Rangers @ Leafs - Feb. 23rd, 7:30 - SNO, TSN 1050

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The number of shorthanded chances allowed is not a good thing.

It's definitely been a little worse at times lately, but it's basically the ying to the yang that is 4f and 1d umbrella powerplays.

Tyler Dellow wrote a good piece for the Athletic recently that showed statistically you still come out ahead.

Hard to complain too much when it's the top unit in the league too.

I just meant tonight.

And, without reading the article, I might guess this is one of those times where I think the Analytics being right in the aggregate may not be justification for a strategy vs. a team that specifically seems designed to exploit it.

Agreed, with Grabner on the PK it's definitely reasonable to suggest two dmen.

Perhaps they figure playing a man advantage setup they don't practice as much could be dangerous too.

 

[McGarnagle]

It might be wise to decline any future PPs this game.

 

[Kin]

Sundin was his fave growing up, so I presume he's a Leafs fan at heart.

I think recent years should teach us that most hockey fans put "the team I cheered for as a kid" in a different box than "this is the right decision for me as an adult".

 

[ZBBM]

Sundin was his fave growing up, so I presume he's a Leafs fan at heart.

I think recent years should teach us that most hockey fans put "the team I cheered for as a kid" in a different box than "this is the right decision for me as an adult".

By the time he's a UFA, those two might be the same box.

 

[Kin]

Agreed, with Grabner on the PK it's definitely reasonable to suggest two dmen.

Perhaps they figure playing a man advantage setup they don't practice as much could be dangerous too.

Maybe they do, but then I think a pretty valid criticism would be that they're not practicing enough alternatives for when their primary methods aren't working. The team needs to be able to show some adapability for when things aren't working.

But that said I don't necessarily think it's a structural problem, I just think they're playing sloppy.

 

[Kin]

By the time he's a UFA, those two might be the same box.

You may have misunderstood what I said there.

 

[bustaheims]

I think recent years should teach us that most hockey fans put "the team I cheered for as a kid" in a different box than "this is the right decision for me as an adult".

Also, that, even if both those boxes are checked, it generally doesn't translate into any real discount for the team.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I hope that mistake doesn't stain everyone's opinion of Marchenko, he's been quietly effective for most of the game and is the teams best possession player right now.

 

[Kin]

Man, Gardiner just made a pass there that so quickly turned transitioned the team from their end to offense that it really was noteworthy.

 

[Kin]

Zucarello and Zbinajed really embarrassed Zaitsev.

 

[McGarnagle]

Man, that didn't look like a penalty to me. I gotta see that again.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Agreed, with Grabner on the PK it's definitely reasonable to suggest two dmen.

Perhaps they figure playing a man advantage setup they don't practice as much could be dangerous too.

Maybe they do, but then I think a pretty valid criticism would be that they're not practicing enough alternatives for when their primary methods aren't working. The team needs to be able to show some adapability for when things aren't working.

But that said I don't necessarily think it's a structural problem, I just think they're playing sloppy.

To your first point, I think that's probably easier said than done, they have a compressed schedule with very little practice time and the number one PP unit in the league.

Trying to control the tire fire that is the teams defense is probably eating most of the discretionary time at practice.

As to your second point, you're probably correct, it's been worse without Marner entering the zone too.

 

[ZBBM]

By the time he's a UFA, those two might be the same box.

You may have misunderstood what I said there.

Apparently.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Man, that didn't look like a penalty to me. I gotta see that again.

Looked like Zaitsev got the puck first and then Zucarello goes over his stick as he is making the cut across to the net, shouldn't be a penalty.

 

[McGarnagle]

Man, that didn't look like a penalty to me. I gotta see that again.

Looked like Zaitsev got the puck first and then Zucarello goes over his stick as he is making the cut across to the net, shouldn't be a penalty.

That's what my biased eye saw too, but they haven't shown the replay of the penalty so I can't formally voice my outrage.

 

[ZBBM]

Well, that was deserved.

 

[Kin]

To your first point, I think that's probably easier said than done, they have a compressed schedule with very little practice time and the number one PP unit in the league.

Trying to control the tire fire that is the teams defense is probably eating most of the discretionary time at practice.

Maybe, but I think the fact that the 2 D-men PP is such a standard that you probably don't really need to practice it that much to be able to cobble together a working variety of it.

At international competitions and the such I think good NHL players have shown that they can largely adapt to something if it fits a pattern they're more or less familiar with.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Yeah I mean that was happening eventually.

 

[herman]

That Shanahan eye roll  :

 

[bustaheims]

Yeah I mean that was happening eventually.

Yup. One goal leads often don't last long when you're the second best team on the ice.