Post-Game Talk: Leafs beat kings

[Twine Tickler]

I thought we played a much better game than the last one, against what is, at least for now, a better team.

A little disappointed by the late goal, but otherwise a solid performance.

I mean we lost arguably our biggest PK'er, and we still were able to limit their chances on the PP to 2 snappers from the point. 9/10 those don't go in. Ya for sure, you never like giving up a late goal, despite the score. But all n all the boys essentially battled down a man all game and absolutely belittled the Kings. Even when the game went to 1-1 I never thought for a second they'd lose that game. It was a terrible call to put them down a man, and they killed the majority of the penalty before the only attempt at net the kings had that entire PP went in.

You can tell this group is confident in every aspect of the game right now. They didn't skip a beat when LA tied it up. just slammed it down their throat minutes later.

Great road win

 

[Antropovsky]

The Matthews mic'd up of him saying "I love you Johnny" "Love you boys".... was great. It seems he especially and Marner have really bought in this year on needing to flex their leadership and be more vocal on how the team should play. I see Edmonton is still playing like the old Leafs - barn burner stuff. I'm OK with Matthews and Marner's stats decreasing if this kind of hard to play again style persists. Although I still think Marner is overpaid by 2 million (of course).

 

[therealkoho]

How can TSN do that?

They used to do it with the "insider" bull, through Dreger the shill. That backfired when Dreger went bonkers and started using the chat boards for material. I know because he posted a "trade rumour" that was posted on a certain chat site by a certain poster we may all know, and who knows, maybe even love.

 

[ACC1224]

They used to do it with the "insider" bull, through Dreger the shill. That backfired when Dreger went bonkers and started using the chat boards for material. I know because he posted a "trade rumour" that was posted on a certain chat site by a certain poster we may all know, and who knows, maybe even love.

Do what? I don’t follow, not sure what you’re implying

 

[zeke]

love when ACC plays dumb.

 

[Superstar]

Yep. Following the Knights into flash trash territory.

The sad demise of a once-great team.

I can't decide if those tacky helmets are worse than the Sharks' day-glo uniforms or not.

Maybe someone should start a poll.

Those helmets look like a bunch tinfoil hats...truly ugly.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Keefer needs to keep his trap shut .. there is not 1 single hockey player ever who goes a whole season without a bad game .. when Willy has 1 it gets blown way da h*ll out of proposition .. Mitch has many many many stinkers in playoffs and to start this year and he did not sit 1 friggin shift .. it is da double standard which is irritating to players .. I don't like it .. coaches need to be much smarter .. my motto is what you do for 1 you should do for all otherwise it leads to favoritism

I get where you are coming from but I have stated this in the Nylander thread, his dynamic with Keefe is a bit different since they were both in the AHL. I think he grills players more if he knows them in person more and also is close with them, it was similar to why people were pissed at him regarding Lily, but in the end, he was using Lily a fair amount. I think the more he gets comfier with the player the more he'll do the same, and it also could be some players tend need to be hit out like that, engvall and Johnsson were also similarly treated in the AHL iirc.

 

[NastyKnies]

Don't know why everyone says Sandin is a bad skater, the guy has incredible edge work.

 

[Stonehands1990]

Don't know why everyone says Sandin is a bad skater, the guy has incredible edge work.

His foot speed and acceleration are below par, but I agree his edges are amazing

 

[Lightsol]

Ya I mean as much as Muzz has regressed, it's not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. He's definitely lost a bit of a step I'd say. But he routinely plays against the best players on the other teams. Hard minutes to eat.

He is far from a liability IMO. not that you said or insinuated it at all, just want to mention he is still filling a role that is very much needed on our club.

Muzzin is fine; the issue is that constantly sticking him with Holl is amplifying his weaknesses right now, because Holl has the same weaknesses...

 

[James Blackley]

Muzzin is fine; the issue is that constantly sticking him with Holl is amplifying his weaknesses right now, because Holl has the same weaknesses...

I don't know if I would say "Muzzin is fine", the guy is going on 33 next year, and guys that play a hard-nosed game tend to fade faster than others.... I would say he's beginning to decay. I do agree though, Holl is NOT a good partner for Muzzin, because neither guy is a fast skater and both guys handle the puck like a bomb about to go off in Afghansitan. I've been saying this for ages, split them up, and put Sandin with Muzzin, and use Holl as the interchangable 7D.

 

[NastyKnies]

His foot speed and acceleration are below par, but I agree his edges are amazing

agreed

 

[Martin Skoula]

I don't know if I would say "Muzzin is fine", the guy is going on 33 next year, and guys that play a hard-nosed game tend to fade faster than others.... I would say he's beginning to decay. I do agree though, Holl is NOT a good partner for Muzzin, because neither guy is a fast skater and both guys handle the puck like a bomb about to go off in Afghansitan. I've been saying this for ages, split them up, and put Sandin with Muzzin, and use Holl as the interchangable 7D.

Muzzin might get more short-term injuries as he ages but I don't see his game falling off that dramatically. It's not like it's a Polak situation where his physicality is his whole game, he's a very smart defender on top of his size/physicality. He'll just have to adjust his risk tolerance for how much his skating falls off as the years go by.

 

[meefer]

Where earlier in the year I'd argued for TL to be paired with Muzzin so that Jake could mentor, should Liljegren's development continue for another 20 games or so, I might try pairing them together to see if Muzz can concentrate on D and support TL's contributions with the puck. Drop Holl down to 3rd pair with Sandin and run the three pairings with one defensively responsible player: Brodie, Muzzin, Holl/Dermott, while allowing: Rielly, Liljegren and Sandin the chance to show their chops offensively. I've seen Rielly being more aware this year (with the forwards he plays with being more supportive, which helps), Holl could assume a more defensive posture with Sandin running the offense from their pairing - that young fella is quite crafty - and have Jake and Tim play a bit more of a balanced tandem, but with TL being the primary O guy. It's a big ask for Liljegren, but I like the direction he's trending, and it might save a minute or two per game for Jake's legs.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Don't know why everyone says Sandin is a bad skater, the guy has incredible edge work.

Because his stride is way too short and he is slowest guy on team A to B like LAST out of 7 current D racing down da ice red line to red line .. but he is amazing on his edges and can play an amazing quarter ice game in both ends with his hands and vision

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I get where you are coming from but I have stated this in the Nylander thread, his dynamic with Keefe is a bit different since they were both in the AHL. I think he grills players more if he knows them in person more and also is close with them, it was similar to why people were pissed at him regarding Lily, but in the end, he was using Lily a fair amount. I think the more he gets comfier with the player the more he'll do the same, and it also could be some players tend need to be hit out like that, engvall and Johnsson were also similarly treated in the AHL iirc.

All I can say if after Keefer did his benching in a game Willy was awefull Willy has played his worst hockey in past 2 years ... if he knows him so well you would think that would not be da case

 

[therealkoho]

Do what? I don’t follow, not sure what you’re implying

pump a players value by saying certain teams were interested in acquiring them, the NHL is a monkey see monkey do and every GM is looking for an edge

If say player A is rumoured to be going to team gold in the Metro(whether true or not) and is looked at as having a significant impact for their success, then team green and maybe team purple who are running neck and neck with team gold in the Metro, may suddenly take an interest, maybe even enough to make inquiries. The GM who has player A is suddenly getting calls from teams green and purple about a player he may not have even thought of trading! In their haste the other GM's may pay an inflated price just to keep the other guy from having player A.

Who knows some people used to suggest that Nonis would tip Dreger(the rationale being because he was a second cousin) to get trade talks going. To me this was utter nonsense only because between Dreger and BoboMac there were reporting(rumour mongering) so many trades on the launch pad that eventually every new one on took on a distinct barnyard aroma.

The other thing that made it pure rubbish, is that this idea would have gotten Nonis and Burke fired for speaking out of turn, as leaking or floating trades would get them cut off from other GM's who's business was nobodies business which still holds true today. Anybody who knows Burke knows that the man doesn't need anybodies help in running his franchise or the shaping of his roster.

I heard Rod BrindAmour address this topic after Dreger had given one of his "I'm sensing" line of BS about Carolina shopping Eric Staal in the off-season saying he specifically talked to someone in the Cnaes front office. Staal and BrindAmour were good friends, their wives hung out their kids played together. The incident created a rift in their relationship, and a headache that BrindAmour didn't need. His opinion of this whole insider bit that TSN was pushing, was damaging, and as far as he and many others in the league were concerned, just wished they would either curtail it or stop it altogether. It was creating imbalances in chemistry in dressing rooms and sowing distrust among GM's.

MacKenzie got out of it and concentrated on the Draft while Dreger dialed it up in what became a war of attrition with Ecklund in who could create the more assinine rumours!

 

[ACC1224]

pump a players value by saying certain teams were interested in acquiring them, the NHL is a monkey see monkey do and every GM is looking for an edge

If say player A is rumoured to be going to team gold in the Metro(whether true or not) and is looked at as having a significant impact for their success, then team green and maybe team purple who are running neck and neck with team gold in the Metro, may suddenly take an interest, maybe even enough to make inquiries. The GM who has player A is suddenly getting calls from teams green and purple about a player he may not have even thought of trading! In their haste the other GM's may pay an inflated price just to keep the other guy from having player A.

Who knows some people used to suggest that Nonis would tip Dreger(the rationale being because he was a second cousin) to get trade talks going. To me this was utter nonsense only because between Dreger and BoboMac there were reporting(rumour mongering) so many trades on the launch pad that eventually every new one on took on a distinct barnyard aroma.

The other thing that made it pure rubbish, is that this idea would have gotten Nonis and Burke fired for speaking out of turn, as leaking or floating trades would get them cut off from other GM's who's business was nobodies business which still holds true today. Anybody who knows Burke knows that the man doesn't need anybodies help in running his franchise or the shaping of his roster.

I heard Rod BrindAmour address this topic after Dreger had given one of his "I'm sensing" line of BS about Carolina shopping Eric Staal in the off-season saying he specifically talked to someone in the Cnaes front office. Staal and BrindAmour were good friends, their wives hung out their kids played together. The incident created a rift in their relationship, and a headache that BrindAmour didn't need. His opinion of this whole insider bit that TSN was pushing, was damaging, and as far as he and many others in the league were concerned, just wished they would either curtail it or stop it altogether. It was creating imbalances in chemistry in dressing rooms and sowing distrust among GM's.

MacKenzie got out of it and concentrated on the Draft while Dreger dialed it up in what became a war of attrition with Ecklund in who could create the more assinine rumours!

I find it hard to believe that GM's are watching Sportsdesk to learn the value of a particular player.

 

[zeke]

I find it hard to believe that anyone would deny that media hype or criticism can influence GM actions.

Of course we all know ACC doesn't actually believes what he's saying.