Leafs @ Jets - Jan. 2nd, 8:00pm - TSN4, Fan 590
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
hockeyfan1
New member
herman said:
Translation...defence out, offence in = e-n-t-e-r-t-a-I-n-m-e-n-t. The Leafs are tough to catch when they?re flying.
herman
Well-known member
I?m not the first person to point this out, but the Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander line has shades of a lesser (maybe) Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line.
You?ve got the grizzled dependable centreman, the fast and ratty left winger, and a sneaky right wing sniper who can start and finish plays in tight and from a distance.
All three players have benefited from the space Tavares creates, the speed and pass-first mentality Kerfoot has, and Nylander?s effortless entries and puck retrieving/holding capabilities. When playing a Total Hockey style, it also doesn?t hurt to have three trained centres roaming the ice.
You?ve got the grizzled dependable centreman, the fast and ratty left winger, and a sneaky right wing sniper who can start and finish plays in tight and from a distance.
All three players have benefited from the space Tavares creates, the speed and pass-first mentality Kerfoot has, and Nylander?s effortless entries and puck retrieving/holding capabilities. When playing a Total Hockey style, it also doesn?t hurt to have three trained centres roaming the ice.
Hobbes
New member
herman said:
At this point I really wouldn't be shocked to see Keefe throw 5 forwards over the boards some time at 5-on-5 just for the hell of it.
The Leafs' system is predicated on the idea that each player is likely to find himself playing pretty much all possible positions at some point in his shift when they're cycling around in the o-zone. The critical thing is going to be communication to short out who is playing what at any given moment of time.
It's fun hockey to watch, even though it's pretty high event at both ends of the ice. I can't wait until we play Tampa...I want to see how this system fares against a team that's built to go toe-to-toe with this sort of approach.
herman
Well-known member
Frank E said:
https://public.tableau.com/profile/bill.comeau#!/vizhome/GameShots2019-20v2_02/Dashboard1
Bill Comeau only has games up to Dec 28 at the moment, so there's only a 1 game sample of the Tavares-effect on Nylander. Use the date range slider at the bottom to see the coaching change difference (11/19 was the last game Babcock coached).
bustaheims
Active member
CarltonTheBear said:
Per The Athletic, Leafs led 5-on-5 scoring chances 31-22, and dominated 5-on-5 high danger chances 16-7. Like you said, they were clearly the better team.
herman
Well-known member
Just a reminder that our schedule lately has been (and will continue to be) soft baby doo-doo. It's not unusual for highly skilled players getting 20+ min to roll through low-depth teams. Averaging 4+ goals per game is hilarious but not sustainable.
That said, the Leafs of yesteryear did not need to claw for every point by this stage of the season, so it's good to see a motivated group playing for each other and their own pride.
That said, the Leafs of yesteryear did not need to claw for every point by this stage of the season, so it's good to see a motivated group playing for each other and their own pride.
herman
Well-known member
herman said:
I wish I could see what Jets fans were saying about this defensive effort.
That's top D-man Josh Morrissey (44) just breezing by Nylander (who was surrounded by equally hapless Jets) after the failed hand off behind the net when Brooks jumped on the drop.
Hockey is a flippin' fast game, and a lot of the structure on defense is built on rhythm and situational routines. A breakdown like the one caused by Brooks cascades into all 5 players having to suddenly make new decisions while the puck is in critical space. It happens to every single team. This one was probably compounded by Brooks fanning on the initial pass he wanted to make. A heads up read by Nylander to react faster than the Jets is what puts this one into the net.
