81 More Games of This...
Question for the coach:
As the home team, you have the last line change and the ability to control line match-ups.
I was just wondering what hockey genius thought it was a good idea to match Tucker, (a notoriously weak ES player) against Heatley (notorious for owning your club) in a four-on-four situation with the game on the line?
It shouldn't have even gone to overtime. They won the physical battle and kept the Sens from skating all over, but then they sat back and undid all their great work. Good game plan. Inconsistent execution.
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ReplyDeleteDid Tucker jump on the ice to match up against Heatley or was he on the ice already and didn't have a chance to change?
ReplyDeleteWho would be a good match up against Heatley? Sundin? That leaves Alfredsson and Spezza unchecked. The fact is that the Leafs really don't have anyone to match up against Heatley. How many teams do?
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteLooking at the play by play chart at NHL.com (for some reason, NHL.com hasn't posted shift charts for any games this season) someone got the match-up they wanted and I'm hoping it wasn't Maurice.
At 2:06 of OT, Antropov, Ponikarovski, Kaberle and McCabe were on the ice for a face-off against Spezza, Alfredsson, Redden and Meszaros.
By 2:46, Tucker, Kilger, Kaberle and Kubina were on the ice against Heatley, Fisher, Volchenkov and Philips.
The change was on the fly, so either Paddock got the match-up he wanted or Maurice had a brain cramp and sent out the Leasf worst ES player in OT.
Either way, the Leafs were out coached and lost as a result of a bad line match-up in OT.