Around the NHL 2023-2024

[Reality Czech]

I liked the call to go with Samsonov in game 7. That was not an easy decision.

Watching the at game, even though they lost I was jealous of the team speed Toronto has compared with the Blues.

You're right, that was a gutsy call. This has to be the toughest loss of all for Toronto. They got solid goaltending and their supporting cast looked good overall, which were their biggest weaknesses in recent years. But 2 of their core 4 didn't do their jobs. That's probably enough to cost them in a series as tight as this.

Gotta wonder if they'll be able to move Marner. It's also quite clear that Reilly isn't a true 1D. I know Pasta is fast but that's a bad time to get beat on a race to the puck.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

You're right, that was a gutsy call. This has to be the toughest loss of all for Toronto. They got solid goaltending and their supporting cast looked good overall, which were their biggest weaknesses in recent years. But 2 of their core 4 didn't do their jobs. That's probably enough to cost them in a series as tight as this.

Gotta wonder if they'll be able to move Marner. It's also quite clear that Reilly isn't a true 1D. I know Pasta is fast but that's a bad time to get beat on a race to the puck.

Reilly didn’t simply get beat. He, Marner, and Samsonov got caught complete with their pants down. None of the three had any situational awareness. And for OT of game 7 that’s simply inexcusable.

 

[Reality Czech]

Reilly didn’t simply get beat. He, Marner, and Samsonov got caught complete with their pants down. None of the three had any situational awareness. And for OT of game 7 that’s simply inexcusable.

Fair points. I didn't re-watch the play close enough to see what Marner did or didn't do, but you just simply can't get beat like that in OT in Game 7. If Marner and Tavares played with the intensity that Domi and Bertuzzi showed then the Leafs might be unstoppable, but clearly they didn't.

I was also coming here to add to my response to @Stupendous Yappi. I just read that Woll was hurt and his availability was in question before the game. So maybe that's the reason Keefe went with Samsonov as opposed to being the "gutsy" decision that it appeared to be.



Keefe also had some harsh (parting?) words for his players.

 

[TheDizee]

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Fair points. I didn't re-watch the play close enough to see what Marner did or didn't do, but you just simply can't get beat like that in OT in Game 7.

I was also coming here to add to my response to @Stupendous Yappi. I just read that Woll was hurt and his availability was in question before the game. So maybe that's the reason Keefe went with Samsonov as opposed to being the "gutsy" decision that it appeared to be.

Marner stood there completely flat footed and let Pasta blow right by him. Never even made Pasta work for it.

Watching it in real time I felt like Marner may not have seen him. But that’s still no excuse for letting the best player on the other team walk in unopposed.

 

[TheDizee]

Trade Kyrou for Marner.

I will take the headcase who was a Selke finalist last year over Kyrou. Both need a change of scenery.

Marner + filler later round picks for Kyrou + Krug

 

[Reality Czech]

Marner stood there completely flat footed and let Pasta blow right by him. Never even made Pasta work for it.

Watching it in real time I felt like Marner may not have seen him. But that’s still no excuse for letting the best player on the other team walk in unopposed.

That's not very Selke-esque for Mitchy boy. Reilly was definitely caught flat footed, and while it's tough to blame Samsonov that much he also didn't seem ready to contest Pasta.

As a side note, what a friggin perfect bank pass from Lindholm. Gotta be the star of the game considering his huge goal and key assist on the game winner.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

That's not very Selke-esque for Mitchy boy. Reilly was definitely caught flat footed, and while it's tough to blame Samsonov that much he also didn't seem ready to contest Pasta.

As a side note, what a friggin perfect bank pass from Lindholm. Gotta be the star of the game considering his huge goal and key assist on the game winner.

Samsonov botched it too. He should have been pokechecking Pasta and trying to take away his space to cut across the front of the net uncontested. Because Pasta had too much speed going to Samsonov to keep up with him. It might be slightly different if Pasta was on his forehand because elevating the puck would be much harder and he’s gonna have to jam it. But if a player is on his backhand and you let him through uncontested, you’re cooked. And you bette hope he isn’t able to elevate it.

Phenomenal play by Boston no doubt but equally as badly played by the Leafs.

 

[Thallis]

This to me falls entirely on management. They’ve built a team with a terrible defense and no goalies. You just can’t win that way.

The thing is they've had defense and goaltending in the past, it just lets them down in the playoffs anyway. The story of the series is that the Leafs were 1/21 on the power play this series. 2 full periods with 1 goal with the Leaf's offensive personnel is just unacceptable.

 

[Reality Czech]

Samsonov botched it too. He should have been pokechecking Pasta and trying to take away his space to cut across the front of the net uncontested. Because Pasta had too much speed going to Samsonov to keep up with him. It might be slightly different if Pasta was on his forehand because elevating the puck would be much harder and he’s gonna have to jam it. But if a player is on his backhand and you let him through uncontested, you’re cooked. And you bette hope he isn’t able to elevate it.

Phenomenal play by Boston no doubt but equally as badly played by the Leafs.

You're 100% right, he should have come out to close the gap or at least get a piece of the puck. No way Pasta was going to miss that unless Samsonov came out a bit to challenge him.

Hell of a game and it was going to be a tough pill to swallow for whichever team lost. Hopefully Vegas Dallas will be just as intense.

 

[Reality Czech]

The thing is they've had defense and goaltending in the past, it just lets them down in the playoffs anyway. The story of the series is that the Leafs were 1/21 on the power play this series. 2 full periods with 1 goal with the Leaf's offensive personnel is just unacceptable.

Ironically, I felt that defense and goaltending were their strengths in this series, but their top guys didn't do enough to lead the offense. Nylander was by far the best and Matthews was merely average (for him) when he was in the lineup. The other two $11 million men were the ones who let the team down. If Nylander played all 7 games, maybe Toronto wins the series in 6, who knows?

I thought guys like Edmundson, Benoit, McCabe did pretty well, although they need a true #1 to bump Reilly down to 2D where he belongs. But you are absolutely right that their offense was the reason they lost this time.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Matthews also was playing injured and clearly wasn’t himself. I’m cutting him a bit of slack at least. But Marner and Tavares? They were awful.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

I haven't watched any of the playoff games. I don't really have a preferred team; although, I'd like to see Joe Pavelski raise the cup simply because he's had a great career and is well liked by his teammates.

I just hope it is anyone besides VEGAS. Their cap loophole games are very off-putting. I like Barbie, but he has enough rings.

 

[Reality Czech]

I haven't watched any of the playoff games. I don't really have a preferred team; although, I'd like to see Joe Pavelski raise the cup simply because he's had a great career and is well liked by his teammates.

I just hope it is anyone besides VEGAS. Their cap loophole games are very off-putting. I like Barbie, but he has enough rings.

I was rooting for the Jets and Panthers from the beginning of the playoffs, and I wouldn't have been upset if Nashville had won. I know it's sacrilege to some, but I kind of feel a kinship with teams like Nashville, Minnesota and Winnipeg. Passionate hockey markets who've had some really solid teams but can never get over the hump, a lot like we were pre-2019.

I guess now it's Florida or bust for me. Tkachuk and Vladi are two of my favorite players in the league and that team is so fun to watch.

 

[Stealth JD]

The Toronto Maple Leafs have given an awful lot to Mitch Marner. It’s time for him to do a solid for that organization.

If he refuses to waive his NMC, even after the team tells him that they need to go in another direction and won’t be giving him a contract offer of extension, he needs to be scratched heading into game one of next years playoffs. He can’t ever play another post-season game for that team.

He should either make a list of teams he’s willing to be traded to by next year’s deadline, or be prepared to see his UFA value tanked by the club when they healthy-scratch him when the stakes are highest, sending a clear message to all potential would-be suitors. It’s time for him to move on and allow the club to get something back for his services. If he refuses to waive, as is his contractual right, then the club needs to screw him on the way out of town as he’d be doing to them by refusing to accept his time in Toronto is in fact over.

And NO - I would not take him in exchange for Kyrou, unless TML retain 50% of his deal and his agent/dad agree to sign long-term for Robert Thomas money (ain’t happening).

 

[Hrkac Circus]

You're right, that was a gutsy call. This has to be the toughest loss of all for Toronto. They got solid goaltending and their supporting cast looked good overall, which were their biggest weaknesses in recent years. But 2 of their core 4 didn't do their jobs. That's probably enough to cost them in a series as tight as this.

Gotta wonder if they'll be able to move Marner. It's also quite clear that Reilly isn't a true 1D. I know Pasta is fast but that's a bad time to get beat on a race to the puck.

I think the Toronto D got fooled into thinking the puck was going behind the net and let up. Bad time to assume.

 

[Reality Czech]

I think the Toronto D got fooled into thinking the puck was going behind the net and let up. Bad time to assume.

Yeah, it was kinda like a deep pass in the NFL. Gotta react quick or else the receiver (Pasta) will blow by you and it's over.

 

[Cotton McKnight]

Trade Kyrou for Marner.

I will take the headcase who was a Selke finalist last year over Kyrou. Both need a change of scenery.

Marner + filler later round picks for Kyrou + Krug

No thank you for a soft regular season-only player who can't take a hit, loses just as many board battles as Kyrou, and is a playoff no-show (6 goals in 43 games played in the PO).

 

[TheDizee]

No thank you for a soft regular season-only player who can't take a hit, loses just as many board battles as Kyrou, and is a playoff no-show (6 goals in 43 games played in the PO).

He's not paid to score goals. He's a playmaker who can provide great defense as last year showed.

Kyrou is paid to score goals and is not even doing what he is paid to do. Plus he is a perennial - +- player.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

He's not paid to score goals. He's a playmaker who can provide great defense as last year showed.

Kyrou is paid to score goals and is not even doing what he is paid to do. Plus he is a perennial - +- player.

Your bitter hatred of Kyrou is really clouding what you think would be the correct move right now. You really want to pay Marner 11 Mil this year AND THEN resign him to another 12Mil long term deal afterwards.

 

[TheDizee]

Your bitter hatred of Kyrou is really clouding what you think would be the correct move right now. You really want to pay Marner 11 Mil this year AND THEN resign him to another 12Mil long term deal afterwards.

Not at all. I let him get away from that market and inflate his value, then flip him in a deadline deal for a nice long term haul.

We have a chance to free us of massive dead cap hits in Kyrou and Krug in my proposal. Taking on Marner and then flipping him later is how we will speed up this rebuild while also increasing cap flexibility down the road.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Not at all. I let him get away from that market and inflate his value, then flip him in a deadline deal for a nice long term haul.

We have a chance to free us of massive dead cap hits in Kyrou and Krug in my proposal. Taking on Marner and then flipping him later is how we will speed up this rebuild while also increasing cap flexibility down the road.

This isn't NHL 24 it doesn't work like that.

 

[Memento]

This isn't NHL 24 it doesn't work like that.

Since when has EA updated the game outside of NHL 12? Serious question.

 

[BlueDream]

I liked the call to go with Samsonov in game 7. That was not an easy decision.

Watching the at game, even though they lost I was jealous of the team speed Toronto has compared with the Blues.

What? Woll was injured, the coach literally didn’t have a choice.

 

[TheDizee]