GDT: Around the League - Stanley Cup Final Edition - #1

[Rob Brown]

The Leafs would have been destroyed by Tampa in the third round if they beat Montreal and Winnipeg.

What a game.

 

[Mess]

Pretty easy win and night for Tampa.

1 down 3 to go

Tampa Bay has won 13 games in this years playoffs and only surrendered 17 goals in those games total.

 

[wingman75]

Does Tampa Bay have any d men who likes to skate back to his own to only lose the puck or guys passing pucks away for a 2-on-0?

To be confirmed, but all signs point to no.

Interesting to watch Tamap play... I love possession hockey, BUT we over-posses, no doubt about it. This has to be a lesson that Keefe has learned... there is a right time and a wrong time, and sometimes the wrong time leads to needless pressure against. The team also has to have the ability to recover shoot ins, or at least make good shoot ins to give the opportunity for recovery. We sucked at that when MTL tightened things up. So they need to be able to mix it up. Tampa both carries and dumps and can get possession in the offenseive zone either way if necessary.

 

[CelticDruid]

Montreal tried their best, and it just wasn't enough for the reining SC champions.

Tonight, Gallagher proved that smurfs do bleed in copious amounts, looks like the little guy will need a transfusion.

Give him credit, though, he plays with a lot of grit and determination.

The best hit of the night was on Kokeienema getting rubbed out by Cirreli.

 

[daethfromabove1979]

Montreal had some positives in that Vegas game; they dominated the first period and the special teams played well. Not sure if there were any positives from this game other than Price making a few nice saves.

Also, they won't have Fleury gifting them goals lol

the goalie carousel in Vegas didn’t do them any favours. Pretty easy to play hockey with Vas between the pipes, he’s a rock.

 

[Superstar]

To be confirmed, but all signs point to no.

Interesting to watch Tamap play... I love possession hockey, BUT we over-posses, no doubt about it. This has to be a lesson that Keefe has learned... there is a right time and a wrong time, and sometimes the wrong time leads to needless pressure against. The team also has to have the ability to recover shoot ins, or at least make good shoot ins to give the opportunity for recovery. We sucked at that when MTL tightened things up. So they need to be able to mix it up. Tampa both carries and dumps and can get possession in the offenseive zone either way if necessary.

The thing with possession hockey is you need a team of players who could play that way, and some players are more capable and smarter than others...it's problematic when you force players who aren't good at it to play that way...there will be break downs and giveaways...you're right, there are times to keep the puck and times to chip it out...you just can't hold onto the puck at all costs...Leafs played in the playoffs like it was the regular season...it seems like there's only one way to play with these Leafs.

 

[Leafy Undergrowth]

That's a shame.

 

[djdev]

The thing with possession hockey is you need a team of players who could play that way, and some players are more capable and smarter than others...it's problematic when you force players who aren't good at it to play that way...there will be break downs and giveaways...you're right, there are times to keep the puck and times to chip it out...you just can't hold onto the puck at all costs...Leafs played in the playoffs like it was the regular season...it seems like there's only one way to play with these Leafs.

it also helps to not have to play with the fear that every turnover could go into your net lol. man TB is lucky to have vas.

 

[MSZ]

Interesting to see what happens after this domination. Vegas won 4-1 in game one and proceeded to do absolutely nothing after that. Tampa looks unreal though.

Simple. Don't allow Montreal score the first goal.

 

[Mess]

Almost 60 hits a piece from both sides.

 

[CelticDruid]

Almost 60 hits a piece from both sides.

In Leaf terms, that would amount to at least eight games.

 

[leafsfan5]

The Leafs would have been destroyed by Tampa in the third round if they beat Montreal and Winnipeg.

What a game.

We honestly would've been swept, they're clearly better than us at every aspect of the game

 

[Antropovsky]

This is good... want our guys to see just how far off they were from being good enough. Was worried they would think they got beat by a really good team and be happy with their effort. I'm confident Tampa will dust Montreal and hardly break a sweat.

 

[Mess]

In Leaf terms, that would amount to at least eight games.

Marner had 23 hits all regular season in 55 games and Nylander had 13 total.

Matthews had 57 and Tavares 51 on the regular season.

These 2 teams put up as many hits in this game alone as Matthews and Tavares would over the course of 55 game season.

Leafs core 4 are simply not well suited for this level of physicality and grinding style playoff hockey to thrive offensively.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Funny though, isn't it?

Another year where our star players get stonewalled and the apologists scream about how it's ok because hot goaltending and everybody should get a free pass but then the same team runs into Tampa and their star players crack that goalie like an egg.

Maybe it's just time to admit that our star players just suck in the playoffs.

Assuming that's true -- and I really don't want to -- you would not only have to trade at least one of them, but also win that trade(s) to get playoff value. That is a tall order.

 

[wingman75]

This is good... want our guys to see just how far off they were from being good enough. Was worried they would think they got beat by a really good team and be happy with their effort. I'm confident Tampa will dust Montreal and hardly break a sweat.

The next game will tell that story imo. Habs have been good at making adjustments, clogging up the right spots vs specific opponents... they play targeted trap hockey, not general trap hockey. Thing is, Tampa is a jack of all trades kinda team (very unlike our team of pukes), they will adjust on the fly and take what you give... if they can control GM2 in the same fashion I am on board with you.

 

[CelticDruid]

Marner had 23 hits all regular season in 55 games and Nylander had 13 total.

Matthews had 57 and Tavares 51 on the regular season.

These 2 teams put up as many hits in this game alone as Matthews and Tavares would over the course of 55 game season.

Leafs core 4 are simply not well suited for this level of physicality and grinding style playoff hockey to thrive offensively.

I'm not surprised.

 

[Gallagbi]

Marner had 23 hits all regular season in 55 games and Nylander had 13 total.

Matthews had 57 and Tavares 51 on the regular season.

These 2 teams put up as many hits in this game alone as Matthews and Tavares would over the course of 55 game season.

Leafs core 4 are simply not well suited for this level of physicality and grinding style playoff hockey to thrive offensively.

Tavares didn't play in the series and Matthews averaged almost 4 hits a game. Marner was a little over 1 hit a game, Nylander a little under 1 per game.

Point and Kuch combined for 1 hit tonight. Stamkos had 4. So their stars hit totals were a little lower than our norms in the series.

It's fine to say the Leafs top tier didn't do enough, but I wouldn't be using hits from tonight- especially compared to our teams regular season numbers - to show it.

 

[3blizzard4]

Tampa put 5 behind Price.
They put at least 8 behind Cambell.

 

[lebdafor norris]

Tampa put 5 behind Price.
They put at least 8 behind Cambell.

Matthews and Marner would barely break .5 PPG against Tampa. Kuch and Point is so much more superior to the Leafs duo in the playoffs.

 

[Stephen]

This is good... want our guys to see just how far off they were from being good enough. Was worried they would think they got beat by a really good team and be happy with their effort. I'm confident Tampa will dust Montreal and hardly break a sweat.

This is also a moment when for the eye test to see how Tampa plays and that PPG side by sides and depth chart "boasting" is somewhat misleading.

The way Yanni Gourde went at Joel Edmundson, drew a penalty via couple of punches to the face gives you a quick snapshot into how much of that feistiness is on their roster. Compare and contrast when I believe Edmundson knocked over Hyman and stood over him and Jumbo Joe Thornton skated away like his bifocals weren't working.

 

[Stephen]

Matthews and Marner would barely break .5 PPG against Tampa. Kuch and Point is so much more superior to the Leafs duo in the playoffs.

Well, I don't know about that. I think matchups are a thing and the Leafs could run and gun to some extent vs Tampa but would come up short in other crucial areas.

 

[Antropovsky]

This is also a moment when for the eye test to see how Tampa plays and that PPG side by sides and depth chart "boasting" is somewhat misleading.

The way Yanni Gourde went at Joel Edmundson, drew a penalty via couple of punches to the face gives you a quick snapshot into how much of that feistiness is on their roster. Compare and contrast when I believe Edmundson knocked over Hyman and stood over him and Jumbo Joe Thornton skated away like his bifocals weren't working.

Or when Foligno was clearly targeted because of his recent injury and nobody came to his side.he was flattened in the opposing goalies crease... Think it was a playoff game but it may have been a season. Had to laugh as nobody came to his side.

 

[Menzinger]

Well, I don't know about that. I think matchups are a thing and the Leafs could run and gun to some extent vs Tampa but would come up short in other crucial areas.

Funnily enough I actually think that Leafs would have lined up more favorably against the more skill centric teams like Tampa and the Avs because then both teams would opt to lean into their strengths (is letting their stars have at it) and that would open the ice up more to allow top six forwards to do their thing.

 

[IPS]

Funnily enough I actually think that Leafs would have lined up more favorably against the more skill centric teams like Tampa and the Avs because then both teams would opt to lean into their strengths (is letting their stars have at it) and that would open the ice up more to allow top six forwards to do their thing.

You don't think Tampa wouldn't utterly throttle us?