Pre-Game Talk: Devils @ Leafs | Thursday @ 7PM

[Evilhomer]

I worry this might start to spiral

Come on, they have lost three games in the middle of January. Nylander is right - it doesn't mean anything. They will beat Jersey and Montreal.

 

[Racer88]

While money is important, the frustration is we see players not giving, lack of desire, lack of heart, lack of team. If you earn league minimum you get sent down. If you get paid a great deal, nothing is done.

No accountability to the top players

 

[Kiwi]

Come on, they have lost three games in the middle of January. Nylander is right - it doesn't mean anything. They will beat Jersey and Montreal.

Have you actually watched this team play?

We were getting by on outstanding goaltending, we haven't looked good for long periods of time this entire season

They'll probably lose a couple more games before they hit true rock bottom. They were backsliding quite a bit during the latter part of the winning streak after Christmas and that reality didn't quite line up with the losing.

My prediction is some combination of a sleep walk game, probably losing to NJ. An all business approach but they may or may not win, and finally just a desperation style let's turn the page kind of win. This could go 5-6.

There going to continue to struggle scoring if the continue this dump and chase, cycle the puck, PP suckage

This style isn't conducive to winning games for this group

 

[Evilhomer]

Have you actually watched this team play?

We were getting by on outstanding goaltending, we haven't looked good for long periods of time this entire season

I have watched them play. It's a long season. There are always going to be stretches of inconsistent play. The hilarious part of this is that people are complaining about a first place team as if they were fighting for a playoff spot. They will win a few games in a row and right the ship. Over the long-haul, the needs remain the same: a third line centre and an offensive defenseman.

 

[Apex Predator]

Leafs will probably win 6-2 tomorrow. Everytime we’re about to be out on them they drag us back

 

[ACC1224]

I switched to dark mode, and now it turns out I think I like light mode better.

I don’t like the dark mode either.

 

[Kiwi]

I have watched them play. It's a long season. There are always going to be stretches of inconsistent play. The hilarious part of this is that people are complaining about a first place team as if they were fighting for a playoff spot. They will win a few games in a row and right the ship. Over the long-haul, the needs remain the same: a third line centre and an offensive defenseman.

They aren't inconsistent, there very consistent, consistently average

They were getting by on Stolarz and Woll and 920+ save percentages, that's stopped and hello

This isn't a shocking turn of events, our shot shares and scoring chance numbers are average

it is what it is

 

[Jojalu]

Willie is as dilutional as Marner if he thinks he is putting in a full game. I can see him saying the same thing in the playoffs. "It’s only been three games. What’s the big deal Bro, really?"

Nylander has been around pro hockey his entire life. He is well trained on how not to be controversial and keep answers unemotional.

Everyrhing these guys say has been coached into them.

You would have to be a friend to hear what they really think and they are not sharing it with the public.

In a way he is not wrong. Losing 3 games in a row is something that happens every year.

Fans holding on to the past 8 years of playoff failure take his answer as he doesn't care,which is simply false. One of the many things you teach young athletes is to always stay in the present. Don't let your failures haunt you, or your success lead to complacency.

 

[DarkKnight]

There's a reason these guys are professional athletes, they don't fall apart mentally after a three game skid, they believe in themselves and move forward. Getting mad because they don't lose their shit over a January lull is a loser mentality, these guys are built different. Wish fans and media would stop projecting onto them, these aren't negative people, that's why they've made to the pinnacle in their sport. Come playoffs, sure I expect more urgency in their pressers, but Nylander saying big deal, BIG DEAL!

Every year, every team has a bad stretch. We're in first place still, just turn it around, which they will and back on the bandwagon. Fans pay good money and expect 41 games of dominance at home. Too bad I've never seen a season of that, ever, from ever player.

 

[Stephen]

Have you actually watched this team play?

We were getting by on outstanding goaltending, we haven't looked good for long periods of time this entire season



There going to continue to struggle scoring if the continue this dump and chase, cycle the puck, PP suckage

This style isn't conducive to winning games for this group

Blaming dump and chase is just an excuse for a lack of accountability. I don’t even think they’re dumping and chasing on all possession chances all the time anyway but if they can’t initiate a foot race and can’t go win a puck battle and this is their excuse, I think whole core needs to be nuked. Absolutely nuked.

 

[SniperHF]

I switched to dark mode, and now it turns out I think I like light mode better.

Dark mode is VERY work in progress I wouldn't call it final yet.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

I switched to dark mode, and now it turns out I think I like light mode better.

I still like the dark but it’s hard to read the username. Can we change that colour?

 

[Evilhomer]

Dark mode is VERY work in progress I wouldn't call it final yet.

For whatever reason, I seem to like dark mode better on mobile, but light mode better on a laptop.

 

[ACC1224]

For whatever reason, I seem to like dark mode better on mobile, but light mode better on a laptop.

I can’t make out the user names in dark mode.

 

[ToneDog]

Nylander has been around pro hockey his entire life. He is well trained on how not to be controversial and keep answers unemotional.

Everyrhing these guys say has been coached into them.

You would have to be a friend to hear what they really think and they are not sharing it with the public.

In a way he is not wrong. Losing 3 games in a row is something that happens every year.

Fans holding on to the past 8 years of playoff failure take his answer as he doesn't care,which is simply false. One of the many things you teach young athletes is to always stay in the present. Don't let your failures haunt you, or your success lead to complacency.

Needs to know how to read his audience. That is a skill in itself. He has sucked the last 11 games and his Bro was severely criticized for his post game answer two days earlier.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I can’t make out the user names in dark mode.

If the names were in neon pink it would be

Blaming dump and chase is just an excuse for a lack of accountability. I don’t even think they’re dumping and chasing on all possession chances all the time anyway but if they can’t initiate a foot race and can’t go win a puck battle and this is their excuse, I think whole core needs to be nuked. Absolutely nuked.

Maybe hiring a dump and chase coach and giving him a rush offense is a culture clash

 

[kevsh]

Hey Willie, you get to ask "what's the big deal?" when you've actually won something.

Maybe, in retrospect, MLSE/the city/fans treating Leafs players like gods has gone to their heads?

 

[Jojalu]

Needs to know how to read his audience. That is a skill in itself. He has sucked the last 11 games and his Bro was severely criticized for his post game answer two days earlier.

I am not sure he needs to change because of a rabid fanbase. That seems fake and placating. It's not who he is.

I am pretty confident that he knows he has been awful for a stretch now and he needs to be better.

But, it's the regular season and I keep reading nothing matters but the playoffs.

I don't care what he says to the media. If he came out and said " I suck ass. I have to be better" and then proceeded to have a poor game he would get killed for paying lip service to the fans.

He should have signed for 10. Lol

 

[Stephen]

If the names were in neon pink it would be


Maybe hiring a dump and chase coach and giving him a rush offense is a culture clash

Well, keep in mind they were looking for a culture change to get something different out of an under delivering core. So if they can’t deliver the old way and can’t adapt to a new culture, it might be time to close down this era if things don’t change.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

I am not sure he needs to change because of a rabid fanbase. That seems fake and placating. It's not who he is.

I am pretty confident that he knows he has been awful for a stretch now and he needs to be better.

But, it's the regular season and I keep reading nothing matters but the playoffs.

I don't care what he says to the media. If he came out and said " I suck ass. I have to be better" and then proceeded to have a poor game he would get killed for paying lip service to the fans.

He should have signed for 10. Lol

True regular season doesn’t matter in the end but do you really think they’re just gonna somehow morph into a different team when Game 1 rolls around? History suggests absolutely not.

 

[Jojalu]

True regular season doesn’t matter in the end but do you really think they’re just gonna somehow morph into a different team when Game 1 rolls around? History suggests absolutely not.

I have very little faith they will, but I do believe in a couple prior series a big save here or there would have had them advance.

If Stolarz can play at the same level he has shown, and McCabe and Tanev are both healthy then I do think their chances increase of putting together a run.

 

[Schennanigans]

Didn’t take long to piss away that 6 point lead.

 

[TopCheeseShotta]

The Adams Award all but won this year for Keefe, cuz Leafs.. and this game better not help him cement it!!

Sooooo.. big game for that reason, lost 3 in a row - all signs point to a skilled NJ team walking us... guaranteed Leaf win then??

 

[Squiffy]

BwO reminder: #1 Devils Fan Puddy is insane.

 

[Squiffy]

BwO Reminder #2: Team has sucked for 3 games. Tavares is questionable. The PP can't score. Their old coach is rolling though on a revenge game, looking to expand a lead in the standings. Everything points to another tough one.

Easy answer, the Leafs roll this one, the BwO is calling Matty Hatty. It's the Leafiest thing possible. We make their families ashamed to be there.

Side note: @Evilhomer I warned you about the hockey gods lol.. Keefe is cruising those Adams conversations. Team that missed the playoffs to wandering around top 5 in league? Ohh it's a'gettin' votes. The Devils bump is really all goaltending, with a small side of coaching, but he's gonna get sniffs. Hockey Gods salivating.

But I do hope I'm wrong.

Go Leafs GO!