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Sabres @ Maple Leafs - Dec. 15th, 5:00pm - TSN4, Fan 590

Good on Hildeby for making a few saves in the last few minutes. He wasn't good but he made the saves they needed in the end.

Toronto took over that game and swatted Buffalo away like an insignificant insect after they went down 3-1
 
Gotta give props to the 3rd line for changing the game. The Robertson goal really turned the tide for the Leafs and they never looked back. Let's hope they can keep going.
And Hildeby had a nice bounce back and made some nice saves.
 
I saw the Leafs win 4 Cups when I was a child
This is the best team to win since then
I hope to see another cup before I reach the happy hunting grounds
 
Only got to see bits and pieces of the 2nd and 3rd period but some general thoughts. I _really_ liked the look of the 3rd line tonight. Three skilled, quick players...one primarily a passer and two good shooters. Two of them are small but McMann has some size and looks more willing to use it. Robertson has a bit of a rep as a bad defensive player but I think it is partly undeserved. He's still young and is working at it and should get better. Domi is probably what he is in that regard, but McMann has a good defensive mindset...overall as a somewhat sheltered scoring third line, I think this deserves a longer look. Maybe it holds up against better opponents, maybe it doesn't but IMO Robertson has really played pretty well most of the season (despite the lack of production) and deserves more opportunity. If nothing else, maybe it increases his trade value if they go that route.

What might this mean for others in the lineup, especially Minten. While he has generally been fine, he would probably benefit from playing big minutes as first line center for the Marlies. I'd be ok with sending him down. Holmberg and Reaves can be the extra forwards for a while.

Not sure about Hildeby, he's probably not really ready to be playing NHL games but it is what it is. Hopefully Stolarz isn't going to be out more than a couple of weeks (though you know how that goes around here) and hopefully Woll can handle the increased workload.
 
Chris said:
Only got to see bits and pieces of the 2nd and 3rd period but some general thoughts. I _really_ liked the look of the 3rd line tonight. Three skilled, quick players...one primarily a passer and two good shooters. Two of them are small but McMann has some size and looks more willing to use it. Robertson has a bit of a rep as a bad defensive player but I think it is partly undeserved. He's still young and is working at it and should get better. Domi is probably what he is in that regard, but McMann has a good defensive mindset...overall as a somewhat sheltered scoring third line, I think this deserves a longer look. Maybe it holds up against better opponents, maybe it doesn't but IMO Robertson has really played pretty well most of the season (despite the lack of production) and deserves more opportunity. If nothing else, maybe it increases his trade value if they go that route.

What might this mean for others in the lineup, especially Minten. While he has generally been fine, he would probably benefit from playing big minutes as first line center for the Marlies. I'd be ok with sending him down. Holmberg and Reaves can be the extra forwards for a while.

Not sure about Hildeby, he's probably not really ready to be playing NHL games but it is what it is. Hopefully Stolarz isn't going to be out more than a couple of weeks (though you know how that goes around here) and hopefully Woll can handle the increased workload.
Click to expand...
It's obvious that if you want any chance of production, L3 and L4 cannot have even one AHL player. It needs to be a full NHL lineup. That's what we saw tonight with L3. That was a beautiful NHL caliber goal with the passes that ended up on Robertson's stick for a goal into a wide open net. One millisecond off in that chain and there is no goal.
 
Robertson needs skilled linemates to be effective and Holmberg, who he's played with the most, isn't the guy. Minten isn't at the moment either. When playing with Domi as his center, this season, they've had 31 scoring chances for vs 13 against. High danger chances are 15 for, 3 against. With Bobby Mc on the other side they're 38 SCF vs 21 against and 17 HDCF vs 8 against. Even going back to last season he's had good numbers with Domi and McMann. I think we all hope they can continue because we need a 3rd line that can play that way. Speed to burn and relentless on the forecheck and backcheck.
 
I think the difference was McMann on L3 with a centre that wasn't trying to play safe. Domi is a mess in many regards, but he can generate offense in transition and off the rush (which is what Robertson excels at). Their production last night was entirely off the speedy forecheck and subsequent turnovers generated (mostly McMann, and some Robertson little brothering every puck carrier). Hard to ask for more from a sheltered third line with minimal minutes.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1868470789575409801

I like the line juggles in the back half as well when Berube went:

88-34-16
67-91-23

Normally 34-16 goes up against top matchups and either holds them off and over time, chips in goals at evens and more at PP. With Nylander on the other wing, they can go full tilt and just stuff opponents in their own zone. It's hard to find LW for 34-16 because they're so creative with E-W dipsy doodle drop passes or reverse-grain plays. Nylander is one of the only players on the team that can not only keep up, but also give defenses no breaks they can sag off of. He is equally, if not more dangerous than most other skaters on the ice. When you hard tilt a matchup, there is a downstream benefit that the opponent's following lines are working off the back foot.

Tavares centring two big, heavy hitting bodies, along with his own puck control abilities, is a silly handful to contend with, and the Sabres basically had no more depth to stop them. They were basically running off of luck and Devon Levi making the right guesses most of the time. After that, it was perfunctory when L4 smushes bodies, and L3 does wind sprints into the OZ that something will go in.

I don't think they need to do this every game, and certainly I wouldn't start games this way, but it's really good to see roster flexibility being used advantageously to respond to the opposing strategy.
 
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