Oh Scabeh, it’s a perfect 10!!!!!












*I have no idea why I picked that gif*
- Garnie

3 of the 4 bottom teams in the NHL being Ottawa, Montreal, and NYI, makes me happy. Montreal and Ottawa for obvious reasons, but NYI - after all the chirping on how great Lou is, and how they're better off without Tavares, it's sort of funny that they look likely to miss the playofs (already a pretty big uphill battle).
- prock

I feel it's a little early for the schadenfreude with the Islanders. I don't think Lou has done _anything_ good there other than hire Trotz which was a great move. They are missing some of their best players, but were recently cleared of COVID I believe. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that they won't crawl out of the hole they've dug themselves - but I just can't count out a Trotz team. He's a very smart coach who can do a lot with very little - but he still needs _something_ and hasn't had it for a couple of weeks due to injuries/COVID.

Where’s all the Dermott haters this morning?

Not much to laugh about, Leafs are currently playing like the best team in the NHL.

Hell, even Kadri scoring 2 goals yesterday isn't something the trolls can grasp on.

Trust me, I tried.
- Scabeh

Not gonna lie, Kadri is a guy I wish they could have kept, as long as they would be assured he would not sink the team in the playoffs again. I guess they just could not take that chance. He is a guy you want on your team instead of playing against you, kinda like Gallagher in some ways.

My point was that I care about you ....I was concerned why my HB friend would wake up this morning ...jump onto HB and instinctively write

"Had the avs had their starter it may have been much closer or a different outcome".

I was just trying to tell you that some blue in your morning coffee will help you turn the glass look half full .....8-3 ....15-2.

I just wanna make sure you're enjoying this ride with us!

If I don't hear a little more irrational optimism out of you I'm going to ask that your Pic be changed to Eeyore.
- The Law

Hugs.


And sarah rafferty will never be removed.

I was all set to argue this. I still think Hyman is a more versatile player and more reliable - more confident with the puck and more aware of his role in any given situation. He is also 29 and has played 366 career NHL games; Bunting is 26 and has 50 NHL games under his belt. I think he has room to grow. Curiously they are both late bloomers (Hyman didn't consistently play in the NHL until he was 24; Bunting when he was 25).

This year, as noted - they are both playing with excellent players. In just their 5v5 play, Bunting is averaging just under 13 minutes / game, and Hyman is around 13.5 minutes. They are both positive in Shots For, Goals For and Expected Goals for, with Bunting having an edge in all of those categories (more notably in xG, where it's 61% to 57%). Hyman's largest advantage is in High Danger Goals; while Bunting's lines are generating about the same chances for, they are allowing fewer HD Chances against - but Hyman's line is allowing fewer HD Goals.

Bunting is even outproducing Hyman at 5v5 (15pts to 10).
- Monkeypunk

Bunting’s happy Ritchie didn’t work out.

Not gonna lie, Kadri is a guy I wish they could have kept, as long as they would be assured he would not sink the team in the playoffs again. I guess they just could not take that chance. He is a guy you want on your team instead of playing against you, kinda like Gallagher in some ways.
- Aetherial

Gallagher and Niku just placed into Covid protocol

Gallagher and Niku just placed into Covid protocol
- Canada Cup

seems cases are ramping up

*flagged*
- Garnie

I was all set to argue this. I still think Hyman is a more versatile player and more reliable - more confident with the puck and more aware of his role in any given situation. He is also 29 and has played 366 career NHL games; Bunting is 26 and has 50 NHL games under his belt. I think he has room to grow. Curiously they are both late bloomers (Hyman didn't consistently play in the NHL until he was 24; Bunting when he was 25).

This year, as noted - they are both playing with excellent players. In just their 5v5 play, Bunting is averaging just under 13 minutes / game, and Hyman is around 13.5 minutes. They are both positive in Shots For, Goals For and Expected Goals for, with Bunting having an edge in all of those categories (more notably in xG, where it's 61% to 57%). Hyman's largest advantage is in High Danger Goals; while Bunting's lines are generating about the same chances for, they are allowing fewer HD Chances against - but Hyman's line is allowing fewer HD Goals.

Bunting is even outproducing Hyman at 5v5 (15pts to 10).
- Monkeypunk

We can argue that they both are valuable players... I'm happy that the one getting paid less is on the Leafs.. Usually, we're the ones overpaying players to play here

Bunting’s happy Ritchie didn’t work out.
- Garnie

We got 3 out of 4 playing their role well out of the free agents. I'll take it.

Kase
Kampf
Bunting

Ritchie has been okay. I think he's doing alright but we all expected more from him.

I feel it's a little early for the schadenfreude with the Islanders. I don't think Lou has done _anything_ good there other than hire Trotz which was a great move. They are missing some of their best players, but were recently cleared of COVID I believe. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that they won't crawl out of the hole they've dug themselves - but I just can't count out a Trotz team. He's a very smart coach who can do a lot with very little - but he still needs _something_ and hasn't had it for a couple of weeks due to injuries/COVID.
- Monkeypunk

100% agreed. He brought in complementary players at some pretty high prices and assembled an average team coached by one o the best coaches in the NHL.

Bunting’s happy Ritchie didn’t work out.
- Garnie

Nice to see Ritchie finally moving his legs in last couple of games. He’s been much better but he doesn’t move nearly quickly enough to play with Matthews and Marner.

Gallagher and Niku just placed into Covid protocol
- Canada Cup

So when the Avalanche beat the Habs tonight, it further proves that the Leafs' win last night doesn't count and the Leafs aren't so good and they are beating up weak teams and it's just a mirage and waffles and 1967.

So when the Avalanche beat the Habs tonight, it further proves that the Leafs' win last night doesn't count and the Leafs aren't so good and they are beating up weak teams and it's just a mirage and waffles and 1967.
- Atomic Wedgie

leafs are fat and eat hot dogs outside the ACC too.

Not gonna lie, Kadri is a guy I wish they could have kept, as long as they would be assured he would not sink the team in the playoffs again. I guess they just could not take that chance. He is a guy you want on your team instead of playing against you, kinda like Gallagher in some ways.
- Aetherial

If cap wasnt a concern. Kadri would mostly likely still be a leaf.
Kadri is having a career year for sure.

so as of 12:01pm today, Semyonov will no longer be a Leafs.

Does he get claimed or is he back to the KHL?

Where’s all the Dermott haters this morning?
- mr.sir

they're hangin' with Nighthawk talking hockey

3 of the 4 bottom teams in the NHL being Ottawa, Montreal, and NYI, makes me happy. Montreal and Ottawa for obvious reasons, but NYI - after all the chirping on how great Lou is, and how they're better off without Tavares, it's sort of funny that they look likely to miss the playofs (already a pretty big uphill battle).
- prock

While i agree, screw islanders and their garbage fans...the team did start 13 games on the road and had 4-7 players out for covid or injuries.
I hope they and the habs turn it around just enough that they get a mid pick and not a top 10 pick.

so as of 12:01pm today, Semyonov will no longer be a Leafs.

Does he get claimed or is he back to the KHL?
- dmnted

Back to the US, back to the, back to the USSR. He had a clause that allowed him to opt out and return to Russia if he didn’t get a certain number of games by December 1

We got 3 out of 4 playing their role well out of the free agents. I'll take it.

Kase
Kampf
Bunting

Ritchie has been okay. I think he's doing alright but we all expected more from him.
- Aaron_85

Kampfire has been awesome. Weve needed a player like him for a while now.

so as of 12:01pm today, Semyonov will no longer be a Leafs.

Does he get claimed or is he back to the KHL?
- dmnted

The motherland.
He didnt want to go back to the Marlies

leafs nation are fat and eat hot dogs outside the ACC too.
- prock

yes, we fans are like that.

Engvall played last night like he should every night.


- Garnie

Lol

I feel it's a little early for the schadenfreude with the Islanders. I don't think Lou has done _anything_ good there other than hire Trotz which was a great move. They are missing some of their best players, but were recently cleared of COVID I believe. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that they won't crawl out of the hole they've dug themselves - but I just can't count out a Trotz team. He's a very smart coach who can do a lot with very little - but he still needs _something_ and hasn't had it for a couple of weeks due to injuries/COVID.
- Monkeypunk

Let me put some numbers to it:

The Islanders currently have a .353 winning percentage, and are on a pace for a 58 point season.

If you assume a team will need 98 points to make the playoffs (kind of an edumacated guess, based upon history), they need to play at a .662 pace for the rest of the season. That's the equivalent of playing at a 108 point season over 82 games.

That's going to be tough.