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Canucks @ Leafs - Jan. 6th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

Chris said:
Too much dump and chase I think. The forwards on this team aren't really great at winning battles along the boards for the most part.
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They're not built for it, because this whole dump and chase thing leads to them having to stop before the blue line until the puck gets in. Takes away their speed, so they're not getting to the puck first. That's what they need to do to win battles.

On the flip side, last season, they looked very good at carrying the puck in and setting thing up that way, so . . .
 
bustaheims said:
Chris said:
Too much dump and chase I think. The forwards on this team aren't really great at winning battles along the boards for the most part.
Click to expand...

They're not built for it, because this whole dump and chase thing leads to them having to stop before the blue line until the puck gets in. Takes away their speed, so they're not getting to the puck first. That's what they need to do to win battles.

On the flip side, last season, they looked very good at carrying the puck in and setting thing up that way, so . . .
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It seems like a huge overcorrection from Babcock because the long stretch neutral zone passes were getting picked off.  Stop leaking your forwards up the ice and focus more on carrying the puck through the neutral zone instead of trying to pass through it and it would have been fine.
 
L K said:
It seems like a huge overcorrection from Babcock because the long stretch neutral zone passes were getting picked off.  Stop leaking your forwards up the ice and focus more on carrying the puck through the neutral zone instead of trying to pass through it and it would have been fine.
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Exactly. It was the wrong fix for the problem. It may have cut down the neutral zone interceptions, but it also cut down the team's speed and overall offence - while not really doing much to improve their defensive play.
 
I think I said it earlier this year, but the forwards blowing the zone stretches out the defense, and when it works it?s a pretty high percentage play. They just needed to get better at executing it, and tamping down counters when it misses.

Playing ?safe? is how you lose regularly.
 
herman said:
I think I said it earlier this year, but the forwards blowing the zone stretches out the defense, and when it works it?s a pretty high percentage play. They just needed to get better at executing it, and tamping down counters when it misses.

Playing ?safe? is how you lose regularly.
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It would have been a better approach if all 6 defenseman had good breakout passess too.  Hainsey and Polak both handle the puck like they had their stick blade removed. 
 
Roman Polak is now tied for 18th in the league in minor penalties.  He's the only player with <30 games played!  Elite!
 
Teams are actually changing their systems to counter the Leafs specifically. They could just sit back on their neutral zone trap and just wait for the inevitable turnovers because of how aggressive the Leafs play.

We?ve gotten better at the neutral zone march, which has opened up the stretch pass again. It?s like having a good ground game opens up aerial plays and vice versa.
 
This was several shifts ago, but Nylander tried to carry it up the boards and was forced to dump it diagonally. He ended up being the first in on the puck and managed to generate possession that eventually resulted in the regroup on the line change that opened up Bozak?s play.
 
L K said:
herman said:
I think I said it earlier this year, but the forwards blowing the zone stretches out the defense, and when it works it?s a pretty high percentage play. They just needed to get better at executing it, and tamping down counters when it misses.

Playing ?safe? is how you lose regularly.
Click to expand...

It would have been a better approach if all 6 defenseman had good breakout passess too.  Hainsey and Polak both handle the puck like they had their stick blade removed.
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Yeah it?s going to be something when Liljegren?s routine 3-line passes on the money makes the jump.

Hainsey?s not too bad. He prefers the hinge pass to his partner for the exit, rather than going north (that?s his Hurricanes training).

Babcock believes in big bodies on the penalty kill (hence Polak and Zaitsev). If we can develop Gardiner to PK like
Hainsey it?d be pretty sweet.
 
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