Fair enough. But if it’s not working by the end of the month, things will have to be changed for sure.
Gear4Vegito
Matthews has **1 point (1 G & 0 A) at 5v5 in 11 GP**. That is not a mistake.
Like at this point it doesn’t hurt to separate them for a single game or even a few shifts here and there to see what happens. It does not have to be permanent.
We also know that the alternative of Matthews/Nylander and Tavares/Marner is also well equipped to do well. You have tried flipping everyone else around, just give it a try.
legalrancerr
I don’t think people understand just how good they’ve been together over the past two seasons. Like literally uncontested at the top of the league in terms of linemates. That’s not something you ditch to salvage your second pairing, it’s inefficient at that point. Given that they’re slumping and still running upwards of 60% xG%, there is no reason to split them until they turn sour
Menessy27
They’re dominating same as they were last season tbh, their underlying numbers are just slightly worse than when they were arguably the best line in the league last year. puck just isn’t going in at even strength for whatever reason but based on their track records it will
GumpTheChump
Whatever you do, don’t separate Bunting from Matthews. Last night it looked like Bunting would take a bullet for AM.
Molnarian
The issue that separating the two will have is if Tavares and Marner will have chemistry again. When those two have been reunited in the past after their season together they didn’t really work together.
With Willy and Tavares cooking well together now, separating the two might do more harm than good. So maybe he’s right in the answer is just then going together again.
7 Comments
https://theathletic.com/3758125/2022/11/03/maple-leafs-tavares-matthews-marner-nylander?source=user-shared-article
Fair enough. But if it’s not working by the end of the month, things will have to be changed for sure.
Matthews has **1 point (1 G & 0 A) at 5v5 in 11 GP**. That is not a mistake.
Like at this point it doesn’t hurt to separate them for a single game or even a few shifts here and there to see what happens. It does not have to be permanent.
We also know that the alternative of Matthews/Nylander and Tavares/Marner is also well equipped to do well. You have tried flipping everyone else around, just give it a try.
I don’t think people understand just how good they’ve been together over the past two seasons. Like literally uncontested at the top of the league in terms of linemates. That’s not something you ditch to salvage your second pairing, it’s inefficient at that point. Given that they’re slumping and still running upwards of 60% xG%, there is no reason to split them until they turn sour
They’re dominating same as they were last season tbh, their underlying numbers are just slightly worse than when they were arguably the best line in the league last year. puck just isn’t going in at even strength for whatever reason but based on their track records it will
Whatever you do, don’t separate Bunting from Matthews. Last night it looked like Bunting would take a bullet for AM.
The issue that separating the two will have is if Tavares and Marner will have chemistry again. When those two have been reunited in the past after their season together they didn’t really work together.
With Willy and Tavares cooking well together now, separating the two might do more harm than good. So maybe he’s right in the answer is just then going together again.