Post-Game Talk: Another week, another embarrassing loss

[GQS]

And not that it's all on Keefe, but Dubas making all these moves at the deadline to give the team depth at forward and on the blueline were required because he didn't address those things well enough (really, at all) in the off-season.

Now Keefe is scrambling to try and see how to fit rentals into the lineup, but instead of just going on what should work he seems intent on trying every combination possible for 2 games, then even if it works, rotate everyone again. Crazy.

Serious question what more do you want Dubas to do that would be considered 'enough'? Even if he somehow got Chychrun, Meier and Kane on the team at the deadline and we were still playing the same way as we are now, you'd STILL probably say he 'didn't do enough'. On the otherhand if post deadline the Leafs were dominating and winning every game, most people would probably be saying Dubas was a genius with all his moves.

I think Dubas has done a pretty good job of trying to address all the real or perceived weaknesses of the team and now its up to the players to perform and the coach to get the best out of them every game.

 

[TML Dynasty]

This place is a hard read after a loss. Our usual negative fans get downright passionate in their frustration. Hot takes galore but it doesn’t mean they are wrong about everything.

Keefe is killing us. Build chemistry with the lineup ffs. Use a placeholder for OReilly. This doesn’t mean someone from the third line….they need consistency too. Unfortunately it seems that Kerfoot may be that guy….relegate him to the 4th or press box once we are whole again.

Figure out the d. Reilly has serious warts. But we know this. He works best with Brodie. Leave it. As mentioned earlier in thread….then find the next best pairing. Than the last. In my mind that’s a combo of McCabe/Lil/Gio/Schenn. Especially for playoff hockey. Holl sits. Gus sits.
Wanna get Gus in a couple games, sure, replace Reilly…..that’s his insurance anyway. But this constant dickering with everyone isn’t getting us far. Lil had a bad few plays. Holl had tons.

Goalies….. wish we addressed this at the deadline. That’ll be the biggest risk to our playoff hopes. But we made our bed. Sammy on the road, with baby coming, with injury wasnt the choice… such a bad choice in fact I’m almost willing to believe there’s more behind the scene…..murray hurt too?

The system….married to it at this point. But it’s time for a change…..can’t see this year being a good time for that but definitely next year. Our top players were top players when they played regular hockey. We’ve cast them into this possession or be damned system of predictable drop passes. Teams know how to defend us.

Dubas…. I maintain he has assembled a great team. (Goalies aside). It’s Keefes utilization of them that’s piss poor. But at the same time I know Dubas gets involved a lot in those decisions too so maybe he needs a slap as well.

Mcmann deserved a look with his play in the AHL. That’s done. Send him back. No hate, just not ready. That’s cool. Next hope is Knies.

Matthews not being able to take over games is hurting us.

All said, these games happen to us especially from time to time. Up to the coach/players to respond. Coach needs to figure a way to build them up. This complacency…..

 

[Peasy]

This is why I never agreed with going all in... This team has shown you time and time again they can't get it done, so you decide to sell a buncha future assets and change half the team and think for some reason this year has to be different...

Who knows if they even make it 7 games this time.

 

[Visnovsky]

f*** this team.

 

[TonsofPuppies]

This is why I never agreed with going all in... This team has shown you time and time again they can't get it done, so you decide to sell a buncha future assets and change half the team and think for some reason this year has to be different...

Who knows if they even make it 7 games this time.

Oh, they absolutely will. It's the one thing that this group CAN and WILL do consistently. Well, that and shitting the bed in the aforementioned Game 7 of course. Ah well, just 19 more games to go before the axe falls on Dubas, Keefe and (hopefully) Shanahan. I'm looking forward to it at this point. Hopefully whoever comes in doesn't make the same mistake that sunk the 'shanaplan' - sticking with this soft, gutless core.

 

[ZEBROA]

The last ten games Nylander has been playing with Tavares or Laff or some random player. Marner has played with Matthews or Tavares. Been equally good with both.
Why not try Nylander on the left of Matthews? Is Kfoot better then Nylander? No lets make three lines that cant score... Marner is our best sniper right now. happy for him, but that aint right.

20mins this game. Thats good, Up Nylanders toi, he play better with more time. Biggest concern is his sniper aim at the moment.

 

[Gilmour1996]

Meh Game 1 is when it counts

And after we lose Game 1 don't worry we've got 6 left to win 4, lol.

 

[Racer88]

I dont understand why posters keep bringing Tampa into this like the leafs and Tampa are the same.... 3 cup finals in a row, won back to back Cups, they are winners and get the benefit of the doubt, while we cant even get out of a first round..... comparing us to Tampa is a joke at this point!

I agree 100%

Keefe's moves are entangled with someone in the nth dimension to the degree of unknown, mere mortals like us cannot use Schrodinger's equation to shut up and calculate

 

[horner]

More no look drop passes at the blueline in April. Exciting time ahead.

We have never learned how to play safe hockey.
It has always been our downfall and will continue to be .. No accountability.

12 games till the playoffs this is the time when we should be changing our game but they won't or refuse to.

Smart teams like the Islanders thrive of us.

Our top players only know how to play offensive hockey don't know another way to play.

We should have lost to Ottawa but Murray showed up

Nothing will change until changes are made .

 

[Tlo1]

Reilly seemed to take a break from jumping into the rush for awhile but now since he got that goal last week he’s been going crazy. Bro just play Defence! You got 3 f***ing goals!

 

[JL17]

Side question though

Does Bunting still get that 5 ×7 year deal as some of you were proposing?

$3.5 on a long term or $4.5 on a 3. He’s not worth much unless he’s playing with 34 and 16. Plus his act will wear thin.

 

[Racer88]

Bunting is a 2 million dollar player max

 

[janesy12]

I'm honestly a bit concerned about Keefe vs Cooper.

Though this a regular season blip and no Brodie and O'Reilly makes a big difference. But I want to see better lines, better match ups and smarter decisions from Keefe. Hoping Schenn comes in for Holl as well.

Same, but I'm moreso concerned about Samsonov, Murray, Woll? vs Vasilevskiy.

We know Vasi can steal games, and i'm not confident whatsoever that either of the Leafs goaltenders can do the same.

 

[Arzak]

Nothing to say about this one. Brutal game. Played well in the 1st and then forgot there was a game going on.

Need to be way way better.

Keefe better figure out the f***ing lines and get them ready.

Next up Florida.

I like our additions but come on! Can we have some stability? They need time to gel and find chemistry.

We have all the pieces but we'll be facing Bruins in 2nd round (if we are that lucky) and while I like how we match them - player for player, they are rolling the same line each night just trying to get better. It's the little things like DeBrusk playing his 100th or whatever game with Bergeron and Marchand. Krejci and Pasta played little together in the past for Bruins, but played together in several international tournaments and basically the whole season this year.

I'm not against line adjustments, but we need some stability. Otherwise, our highly skilled players may have to default to basic play in key moments instead of winning one because they just don't know the habits of their linemates that well.

 

[Arzak]

View attachment 673790

Nothing describes our team more accurately.

We rarely lose because we played well but oponents played better. She didn't go - on most nights we lost..

 

[thewave]

Dubas / Keefe galaxy brain joke hockey. I really feel bad for our stars who have talent level 11/10 having to play under management level 3/10.

Not gonna lie, I am pretty p'd off and disgusted with Shanahan and the organization... Agaain

 

[Ciao]

Time to wrap-up training camp, and settle on a roster.

 

[thusk]

This place is a hard read after a loss. Our usual negative fans get downright passionate in their frustration. Hot takes galore but it doesn’t mean they are wrong about everything.

Keefe is killing us. Build chemistry with the lineup ffs. Use a placeholder for OReilly. This doesn’t mean someone from the third line….they need consistency too. Unfortunately it seems that Kerfoot may be that guy….relegate him to the 4th or press box once we are whole again.

Figure out the d. Reilly has serious warts. But we know this. He works best with Brodie. Leave it. As mentioned earlier in thread….then find the next best pairing. Than the last. In my mind that’s a combo of McCabe/Lil/Gio/Schenn. Especially for playoff hockey. Holl sits. Gus sits.
Wanna get Gus in a couple games, sure, replace Reilly…..that’s his insurance anyway. But this constant dickering with everyone isn’t getting us far. Lil had a bad few plays. Holl had tons.

Goalies….. wish we addressed this at the deadline. That’ll be the biggest risk to our playoff hopes. But we made our bed. Sammy on the road, with baby coming, with injury wasnt the choice… such a bad choice in fact I’m almost willing to believe there’s more behind the scene…..murray hurt too?

The system….married to it at this point. But it’s time for a change…..can’t see this year being a good time for that but definitely next year. Our top players were top players when they played regular hockey. We’ve cast them into this possession or be damned system of predictable drop passes. Teams know how to defend us.

Dubas…. I maintain he has assembled a great team. (Goalies aside). It’s Keefes utilization of them that’s piss poor. But at the same time I know Dubas gets involved a lot in those decisions too so maybe he needs a slap as well.

Mcmann deserved a look with his play in the AHL. That’s done. Send him back. No hate, just not ready. That’s cool. Next hope is Knies.

Matthews not being able to take over games is hurting us.

All said, these games happen to us especially from time to time. Up to the coach/players to respond. Coach needs to figure a way to build them up. This complacency…..

Liljegren mistake was really costly and cost 3 goal vs none for holl, thats the difference. He was responsible of first 2 goal and the 5th one...


1st goal: you can blame mccabe at 1st look but when you watch the replay carefully... you seing liljegren covering parise, mccabe saw it and try to move on the other side to pressure mayfield...at this moment liljegren left his covering and pressure mayfield... Mccabe saw it and tried to comeback to cover parise but was already too late...

2nd goal just a awful play

5th : cant clear the net and lost his 1v1 battle

I dont know whats happened with lilly, but since mccabe trade... his game is not there and personally the way lilly playing, i keep both of holl and gus over liljegren..

He need to came back at his first half level and if not, hes too risky to keep him in the regular line up

 

[ACC1224]

A lot of players play with expecting

Keefe not a very good coach but he's not an Aho#*
He probably asked Sammy if he wants to play

You really should watch Sammy's videos from last year. This is who he is.
His wife expecting or not expecting has nothing to do with it

A team just doesn't let go of a 25 year old goalie because they dont' like his face

Most husbands are pretty distracted the last few days before the birth. If the decision to play was the goalies that is 100% a mistake. You make that decision for him.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

There still a lot of loser DNA on this team. I am not sure we actually got better at the deadline, we may have potentially gotten worse.

 

[geo25]

It’s just one game, so it’s not worth panicking over, bad games happen… but man, that was just pathetic. They really need to be better than this if they expect success. We can point fingers in many directions… Matthews, Kerfoot, Jarnkrok didn’t work… 0.786 from Samsanov… ouch. Just bad.



Every loss is just one game....

 

[Gallagbi]

What should we be?

Sane.

 

[geo25]

Serious question what more do you want Dubas to do that would be considered 'enough'? Even if he somehow got Chychrun, Meier and Kane on the team at the deadline and we were still playing the same way as we are now, you'd STILL probably say he 'didn't do enough'.  On the otherhand if post deadline the Leafs were dominating and winning every game, most people would probably be saying Dubas was a genius with all his moves.



I think Dubas has done a pretty good job of trying to address all the real or perceived weaknesses of the team and now its up to the players to perform and the coach to get the best out of them every game.


Lets be real, Keefe dosent know WTF hes doing...

 

[dubplatepressure]

There still a lot of loser DNA on this team. I am not sure we actually got better at the deadline, we may have potentially gotten worse.

I think the team got better on paper, but the product they're putting out there on the ice got worse.

 

[GoonieFace]

Meh, I still think this team makes some noise in the playoffs, and I’m a pessimist