MattySnipes
Registered User
This game seems to be the toughest out of the next three. If the Leafs can continue their play and Varly pulls a Hellebuyck then I like them to take this game. Hope JT gets a hatty, at home.
Pre-Game Talk: Isles at Leafs
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Well the Isles lost their best shutdown defensemen due to injury... Their Pulock-Pelech pairing is a very key component of their team. Our matchup game just got easier.
Nylander88
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Amazing how things have changed. This season started in the most painful to watch way. First time in a very long time I'd lost all interest in the team. I was putting on the games because I can't ever quit on them, but I was constantly frustrated and only half paying attention. Now it's some of the most exciting hockey in recent memory and I'm loving it. Go leafs!
Zizzzzy
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- Dec 6, 2017
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Hopefully we don't need it.
You do make a great point however. I've heard "Refs you suck" chants multiple times by opposing fans... but never our own. That needs to be fixed!
Wafflewhipper
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- Jan 18, 2014
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Haha yes it does need fans sending a message. A couple beer dumped on their heads like fans used to do to would be good. Maple Leaf Gardens was not nice to refs at all. Coliseum would have been a more appropriate name for the place because it was like a gladiator war most nights haha
Merrrlin
Grab the 9 iron, Barry!
- Jul 2, 2019
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The opposite. The outright hate has turned into a slow burning all consuming disdain, and burns deeper than ever over here. The Isles board has a few posters that live off the glee they feel after every Leafs loss.
CelticDruid
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Kapanen has to do better on the PP. He has to be a little more assertive in preventing the opposition easy access to our blue line.
I've noticed that the opposing PP units tend to attack his side of the ice more.
Can't stand that weak waving of the stick and lackadaisical effort.
He looks disinterested for some reason, maybe they cut his hair too short?
I like his game for the most part, but his PP killing just drives me nuts.
I've noticed that the opposing PP units tend to attack his side of the ice more.
Can't stand that weak waving of the stick and lackadaisical effort.
He looks disinterested for some reason, maybe they cut his hair too short?
I like his game for the most part, but his PP killing just drives me nuts.
On the flip side, we lost our best shut down defensmen too, so kind of a wash no? Anyways, this will be a good game from both teams, not an easy game by any stretch.
1specter
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- Sep 27, 2016
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Winning this game in the midst of this hot streak would be the cherry on top. Destroy this fraud team.
Fraud team? Isles have been a solid team for a few years now, and have gone farther than us in the playoffs. I get their fans are obnoxious, lets not stoop to their immature level.
isles are very opportunistic team. you can out-shoot them and be in their zone for a long time, but if you make one mistake, they will kill you on odd man rushes especially 2 on 1's.
hopefully JT scores a hat trick
hopefully JT scores a hat trick
1specter
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They are being carried by elite goaltending. Lehner got sober and finally reached his potential and was a god for them last year and Greiss has been one of the better back-ups/1B tenders in the league for a while now. And now Varlamov is having a renaissance year as well, the change of scenery and having a good tandem/backup goalie has really helped him. It's nice that they won a few first round match-ups but I don't ever see them going deep unless they inject some serious talent into the line-up.
I got news for you behind every good team is an equally good or even better goaltender, I mean do I really need to remind you how poor the leafs would be without Andersen? Without him we'd be a lotto team, but I digress. The Isles may not have the elite talent, but they have elite goaltending and are incredibly structured, they're legit. There fans I can't stomach, but that has nothing to do with the actual team on Long Island.
Randy Randerson
Registered User
am I reading too much into this game if I think it's a good litmus test of how we will fare in "playoff hockey"? The Isles are a good team that's in the bottom third in scoring for and top 5 in scoring against
I think Boston will continue to be a big challenge for us (basically because they take 30 regular season penalties per playoff game that don't get called, and they're great at pushing their play to the limit the refs give them), but if we can get teams like the Isles playing our game I think that's a great indicator that this style can work in the post season
I think Boston will continue to be a big challenge for us (basically because they take 30 regular season penalties per playoff game that don't get called, and they're great at pushing their play to the limit the refs give them), but if we can get teams like the Isles playing our game I think that's a great indicator that this style can work in the post season
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Clark4Ever
What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
The win streak has overshadowed the fact that we are missing our best defensive defenceman and 3 top nine forwards.
The call ups from the Marlies have done a tremendous job so far.
Wafflewhipper
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- Jan 18, 2014
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How about just having Keefes face instead of Babcocks ugly mug?
Time to move on from Babcock as it's rather redundant now.
I am with you. Its disgusting to look at. Move on
Wafflewhipper
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- Jan 18, 2014
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I looked at goals against just quickly for that comment. You are right, they give up a huge number of shots.
Merrrlin
Grab the 9 iron, Barry!
- Jul 2, 2019
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Believe it or not, the Islanders are 17th overall in xGA/60. Leafs are 22nd. However, the Leafs are 11th overall in xGF%, while the Islanders are 22nd.
Basically, these teams are close, but the gap between Toronto's offence and NYI's offence is larger than the difference between NYI's defence and Toronto's. Toronto has actually been the better team in all situations.
The real difference in the standings comes from goaltending. Islanders are 4th, Toronto is 16th.
I criticized Lou for letting Lehner go but its hard not to tip your cap as they haven't missed a step. If their goaltending even drops slightly though from Elite to Good, I think they will be in big trouble. Hard to see it happening though, as it didn't last year.
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1specter
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This isn't always the case, I mean Carolina is a very good team and are stacked with good d-men however their goaltending has just been mediocre at best both this year and last year. There are also teams who were very well coached with great players all-around except goaltending but masked their goaltending woes by playing well up front, look how many times Jake Allen let down St.Louis or San Jose's various goalies crapped the bed when it came down to crunch time. Even for Pittsburgh Matt Murray has been garbage this year while starting most of their games. But yes generally good teams have good goalies.
The big thing in the Islanders' case however is that they are bottom 5 in shot attempts against as well as scoring chances against, but have a top 5 sv%. And unlike the Leafs who take some defensive liberties to generate elite offense, the Islanders have an anemic offense as well. Last year they at least had better defensive numbers but still had the top sv% in the league.
Also, after having an insane 16-3-2 run to start the season, they've shown signs of cooling down recently and have gone 9-9-0 since.
DopeyFish
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*remembers chicago with niemi and philadelphia with leighton in the finals*
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