Post-Game Talk: Good Will Bunting FTW.... Leafs 7 - BBQ Wings 4

[Zybalto]

Nice to see sandin get a big goal. He’s had some tough luck this year scoring.

You could feel it coming though. He had two posts against Gibson last game and has been playing well basically all season. Hopefully this opens the floodgates for him.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

If I was at the next Leafs home game, I’d throw a Bunting hat on the ice after the first whistle

 

[Statsman1]

Great comeback, boys! What a 3rd!!

I have to wonder if the Sabres are going to try to grab Bertuzzi to back up Luongo….

 

[Brobust]

Poor Drake.

I thought Holl had one of his better games this season. Brodie struggled.

He's been fine defensively. But offensively, he's basically just Ron Hainsey.

 

[stickty111]

Hopefully Dermott comes out for Muzzin when Jake is good to go after the all star break.

With Sandin-Holl looking good, seems like a perfect time to go with Muzzin-Liljegren again.

 

[Al14]

A much better effort, and result, in the 3rd period. An epic 5 unanswered goals in the end. The Wings fell off a cliff in the 3rd too.

 

[egd27]

If Matthews wins us a cup with a Conn Smythe level performance JT should just hand it over

Or if he commits for more than 5 years.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I don't know if I should love or hate the fact that they played like garbage for most of the game and still cruised to an easy win

Down 2 well into the 3rd, I'd say it was anything but an easy win. Entertaining game, take the two points but defensively, that was one of our worst games of the year. We've been winning against mostly crappy teams but we've also mostly been playing like crap for a while now. If we play like this we'll probably be four games and out in the playoffs. Still tons of time to turn it around but would be nice to start turning it around soon.

I know Tavares gets heat from time to time about him possibly being on the decline and stuff but the guy still produces. His skating is definitely on the downswing but he has at PPG and pacing to score over 30 goals again this season.

For his Leafs career gems average over 30 goals per season and is producing at a PPG pace.

Yeah I don’t think he’s lived up to the $11 mill AAV but his contract hasnt been as a bust by any means.

4 years into a 7 year deal and playing pretty much exactly as expected, there is zero reason to complain about JT.

 

[Stephen]

Red Wings commentators were talking about how much fun OT will be 5 seconds before Sandin scored and they were speechless. It was amazing.

It was a fun game... but some of the turnovers were awful. Mrazek wasn't very good at all... especially on the 4th goal. I'm glad Keefe shuffled the lines back.

Bunting was an elite level signing from Dubas. He was my #1 target last off-season, but to get him for 2 years for under 1M is just... chef kiss.

Kind of boggles the mind that he's out scoring Conor Garland who was the previous big fish to escape Arizona.

 

[stickty111]

Great tweet by Jeff here

 

[stickty111]

Down 2 well into the 3rd, I'd say it was anything but an easy win. Entertaining game, take the two points but defensively, that was one of our worst games of the year. We've been winning against mostly crappy teams but we've also mostly been playing like crap for a while now. If we play like this we'll probably be four games and out in the playoffs. Still tons of time to turn it around but would be nice to start turning it around soon.



4 years into a 7 year deal and playing pretty much exactly as expected, there is zero reason to complain about JT.

I guess it makes up for the Arizona game where they dominated but lost. This one played terrible for almost all of it yet won.

 

[Gallagbi]

He's been fine defensively. But offensively, he's basically just Ron Hainsey.

Holly or Brodie?

 

[Gallagbi]

Hopefully Dermott comes out for Muzzin when Jake is good to go after the all star break.

I just don't see where Dermy fits on this team. He's a 7th D who doesn't defend particularly well and does add much offense for us. I'd dump and look to add a Hutton/Bogo type D at the deadline.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I guess it makes up for the Arizona game where they dominated but lost. This one played terrible for almost all of it yet won.

Yeah all that stuff more or less evens out in the end. What matters most is that we're ready to play our best when the playoffs start, we'll see.

 

[ACC1224]

I just don't see where Dermy fits on this team. He's a 7th D who doesn't defend particularly well and does add much offense for us. I'd dump and look to add a Hutton/Bogo type D at the deadline.

Holl is still the odd man out for me.
Muzzin - Lilijegren
Dermott - Sandin

 

[Thornbury]

Maybe I’m misremembering but I don’t think Holl was the too many men penalty, he was already on the ice. It was whoever was jumping on behind him. That’s why the commentators were going off about what a weak call it was, because Nylander was a bit far from the bench but neither he nor his replacement were involved in the play at all.

Think it was a change involving Nylander and Marner.

 

[Gallagbi]

Holl is still the odd man out for me.
Muzzin - Lilijegren
Dermott - Sandin

I like Holl better on the PK and overall defensively for "safe minutes" He'll make mistakes, but a bigger body who skates decently well, is more comfortable on the right and puts his partner in better spots.

I see Dermott as the more talented D, a poor man's Gardiner of sorts, but he's just behind too many guys here for the role he needs to play. Ideally he's the PP2/3 D playing with a safer D option.

 

[AvroArrow]

Petr was shakey early, must've been hungover.

Not nice to see Matthews and Marner in playoff form already.

But we won, and won big, so it's alright until next game.

Huh ? Are you implying they were invisible ? Because that really wasn't the case. Did you see Marners assist on that pass to Bunting ?? That was godly stick work.

 

[34]

JT getting the last laugh on Bertuzzi was amusing.

Yes, that was classic.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Yes, that was classic.

He was absolutely robbed twice by Bertuzzi and I legit thought he was just flipping it up to kill the clock and then it went in...I was like I would be so pissed if I was Bertuzzi at that point, 2 black and blue spots and still a goal against.

 

[34]

He was absolutely robbed twice by Bertuzzi and I legit thought he was just flipping it up to kill the clock and then it went in...I was like I would be so pissed if I was Bertuzzi at that point, 2 black and blue spots and still a goal against.

Totally. Hopefully that gets JT going. He has struggled as of late.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Totally. Hopefully that gets JT going. He has struggled as of late.

Yea, looked slow recently.

Although at some point he just goes off.

His feed to Sandin for the go ahead goal was fantastic.

I think someone else said it well, different triggermen are coming through for us, Matthews and JT still getting some assists while others are gaining confidence to score.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Holl is still the odd man out for me.
Muzzin - Lilijegren
Dermott - Sandin

Holl has been very good since coming back. Give him 3rd pairing minutes with Sandin and pk minutes and he's slotted appropriately.

 

[Stephen]

Nylander doesn't seem to be running with his third line assignment, so the next time the Leafs want to spread it around, maybe they should consider this:

Matthews Line
Marner-Nylander Partnership
Tavares Line

 

[Morbo]

Leafs have been on the other side of this kind of game plenty of times in the past. play a more talented team well for 2 periods, only to have them come back and son you in the third because they have the top talent and you don't.