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Off to a Flying Start!


WordsOfWisdom

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48 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

7 goals vs Winnipeg

8 goals vs New York

 

Maybe the Leafs don't need defence after all.  :dancing::mapleleafs:

 

 

 

Hope you're right, loving the goals, the entertainment!

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24 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Don't need defense!??

 

Easy there, Words...

That's the early season liquor talkin........ :shifty:

 

One thing I've noticed lately is that:

 

  • Pittsburgh: 1st in GPG last season (I think).  Result: Stanley Cup.
  • Edmonton: A team built around offence. Result: How far did they get last season? (I forget.)
  • Toronto: A team built around offence. Result: Battled Washington hard before losing in round one.

It could be that you build a Stanley Cup winner now based on pure scoring punch rather than stingy defence. Has the tide turned?  :)

 

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11 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

One thing I've noticed lately is that:

 

  • Pittsburgh: 1st in GPG last season (I think).  Result: Stanley Cup.
  • Edmonton: A team built around offence. Result: How far did they get last season? (I forget.)
  • Toronto: A team built around offence. Result: Battled Washington hard before losing in round one.

It could be that you build a Stanley Cup winner now based on pure scoring punch rather than stingy defence. Has the tide turned?  :)

 

 

I see where you are going with this Words.

Valid enough point. However......

 

Pittsburgh, while not known for being an 'overtly' defensive squad, CAN and DOES play D when they really need to. I stopped calling this team 'lucky' (as they were beating the Lightning last time the Bolts were in the ECF of course ;) ), because their defensemen really did come up big and stop Lightning forwards when it mattered, PLUS, the goalies (Matt Murray in particular) was just outstanding.

And they go and win two Cups....that ain't luck.

 

So in order for Toronto to make that same parallel, their defense will still need to show up and show up often, and the goalies will need to be huge when it counts the most.

At this point in time, I don't think we can say that about the Leafs, though their offense, as you pointed out, has looked great two games in and even dating back to last season.

 

Edmonton? 

Obviously, they haven't won anything since the 80's (unless you count a Western Finals some years back) and yes, they too are more offense oriented, but even they are making efforts to have solid defense and indeed, watching some Oiler games last season, they actually have started to play much better defense than people are either aware of or give them credit for.

 

Previous Oiler management didn't have a clue, but this front office and bench management staff does and they too know that, along with their offense, they are gonna need good D to go far....and oh yea, they have an excellent goaltender in Cam Talbot as well.

 

 

I am not quite ready to say the tide has turned where all a team needs is a killer offense and very little defense to win.

Recent Cup winners or teams that have made it to the Conference Finals have clearly shown they can and do play defense.....one of the reasons they made it as far as they did.

 

As for the Leafs facing down Washington last season:

That was a good series for the Leafs.

Can you imagine if Toronto had any kind of lock down defense at all? Anytime when the Toronto goalie either outplayed or was on par for the duration of a series with Braden Holtby?

 

That combined with their offense? Leafs probably win that series and leave no question they were the better team........

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On 10/8/2017 at 9:02 AM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Can you imagine if Toronto had any kind of lock down defense at all? Anytime when the Toronto goalie either outplayed or was on par for the duration of a series with Braden Holtby?

 

 

Lock down d, we saw TO's lockdown d against Chicago, possession is lockdown d. Forwards owning the puck  with d that's able to get them the puck and help keep the puck is lockdown d. Rosen and Borgman will very quickly be far superior to the lockdown d of Hunwick, Polak and Marincin even tho the vets were primarily d oriented.

 

Andersen will do fine stopping 20 to 25 shots per game instead of the 30 to 40 shots he faced behind the vets.

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3 hours ago, Samifan said:

Did Kapanen make the roster to start the season or is he back in the A?

 

The "A". Babs thinks he's an NHL player just not good enough to dislodge what's there.

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6 hours ago, hobie said:

 

Lock down d, we saw TO's lockdown d against Chicago, possession is lockdown d. Forwards owning the puck  with d that's able to get them the puck and help keep the puck is lockdown d. Rosen and Borgman will very quickly be far superior to the lockdown d of Hunwick, Polak and Marincin even tho the vets were primarily d oriented.

 

Andersen will do fine stopping 20 to 25 shots per game instead of the 30 to 40 shots he faced behind the vets.

 

Outstanding.

Now if the team can do this on a night in, night out basis, Toronto may yet have a real shot at a championship sooner than later.

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35 minutes ago, Samifan said:

 

Thanks. Think Babs would trade him to the Flyers for MacDonald? :NinjaLookLeftRight1:

 

Funny, probably not but for Provorov he probably would.

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2 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Outstanding.

Now if the team can do this on a night in, night out basis, Toronto may yet have a real shot at a championship sooner than later.

 

I think TSN had a stat comparison of TO's top 3 lines from the goals the players scored last year, Marleau was the only new addition to this top nine so his goals he scored with SJ were included. Our perception of the top 3 lines had the Matthews line scoring 51 goals, the Bozak line 49 goals and the Kadri line 49 goals and these are all 5v5 goals. The prime movers on 2 or 3 of those lines were rookies.

 

I would think that this suggests TO has true quality depth with basically only 2 lines needing to be on, on any given night and TO should have the ability to win on a consistent basis. Right now all 3 lines are firing in the 1st 3 games, at least offensively. I don't think any team can operate at TO's current pace thru the entire year but TO does have the talent and depth to be very successful.  

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1 hour ago, hobie said:

I would think that this suggests TO has true quality depth with basically only 2 lines needing to be on, on any given night and TO should have the ability to win on a consistent basis. Right now all 3 lines are firing in the 1st 3 games, at least offensively. I don't think any team can operate at TO's current pace thru the entire year but TO does have the talent and depth to be very successful.  

 

Amazing start. This team might be the most potent Leafs team since the Sundin/Mogilny/Roberts/Nieuwendyk/etc... era back in the early 2000's. This team is loaded offensively.  :lovethis:

 

 

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That kid hails from P-hoe-nix??  Anything is possible then. :VeryCool:

 

No doubt WOW, we have a ton of talent. If they can be molded into a team, look out. But NHL teams are so fragile these days due to too many teams, nothing is written in stone. So far, anyway he looks like he is also very sturdy as in not susceptible to injury. And he is just as good at back checking. Fingers crossed.

 

I can't wait for Babs to realise that he should be playing him on the PK.

 

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On ‎10‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 12:02 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

I see where you are going with this Words.

Valid enough point. However......

 

Pittsburgh, while not known for being an 'overtly' defensive squad, CAN and DOES play D when they really need to. I stopped calling this team 'lucky' (as they were beating the Lightning last time the Bolts were in the ECF of course ;) ), because their defensemen really did come up big and stop Lightning forwards when it mattered, PLUS, the goalies (Matt Murray in particular) was just outstanding.

And they go and win two Cups....that ain't luck.

 

So in order for Toronto to make that same parallel, their defense will still need to show up and show up often, and the goalies will need to be huge when it counts the most.

At this point in time, I don't think we can say that about the Leafs, though their offense, as you pointed out, has looked great two games in and even dating back to last season.

 

Edmonton? 

Obviously, they haven't won anything since the 80's (unless you count a Western Finals some years back) and yes, they too are more offense oriented, but even they are making efforts to have solid defense and indeed, watching some Oiler games last season, they actually have started to play much better defense than people are either aware of or give them credit for.

 

Previous Oiler management didn't have a clue, but this front office and bench management staff does and they too know that, along with their offense, they are gonna need good D to go far....and oh yea, they have an excellent goaltender in Cam Talbot as well.

 

 

I am not quite ready to say the tide has turned where all a team needs is a killer offense and very little defense to win.

Recent Cup winners or teams that have made it to the Conference Finals have clearly shown they can and do play defense.....one of the reasons they made it as far as they did.

 

As for the Leafs facing down Washington last season:

That was a good series for the Leafs.

Can you imagine if Toronto had any kind of lock down defense at all? Anytime when the Toronto goalie either outplayed or was on par for the duration of a series with Braden Holtby?

 

That combined with their offense? Leafs probably win that series and leave no question they were the better team........

6 games in and Toronto is scary.  However, history has shown that river hockey doesn't win Cups.  Playoff hockey is built around solid two way play and lots of defense (D plus goaltending).  I think Penguins got away with something last time.  Lets see if Murray is as good this time around in goal.  He was the difference last season.  I'm happy for the turnaround in Toronto- they've suffered long enough.  Leafs are awfully young, including defense.  I look for an 82 game season to wear them down some and they won't be such a juggernaut after all come playoffs.  

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Washington has been both offensively scary and defensively superior for many years now, the supposed perfect Cup winning combo.

 

Supposed absolute truisms have been held as gospel even tho teams like Pittsburgh comes along and challenges the beliefs.

 

Young teams like Chicago won both while young and as the team aged together, youthful enthusiasm should never be discounted and the only absolute is a team must make the playoffs to win the cup.

 

 

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I'm here to tell you that river hockey has won many a Stanley Cup. :whiteflag:

The Penguins did get away with something last year - it's called a Stanley Cup. :eyeroll:

When play-off time comes, you only have to beat one opponent at a time. A little adjustment here, a little adjustment there and soon you find you're top of the heap. :VeryCool:

The penguins started their 'run' of cups with the first one - granted you normally have to lose one first, but who knows, eh?? 

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On 10/18/2017 at 8:44 AM, BluPuk said:

Anybody else find that game last night boring? The NHL has become a sissy league!! 

 

Look what they've done to my song, Ma .... :shakeshead:

 

I haven't been watching as many recently. Usually just the Saturday game.  I have to focus on exams...  :scratcheshead:

 

 

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