ECQF Gm #4: Capitals @ Maple Leafs - Part II

[Butch 19]

Agree, Crosby and company will sweep the Caps easily.

whatever helps you sleep at night...

 

[nothingbeatshockey]

Chris Lee just looks like a dumbass.

Hey - a comment on the refs that both Caps and Leafs fans can agree on!

 

[theblackadder]

leafs needed just one good save and we woulda had this one. freddy has to be better than that.

Amazing fightback, though. That puts the fear of god right back into the caps and the confidence right back into our legs. The exact opposite response than oil change had last night.

sucks to lose home ice advantage but damn, we have a series now.

agreed. andersen has let in bad goals in every game this series. leafs have to start looking for another goalie if they want to win the cup

 

[Hotshot320]

The better team won tonight. It's sad that the Refs have to help the leafs so much. If the games were called evenly this series would have been over by now

Too much sodium

 

[Just Rude]

Go back and read the previous threads.

I've been here every game. Don't quote one or two random posters who get a little excited.

Show some facts, instead of just making **** up. You're embarrassing yourself.

 

[PrototypeX85]

Washington continues looking average in the playoffs. They really do lack that extra gear. If they get through Toronto, the Penguins are going to absolutely demolish them once again.

 

[therealkoho]

Agree, Crosby and company will sweep the Caps easily.

umm hmm... they need 4 wins in a playoff series, they're a long away from that

eggs chickens math and all that

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

we're the 8th seed up against the President's trophy winning team. You're right though, Caps deserved to win this game, they did make it closer than they should've though. It makes me cringe to see Caps fans still acting like this series would be over if not for luck/refs as well

The Leafs played very, very well in the first 3 games. That last game though, Babcock has his work cut out for him. Caps changed their strategy and forced the Leafs D to turn the puck over all night long.

Lack of discipline has been a recurrent problem this year for the Caps. Leafs are arguably the most dangerous team on the PP. Staying out of the box should be priority #1 for the Caps heading into game 5.

I think Eller edged Andersen for the Oscar. Watching the replays, he sold that first PP HARD. Good for him to go down on all fours, refs had to notice that.

Andersen was interfered with and took advantage of it. All goalies do it. Holtby was whining about a goaltender interference that wasn't even close at the end of the game.

Every team does it, no one is innocent.

Yes, both teams did a bit of acting, but acting for a PP and acting for goalie interference isn't the same. Anyway, the result is the same, series tied.

 

[DanZ]

Really? The Leafs scored three goals in about 45 seconds a couple of weeks ago.

They had the puck in the Caps end in the final seconds and were one shot away from tying it.

Seems pretty close to me.

The Leafs can't play much worse than they did tonight, and the Caps can't have a much better first period, yet the final score was 5-4. Or, in your world 5-3 and DanZ's 6-4, but you know what I mean.

In the world where the refs aren't idiots it's 5-2.

 

[McClelland]

Lucky bounces for the Lefs all serie and tonight the refs tried everything to get the Leafs in the game! Cant be so loopsided reffing the next 2 games, Capitals gonna steamrolling out the luck from the Leafs, 4-2 and then they get runned over by the penguins, cant handle fast good teams.

Know Colorado was excited after that 112 points season and 3-4 lost serie against the Wilds 3 seasons ago, with lot of young talent! Toronto could easily go that route, cant have such a horrible defence and luck out again for a playoff spot next season, Reilly was worst tonight and he the fans have already pencilled him in as a 1 D and Zaitsev was crap also last game. If thats their 1 st pair going forward , it will be the Colorado route. Overestimate some close games(scoreboard) and not adress the needs next season will be a hard lesson.

Mosts fans keep saying next season and next decade their team will be a legit team but thats what they saying a lot of times the last 50 years too!

So one of Marner/Nylander will be traded(think Marner) but he alone dont give the Leafs 1D, they need also to get more twoway players in to their roster.perhaps 5-6 spots must change for the coming years and ufas maybe helps in the grinding part of it but not the D problem. So get what you need true your own system, thats a lot of luck and years of developing.

It will be decided not only next year but also 2 more years of building a team who can go on a run, its about a 50-50 shot that they can compete in 3-4 years, how the youngsters develop?. Gadreau for example is a non factor in the playoffs, i think Marner will go that way because small and weak. Its one thing to get the space in a run and gun game but majority of playoff games are tighter.

Think Leafs had went out easier against Senators who has a clear gameplan and a superior overall defence,they looked very good so far. Wsh has choked before and got in to the run and gun shooting from everywhere game who are the Leafs only chance to competing. This game was a bit different from the Caps, they did their lesson from earlier games but poor reffing made it close in the end. The luck must end, last game 3-1 and 5 on 3, Leafs bounced out of that grip!

 

[Loosie]

Who said that?

Trotz said we would see the Caps best game tonight.

 

[DanZ]

Trotz said we would see the Caps best game tonight.

It was their​ best game of the series. Did you think he meant best of all time?

 

[Gabe Kupari]

Once caps got up 4 1 they put it on cruise control and it almost cost them but they definitely dominated the offensive zone time. Leafs were In their own zone most of the game.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Caps still don't look convincing as they sat back and let the Leafs almost come back but that win might get them back on track heading home. A bit of confidence for a good team can go a long way.

It's on the young Leafs to respond after a lacklustre effort if they really want the series. They cannot start slow again though. Chasing the game isn't a way to be successful.

Been a good series so far. 3 OT games, and the fourth was a 1 goal high scoring affair. Maybe the best series of the first round?

 

[Just Rude]

Says the fan of a team who scored on a dozen deflections in this series and were allowed to stay alive longer after an Oscar-worthy performance by Andersen on the "goalie interference". This game was only made close because of the odd bounces and the Caps being undisciplined.

I thought maybe it was because the Leafs outshot the Caps 28-12 over the final two periods?

 

[Mitchy]

Ah, I see the "lucky bounces" argument is back. I posted this last time, but for some reason it was ignored.

The Leafs have had more high danger chances and their expected goals for (which is a shot quality metric) is higher as well. So much for the "lucky bounces" excuse.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

What the hell is this Bill Waters guys problem with Alex Ovechkin on the post game?

He has know idea who Ovechkin is and he just continues to rip on his character night after night.

Unbelievable.

Bill Watters is a moron. Use to be part of the Sportsnet panel with Kypreos and Millard, but was eventually fired as his bitter ex-Leaf employee schtick was wearing thin and the ratings were reflective of that. His best moment on air was when he suffered a nose bleed live while the rest of the panel was trying to keep a straight face.

 

[nothingbeatshockey]

I don't think either team can be feeling secure in this series. Sure Toronto lost and the series is 2-2, but Washington was painfully close to losing tonight.

Both teams have been shaky this series, but also dominant at other points. Whichever team gets out of this series will get out by the skin of their teeth.

After reading threw about 60 pages of chest thumping and testosterone driven dribble, finally a post that's accurate and unbiased. Neither team should feel good about this series. 4 incredibly close games that either team could have won, and won more comfortably if they stayed out of their own way.

 

[DanZ]

Ah, I see the "lucky bounces" argument is back. I posted this last time, but for some reason it was ignored.

The Leafs have had more high danger chances and their expected goals for (which is a shot quality metric) is higher as well. So much for the "lucky bounces" excuse.

That doesn't change the fact that they were lucky bounces

 

[Gabe Kupari]

I thought maybe it was because the Leafs outshot the Caps 28-12 over the final two periods?

Shots on goal is just a stat. It doesn't really tell you much. Just means they hit the net more but Watching the game... I felt lots of those leaf shots were pretty much floaters and relatively low danger shots

 

[SniperHF]

Disperse.