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The Centennial Season thread (aka the ****ing season thread)

Stat nerds don't like that he's playing Polwick ahead of Martyrrado, or that Nikita "Ride The Wave" Soshnikov is getting more PP time than Brown, or that Holland has basically been booted to Lupidas Island.
 
I think the Nylander 4th line thing is more about developing Nylander and challenging him more than anything else.

I doubt he actually thinks Soshnikov, Hyman and Brown are better players.
 
Metalleaf said:
Stat nerds don't like that he's playing Polwick ahead of Martyrrado, or that Nikita "Ride The Wave" Soshnikov is getting more PP time than Brown, or that Holland has basically been booted to Lupidas Island.
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don't think it's just stat nerds.
 
Metalleaf said:
I don't like Nylander on the 4th line and that's my only gripe really.
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Yeah, and even then, if the plan is to trade Bozak, I can see the upside to not just suddenly dropping Nylander into one of our top-3 centers lots when he's been playing wing all season. And it's not like Nylander's permanently stuck playing with Smith and Martin, and playing eight minutes a night. He still gets plenty of ice-time with more offensive players, both on the power-play and at five-on-five. So, I can live with it.

I can also live with him having a somewhat shitty pet back on defense---I just wish he'd just settle on one of Hunwick or Polak, and relegate the other to being a depth guy.
 
leafman101 said:
I think the Nylander 4th line thing is more about developing Nylander and challenging him more than anything else.

I doubt he actually thinks Soshnikov, Hyman and Brown are better players.
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Willy is crazy skilled but really has a hard time getting his intensity up. He does a lot of things that people regularly blame Bozak for(in defensive zone skating around without engaging). It's really not a surprise why he gets demoted at times. Babcock tries to give him time with Naz as well but as soon as they can't get goals it backfires because of those issues(and in that case the line kinda becomes useless because now you have good goalies on the other end stopping you and your line is giving up chances/goals. It's difficult to win games that way.

Aside from that we really need another dman who can play top minutes.
 
I think the fact willy centers the 4th line is more because Babs realizes Smith really sucks as a center but doesn't like Holland. And Nylander's TOI has actually gone UP since the move, cause he's now playing 4th line icetime, plus he also appears on Kadri's and MAtthews' wings late in the game if we're behind, so he's playing anywhere between 17 and 19 min a game.

Babs has made it very clear this is not a punishment to Nylander, he thinks Willy is exceptional talent, and he just thinks Sosh is better on Kadri's wing (unless we're behind) and someone has to center the 4th line.
 
number17 said:
I think the fact willy centers the 4th line is more because Babs realizes Smith really sucks as a center but doesn't like Holland. And Nylander's TOI has actually gone UP since the move, cause he's now playing 4th line icetime, plus he also appears on Kadri's and MAtthews' wings late in the game if we're behind, so he's playing anywhere between 17 and 19 min a game.

Babs has made it very clear this is not a punishment to Nylander, he thinks Willy is exceptional talent, and he just thinks Sosh is better on Kadri's wing (unless we're behind) and someone has to center the 4th line.
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Thats just silly 17. If he didn't like Smith he wouldn't play him and would give others a chance(plenty of others he can use there or trade for). He's using Willy as much as he can but you can tell by his interviews that he praises him and at the same time says things like he needs to work on his compete(this isnt anything new either, on Marlies same thing was said). Nothing else to it really. Both Marner and Matthews are significantly better in competing more consistently.
 
The stuff Babcock's saying about Nylander now isn't really any different than the stuff he's said about Kadri in the past. And of course, just like they're doing with Nylander now, many media members and fans ran with those comments and started pushing the idea that Babcock didn't like Kadri and the Leafs wanted to get rid of him, when Babcock was really just coaching him and teaching him how to be a better player. And we've all seen how those efforts with Kadri have paid off so far.
 
LeafGm said:
The stuff Babcock's saying about Nylander now isn't really any different than the stuff he's said about Kadri in the past. And of course, just like they're doing with Nylander now, many media members and fans ran with those comments and started pushing the idea that Babcock didn't like Kadri and the Leafs wanted to get rid of him, when Babcock was really just coaching him and teaching him how to be a better player. And we've all seen how those efforts with Kadri have paid off so far.
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Yeah not sure if this is directed at me or in general but i definitely don't think that Babcock has something against Nylander. It's about teaching as you said. I just think these comments on why Babcock is using Nylander on the 4th are made by people who don't understand that when offense isn't going and you're still giving up quality chances, you can't just put a young guy who plays soft and expect to get good results. It makes no sense. In last night's game we didn't give up many chances but there were quite a few quality ones and most games that's all a team needs. What happens if you play Willy further up and his line is the one causing it?(and at the same time you're struggling to score).
 
PKForce81 said:
Thats just silly 17. If he didn't like Smith he wouldn't play him and would give others a chance(plenty of others he can use there or trade for). He's using Willy as much as he can but you can tell by his interviews that he praises him and at the same time says things like he needs to work on his compete(this isnt anything new either, on Marlies same thing was said). Nothing else to it really. Both Marner and Matthews are significantly better in competing more consistently.
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Smith is used as a PK specialist and that's it. His other options are Holland (which he doesn't like, and doesn't kill penalties) and Leivo (who is still technically on IR ... and isn't on Babs' good list either, plus he doesn't kill penalties)
 
Lou on whether the Leafs will be buyers or sellers at the deadline:

“To think about that, it’s too far away to even have in your mindset. That’s a far-fetched thing at this point. Right now, we’re building. Determining who the players are that will be part of the future, and who are buying into what it takes to have the success you want to have. We’d like the team in a position where contract numbers won’t get in the way, the cap won’t get in the way, where cash won’t get in the way, and we can develop the players we have in our system."
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Lou on the Leafs being in last place in the Eastern conference:

"You win a couple of games in a row and you jump five, six spots without even thinking about it. You have to be very careful how you look at the standings because it can get in the way of what you’re doing. Right now, you have to stay focused on all the individual things that are needed to have success. That’s what this group is doing.

Yes, you look at the standings. You don’t like the appearance of it. But you know what is transpiring. You feel very good about what you see, what you feel, the way the team is developing. You don’t allow that to get in the way. The end result is what it’s about, through 82 games.”
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You have to be very careful how you look at the standings because it can get in the way of what you’re doing. Right now, you have to stay focused on all the individual things that are needed to have success. That’s what this group is doing.

Yes, you look at the standings. You don’t like the appearance of it. But you know what is transpiring. You feel very good about what you see, what you feel, the way the team is developing.
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(thought bubble: look at the ****ing corsis, idjits.)
 
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