Post-Game Talk: Another well deserved loss

[Tie Domi Esquire]

They are literally losing games and sit 6-5-2 because of there powerplay.

PK = 9th in the NHL @ 84.3% with 44 pens taken (3rd highest in the NHL).
PP = 24th in the NHL @ 10% with 40 PP chances (8th most powerplay chances in the NHL)

24/25
GF%: 60.39 (5th)
SF%: 52.84 (8th)
CF%: 52.42 (9th)
xGF%: 52.6 (10th)

They are playing a better brand of hockey 5 on 5 then they did with Keefe, and better brand of hockey defensively (mainly because of personal). But there PP running at 10% (It was 8.4 before that goal against the Wild), is the sole reason they are off to a mediocre start.

Their stats last season after 82 games

GF%: 54.35 (7th)
SF%: 52.62 (7th)
CF%: 50.96 (15th)
xGF%: 51.51 (11th)

 

[Stephen]

Eye test says otherwise. So does the shot total and final score. It was a close game. Go read what Minni posters think of the game. Playoff-like intensity where we were taking it to them at times. I won’t argue with that metric, but it was a close OT loss. A very competitive game and fun to watch. Some leaf fans just get too emotional they get blinded.

A low scoring playoff style game where the Leafs fight but the big guns get shut down should come with a warning label.

 

[Stephen]

Yes but it's funny how the Leafs continually lose due to hot goalies.

I think back to Marner scoring that rebound goal and Knies crashing and banging his way to the net behind a rare Matthews drive this past week as a nice blueprint for success in tight games… and I get the feeling there’s no appetite to repeat those efforts from the big line.

 

[Fogelhund]

I think back to Marner scoring that rebound goal and Knies crashing and banging his way to the net behind a rare Matthews drive this past week as a nice blueprint for success in tight games… and I get the feeling there’s no appetite to repeat those efforts from the big line.

Knies absolutely needs to crash the net, and generally cause net front havoc. Deflections, screens... He has the capacity to be a bigger JvR net front guy.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Their forward depth just keeps getting worse every year, in part because the big 4 all got raises and more money has (rightly) been allocated to the blue line.

And there's no indication the top guys have figured out how to step it up in the playoffs so I'm right there with you. They'll be lucky to win one round, and then only if they get an ideal matchup and Stolarz/Woll play great.

Berube's approach and this group is the definition of square peg, round hole. They're not built (mostly mentally) for the type of game that the Bolts & Panthers had when they won their Cups.

Only two of the big four got raises. Worst case scenario is next year Mitch gets re-signed for more, best would be trading Marner, or at least letting him walk. A small short deal for JT next summer would be OK, depending on how much more he declines (although he's playing well at the moment).

 

[hamzarocks]

Where is the bullcrap narrative coming we got goalied vs the wild lol?

We had a strong second.

Weak 1st and 3rd.

The wild outplayed us overall, Stolarz made some very big saves.

The goaltending was probably 55-45 Stolarz similar to control of game favor for the wild.

This was a pretty poor performance. 3rd period we were holding on for an OT point.

It was on a back to back even though its early in the year so can atleast excuse the loss that way. The wild do look elite, amd Kaprizov wad buzzing and creating a lot so was a tough matchup on a back to back

 

[darrylsittler27]

As someone said. This team is stale.

 

[wingman75]

I am shocked at all the (professional) talking heads and their belief that the team played well this weekend. WTF? Is this a narrative being pushed on them from ownership, who they all also work for?

I thought they played really hard Sunday night... which was nice, but it was very playoffesque. And we all know how that plays out.