Post-Game Talk: Leafs Eliminated.

[AvroArrow]

Rielly and Nylander are the only core guys that actually showed up every single night and played with f***ing energy and effort that you can be proud of. We must hold on to them at all costs. I'm open to moving Matthews/Marner.

As great as Matthews has been here for us, this is now the 7th year where he failed to show up in the playoffs. Round 1 he was decent, 0 goals in round 2 is unacceptable. I don't care if it's f***ing Hasek in the other net, 11.5M and you're apparently the Ovechkin of this generation and 0 goals ? My plan for next year would be as follows

1) Have a conversation with Matthews right now, figure out where his heads at and what he wants in terms of his future. Try and extend him before July 1st, if you can't you have to trade him. We cannot afford to lose him for nothing, it will be catastrophic for this teams future. That's the first conversation I have, before I even talk to Marner.

2) Look to move Marner, if Matthews is locked up long term I'm shopping Marner. He's not built for the playoffs, guy is straight up terrified, his numbers made him look a lot better than he really was. Complete non-impact when you need him most. What I'd look for in a trade is either two very gritty/physical top 6 players or a legitimate #1D. We keep Matthews/Nylander as the core forwards, Tavares we can't move. Marners entitled attitude is just unacceptable, and the softness he shows in the playoffs is infuriating. Getting punched in the face and you're smiling.

3) Coaching change, Keefe is a likeable guy but he's unable to adjust and seems to get out coached in every single series and for whatever reason can't get his team to start on time.

4) Re-sign Schenn at all costs, try to re-sign ROR if the price makes sense and just go from there.

 

[ffh]

Rielly and Nylander are the only core guys that actually showed up every single night and played with f***ing energy and effort that you can be proud of. We must hold on to them at all costs. I'm open to moving Matthews/Marner.

As great as Matthews has been here for us, this is now the 7th year where he failed to show up in the playoffs. Round 1 he was decent, 0 goals in round 2 is unacceptable. I don't care if it's f***ing Hasek in the other net, 11.5M and you're apparently the Ovechkin of this generation and 0 goals ? My plan for next year would be as follows

1) Have a conversation with Matthews right now, figure out where his heads at and what he wants in terms of his future. Try and extend him before July 1st, if you can't you have to trade him. We cannot afford to lose him for nothing, it will be catastrophic for this teams future. That's the first conversation I have, before I even talk to Marner.

2) Look to move Marner, if Matthews is locked up long term I'm shopping Marner. He's not built for the playoffs, guy is straight up terrified, his numbers made him look a lot better than he really was. Complete non-impact when you need him most. What I'd look for in a trade is either two very gritty/physical top 6 players or a legitimate #1D. We keep Matthews/Nylander as the core forwards, Tavares we can't move. Marners entitled attitude is just unacceptable, and the softness he shows in the playoffs is infuriating. Getting punched in the face and you're smiling.

3) Coaching change, Keefe is a likeable guy but he's unable to adjust and seems to get out coached in every single series and for whatever reason can't get his team to start on time.

4) Re-sign Schenn at all costs, try to re-sign ROR if the price makes sense and just go from there.

Dreger brought this up yesterday. You have a talk with Matthew's and he tells you he will re-sign but will only do so if his good buddy's especially marner don't get moved. What do you do if you where going to try and move marner.

 

[BallardEra]

 

[AvroArrow]

Dreger brought this up yesterday. You have a talk with Matthew's and he tells you he will re-sign but will only do so if his good buddy's especially marner don't get moved. What do you do if you where going to try and move marner.

That right there is the problem, if he is talking like that you get rid of them both. Sorry Auston but you don't run the team, your job is to play and compete, that's the GM's duty. I'd also dump Dubas if Matthews made that request, inmates running the asylum. I don't think there's another team in the league where the players bully the GM and basically control him and have him living in fear.

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I don't care if Gudas held his stick or not. Matthews had 0 goals this series, Tavares had 0 goals as well, Nylander/Marner had what 1 each ? Unacceptable.

 

[Stephen]

Dreger brought this up yesterday. You have a talk with Matthew's and he tells you he will re-sign but will only do so if his good buddy's especially marner don't get moved. What do you do if you where going to try and move marner.

If that happened, I'd promise him we won't trade Marner, re-sign him, and then trade Marner or whomever else when it makes sense to do so for the betterment of the team, cut throat styles.

 

[GoonieFace]

Garbage goaltending from Samsonov and Woll. Just terrible.

I’m assuming this is a joke. Samsonov was meh, but Woll looked solid

 

[Niagara Bill]

I thought Tkachuk bitch slapping Marner around at end of game 4 would piss him off and wake him up to dominate the league, but it seems Marner actually is just a little boy in the playoffs.

Marner is great for pk1 and point producer but not at a superstar salary. Marner and JTs contracts would be better served to re tool around Matthews and Nylander. Just theory wise I'd like to split Marner into another Nylander + fan favorite level 4 mil guy

100% agree with MM assessment. A boy among men. In the end no toughness displayed. We are stuck with JT contract but he plays hard. He got beat up, face washed multiple times and NO one stood up.
As for AM he did not play all season like a top 5 player in the league. Last night we would have been better without him. He takes a position on PP he did not deserve. Pucks that went in before he screws around with, his skating is lazy, his passing is off, and toughness is nothing. He plays like a privledged little boy. Time to save money and trade him...

Something is rotten in the room,
This team played just hard enough all year to make playoffs, they did not want what happened to Boston this year to happen to them again. Well Mr. KEEFE, your team never learned.

 

[Stephen]

That right there is the problem, if he is talking like that you get rid of them both. Sorry Auston but you don't run the team, your job is to play and compete, that's the GM's duty. I'd also dump Dubas if Matthews made that request, inmates running the asylum. I don't think there's another team in the league where the players bully the GM and basically control him and have him living in fear.


I don't care if Gudas held his stick or not. Matthews had 0 goals this series, Tavares had 0 goals as well, Nylander/Marner had what 1 each ? Unacceptable.

The Leafs lost the series on the Marner pass to Matthews, with the little flip out to make it 3-2 in Game 2. It felt like it was over that very moment and seemed to derail Matthews and Marner psychologically the rest of the way.

Game 3 they were shell shocked to start and finish the game, and Game 4 was just the dead cat bounce, fake hero game we could all see coming. No one's coming back down 3-0.

 

[Stephen]

100% agree with MM assessment. A boy among men.

Marner's such a little brother in the playoffs.

 

[Cynical]

this is a regular season team. when the playoffs start the whistles go away and our 'stars' just get neutralized with holds, trips, slashes, etc etc

The funny thing is, when the Leafs came into the game playing like this the refs decided this is the game where we'll call those. I think the Leafs just got screwed starting with how the reffing went in the first round even. It must be confusing for those guys to be grabbed, punched, boarded and have head shots against with no calls on the other team and when they try to fo something after the whistle, they get called for it.

 

[Amadeus]

Few things that really stood out to me this series.

1. Our lack of foot speed was very evident. We just aren't a really fast team anymore. Florida skated better than us overall.

2. Our stars still don't react well to physicality.

3. Trying to make a cute play versus simple hockey hurt us.

4. One goal from Matty and Marner this series doesn't cut it. It's unacceptable.

 

[Cynical]

Matthews just played his last game as a Maple Leafs. Take that to the bank. He will be traded before July 1 and you cannot blame him guys. He will be getting a one-way ticket the f*** out of Toronto tonight.

Who are we replacing him with? Are we ready for a 3-4 year rebuild?

 

[AvroArrow]

The Leafs lost the series on the Marner pass to Matthews, with the little flip out to make it 3-2 in Game 2. It felt like it was over that very moment and seemed to derail Matthews and Marner psychologically the rest of the way.

Game 3 they were shell shocked to start and finish the game, and Game 4 was just the dead cat bounce, fake hero game we could all see coming. No one's coming back down 3-0.

If Matthews had even 1 goal, this could be a 3-2 series right now. Two OT losses, 0 goals from the 2x rocket winner, 0 goals from Tavares. People are talking about Gudas holding the stick lmao, hold our guys accountable man. The Marner/Nylander plays in game 2 were horrendous, but if our stud goal scorers did their job we are still in this series, possibly even up in the series. We can only control what's in our hands, Matthews/Tavares cost this team the series. 11M dollars each and 0 goals between them, yeah good luck winning a series with that.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

At least the Leafs looked like they gave some effort the past 2 games. Florida won tonight, but the Leafs were the better team. The 1st 3 games the Leafs just mailed it in.

Effort in the playoffs shouldnt really be a problem for a Cup contender in the first place. Too much parity in the NHL to get away with that.

You mail in playoff games, you get what you deserve.

 

[AvroArrow]

Who are we replacing him with? Are we ready for a 3-4 year rebuild?

I'd rather a 3-4 rebuild and a chance to win with a different locker room vs running it back with the exact same one that has failed for 7 years, for exactly the same reason. Lack of effort, lack of heart.

We got a serious reality check, we have the more skilled team by a COUNTRY mile. You know what won the series ? Playing with maximum effort and the correct mindset.

 

[Stephen]

If Matthews had even 1 goal, this could be a 3-2 series right now. Two OT losses, 0 goals from the 2x rocket winner, 0 goals from Tavares. People are talking about Gudas holding the stick lmao, hold our guys accountable man. The Marner/Nylander plays in game 2 were horrendous, but if our stud goal scorers did their job we are still in this series, possibly even up in the series. We can only control what's in our hands, Matthews/Tavares cost this team the series. 11M dollars each and 0 goals between them, yeah good luck winning a series with that.

That's exactly right. Teams are at the mercy of cheap calls, missed calls and bad bounces in tight situations when your talent doesn't perform.

 

[GoonieFace]

These so called dynamos should have feasted on that Florida D. They are just useless when it counts

 

[justashadowof]

I’m assuming this is a joke. Samsonov was meh, but Woll looked solid

Woll's lateral movement and puck tracking need a lot of work. He is terrible on wrap arounds and several times would make an awkward save on an ordinary shot then slide far out of position. It's immaterial that he managed to not get burned on any of these plays. They're a symptom of a goalie who isn't ready to start in the NHL and these faults in goaltending techniques would show over the long haul.

 

[ToneDog]

I thought so too a year ago, but this year they looked slow and all of their young forward prospects busted. Don't know if they're in a better shape than we are going forward tbh.

They are built from the net out, we are built from C in. Both teams disappointed these playoffs. As things stand today I am not sure which team I like going forward. I do think the Devils and Canes will be the class of the East for the next few years though.

Either way, my suggestion is take a step back like the Rangers did. The steps forward are what we need to get right.

 

[Stephen]

I'd rather a 3-4 rebuild and a chance to win with a different locker room vs running it back with the exact same one that has failed for 7 years, for exactly the same reason. Lack of effort, lack of heart.

We got a serious reality check, we have the more skilled team by a COUNTRY mile. You know what won the series ? Playing with maximum effort and the correct mindset.

Where the Leafs always get it wrong psychologically is they think they have to prove their skill level, doing extra showy things instead of just executing urgently and well.

 

[Cynical]

I'd rather a 3-4 rebuild and a chance to win with a different locker room vs running it back with the exact same one that has failed for 7 years, for exactly the same reason. Lack of effort, lack of heart.

We got a serious reality check, we have the more skilled team by a COUNTRY mile. You know what won the series ? Playing with maximum effort and the correct mindset.

I think you keep Matthews, but you need your second and third best players to be tougher than Marner. And they need to get out of the Tavares contract somehow. The issue is their 4 main guys are all perimeter oriented guys who can't operate in these playoffs situations. Nylander has speed so he's able to use that to wreck havoc on the defense.

I think Marner and Tavares are the two this team really needs to move on from. They also just need better skaters all around. The Leafs just looked absolutely slow against both teams. No more trades for slow footed guys who are over the hill. Get some guys like Lafferty and Kampf who can skate and hit but have better skill. Your best guys can't be guys who can't play in the rough areas and also can't skate. If you look at the teams that beat the Leafs it was really the third liners who gave the most trouble because of their skating ability.

 

[Stephen]

The funny thing is, when the Leafs came into the game playing like this the refs decided this is the game where we'll call those. I think the Leafs just got screwed starting with how the reffing went in the first round even. It must be confusing for those guys to be grabbed, punched, boarded and have head shots against with no calls on the other team and when they try to fo something after the whistle, they get called for it.

Dubas' Leafs always let the other team dictate how much physical nastiness is in a series. In their next incarnation hopefully they realize they can build a roster that actually creates the nasty playoff environment the other team has to swim in.

 

[Nineteen67]

2 dudes fall down after botching a 3 on 2. I'm speechless.

And now you know why

 

[Cynical]

I don’t understand why everyone pumps Woll tires when he had two soft goals this game and nobody mentions Samsonov who outplayed Vasy and won a series

Is this a case of “what you’ve done for me lately”?

Yeah Woll was decent but he was flopping around a lot. He still needs to work on his fundamentals. He didn't look sound. Maybe that comes with more experience.

 

[ToneDog]

Thank God the Shanahan era is over. Clean house MLSE. He was a moronic sham all along.

Shanny will be remembered for running the best tank in Leaf history and then blowing it.