2017-18 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

[herman]

MLHS's Anthony Petrielli and TLN's Ian Tulloch teamed up for a pair of podcasts last week.

This one is with Off the Post and about the best lines in the NHL right now
https://soundcloud.com/off-the-post/cream-of-the-crop-which-lines-are-the-nhls-best-ep-70

This one is on Ian's Leafs Geeks Podcast and specifically about the Leafs' State of the System that we've been hashing out lately
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/12/26/anthony-petrielli-analyzes-toronto-maple-leafs-systems-leafs-geeks-podcast/

[disco]

On this day in 1989, after trailing 6-1 to Boston, the Maple Leafs scored six straight goals to defeat the Bruins 7-6 in overtime. @wendelclark17 potted the winning goal #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/zxgfK4QdzU

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) December 30, 2017

Here's a fun blast from the past
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5jKAsnYYF8

[CarltonTheBear]

The Leafs don't have a single back-to-back until January 24th/25th. But they have 10 games in 23 days in that time, including a stretch where they play 6 games in 11 days (that starts today against Vegas). Lots of home games though (6 in a row after Vegas). It'll be interesting to see how Babcock uses Pickard/McBackup prior to the next B2B. Or if he uses them at all.

[CarltonTheBear]

Zaitsev update:

Babcock says Zaitsev likely out until the five-day break that follows Jan. 10 home game against Ottawa. Jan. 16 v St. Louis is next possibility.

— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) December 31, 2017

That means likely a minimum of 5 more games without him.

[herman]

So I hate to break up the alarmist "sky is falling" mentality in Leaf land but just a few things I feel worth pointing out:

The Leafs have played more Road games than any team in the NHL and currently rank 4th in the NHL in 5v5 score adjusted Road xGF%.

— Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) January 1, 2018

Thread: click through the tweet

I’m looking forward to 2018. We aren’t playing at our peak yet and have had a nasty road heavy schedule for the first half and we are still sitting on a decent cushion of points (poorly earned or otherwise).

We will see the contrast between us, a good team, vs Tampa Bay, a great Cup contender, and it will still be stark difference at the moment. But the pieces for greatness are there and growing and cap room is coming (briefly). We don’t have the injury luck of last season or the overachievement of so many players, but bounces will come.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

So I hate to break up the alarmist "sky is falling" mentality in Leaf land but just a few things I feel worth pointing out:

The Leafs have played more Road games than any team in the NHL and currently rank 4th in the NHL in 5v5 score adjusted Road xGF%.

— Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) January 1, 2018

Thread: click through the tweet

I’m looking forward to 2018. We aren’t playing at our peak yet and have had a nasty road heavy schedule for the first half and we are still sitting on a decent cushion of points (poorly earned or otherwise).

We will see the contrast between us, a good team, vs Tampa Bay, a great Cup contender, and it will still be stark difference at the moment. But the pieces for greatness are there and growing and cap room is coming (briefly). We don’t have the injury luck of last season or the overachievement of so many players, but bounces will come.

I hate to break up this guy's lazy lede but there is no sky is falling panic in anything I've been reading.

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/199613/2018/01/02/qa-lou-lamoriello-on-upgrading-the-leafs-defence-auston-matthews-and-if-hell-remain-gm-next-season/

Jonas Siegel sat down to pick Lou's brain, and as usual, we got next to nothing out of a lot of words.

[herman]

ImHuge @ r/leafs has been tracking our 6pts in 5 games target Babcock set out last season.

Someone else (bravenewname) added formatting for away games, so if we're wondering why December's record was so dismal (on top of losing Matthews for a stretch and playing like garbage):

[bustaheims]

Unless the Goat!

[Highlander]

Unless the Goat!

Here's to you Busta...LOL

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

https://theathletic.com/199613/2018/01/02/qa-lou-lamoriello-on-upgrading-the-leafs-defence-auston-matthews-and-if-hell-remain-gm-next-season/

Jonas Siegel sat down to pick Lou's brain, and as usual, we got next to nothing out of a lot of words.

Lou's skull is fashioned of tungsten and various rare-earth minerals.  Not possible to infiltrate.

[disco]

So I hate to break up the alarmist "sky is falling" mentality in Leaf land but just a few things I feel worth pointing out:

The Leafs have played more Road games than any team in the NHL and currently rank 4th in the NHL in 5v5 score adjusted Road xGF%.

— Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) January 1, 2018

Thread: click through the tweet

I’m looking forward to 2018. We aren’t playing at our peak yet and have had a nasty road heavy schedule for the first half and we are still sitting on a decent cushion of points (poorly earned or otherwise).

We will see the contrast between us, a good team, vs Tampa Bay, a great Cup contender, and it will still be stark difference at the moment. But the pieces for greatness are there and growing and cap room is coming (briefly). We don’t have the injury luck of last season or the overachievement of so many players, but bounces will come.

x2

[princedpw]

ImHuge @ r/leafs has been tracking our 6pts in 5 games target Babcock set out last season.

Someone else (bravenewname) added formatting for away games, so if we're wondering why December's record was so dismal (on top of losing Matthews for a stretch and playing like garbage):

I believe I read that the Leafs had 18 back-to-backs this year.  I think they have complete 13 (70% of them) and have just 5 more to go.

All other things being equal, there is reason to believe the 2nd half will go a little better.

[LuncheonMeat]

ImHuge @ r/leafs has been tracking our 6pts in 5 games target Babcock set out last season.

Someone else (bravenewname) added formatting for away games, so if we're wondering why December's record was so dismal (on top of losing Matthews for a stretch and playing like garbage):

I believe I read that the Leafs had 18 back-to-backs this year.  I think they have complete 13 (70% of them) and have just 5 more to go.

All other things being equal, there is reason to believe the 2nd half will go a little better.

Fourteen this season, but I'm not sure how many they've played so far.

[Bullfrog]

https://theathletic.com/199613/2018/01/02/qa-lou-lamoriello-on-upgrading-the-leafs-defence-auston-matthews-and-if-hell-remain-gm-next-season/

Jonas Siegel sat down to pick Lou's brain, and as usual, we got next to nothing out of a lot of words.

Lou's skull is fashioned of tungsten and various rare-earth minerals.  Not possible to infiltrate.

Uninfiltratium?