Wild @ Leafs - Jan. 19th, 7:30pm - Prime

[L K]

And yet more dreadful PP..........this coaching staff is just incredible

 

[azzurri63]

Tavares should not be in the bumper position just too slow with the puck.

 

[L K]

Holy hell...every single dump in they got beat to the puck. What a dreadful strategy against a much faster team. Berube truly is an NHL coach

 

[L K]

With his 25th goal, Matthews moves into a tie for 7th in the league in goals.

 

[dappleganger]

Tavares should not be in the bumper position just too slow with the puck.

I mean, sure, but he also scored a power play goal from that position in the game.

 

[L K]

What was up with Scott Laughton last night. 1 for 10 on faceoffs

 

[cabber24]

Felt like an early-season game where we got out every-thinged. I hate the absolute no-shows this team puts up every once in a while.

 

[herman]

Tavares should not be in the bumper position just too slow with the puck.

I mean, sure, but he also scored a power play goal from that position in the game.

I think you're both correct!

Tavares is great at:
- faceoffs
- board puck work
- finding open linemates
- shooting quickly from in tight, cleaning up rebounds
- heavy stick and timely lifts

Tavares struggles at:
- puck handling and moving quickly through open ice (transition play)
- playmaking from the bumper (unless there is a pre-arranged plan of attack, e.g. back door bump)

 

[L K]

I think you're both correct!

Tavares is great at:
- faceoffs
- board puck work
- finding open linemates
- shooting quickly from in tight, cleaning up rebounds
- heavy stick and timely lifts

Tavares struggles at:
- puck handling and moving quickly through open ice (transition play)
- playmaking from the bumper (unless there is a pre-arranged plan of attack, e.g. back door bump)

The powerplay is just way too stationary.

Tavares is more of a finisher than a get things going guy but his strength is really net front.

Knies provides too much duplication with Tavares and isnt' an effective enough playmaker not take advantage of his size/strength in front of the net.

Matthews is fine.

Maccelli has been holding on to the puck too much. He does a lot of fancy stick handling but it also stagnates the flow of play.

Rielly......I'm just kind of tired of it.

 

[herman]

The powerplay is just way too stationary.

Ding ding ding

We can very easily duplicate the Jim Hiller scheme(s) that made referees stop awarding the Leafs Powerplays for a decade.

Scheme 1 originally: Play bumps around the upper perimeter and Marner took it downhill on his strong side to feed briskly into three options, bumper, red-line, or seam one-timer to Bozak on off-wing. Marner picked up a lot of 2A/1A just chipping to JvR (who stuffed it into the shelf or quick bumped to Kadri 1T or slipped through to Bozak tap-in). If the puck went to Kadri it was either a 1T or down low to JvR or backhand slip to Bozak for tap-ins.
Zaitsev (R)
Marner (R) - Kadri (L) - Bozak (R)
JvR* (L)

Scheme 2 originally: Matthews and Nylander played catch on their strong-sides and slalomed downhill to launch a catch n' release snap shot from either wing. Middle guys just took away sightlines or lifted sticks for seam passes, or the occasional high slot tip.
Rielly/Gardiner (L)
Nylander* (R) - Irrelevant - Matthews* (L)
Komarov (L)

* denotes positions that required some well-above average skill to pull off.