Dubas made the right decision back in Sept, it didn't work out the way we hoped. I don't see him on the Leafs next season.

When McIlhenny was 26, he had fewer NHL games and a lower sv% than Sparks has now.

He still could have an NHL future ahead of him, not sure of its here though.

 

[Hobbes]

That?s a good shot but a good goalie makes that save.  Between his limited starts last year and this year I?m just not seeing it out of Sparks.  He very could go on to have a solid career but a cheap alternative pops up on the market next year I?m not sure Sparks makes camp

Just hasn't done it at this level. Still waiting on the development to start. You would like to see improvement but we haven't. If he was UFA would anyone sign him?

Definitely not. I think he'd even pass through waivers. I don't think he's ever going to be more then an AHL goalie. He's going to be 26 so if it hasn't happened yet, it probably isn't going to. While Dubas made the right decision back in Sept, it didn't work out the way we hoped. I don't see him on the Leafs next season.

When McIlhenny was 26, he had fewer NHL games and a lower sv% than Sparks has now.

He still could have an NHL future ahead of him, not sure of its here though.

I think that's the main thing. He needs a team to stick with him and give him more starts (and more  frequent) along with a LOT of coaching and patience. The way he's swimming around right now reminds me a little bit of Freddy in his first month or two here. Maybe Sparks can overcome that but it's going to be hard for a serious contending team to baby-sit him during that process. He'd be better off on a team like the Wings, Sens, or whatever who are in the tank mode of a rebuild and won't go nuts if it takes him a year or two more to figure it out.

I understand why Dubas made the choice he did, and think it was the right one. It just hasn't panned out as hoped. I suspect the underlying talent is there and just needs more time coddling to get to an NHL level. I don't think McIlhenny would have made too much of an appreciable difference to us this year.

I *do* think we need at minimum a replacement level backup for the next year or two until one of the next crop of young Leaf goaltenders is ready to start pushing for a spot. I guess Sparks could have until next year's training camp to prove himself while Dubas looks for and signs another alternative. Any contending team needs to be 3 deep in NHL-capable goaltenders and we aren't, so that has to be a priority no matter what. Let them duke it out at camp and loser gets sent down. This time I think Sparks would clear.

 

[bustaheims]

When McIlhenny was 26, he had fewer NHL games and a lower sv% than Sparks has now.

He still could have an NHL future ahead of him, not sure of its here though.

Yeah. It's also important to remember that this is the first time he'll have played less than 31 games in a season since his first year in junior. He's almost always been his teams #1 or part of a platoon with a relatively even split. The mental and physical prep to be a backup goalie is very different. Some guys adapt to that quickly, some slowly, and some not at all. All we can say for sure right now is that Sparks doesn't fall into the first category.