Post-Game Talk: Another Shit Effort, Another Predictable Loss, Rinse, Repeat

[BallardEra]

I wouldn't object to a coaching change, but this isn't the old days of Lou making a coaching change with 5 games left in the season. I think if you reach 45-50 games a team would be hesitant to make a change that late into the season. The reality is that the Leafs are unlikely to go on a 6 or 7 game losing streak because they will likely win one of the Edmonton or Calgary games, which I think will keep Keefe safe.

Still more than enough time left in a season for a new voice to come in and get them ready before the playoffs.

This will be a wasted season with Keefe behind the bench.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Why is Shanny protecting Keefe? He didn't even protect Babcock.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Sell off who? If we had vets somebody wanted sure, we wouldnt selloff young guys.

And Shanahan made sure this vaunted core is staying as well! SMH

Why is Shanny protecting Keefe? He didn't even protect Babcock.

Simple, Keefe does whatever Shanahan wants him to do. Look at the special treatment Matthews and Marner get, and all the extra ice-time the core gets, especially when they don't deserve it.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Major changes? All your top assets are tied up in nmc . The only option is to wait , throw something against the wall and see if it sticks

Getting rid of Shanahan would be one positive step!

 

[Nineteen67]

Problem is that it's such a parity league that so many teams feel/think they still have a shot at making the playoffs this season.

Not that many teams looking to sell off any goods.

Leafs fans tend to think that teams that are on par with them should be sellers and willing to give up their stars. The AZ Coyotes have the same number of regulation wins as the Leafs, maybe the Leafs should be helping them?

 

[egd27]

Wow lots of great excuses here. They are just not a very good team, poorly constructed, cannot rise to the occasion when needed. basically just a very mediocre team.

13-12-16 after 60 min games. The epitome of mediocrity.

 

[Captain Crunch]

A part of me feels like they players are also getting tired of running it back.

Unfortunately Shanahan and this core aren't.

Leafs fans tend to think that teams that are on par with them should be sellers and willing to give up their stars. The AZ Coyotes have the same number of regulation wins as the Leafs, maybe the Leafs should be helping them?

Wouldn't it be nice if there was someone whispering in Shanny's ear about how nice the weather is there, and maybe he should go there to work/turn them into chokers like he has here?

 

[Captain Crunch]

You are probably right. We absolutely have to get rid of 2 of the core 4 to build a proper team. The only ones that are not locked up are Marner and Tavares but we can’t trade them only let them walk. It’s going to be a long and painful process

We owe so much to management for giving them full NMCs.


Lol!

 

[shaner8989]

I think that's irrational thinking and a total overreation.

I guess you’re unaware of the current state and position of this team. Maybe check the standings and then take into account how pathetic the team is playing. Know your facts before posting something irrational.

 

[Ports]

Marner giving the fans shit for not showing Justin Holl enough love when he was a Leaf typifies the team’s or at least Marner’s entitled attitude. There’s nothing to gain from that type of criticism of the fans except to alienate them even more. To me it shows he’s overly sensitive and not cut out for this market. Maybe he would welcome a trade to a team in a smaller market where the fans care less.

 

[Captain Crunch]

A coaching change might not make a difference but at the same time coaches do sometimes lose the room or their message becomes stale.

Through 40 games this current roster/coaching staff is clearly not the answer, so we're literally drawing to a coaching change or some huge homerun trade which is extremely hard to make.

I would love to see this core play under a no nonsense disciplinarian coach. Their shelf life is usually pretty short but maybe its the exact thing that is needed to push this group to the next level.

I would definitely agree, but unfortunately, I don't think management (Shanahan) wants that.

 

[Trapper]

A coaching change might not make a difference but at the same time coaches do sometimes lose the room or their message becomes stale.

Through 40 games this current roster/coaching staff is clearly not the answer, so we're literally drawing to a coaching change or some huge homerun trade which is extremely hard to make.

I would love to see this core play under a no nonsense disciplinarian coach. Their shelf life is usually pretty short but maybe its the exact thing that is needed to push this group to the next level.

A coaching change is always the first logical choice.
You need to see the current core under a new system. If you want to make bigger changes (meaning core pieces), you have to see what players can respond to a new coaching system and a better playoff style of hockey.
If you want a little more dump and chase, or getting behind the D stronger, you need to see who is willing to that.
Stop deciding what type of regular season team you want to be and build towards what type of playoff team you want to be. Then, who can play that way.

 

[FrankieC]

If you watch the replay Gregor is pointing at him to go that direction, kampf stops for whatever reason instead of supporting him, had kampf continued to the corner it would have been a clean breakout

If you watch that goal closely you'll see that it's a breakdown mostly caused by Kampf not getting to space, weak side corner, to be an outlet option.

Lily could've showed more urgency on the retrieval to gain an extra second of space and McCabe should've gone to strong side corner which would've provided more options.
But, main breakdown is Kampf puck watching, which is why he was drawn to strong side post and completely out of position for the breakout.

 

[MarMarSab3]

If you watch that goal closely you'll see that it's a breakdown mostly caused by Kampf not getting to space, weak side corner, to be an outlet option.

Lily could've showed more urgency on the retrieval to gain an extra second of space and McCabe should've gone to strong side corner which would've provided more options.
But, main breakdown is Kampf puck watching, which is why he was drawn to strong side post and completely out of position for the breakout.

Exactly

 

[MarnerElite]

For most players on this team, to me anyways, it's more about decision making on the ice rather than effort. JT i've basically had it with this guy(and yes blah blah All Star, future Hall of Famer, more blah)...IT's insane how many times the "captain" turns the puck over and then cannot catch his guy leading to high end chances. Then, our d are just brutal at similar things(decisions)..McCabe especially but also the Bobby Orr impersonator who really shouldn't be playing at all(although Giordano has been brutal the last few games and you can tell his age is just showing..can't think fast enough, can't skate, giveaways, etc). With Marner it does seem like there's lack of effort. He has become a total ballerina and doesn't even engage in battles like he used to. Maybe these guys just want out? It's insane.

 

[MarnerElite]

And that stupid play where Marner keeps hanging on to the puck forever until someone just takes it from him(or he's forced to make a bad play) is beyond annoying. Have to learn to make a play way faster then that.

 

[Ports]

such a terrible gm, i can't help but laugh at all those leafs fans so gung ho over this moron

Go one step higher. Lou, Dubas, Treliving, Babcock, Keefe. All “run-it-back” Shanny’s guys. The buck stops at the top. His incompetence Is glaring. No other organization with championship aspirations would accept his ruining a rebuild the way he’s done it. Entrusting these four soft, heartless players to lead the team is criminal. Paying them half the team’s salary cap is even worse. It’s been obvious for years that it doesn’t work. Yet Shanahan refuses to change a losing formula. Now that they’ve hired Pelly maybe they will fire the so-called president and replace him with someone who knows how to build a winning organization from the ground up because this ain’t it.

 

[TMLAM34]

Holmberg - Matthews - Nylander surprisingly looked pretty solid together. I like Matthews and Nylander more than Matthews and Marner together.

 

[MarnerElite]

Holmberg - Matthews - Nylander surprisingly looked pretty solid together. I like Matthews and Nylander more than Matthews and Marner together.

For sure. He should give them more time to see if it's legit...Keefe does this thing where he tries it for a short time(game or two) and if it's not working he changes it. Rare to see instant chemistry like that. Even Domi with Marner looked pretty good to me. JT line was really bad though(Robertson has some skill but turn over machine and Jarnkrok just doesn't win many battles).

 

[Ports]

If anyone was outside today walking their dog, or taking their kids tobogganing, ask yourselves why any professional athlete would ever choose to play here. It blows my mind that Matthews and Nylander voluntarily agreed to commit to this God-forsaken climate for X number of years.

If anyone was outside today walking their dog, or taking their kids tobogganing, ask yourselves why any professional athlete would ever choose to play here. It blows my mind that Matthews and Nylander voluntarily agreed to commit to this God-forsaken climate for X number of years.

It’s about the money for them and how they get to run the show here. Better organizations demand more out of their star players and don’t overpay them to the detriment of the rest of the team. They’re pretty much beyond criticism from management and never get benched. Why would they leave and go somewhere they’d be held accountable ?

 

[fahad203]

If you watch that goal closely you'll see that it's a breakdown mostly caused by Kampf not getting to space, weak side corner, to be an outlet option.

Lily could've showed more urgency on the retrieval to gain an extra second of space and McCabe should've gone to strong side corner which would've provided more options.
But, main breakdown is Kampf puck watching, which is why he was drawn to strong side post and completely out of position for the breakout.

Question is though, why was Kampf out there with 90 seconds to go in a period?
Knies has been pretty bad lately in defensive zone. He's still a rookie. He shouldn't have been out there

 

[Nineteen67]

Last year in the playoffs they didn’t know what their lines or D pairings were. Game 41 of this year and they still don’t know line combos and D pairings.

 

[MarMarSab3]

Question is though, why was Kampf out there with 90 seconds to go in a period?
Knies has been pretty bad lately in defensive zone. He's still a rookie. He shouldn't have been out there

Because Keefe is lost

 

[TMLAM34]

For sure. He should give them more time to see if it's legit...Keefe does this thing where he tries it for a short time(game or two) and if it's not working he changes it. Rare to see instant chemistry like that. Even Domi with Marner looked pretty good to me. JT line was really bad though(Robertson has some skill but turn over machine and Jarnkrok just doesn't win many battles).

Holmberg - Matthews - Nylander
Bertuzzi - Domi - Marner

Both lines looked solid. Not sure why Knies got demoted to the fourth line. Third line should have been Knies - Tavares - Jarnkrok.

 

[keonsbitterness]

I fell asleep and missed the 3rd. I win the thread.