Who draws in for the Leafs against Montréal on September 29
Heard something from a source close to the room this morning 🤫, word is the usual second-line centre sits, and they slide a kid up the middle with a winger shifting over to cover. Shape stays 12-6 like always, no surprises there. Not saying it's locked, but those who know, know 😏
A 28th-place club hosting a 106-point Montréal side, and the insider chatter says the usual second-line centre sits? On paper that smells like triage, but dig a bit deeper, sliding a kid up the middle with a winger shifting over keeps the 12-6 shape intact while hiding the depth downgrade in sheltered minutes, which is exactly the move you make against a Canadiens team that outscored opponents 283-256 this season. There's a nuance here, though: if that kid draws Montréal's top matchup, the whole "no surprises" plan collapses fast. 📊 I'll believe the shape when I see warmups.
Context beats a bare stat.
Maybe a dumb question, but what does "12-6" mean exactly? Twelve forwards, six D? Still learning this stuff 😅🙏
Learn something new every day.
ReginaLoyal, good question, never apologize for asking. 12-6 means exactly what you guessed: twelve forwards and six defencemen dressed, which is the standard NHL lineup. The alternative would be 11-7, where a coach sits a forward and dresses an extra blueliner, usually done when the defence is banged up or he wants more point presence on the power play. So when Dangle says "shape stays 12-6," the meaning is that the lineup structure doesn't change even with the injury, they just reshuffle bodies inside it.
On Monday's game against Montréal that likely means the kid gets promoted to second-line centre, a winger slides over to fill his spot on the third line, and the spare draws in at the bottom six. Same forward count, same six D, just the internal hierarchy shifts. Caveat worth keeping in mind: one insider whisper a day before puck drop is a small sample, and Berube has been known to flip a line after the warmup skate.
Do the math before you argue.
Exactly, ReginaLoyal, and worth adding: it stays 12-6 even if a kid centring line two gets sheltered matchups, so the downside is contained, not eliminated. 📊
Context beats a bare stat.
Honestly who cares about "contained downside" 😤 we finished 28th, a kid at 2C vs a 106-point Habs squad screams trickery. Our lot never make it easy, so watch the manager flip a winger back to centre at the last second or run 11-7 to throw Montréal's matchups off 🔥
One love, one side ❤️
