Post-Game Talk: Could've been worse. Leafs go down 3-1 in the game and the series.
- Thread starter RunItBackAgain
- Start date
Successful playoff teams can also play other offensive styles like dump and chase when required, and this current Leafs squad simply cannot do that, at least effectively. Playoff opponents know this, so they sit back and stand up at their own blue line and dare the Leafs to try to gain the zone off the rush. On the occasions where the Leafs do dump and chase, they really aren’t effective at playing that style as they don’t have the team physicality to punish their opponents defence making them eventually back off their own blueline.
Not being able transition styles within a game especially in the playoffs puts the Leafs at a serious disadvantage, even more so in a seven game playoff series where you need to play the long game and wear down your opponents d-corps to soften them up.
Of course, when the Leafs do gain the zone, which is more often than not off the rush, or on a powerplay, they then resort to perimeter hockey where they pass the puck around like they’re in a skills competition, while having little presence in front of the net. And as others have already said, the Leafs have nobody of substance who can wire the puck from the point that scares the hell out of people while someone creates havoc in front of the net.
I could go on, but many experienced people here who actually played the game know exactly what I’m talking about.
The Leafs unfortunately, are very one dimensional, built to only effectively play one style of play, “possession hockey” which they are good at. But unfortunately, that style come playoff time can be effectively neutralized by competently balanced teams (as we have seen in multiple playoff years) and when that happens the Leafs simply have no antidote or response as they cannot transition their style away from it, at least not effectively.
The Leafs only hope is to get a couple of quick early goals which often forces their opponents to open up their style of play and allows the Leafs to play possession hockey which they are very good at.
Until this critical issue is addressed, with a change in coaching philosophy and with the player personnel to address the change, the Leafs will continue to fall short in the playoffs I believe.
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The only constant (roster wise) in all of these playoff failures has *been* the “superstars”. No matter which pieces have been plugged in around them the result is always the same.
Keefe has a role in the pattern of failures as well but that’s an easy fix. You can fire a coach any time you want, but you can’t fire players. And when guys like Marner and JT make SO MUCH money and have all these trade protections you are stuck with them.
Evilhomer
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- Oct 10, 2019
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It will be interesting to see how Boston plays in game 5 after what happened last year.
thewave
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- Jun 17, 2011
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Endless excuses. WN has a headache. AM has the shits. MM has a busted ankle.
He looks fine out there to me, outside all the stupid plays he was making. Not sure how the ankle and the brain work together.
Wtf, it’s not an excuse. We can’t pretend like he isn’t coming off a high ankle sprain? Even the broadcast showed one clip where he went to pivot to the right and his ankle basically gave out. It’s probably not 100%.
But agreed the turnovers having nothing to do with the ankle. Just making the point that it’s the playoffs no one is healthy. So for warden to be like I can’t forgive mitch. Basically the entire roster is bruised up. Not just AM and WN
A high ankle sprain is worse than a break. You can come back and play after 4-6 weeks but you won’t be as fast or strong on your feet. I’ve experienced it multiple times, it’s brutal. We can all see he isn’t the same. But I doubt marner at 100% Changes things.
The bottom line is this team isnt going anywhere and never was. Samsonov is now 6 and 12 in the playoffs which is likely the worst record for a starter in the NHL playoffs ever. Tre rehired Keefe, so that is on him. I get the feeling they will clean house. This train is derailed. Any way you slice it, it just isnt working and for the amount of money and talent, its a total waste. With new expansion teams coming, many new fans will jump to those teams simply because they have a better chance of winning i.e Las Vegas. Putting Woll in now is too late. So Mathews can only win one game per series? We need a proven goalie and impact D(top 2) and we need to move on from the overpaid 4, two of whom are wingers.
The Masters
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High ankle sprain is legit the worst, we all saw what it did to Draisaitl too. You can play through it but your skating will be limited
Know what’s kinda crazy, tho? None of the core have won much at top levels, and the two most maligned for it during this playoff have prolly won the biggest prizes of the four, at the highest levels. Where AM prolly has the least impressive *team* success resume.
Not close to being the worst but you have a good point. Goaltending has sucked
genk
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- Nov 15, 2015
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I want a new team. Fire Keefe into the sun. Dump Shanahan. Tell Treliving to go suck on someone else’s silver spoon. Blow it up. Trade Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Rielly for whatever anyone will take for them. Keep Tavares (he will surely lead the Leafs to near last place finish).
3blizzard4
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Da Mash
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- Jul 14, 2022
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We went with grit and picked up two defenceman that cant pass the puck and are slow. Our D got worse. We didnt address the PK .....Reaves still a liability on the ice no matter how many players he tries to put thru the boards.
Our Stars need to score.
We added assitants that made our special teams worse ....and Keefer is being tuned out and his time should be up.
We had double the hits the bruins did ......but I dont hear Bruins fans say they were not physical enough in their win.....go figure.
Our issue has always been goal scoring in playoffs.....yet we wanted Don Cherry type of players with no hockey IQ....and no offensive ability.
And lets not give Reilly a pass. Man ...he had one good playoff series and everyone forgets all the other years. He is poor defensively and we spent half a decade looking for a partner for him. Maybe its not always the partners fault. We took a 7th defenseman from a poor team to play with Reilly......how was that looking last year? And again this year?
You cant have slow ...big defenseman like Edmundson, Benoit, Bear...that cant create or pass the puck. Old age homes are full of people with better eye sight than those 3 IMHO
Yes the stars have to play better.....yes Tavares has to be better.....but its easy for teams to neutralize them when you have no backend threat. We cant even take a Al Ifrante slap shot from the point on our PP.
JMHO
Frustrated .....expected much better.
On the plus side....I think Keefer is gone. I would revamp our D ....we need Woll to step up
and I like Marner but I hope he waives his NTC so we can trade him. Even tho I like the kid....its time.
lowski
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- Nov 6, 2023
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This team is seriously flawed. As much as this is a cliche it's lead by a group of selfish prima donnas who clearly play for the name on their backs and not the crest on the front of their jerseys and their pathetic playoff record is a testament to that.
You just know that isn't happening. Either a game 6 loss in front of the home crowd or a game 7 meltdown in the back half of the game has to be how this plays out
Throw More Waffles
Unprecedented Dramatic Overpayments
- Oct 9, 2015
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The stars will never align for all encompassing perfect health and circumstances. Good teams overcome adversity. The leafs core use adversity as an excuse.
If the leafs were playoff powerhouses the past 8 years and have one off year, then we could possibly chalk it up to some things like injuries and illnesses. But when every single solitary post season the leafs underperform, it's no longer about excuses. It's about something deeply flawed with this core of players.
Throw More Waffles
Unprecedented Dramatic Overpayments
- Oct 9, 2015
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We had the opportunity to break up the core 4 and retain assets last early May to July 1st. Instead, the organization chose to run it back. Try retooling everything around the core 4 to try and force it into succeeding. Now we're either going to have to overpay to keep Marner past next season, or let him walk.
This organization is so freaking stupid. It's baffling.
BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
They'll be smelling blood so I'm more interested to see how the Leafs play.
Leafs look like a team that is scared to lose.
They were playing a team with a set of cajones last year.
They'll do the same thing every playoff opponent does to the Leafs, just sit back, protect their goal, and wait for the inevitable mistakes from a team that disappears when the going gets tough.
BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
Maybe so but most had the Leafs beating Boston this time around while the other three series have pretty much gone how everyone expected them to go.
