Leafs excelling with the "long change"

Sorry to disappoint, but it's not your regular content of William Nylander. We will go directly to a discussion on hockey.

A quote from Mike Babbad that I like a lot and that I've mentioned several times is this: "Good teams always eat the other team in the second period."

This is the management of the puck and the long change; A team can tilt the ice against an opponent and bury it if they can not back up. Saying this, let's look at Leafs divisions by period:

The Leafs are tied with the Capitals for the most goals in the second period (the Caps have a game in hand against the Leafs). Last season, the Leafs scored a 14th goal in the second period. Where they flourished was the first period, where they placed second in the league.

It is easier to change and control the puck in the first and third ends. In transition, the Leafs are just about the most dangerous team in the league. This is a fourth-line player turning a missed opportunity into an opportunity to score (in the second period after a change of line scored the goal!)

In the third period, we can see their shots against and their goals increase – we saw the Leafs retreat while protecting the leads – but it should be noted:

• 11-0-0 scoring first
• 10-0-0 in the lead after the first period
• 12-0-0 in the lead after the second period

The Leafs usually did not go out and started playing hot (except for the Flyers), but they did a good job so far, they managed to get through the first goal, to create a cushion for the second and finish it in the third. Overall, when you score your opponents on average in each period and you are near the top of the leaderboard, there is not much to complain about.

Remarks

– at the beginning of the season, Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen were on the fourth line trying to create opportunities in minutes. They ended up playing just under 18 minutes together, in which they scored no goals, either for or against and they were overtaken by one. It was a very limited sample, but both players played very little and generally had no impact on the game. Since then, Kasperi Kapanen has made rapid progress in training and now seems to be consolidating his role in the game. top six of the Leafs. Johnsson has taken a little more time, including some healthy scratches, but injuries mean opportunities, and he's starting to take advantage of them.

– Andreas Johnsson He did not play more than 10 minutes before his eighth game of the season. Three games later, he scored his first goal of the season against the New Jersey Devils. In counting this game, he has scored five goals in his last 10 games and 23 shots on goal. In the previous 10 games (he has played 20 games in total this season), he had a shot and 12 shots on goal. Part of that is just logical – if you play more, you should get more points / hits on the net. It should be noted that some of these features could also be a bit lucky. Since they've progressed in third row with Connor Brown, Johnsson and Brown together have a rate of 46.54 FC. With 41.61%, the chances of scoring are even worse, but their goal is 72.73%.

Also note that Johnsson just turned 24 last week. He is also waiting for a call for applications this summer.

– Conversely, Tyler Ennis seems to have settled. Since they moved to the fourth row alongside Josh Leivo, they have a total score of 49.04CF, a percentage of 45.53SF%, and they have scored four goals and no goals against. I made a double take when I saw his point on the power play against the Bruins was his first with the men 's advantage this season. His 5'9 list is extremely generous, but he is brave and leads one or two guys in every game.

– against the drizzle, Travis Dermott Nazem Kadri had a decisive pbad during a breakaway. We know the Leafs love the stretching pbad, but I do not remember much (if any) went to a center like this. It's almost always the winger on the opposite side. It may have been a broken piece and an opportunity to take advantage of an opening, but it's something to watch for.

– We talk a lot about Patrick Marleau and his veteran value as he has reached the 1,600-game mark this week (incredible achievement – congratulations, Patrick), but it should also be noted that he is resuming his game with the major missing Leafs contributors. In November, he scored nine points in 13 games after a slow start to the season. The Marleau – Kadri – Kapanen unit looks like something worth keeping together. Since joining the Marleau Rapids and Kapanen, they have a total of 51.39CF% / 49.33SF% together, and they scored 15 goals against 10.

– I'm trying not to talk too much about evidence in this space, but what a start for Mitch Marner this season. He currently has 108 points, which would be the league's most consistent since Doug Gilmour's 111-point season in 1993-94.

The match is so slow for him while he does night tricks in the offensive zone with the puck on his stick. One could see his incredible skill on the edges of his game for Igor Ozhiganov – he got the puck, pulled a nice trail, took it behind the net, stopped and l? Has spent for the occasion. One of the best examples is also his 2v1 with Morgan Rielly in overtime against Anaheim, where he got the puck and could have run on the ice, but he slowed down and gave Rielly time to catch up. He played perfectly.

– If there is an attacker on the Marlies that I may be watching this season, it's Bricklayer Marchment. He has 13 points in 13 games, he has 6'4, and he plays with a series of pbades that sometimes goes a little way (yes, we all remember his father). A southpaw who can play in the center or downtown, he could perhaps give a different look to a Leafs line in a place where it is not excellent (left wing).

citations

"There's always disappointment when you're pushed out, but that's just the nature of the game. With Garret, they had a younger, more viable option and he's done a remarkable job so far, so it was the right decision. "
– Curtis McElhinney on the loss of his Leafs job to Garret Sparks

Curtis McElhinney He's a smart guy and a good veteran here in Toronto. His stoppage against Sidney Crosby is one of the most exciting moments of the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last 10 years (yes, it's a bit sad).

"With Matty, I always felt that I knew where he was going and he wanted me to leave too. With Nazy, he plays very well but sometimes I lose myself a little, because he is everywhere. "
– Kasperi Kapanen on the differences between playing with Matthews and Kadri

Part of this is just that Nazem Kadri must have more deception to his game to create. For Matthews, it's often not important for opponents to know what's ahead of them because he can do it anyway and score anyway. Kadri will also do his best to hit the guys on the spot and he will see further down in the defensive zone, which can cause the timing to be lost to a player whose speed can change things in a second.

"… In the end, we played heavily and quickly. We did a lot of good things. "
– Mike Babbad after the defeat against Columbus

Mitch Marner said something similar about playing heavy (and low in the offensive zone) in an interview after the Boston match. The Leafs do things a little differently – against the Bruins for example, they had some sequences where they were spaced apart from the offensive zone and torn between them by boards compared to a more conventional cycling. are on the smaller / faster / skills side, so that makes sense.

We saw that last season with Babbad, too. As December approaches, he wants to start having more time for cycling and offensive areas. Players like Kapanen, Leivo and Johnsson have added more check checking elements than last year. Although they still have pbades (and they should do it to a certain extent), I see a team trying to diversify a little here as well.

5 things that I think I would do

1. Again, not to repeat myself, but I think I would just like to try to Auston Matthews back on the third line. He has already played with Brown and they can place Lindholm or Johnsson on the left. The first two lines are eliminated and they must not be separated. It may only last a period, maybe a match, but they do not need to throw Matthews in the fire, nor do they need him to wear or give him a shot. fire on the arm. Babbad plays with money from home here; he can basically do what he wants.

2 With the next consecutive comeback starting December 22, I think it's too far now. Garret Sparks stay seated as long. I've been saying this for a few seasons now, but aside from the goalkeeper, he has to preserve Andersen. It's a team built to make a race this year (and for many years). It makes no sense for their starting goaltender to play for a month in a row.

3. I think Josh Leivo past Connor Brown for me as an impact player at 5v5. At the beginning of the season, it seemed that Leivo had a great opportunity to play in third row with Nazem Kadri, but it is clear to me that he can not play outside. Since he's moved to the right, he has been a lot more comfortable, picking up pucks against the wall of his own area and controlling the puck to protect himself from his powerful side. At this point, it will never go past Marner, Kapanen or possibly Nylander, but I think it can play higher. This pbadage on the left side did not indicate his game alongside a high level player. At this point, Brown's major contribution is on shots on goal (second among the Leafs forwards for the shorthanded ice time per game), but otherwise, he takes no offense at all.

4 I think one thing shoot the goalkeeper early This forces the teams to have two pairs of defensive pairings and forward lines ready to go, so the Leafs will have to figure out who this will be. By the end of the game, protecting the Bruins' lead, the Leafs had eliminated Rielly – Hainsey, which makes sense, but if they are gbaded and the Leafs have to change, the rest of the group of players is Travis Dermott, Jake Gardiner, Nikita. Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov. This will not make anyone feel hot and confused. With his playing style and his role in the PK, Dermott makes sense. At this point, they sent Zaitsev with him, but ideally they improve him overall.

5 No matter what happens, I think we'll all be happy to see the William Nylander The saga ends one way or another this weekend. I suppose an agreement is reached, the real question being the opposite term to the annual average (it will be between 6.5 and 7, I suppose, but it's just my own speculation, to be clear).