Toronto Maple Leafs

[2014olympicgold]

After being on vacation for a week, I wasn't able to really watch games until last night. But man, there's issues with the D still but could very well be based off the top D being taxed heavily due to injuries. The gap control was no existent yesterday, and that could be because guys are tired.

But, last night offensively, looked good. Knies is the best LW on the team clearly. Robertson has this fun ability to just stop transitions, like the puck just sticks to his stick. Matthews is just on another level. Domi looked like the player he actually is. Bertuzzi is not healthy, I fail to believe he is. Reaves getting benched was just hilarious, but I will say I liked how he actually stood around the Tampa net and was like "What are you going to do" to Sergachev and another player. If you're playing 6minutes, you make the other team know you're there for 6minutes.

If the Leafs continue to use Reaves, I am fine benching him (I prefer it), and running 11 forwards. Guys should be able to do that not on B2Bs every time.

[2014olympicgold]

Woll expected to get the start

McCabe was practicing, not getting into the rushes with starters so sounds like he won't go tonight. Could be back on the weekend

Timmins is skating and practicing

[tweetdrivr]

Timmins is skating and practicing

This is great to hear! Thanks

[2014olympicgold]

And Timmins has surpassed the required time for LTIR, so he's eligible to return whenever

--edit--
Keefe said Timmins isn't "close" but the plan is for him to go to Sweden with the team and start ramping up through practice from there.

[lucafen4]

Right now, I wouldn't play McCabe. He's terrible. Brought for defense but isn't playing any.
Big hits don't mean anything if you blow your coverage and give up a high danger scoring opportunity to make it.

Klingberg might have played his best game with the Leafs vs. TB...
it wasn't that great.

Benoit played well. Better zone exits than I expected.
Lagesson I really liked. he was solid.

Freidman was saying Treleving is trying to pry Zadorov out of Cgy. And if he could get Zadorov & Tanev he would pull the trigger yesterday.

Timmins returning might allow Keefe to bench Klingberg.
need someone not named Rielly to move the puck.

I really think Benoit & Lagesson have the opportunity to make McCabe expendable.

Jason Williams is a great addition to Sportsnet. He very clearly pointed out Leafs are leaving loads of time and space while defending. That's on the coaches.

If they can't tighten up, I think Keefe is on the hot seat. Boucher sitting behind him on the bench playing the part of Littlefinger. Biding his time.

Finally... Domi got a game at C - looked significantly better. Way more engaged.
Bertuzzi finally looked like he was trying. it's a step.
Reaves.... finally benched for being useless... sadly, looks like he is back vs. Ott.

[2014olympicgold]

- McCabe is a good defender for $2m. I can't ask for much more than what he's given during his time in Toronto dating back to last yr.

- Klingberg has looked lost. I would say Timmins is Klingberg's replacement.

- Woll had his first bad game of the season, but I think a lot of the goals weren't on him. 2-3 goals were on him though.

- 4th line can be fired into the sun but they'd somehow miss. I think the only group the 4th liner's can look good against might be Klingberg.

- I'm believing the defensive issues are more on the forwards no longer covering up huge issues than the defense just sucking. Think of how gooooood the defensive group was last yr at this time. The gap control is horrible, and I think a lot of that is due to conditioning of the players.

- Ok, a bit of positives here. Domi+An offensive player is key. There's your 3rd line. Knies is the teams top LW. Bertuzzi is looking better (low bar). Nylander. Maybe the trip to Sweden has come at a good time.

- To note, Klingberg is Swedish and they have the trip coming up. He has a 10 team No-Trade List on his deal. I doubt he's even scratched until the end of the month let alone moved.

[Feenom]

I actually saw guys like Marner and JT hit somebody.... finally...physical play. Bertuzzi also scored!! But they still lost. First bead of sweat for Keefe me thinks.

[2014olympicgold]

I actually saw guys like Marner and JT hit somebody.... finally...physical play. Bertuzzi also scored!! But they still lost. First bead of sweat for Keefe me thinks.

Marner has been hitting a bit more this yr, but the strength of the hits are bigger it seems this yr.

Over the last 3yrs, Marner's avg 0.87hits/game. Much more than I think people expect. And Tavares has averaged 1.28hits/game over his last 3 seasons.

But ya, the force behind Marner's hits this yr are definitely more impactful than previous years.

[Feenom]

Ok sorry, I mean they actually “hit” the guy to the point the guy almost leaves his skates. Not the usual butterfly kisses looking to the coach for approval hits.

[2014olympicgold]

Leafs have sent down Lajoie ($775k) and called up Holmberg ($800k) I'm assuming to have a 13F/7D even out for the B2B this weekend.

McCabe sounds like he's coming back, maybe Klingberg sits and they run a group of:
Rielly-Brodie
Lagesson-McCabe
Benoit-Gio

But then you have guys who play LD on the right side. I dunno, tough to navigate that stuff right now. The only benefit right now is that we see that Lagesson can actually play NHL 3rd line minutes and be sufficient.

And to note, they have 13Fs, they can sit Reaves.

[lucafen4]

- McCabe is a good defender for $2m. I can't ask for much more than what he's given during his time in Toronto dating back to last yr.

- Klingberg has looked lost. I would say Timmins is Klingberg's replacement.

- Woll had his first bad game of the season, but I think a lot of the goals weren't on him. 2-3 goals were on him though.

- 4th line can be fired into the sun but they'd somehow miss. I think the only group the 4th liner's can look good against might be Klingberg.

- I'm believing the defensive issues are more on the forwards no longer covering up huge issues than the defense just sucking. Think of how gooooood the defensive group was last yr at this time. The gap control is horrible, and I think a lot of that is due to conditioning of the players.

- Ok, a bit of positives here. Domi+An offensive player is key. There's your 3rd line. Knies is the teams top LW. Bertuzzi is looking better (low bar). Nylander. Maybe the trip to Sweden has come at a good time.

- To note, Klingberg is Swedish and they have the trip coming up. He has a 10 team No-Trade List on his deal. I doubt he's even scratched until the end of the month let alone moved.

Right now, given a choice,
I start both Lagesson and Benoit over McCabe.

He's a pilon.

[2014olympicgold]

Right now, given a choice,
I start both Lagesson and Benoit over McCabe.

He's a pilon.

I am blindly gripping the fact that McCabe can't make the team any worse at least lol. The good thing is McCabe can play minutes, and him playing minutes over someone like Klingberg will help ease Brodie and Gio's minutes which helps their play. McCabe can help on PK. If he dials back on trying to push offensively it would help his issues he was having when he played.

The issues on D right now might be stretching guys too many minutes. Brodie is playing the most since he was 27yrs old. Gio is playing like 4minutes more a game than he should the last few games.

Being tired causes issues with penalties. It seems like a snowball issue right now. Klingberg gets replaced by McCabe, I think we see a bit of improvement across the D group. Maybe Marner should get back together with Kampf on the PK to help Kampf's issues. I think we can see improvement with tweaks which is good.

American Thanksgiving is coming up, and we all know the correlation between that day and the playoffs.

[2014olympicgold]

In practice yesterday:
Rielly-Brodie
Gio-McCabe
Benoit-Lagesson
Klingberg.

The team might go 11F-7D, or maybe Klingberg is sitting. Keefe spoke with Reaves quickly after practice which could lean towards him sitting a game.

[2014olympicgold]

Klingberg DTD dealing with an injury. He isn't playing tonight, but I would bet he'll play next week in Sweden.

[2014olympicgold]

Picture this. The Leafs have been negotiating all year with Nylander, and this week they finally come to a number, they hold off as he signs his 8yr, $78m ($72m in signing bonuses) in Sodertalje where Nylander played for 6yrs (30minutes outside of Stockholm).

Pipe dream. But I'd also be nervous if any team gave Nylander a 7-8 year deal