Kings vs. Maple Leafs - Jan. 2nd, 10:30pm - SN, TSN 1050

[Guilt Trip]

Games like this are great since they show the Leafs can play well defensively they just usually chose not to.

Yup lol.

 

[YYZ]

Games like this are great since they show the Leafs can play well defensively they just usually chose not to.

Yup lol.

I'd take 82 games of that kind of hockey. 

 

[cw]

Good performance by everyone.
I do think the skaters earned a hunk of the shutout.
Jones played solidly but didn't have to stand on his head.
They kept on the right side of the puck and took care of it.
They seemed to make an extra effort to block shots.
You could probably find something nice to say about every Leaf.

Kampf and McMann seemed to be a cut above their usual - that 4th line had some effective shifts.
Coaches seemed to notice as their ice time was up.

 

[herman]

I must say, whatever "jolt effect" McMann has brought to the fourth line has faded.  I don't think he's been better than Reaves.

I made a point of saying multiple times that it felt like a Reaves-4th line was basically playing short handed because Reaves was basically behind the play and a non-factor in every play 95% of the time he stepped on the ice. I wouldn't exactly use that description with McMann. You can see him actually playing plays here and there, but yes the 4th line is still very much an issue:

Gregor-Kampf-Reaves: 45.03 CF%, 1.69 GF/60, 6.77 GA/60, 20.00 GF%, 38.21 xGF%

Gregor-Kampf-McMann: 44.12 CF%, 1.66 GF/60, 3.31 GA/60, 33.33 GF%, 39.58 xGF%

It's worth noting that the McMann-results come with the line playing tougher minutes: a 23.81% offensive-zone face off percentage vs. 44.44% with Reaves on it. But again yes those results are pretty unacceptable and while I like McMann as a player and think he's capable of better than this if the results don't change on the ice soon he needs to be replaced. Not sure anyone on the Marlies like Holmberg or Steeves would drastically change what's going on there though.

edit: I also don't necessarily think that McMann is the only problem there. Kampf and Gregor both deserve a share of the blame too, but it's obviously very unlikely all 3 players get changed.

https://x.com/ATFulemin/status/1742535199198519519

 

[caver]

P L Dubois is a greasy player..

 

[Arn]

So is it just me and the west coasters tonight? And post-nap Arn?

Part A of my plan worked. I got to sleep quite early. Part B failed when I forgot to wake up.

Shame cos it looks like it may have been the best performance of the season.

 

[herman]

So is it just me and the west coasters tonight? And post-nap Arn?

Part A of my plan worked. I got to sleep quite early. Part B failed when I forgot to wake up.

Shame cos it looks like it may have been the best performance of the season.

Yes, but it probably wasn't much of a looker in that Bertuzzi style hockey was how we won.