Wild @ Leafs - Feb. 24th, 7:00pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

@

31-14-3, 65 points | 32-14-4, 68 points

Projected Lines

Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello Foligno-Eriksson Ek-Duhaime Fiala-Gaudreau-Boldy Sturm-Dewar-Bjugstad Goligoski-Spurgeon Brodin-Kulikov Merrill-Addison Kahkonen ​

Bunting-Matthews-Marner Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander Mikheyev-Kampf-Kase Engvall-Spezza-Simmonds Rielly-Brodie Sandin-Lyubushkin Dermott-Liljegren Mrazek​

Scratches

Jordan Greenway Mason Shaw Jordie Benn ​

Justin Holl          ​

​

​

Game Notes

MIN
?Kahkonen (12-3-2, 2.56 GAA, .921 Sv%) will start for the Wild
?With 29 points in his last 18 games Minnesota superstar Kirill Kaprizov has jumped into a 3-way tie for 6th in the league in points with Matthews and Ovechkin. His linemate, 34-year old Mats Zuccarello, has 30 points in his last 18 games

TOR
?Mrazek (6-4-0, 3.16 GAA, .890 Sv%) will likely start for the Leafs
?No actual indication on who will start this game, but with Campbell having a rough outing on Tuesday I'm assuming they give Mrazek the start

Injuries

?Matt Dumba - Lower Body - Injured Reserve ?Jordan Greenway - Upper Body - Doubtful ?Mats Zuccarello - Upper Body - Probable​

?Jake Muzzin - Concussion - Injured Reserve  ​

Stream Options

Sportsurge.net
NHL66
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​

 

[Bullfrog]

Wait, Zuccarello is 34?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1496870344254230529

 

[Redleaf]

Heading to this one tonight. Please end this losing streak now !

Go Leafs Go!

 

[Guilt Trip]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

 

[Kaberle15]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

 

[azzurri63]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

Ya go figure let's move the guy that doesn't deserve to be moved down in the lineup. 2 high paid no-shows should be or sat down.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

Ya go figure let's move the guy that doesn't deserve to be moved down in the lineup. 2 high paid no-shows should be or sat down.

I thought Tavares was the best player on the ice for a good chunk of the game against Columbus.

Also, moving two "stars" down the line up isn't the correct move. Finding another player that may boost them is the proper play. If Kase can get Nylander skating again (he's been gliding) or get Tavares scoring again, then it's the correct move. If the result is nil, you try Mikheyev. Or Spezza. Or whoever.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

Ya go figure let's move the guy that doesn't deserve to be moved down in the lineup. 2 high paid no-shows should be or sat down.

I thought Tavares was the best player on the ice for a good chunk of the game against Columbus.

Also, moving two "stars" down the line up isn't the correct move. Finding another player that may boost them is the proper play. If Kase can get Nylander skating again (he's been gliding) or get Tavares scoring again, then it's the correct move. If the result is nil, you try Mikheyev. Or Spezza. Or whoever.

I think the idea is to create more space for JT and Willy. Kerfoot is a good player but hardly a threat to score. Kase has more offensive upside so opposing teams should have to pay a little more attention to him.....let's hope so.

 

[Bullfrog]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

Ya go figure let's move the guy that doesn't deserve to be moved down in the lineup. 2 high paid no-shows should be or sat down.

Are you seriously suggesting Tavares and/or Nylander should be benched?

 

[L K]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

Ya go figure let's move the guy that doesn't deserve to be moved down in the lineup. 2 high paid no-shows should be or sat down.

Are you seriously suggesting Tavares and/or Nylander should be benched?

I'm not objecting to Kerfoot defensive game but its also interesting how expectations go.

Kerfoot 1G 2A in February (9GP)
Tavares 0G 7A in February (9GP)
Nylander 2G 5A in February (9GP)

I think in terms of complete game Kerfoot has been the better of the three players the last month but you don't break the slump of star players by benching them.

Tavares/Nylander have 2 goals on a combined 50 shots in the last 9 games.  That's going to change soon and both guys are likely going to get scorching hot when the puck starts going in.  Swapping Kase and Kerfoot is a perfectly reasonable move.

 

[cujo4ever]

Go Leafs Go!

 

[Bullfrog]

Are you seriously suggesting Tavares and/or Nylander should be benched?

I'm not objecting to Kerfoot defensive game but its also interesting how expectations go.

Kerfoot 1G 2A in February (9GP)
Tavares 0G 7A in February (9GP)
Nylander 2G 5A in February (9GP)

I think in terms of complete game Kerfoot has been the better of the three players the last month but you don't break the slump of star players by benching them.

Tavares/Nylander have 2 goals on a combined 50 shots in the last 9 games.  That's going to change soon and both guys are likely going to get scorching hot when the puck starts going in.  Swapping Kase and Kerfoot is a perfectly reasonable move.

Ya, lord knows I'm not saying they've been perfect, but the Leafs have 3 of the top-40 scorers in the league (Matthews, Tavares, Nylander) with Marner at 45th with obviously fewer games. You just don't bench these guys because they're in a slump. (is 7 points in 9 games a slump?)

 

[rdowdall]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1496870344254230529

I wonder how many f-bombs the coach dropped in that talk.

 

[L K]

Bunting got fined for a play against Pittsburgh for diving.  The Pittsburgh player and Bunting run into each other at centre ice and both partially go down and Bunting immediately gets up.

A game where Pittsburgh had a 5-1 power play advantage.

The league is a joke.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Are you seriously suggesting Tavares and/or Nylander should be benched?

I'm not objecting to Kerfoot defensive game but its also interesting how expectations go.

Kerfoot 1G 2A in February (9GP)
Tavares 0G 7A in February (9GP)
Nylander 2G 5A in February (9GP)

I think in terms of complete game Kerfoot has been the better of the three players the last month but you don't break the slump of star players by benching them.

Tavares/Nylander have 2 goals on a combined 50 shots in the last 9 games.  That's going to change soon and both guys are likely going to get scorching hot when the puck starts going in.  Swapping Kase and Kerfoot is a perfectly reasonable move.

Ya, lord knows I'm not saying they've been perfect, but the Leafs have 3 of the top-40 scorers in the league (Matthews, Tavares, Nylander) with Marner at 45th with obviously fewer games. You just don't bench these guys because they're in a slump. (is 7 points in 9 games a slump?)

Agree you don't bench producers like that. The issue with the JT line is that they're not producing 5v5. In the last 18 games, minus the Matthews line, Rielly and Engvall have 1 more 5v5 points then Willy. Holl, Mikheyev, Liljegren have as many(6pts). Mikheyev has as many goals as JT and Willy combined(4g). Kampf is tied with JT(5pts). JT as 1 5v5 goal, Willy has 3 and he got 2 on Sat against St. Lou. If they were playing solid D it wouldn't matter. If you're not scoring, don't get scored against. Problem is, they're both -12. Kerfoot is -6. The 3 worst forwards on the team. The only other regular forwards that have a negative rating are Simmonds(-4), Spezza(-3).

 

[azzurri63]

Kase is with JT and Willy. Kerfoot to the 3rd line. Mrazek starts, Holl, scratched.

Looks Good.

Ya go figure let's move the guy that doesn't deserve to be moved down in the lineup. 2 high paid no-shows should be or sat down.

Are you seriously suggesting Tavares and/or Nylander should be benched?

My point is there's no accountability with some of these guys Tavares especially. Kerfoot has been playing fine for what he brings and gets paid. These 2 haven't. Besides the 2 goals last weekend Nylander is back to his usual piss poor play at both ends of the ice but hey what do I know.

 

[Kin]

The idea of "accountability" only being seen through the prism of punishment for disappointing play shows why fans don't run teams. Tavares is a veteran who's been praised everywhere he goes for his professionalism and dedication. He knows he's not playing up to his standards. He's not a child who needs to sit in the corner until he learns his lesson or a guy showing subpar effort. All benching our better players for our lesser players does is weaken the team while imparting a lesson that doesn't need to be taught.

It would just be performative. Action for the appearance of action's sake.

 

[disco]

Heading to this one tonight. Please end this losing streak now !

Go Leafs Go!

Have fun RedLeaf! Go Leafs Go!

 

[azzurri63]

The idea of "accountability" only being seen through the prism of punishment for disappointing play shows why fans don't run teams. Tavares is a veteran who's been praised everywhere he goes for his professionalism and dedication. He knows he's not playing up to his standards. He's not a child who needs to sit in the corner until he learns his lesson or a guy showing subpar effort. All benching our better players for our lesser players does is weaken the team while imparting a lesson that doesn't need to be taught.

It would just be performative. Action for the appearance of action's sake.

No one needs to tell me what kind of professional Tavares is. I know that thank you. My point is no matter who you are, how long you've been in the league, how much you make etc etc there comes a time when the coaching staff has to say enough is enough. Maybe benching isn't the total answer but maybe move them down in the lineup. Problem nowadays is the favouritism. Should JT be exempt from seeing less ice time than anyone else. Nylander in the past has been the guinea pig when he hasn't played well more-so than most. Marner to. All I'm saying is if you're not cutting it something needs to be addressed regardless of your status. If anything it should be more-so with your supposed high end talent. Do I recommend sitting Tavares or Nylander in the press box for a few games obviously not. But maybe just maybe burying on the 4th line for a bit mind just send a wakeup call because whatever Keefe figures isn't working lately. Why has Kerfoot been moved? To me that is just favouritism because he isn't the issue and the one making big bucks.