Post-Game Talk: Leafs 2 Rangers 1

[Notsince67]

Makes you wonder what could have been had they grabbed Trotz when available.

He is a great coach for sure but everyone has their warts. The team doesn't need Trotz. They need a coach who can learn from guys like him who demonstrate success. I can be critical of Keefe but on balance, it's hard to criticize a team that is finding a way to win.
As they say...there are many roads to Mecca.

 

[Nineteen67]

That was almost like a playoff game without the emotion levels.

Or hitting, or attention to detail, or give a shoot….looked more like a late Nov game, to me.

 

[BudForLife]

* giraffe

View attachment 481639

Please don’t insult the giraffe


I’ve got your back @Teeder Keon

 

[Pi]

Loving their game right now. Best thing about the game was the time out Keefe took at the right time to settle them back in because they were leaking a few good chances after that goal.

You can’t hold this team to below 3 goals per game for very long so the floodgates will open soon.

 

[Nineteen67]

Nice to get some more confidence in those 1 goal games. Building a nice buffer in the standings from the pack (even with the games in hand) is nice to see.

Also noticed the California road trip is soon, which is a lot earlier than usual. Good to pad some wins before that starts.

Be nice to get some revenge against the Pens on Saturday

More recently it’s been during Thanksgiving week. I was at the game when Rielly scored an OT winner in Anaheim.

 

[zeke]

I feel like I watched a different game then Ranger fans...who all seem to think they played great tonight?

From their perspective they've been a team that's been winning but not playing great hockey. They actually did have a good game last night - especially defensively where they made it tough on us. And then they had a solid push at the end there to almost tie us.

And remember that unlike leafs fans, rangers fans are actually aware that the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league.

 

[Pi]

From their perspective they've been a team that's been winning but not playing great hockey. They actually did have a good game last night - especially defensively where they made it tough on us. And then they had a solid push at the end there to almost tie us.

And remember that unlike leafs fans, rangers fans are actually aware that the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league.

I don’t think there are many people that doubt that the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league in the regular season.

We know that regular season success does indicate playoff success as well but it just hasn’t happened for the Leafs yet.

 

[zeke]

I don’t think there are many people that doubt that the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league in the regular season.

We know that regular season success does indicate playoff success as well but it just hasn’t happened for the Leafs yet.

The majority of this board thought the leafs were a bubble team this year.

 

[Mess]

Loving their game right now. Best thing about the game was the time out Keefe took at the right time to settle them back in because they were leaking a few good chances after that goal.

You can’t hold this team to below 3 goals per game for very long so the floodgates will open soon.

Are you aware that in the Leafs first 8 games of the season, the Leafs never scored more than 3 goals in a game in fact in most they never even scored 3?

This is not a current trend this has been a season long situation.

In Leafs 18 games played the # of times Leafs scored > 3 goals = 4 times, which means in 14 or 18 [78%] they scored 3 or less.

Leafs might in fact be taking a new approach where they believe defense is as important as offense and focusing more on goal prevention then goal production and sacrificing offense for defense. The strategy will help them be more successful come playoff time when the opposition shuts down the offense and you need to be able to win close low scoring games.

 

[The Podium]

Makes you wonder what could have been had they grabbed Trotz when available.

Some people are just never happy

 

[The Podium]

The majority of this board thought the leafs were a bubble team this year.

A large portion thought they’d miss the playoff all together

 

[Stephen]

From their perspective they've been a team that's been winning but not playing great hockey. They actually did have a good game last night - especially defensively where they made it tough on us. And then they had a solid push at the end there to almost tie us.

And remember that unlike leafs fans, rangers fans are actually aware that the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league.

The Leafs looked really good playing a shut down and effective keep away game for the first two periods before the Rangers made their push, which was expected. Even the Rangers push was somewhat disjointed and the Leafs didn’t really give them too much of an open lane.

I guess the disconnect with some fans, if I could call it a disconnect when you’re winning 10 of 11 or whatever, is the Leafs roster would imply an offense led team whereas we’ve somehow turned into this suffocating defensive club with Vezina caliber goaltending. I’m completely satisfied with this personally but could see where other voices are coming from.

 

[Stephen]

Are you aware that in the Leafs first 8 games of the season, the Leafs never scored more than 3 goals in a game in fact in most they never even scored 3?

This is not a current trend this has been a season long situation.

In Leafs 18 games played the # of times Leafs scored > 3 goals = 4 times, which means in 14 or 18 [78%] they scored 3 or less.

Leafs might in fact be taking a new approach where they believe defense is as important as offense and focusing more on goal prevention then goal production and sacrificing offense for defense. The strategy will help them be more successful come playoff time when the opposition shuts down the offense and you need to be able to win close low scoring games.

I see it that way too. The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Islanders in Game 7 on a cheapie nothing goal and nursed a 1-0 lead to the finals. Are the Leafs trying to develop those abilities? The third period last night sure looked like a dress rehearsal.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Great individual games from Rielly and Soup .. congrats boys .. wadda take team on your backs .. nice to see Rielly as best man on ice .. it has been a long long time

 

[SprDaVE]

I don’t think there are many people that doubt that the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league in the regular season.

We know that regular season success does indicate playoff success as well but it just hasn’t happened for the Leafs yet.

The majority of this board thought the leafs were a bubble team this year.

Yeah I've read the "The Leafs are a bubble team that can likely miss the playoffs" excessively this off-season.

 

[ACC1224]

Some people are just never happy

He seems happy. What have you heard?

 

[zeke]

Are you aware that in the Leafs first 8 games of the season, the Leafs never scored more than 3 goals in a game in fact in most they never even scored 3?

This is not a current trend this has been a season long situation.

In Leafs 18 games played the # of times Leafs scored > 3 goals = 4 times, which means in 14 or 18 [78%] they scored 3 or less.

Leafs might in fact be taking a new approach where they believe defense is as important as offense and focusing more on goal prevention then goal production and sacrificing offense for defense. The strategy will help them be more successful come playoff time when the opposition shuts down the offense and you need to be able to win close low scoring games.

The Leafs ranked 7th defensively in the league last year, even with their starting goalie faceplanting spectacularly.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

The majority of this board thought the leafs were a bubble team this year.

They are referring to the second round.

And if history .....

Nevermind.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

@zeke

Which teams and which Leaf players have the best Corsi For% (or any offensive metric) when down a goal ?

Last 3 years data ?

or 2 ?

 

[zeke]

The Leafs looked really good playing a shut down and effective keep away game for the first two periods before the Rangers made their push, which was expected. Even the Rangers push was somewhat disjointed and the Leafs didn’t really give them too much of an open lane.

I guess the disconnect with some fans, if I could call it a disconnect when you’re winning 10 of 11 or whatever, is the Leafs roster would imply an offense led team whereas we’ve somehow turned into this suffocating defensive club with Vezina caliber goaltending. I’m completely satisfied with this personally but could see where other voices are coming from.

I guess I just don't get what the mystery is. The Leafs have very good defensive personnel and have been a very good defensive team ever since Keefe took over.

They finished 7th in the league defensively last year even though their starting goalie imploded. No surprise they're 3rd defensively this year with their starter playing well.

 

[Bluelines]

Or hitting, or attention to detail, or give a shoot….looked more like a late Nov game, to me.

It's not a sustainable game plan, the speed and pace the Leafs were pushing was really impressive. The thought midway through the 2nd went through my head, how long can they keep this pace up before they run out of gas? Third period was the answer. For the Leafs to play that way in the playoffs they need the people who can do it, game in game out, I don't think we have that sort of hard working push the pace type players up and down the lineup. Probably the best game that I've see this team play in regards to active sticks and getting into passing lanes. Really solid game from the Leafs but I don't think they have the type of players to repeat it every night.

 

[zeke]

@zeke

Which teams and which Leaf players have the best Corsi For% (or any offensive metric) when down a goal ?

Last 3 years data ?

or 2 ?

What question are you trying to answer exactly?

 

[Twine Tickler]

When you're winning these type of games, it is a very good sign. Limited their chances for the majority of the game and forced them to play a low event game. Structurally the boys seem to be making better reads lately in neutral ice, and there's far less odd man rushes coming back the other way.

in all honesty, the fact that the boys keep winning these low event games is a very good sign. Clogging up the middle of the ice is exactly what happens in the playoffs. Have to remain patient and stay within the structure, which is exactly what we've shown a lot more this year. The last 2 games + the Philly, Boston, and Vegas games have been a clinic really. We absolutely did this at times last year as well, so I will temper my excitement a touch, but in all honesty I don't know how you could be upset with anything they are doing at this point.

Nice 2pts fellas, Big weekend ahead, lets keep the ball rolling

 

[ACC1224]

When you're winning these type of games, it is a very good sign. Limited their chances for the majority of the game and forced them to play a low event game. Structurally the boys seem to be making better reads lately in neutral ice, and there's far less odd man rushes coming back the other way.

in all honesty, the fact that the boys keep winning these low event games is a very good sign. Clogging up the middle of the ice is exactly what happens in the playoffs. Have to remain patient and stay within the structure, which is exactly what we've shown a lot more this year. The last 2 games + the Philly, Boston, and Vegas games have been a clinic really. We absolutely did this at times last year as well, so I will temper my excitement a touch, but in all honesty I don't know how you could be upset with anything they are doing at this point.

Nice 2pts fellas, Big weekend ahead, lets keep the ball rolling

They played really well for the most part, very responsible.
Sunday for me is the big test.

 

[Mess]

I see it that way too. The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Islanders in Game 7 on a cheapie nothing goal and nursed a 1-0 lead to the finals. Are the Leafs trying to develop those abilities? The third period last night sure looked like a dress rehearsal.

A lesson learned when the 3rd lowest scoring team in the league Columbus beat our Leafs who were the 3rd highest scoring team in the play-in round.

Every team knows to beat the Leafs you simply have to shut down the core 4 and your odds for success are great. However if the Leafs develop a strategy like presently where your core 4 are focused on defense and your can manufacture a goal or 2 from your support cast or defense and you support your goalie in your own end that you can still win games 2-1 when needed.,

Leafs have scored 3 or fewer goals in nearly 80% of their games this season and still have a winning record and are competitive behind strong goaltending and all players buying into a 2-way game and support and learning to win close games and low scoring games. Playoff hockey by design is lower scoring and tighter checking so you had better play a system that can compete under those restrictions and you can't just flip a switch come playoff time and think your offense can carry you, because its your defense that will.