Hurricanes @ Leafs - Oct. 26th, 7:00pm - SNO, Fan 590

[bustaheims]

Leafs' forwards aren't providing anywhere near enough support to the blue line in the defensive end. It seems like the second the defence gets the puck, the forwards fly the zone, leaving them vulnerable to forecheckers while also forcing them to make longer - and, therefore, less accurate - passes to generate offence. A lot of the team's problems could be addressed by the forwards simply coming further into the defensive end and waiting to fly the zone until the defence gets the puck out past the face-off dots.

 

[Arn]

I've a friend over from Belfast at her first ever NHL game. I'm blaming her for bringing the bad luck.

Looked like a couple of potential penalties on infractions against Borgman and Nylander let go there

 

[ZBBM]

Credit Leo for getting that started!  Matttthhhewwws

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Hey AM scored.

 

[AvroArrow]

Atta boy!

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

I've a friend over from Belfast at her first ever NHL game. I'm blaming her for bringing the bad luck.

Looked like a couple of potential penalties on infractions against Borgman and Nylander let go there

Toronto Maple Leafs and chill?    ;D

 

[ZBBM]

Oh Brown!  I thought he had it.

 

[ZBBM]

Andersen turns the thermostat down!!

 

[ZBBM]

But the tip gets by him....

 

[Bender]

This team is frustrating.

 

[bustaheims]

But the tip gets by him....

It was a nice tip.

 

[Damian]

Thats what she said...

 

[bustaheims]

Time to shake up the lines.

Also, it might just be me, but it feels like the defensive zone issues started getting worse with Marner on the 4th line, and even more so once Polak was signed.

 

[Arn]

Carolina 5 1st period goals before tonight.

I've always hated Carolina since Arturs Irbe anyway

 

[Bender]

Time to shake up the lines.

Also, it might just be me, but it feels like the defensive zone issues started getting worse with Marner on the 4th line, and even more so once Polak was signed.

Its hard to say. Polak doesn't play that much and is Brown worse than Marner defensively?

 

[bustaheims]

Its hard to say. Polak doesn't play that much and is Brown worse than Marner defensively?

The impact may not be due to them directly, but because of the changes in general. Not the team was in great shape defensively before, but they feel worse since.

 

[Arn]

Its hard to say. Polak doesn't play that much and is Brown worse than Marner defensively?

The impact may not be due to them directly, but because of the changes in general. Not the team was in great shape defensively before, but they feel worse since.

Possibly just our scoring has regressed to a more normal level so the impact of the crap D feels more grave?

 

[bustaheims]

Possibly just our scoring has regressed to a more normal level so the impact of the crap D feels more grave?

That's probably part of it, too - but, at the same time, maybe part of the reason the scoring has dipped is because they're spending more time in the defensive end. It definitely feels like they're giving the puck away more.

 

[L K]

They look really bad defensively at this point.  The long neutral zone passes that keep getting intercepted because the forwards keep creeping up the ice needs to stop too.

 

[bustaheims]

They look really bad defensively at this point.  The long neutral zone passes that keep getting intercepted because the forwards keep creeping up the ice needs to stop too.

THey're cheating for offence for . . . some reason. This team is way too talented to need that. They're fast enough and skilled enough that they can take that extra beat to make sure things get handled defensively before turning on the offence.