Play-in Round: Toronto Maple Leafs (8) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (9)

[Volcanologist]

for the record, the "expected" just quantifies the "reality" you described in that second sentence there.

awesome

 

[LeafGm]

Looks like Muzzin's OK, but will be quarantining for the duration of the Columbus series:

 

[zeke]

Back for next round is fine for me.

We're better able to handle his loss than most think - especially since he wasn't great for most of the 1st 2 games.

 

[Killer93]

Someone better ragdoll Dubois

 

[LeafGm]

Someone better ragdoll Dubois

Clifford, you’d hope. This is supposedly the point of acquiring a player like him.

 

[LeafOfFaith]

Ahhhh fuck. I actually thought he would be fine and back in Friday.

Gimme Sandin then.

 

[BeLeafer]

Dermott stepping into Muzzin’s role would be my preference, but then there aren't really a whole lot of good choices with the other pairings. Leaving Ceci with Rielly and pairing up Marincin with Barrie seems less than optimal, but I don't know what other choice we have.

It was initially my preference but the other two pairings are performing well and just sliding Marincin in there not only causes the least disruption but pairs two guys who have lots of experience together, including playoffs (abeit in the AHL).

 

[LeafOfFaith]

Why would Marincin play over Sandin? What insanity is this?

 

[BeLeafer]

I know you don't like stats, but Sandin clearly struggled with soft usage. You don't throw that guy into a series like this unless you have no other options. I say this as a big fan of Sandin.

 

[Volcanologist]

I hate Marincin but Sandin really hasn't shown he's ready for games like this.

 

[zeke]

especially since there's no rooom for Sandin on the PP, and we'll need to replace Muzzin's PK minutes.

 

[LeafGm]

I love Sandin & I hate Marincin with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns, but yeah...it ain’t the Sandman’s time yet.

If he’s established himself as a legit NHLer this year that’d be another story, but he & Liljegren both weren’t quite ready this year.

So, Marincin remains our first option, and next up would probably be Calle Rosen if someone else went down.

 

[Leafin']

can’t believe we’ll be seeing that cockroach Marincin back in. The guy just just never goes away.

 

[Artnes]

Clifford, you’d hope. This is supposedly the point of acquiring a player like him.

After hearing the bench screaming every time he was coming in on the forecheck you better believe he will have his head on a swivel.

Thats the face of a man who is not wired right and they know it

 

[LeafGm]

can’t believe we’ll be seeing that cockroach Marincin back in. The guy just just never goes away.

I’m convinced that somehow he’s going to retire as the longest-serving member of the Leafs in franchise history by the time he’s done.

An entire career spent as our 7th defenseman.

 

[zeke]

so nice to have our Backbone back in the lineup.

 

[Volcanologist]

In all seriousness that is a massive downgrade. Great news for the Jackets.

 

[BeLeafer]

I've never understood the hate-on for Marincin. He's a depth blueliner who can provide serviceable minutes and has some good qualities (particularly, preventing zone entries, but also his pterodactyl reach).

 

[BeLeafer]

In all seriousness that is a massive downgrade. Great news for the Jackets.

This is true usually but relative to what they've been getting from Muzzin in the first two games, I don't think it's much of a downgrade. Muzzin has not been good in games 1 or 2.

 

[LeafOfFaith]

I thought he was very good yesterday.