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Jets vs. Maple Leafs - Oct. 28th, 7:30pm - Prime, Fan 590

Guilt Trip said:
I'll never understand the hate for JT. Yes he's not worth 11M anymore but if Stamkos got 8 and Kopitar got 7, he's getting 4-5 easy. Guy only scored 29 last year and was the best faceoff man in the league.
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For sure. Talk about taking someone for granted.
 
Outside of the PK (and some undisciplined play combined with the refs "balancing the scales"), last night was exactly what this team needed and how they need to play moving forward. If they can bring ~80%+ of that effort every night, they're going to rack up a ton of points.
 
bustaheims said:
last night was exactly what this team needed and how they need to play moving forward. If they can bring ~80%+ of that effort every night, they're going to rack up a ton of points.
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Exactly. It's physically hard, but mentally way easier to play forecheck hockey.

Under Keefe, they spent a lot of energy and effort in creating opportunities from possession: picking seams from movement around safe ice after letting defenses set up. It's really hard to find (cheap) players that can thrive in such a system.

All that space is gone against decent teams and especially non-existent in the playoffs -- unless there are breakdowns. Forecheck effort causes breakdowns. The player with the puck being forced to make decisions under duress causes breakdowns (happened to the Leafs all the time previously).

Most playoff goals are scored off the rush and off turnovers. Most playoff teams are going to work very hard to limit the rush opportunities (unless you're the Leafs), so don't bother playing with the puck! Get really really really good at playing without the puck and winning the puck back and doing damage immediately before defenses are set.

9:20 How to take this team to the next level
13:49 Offensive style
 
Tarp remains OFF

Why is Pacioretty-Tavares-Nylander working?
Tavares: liability in transition and high in the OZ, but an absolute dawg on the puck at the boards, and has the wherewithal and skillset to take the puck to the bucket.
Pacioretty: liability in transition now due to skating limitations, but a heavy and smart puck digger with a shooter's muscle memory
Nylander: the best transition puck handler on the team; good along the boards (offensively) but even better poaching from the slot or off the rush.

Off the ice, Nylander walks his dogs around town (off-leash like a maniac) and let's them run amok. On the ice, Nylander walks his dawgs below the hashmarks and let's them get to work.
 
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