Hurricanes @ Leafs - Nov. 22nd, 7:00pm - TSN4, Fan 590

[CarltonTheBear]

Thought this snippet from Friedman's 30 Thoughts today was interesting, since it relates to possibly both teams playing:

20. The challenge for Carolina?s defenders in front of Ward is you have to think differently than you?ve been programmed. The Hurricanes set it up so Ward is responsible for the shooter and the defence must take the weak-side. So there will be situations where an opponent is coming at the net with the puck, and a defender instinctively wants to go at him, but isn?t supposed to. Those are smart young D learning to adjust.

Herman, you found something that said the Leafs have a similar approach here, correct? Not surprising since Bill Peters is a Babcock-protege (and was an assistant for him at the World Cup, where he may have picked that up from).

 

[dappleganger]

What's the scuttlebutt on Noah Hanifin these days, and is anyone on the board still longing wistfully that we had drafted him (or even Strome for that matter) instead?

I don't wish the Leafs drafted him but just at a quick glance his numbers are ok for a 19 year old defenseman. Especially considering it doesn't look like he's found a regular partner(not that Carolina has someone he could really lean on regardless).

I think Hanifin is taking the Hedman approach to stardom.

 

[herman]

Thought this snippet from Friedman's 30 Thoughts today was interesting, since it relates to possibly both teams playing:

20. The challenge for Carolina?s defenders in front of Ward is you have to think differently than you?ve been programmed. The Hurricanes set it up so Ward is responsible for the shooter and the defence must take the weak-side. So there will be situations where an opponent is coming at the net with the puck, and a defender instinctively wants to go at him, but isn?t supposed to. Those are smart young D learning to adjust.

Herman, you found something that said the Leafs have a similar approach here, correct? Not surprising since Bill Peters is a Babcock-protege (and was an assistant for him at the World Cup, where he may have picked that up from).

I think it was initially just my observation. I don't remember if there are direct quotes a couple games into the season, but to my eye, defenders were practically tackling the pass option and giving the shooter a lane and the goalie came out on top of the crease. It got confusing (and embarrassing) any time the defense tried to take the shooter and then remembered to do that other thing, and then got caught in the middle watching a tap-in pass. I think they've dialed down to angling off the pass option, rather than (over) aggressively gapping them out.

Bill Peters is saying a lot of the same things Babcock does about disrupting gameflow and holding the puck.
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/801118366870228992

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Zaitsev aggressively breaks up a 3-on-1.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Gardiner!

 

[ZBBM]

OK, that was a powder bomb.

 

[herman]

Gardiner!

Sequence started behind our red line when Kadri elected to break out to the front (to Polak of all people), instead of around the boards for a turnover. Good forward support = clean breakout.

 

[Zee]

Gardiner looking good at both ends of the ice so far.

 

[azzurri63]

Polak had a chance to fire that around the boards instead he tries to throw it in the corner and around the boards and the Canes keep it in.

 

[Zee]

Polak had a chance to fire that around the boards instead he tries to throw it in the corner and around the boards and the Canes keep it in.

I saw the same thing. Polak caused that problem

 

[ZBBM]

Las Vegas Golden Knights.  Because nothing says "medieval" like Vegas.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I really hope someone drops Jordan Staal soon. Really want to see if Eric will jump onto the ice from somewhere to defend his honour.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Ferraro's right, Matthews has been absolutely dominant tonight. Especially along the boards. And now draws a penalty.

 

[ZBBM]

Matthews playing big tonight.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Glad they got the call, but I've counted about eight legit non-calls so far and at least half of those were blatant.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That was a heck of a play to knock that down, but you really shouldn't be trying to pass through a player like that.

 

[ZBBM]

Bozak and Gards playing small....

 

[azzurri63]

I hate this reverse entry into the zone for that reason. One guy should be back.

 

[McGarnagle]

If the Canes are smart, they take 10 back to back penalties to ensure they get the most scoring chances in the third.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Matthews and Marner both deserving of a goal or two tonight. Everyone else? Not so much.