Post-Game Talk: Leafs Blow Another Lead, Lose to Avs

[Gallagbi]

Games like this make me wonder how and what this team is built for. We have some good individual pieces, but they need some D and the offense is shallow with little speed

 

[Captain Crunch]

Fire Keefe now

And Shanahan!

Keefe needs to pull a Darko in the post game presser

Or maybe call out the core 4!

 

[Captain Crunch]

Games like this make me wonder how and what this to team is built for. We have some good individual pieces, but they need some D and the offense is shallow with little speed

But this is the “Shanaplan”! Keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. And we all know how that has been working out!

 

[therealkoho]

There is a big hole where there needs to be a LW.

They need to figure out a way to fill it, either that or find a way to get the money men motivated to play to their full potential when playing at home.

There seems to be a real disconnect on that team. If you pay people a whole lot of money, they need to play a whole lot of hockey, if they don't feel like it, like it looked last night then there's no W at the end of the night.

I saw that they sat the Captain last night, as Keefe should have. Getting lazy assed plays all night from the big boys, and yes either Kampf or Tavares will have to sit.

There's a huge problem on this team it was on full display last night.

 

[Gallagbi]

But this is the “Shanaplan”! Keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. And we all know how that has been working out!

But this isn't anything close to the same thing we've done. We have some similar pieces, but we started as a fast, uptempo team. We gambled a fair bit and were quick in transition. That went to a more stable defensive team which played smart with the puck and had trouble with depth scoring. Our speed decreased, so did our gambles and risk.

Now we're a pretty slow team, don't have great possession or defensive players, but kept the top end talent. It's not really the same at all

 

[Captain Crunch]

This is a prime example of why we lose in the playoffs, out coached. Keefe is a one trick pony, he knows how to coach one way, there is zero ability to adjust, he has not taught the team how to slow the game down, he has no game plan to slow the better players on the opposing team down. Zero chance we get past the 1st round this year, heck we may not even make the playoffs.

Leafs have 50 points 3 points ahead of 9th place... 6 points out of 24th place.

I love the Leafs, but not this core group of forwards. If it meant Shanahan and Keefe being shown the door, I wish they would miss the playoffs, or get destroyed again in the 1st round.

 

[Optimist]

Leafs are the 4rth best team in Canada behind the Jets, Canucks and Oilers.

 

[All Mod Cons]

There are a lot of holes that need to be filled for this team to be a serious contender. It will take years, there's no quick fix to this.

Ideally you've got:

Knies Matthews Nylander
xxx xxx xxx
Xxx Domi Jarnkrok
Holmberg Kampf xxx

Rielly xxxx
Xxx Liljegren
McCabe xxx

Xxx
Woll

That's going to take years to fix. The previous regime stripped away do many assets during their time in charge. How are we supposed to find two top 4 dmen with only Cowan and Minten (ish) holding value and a lack of draft picks.

Last year in particular was set to be one last hurrah and now we will pay for all those years of spending at the deadline.

 

[Drytoast]

This core has shown for 7 god damn years that it has ZERO fight in it. Once leaned on, they fold. You all demanded they get paid top in the league for accomplishing NOTHING. Nylander by the way is still not a 100 point player. As great as he's been for half this season...the second half still has to be played.

His contract is a f***ing ALBATROSS. At least Matthews can be re evaluated after 4 years. Nylander? Nylander f***ED us for the next 8.

 

[Racer88]

Games like this make me wonder how and what this to team is built for. We have some good individual pieces, but they need some D and the offense is shallow with little speed

Very good question

 

[BraveCanadian]

I think Marner would thrive playing on a line that he drives. When he was with Domi and Knies a few games back I thought he looked more like his old self than I had seen in a while.

Agreed, it forces him to simplify and not try to force plays to Matthews. That line looked really good in the short time they were together. Offensively at least.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

What is Mack, Makar and Rantanen's AAV again? yea that what I thought

View attachment 802693

This is a fantastic picture and I'm so avatar-tempted.

 

[Racer88]

But this isn't anything close to the same thing we've done. We have some similar pieces, but we started as a fast, uptempo team. We gambled a fair bit and were quick in transition. That went to a more stable defensive team which played smart with the puck and had trouble with depth scoring. Our speed decreased, so did our gambles and risk.

Now we're a pretty slow team, don't have great possession or defensive players, but kept the top end talent. It's not really the same at all

They have tried almost every version of a team except moving on from this core 4 and the way it is constructed. Until this happens no amount of shuffling will make any real difference.

 

[Racer88]

I love the Leafs, but not this core group of forwards. If it meant Shanahan and Keefe being shown the door, I wish they would miss the playoffs, or get destroyed again in the 1st round.

As a more then 4 decade leaf fan it breaks my hockey heart to say this but I hope they lose the next 10 games in a row to really wake up management including the board.
Nothing will change unless things like this happens.
This core 4 have no idea what it takes to win. They are far worse then the “Muskoka 5”

 

[Anthrax442]

 

[therealkoho]

Matthews is getting more than Mackinnon, and then in 4 years he will get EVEN MORE.

And he'll take more shots, no matter how low percentage rather than pass to a teammate who's in a better position to shoot.

 

[IPS]

I think people underestimate how many teams blow multi goal leads in today's NHL. It's unfortunate but not really the end of the world, especially with game management

They're still an average team at best, and are going to find it extremely difficult to even be average next year with Matthews and Nylander having their new deals kick in

The game management was a f***ing disgrace last night and it's insane how little it's talked about. I get it that people like shitting on the team nowadays but wtf do you even do when the reffing is like that.

I think I saw Colorado's top line commit about 10 infractions in a 30 second period and didn't even get a glance from the refs.

 

[Wiseguys]

The Leafs trapped themselves by giving out those exuberant contracts towards the core 4. It has left them in an impossible situation to assemble a well balanced team due to lack of cap space, with no chance of a Stanley cup contender! And now on top of that they have given out long term and stupidly no movement contracts, without the possibility of recouping assets, It's basically a suicidal plan ready to implode, just a matter of time. No defense, goalie caliber players from the backend due to the unbalanced cap distribution. Good Luck.

 

[hotpaws]

pissed away the game and it's time for Keefe to grow a pair and move JT to the wing on the 3rd line , he's nothing but an anchor at even strength

Bert would be better off without JT as well since they occupy similar space in the o-zone and Domi would bring more speed to the second line

we should be able to piece together a line out of 3 of the following (Krock/Holmberg/JT/Roberstson ) that should be serviceable

 

[BraveCanadian]

The Leafs trapped themselves by giving out those exuberant contracts towards the core 4. It has left them in an impossible situation to assemble a well balanced team due to lack of cap space, with no chance of a Stanley cup contender! And now on top of that they have given out long term and stupidly no movement contracts, without the possibility of recouping assets, It's basically a suicidal plan ready to implode, just a matter of time. No defense, goalie caliber players from the backend due to the unbalanced cap distribution. Good Luck.

This hasn't been news to anyone for years but they just keep doubling down

 

[leafs in five]

hard to believe Gio has played like 3000 NHL games and could still take that bad angle sakic-footed wrister on the shorthanded 3-on-2 in the 3rd period of a tie game

 

[therealkoho]

I was at the game. Anyone who didn't see it coming, wasn't paying attention. Forget about the reffing for a minute.

Even when they were up 3-0, they were still getting dominated at times in the 1st. MacKinnon was just toying with the Leafs every time he was on the ice. Jones still played pretty well but you could tell they were just getting lucky in the 1st when the Avs couldnt score on their chances.

A guy like MacKinnon looks like he's dominant even if he isn't putting pucks in the net. If our big dog isn't scoring he doesn't look like much of anything.

 

[All Mod Cons]

The game management was a f***ing disgrace last night and it's insane how little it's talked about. I get it that people like shitting on the team nowadays but wtf do you even do when the reffing is like that.

I think I saw Colorado's top line commit about 10 infractions in a 30 second period and didn't even get a glance from the refs.

Absolutely. I'm far more critical of the Leafs, and the complete botched job beyond repair, than 99% of Leafs fans. However the Leafs are getting screwed by the officiating more often than not.

We've been one of the best regular season teams in the league the last 5 or 6 years and yet very, very rarely do we run away on the scoreboard. Why? Because refs are not allowing it to. Once we obtain a healthy lead, it's a parade to the penalty box.

Last night was no exception. The Leafs, to their credit, was actually handling Colorado very well. They had a plan it seemed, and they were executing it. They were hitting the Avs on the break and making them look like a tire fire in their end.

Then, all of a sudden, at 3-0 the Leafs suddenly turned into a dirty team giving away penalties all over the place, while the Avs continued to be squeaky clean. The timing of the penalties allowed the Avs to constantly be in the game. The Leafs couldn't keep pushing forward 5v5.

I don't blame the Leafs for last night. I honestly don't know what they should've done, except continuously kill off penalties against an excellent PP. Had the Avs not tied it up, there would have been more calls against the Leafs, make no mistake.

 

[tucson83]

flyers fan coming in peace, i seriously dont get what this fo sees in Keefe, for some reason they keep thinking that you need offense to win games and yet it doesnt work, you need a defensive structure, that's why leafs cant get over the hump, they refuse to bring in a defensive coach.

 

[PeteBestondrums]

It's crazy.

There's some supposed info about it on Reddit. Supposedly, the guy tried to get out of the VIP exit area and was denied, mouthed off, then they went for him.

One thing I learned during covid lockdowns was how incredibly low IQ, violent snd over zealous a lot of police and security guards are.
This animal is teeing off on some old guy probably in his 50s who's of zero threat to anyone.
Pathetic night all around for MLSE.