Post-Game Talk: Habs lose season opener to Leaves

[NMacrules]

This one is on Allen. 2 crappy goals.

One crappy goal. Nylanders goal was a complete screen.

 

[BLONG7]

I was on a flight and missed the opening game. Having read through many pages and watched the recap, I have a question for the astute viewer: Is MSL capable of putting together a serious NHL team with serious ambitions in the near-future? (ie his remaining Habs career)

And I don't mean to ask this in a misleading way -- I would answer the question in the affirmative and substantiate it with certain notions... but first I'd like other people's impressions if they care to share.

I think MSL is like the team, evolving.......but there are some times his decisions look like a rookie coach, so we will see how this evolves, but I am inclined to think that if he gets rid of Burrows here by at least the seasons end, and hire a better coach for that spot, he will be heading in the right direction.
Head coaches in the NHL need very good coaches with them, just not yes men.....I can fully see why this is a question for you, or many others.....

 

[Habs Halifax]

Good game. Leafs are typically sound on team D in recent seasons so it was nice to see us score some goals.

If the Newhook / Dach / Slaf line develops chemistry more and more, we got two legit top 2 lines.

I know Armia deserves what he got but who's better? Pearson or Armia? I'm hopping Armia wakes up from this demotion and comes back on a mission. Armia at his best is better than Pearson IMO.

The other thing I was pondering about last night was who was better between Xhekaj or Guhle. Guhle's potential is high as a mid 1st rounder who developed well but man... Xhekaj is just solid in many areas. I'm very curious to watch both of these guys grow even more in their 2nd season.

 

[BLONG7]

I know you were trying to be funny but fact is, the Leafs could in fact win the presidents trophy this year, which would actually make them the best team in the league....in regular season.

I said it a few weeks ago and I stick to it. The Habs will make the playoffs. Many don't know what you have. You have lots of size, tons of speed and developing skill. That was the first game. Habs are going to be better.

Lots of people picking on Allen. Leafs peppered him with 42 shots. Samsonov only faced 24 shots and only let in one less goal. And many of the Leafs shots were in close 2 feet from the crease. Samsonov's save percentage was .792 and Allen was .881. Allens career is .909. Thats not to shabby!

Perspective people. Allen also turned away 93% of his shots within the PSA (prime scoring area). Sammy only faced 42% of his shots within the PSA.

Your tending was way better tonight. This came down to Matthews going beast mode. Shutting him down was where your problem was. But for Pete's sake, stop blaming Allen. He was one of your better players tonight. The only stinker Allen let in was the first goal. The Nylander goal was a complete screen shot. The others were scrambles right in front of him and he scrambled like a greco roman wrestler to make many of those saves.

Leafs aren't winning anything, with that D and goaltending.....LOL

 

[NMacrules]

Anderson on the first line ain’t it, I would prefer MSL tried Harvey-Pinard or Ylonen instead.

Monaghan, Gallagher, Suzuki, Pearson , Savard, Allen were hot garbage tonight.

Slaf looking good hope he keeps it up.

I get a kick out of this. Many are saying this. Leafs peppered Allen with 42 shots. He only let in one stinker. Nylander's goal was not a stinker. That was a rocket and Allen was clearly screened by Suzuki on the shot. Not many goalies are stopping that shit. That shot had to be at least 100 miles an hour top cheese. Matthews went beast mode right in front of the net. That was your problem.

 

[BLONG7]

Good game. Leafs are typically sound on team D in recent seasons so it was nice to see us score some goals.

If the Newhook / Dach / Slaf line develops chemistry more and more, we got two legit top 2 lines.

I know Armia deserves what he got but who's better? Pearson or Armia? I'm hopping Armia wakes up from this demotion and comes back on a mission. Armia at his best is better than Pearson IMO.

Poor Monahan, stuck with Pearson and Gally???
That has to change before the next game....sit one of Pearson or Gally insert Pezz and move Ylonen up in the lineup..............asap MSL

 

[NMacrules]

Leafs aren't winning anything, with that D and goaltending.....LOL

Thats not really true is it? They already won something. lol

First game for both teams bud. Perspective.

 

[Whalers Fan]

I get a kick out of this. Many are saying this. Leafs peppered Allen with 42 shot. He only let in one stinker. Nylander's goal was not a stinker. That was a rocket and Allen was clearly screened by Suzuki on the shot. Not many goalies are stopping that shit. That shot had to be at least 100 miles an hour top cheese. Matthews went beast mode right in front of the net. That was your problem.

Two goals given up by Allen were softies. The first goal (Gregor), and the one by Matthews along the goal line. Allen was out of position (not tight against the post) on the latter of those two.

 

[BLONG7]

Thats not really true is it? They already won something. lol

First game for both teams bud. Perspective.

Neither team looked very good last night..........there were some crazy swings in the game.
Leafs have their issues for sure.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Poor Monahan, stuck with Pearson and Gally???
That has to change before the next game....sit one of Pearson or Gally insert Pezz and move Ylonen up in the lineup..............asap MSL

Yeah, I was going to mention that as well but maybe the bottom 6 can change when Dvorak comes back.

RHP and Ylonen could be two Monahan can play with. Dvorak can have Gallagher and Evans on the 4th line... or one of Armia/Pearson.

I'm sure our bottom 6 will be altered a fair amount this season but I hope we can establish a good top 6. If Anderson or Newhook or Slaf fades, Monahan can be moved up. However, I think we need to try to give that top 6 at least a month or two. In the past, it was 5 games or less and that's not enough time IMO.

Neither team looked very good last night..........there were some crazy swings in the game.
Leafs have their issues for sure.

I think the Leafs bottom 6 is horrible and their D is not scary at all. Their top end talent is going to have to carry them again. Samsonov is alright in net. On our team, his numbers would not be better than either of Allen or Monty

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I know you were trying to be funny but fact is, the Leafs could in fact win the presidents trophy this year, which would actually make them the best team in the league....in regular season.

I said it a few weeks ago and I stick to it. The Habs will make the playoffs. Many don't know what you have. You have lots of size, tons of speed and developing skill. That was the first game. Habs are going to be better.

Lots of people picking on Allen. Leafs peppered him with 42 shots. Samsonov only faced 24 shots and only let in one less goal. And many of the Leafs shots were in close 2 feet from the crease. Samsonov's save percentage was .792 and Allen was .881. Allens career is .909. Thats not to shabby!

Perspective people. Allen also turned away 93% of his shots within the PSA (prime scoring area). Sammy only faced 42% of his shots within the PSA.

Your tending was way better tonight. This came down to Matthews going beast mode. Shutting him down was where your problem was. But for Pete's sake, stop blaming Allen. He was one of your better players tonight. The only stinker Allen let in was the first goal. The Nylander goal was a complete screen shot. The others were scrambles right in front of him and he scrambled like a greco roman wrestler to make many of those saves.

Your assessment is largely correct. But two goals last night that Allen gave up were weak and turned the game around in the Leafs’ favour: the first Leafs’ goal and the fourth one. The Leafs’ first goal was the third time this preseason and last night that Allen has given up a long range shot low to his glove side. I saw the Leafs try that shot all night long. Matthews second goal that made the score 5-4 is a goal that no NHL level goalie can give up: on the near side by not placing your skate against the post. In my earlier assessment I attributed this gaff to fatigue as Allen had by that stage , been bombarded by a night of high level chances. But Montreal’s collapse late in the third period confirmed two things: the Canadiens need near excellent goaltending to compete against elite teams and but for Allen’s earlier heroics, this would have been a lopsided Leafs victory.

 

[NMacrules]

Two goals given up by Allen were softies. The first goal (Gregor), and the one by Matthews along the goal line. Allen was out of position (not tight against the post) on the latter of those two.

Not really. Allen was on the other side of the net getting ready to face a D shot. Matthews had a wide open net. Allen did what he could to get across. The real problem is someone let Matthews stand alone on that post. No one touched him. I just watched all 3 of Matthews goals. He had far to much time without anyone marking him.

 

[Cournoyer12]

Neither team looked very good last night..........there were some crazy swings in the game.
Leafs have their issues for sure.

Samsonov looked like Vessa Toskola last night!

 

[Habs Halifax]

I get a kick out of this. Many are saying this. Leafs peppered Allen with 42 shots. He only let in one stinker. Nylander's goal was not a stinker. That was a rocket and Allen was clearly screened by Suzuki on the shot. Not many goalies are stopping that shit. That shot had to be at least 100 miles an hour top cheese. Matthews went beast mode right in front of the net. That was your problem.

Someone has to be blamed right?

Allen was OK last night. No need to attack him for this loss. Our team D is an area we can improve on but our D core is mostly young. We are going to try to create more offense which is important so I do expect us to allow a lot of shots against this year.

I don't think our D core and team D is going to turn the needle for a few years yet. Focus on creating offense and once the D core matures, it will come together more. Then we can figure out what goalie fits our structure the best at the point. That's how I see it anyways

 

[Yoor]

Way too passive.

Also way to passive on the PK as well imo...you can't give guys like that space and time...we need constant pressure on the puck during the PK.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Not really. Allen was on the other side of the net getting ready to face a D shot. Matthews had a wide open net. Allen did what he could to get across. The real problem is someone let Matthews stand alone on that post. No one touched him.

Agreed. Allen knows the Leafs stars are talented and he's just doing his best. It's not that easy to contain Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I hate the replay for offside. If offside is so crucial add off ice or tech checks to catch it immediately. It’s a double waste of time checking the replay to roll the game clock back.

I thought Kovacevic had a good game. He’s one of the few who doesn’t lose focus when they are in their own zone.

Fun high scoring game. Too bad Matthews is such a horrible person or his goals would be more enjoyable. The habs are completely missing a shutdown line and the current third line is weak. A few free agent signings once the habs are ready to win will fix that. Goal tending will depend on prospects. Power play will require one of the prospects to QB.

Things are lining up for 2026 or so.

2026/2027 should be the year. But the good news is that until then we should enjoy some entertaining hockey. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

 

[NMacrules]

Agreed. Allen knows the Leafs stars are talented and he's just doing his best. It's not that easy to contain Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander

agreed. The coaching staff should have put someone on Matthews right in his face making life difficult. He had far to much space to work with.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Leafs aren't winning anything, with that D and goaltending.....LOL

I think their team is worse than last year. D is meh, goaltending is meh, and their team depth is worse.

What kind of value will Domi, Klingberg, Bertuzzi bring? And is any of these 3 back with them next year? They need to take the salary from all 3 and use it on the Nylander raise and then go after a real top 4D who can actually play D. Brodie expires as well I believe.

 

[NMacrules]

I think their team is worse than last year. D is meh, goaltending is meh, and their team depth is worse.

What kind of value will Domi, Klingberg, Bertuzzi bring? And is any of these 3 back with them next year? They need to take the salary from all 3 and use it on the Nylander raise and then go after a real top 4D who can actually play D. Brodie expires as well I believe.

I'd sooner see them move Nylander for a stud D. Nylander is going to ask north of 10 million. I'd prefer to pay a big name D with that money. Leafs have tons of offense and you have to trade something good to get something good.

Samsonov looked like Vessa Toskola last night!

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'd sooner see them move Nylander for a stud D. Nylander is going to ask north of 10 million. I'd prefer to pay a big name D with that money. Leafs have tons of offense and you have to trade something good to get something good.

Nylander's raise is basally Domi or less. Just let Domi walk.

Nylander might ask for $10M but that is just part of the negotiation. I think he settles around $9M or $9.5M. He was underpaid in his current contract so maybe he is done and wants the max deal. I don't believe he wants to leave the Leafs though

I personally would not touch their offensive firepower. There is a way if their GM has the right vision and spends his cap wisely

 

[Supersonic]

Loved that sequence in the first where we were cycling the puck in the Leaf’s zone and finally Savard touches the puck only to launch it into the corner to 3 Leafs

You don’t get to see that kind of offensive output unless you watch me play Wednesday night beer league

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Not really. Allen was on the other side of the net getting ready to face a D shot. Matthews had a wide open net. Allen did what he could to get across. The real problem is someone let Matthews stand alone on that post. No one touched him. I just watched all 3 of Matthews goals. He had far to much time without anyone marking him.

He was the sixth player. With a highly skilled team, someone is going to be open. But the actual fourth goal, which really was the most important play of the game ( other than Caufield’s disallowed goal) should not be scored against an NHL level goalie. It was just a horrible goal to let in at a critical time.

 

[Milhouse40]

Some numbers from last night!

Suzuki= 64.7% FO
Anderson, Monahan, Dach, Suzuki= 3 shots on goal
Matheson= 26:39 TOI and 5 blocked shots
Guhle, Harris, Pearson = 4 hits
Slafkovsky, Xhekaj, RHP Dach, Evans = 3 hits

 

[rickthegoon]

Just returned to the computer after watching the game in a downtown Toronto bar jammed with rabid Leafs fans. Talk about a journey into purgatory.

Here is my assessment of the game and my ratings of the team's players.

Forwards

Line One: Suzuki (C); Caufield (C+); and Anderson (B-). I thought our first line had a largely mediocre game. Suzuki largely had an off night and besides his "two' goals, Caufield really didn't drive the play. Of the three, Anderson was the most noticeable showing explosive speed, physicality and created severakl good scoring chances.

Line Two: Dach (B); Newhook ( A-) and Slafkovsky ( B+). This line was clearly Montreal best line. during the game. After a slow first period where his skating looked sluggish, Dach came alive in the last two periods and the overtime. Using his size, reach, skill and vision, Dach helped his line establish puck control in the Toronto defensive zone for extended periods. Newhook. was Montreal's best forward and showed the skating , offensive flair and grit that will make him a star in the NHL.. It was a great trade. Slafkovsky played his best game in the NHL of his young career. His offensive and physical play last night should eliminate any doubts that the sceptics harbour about his ability to play in the NHL. He will only get better and by the end of this year, Slafkovsky should confirm that he was rightly (pardon the pun) taken first over all in 2022.

Line Three: Monahan (C); Gallagher (D) and Pearson (C-) . Monahan, like many of his teammates, had an uneven game. While a lot of that may have had something to do with his weak wingers, Monahan did make a fatal error in his failure to clear the puck in the last minute of play which failure resulted in the Leafs scoring the tying goal. Enough has been written and posted about Gallagher's complete collapse as a competitive player. Slow and fatigued is a hard handicap to overcome. Gallagher is a mere shadow of the player he once was. Pearson is clearly a fading journeyman, who like Gallagher, has seen his better days. He will be replaced by a younger player by December.

Line Four: Evans (B-); Harvey-Pinard (C+); Ylonen (B-). Evans skated better in this game than he did during the entire preseason and scored a nice goal and provided the team with a level of speed that allowed him to score a goal and play an aggressive pursuit game while the team was both at full strength and killing penalties. His taking of a costly and unnecessary penalty in the offensive zone resulted in my giving him a slightly lower rating. Harvey-Pinard gave a good impression of a young Gallagher. While he will never be a high scorer in the NHL, his determination will allow him to carve out an NHL career as a useful depth player. Ylonen showed his high end skils on the beautiful goal he scored. He also showed his superior skating by his ability to cut off and interrupt multiple Toronto breakouts. Given sufficient opportunity Ylonen will prove to be a valuable player for this team going forward.

Defencemen

All of the Montreal defencemen had uneven games. Matheson (C+) failed to use his near elite speed on a consistent basis and largely had a workmanlike game and was not particularly good nor bad. For the team to win against superior opposition, Matheson has to do more. He has to be the best defenceman on the ice. Guhle (C), like Matheson was largely non-descript in his play. I didn't see enough ( if aby) of those puck carrying forays that puts pressure on opposing teams. I still retain doubts as to whether Guhle develops into the top - two style/level of defenceman that so many here predict. I thought that Harris (C) had an okay game. All the Montreal defenceman had trouble containing Toronto's top forwards off the rush. Harris and Kovacevic (C+) were not different. When the wave of defensive prospects start arriving over the next two years, both will probably be replaced. Savard (C+) played a ton of minutes and in all situations except the power play. With the right partner, Savard will be a useful player to a contending team. He will almost certainly be traded by the TDL. Xhekaj (B+), along with Newhook and Slafkovsky, was Montreal's most impressive players. Xhekaj played with confidence and great physicality, including throwing a tremendous open ice hit and standing up to Reaves, who is the reigning NHL heavyweight, provided a great omen of the future. As was his surprising offensive skills. This kid could quietly and quickly become an important player and leader for this young team going forward. It may have already happened.

Goaltending

Frankly, without better goaltending Montreal cannot compete against the better teams in the NHL. That being said, Allen made many strong saves against the Leafs who were often in prime scoring spots. Nevertheless, without those saves, this game is over in the second period. I think Allen started to tire in the third period and started guessing. The fourth and fifth Leafs' goals were weak.

Overall

The score flattered the Canadiens, who were outshot and outplayed for extended periods of the game. That is to be expected as the Leafs are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and we are, in most probabilities, going to be a draft lottery participant.

100% spot on.
can I add two hyperboles ?
This being the first game of the season ; Gallagher is probably at his top physical conditioning and as healthy as he can hope to be all year .Last night showed that he now has negative value both offensively and defensively. I seriously doubt he would crack the Rocket’s lineup… he’s now East coast league level . Management has a hot potato in their hands, they will have to be very creative in finding a way to get him out of the lineup.

Xhekaj is a unicorn…..or a lion, anyway you look at it. It’s no coincidence every team in our division made moves in the offseason to get bigger\nastier.
‘This kid’s confidence was already through the roof before he ragdolled Reaves. Aside from being big and strong, he also has a very high level of agression coming into fights.I think that once he takes care of Lucic ( I think he’ll get in that fight with the same level of agression ), he’ll then be considered the heavy weight king, and then will start picking his fights ; he won’t have to accept fights with goons, and just play his mean physical game. His teammates must love being around him.
There you go, these were my 2 hyperbole