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

[francis246]

Do they hate losing? Doesn't seem like it. This is their standard? This is good enough? They don't strive for excellence. No big deal, 3 game losing streak.

Of course they hate losing. We literally saw Nylander’s intensity in the Amazon series at the end, the guy is passionate about winning. If you want to dismiss that cause he’s choosing to look ahead to the next game then go ahead and do that.

They aren’t obligated to demonstrate that to you in the way you deem justifiable. You guys act like they are Patrick Laine or PLD. These guys haven’t quit on the leafs, they haven’t asked out, they deserve criticism for underperforming. I get it, they have stunk the joint up in the playoffs for 9 years but get a grip. They are professional athletes. Stop reading so much into a singular comment.

 

[Racer88]

Noo you rather players say cliches to make YOU (The Fan) feel like they give a crap* that’s literally it.

Them saying what you want to hear doesn’t mean they care more. The only thing that will demonstrate that is play on the ice and hopefully a deep cup run.

No, I want them to actually give a crap

 

[ACC1224]

Based on recent history and the fact we're playing our former coach this looks like loss number 4 in a row.

Hope they come out flying tonight, beat down the Devils and then destroy the Habs Saturday night so we can put this 3 game losing streak in the rear view mirror.

Which Leaf team will we see? Nobody knows. They are Jekyll and Hyde just like their goaltenders.

Haven't they won both meetings against Keefe this year?

I think this should be a good one tonight, close OT game.

 

[francis246]

Positivity is a good thing just so long as they don't forget why they had a bad game and make an effort to not repeat it.

What I've seen over 8+ years here is the "scrap the bad games" mentality seems to also apply to bad playoff games and series. Which is perhaps why we see AM, Mitch & JT never evolve their game to adapt to tighter checking in the playoffs (Willie hasn't either but he gets a bit of a pass for at least showing up in games 6 & 7 last year).

Maybe the whole problem with this group all along is that they just brush the loses - all the loses - aside and take nothing away from them? To me, the circumstantial evidence seems to suggest so.

Yup! I 100% agree but to me that isn’t done by saying something in the media. That has to be reflected in your play. Anyone can say the right things in the media. Take Brady Tkachuk for example, the guy has all the answers in the media. People love his leadership but the results are no where to be seen on the ice. (Granted Ottawa is better this year) It hasn’t translated. Everyone can talk the talk but we need these guys to walk it more than talk it. They just need to show it on the ice through actions.

 

[Nineteen67]

No chance of that either. They will trade for a third line centre. Probably a 90% chance it ends up being Gourde.

Gourde isn’t an ideal fit. He makes too much money and the Leafs can’t afford to pay for salary retention and he’s a pending UFA.

Having said that, he might be all the get get and they have to show they’re trying.

 

[francis246]

Gourde isn’t an ideal fit. He makes too much money and the Leafs can’t afford to pay for salary retention and he’s a pending UFA.

Having said that, he might be all the get get and they have to show they’re trying.

I think Scott Laughton is the more likely candidate

 

[SprDaVE]

 

[Nineteen67]

I think Scott Laughton is the more likely candidate

Much better fit.

At this point they may as well trade all the prospects and draft picks throw an Hail Mary and see if they can find someone that can drive the bus in the playoffs.
If it doesn’t work they can start the rebuild in the off season.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

McCabe comes back and JT is out lol

We’ve played with a fully healthy lineup maybe 15 games this season

 

[ClarkSittler]

Haven't they won both meetings against Keefe this year?

I think this should be a good one tonight, close OT game.

Right you are, both on the road too. Just figured, Sheldon's first game back in Toronto near his hometown they'd be extra pumped to beat us and we've been playing badly. Really hope I'm wrong and an OT win would work for me!

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

 

[ACC1224]

McCabe comes back and JT is out lol

We’ve played with a fully healthy lineup maybe 15 games this season

Think I saw somewhere that the Leafs have the most man games lost this year.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Last game against them in the first period I think we touched the puck once, remember that?

Devils will be fired up for their coach. I expect another loss, I don't see anything to be positive about with these losers right now

 

[DragoGrizzly]

I wonder what the lineup is without JT. They just putting Minten into his spot or are they just bringing Minten in as insurance and will throw Holmberg back in the lineup. I think this would be a great opportunity to really mix up the lines and see if Matthews, Marner and Willie can each drive their own line.

 

[Fogelhund]

Think I saw somewhere that the Leafs have the most man games lost this year.

Second, behind Colorado.

2024/25 team injury breakdowns (through 10 January)

Notes Cap Hit of Injured Players (CHIP) represents the per-game cap charge of a player missing a game through injury/...

nhlinjuryviz.blogspot.com

 

[SprDaVE]

I wonder what the lineup is without JT. They just putting Minten into his spot or are they just bringing Minten in as insurance and will throw Holmberg back in the lineup. I think this would be a great opportunity to really mix up the lines and see if Matthews, Marner and Willie can each drive their own line.

Kampf is your 2nd line center.

Maybe Treliving can wake up from his long nap?

 

[Suntouchable13]

Maybe Matthews should step up and say "this is not good enough, we have to be better, we hear the fans" etc.. Be a leader.

 

[mclaren55]

Maybe Matthews should step up and say "this is not good enough, we have to be better, we hear the fans" etc.. Be a leader.

To be honest, it doesn't really matter what these guys say to the media or fans.

As an old colleague of mine said once "Shut up and do your f***ing job".

 

[wingman75]

Last game against them in the first period I think we touched the puck once, remember that?

Devils will be fired up for their coach. I expect another loss, I don't see anything to be positive about with these losers right now

Fully agree.

PP sucks. Is actually, literally, embarassing.

PK sucked last game. Trending down with regular goaltending?

5-on-5 we give up little, generate even less. Everyone seems to think this is great.

Injuries galore.

 

[Apex Predator]

Kampf is your 2nd line center.

Maybe Treliving can wake up from his long nap?

what assets do the leafs have to trade?

 

[Fogelhund]

""

 

[ClarkSittler]

Hope Minten is playing tonight.

 

[ACC1224]

""

No surprise there

 

[wingman75]

Hope Minten is playing tonight.

It's either him or Holmberg right? Unless they do something funky with the lineup.

 

[ToneDog]

Last game against them in the first period I think we touched the puck once, remember that?

Devils will be fired up for their coach. I expect another loss, I don't see anything to be positive about with these losers right now

That was the game Holmberg tied it up late with a shorty which I thought Markstrom played poorly. Matty won it in OT. Going to be interesting to see if NJ wants it more for Keefe than the Leafs want to stop this 3 game losing streak.