Corn Flake said:
TML fan said:
Would you really like me to explain it for the 100th time, or are you just being sarcastic?
No please, go ahead.
Ok here goes:
1) The defensive zone coverage - Everyone is too deep in the zone. They collapse to protect the net. Allow shots from the sides and the outside. The centre is often behind the net leaving the winger to protect the slot. It's too easy to keep the puck in the zone. The wingers are too far out to put any pressure on the defencemen, allowing them to either shoot at will or to keep the cycle going in the corners. They don't challenge players at the side boards or at the point. They give players too much time with the puck in the defensive zone. That's how they get running around and chasing the puck. It's exhausting playing defence.
2) The breakout - once again, everyone is too deep in the zone. When they actually recover the puck, there is no outlet. Any team with ANY kind of forechecking pressure can force a turnover, either by stripping the puck directly as the defenceman looks for a play and is forced to eat it, or by forcing them to chip it out. Either way it's a turnover. When they do manage to control a breakout, the forwards all fly the zone. We've all seen that long stretch pass. You can't attack with any speed. All you can do is chip it in. The only way the Leafs can attack with speed is if someone carries it out.
3) the offensive zone - practically non existent forecheck. They generally only send one guy deep while the centre hovers outside the zone and the other winger at the blue line. They can't force any turnovers. They usually only do this when they have the lead or are trying to prevent their deficit from getting wider.
Basically, the Leafs whole strategy is to protect their net and wait for counter attack opportunities. This is where luck comes in. They are waiting for the other team to mess up, to get over aggressive, get caught not paying attention and then they pounce. They have the speed and the talent level to make it happen. The problem is they don't have the talent level on the defensive side of the game to get away with it. They don't have the exceptional players like Brodeur, and Stevens, and Pronger etc. the one thing they do have, and the only reason they aren't the absolute worst team in the NHL, is their goaltending.
They have the offensive talent to make things happen. They have the speed to play an aggressive, offensive style. They now have players who can control the puck in the offensive zone. They don't need to bang and crash all the time. They just need to get pucks deep and get more guys in there to harass defenders and force turnovers. They need to close the gap between the defence and the forwards in the transition. They need to stop going so deep in their zone so there is an outlet when the Leafs gain possession. In the offensive zone they should be sending 2 guys deep to forecheck while one guy stays high in case the play comes the other way. You will never be outmanned this way and the Leafs have the speed to get back.
I'm advocating a simplified system that I believe takes advantage of all the Leafs strengths. They don't really excel at one thing in particular, certainly not defence, so I don't understand why their coach is advocating a defensive system. Square peg, round hole.