Pre-Game Talk: Game 7: last chance for the core

[sansabri]

Oh the mighty Phil Danault is it? The guy that Matthews torched how many times during the regular season?

6 games in and you're still focusing on the regular season huh

 

[wingman75]

This is a no-lose for the Habs too. No one expected them to really challenge to win this series, now they have battled back... in the eyes of their fans, media and owner probably they are full of heart and spunk and no-quit-attitude. So even if they lose, the won!

Leafs on the other hand will now be playing in their first game with actual pressure on them. Whatever pressure they felt previous was fictional and only in their heads. I am really looking forward to seeing how this core performs in this situation. In past years, vs a superior BOS team they at least showed up and I think were the better team 2 years ago. I am worried about our D... assume Sandin enters? He and Dermott need to keep their games simple...

This is one last chance for Matthews and Marner to come ready to play... from the start. With our luck the players excel and our goaltending fails...

Look, at the end of the day, as frustrated as I am with this team I want them to win, at all costs... so I am pumping out positive vibes until the final buzzer.

 

[Cor]

Remember in 2019, when we had a chance to close out Boston in Game 6, and laid an absolute egg? I went into Game 7, knowing what would happen. I knew we'd get railroaded. I had the game on, as background noise, hardly paying much attention. Pre-game people were asking me why I wasn't excited, or ready for the game. It was pure dejection, and knowing.

I have that seem feeling heading into tomorrow.

Call it what you want.

I just don't know...

 

[Metroid]

Bergevin gets extended 10 more years now, win or lose, silver lining? Lol

 

[Cor]

I’m still mind blown by the lack of adjustments by Keefe and the ones he made (breaking up our best line?????) have been equally as mind blowing.

At this point, I’d roll with;

Galch - Kerfoot - Nylander
Hyman - Matthews - Spezza
Mikheyev - Foligno - Marner
Engvall - Brooks - Simmonds

Sorry to Joe.

Thats good with me.

If this is the last game of the year, I woild rather see Brooks over Thormton.

One is on the way in, and one is on the way out.

I like Kerfy back with Willy/Gally there. They seemed like they had chemistry and Kerfoots impressed me this series.

Thorntons gotta be benched. At this point I'm just relieved if he doesn't give the puck away.

I completely forgot Galchenyuk got head-shotted. Did he come back after that?

If not.... you have to call up Robertson right? Or is it even worth it, might as well keep the contact as being able to be pushed back.

In that case, I move up Engvall, and bring in Malgin??

Engvall - Kerfoot - Nylander
Hyman - Matthews - Spezza
Mikheyev - Foligno - Marner
Malgin - Brooks - Simmonds

Defense wise.....

Brodie - Holl
Rielly - Dermott
Sandin - Bogosian

Although, I am tempted to slot in Liljegren over Sandin.

We're f***ed.

 

[17 Clark]

Unbelievable that people in this thread still think the Leafs can win. See you next year.

Unfortunately I got to agree with you What’s the saying oh well there’s always next year I think most fans are just suckers For punishment

 

[1specter]

Remember in 2019, when we had a chance to close out Boston in Game 6, and laid an absolute egg? I went into Game 7, knowing what would happen. I knew we'd get railroaded. I had the game on, as background noise, hardly paying much attention. Pre-game people were asking me why I wasn't excited, or ready for the game. It was pure dejection, and knowing.

I have that seem feeling heading into tomorrow.

Call it what you want.

I just don't know...

I felt that way as well. I was more gutted after game 6 than game 7. That series hurt so much

 

[Nylander88]

Unbelievably disappointed in the efforts we have come out with in games 5 and 6. Not winning hockey to start late. But regardless, the fan I've been since I was a young boy, will be cheering loud from my couch on Monday night. Having our backs against the wall now, might make all the difference. That said, teams that go deep, know how to put teams away...they don't wait until all the pressure comes back on them. Toronto with our team, our season (1st in division), and past playoff chokes .. definitely has more heat on them than the underdog Habs now. Our big boys need to show up to take the game over. I'm not asking for a cup here, although that's ultimately what we cheer and hope for every year. I, like most Leaf fans, am simply just asking to rid ourselves of these first round demons. Have to think Matthews, Marner, and Rielly (Nylander has been great so not gonna mention him) come ready tomorrow night. It's hard on us fans, but you have to think for competitive athletes, this many years in a row, there's a sense of embarrassment here. Please boys, just don't be the Leafs of the past and close one out here

 

[ToneDog]

I completely forgot Galchenyuk got head-shotted. Did he come back after that?

If not.... you have to call up Robertson right? Or is it even worth it, might as well keep the contact as being able to be pushed back.

In that case, I move up Engvall, and bring in Malgin??

Engvall - Kerfoot - Nylander
Hyman - Matthews - Spezza
Mikheyev - Foligno - Marner
Malgin - Brooks - Simmonds

Defense wise.....

Brodie - Holl
Rielly - Dermott
Sandin - Bogosian

Although, I am tempted to slot in Liljegren over Sandin.

We're f***ed.

Malgin ?? Is he even in North America ?? Dubas traded for Nash, why not use him to shutdown Suzuki ?? Unless 34 and 16 can put up some points, IMO we'll need to all but shutout the Habs to win.

 

[theTTC]

Unfortunately I got to agree with you What’s the saying oh well there’s always next year I think most fans are just suckers For punishment

And as someone else said,
There's time for one more deep drag of the cigarette before the blindfold is put on.

 

[Cor]

Malgin ?? Is he even in North America ?? Dubas traded for Nash, why not use him to shutdown Suzuki ?? Unless 34 and 16 can put up some points, IMO we'll need to all but shutout the Habs to win.

I forgot about Nash tbh lol

(Malgin is back with the team though)

 

[KPower]

If Thornton is on PP1 next game, Keefe/Dubas deserves to lose.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

Yeah what’s his deal? Is he too good to hit now?

No idea every “grinder” we get ends up forgetting why they were brought here and try to play that pu$$y footing style you see from our smaller and more skilled guys it’s literally frustrating...don’t even get me started on the GD magic wands they pull out on their flybys

 

[BallardEra]

Just look at my avatar.

Been used to this times 2 since 1982.

At some point you get detached emotionally which helps keep you sane.

 

[Budz22]

Win or lose. This is us.

 

[theTTC]

Just look at my avatar.

Been used to this times 2 since 1982.

At some point you get detached emotionally which helps keep you sane.

Yeah, it's a relationship technique, like how to stay married to the first wife.

 

[socko]

You’re right, the league is so inconsistent it wasn’t a terrible call and the habs PP is so brutal you take that chance. Marner’s brain dead penalty buried Keefe.

I would have challenged it for sure. There was no way Campbell was getting back in net because Habs were occupying his spot. If he had fought to get back, then I guess it was a penalty? There was a time when a skate in the crease was an automatic loss of the goal (Brett Hull famous for them not calling it by the rulebook). But I honestly don't know the rule. I take it they not only have to interfere but Jack has to sell it that they're interfering....

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

The best team won last night.

The Habs were like the student who came to class on-time, studied hard, did the readings and all the homework, and worked through all the hard problems right through to the end of the final exam.

The Leafs were like the student who showed up late, goofed off during class, and never worried about their homework until the minute after the last minute when they crammed like crazy only to find it really was too late.

You don't set yourself up for success bu playing the way the Leafs did last night.

Jason Spezza gets that. So does T.J. Brodie. After that, I would have an easier time listing the players that still don't get it than those that do.

Until this whole team grows some balls it's going to accomplish nothing.

Perfect post. One addition: they did the exact same thing on gm 5, so it’s even more baffling that they just don’t “get it”

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

I am trying to understand how these players can justify showing up to last 2 games looking completely uninterested.

In my eyes the management gave them all the tools to succeed. And then you look at teams like NYI and BOS that have half the talent we do and they play like they are possessed.

Totally built for the playoffs, like textbook definition. And the Isles actually traded an elite dman in Toews and haven’t missed a beat.

I don’t get it though, like most of us. We had such huge turnover and brought winners/vets over and yet still witness this? Only explanation is that the loser core with Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Rielly have control of the room and mindset of the team, so as they go, the team doesn’t.

 

[pcruz]

That's my point. I don't know that he has it in him. He strikes me as the kind of hot-headed, arrogant, player that would rather try to do it his way and lose, then adapt to the format of the playoffs and do what it takes for him to be a significant contributer to his team winning.

If it doesn't look like something the kids do in NHL 2021, he wants no part of it.

Johnny Gaudreau 2.0... Regular season highlight reel. Playoff Ghost.

These kinds of stupid hot takes were made about Kessel. He went on to not only win 2 cups, but he was screwed out of the Conn Smythe the first year. Not at all a passenger on that team.

Will you guys ever learn from past mistakes?


Marner and Matthews haven't scored. They are also absolutely dominant while on the ice and haven't given up a goal yet.

Why not? Because the entirety of Montreal's strategy is "don't let 34 and 16 score".

And yet, just last night Matthews created 3 superb scoring plays for Marner and Nylander.

How quickly people forget about the loss of the depth up the middle. Add Tavares in and this team instantly has 2 dangerous scoring lines - meaning that Montreal has to split up their defensive efforts.

It is what it is - they haven't scored enough (for a variety of reasons), Marner is trying too hard and therefore screwing up the most basic plays, Matthews hasn't had many good shots to take the whole series.

The rest of the team has been good and terrible at the same time.
It's not the first line with horrific giveaways leading to OT winners.
It's not the first line with 3 straight delay of game penalties.
It's almost never the first line hemmed in their own zone.
In fact, Keefe has started putting the top line in for defensive draws just to ensure that we can break out into the offensive zone.

Such doom and gloom.

" I'm never watching again" - some guy who watches every game.

You guys sound like my children.

 

[123offtheglass]

 

[Gallagbi]

These kinds of stupid hot takes were made about Kessel. He went on to not only win 2 cups, but he was screwed out of the Conn Smythe the first year. Not at all a passenger on that team.

Will you guys ever learn from past mistakes?


Marner and Matthews haven't scored. They are also absolutely dominant while on the ice and haven't given up a goal yet.

Why not? Because the entirety of Montreal's strategy is "don't let 34 and 16 score".

And yet, just last night Matthews created 3 superb scoring plays for Marner and Nylander.

How quickly people forget about the loss of the depth up the middle. Add Tavares in and this team instantly has 2 dangerous scoring lines - meaning that Montreal has to split up their defensive efforts.

It is what it is - they haven't scored enough (for a variety of reasons), Marner is trying too hard and therefore screwing up the most basic plays, Matthews hasn't had many good shots to take the whole series.

The rest of the team has been good and terrible at the same time.
It's not the first line with horrific giveaways leading to OT winners.
It's not the first line with 3 straight delay of game penalties.
It's almost never the first line hemmed in their own zone.
In fact, Keefe has started putting the top line in for defensive draws just to ensure that we can break out into the offensive zone.

Such doom and gloom.

" I'm never watching again" - some guy who watches every game.

You guys sound like my children.

Kessel always produced in playoffs.

As for shutting down our top line, you pay them the money they make to be good enough to avoid that.

 

[supermann_98]

marner is derozan.

In terms of playoff choking yes but at least DeRozan got to the conference semis and won a few playoff rounds

 

[HolyCrap]

I hope the Leafs win tomorrow but I expect the same result. I’ll be doing outside chores and then check game in the third. I’m not giving this team the same attention like I used too.

 

[Nylander88]

Keefe sticking with Thornton is a weird one too me. Doesn't at all look like a guy who wants to win his first cup. Spezza looks like a guy that wants to win his first cup, bad. Thornton just hoping the team carries him there? There is no way we bring him back next season, so why we're sticking with him I don't know. Honestly would rather Sabourin play than Thornton. Guy can skate, is fearless, and will create chaos in the game. I thought we were going to see a big angry Jumbo come playoff time, but he's been largely irrelevant and just bogged the fourth line down. There's a part of me that wants to believe that we're going to see a team that actually cares tomorrow night.