No Excuses No Limits! The mother fucking goddamn season thread

[Cal Gal]

View: https://x.com/koshtorontosun/status/1912169468668543468

So second game in a row with these same lines and pairs. only one game left after tonight, so it's gotta be pretty close to the playoffs lineup.

Makes me wonder where the injured guys slot in, if they do.

I'd still guess the dpairs go back to the regular pairings....though I wonder if Rielly-Myers looks good then maybe we see an OEL-Carlo pairing and Benoit out. But i doubt it. Also wonder whether Mermis being paired with Carlo instead of just with Myers on a buried 3rd pair means he might have a shot over Benoit too. Then again, Benoit being paired with Tanev on the shutdown pair while we're injured probably says he's staying in the lineup.


Forwards are a bit more interesting.

I think the easy thing to say is that Kampf and Patches would kick Holmberg and Robertson out of the lineup, but I'm not really sure that'll happen.

Berube hasn't loved Kampf nearly as much as Keefe did, and has sat him even when healthy. Meanwhile Berube's had a bit of a love affair with Holmberg since training camp. I also think that Berube has been more than fair with Robertson this year, and values him. And I don't think he's in love with the Krok either. I also think that if Domi is sticking on the top line, then berube knows he needs some real offense on the 3rd line.

Wouldn't be shocked to see Kampf and Krok sitting if we're all healthy. Of course wouldn't be shocked to see them in the lineup either. And of course still funny that we wasted $4.5m in capspace on them.

This right here: Wouldn't be shocked to see Kampf and Krok sitting if we're all healthy. Of course wouldn't be shocked to see them in the lineup either. And of course still funny that we wasted $4.5m in capspace on them.

 

[zeke]

View: https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1912180842387902532

 

[leafman101]

Berube playing chess

I am looking forward to see how Berube manages a playoff series. I mean he’s won a cup so he has to be better than “I’m going to play Kampf every d zone start against kucherov and run a 0 man forecheck in OT.”

But this should be one of 3 major advantages this team has over past teams, the others being a top goalie and PP on fire heading into the playoffs.

Of course that has to be weighed against the disadvantage of playing bad hockey.

 

[leafman101]

But Holmberg over Domi as 3c should mean he doesn’t have to shelter anyone and can just play all his lines whenever, and not sacrifice Matthews minutes for Kampf.

 

[Preston]

At this point "different" is enough to get me excited. Horse shit hockey being played this year but in the playoffs I don't care about that. Just win.

 

[mbow30]

It’s pretty hilarious that we had Auston Matthews and John Tavares, and our coach played David kampf matchup minutes against top lines.

Completely bananas

 

[zeke]

Playoffs Center Usage

2016-17 Babcock

1. Matthews 6gms, 30.1toi%, -13.0dzs%
2. Kadri 6gms, 28.5toi%, +8.9dzs%
3. Bozak 6gms, 27.5toi%, +2.1dzs%
4. Boyle 6gms, 19.8toi%, +16.7dzs%

2017-18 Babcock

1. Matthews 7gms, 30.4toi%, -6.7dzs%
2. Kadri 4gms, 26.2toi%, +2.7dzs%
3. Bozak 7gms, 24.4toi%, -1.6dzs%
4. Plakanec 7gms, 25.0toi%, +3.5dzs% (more TOI than Bozak b/c he filled in for Kadri)
5. Moore 2gms, 13.6toi%, -8.3dzs%

2018-19 Babcock

1. Matthews 7gms, 32.2toi%, -2.5dzs%
2. Tavares 7gms, 31.7toi%, +9.1dzs%
3. Kadri 2gms, 24.5toi%, -2.6dzs% (iirc Marleau filled in at C after this - 25.0toi%, -13.6dzs%)
4. Gauthier 7gms, 14.1toi%, -4.9dzs%



2019-20 Keefe

1. Matthews 5gms, 36.8toi%, -1.8dzs%
2. Tavares 5gms, 33.1toi%, -4.5dzs%
3. Kerfoot 5gms, 22.7toi%, -7.7dzs%
4. Engvall 4gms, 18.6toi%, +0.0dzs%
5. Gauthier 1gms, 6.6toi%, +14.3dzs%

2020-21 Keefe

1. Matthews 7gms, 37.0toi%, -10.8dzs%
2. Tavares 1gms, 7.1toi%, +40.0dzs% ---> Foligno 4gms, 23.9toi%, +0.0dzs%
3. Kerfoot 7gms, 26.3toi%, -4.7dzs%
4. Engvall 6gms, 22.8toi%, -0.9dzs%
5. Brooks 2gms, 18.8toi%, -11.5dzs%
6. Nash 2gms, 17.1toi%, +26.1dzs%

2021-22 Keefe

1. Matthews 7gms, 33.0toi%, -18.7dzs%
2. Kampf 7gms, 29.1toi%, +17.1dzs% ---> fucking hilarious
3. Tavares 7gms, 28.2toi%, -4.8dzs%
4. Blackwell 7gms, 15.3toi%, +0.0dzs%

2022-23 Keefe

1. Matthews 11gms, 34.3toi%, -9.3dzs%
2. O'Reilly 11gms, 27.8toi%, +5.9dzs%
3. Tavares 11gms, 27.2toi%, -10.4dzs%
4. Kampf 11gms, 21.8toi%, +18.6dzs% ---> impressive that keefe managed to give Kampf this much toi with those 3 ahead of him.

2023-24 Keefe

1. Matthews 5gms, 30.5toi%, -17.5dzs% --- (Domi filled in)
2. Tavares 7gms, 29.0toi%, +9.9dzs%
3. Kampf 7gms, 22.8toi%, +19.3dzs% --> tbf this is pretty decent for kampf, especially given Matthews injury.
4. Holmberg 7gms, 20.1toi%, +0.0dzs%


Who knows what happens in the playoffs with Berube, but here's how Kampf has fared under Berube compared to previous regular seasons:

24-25 Berube: 20.6toi%, +10.3dzs%
23-24 Keefe: 21.8toi%, +9.6dzs%
22-23 Keefe: 25.3toi%, +10.4dzs%
21-22 Keefe: 25.1toi%, +10.8dzs%

And here's Kampf this year month to month:

OCT: 20.2toi%, +5.7dzs%
NOV: 22.0toi%, +7.5dzs%
DEC: 23.5toi%, +9.7dzs%
JAN: 20.6toi%, +9.7dzs%
FEB: 18.7toi%, +17.0dzs%
MAR: 20.3toi%, +12.4dzs%

iirc NOV/DEC is when Matthews had his injury stints.

and i ignored that Kampf has been a healthy scratch a number of times.

So Berube definitely is using Kampf less than Keefe did, even less than when Keefe finally started giving up the kampf dream last year.

 

[leafman101]

The other good usage thing Berube has done is actually play Willy. He’s averaging almost 1 min more 5v5 then he did under Keefe and is actually playing more 5v5 than Marner and Matthews.

They have seemed to try to manage guys minutes too. Would like to see him play Marner, Matthews, Willy and Tanev a lot more in the playoffs.

 

[zeke]

Changes from last year's playoffs:

Bertuzzi ---> McMann
Dewar ---> Laughton
Reaves ---> Pacioretty
Gregor ---> Lorentz

Edmundson ---> Tanev
Lyubushkin ---> Carlo
Liljegren ---> OEL
(Brodie/Timmins/Gio ---> Hakanpaa/Myers/Mermis)

Samsonov ---> Stolarz

​

These should be pretty huge upgrades overall tbh, and that's not even factoring in that both Matthews and Nylander missed half the series to injury (and probably played injured).

Of course if the forwards are healthy then there will be other guys needing to be dropped from last year, which could be any of Kampf/Jarnkrok/Holmberg/Robertson really.

 

[mbow30]

Think Marner was hurt too

 

[Hoss]

He had that high ankle sprain earlier and he definitely was playing hurt

 

[Pwner]

Bring on the Battle of Ontario!

 

[Pwner]

 

[Jeremy]

Battle of Ontario Postseason history
2000 conference quarterfinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–2 2001 conference quarterfinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–0 2002 conference semifinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–3 2004 conference quarterfinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–3 2025 first round: TBD

 

[zeke]

View attachment 26003

Battle of Ontario deserves it's own thread.

We're expecting big things out of you @Pwner. Get on it.

 

[Preston]

And I expect your return @LeafOfFaith don't be a gay ass bitch.

 

[zeke]

And I expect your return @LeafOfFaith don't be a gay ass bitch.

what's our record since @LeafOfFaith tucked tail?

 

[Habsy]

Oh did you guys clinch already?