Post-Game Talk: Leafs 2 Canadiens 1

[Oscar Peterson]

Nylander looked both strong and hungry. His play down low was not the same player we drafted.

If it happens Soup-Kampf-Kase is going to be the most effective yet offensively infuriating line ever to wear blue and white.

Kase imo is such a good fit for that line as he seems very individualistic and self-reliant on generating offense. And Kampf will always be looking to get him the puck on the breakout. I was super impressed by Kase last game game and in preseason, love that he gives us a legit top 6 option to move up too when we need a spark or have an injury. Fingers crossed he stays healthy

 

[4thline]

Kampf averages 6 goals a year in a full 82 game season which, considering he has been used as a pure defensive forward his entire career and that average is brought down by last year's 1 goal and 1.6% SH% (which almost certainly will never happen again), is not too bad.

10 goals is not out of reach for him, and that is great for a guy in his role. Ideally he is a 4C, but we have enough depth to make him work as a 3C.

I'm completely on board with him as a 3C in a more traditional top 6 bottom 6.
Together for a full season I could see all 3 putting up decent numbers, but it will still be maddening because they'll generate enough chances nightly to be 30 goal point per game players.

 

[Duffman955]

Not speaking of the entire 1st period but the 1st 5 minutes or so of the period.

What are the stats for the first 10 seconds of the game?

 

[zeke]

Yep, the eyes don't lie. It's been pretty apparent for a while, not sure why anyone would dispute it.

Never has there been clearer evidence that the eyes do in fact lie.

The leafs were the #1 1st period team in hockey last year.

Anyone who watched them would know that issue with the leafs has never been slow starts, and has always been taking their feet off the gas pedal after good starts.

 

[zeke]

.

I assume it's just for attention but who knows?

Perhaps some are just formatting their spreadsheets and miss the first few minutes.

Ah yes, the team that magically is the best 1st period team in hockey DESPITE always sucking for the 1st 5 minutes

 

[zeke]

Do the Leafs start on time?

It’s been an issue since Mike Babcock days.

Leafs' Hyman Calls Slow Starts in Game 5 and 6 Against Canadiens 'Inexcusable'

And of course the playoffs and we all know from last year and the Columbus series there were slow starts.

Thank god the Babcock days are long behind us. What a shitty coach.

 

[Stephen]

Literally the #1 team in hockey in the first period last year.

That ain't it. Whatever metric that would point to the Leafs being the number one team in the first period would go against their own talking points about what they need to improve on. So this fan PR spin doesn't align with the team's own goals.

What they would be looking for is to storm out of the gate and run the other team through the end wall, endless cycle and a 1-0 lead in the first 10 minutes in an obvious eye test on a CRT TV set kind of way. Similar to what the San Jose Sharks used to do in the Tank. They do talk about this being a process, so ideally this is something we see improvement on over the 82 games.

On the other hand, they got elite goaltending which kept them in it and they closed extremely strong and were dogged on the penalty kill, exorcised some demons vs Montreal, so there are definitely good signs with the group.

 

[Leafslet]

remember when all the don cherry dummies wanted nylander run out of town? "trade him for whatever you can get back."

uh-huh. bunch of geniuses.

 

[justashadowof]

Nick Ritchie looks really good in front of the net. Guys who can do this consistently are highly underrated. It's very hard on the body especially in the playoffs. Happy to see Engvall score to maybe get the heat off his back for a while. Bunting's a gamer like a Versteeg-lite but a bit of an ugly skater. Kase is very slightly built for an NHL player but intriguingly skilled.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I think some people are confusing some early game stinkers from Andersen/Hutchinson over the past couple years as some bigger team issue, or are just flat-out misremembering. We generally have pretty good starts.

 

[ACC1224]

The reason stats are important in situations like this is because a lot of people vastly overestimate their ability to accurately remember things in large samples over long stretches of time. So it doesn't matter that the Leafs easily outscored their opponents in the first five minutes of games last year... the handful of times they didn't start the game well are enough proof that it's a major problem for the team.

They did?

 

[Dekes For Days]

Whatever metric that would point to the Leafs being the number one team in the first period would go against their own talking points about what they need to improve on. So this fan PR spin doesn't align with the team's own goals.

The recent "talking points" with the team have been about being able to step on throats when we have a lead. The literal facts about how we've done in the first period is not "fan PR spin".

 

[Mess]

I really like that Leafs are moving away from their high skilled figure skating teams of the past that played on the perimeter believing puck possession the key to success to this new formation now of icing a hockey team where players (particularly the new additions) that play with grit and a backbone and not afraid to play in traffic and score some greasy goals.

This current team is well rounded and able to play the game in more ways then just attacking and scoring on the rush. As someone who believes strong defense wins the play of the aggressive PK helped win this game. David Kampf played a big role in the win and face-off dot.

Kase for a guy coming off 5 concussion it was nice to see he is not scared to play in traffic and take a hit to make a play. Bunting crashing the net and playing near the blue paint.

While it wasn't an overly physical game and Montreal isn't really a tough opponent particularly without Price and Weber the Leafs other then the first 5 minutes played a pretty solid game overall. Campbell made the key saves when he had to, and Leafs rode a 2-1 win to victory.

 

[ACC1224]

What are the stats for the first 10 seconds of the game?

No idea.

 

[SprDaVE]

I really like that Leafs are moving away from their high skilled figure skating teams of the past that played on the perimeter believing puck possession the key to success to this new formation now of icing a hockey team where players (particularly the new additions) that play with grit and a backbone and not afraid to play in traffic and score some greasy goals.

This current team is well rounded and able to play the game in more ways then just attacking and scoring on the rush. As someone who believes strong defense wins the play of the aggressive PK helped win this game. David Kampf played a big role in the win and face-off dot.

Kase for a guy coming off 5 concussion it was nice to see he is not scared to play in traffic and take a hit to make a play. Bunting crashing the net and playing near the blue paint.

While it wasn't and overly physical game and Montreal isn't really a tough opponent particularly without Price and Weber the Leafs other then the first 5 minutes played a pretty solid game overall.

Kase got hit pretty good infront of the net and I held my breathe for a good second but he got up and shook his head. Seemed fine.

I hope he can stay healthy. He's been very very solid.

 

[TheProspector]

Kampf is absolutely as advertised. Took literally 100% of his starts in the defensive zone, yet his line carried the flow of play, and he put in workhorse minutes for a bottom 6 player. Impressive.

 

[ottomaddox]

disagree ...... we outchanced them by 2x , allen had a better game than campbell
you can also say that if allen didnt have an above average game the leafs win by 3 or 4 goals.

No I disagree. Marner and others still have a nose for the middle of a goalie's chest. I seem to recall that TOR had quality chances, but not always an amazing save by Allen.

 

[Mess]

Kase got hit pretty good infront of the net and I held my breathe for a good second but he got up and shook his head. Seemed fine.

I hope he can stay healthy. He's been very very solid.

With concussions they're usually compounded and get worse with each next one.

Kase certainly didn't play like a player trying to avoid getting hit, but I think we will need to continue to hold our collective breaths for a while on big hits that he gets up and continues.. He only made it to game #3 last year.

While he is playing and healthy he is a factor and a contributor and could have had a goal or 2 yesterday with 6 shots on net and over 10 shot attempts. He was among Leafs most noticeable and better players in this game.

 

[Stephen]

The recent "talking points" with the team have been about being able to step on throats when we have a lead. The literal facts about how we've done in the first period is not "fan PR spin".

You have to realize that whatever metric is being used to say the Leafs are the "number 1 team in the first period" (feel free to show your numbers) doesn't align with their own self critique.

“Teams that go far, they start on time, they start fast, they close out, and I think with the expectations being so high in Toronto, that’s good,” said Thornton. “This group has a lot of great pieces. It’s going to move forward.”

‘We have no excuses.’ Dejected Maple Leafs address media in final news conference of the season

In order to move forward, like Joe Thornton says, they need to improve on all of those aspects and we saw a lot of good things last night. But we don't need the alternative subtitles because we have it straight from the team.

 

[Discoverer]

They did?

I spent like 5 minutes looking it up, so it's possible I missed the odd one, but I have the Leafs outscoring opponents 17-11 in the opening 5 minutes of games last year and 32-19 in the first 10 minutes.

 

[Apex Predator]

I spent like 5 minutes looking it up, so it's possible I missed the odd one, but I have the Leafs outscoring opponents 17-11 in the opening 5 minutes of games last year and 32-19 in the first 10 minutes.

Im curious where do you find these stats?

 

[Notsince67]

I spent like 5 minutes looking it up, so it's possible I missed the odd one, but I have the Leafs outscoring opponents 17-11 in the opening 5 minutes of games last year and 32-19 in the first 10 minutes.

we need to know only the 5th minute now

 

[Enga Olly]

So happy to be wrong. Had a bad feeling about that game really thought we were going to lose in OT and those first 7-8 minutes were confirming my fears but then reality crept in.

1st game, plenty to work through but the W sets a tone. Entirely fed up with the media discounting the season before the first puck drop. FU to all who say regular season doesn't matter

 

[Mess]

I spent like 5 minutes looking it up, so it's possible I missed the odd one, but I have the Leafs outscoring opponents 17-11 in the opening 5 minutes of games last year and 32-19 in the first 10 minutes.

You should have spent that 5 minutes watching the first 5 minutes of the game yesterday as Leafs got blitzed out of the gate as Montreal ranked up 5-6 shots and quality scoring chances and Leafs could easily have been trailing early if not for Campbell.

Your defense is based on actual goals scored, but that doesn't tell the full story of what starting on time is in reference to. IMO

Montreal came out of the gates like it was their home game opener, and you would have expected it would be the Leafs that came out of the gates on a new season at home with the pedal to the medal, full of energy and adrenaline from a full house and home crowd.

Glad they righted the ship with the assistance of a few PPs in the 1st to change the momentum of the game to their side.

 

[kb]

The reason stats are important in situations like this is because a lot of people vastly overestimate their ability to accurately remember things in large samples over long stretches of time. So it doesn't matter that the Leafs easily outscored their opponents in the first five minutes of games last year... the handful of times they didn't start the game well are enough proof that it's a major problem for the team.

Yup. The "Freddy giving up 10 first shot goals" memory is blurring the lines of reality.