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Pre-season: Leafs @ Canadiens - Sept. 23rd, 7:00pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

CarltonTheBear

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Staff member
Once again, no line-up notes to pass along just yet. Last year the final 4 pre-season games were divided like this: Marlies roster, Leafs roster, Leafs roster, Marlies roster. So if that trend continues don't expect a lot of big names tonight.
 
Especially for an away game. Probably something like this, using pre-existing practice lines for the most part...

Petan (v) - Brooks - Korshkov
Aberg (v) - Agostino (v) - Conrad
Engvall - Elynuik - Bracco
Clune (v) - Shore (v) - Read (v)

Kivihalme - Liljegren
Harpur (v) - Duszak
Rubins - Lindgren

Neuvirth (v)
Hutchinson (v)

I've pushed Timashov up. I think Marchment might be banged up.

Kapanen - Tavares -  Marner
Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Timashov - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Moore - Gauthier - Spezza

Muzzin - Barrie
Rielly - Ceci
Sandin - Marincin
 
Don?t they have to have a certain percentage of NHL players in the lineup for these preseason games ? Or has that changed ?
 
RedLeaf said:
Don?t they have to have a certain percentage of NHL players in the lineup for these preseason games ? Or has that changed ?

You need 8 "veterans", which doesn't always mean NHL player exactly:

15.4 Exhibition Games.

(c) A Club shall be permitted to dress a minimum of eight veterans for any Exhibition Game. For purposes of this Section 15.4(c), a veteran shall constitute either:

(1) a forward or defenseman who played in thirty (30) NHL Games during the previous season,

(2) a goaltender who either dressed in fifty (50) or more NHL Games or played in thirty (30) or more NHL Games in the previous season,

(3) a first round draft choice from the most recent year's Entry Draft, or

(4) any Player who has played one-hundred (100) or more career NHL Games.

 
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What a putrid lineup the Leafs are icing tonight lol.  Who the hell is Colt Conrad?
 
As predicted, it's a pretty ugly roster:

https://twitter.com/LeafsPR/status/1176125421332652033

All the guys battling for that final forward spot (Aberg, Petan, Shore, Agostino) are in the line-up, as are most of the fringe defencemen (Gravel, Harpur, Holl, Schmaltz, Liljegren). No Sandin or Marincin though... does that mean they've got the inside track to start as the bottom pair?
 
Zee said:
Who the hell is Colt Conrad?

Keep an eye out for him, I think we're going to really like him. Think Trevor Moore wheels, but better scoring touch minus the reckless abandon.
 
If you view this strictly as a non-NHL roster, then that would leave this as a NHL roster for the next game:

Kapanen-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Timashov
Moore-Gauthier-Spezza

Rielly-Ceci
Muzzin-Barrie
Sandin-Marincin

Timashov appeared to play pretty well on that 3rd line Friday night. Did he steal a job from a bunch of other NHLers or is he just keeping that spot warm for one of them?
 
CarltonTheBear said:
RedLeaf said:
Don?t they have to have a certain percentage of NHL players in the lineup for these preseason games ? Or has that changed ?

You need 8 "veterans", which doesn't always mean NHL player exactly:

15.4 Exhibition Games.

(c) A Club shall be permitted to dress a minimum of eight veterans for any Exhibition Game. For purposes of this Section 15.4(c), a veteran shall constitute either:

(1) a forward or defenseman who played in thirty (30) NHL Games during the previous season,

(2) a goaltender who either dressed in fifty (50) or more NHL Games or played in thirty (30) or more NHL Games in the previous season,

(3) a first round draft choice from the most recent year's Entry Draft, or

(4) any Player who has played one-hundred (100) or more career NHL Games.

Thanks for clearing that up. Glad I didn?t purchase tickets for tonight?s game !
 
herman said:
Petan (v) - Brooks - Korshkov
Aberg (v) - Agostino (v) - Conrad
Engvall - Elynuik - Bracco
Clune (v) - Shore (v) - Read (v)

Kivihalme - Liljegren
Harpur (v) - Duszak
Rubins - Lindgren

Neuvirth (v)
Hutchinson (v)

Okay, pretty much nailed it except I forgot Hollowell, which is unforgivable.
It's a really good sign that they seem to like Kivihalme more than Harpur, Gravel.

D group will probably be a battle for NHL 3rd pair (i.e. whoever can standout against an NHL squad-ish):
Harpur - Schmaltz
Gravel - Holl
Rubins - Liljegren
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Timashov appeared to play pretty well on that 3rd line Friday night. Did he steal a job from a bunch of other NHLers or is he just keeping that spot warm for one of them?

Timashov is waiver eligible this year. He's going to be given a chance to grab it. He tends to drift off during the course of a season in consistency, but I think if you park him with some good players, his skills come through and a bit of success will breed confidence and encourage consistency. Like I said a couple of years ago, Timashov's path to the NHL is more readily available than for Bracco, not just because of the dearth of LW options but also because Timashov has a better game away from the puck.
 
herman said:
Like I said a couple of years ago, Timashov's path to the NHL is more readily available than for Bracco, not just because of the dearth of LW options but also because Timashov has a better game away from the puck.

Speaking of Bracco, how invisible has he been this pre-season? I get he's not getting plum assignments or anything but for a guy some thought could be fighting for a NHL spot he's done nothing to show he deserves one.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Speaking of Bracco, how invisible has he been this pre-season? I get he's not getting plum assignments or anything but for a guy some thought could be fighting for a NHL spot he's done nothing to show he deserves one.

Bracco has performed exactly as I expected he would, unfortunately.
 
Tonight might be the ultimate test to see who wins the backup role.  Ice the worst possible lineup in front of each candidate and see how they do.  Neuvirth looked pretty good last game, we'll see if he can hold up injury wise.
 
Can we also just take a step back and marvel at how it looks like Babcock is on the cusp of cutting a boatload of fringe vets for some savvy youth + Marincin?

Start the season with Timashov + Agostino as forward spares, and Sandin - Marincin + Schmaltz as the bottom D
 
It feels like they're having a hard time finding a winger for Mikheyev and Kerfoot. Moore's like the 5th or 6th player to get a shot there at camp. I almost wonder if they should just put Kapanen there now since that's the plan for when Hyman returns anyway and have Moore play Hyman's role for the time being.
 
Line-up after returns:

Hyman-Tavares-Marner (match-up)
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Kapanen
Moore-Gauthier-Spezza

Muzzin-Barrie (match-up)
Rielly-Ceci
Sandin-Dermott

Andersen
Neuvirth
 
CarltonTheBear said:
It feels like they're having a hard time finding a winger for Mikheyev and Kerfoot. Moore's like the 5th or 6th player to get a shot there at camp. I almost wonder if they should just put Kapanen there now since that's the plan for when Hyman returns anyway and have Moore play Hyman's role for the time being.

I think they're trying to balance out the puck holders on that third line, as both Kerfoot and Mikheyev really like to hold onto the puck for looks, and Timashov does too. Kapanen will make a lot of sense there; while they should give them reps to get going, I think the primary concern is giving Moore/Mikheyev that many hard minutes off the hop. Given they're likely to play the Tavares line 2x the amount they're playing line 3, and early wins still matter, I think it's worth sacrificing a bit of 3rd line efficacy for improving your high leverage minutes.
 
https://twitter.com/JohnLuTSNMtl/status/1176142760639893504

The Habs didn't get the 'AHLers only' memo apparently. Which is kinda weird. We know Babcock likes to ice even rosters during pre-season games. The two teams play each other again on Wednesday.
 

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