To start with, I'm firmly in the Andersen is a good goalie camp. I'm also firmly in the Andersen is not having a good season by his standards camp. Faulty team defense or not, he has not played at the level he is capable of playing at.

The difficult part of this is - is Campbell good enough to spell Andersen through his rough patch while the entire season is on the line? I had always thought Campbell was going to be something special; I loved him in the WJC when he started as a backup, and started for the US taking them to Gold. I was pissed that Dallas had drafted him, because they'd just gone from Belfour to Turco . . . and now they're getting Campbell. F'n Dallas and the great goalies!

And then he wasn't. I'd hear his name and it was never in association with anything positive. So it's great to see that he's rebuilt his game and found himself. But after years of not being the man, can he be that guy if called upon?

I preface with that because the last few Cup teams have seen the starter falter and been relieved by a competent backup when required. Allen faltered and Binnington saved his and his team's ass last year. Holtby faltered and Grubauer came in and picked up the slack for Washington. Fleury faltered and Murray picked up the slack.

If Campbell can successfully shoulder that load, it might be what the team and Freddy needs.
- Monkeypunk

I think it was Jeff O'Neill, I could be wrong maybe it was Duthie, but during the 1st intermission, O'Neill said "Freddy is a good goalie, I don't know what happened to him"
We don't really know what we have in Campbell.. It's been a good start so far, but we can't have question marks in goal this late in the season.

Andersen is the guy, he's gotta pick up his play. Maybe that big save he made late in the game on Hoffman helps with his confidence?

when freddy plays the team gets plenty of wins and points. Point % leaders, min 35 games.

rank player gp point %
1 Andrei Vasilevskiy 47 71.3%
2 Tuukka Rask 37 70.3%
3 Jordan Binnington 47 69.1%
4 Marc-Andre Fleury 46 62.0%
5 Frederik Andersen 49 61.2%
6 David Rittich 46 58.7%
- Tumbleweed

Thats cool.

I judge goalies by individual play not team results.

It’s ok UGgie junior I won’t question you on the goalies anymore, every goal in the last 2 months that I’ve called a good goal you’ve called soft...so we’ll just leave it at that.

🥴👍
- Garnie

Says the guy that agrees with UG all the time

3 wins in the last 4 games, 2 of which came against "contenders"

Is it safe to believe in this team again?
- Kinger34

it was great to see them go to FLA and hang on for a tough win against the bolts and then not fold when down against the panthers.

forwards are learning to win with the adversity of patch work defense and a goalie not stealing games for them.

if they can close out the season with 12-15 more good efforts like this, i'll like their chances against anyone.

freddy will come around. dermott was far and away the best dman. looking really solid out there.

I still think he's overpaid. He's not at Matthews/Eichel/McDavid's level.
- gravyface

He is defintely overpaid, but he might just get there. The issue is his scoring ability and shot. If he had a better shot, hed be right up there.

3 wins in the last 4 games, 2 of which came against "contenders"

3 regular dmen out

Is it safe to believe in this team again?
- Kinger34

As always around here, we are a 3 game winning streak from planning the parade and a 3 game losing streak away from collective suicide.

when freddy plays the team gets plenty of wins and points. Point % leaders, min 35 games.

rank player gp point %
1 Andrei Vasilevskiy 47 71.3%
2 Tuukka Rask 37 70.3%
3 Jordan Binnington 47 69.1%
4 Marc-Andre Fleury 46 62.0%
5 Frederik Andersen 49 61.2%
6 David Rittich 46 58.7%
- Tumbleweed

Funny you put so much stock into that, yet not save %. Freddy has the NHl's top offense infront of him to assist him. He is spotted a lot of goals.

Our goalie save % is 26th in the NHL right now.

Mike in barfalo thinks MM is directly responsible for the Leafs not winning a cup since 1967
- senstroll

People have problems with him because he makes some bad plays with the puck which stands out more than a player being in a good position or defending the blue line well.

It’s why I don’t trust the eye test. I yell at the TV all the time with Marincin but he’s going to produce better play than Liljegren right now.

I think it was Jeff O'Neill, I could be wrong maybe it was Duthie, but during the 1st intermission, O'Neill said "Freddy is a good goalie, I don't know what happened to him"
We don't really know what we have in Campbell.. It's been a good start so far, but we can't have question marks in goal this late in the season.

Andersen is the guy, he's gotta pick up his play. Maybe that big save he made late in the game on Hoffman helps with his confidence?
- PatC80

It was a combo of both of them. Oneill point was pretty valid as you mentioned they didnt know what they might get with Campbell, but to be fair, he has been very good since coming over.

I wonder what the Leafs will do in the offseason and if they move on from Andersen and say try to go after Lehner or something

3 wins in the last 4 games, 2 of which came against "contenders"

3 regular dmen out

Is it safe to believe in this team again?
- Kinger34

Eh, this team will never be believed in.

Thats cool.

I judge goalies by individual play not team results.
- Santo_44

bernier has the same numbers save % and gaa as freddy.

i guess we would be just as good with him in net.

Says the guy that agrees with UG all the time
- Santo_44

About goaltending

Then there’s you, it was almost nice to see UG back compared to you a lot of days.

Marty Marincin, Elite shutdown defender

Discuss
- senstroll

Yeah not the first time I've heard Marincin has elite fancy stats.

If the fact that James Tanner swears by fancy stats was not enough to make you question their validity/usefulness, this should be the nail in the coffin

Funny you put so much stock into that, yet not save %. Freddy has the NHl's top offense infront of him to assist him. He is spotted a lot of goals.

Our goalie save % is 26th in the NHL right now.
- RogerRoeper

freddy needs to hold teams to three. the offense needs to put up 4.

we're not dallas that needs to hold teams to 2.

or should we bring back babs to play a defense system that limits goal scoring and focuses on reducing goals against?

Funny, this time last year Leaf fans were told to be terrified because marner was leaving by offersheet. Now he sucks and should be moved.

This city is hilarious.

You do not move a 22 year-old who had 94 points last season and over 82 games would be at a 96 point pace.

Patience people!

freddy needs to hold teams to three. the offense needs to put up 4.

we're not dallas that needs to hold teams to 2.

or should we bring back babs to play a defense system that limits goal scoring and focuses on reducing goals against?
- Tumbleweed

Yeah we aren't old and have better depth.

Are you aware we are allowing less goals under Keefe than we were with Babcock? The Leafs were horrible defensively under Babcock

Martin Marincin without the puck was pretty effective last night. He was honestly really effective up in the neutral zone and preventing transition - I thought.

There was also the whiff on the slapshot and this other weird play where he just couldn't puck up a puck along the end dasher boards for . . . like 3 tries he swung and missed at a stationary puck - just sitting there. It let Florida come in the zone and establish a forecheck which took the puck away.

If he had . . like a bell he could ring when the puck came near him so that another player knew to come to take it from him, that might be great.
- Monkeypunk[/quote]

Funny, this time last year Leaf fans were told to be terrified because marner was leaving by offersheet. Now he sucks and should be moved.

This city is hilarious.

You do not move a 22 year-old who had 94 points last season and over 82 games would be at a 96 point pace.

Patience people!
- RogerRoeper

Who is saying to move him? Not many people, hes awesome, but I wish he had a bit more scoring. No way we trade any of the big 4.

Truthfully, these guys wont in their true prime until about 24/25, they are likely to get better.

Who is saying to move him? Not many people, hes awesome, but I wish he had a bit more scoring. No way we trade any of the big 4.

Truthfully, these guys wont in their true prime until about 24/25, they are likely to get better.
- Archaic

You are a very wise Leaf fan. But majority are not like you.

Yeah not the first time I've heard Marincin has elite fancy stats.

If the fact that James Tanner swears by fancy stats was not enough to make you question their validity/usefulness, this should be the nail in the coffin
- poopstash

a lot of times the issue is not the fancy stats, but how they are used.

when i look a numbers that appear to be anamolies, my question is: will this player's numbers even out because he's on a run of bad or good luck or will he always be an anomaly.

marincin is anomaly. he does some things well like defend the neutral zone and hold the puck in at the blue (last night's pinch notwithstanding).

but the stats don't capture how he loses the puck under pressure in is own zone which leads to too many high quality chances. his goalie will always be fishing too many pucks out from the back of his net.

You are a very wise Leaf fan. But majority are not like you.
- RogerRoeper

I think people are just grasping at straws in ways to improve the d core, and he makes a lot so it would free up for a high end d, or two solid ones. That being said, its an awful idea that will never happen.

Yeah we aren't old and have better depth.

Are you aware we are allowing less goals under Keefe than we were with Babcock? The Leafs were horrible defensively under Babcock
- RogerRoeper

babs tried to reel the players in to a defense system and got zero buy-in. there was no system being played and we got lit up.

Marincin is an "OK" depth guy. Not worth getting too upset over. Every team has a Marincin.

babs tried to reel the players in to a defense system and got zero buy-in. there was no system being played and we got lit up.
- Tumbleweed

Yes because it's the wrong system for the way this team is being built. Did you really want to stick with Babcock and hear "We need to stick to the plan and grind"(I was shocked to hear him say that his last interview as Leafs coach in Vegas) after every loss?

Leafs ARE better defenisvely under Keefe.

babs tried to reel the players in to a defense system and got zero buy-in. there was no system being played and we got lit up.
- Tumbleweed

If they had a couple of solid defensive dmen it would help quite a bit IMO. I think the Leafs will ge there, and Sandin/Lilly will grow into NHL players as well.

Would love to get Petro in the offseason, but I doubt it