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Islanders vs. Maple Leafs - Jan. 2nd, 7:30pm - SN, Fan 590

CarltonTheBear

CarltonTheBear

Administrator
Staff member
NYI_light.svg
​
TOR_light.svg
New York Islanders
14-17-7, 35 pts​
vs.​
Toronto Maple Leafs
23-13-2, 48 pts​
Projected Line-ups​
Tsyplakov-Nelson-Palmieri
Lee-Barzal-Pageau
Cizikas-Horvat-Duclair
Engvall-MacLean-Fasching

Romanov-Dobson
Pelech-Pulock
George-Mayfield

Sorokin​
Pacioretty-Tavares-Marner
Knies-Kampf-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Robertson
Lorentz-Dewar-Reaves

Rielly-Myers
McCabe-Tanev
Benoit-OEL

Woll ​
Scratches​
Simon Holmstrom
Matt Martin
Dennis Cholowski​
​
Pontus Holmberg
Conor Timmins
Marshall Rifai​
Injuries​
Simon Holmstrom - Upper Body - Questionable
Semyon Varlamov - Lower Body - Injured Reserve
Mike Reilly - Chest - Injured Reserve​
​
Pontus Holmberg - Illness - Questionable
Auston Matthews - Upper Body - Injured Reserve
Anthony Stolarz - Lower Body - Injured Reserve
Jani Hakanpaa - Knee - Injured Reserve
Calle Jarnkrok - Lower Body - Injured Reserve​
Game Notes​
NYI
-Ilya Sorokin (11-12-4, 2.92 GAA, .898 Sv%) will likely start for the Islanders
TOR
-Joseph Woll (11-6-0, 2.48 GAA, .913 Sv%) will likely start for the Leafs
-After missing Tuesday's game with an illness OEL was back at practice on Wednesday and it looks like he's good to return to the line-up
Streams​
 
While he's up, one thing I'd try is rotating out Benoit with Rifai (same playstyle of defense first, physical LD). Benoit gets the away games because he's a new dad and that lack of sleep is showing up on the ice at times.

Not so much coincidence that Tavares has experienced a resurgence now that his three kids are in a steady state sleep-wise. Or amulet.
 
herman said:
While he's up, one thing I'd try is rotating out Benoit with Rifai (same playstyle of defense first, physical LD). Benoit gets the away games because he's a new dad and that lack of sleep is showing up on the ice at times.

Not so much coincidence that Tavares has experienced a resurgence now that his three kids are in a steady state sleep-wise. Or amulet.
Click to expand...
I like Benoit (something about his character) but he has not been as sharp or as steady this year.
You may have nailed why.

I also didn't mind what I saw in Rifai. He seems to be the best on the Marlies (who I have not seen live yet this year)
Not a bad idea to get him some games in case they need him in the playoffs.
I wouldn't mind seeing how he's developed in NHL game situations.
 
In a schedule quirk, this is the second in a series of 15 straight game against the Islanders. Roy put in a special request.
 
princedpw said:
We really need the right-handed Benoit so OEL is on his strong side.
Click to expand...
I've been thinking a lot about how it wouldn't shock me to see Benoit get shopped for exactly that. Especially with Rielly-McCabe-OEL locked in on the left side for 3 more seasons after this one. Something like Benoit for Desharnais in Vancouver for instance kinda makes sense for both sides.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
princedpw said:
We really need the right-handed Benoit so OEL is on his strong side.
Click to expand...
I've been thinking a lot about how it wouldn't shock me to see Benoit get shopped for exactly that. Especially with Rielly-McCabe-OEL locked in on the left side for 3 more seasons after this one. Something like Benoit for Desharnais in Vancouver for instance kinda makes sense for both sides.
Click to expand...

Hakanpaa/Myers? Matt Benning or Nicholas Mattinen, even, are already in the system
 
herman said:
Hakanpaa/Myers?
Click to expand...

This is essentially one player for the time being. Hence the need for another option RHD option. Even if Hakanpaa isn't cooked it'd probably be preferential to have the 7D be a Myers or RHD version of Benoit than Benoit since the bigger injury risks are more on the right side. Plus our most NHL ready defence prospects (Rifai and Kokkonen) are also lefties. Ultimately I just think if the team is hesitant to move picks and prospects someone like Benoit could make sense as a trade chip.

herman said:
Matt Benning or Nicholas Mattinen, even, are already in the system
Click to expand...

Unfortunately for Benning he isn't 6'4" and I'm not sure the existence of Mattinen is all that relevant here.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
herman said:
Hakanpaa/Myers?
Click to expand...
This is essentially one player for the time being.
Click to expand...

Haha, that's a very succinct and accurate way of putting it!

CarltonTheBear said:
Ultimately I just think if the team is hesitant to move picks and prospects someone like Benoit could make sense as a trade chip.
Click to expand...

I think that makes a lot of sense; I also think pushing down the forward depth with a middle-6 centre is a higher priority than backfilling the bottom of the d-corps.
 
Not a fan of getting rid of Benoit. He's coming into his prime and has turned into a solid defenseman on the cheap. Maybe let him and OEL swap places? The offense isn't going to run through SB2 anyway.
 
I'm not clear on how or why you would try to make a firm decision on Benoit before knowing Hakanpaa's status or who you would have to replace Benoit (ie Rifai?) or Hakanpaa

if Hakanpaa makes it back:
Rielly Hakanpaa
McCable Tanev
OEL Timmons
Benoit Myers

If Hakanpaa doesn't make it back, this is probably the ___ spot they'll try to fill via trade
Rielly ______
McCable Tanev
OEL Timmons
Benoit Myers

Could Rifai be better than Benoit? That is what I'd like to know.

In the playoffs, Benoit had 10 more hits/60 than the second place dman in that stat on the Leafs roster now. Hakanpaa could help there is he is healthy. Lyubushkin and Edmundson, #2 & #3 hitters are gone.
 
cw said:
I'm not clear on how or why you would try to make a firm decision on Benoit before knowing Hakanpaa's status or who you would have to replace Benoit (ie Rifai?) or Hakanpaa
Click to expand...
Well I'm not saying we have to make that decision today but also I don't think it's particularly dependent on that. With or without Hakanpaa Benoit is the teams clear cut 4th best LHD. Through 38 games I think we've learned the following things about our defence:

1) McCabe-Tanev should be a thing
2) Rielly-OEL should not be a thing
3) OEL should play on the left side

That means to me looking ahead to game 1 of the playoffs our D will be locked in as this:

Rielly-_____
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-_____

Hakanpaa, Myers, and Timmins are all questionable to some degree when it comes to filling in those spaces. Hakanpaa, obvious injury risk. Myers and Timmins have both definitely exceeded expectations so far this season but one of them might need to play a top pairing role and even if that isn't the case there's no guarantee their play remains as high 3 months from now. Timmins' play I think is already starting to dip a little bit, as evident by his more frequent trips to the press box.

The trade deadline is 24 games and about 3 months away. So all I'm really saying is that if by or around that time those two blank slots aren't both solidified it could make sense to trade our #4 LHD to improve our #2/3 RHD. Especially in lieu of expendable draft picks and prospects.
 
Another thing we've learned is that finding the right partner for Rielly is a never-ending saga. I don't know exactly what that tells us, but it is telling us something.
 
ZBBM said:
Another thing we've learned is that finding the right partner for Rielly is a never-ending saga. I don't know exactly what that tells us, but it is telling us something.
Click to expand...
Well if Benoit had just spent the offseason practicing with a right handed stick like I suggested this might not have been a problem!
 
ZBBM said:
Another thing we've learned is that finding the right partner for Rielly is a never-ending saga. I don't know exactly what that tells us, but it is telling us something.
Click to expand...
I think the biggest thing we've learned is that Rielly is at his best when he has a defence focused partner - he was at his best with Schenn, when Brodie was still effective, etc. We saw glimpses of it with Tanev, though the team is best served keeping him with McCabe as an elite shutdown pair. We're seeing some of it now with Myers, but he'll likely be overtaxed in a playoff scenario - though, he could be a fit with OEL. If Hakanpaa can prove he's healthy enough to play 18+ ES/PK minutes every game, he could be the right partner for Rielly. If not, bringing back Schenn or finding an equivalent might need to be a priority at the deadline.
 
Forgot to bring this up last game, but Holmberg and Ekman-Larsson both being ill at the same time is absolutely* because Nylander got the Swedish contingent together for sushi from the same place he got food poisoning last season.

* I have no evidence of this.
 
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