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Marlies Talk 15/16 - Is Sheldon worth Keefe'n around?

Patrick said:
Finished 6-1.

Panik had four apples.

Game was marred by Tyler Bertuzzi absolutely assaulting Kapanen, I'd be stunned if he isn't suspended.
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Carrick also has been suspended for "assaulting an official" - He gets three games.

Bertuzzi gets 2 games for that crap.  Unbelievable.
 
Potvin29 said:
So Bertuzzi got 2 games for slew-footing while Carrick gets 3 games for 'physical abuse of an official.'

What the?  So Carrick gets 3 games for trying to pull away from a linesman and that's worse than slew-footing?
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Wasn't the Carrick thing also when he was trying to get past the offcial to stop the Kapanen assault?

Unbelievable if it was.
 
Shamelessly stolen from elsewhere, this document tracks our prospects stats through the end of October.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yMiAu12I0KAG2jOiy0RQ6GvkRADDL_T2vPOnnSZhAUY/htmlview
 
Patrick said:
Shamelessly stolen from elsewhere, this document tracks our prospects stats through the end of October.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yMiAu12I0KAG2jOiy0RQ6GvkRADDL_T2vPOnnSZhAUY/htmlview
Click to expand...

Nice.
 
Connor Brown is out indefinitely with a fractured ankle:

http://theleafsnation.com/2015/11/2/connor-brown-out-indefinitely-with-fractured-ankle

As the article notes, it's likely a 4-6 week time time for his return.
 
Dubas speaks:

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2015/11/06/kyle-dubas-on-william-nylander-his-ability-to-recognize-where-he-needs-to-get-better-is-among-the-best-ive-ever-seen-in-a-player/

Dubas speaking to Leafs Lunch about the Marlies notables: Nylander, Leivo, Gauthier, Bibeau, and Sparks.

William Nylander has five goals and five assists for 10 points in 10 games. Where is he at as far as you?re concerned? Is it dominant play, is it just very good? Where is he at as far as you?re concerned?

Dubas: I think William has been good. He?s playing center, and he?s playing against the other team?s best center every game. Depending on what team you play, that?s either a top prospects much like he is, or it?s an older veteran, AHL center that?s anywhere from 27 to however many years old who is a lot bigger and stronger than William. It?s come with its challenges, but that, to me, has been exciting. He?s been an excellent student of the game with Sheldon. He watches more video than anybody on our team. He knows where he needs to get better. We?re trying to develop him into a very high-end NHL two-way center here. It comes with its bumps, but his offensive production has been good. His ability to recognize where he needs to get better is among the best I?ve ever seen in a player, either in junior or as a pro. He knows exactly where he needs to improve, and he and Sheldon are working towards doing that.

Offensively, he has been very dynamic at times, and he continues to improve in his play defensively. When I say that, it?s just playing on defence as little as possible, being able to come in an separate the opposition player from the puck and getting the puck up ice, and sustaining offence in the offensive zone. He?s coming along very well, and there?s a lot to like about William.

What has to happen for William Nylander to get called up to the big team this year?

Dubas: I think, for William, and same for a lot of the younger guys here, he needs to continue to show game after game, and for long stretches, that he?s mastered this level, and everything that?s going to be expected of him when he goes up to the Leafs as a centerman. That includes in his own zone, playing back low and supporting the puck, transitioning the puck up the ice very quickly, closing on guys quickly defensively. In the offensive zone, putting himself in a spot to not just play off the rush but play on offense and extend possession with multiple-shot possessions in the offensive zone. Once he gets to that point ? and he?s getting there ? with a player with William it?s a quicker projection than most, I think it will be deemed that it?s probably time to have a new challenge with the Leafs. When that is, no one really ever knows. There?s a narrative that we?re into overdeveloping and overbaking the players down here with the Marlies, but we just want them to master what they?re going to be expected to do with the Leafs and the system they?re going to be expected to play with the Leafs for Mike here with the Marlies. We want to move them on as quickly as we can when they?re ready to go. A lot of focus on William Nylander.

Is there a couple of other players that maybe we should be focusing on who have progressed really nicely throughout the start of the season here?

Dubas: Up front, Josh Leivo ? last year, he had a little bit of poor puck luck; he generated a lot of shots, they just weren?t going in for him ? he?s actually playing with William now. The line is Leivo, Nylander and Richard Panik. Sheldon put them together last week and they found some chemistry. Those are two bigger, stronger wingers who can work the puck down low and find William. They both have very good skill levels. It?s a good combination of three. Josh has really been playing with much better pace than he did last year. He?s one of the best players I?ve seen at this level with the puck down low. He?s able to escape checks and get to the front of the net, and also find William and find Richard in good spots at the net front. Defensively, on the defensive zone wall he?s been one of our best wingers, which was an area he needed to progress in. He?s only 22 years old, but he kind of gets forgotten in some of the newer guys that come into the organization. He?s been very good.

Nikitia Soshnikov, he?s found really good chemistry with Freddy the Goat, and the two of them have been a good combination as well. Nikita?s got four goals, and they?re both North American pro rookies. Nikita played in the KHL last year, but he?s a tenacious winger, plays very hard, and can shoot the puck and score. So, it?s been exciting watching those guys develop early in the year.

What?s up with Freddy the Goat?s hat? Does that thing take the road, or what? Or does that thing stay at home?

Dubas: He wears it every day regardless of what other attire he has on. He could be wearing track pants and a hoodie and he?ll have the fashionable cap on, and he just bought another one the other day on our day off. His collection is expanding, and I think it looks great on him. Whatever makes him comfortable.

We?ve seen him get some powerplay minutes, too, I believe. He?s putting up some powerplay points every once in a while. What have you made of Frederik Gauthier?s game?

Dubas: He?s a primary penalty killer, and he?s already, if you?re measuring players and how far they?ve come, his ability with the puck to get it going and move it up the ice? I think a lot of people have been critical of Freddy and his puck skills in the past, and his production in the Quebec league, but here now he?s showing he can take the puck into the neutral zone, cross his feet, generate speed, get into the offensive zone. He plays a lot of PK minutes for us. Sheldon has tried to get him on some offensive situations in some games as well. It?s been exciting to watch Freddy play. I know he?s not had the offensive start some of the other more offensive minded players on our team, but he?s played a big role for us, especially in the last couple of weeks, which has been fun to watch.

How far can you take that as far as development? You say you work on puck skills, but at this stage in someone?s career, can you really develop somebody where the points really pick up steam?

Dubas: I think, in Freddy?s case specifically, it?s just trying to get him to the point where he?s receiving passes a little bit better, both on his forehand but primarily on his backhand. When he?s moving his feet all the time, crossing his feet and getting through the neutral zone with speed, because of his size he?s a tough guy for people to defend, especially when he?s moving laterally. I don?t know what his offensive upside will be in terms of points and whether we can develop that in him ? I?m not sure ? but, for us, if he can play in the NHL and start in the defensive zone and carry the puck up the ice against the other team?s best players and generate shots on net? and he?s playing with Soshnikov and here with Clune earlier, and those guys are in the top six or seven guys we have on offensive in terms of points, even though Clune hasn?t played here the last three or four games. That?d be great for us to have a player like Freddy in that spot. Whether that goals and assists come along, I?m not really sure, but by other things that we measure he?s been awfully effective for us.

Antoine Bibeau is up with the big team. He could end up getting a start tonight or tomorrow at some point if Reimer doesn?t get both. Garret Sparks had his first shutout a few days ago. Take us through their development, the two goalies with the Marlies.

Dubas: Garret last year had the best save percentage in the ECHL. He kind of took ownership of that team. We ran with Bibeau, and Chris Gibson here. Obviously with the trade at the beginning of the year with Gibson heading to the Islanders, it made it very clear who our two goalies were going to be here. Garret got off to a tougher start than Antoine did, but in his last two starts Garret has been outstanding; against Grand Rapids last week, obviously with the shutout on Wednesday. If you look at his stats, I think his save percentage is over .930.

Both goalies, we feel, have been very solid, especially of late. They?re both very young goalies and we expect it to be a real competition between them the rest of the season. Hopefully they can both develop to the point where they?re in the conversation, whether it?s at some point this year or leading into next training camp, where we can have a goalie develop from the Marlies, working with Pierre Greco here, and going up to the Leafs and being a full-time goalie. Whether that?s as a backup for now, we?ll see how that shakes out. They?re both young guys. We?ve turned the ball over to both of them, and we?re really just waiting for one of them to run with it. With Jonathan hurt right now, Bibeau is up and it?s very clearly Garret?s job to hold down until Bibeau comes back, and then it will become more of a competition again. I like when it?s a goalie competition. I like when the guy has to battle for the net, and overcome the challenge. I don?t just like having it turned over to one guy at this level. I like it him to always know there?s somebody coming up behind him. In both these guys? case, if they?re going to be a number one NHL goalie, they?re going to have to win a goalie battle in the future as well. So this is good experience for them and getting ready for that.
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That's great and all, but does anyone know his stance on facial hair?

What does he think about playing for the logo on the front and not the name on the back?

How has he established the team identity and has Gauthier's wreckless hat wearing thrown a spanner in the works?
 
Good game for the Marlies, I suppose, but a so-so game for the actual prospects on the Marlies.
 
Yup, I talked about it after I think the second game, but they are going to torch this league all year barring injury.

Just far too deep.

Ten wins, three losses, five straight wins, scoring an average of five goals a game during that streak and conceding approximately 1.6 per game. (if you take-out one game here it drops to 0.8 conceded per game)

Nylander is at 7 and 7 for 14 points. Fourth in league scoring despite having played at least one game less than each of the guys ahead of him, who are all in their mid-twenties. Oh and he's at 1.17 pts per game, highest of anyone in the top ten in scoring in the league, also much higher than any other U-20 down there.

EDIT: Wanted to add to this that if the Leafs and Nylander roughly maintain their current trajectories, the media will decide his not getting called up is a story. Probably pester him and the Leafs front office, despite the Leafs being pretty consistent about the plan.

Your Marlies Highlights
 
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