LEAFS CALL UP MORE MARLIES AND COMMITT TO PLAYING TEAM DEFENCE

Where's Bracco?

AS SIMPLE AS KEEFE WAVING HIS WAND, TIPS!

TMLSage: THE LEAFS ARE FINALLY GONNA COMMIT TO TEAM DEFEBSE!!!
Also TMLSage: Puts Martin Marincin on the first pair

Marlies are Marlies because almost exclusively they aren't NHL good. It's the same with all NHL teams. There isn't a life (season) saver in the AHL or else that guy would be in the NHL now.

Commit to defence? It just isn't that easy to execute it. You need the personnel. As if the Leafs weren't short on NHL talent/depth and depth before any injuries, but they are now without their best, second best and fifth best Dmen they had this year. But gonna be interesting how they respond. One good thing, is Sandin and Liljegren two long term Leafs are getting a baptized in the NHL in a intense run to the playoffs. It should serve them and the Leafs well in the future.

Call up a bunch of guys who aren't good enough to play in the NHL to play defence? And try to lose games 2-0 instead of 6-3? Why would they do that? To make you feel better about playing hockey the "right way." This narrative that improved defence is just about trying harder is getting kind of insane. Also half the Marlies are already up.

This team is what it is. They are an offence first, attack oriented team. They may improve in the defensive zone as the stars get older and players get more comfortable in their roles, but they are never going to be a lockdown, shutdown team. Because to do that, you need to sacrifice a ton of the thing they are actually good at, which is offence. Every game where they have tried to play shutdown D and focus on team defence in third periods they have been shelled the entire period. Look at their third against Tampa the other night. They focused on D and looked awful. That's not what they are, they need to just play their style. If the way they play is good enough to get ahead of teams most of the time, it's probably good enough to stay there.