Injury Thread / Lou's Corner

[CarltonTheBear]

Yeah, no thanks to the 4th line though.  Freddy the Goat sports a 38% CF%.  Smith's 45% looks quite rosy in comparison.  His CA60 on the PK and Faceoff percentages are also better.  Small sample size for the Goat, but he's not ready to be our 4th line center just yet.

Yeah, Gauthier's been an interesting case for me since I don't think his play has been as bad as his numbers indicate. I mean a 38% CF should mean that you don't even belong in the NHL but he's looked ok to me. Granted maybe his goals results have been hiding some spotty play (66 GF% compared to Smith's 38%).

The faceoffs thing is interesting though. At 5-on-5 Gauthier is actually doing very well. 54% compared to Smith's 52%. 4v5 though he's been getting crushed. Corsica bummed out on me right before I could copy the shorthanded numbers, but Gauthier was somewhere in the 30s while Smith was like 48 I think.    edit: It's back: 39% vs. 49%

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Just some more stats that I dug up. Truthfully they may mean less than what I'm inferring they mean for a few different reasons, but alas I'll write them up anyway. Here's the Leafs team stats 4v5 in CA/60, GA/60, and FO% from the time Smith was acquired to his injury, and from Smith's injury to now. I also included the team stats in December prior to Smith's injury (Dec. 17th).

	GP	CA/60	GA/60	FO%
With Smith	25	100.77	5.57	46.28
With Smith (DEC)	7	101.28	6.98	45.45
Without Smith	11	80.77	4.41	49.41

Seems like the PK is surviving life without Smith.

 

[herman]

Bless you, Carlton! Bless you a billion times!

You know there was a stretch here where the forum seemed to be all, "herman, why are you crusading against Hunwick/Polak and Smith/Martin all the time? what's the point in griping about 4th role players and 3rd pair guys anyway? who cares about Holland and Corrado?", so I was like, okay fine, I'll chill, because Babcock's already dialed back their usage, and Martin is genuinely sweet with Marner.

This is me today on the inside:

 

[Britishbulldog]

Dave McCarthy ‏@DaveAMcCarthy  19 hours ago
Babcock says Ben Smith is "skating good." Schedule to get pins inserted during hand surgery removed on Thursday. Hasn't played since Dec 17

Dave McCarthy ‏@DaveAMcCarthy  19 hours ago
Babcock on Smith: "We could obviously really use him. He's a diligent pro and does things right." #Leafs

Smith update. Doesn't sound like the idea that Smith has lost his spot in the line-up is going to come to fruition.

Babcock's comment that the Leafs "could obviously really use him" is interesting since they're 8-2-1 since he went down.

I figured the Leafs brass was going to try get Smith in 12 more games so that he qualifies for the expansion draft criteria.  Froese also needs 12 more games. 

 

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/34321/2017/01/18/mirtle-with-morgan-rielly-down-leafs-need-to-trust-jake-gardiner-more-than-ever/

Early prognosis is that it is not the knee (otherwise would Rielly have even been able to skate a shift?), and not season ending.

Jake Gardiner about to become Kris Letang...

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Like I said in the GDT kinda, assuming there won't be any long-term effects I really wouldn't mind Rielly being out for like a month. Let's see what Gardiner can do with the 1D role.

 

[herman]

Like I said in the GDT kinda, assuming there won't be any long-term effects I really wouldn't mind Rielly being out for like a month. Let's see what Gardiner can do with the 1D role.

We know he can do it. Gardiner's minutes were pretty chill for much of the first quarter, and ramped up to a medium workout for the second. Now he'll be pushed a bit to 1D minutes for a stretch.

Ideally, we call up a Valiev or Loov to play lighter minutes with Carrick with OZ starts (12-14 min), and push Hunlak (who have started to find a groove) up to 2nd pairing range (15-17 min), and lean heavier on Gardiner/Zaitsev (25-27).

 

[Coco-puffs]

Like I said in the GDT kinda, assuming there won't be any long-term effects I really wouldn't mind Rielly being out for like a month. Let's see what Gardiner can do with the 1D role.

We know he can do it. Gardiner's minutes were pretty chill for much of the first quarter, and ramped up to a medium workout for the second. Now he'll be pushed a bit to 1D minutes for a stretch.

Ideally, we call up a Valiev or Loov to play lighter minutes with Carrick with OZ starts (12-14 min), and push Hunlak (who have started to find a groove) up to 2nd pairing range (15-17 min), and lean heavier on Gardiner/Zaitsev (25-27).

Are you saying that based on Marincin not being fully healthy, or do you still want the callups over him?

I think we'll see Carrick play his off-side on the OZ pair with Corrado while Marincin is out:

Gardiner - Zaitsev
Hunwick - Polak
Carrick - Corrado

 

[Kin]

Ideally, we call up a Valiev or Loov to play lighter minutes with Carrick with OZ starts (12-14 min), and push Hunlak (who have started to find a groove) up to 2nd pairing range (15-17 min), and lean heavier on Gardiner/Zaitsev (25-27).

I legitimately think that would cause Corrado's head to explode.

 

[Arn]

I feel for Corrado. I'd bet by this time next year he'll be playing somewhere in Europe. Switzerland or Germany maybe.

 

[herman]

I literally forgot Corrado existed, tbh.

 

[Kin]

I literally forgot Corrado existed, tbh.

Doing more and more to confirm my suspicions that you are actually employed by the team.

 

[herman]

I literally forgot Corrado existed, tbh.

Doing more and more to confirm my suspicions that you are actually employed by the team.

You sure? Those guys aren't allowed to talk.

 

[Kin]

I literally forgot Corrado existed, tbh.

Doing more and more to confirm my suspicions that you are actually employed by the team.

You sure? Those guys aren't allowed to talk.

I always figured it was only a matter of time before they began a Co-Intel Disinformation operation.

 

[L K]

I literally forgot Corrado existed, tbh.

Well you do post stats on the internet.  Isn't that pretty much how everyone gets employed by the league now?

 

[herman]

I always figured it was only a matter of time before they began a Co-Intel Disinformation operation.

Well you do post stats on the internet.  Isn't that pretty much how everyone gets employed by the league now?

Is this just because I signed up at the same time that the Shanahan-era kicked off?

 

[Kin]

Is this just because I signed up at the same time that the Shanahan-era kicked off?

That and the positive nature. From a Leafs fan, I don't trust it.

 

[herman]

That and the positive nature. From a Leafs fan, I don't trust it.

A credit to my parents and the supportive environment I grew up in!

 

[LuncheonMeat]

That and the positive nature. From a Leafs fan, I don't trust it.

A credit to my parents and the supportive environment I grew up in!

Freak! 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Dave Feschuk ‏@dfeschuk  31 minutes ago
Rielly smiling, speaking to media in shorts. No wrap/brace on knee: "I'm happy I'm walking around and feeling better than I was yesterday."

It's believed to be an ankle injury, not his knee. Officially he's out for tomorrow, and then day to day after that. Corrado will draw into the line-up and play with Carrick tomorrow night.