#CSP #NHL #LEAFSNATION
There has been a lot of chatter about the five-on-five metrics in Game 1, but score effects aside, a big story in Game 1 was the Leafs surviving their own lineup decisions. Max Domi struggled on the second line and actively made the Tavares-Nylander line worse. The team’s play at evens was much better when Craig Berube flipped Domi and Pontus Holmberg.
– If Ottawa emerges from Game 1 concluding they want to play the game at five-on-five as much as possible, that is just fine from the Leafs‘ perspective. The Senators finished 31st in five-on-five goals this past season and were -18 at five-on-five overall. The Leafs gave up the third-fewest goals at five-on-five and were +33 overall.
– Ottawa did score two five-on-five goals in Game 1, and the Leafs will want to tighten up the neutral zone. The game opened up too much at times.
– The Leafs‘ power play was clinical when they won the faceoff (they scored three that way), but their entries left a lot to be desired. They should consider running those through William Nylander and Mitch Marner more and Auston Matthews less.
– The Leafs’ game plan defensively focused on boxing out over selling out to block shots. Against a Senators team that really emphasizes getting to the net (what Travis Green called “slot-driving plays”), that’s a sound approach to carry over to Game 2 both on the penalty kill and at five-on-five.
– Craig Berube navigated the Game 1 matchups well. He should continue to hammer the Matthews line vs. the Stutzle line. The Laughton line showed well vs. the Cozens line, and the Tavares line should fare better vs. Pinto’s unit with Holmberg on the left wing instead of Domi.
– The Leafs should continue to avoid getting sucked into the antics and extracurricular non-sense. Stay out of the box and play the game.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#29 Pontus Holmberg — #91 John Tavares — #88 William Nylander
#74 Bobby McMann — #11 Max Domi — #89 Nick Robertson
#18 Steven Lorentz — #24 Scott Laughton — #19 Calle Jarnkrok
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #8 Chris Tanev
#44 Morgan Rielly — #25 Brandon Carlo
#2 Simon Benoit — #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Goaltenders
Starter: #41 Anthony Stolarz
#60 Joseph Woll
Extras: David Kampf, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Reaves, Philippe Myers, Dakota Mermis, Artur Akhtyamov, Jani Hakanpaa
Ottawa Senators Projected Lines
Forwards
#7 Brady Tkachuk — #18 Tim Stutzle — #28 Claude Giroux
#57 David Perron — #24 Dylan Cozens — #19 Drake Batherson
#71 Ridly Greig* — #12 Shane Pinto — #22 Michael Amadio
#21 Nick Cousins — #81 Adam Gaudette — #15 Matthew Highmore/#20 Fabian Zetterlund
Defensemen
#85 Jake Sanderson — #2 Artem Zub
#72 Thomas Chabot — #3 Nick Jensen
#43 Tyler Kleven — #33 Nikolas Mattinpalo
Goaltenders
Starter: #35 Linus Ullmark
#31 Anton Forsberg
*missed morning skate/awaiting game-time confirmation
Extras: Fabian Zetterlund/Matthew Highmore, Hayden Hodgson, Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic, Leevi Merilainen
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