Although the team lost, I think the team still played very well. We held the lead over Columbus the entire game, until Columbus eventually scored the overtime winning goal to win the game. While the bottom six didn't look fantastic, guys like Voit and Kressler really stood out and didn't look bad by any means. Here is a breakdown of how I felt each line did in the first game, as well as a TL;DR for those of you who don't feel like reading the entire explanation.
The Forward Group:
Line 1: This line looked pretty good, although they certainly weren't the best line in this game. Abramov continues to prove that he is one of the Leafs most underrated prospects, and while he didn't score, he looked very comfortable and confident out on the ice. Robertson looked pretty nervous for the most part, whiffing on atleast 2 shot attempts and a pass. Nervousness aside, he has certainly got the drive, as he had a pretty good scoring chance after whiffing a shot, roofing it backhand bardown, only for the puck to not cross the goal line. Steeves looked great as well, building on his chemistry with Robertson and opening up the scoring off of a Robertson pass from the boards. While this line was very good, I think they were outshone by the second line.
TL;DR: This line looked very good, despite a few offensive lapses with a few whiffed shots and passes. Robertson and Steeves' have some unreal chemistry
Line 2: This line was in my opinion the Leafs best line of the night. Gogolev was all over the play, setting up multiple quality scoring chances, and taking a few very good shots at the net himself. Going into this game I was a little skeptical of SDA given his below average development camp due to his lack of size. While he wasn't the shining star on this line, he scored at the side of the net after a feed from the point. Jeremy McKenna is another interesting name, as he had a pretty good game as well. He had a couple decent scoring chances and looked pretty good out on the ice. Jumped up in the play and was the recipient of a few nice Gogolev passes throughout the game. I think Gogolev really carried this line tonight, and would be interesting to see a Robertson - Steeves - Gogolev line in the next game.
TL;DR: My personal choice for the Leafs best line of Game 1 due to Gogolev alone. While his two linemates also looked good, even recording a goal, Gogolev had multiple good scoring chances and set up a few himself.
Line 3: This is where the lineup starts to get pretty weak. I cannot even recall anything of value Ryan Chyzowski did other than get absolutely run at one point in the game. Curtis Douglas, while extremely big, offered very little to this game as well. He found himself as the starting center on the PK, and did an alright job. He threw a couple of hits as you would expect someone of his size to do and found himself in the middle of a scrum at one point, but looked extremely slow. Not sure how guys like Chyzowski or Douglas snuck into the lineup over someone line Hardie, but oh well. Ty Voit on the otherhand looked very promising. While he is another smaller guy out on the ice, he plays very hard and was involved in the play quite a lot. At one point, he almost managed to walk through 3 guys, but was cut short just before breaking through. He was far and away the best player on this line. Certainly one of the Leafs more underrated prospects.
TL;DR: Pretty bad line. Chyzowski and Douglas were pretty much invisible for a large part of the game aside from Douglas throwing a few hits and finding himself in a bit of a scrum. Ty Voit has a ton of potential and was the best player on this line by a mile.
Line 4: While this line was by no means great, I think they had more success out on the ice than the third line. Pare was very noticeable throughout the game, and is a relatively safe choice at both ends of the ice. Budgell was nothing special and I have very little to say about him, but Kressler looked pretty good. He's a good skater and was very good in the offensive zone. While his play doesn't show up on the score sheet, I'm going to chalk it up to a limited role and mediocre linemates. Kressler was definitely this line's best player and should find himself on the third line over a guy like Chyzowski in the next game.
TL;DR: While not as bad as the third line, this line is nothing special either. While Pare was noticeable in the play and is a relatively safe choice at both ends of the ice, he is not anything to write home about. Budgell was very meh and someone thgat I have nothing to say about. Kressler looked pretty good and was this line's best player.
The Defense Group:
Line 1: Definitely the best defense pairing on the team. Hellickson was pretty decent, although he had his moments for sure. Aside from a few lapses, he managed to get himself a goal that put the Leafs back ontop. Duszak on the other hand was great. By far the best defenseman on the team, Duszak had a very good looks and is a very strong skater. While he is better offensively than defensively, he was very good and a huge part of the team.
TL;DR: Hellickson wasn't bad by any means, even scoring a goal, but Duszak is far and away this team's best defenseman.
Line 2: While not as good as the first pair, this line was actually not bad. Villeneuve is a very smart player, although he still has a long ways to do before finding himself in the NHL. His passing ability is pretty good, but his IQ is definitely his strongest asset. Hoefenmayer was also pretty good from the blue line, assisting on a goal and being relatively decent defensively. Both guys have a lot of work ahead of them, but the foundations are certainly there.
TL;DR: Another line that's good not great. Both guys have a lot of developing to do.
Line 3: While Pietroniro was just kind of meh, Sevigny was actually kind of good. Had a few good looks from the point, but was otherwise forgettable. This pair was definitely the worst of the three, although Sevigny wasn't as bad as expected.
TL;DR: Just a meh line. Sevigny wasn't as bad as expected although he wasn't good either. No NHL futures here
Goaltending:
Scott: Scott had a pretty good game. Shut down a few great scoring chances from Columbus and looks as if he has returned to form after battling through injury for parts of the last two seasons. While he had a decent night, I think Petruzzelli or Kallgren would have both been better choices, Petruzzelli especially. Hopefully he gets the start next game.
Closing Thoughts and Ideal Lineup For Game 2:
Despite not falling behind until the very end, this team was outplayed all night by Columbus. They were noticeably slower than Columbus and were outclassed physically by a large margin, beinf thrown around all game. The top six looked very good, while only a couple bottom six players in Voit and Kressler had even remotely good games. Not sure how Hardie didn't find himself in the lineup, but I suppose there is always next game. Below are my ideal lineups for next game following Game 1:
Leafs played a very soft game while the Jackets were throwing their weight around. They looked scared to hit and to take a hit. SDA was bullied around and was way too small, McKenna took 3-4 hits in one shift during the first period, and Gogolev would rush to a corner and not hit. Not liking the future for the Leafs
Wouldn't be shocked if he did, I'm just very high on Petruzzelli and think Scott will atleast be dressed for next game after today's performance. Kallgren is definitely a viable option who I would be joyed to watch
Leafs played a very soft game while the Jackets were throwing their weight around. They looked scared to hit and to take a hit. SDA was bullied around and was way too small, McKenna took 3-4 hits in one shift during the first period, and Gogolev would rush to a corner and not hit. Not liking the future for the Leafs
Isles fan watches one Leafs development camp game and makes predictions on their future based on it.
I like Robertson’s game overall, but his skating stride looks slightly awkward. I think if he gets better at skating and starts stripping the puck off of guys he’s going to be scary good.
Gogolev looked fantastic in the offensive zone, but I didn’t notice him in the defensive zone.
I didn’t notice Abramov like I noticed Gogolev and Robertson. I’m a dumb hockey fan, though, so I’m excited if those who know better are happy with his growth.
DeletedACGMAccount a aimé ceci.
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