Toggle sidebar

After 20 games.......

Mess

Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
87,823
13,507
Leafs Home Board
"Defense wins Championships"

Thanks to Treliving goaltending choices particularly Stolarz who is top 5 in both GAA and SV%.

1732293089422.png


We currently with our goalie tandem have the BEST goaltending we have had at any time in the past 5-6 years. This gives us hope come playoff time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: authentic, arso40 and TorMapleJays

Dekes For Days

Registered User
Sep 24, 2018
21,406
16,101
Aashir Mallik said:
To be fair that is maybe the worst defensively the keefe leafs were.
I wonder how this years team stacks up to 22-23. Probably the best iteration of the leafs with keefe, that team was bottom 5 in GA and from memory had a really solid PK.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's not all that helpful to compare to last season, when defense was abandoned. This season compares pretty similarly defensively to the years before that.
In 2022-2023, we were 7th in goals against and 9th in expected goals against, with +24.1 GSAx goaltending.
This year, we are 6th in goals against, and 9th in expected goals against, on pace for +21.3 GSAx goaltending.
 
  • Like
Reactions: authentic, arso40 and Aashir Mallik
notdoneyet

notdoneyet

Registered User
Jun 19, 2006
4,415
2,072
Leafland
Dekes For Days said:
At the quarter mark, I'd say the biggest positive surprises so far have been Stolarz, OEL, Knies, and Lorentz, and the biggest negative surprises so far have been Domi, Robertson, Holmberg, Liljegren, and Benoit.
Click to expand...

If you look at Benoit last year he lead the team in hits on a nightly basis and McCabe was his partner. Benoit knew if he hit someone and got jumped McCabe had his back. This year for most of the season he was with Timmins and Benoit had some games with zero hits.
In order for him to be effective he has to play his game which is taking the body and he has to know that his partner has his back.
Last game he hit everything in sight and had knies back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arso40

Azail

Registered User
Oct 11, 2017
913
953
Surely the Leafs made great runs with the 22/23 teams with Samsonov being 5th best in GAA and the Leafs being 5th best in goals against in the whole league.

Surely it couldn't have been a Keefe coached team who did that right? :sarcasm:

To be clear I don't really care who is the coach, but the spin in some of the arguments here is hilarious.
 
  • Like
Reactions: authentic, sunstersun and arso40

Azail

Registered User
Oct 11, 2017
913
953
kb said:
Surprised Timmins hasn't been mentioned more.....he not only made Liljegren expendable, but entirely forgettable.
Click to expand...
Timmins looks comfortable and confident when he has the puck (maybe sometimes too confident). I liked Lil and always wanted him to succeed, but he just always seemed to be panicky. Not sure if it was a confidence thing or not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fahad203

arso40

Registered User
Jun 7, 2022
2,406
1,534
kb said:
Surprised Timmins hasn't been mentioned more.....he not only made Liljegren expendable, but entirely forgettable.
Click to expand...
Hes still good for a bone head play or two a game but he hasn’t hurt us which is good if he was playing in front of last years tandem might be singing a different tune hopefully he irons out the unnecessary errors before the playoffs we need him to
 
  • Like
Reactions: fahad203
Ianturnedbull

Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
6,099
5,537
It's hard to write a review of this team when i'm on a high from the game vs. VGK.

Elite Negatives:

Robertson has been bad beyond recognition. The hockey media has changed in that they don't mention his name anymore. Commenting on his bad play is now considered kicking a dead horse. I used to think that he was wrecking TOR's chances to trade him for an asset. His play is so bad that he's just hurting himself. With Minton and Grebenkin exploding in their season debute, it's all but over Robertson.

The bottom 6 is still a jumble but mostly a stumble. Reaves, Robertson, and Holmberg are not so good. Lorentz/Kampf have been decent. Dewer might help. Jarnkrok might too. Perhaps Grebenkin/Minton are the makings of something much better...

The power play has started quite bad. I think they are on their way to improving it, but it certainly makes you wonder how it will iron out when the playoffs come.



Elite positives:

OEL. Just so good to have a player like him in the top 4 defence. He makes good defensive plays, makes good decisions with the puck, and stirs it up in terms of physicality. I hope he can play like this continually. Does anyone know how many nhl fights he's had? He might have to answer the bell one of these days.

Chris Tanev has been a rock so far. I thought he would be more noticeable (crashing/bashing). Just steady. He's just really good.

Goalies: Stolarz & Woll. They seem to be solid so far. No back breaking goals. Sturdy/Big goalies!

The Star Wingers: Nylander + Marner. Both playing great so far. Knies as well.

Team system/team defence. Credit to Berube for coaching so well despite many players having to learn a new system
Also TOR keep winning despite many injuries.

Young Stars - It's just 1 game, but what a meteoric debut for Minton and Grebenkin.

The penalty kill has improved quite a bit.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Enniskillen, weems, fahad203 and 1 other person
thewave

thewave

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
42,129
12,549
Azail said:
Surely the Leafs made great runs with the 22/23 teams with Samsonov being 5th best in GAA and the Leafs being 5th best in goals against in the whole league.

Surely it couldn't have been a Keefe coached team who did that right? :sarcasm:

To be clear I don't really care who is the coach, but the spin in some of the arguments here is hilarious.
Click to expand...

Keefe let the team rack up points and cheat to do it. They failed in the playoffs every time because you can't cheat when teams buckle down.

They are now attempting playing right and will have the benefit of playing right come the playoffs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Evilhomer and arso40

Azail

Registered User
Oct 11, 2017
913
953
thewave said:
Keefe let the team rack up points and cheat to do it. They failed in the playoffs every time because you can't cheat when teams buckle down.

They are now attempting playing right and will have the benefit of playing right come the playoffs.
Click to expand...
I sure hope so. I actually like what Berube has done, team looks good overall. But Keefe had some good defensive success in the past if we are just comparing GAA and GA.

The problem in the playoffs has pretty much always been the ability to score, defensively they have been more then adequate, hopefully the different style lends itself to more scoring in the playoffs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: authentic and arso40
Evilhomer

Evilhomer

Registered User
Oct 10, 2019
5,166
5,087
thewave said:
Keefe let the team rack up points and cheat to do it. They failed in the playoffs every time because you can't cheat when teams buckle down.

They are now attempting playing right and will have the benefit of playing right come the playoffs.
Click to expand...
It really is as simple as this. It is coaching. It was always coaching. I honestly don't know how anyone can watch the current team and not cringe (or maybe rage) at the years wasted under Keefe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arso40, conFABulator and thewave
conFABulator

conFABulator

Registered User
Apr 11, 2021
1,787
1,568
Evilhomer said:
It really is as simple as this. It is coaching. It was always coaching. I honestly don't know how anyone can watch the current team and not cringe (or maybe rage) at the years wasted under Keefe.
Click to expand...
I agree, but am more philosophical about it. This team is ready to be coached this way now, after learning and knowing they can't win in the playoffs the way they used to play.

Maybe the Keefe era (and Dubas era) will be seen as steps that got us there. I don't know that this team would have played this way under a Berube-type three years ago.

Who knows? It's definitely better now and reason for actual hope come playoffs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arso40

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
26,410
11,404
NinjaKick said:
once matthews is back at 100%... watch the f*** out, we're going to be dangerous.

we feel completely different this season. playoff hockey ladies and gentlemen
Click to expand...

Completely different I don’t buy just yet, but I’m a little more comfortable with this group going into the playoffs especially if both our goalies are healthy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arso40
Evilhomer

Evilhomer

Registered User
Oct 10, 2019
5,166
5,087
conFABulator said:
I agree, but am more philosophical about it. This team is ready to be coached this way now, after learning and knowing they can't win in the playoffs the way they used to play.

Maybe the Keefe era (and Dubas era) will be seen as steps that got us there. I don't know that this team would have played this way under a Berube-type three years ago.

Who knows? It's definitely better now and reason for actual hope come playoffs.
Click to expand...
You may be right. In any event. after this season I think that fans will completely forget about 2019 through 2024. This team is going to the Cup final this season, unless Shesterkin stops them.
 

LeafEgo

Registered User
Oct 8, 2021
1,033
890
Evilhomer said:
It really is as simple as this. It is coaching. It was always coaching. I honestly don't know how anyone can watch the current team and not cringe (or maybe rage) at the years wasted under Keefe.
Click to expand...
Berube is a superior coach but Tre has played a significant role as well. A strong defensive corps and goaltending makes it's much easier to get structured play and consistency. It's a necessary foundation to bring everything together - Tanev, OEL, and Stolarz have made a big impact.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Evilhomer and arso40
You must log in or register to reply here.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom
X