• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

Leafs @ Ducks - Nov. 1st, 10:00pm - SN1, Fan 590

CarltonTheBear

CarltonTheBear

Administrator
Staff member
230.png
@
220.png

7-5-0, 14 points | 6-4-1, 13 points

Projected Lines


Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Komarov-Kadri-Leivo
JVR-Marleau-Brown
Martin-Bozak-Marner

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Carrick
Borgman-Zaitsev

Andersen
​
             
Ritchie-Rakell-Perry
Cogliano-Vermette-Silfverberg
Wagner-Grant-Kase
Kossila-Rasmussen-Shaw

Lindholm-Manson
Beauchemin-Montour
Megna-Vatanen

Gibson​

Scratches

Dominic Moore
Roman Polak
Kasperi Kapanen
​
Code: 
     
Jared Boll
Korbinian Holzer
Reto Berra
​

Game Notes

TOR
?Andersen (6-5-0, 3.46 GAA, .896 Sv%) will likely start for the Leafs
?Babcock finally pulled the trigger and did some shuffling with the Leafs line-up. Leivo will be with Kadri and Komarov, a trio that was very successful in their brief time together last season. Marleau was moved to the 3C spot while Bozak was bumped down to 4C
?On defence Connor Carrick has re-entered the Leafs line-up and will play alongside Gardiner. The two were a regular pairing last season

ANA
?John Gibson (5-3-1, 2.80 GAA, .921 Sv%) will likely start for the Ducks
?Gibson did take a shot where the sun doesn't shine at practice yesterday and appeared to be in a fair amount of pain, but he's expected to be fine
?Nick "infinitely inferior to William Nylander" Ritchie missed practice yesterday for an undisclosed reason
?The Ducks will be missing Getzlaf for a little while after he took a puck to the face during their game on Sunday
?Sami Vatanen returned to the Ducks line-up on Saturday but missed their Sunday game. It's expected that was for conditioning reasons so he'll likely be in tonight
?In Vatanen's absence on Sunday Korbinian Holzer skated alongside Hampus Lindholm on Anaheim's top pairing. That likely has nothing to do with tonight's game but I just found it so funny. Good one Randy!

Injuries

?Nathan Horton - Back - Out indefinitely
?Joffrey Lupul - Actually Injured - Out indefinitely​
Code: 
     
?John Gibson - Groin - Questionable Wednesday
?Nick Ritchie - Undisclosed - Questionable Wednesday
?Ryan Getzlaf - Face - Injured Reserve
?Kevin Bieksa - Hand - Injured Reserve
?Cam Fowler - Knee - Injured Reserve
?Patrick Eaves - Illness - Injured Reserve
?Ryan Kesler - Hip - Injured Reserve​
Stream Options

https://www.reddit.com/r/NHLstreams
​
 
I would seriously love to know what Martin would have to do to get benched. Like, if he took the puck, skated back in his own zone and wired a slapshot passed Andersen, would he even be scratched the following game?

On a related note, Kapanen-Bozak-Marner would be a pretty sweet 4th line...
 
Andy said:
On a related note, Kapanen-Bozak-Marner would be a pretty sweet 4th line...
Click to expand...

If you put Kapanen in for Martin you could argue we basically have one 1st line and three 2nd lines.
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
Due to the World Series Game 7 the game will be broadcast on Sportsnet One.
Click to expand...

And due to World Series Game 7 I intend to stay awake all night tonight and probably flick between the two games. Work tomorrow should be fun...
 
Arn said:
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
Due to the World Series Game 7 the game will be broadcast on Sportsnet One.
Click to expand...

And due to World Series Game 7 I intend to stay awake all night tonight and probably flick between the two games. Work tomorrow should be fun...
Click to expand...

Raps game at 9pm too... Not sure if my wife will be happy if I'm streaming all three at once... she won't have any bandwidth left for Netflix (if there's enough for the three in the first place!)
 
Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Carrick
Borgman-Zaitsev

I'm pretty ecstatic about this group and the pairings. Question marks about the 3rd pair, but not foregone conclusions of disaster like the previous year. Gardiner will be seeing some PK time (back half and on the fly, most likely).

There's a cynical part of me that thinks this is a bit of a Babcock-pouting lineup; where the analytics team has been pushing for him to move on from Polak/grinders.

He tried it for a bit in the first few games and didn't like enough about it to ask for Polak back.

Now that things have jumped the rails a bit, he's like, okaaaaay let's try it your way for a bit and lines it up with the Western road trip against the gaunlet of Anaheim and LA, similar to the way Corrado was set up to fail against Pittsburgh after 0 games to get into a rhythm.
 
herman said:
There's a cynical part of me that thinks this is a bit of a Babcock-pouting lineup; where the analytics team has been pushing for him to move on from Polak/grinders.
Click to expand...

If the succession plan is still that Dubas ascends to the GM chair in the next couple years, will be interesting to see how things play out.
 
Bieksa is out tonight as well. So with no one reigning down fists on Leaf faces, perhaps Martin can get a maintenance day? Please?
 
herman said:
Bieksa is out tonight as well. So with no one reigning down fists on Leaf faces, perhaps Martin can get a maintenance day? Please?
Click to expand...
I was thinking to myself about how if we could see a player's ratings like in EA Sports NHL video games that Martin would be literally 1/2 of all his teammates. I was wrong. I looked up EA's players rankings and Martin is scored at 77, which is higher then Moore, Fehr, Smith, Rychel, Soshnikov, Levio and Kapanen.

https://imgur.com/a/f03p6#PDAb653

I think I found Babcock's coaching handbook... "but.. but.. EA Sports says..."
 
What I find interesting is everyone equates Martin's spot in the lineup entirely with the fact he can throw fisticuffs really well.  Cmon now, the front office and Babcock are at least a little smarter than that.  They realize the game has less and less fights and his ability with them isn't really impacting the game.  Do you think they'd keep him in the lineup for a diminishing aspect of the game only?  Maybe there is something else he brings that makes him useful? 

He has one other attribute in particular that is top notch:  Hitting.  Hitting isn't an attribute that people like to equate with being "good", considering you usually don't have the puck when you are finishing a check, but I do think it has some effectiveness in a fourth line role. 

Just how good is Martin at hitting?  Take a look at corsica's "other" stats for last year:

http://corsica.hockey/skater-stats/?season=20162017&player=&team=Any&game_state=5v5&options=&session=Regular&venue=Any&report=Other&position=Any&min_toi=50&tab=Main

Then sort by iHF/60.  Martin is 1st in the NHL at 25.21.  Only 61 players in the NHL are above 15 hits/60.  Only three leafs were above 10 hits/60 last year (Komarov: 12.2, Soshnikov: 11.3, Polak:  11.1.)  NOTE:  Borgman is above 10 this year, and Polak is down quite a bit- probably too slow after the injury to be finishing as many hits. 

Just to clarify, I'm not saying I particularly buy that Matt Martin's ability to hit should outweigh what other players in the organization can bring to the team whether it be scoring or penalty killing or whatever.  I don't think the coaches or front office look around the league and think they need a fighter in the lineup, so lets play Matt Martin.  I think it has a lot to do with the physicality he brings overall, on a team that lacks it outside of a few players.

And, in games against some heavier teams, like Anaheim and LA these next two nights, I'd actually rotate him in for someone.  I don't think he should be in the lineup every night though, especially if Leivo never gets a sniff. The lineup I posted in the Sharks game day thread doesn't have him in it because I don't personally value his hitting over what Kapanen/Leivo etc can bring. 

P.S.  I also HATE his contract.  To some degree, I'm sure he gets a regular spot in the lineup because of that.   

 
Martin's there not for the fighting or hitting, he's there as another layer of accountability against guys kneeing or boarding the superstars. Babs has said himself we don't have liberties taken with us when he's in the lineup and he would know. We should be thankful he's not an Orr or McLaren.
 
The DUCKS are missing a lot of regulars tonight. Just for kicks, what would the Leafs look like if we were missing comparable-ish players:

Getzlaf (Matthews), Kesler (Kadri), Fowler (Rielly), Bieksa (Polak) and Eaves (Komarov)

Hyman-Nylander-Brown
JVR-Marleau-Marner
Leivo-Bozak-Kapanen
Martin-Moore-Soshnikov

Gardiner-Zaitsev
Borgman-Hainsey
Rosen-Carrick
 
CarltonTheBear said:
The Sharks are missing a lot of regulars tonight. Just for kicks, what would the Leafs look like if we were missing comparable-ish players:

Getzlaf (Matthews), Kesler (Kadri), Fowler (Rielly), Bieksa (Polak) and Eaves (Komarov)

Hyman-Nylander-Brown
JVR-Marleau-Marner
Leivo-Bozak-Kapanen
Martin-Moore-Soshnikov

Gardiner-Zaitsev
Borgman-Hainsey
Rosen-Carrick
Click to expand...

Quack.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

About Us

This website is NOT associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs or the NHL.


It is operated by Rick Couchman and Jeff Lewis.
Back
Top