Post-Game Talk: Leafs hand Vegas a free win - 4-3 OTL

[saltming]

I did watch the game, I'm just not giving him any slack because he's almost always bad.

I can count the number of good games he's had in his career om 1 hand with fingers left over.

until that changes he will not her, nor does je deserve any slack

so even if it's not his fault it's his fault until he earns some slack.

He has 20 NHL games played and should get some leeway for that. I don't see a starter but maybe he will develop into a solid backup.
Imo is fair to criticize, as I have with kallgren, but if you do, you should also acknowledge the positives. Last night he hit us a point. Made big saves when we were down 1 and the goals he allowed were not of the soft category

 

[francis246]

Fire engvall into the moon.

Why Holl took more heat than this guy I'll never understand.

Engvall drives me nuts. That guy never finishes a check

such a talented but frequently braindead team. the latter outweighs the former in the games that matter.

I think we need an upgrade on defense and that will help. Look at all the goals today. Our defensemen bobbled the puck or turned it over with little to no pressure.

 

[ZEBROA]

Muck Farner

Sound like a bada** , can we sign him?

 

[rocketman588]

Solid effort once again for most of the game.

Is unfortunate we blew it.

 

[rocketman588]

A perfect example of how just looking at the stats can't compare to actually watching the game.

Sure, four goals on twenty shots looks terrible. But two were in breakaways, and he stopped one but the defence didn't clear it, and the others were on a two-on-one and a three-on-one.

In the first period alone, we gave up a 3-on-2, a 3-on-1, a 2-on-1 and a breakaway (not counting Kessel's that was called dead for a penalty).

I really don't understand blaming Kallgren for the loss.

Unfortunately at the end of the season he'll be thrown under the bus while we pump the tires of our "elite defensive play" because we've broken advanced stats

 

[Brown Dog]

On the one hand 5 of 6 points against Boston, Carolina, and Vegas is terrific and I think we all would've taken that if given the choice a week ago.

On the other hand, it's a tough one to swallow because we gave up a third period lead (on a short-handed goal to boot) and laid an egg in overtime.

Overall, we're a month into the season and many of the concerns we had about this team going in (unreliable goaltending, lack of depth scoring, playing down to weaker opponents, inability to step up in "big" games, lack of physicality, mental lapses) remain.

 

[Hellcat]

When we hit the OT , I thought this is a guarantied loss. Keefe chooses game after game put his best offensive players out there, players who are most likely to win and lose us the game. 3 on 3 you need speed and puck movement and sometimes when you are 150ft away from your opponents net, think about defence. Guys like Engvall and Robertson are tailor made for 3 on 3 play. To have both Matty and Marner or both Nylander and Tavares out there at the same time is just asking for what happend last night.

It was a great game last night , regardless of the outcome. Sometimes loses feel like wins, last night felt like a win. If I were to tell you last Friday that the Leafs would get 5 out of 6 points against Boston, Carolina and LV, you'd say I was crazy, I think most of us were hoping best case we'd get 3 points. We got 5 out of 6 points, with our THIRD STRINGER goalie. The team should feel pretty good about where their game is right now.

They worked their asses off every game, when skill and work ethic meet, this team is pretty hard to play against. Million dollar question is can we sustain this work ethic?

 

[Gary Nylund]

Overall, we're a month into the season and many of the concerns we had about this team going in (unreliable goaltending, lack of depth scoring, playing down to weaker opponents, inability to step up in "big" games, lack of physicality, mental lapses) remain.

I tend to agree with the bolded below - despite some mistakes last night, this team stepped up in a pretty big way the last 3 games.

It was a great game last night , regardless of the outcome. Sometimes loses feel like wins, last night felt like a win. If I were to tell you last Friday that the Leafs would get 5 out of 6 points against Boston, Carolina and LV, you'd say I was crazy, I think most of us were hoping best case we'd get 3 points. We got 5 out of 6 points, with our THIRD STRINGER goalie. The team should feel pretty good about where their game is right now.

They worked their asses off every game, when skill and work ethic meet, this team is pretty hard to play against. Million dollar question is can we sustain this work ethic?

I thought it was a pretty good game as well. Vegas looks like a good team and sometimes you can play well (less than perfect but still good) and lose, not that big a deal.

Agree re. the million dollar question, I would only add that the "sustain" needs to happen in the playoffs and no matter how this team plays, it won't be until the playoffs that they have a chance to answer that question in the affirmative. Still, stretches like the last 3 games are enjoyable to watch and at least give us some hope that they will finally break through.

 

[Gary Nylund]

One of the best cover bands of CTA, and they're Russian. Sound quality is great, too.

These guys are amazing! When I first discovered them, I just went from one song to another and loved every second of it. And that chick had such a beautiful smile and is smoking hot! If I'm not mistaken they are touring the US right now.

They do mostly CTA covers but a few other songs as well, if you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Vehicle. That's one of my favorite songs from that era and these guys hit it out of the park (of course)!

The leafs are going to be in a dogfight for a playoff spot…..

Not sure how anyone could think that at this point. More likely they cruise to the playoffs IMO.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

First things first - we outplayed Boston and Vegas, and were very close to Carolina. All around, hell of a 4 day stretch with our 3rd stringer. Well done Kallgren.

Secondly, I've been a big Engvall stan since he made the team, but I have to imagine we need a better 3C long term if we have Cup aspirations.

Thirdly, Keefer....cmon now, those top 6 lines looked great on Sunday, where'd they go?

Finally, I believe we will need to bring in a top 6 winger. Robertson can stay, his shot is worth his deficiencies, but Kerfoot flubbed 4 chances last night and missed the net a few times as well. He's just not the right guy for that.

 

[Fogelhund]

Maple Leafs burn themselves with game management and turnovers in OT loss

Rallying from multiple deficits to the hottest team in hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs ultimately fell 4-3 in overtime to the Golden Knights on Tuesday, after an extended power play shift led to a shorthanded game-tying goal for Vegas.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I thought Evgeni Malgin had another very good game and was kind of shocked he was benched with the lead.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

15 Giveaways tonight, we are now 6th worst in the league at giveaways per game, with the Habs being the worst at 11.46. Not just the giveaways either, but odd man rushes. We defend pretty well in our own zone, limit shot chances, but the giveaways and odd man rushes results in significant higher danger opportunities. We really need to work on these mental mistakes. Tonight wasn’t on Kallgren, it’s on the freebies.

By the way, giveaway king tonight was Engvall, with three, though none of his resulted in goals.

Interesting stats, where did the leafs rank for odd man rushes? Bottom ~5 too?

Seems like during transition the leafs defenders in particular like to hold onto the puck for a while allowing the teammates to spread out, get into position etc. However that then puts them under pressure, whereby they had tons of time before and they are forced to make a quick often higher risk pass that seems to get picked off.

 

[Apex Predator]

Kallgren is an AHL goalie it’s hard to be upset with him as he is what he is.

 

[notDatsyuk]

even if it's not his fault it's his fault

?


He stole a point for us.

 

[PromisedLand]

After sleeping on it I think it is good that high AAV players are making boneheaded mistakes now such that when playoffs come there will be enough video to tell them to not F up with their fancy BS in the playoffs. Marner has cost games in playoffs trying to be fancy giving away puck:
1) Montreal Game 7
2) Tampa Game 6 OT

A perfect example of how just looking at the stats can't compare to actually watching the game.

Sure, four goals on twenty shots looks terrible. But two were in breakaways, and he stopped one but the defence didn't clear it, and the others were on a two-on-one and a three-on-one.

In the first period alone, we gave up a 3-on-2, a 3-on-1, a 2-on-1 and a breakaway (not counting Kessel's that was called dead for a penalty).

I really don't understand blaming Kallgren for the loss.

You just described CBJ series to a T right here

 

[Stephen]

Engvall is my least favorite leaf. He’s just useless out there - soft, plays with zero intensity, inconsistant, doesn’t finish checks and IMO adds nothing of real value. He’s a big, strong, fast guy but has no motor.

Matthews is horrible this season as well. Last year, he established himself as a star and played both ends of the ice. This year, he’s just going through the motions and I have no idea why, nor do I plan to speculate.

Matthews has been quite vanilla this year.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Kallgren, all hail Kallgren, even if you think he is an AHL tender (which I do too) give da guy his props .. he made like 6 10 bellers last night to keep team in game when we should have been down 5-0 .. Vegas caved us down middle of ice for most of game .. Matty sorry bud but that was an embarrassment you got caved all night long .. can't win a game when your top 2 Cs get caved folks sorry but truth is da truth .. come down to Scotia it was super obvious why we lost last night .. even Keefer when I saw post game comments at him later noted it

Some real positives with our tender and Mitch .. Mitch 1st game this season where he made da primary difference why we got a point .. that point goes to Mitch and Kallgren .. well done boys da team owes you both .. and Lily wow a couple bombs --- get that guy on PP1 Keefer and make it happen NOW -- he is ready

Some real rook defensive errors from Sandin and Lily in that game which is gonna happen with rook D folks .. but to see what like 5 to 10 complete giveaways from Rielly in his own end was FAR WORSE .. don't be a chicken sh*t man .. he still has not learned how to brace himself and take a big hit on boards and maintain puck in his feet .. someone on coaching staff please help him out OMG it was like da Bruins series all over again .. big fast teams that play with speed and hit Rielly and he just can't handle it at all .. I would have sat him and Sandin down for 3rd and gone with 4 dmen except on PP .. coach in best interest of team Keefer we could have got 2 points with our skill alone even thought we didn't deserve them

Bottom line 2 of our leaders in Matty and Rielly were downright dog sh*t last night .. and we are still very susceptible to BIG and FAST teams that overpower our D core

 

[Twine Tickler]

Felt like we were the better team for the vast majority of the game. 3 incredibly sloppy mistakes lead to the goals in regulation, and just horrendous 28 second display from Mitch, Mo, and Auston in OT. All 3 blowing the zone without puck possession is insane to me. Way too easy.

I liked the effort for the rest of the game, you just cannot give any team in the NHL that many gifts. Let alone VGK.

Take the point, and grow from it. Nothing else you can really do.

 

[Al14]

Maybe Dubas shouldn't have traded for a goalie who has injury problems. .

Dubas should have been fired for this trade, especially for not getting a 1st round pick to take Murray off of Ottawa!

Only winning the Stanley Cup, with Murray in our net, would redeem Dubas for this HUGE mistake!

 

[Torontonian]

Finally, I believe we will need to bring in a top 6 winger. Robertson can stay, his shot is worth his deficiencies, but Kerfoot flubbed 4 chances last night and missed the net a few times as well. He's just not the right guy

In a ideal world, bringing in a top 6 forward is what’s needed, someone like Tarasenko. That way you can make the 3rd line somewhat of a scoring threat by dropping Robertson down to it to play with Engvall and Kerfoot.

In saying that, not knowing Muzzin health is too big of a risk to do that, we can get away without adding a top 6 forward, but if Muzzin is done, that’s a hole that needs to be addressed first.

 

[Al14]

Felt like we were the better team for the vast majority of the game. 3 incredibly sloppy mistakes lead to the goals in regulation, and just horrendous 28 second display from Mitch, Mo, and Auston in OT. All 3 blowing the zone without puck possession is insane to me. Way too easy.

I liked the effort for the rest of the game, you just cannot give any team in the NHL that many gifts. Let alone VGK.

Take the point, and grow from it. Nothing else you can really do.

This Leafs team, and especially the core, DO NOT learn and grow from any of their mistakes. They keep making them over and over, and over again!!!

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

A lot of anger right now considering the team just played 3 very competitive games against the best in the league, in 4 days.

We jumped from 24th to 11th overall in pts%. This is good momentum. We need to bring in health for the Cup push, but it's looking like we can hang with the big boys.

 

[ACC1224]

Unfortunate the didn't get to give this out last night.

Leafs Player of the Game Belt

 

[GoonieFace]

A lot of anger right now considering the team just played 3 very competitive games against the best in the league, in 4 days.

We jumped from 24th to 11th overall in pts%. This is good momentum. We need to bring in health for the Cup push, but it's looking like we can hang with the big boys.

Much different hanging with the big boys in November than in the playoffs. We have all seen this story before.