Post-Game Talk: Devils @ Leafs

[justashadowof]

It was between McCann and Kerfoot and it's fairly obvious now that Seattle chose the wrong player.

 

[GrizzLeaf]

After 5 straight 1st round exits, I don't feel the least bit spoiled myself, especially when I remember how we go down in game 7 without offering any real resistance year after year. Call me jaded if you like but I find beating crappy teams in January highly unsatisfying, especially when our D seems to allow a dozen or so point blank scoring chances to the opposition night after night.

If winning regular season games makes people happy, then I'm happy for them, I truly am. I want more though, a lot more.

Can't win any games these playoffs without playing out the actual regular season games mate.

We're spoiled because Leafs have played poorly in January, and yet are 8-2-1 for the month lol.

I don't get the "regular season games are unimportant", narrative. You gotta play and win those games before you can hit the playoffs. May as well enjoy the regular season while it's going on.

Bitch about the playoffs 41 games from now

 

[Gary Nylund]

Can't win any games these playoffs without playing out the actual regular season games mate.

We're spoiled because Leafs have played poorly in January, and yet are 8-2-1 for the month lol.

I don't get the "regular season games are unimportant", narrative. You gotta play and win those games before you can hit the playoffs. May as well enjoy the regular season while it's going on.

Bitch about the playoffs 41 games from now

It's not that they're "unimportant", it's that playoff games are 100 times more important. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy the regular season, it just means I enjoy playoff success so much more and it sucks that we haven't had that in so long. I would also say that I enjoy regular season games a lot more when we play well but for the last few weeks, we have not done that. Winning is always better than losing but when you're playing the way we did in say November, it's more enjoyable then when you win the way we're winning lately and winning in the playoffs, that's an another level entirely!

 

[justashadowof]

Can't win any games these playoffs without playing out the actual regular season games mate.

We're spoiled because Leafs have played poorly in January, and yet are 8-2-1 for the month lol.

I don't get the "regular season games are unimportant", narrative. You gotta play and win those games before you can hit the playoffs. May as well enjoy the regular season while it's going on.

Bitch about the playoffs 41 games from now

To add, if you expend less energy and experience less physical attrition in the regular season while winning enough games to qualify for a good spot in the playoffs, you're in the best possible position. That is if you're capable of ratcheting up the intensity and attention to detail for the playoffs. But, yes, the playoffs are make or break for this team. Some of the main core, the coach, the GM and the president will not survive a 6th consecutive 1st round exit.

 

[Mess]

4 games 4.99 GAA & .824 sv% Yikes !!!

This looks like a good game to bet on the over of # of Matthews goals in this one. I'm going to say 3 and they might even come in the same period.

Predicting the Matthews hattrick feasting on this goalie was fairly easy &

Opening Devils vs Maple Leafs Odds: Maple Leafs -300 | O/U 6.5 goals

Expecting the Leafs to pot 6 or more as also expected.

Leafs goaltending and some of their current play has taken a turn for the worse and is concerning,

 

[Gary Nylund]

To add, if you expend less energy and experience less physical attrition in the regular season while winning enough games to qualify for a good spot in the playoffs, you're in the best possible position. That is if you're capable of ratcheting up the intensity and attention to detail for the playoffs. But, yes, the playoffs are make or break for this team. Some of the main core, the coach, the GM and the president will not survive a 6th consecutive 1st round exit.

That's the key. It's not so easy as flipping a switch though so best to start playing the right way at least for the last dozen games or so. We've playing so ugly lately but as long as we kick it into gear in late March or so, it won't matter I guess. Still, these games have been tough to watch lately, we've been just brutal defensively.

 

[Burnie97]

Hey @HockeyVirus I was just remembering your post from last night. You're probably happy today about not doing dishes for a week lol

 

[glue]

Not great game for certain players but good games for others. Overall still good enough to win of course.

More just an amusing observation on the ebbs and flows of two-week stretches of seasons here and there. The Leafs are clearly one of the best teams in the league this season and there is a.....substantial portion of the fanbase here that posts overly negatively that tends to create/comment more in those type of threads (and we've seen both types pushed hard this year). I tend to a "glass half full" type of guy but it's hard not to be with a Leaf team this good (and there havnt been all that many good Leafs teams the last 40 years I can remember really)

We're getting spoiled with this group so far.

I think the point is that for some no matter what the Leafs do it's never enough.

Leafs blow a lead, win anyways it's lucky.

Come from behind... lucky.

It does seem fo a small few that unless the Leafs win 6-0 while giving up 4 shots a period, somehow they played a poor game and need to learn what a full 6p means

Get where you guys are coming from - totally fair. But a perspective to consider is understanding that long time Leaf fans are rightfully very cynical about this team. This sometimes leads to illogical conclusions. Emotions aren't always logical . Given the way the leafs have played these last 2 games and their repeated failures when it matters most in the playoffs, it is easy to understand cycnicalness. So that leads to unrealistic & illogical expectations sometimes. Being one of the most financially successful franchises and having last won a playoff round in 2004, repeated playoff collapses, can't blame folks for always approaching the team with caution. But yeah certainly not fair to discredit what they are so far this year, which is one of the best teams in the NHL.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Another 2 points is all that matters .. regular season hockey is all about getting 2 points and moving on .. sure there are bad signs in how team is playing as thoroughly outskated by Devils, like Wings last game, but Leafs have high end skill where they can get outplayed/outskated for 2 periods and then turn on SKILL in 3rd period and win a regular season game .. da issue is people can see team can be badly outskated by faster teams .. in playoffs against faster/tougher teams there will be NO comeback .. as season progresses games will increase in speed as teams fight for playoff position .. we will see if our Leafs can match up on speed .. to me da core, outside of Willy, can't keep up to either pace or toughness .. this has been 5 years of same old same old and people can see same issues arising ..

But back to game Willy was aweful, I mean he did not give a crap.. our defense was brutal (with exception of Dermy who might have had his best game all year) .. but kids will be kids and Lily and Sandin had learning experiences last night .. Holl is Holl got walked badly on blow byes in 1st but defensive positioning was ok (just does not have core skills) .. Rielly and Brodie have had much better nights .. but again defense took game off and skill in 3rd was enough for 2 points

On positive note Matty and Kerfoot looked like game changers .. best game from Kerfoot this year .. his speed especially in 3rd broke open da game .. he had passion in his belly and it showed all over da ice .. 1A and 1B 1st stars in my book

Last blasting of Soup is totally unnecessary .. he is going through a mid season slump .. nothing more nothing less .. and if team had not played so poorly past few games people would not have even noticed

 

[ShaneFalco]

I can't believe "spoiled" and Leaf fans are in the same sentence

 

[ShaneFalco]

That's the key. It's not so easy as flipping a switch though so best to start playing the right way at least for the last dozen games or so. We've playing so ugly lately but as long as we kick it into gear in late March or so, it won't matter I guess. Still, these games have been tough to watch lately, we've been just brutal defensively.

It's the pattern that we've seen for a few years now. Lights out the first half, then the sloppy play creeps in a the d starts to look really bad. We go into the playoffs playing sub-par hockey.

 

[Enga Olly]

It's not that they're "unimportant", it's that playoff games are 100 times more important. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy the regular season, it just means I enjoy playoff success so much more and it sucks that we haven't had that in so long. I would also say that I enjoy regular season games a lot more when we play well but for the last few weeks, we have not done that. Winning is always better than losing but when you're playing the way we did in say November, it's more enjoyable then when you win the way we're winning lately and winning in the playoffs, that's an another level entirely!

It's a long season, very difficult to just keep winning, let alone be dominant all the way through. Sure, you don't want a mirage, but conversely good teams win when they don't play great or a full 60 minutes. You and I both remember the eighties and playing the Oilers very well, and they would turn it on for about 8 minutes, roast us, and we would crawl back home clutching our moral victories, keeping us warm on those cold January nights.

The numbers look very good - 7th in points, 4th in winning %, 4th in Goals for per game, 3rd in goals against. And that's with us and Jack not looking super duper in 2022. Jack needs to be better no doubt, I think/hope he will be. The team defense doesn't get the credit it deserves.

 

[PromisedLand]

and biscuits, dang red lobster biscuits are the greatest biscuit ever!

Back in the day when I was in university; red lobster used to have all you can eat summer specials. For a poor university student that is a heaven sent.

I'd pig out on their garlic butter shrimps, crabs, pastas and of course their biscuits

Only thing that ticked me off then that even though they have "lobster" in their name; lobster was not in the "all you can eat" menu; you had to order that separately; cheap bastards

 

[Zybalto]

This is more evidence that just like I've suspected, these numbers are useless. At least I think it's highly unlikely that almost every team in the NHL is playing defence as badly as we've been playing over the last month.

Considering everyone is in agreement that goaltending has been the worst the last month than it has been in memory and the Leafs are only slightly below average for goals against over that time while being in the top ten in every trackable metric we have for D means something different actually.

While the numbers are a little generous to the D, they arnt wrong in that the Leafs have been a well above average defensive team this month. The wild game swings and poor goaltending have made things seem less apparent which is how the eye test can get thrown off pretty badly but that shouldn't be a dismissal of the eye test either. Theres a feel to the games that no numbers can replicate.

Don't dismiss the numbers and don't treat them like gospel right?

To make things more interesting, lets just look at the numbers from the last 6 games:

Record: 5-1 (.833) 4th in the NHL

Shots Against: 5th best in the NHL
xGA: 4th best in the NHL
Goals Against: 28th in the NHL
Team Save%: 32nd in the NHL

Toronto just went 5-1 with the worst goaltending in the league while giving up the 5th fewest shots (not really an advanced stat right). I know they gave up some big chances here and there (missing the insanely underrated Muzzin here) but I really don't think team D is near as bad as many are making out....while not claiming the Leafs have been top 5 as the data suggests either.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I can't believe "spoiled" and Leaf fans are in the same sentence

Maybe someone that's been a fan for a year or two. Me, I've been watching since about 1970 and I've only seen us make the semi finals 3 times, I've never seen us play in the finals and haven't seen us win a playoff series since forever.

Being a fan of this cursed franchise has been mostly a freaking nightmare. Maybe finishing 5-6th overall during the regular season for a few years and now whoppee, 4th overall on Feb 1 is enough to make some people jump for joy and feel great about being "one of the best teams" but I sure as hell am not one of them. I'll say it again, the way we played last night was good enough to beat a crappy team but play like that in the playoffs and we'll be out in 5 games at the most and before I feel like we're "one of the best", I believe we need to stop losing in the playoffs year after year after year no matter who we play against.

Spoiled?

 

[Third Degree Burns]

I’ll be at the game tonight at the rock. GLG!

 

[1specter]

It was between McCann and Kerfoot and it's fairly obvious now that Seattle chose the wrong player.

Eh, Seattle is a horrible team. Kerfoot gets to play with Tavares and Nylander most nights, he'd have nowhere near that talent in Seattle. Also in terms of PPG they're near identical. I know Kerfoot has been way better at 5v5 production but again look who he plays with. That being said I do like his versatility.

 

[Discoverer]

That's the key. It's not so easy as flipping a switch though so best to start playing the right way at least for the last dozen games or so. We've playing so ugly lately but as long as we kick it into gear in late March or so, it won't matter I guess. Still, these games have been tough to watch lately, we've been just brutal defensively.

The biggest thing for me is that every team goes through stretches where they don't play well, and that includes Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina, etc. Everyone. The Leafs were probably the most dominant team in the league in November/December, and I don't think it's realistic for any team to just keep going at that level without a couple bumps in the road.

The way I look at it, it's obviously important that they get back to that level over the next little few weeks and shore up the defensive play to they way they were playing at their peak, but at least during this stretch of poor play they've managed to continue piling up the wins. No team in the league is going to be at their best every single game, but the best of them (including this team) manage to find ways to win when they're not doing so well.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Considering everyone is in agreement that goaltending has been the worst the last month than it has been in memory and the Leafs are only slightly below average for goals against over that time while being in the top ten in every trackable metric we have for D means something different actually.

While the numbers are a little generous to the D, they arnt wrong in that the Leafs have been a well above average defensive team this month. The wild game swings and poor goaltending have made things seem less apparent which is how the eye test can get thrown off pretty badly but that shouldn't be a dismissal of the eye test either. Theres a feel to the games that no numbers can replicate.

Don't dismiss the numbers and don't treat them like gospel right?

To make things more interesting, lets just look at the numbers from the last 6 games:

Record: 5-1 (.833) 4th in the NHL

Shots Against: 5th best in the NHL
xGA: 4th best in the NHL
Goals Against: 28th in the NHL
Team Save%: 32nd in the NHL

Toronto just went 5-1 with the worst goaltending in the league while giving up the 5th fewest shots (not really an advanced stat right). I know they gave up some big chances here and there (missing the insanely underrated Muzzin here) but I really don't think team D is near as bad as many are making out....while not claiming the Leafs have been top 5 as the data suggests either.

No you're wrong, those numbers are crap. Maybe the issue is that these numbers don't factor in quality of competition - we've been playing mostly crappy teams this month. I've been watching for over 50 years and I'm confident that my eyes are working just fine. If you think we've been playing well defensively as of late, no offence but I don't think you understand what it is you're watching.

I'll say it again - these numbers are crap, period.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Predicting the Matthews hattrick feasting on this goalie was fairly easy &



Expecting the Leafs to pot 6 or more as also expected.

Leafs goaltending and some of their current play has taken a turn for the worse and is concerning,

Did you bet anything?

 

[Gary Nylund]

The biggest thing for me is that every team goes through stretches where they don't play well, and that includes Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina, etc. Everyone. The Leafs were probably the most dominant team in the league in November/December, and I don't think it's realistic for any team to just keep going at that level without a couple bumps in the road.

The way I look at it, it's obviously important that they get back to that level over the next little few weeks and shore up the defensive play to they way they were playing at their peak, but at least during this stretch of poor play they've managed to continue piling up the wins. No team in the league is going to be at their best every single game, but the best of them (including this team) manage to find ways to win when they're not doing so well.

Oh I agree 100%. We're going through a bad stretch and that's fine, kick into gear for the playoffs and nobody will care that we played poorly for a while there, just like nobody cares that we played like crap to start the season and nobody cares that we played great in November. What I find amusing is the people who think we've been playing well lately, we have not been playing well and that's a fact no matter what somebody's numbers say.

I want playoff success and about 90% of this teams grade will be based on how they do in the playoffs. The playoffs haven't stared yet so their grade could be anywhere from an A+ to a D-, their play so far probably means they can't get an F but that's about it.

 

[Dekes For Days]

 

[Gary Nylund]

It's a long season, very difficult to just keep winning, let alone be dominant all the way through. Sure, you don't want a mirage, but conversely good teams win when they don't play great or a full 60 minutes. You and I both remember the eighties and playing the Oilers very well, and they would turn it on for about 8 minutes, roast us, and we would crawl back home clutching our moral victories, keeping us warm on those cold January nights.

The numbers look very good - 7th in points, 4th in winning %, 4th in Goals for per game, 3rd in goals against. And that's with us and Jack not looking super duper in 2022. Jack needs to be better no doubt, I think/hope he will be. The team defense doesn't get the credit it deserves.

The team D was mostly great the first few months, then it's like they all went to sleep a few weeks ago. Maybe a downturn was to be expected, that fine as long as they're fully awake and ready to play their best when the playoffs start.

 

[ACC1224]

I'm guessing they go back to Campbell tonight to give the Team a chance to put in a better effort in front of him.
Redemption all around.

 

[Zybalto]

No you're wrong, those numbers are crap. Maybe the issue is that these numbers don't factor in quality of competition - we've been playing mostly crappy teams this month. I've been watching for over 50 years and I'm confident that my eyes are working just fine. If you think we've been playing well defensively as of late, no offence but I don't think you understand what it is you're watching.

I'll say it again - these numbers are crap, period.

I dunno.

The average league ranking for the teams we faced last month is 17.7 (about average), 7 of the 11 were on the road, we were missing key players at points, the team was coming of covid (and were hit harder than most teams without the heros welcome afforded teams anymore) and goaltending was worse than any month going back to 2019....and the team still went 8-2-1.

I think your being a bit harsh no?