Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 1-0

[DarkKnight]

Habs fan here, I thought your forecheck was the best it's looked since I don't know when.

Thanks, but we’re trying to be as negative as possible here.

You’re also right, we dominated everywhere.

 

[rumman]

Are they shopping Timmins, because I can’t think of any other reason for him to play ahead of Myers……..

 

[budzz]

Holy crap there's a whole lot of jumping off the ledge after game one LOL. Even references to Lou and Babcock? LMAO. After game 1? Should we call the Police and have Berube charged with neglect? Bettman was not waiting in the audience to hand out the cup. Let's chill a bit and see how we look after game 20.

 

[weems]

The notion that I agree most with is that this looked exactly like one of our playoff games. We looked okay, had lots of the puck and pressured well, and our D+G were all quite solid, but at the same time we generated very few scoring chances. 47 shots? We had hardly any real scoring chances, much less high danger ones. We got unlucky with hitting the post a bunch, but those were more moments of quality from our shooters, rather than any sort of actual teamplay to work the puck into a high danger area. With a few bounces we win that game, but I think it's fair to be quite unimpressed at our complete inability to get the puck to the scoring areas against what is expected to be a bottom-feeder team. Did we complete one cross-seam pass in the offensive zone all game? Did we even have guys finding open space in the slot?

Then of course throw in the fact that it was the first game of Matthews and Berube's tenures, and it's certainly the same ol' Leafs schtick. We'll make the playoffs just fine, but these are still the Leafs.

It would be interesting to have someone go back and breakdown the gametape and see what happened because if you go by what the advanced stats sites say, it shows that we actually had alot of high danger chances in this game.

23 high danger chances for according to naturalstattrick and this is where last night's game would rank in HDCF compared to every game last season. Only three times last year in total we put up more high danger scoring chances than last night.

I am always skeptical around some of these stats and not every high danger chance created is equal, so I hear what you're saying when you raise doubt.

 

[Warden of the North]

What a wet fart of a season opener.

 

[Hellcat]

1) Dogshit execution

2) Lots of perimeter play - for a team that wants to have an identity that is hard to play against - the team has apparently not been listening.

3) This is unfortunately what we are going to see for the next 2 to 4 weeks, a team transitioning from a shinny style free flowing game to a ground and pound controlled chaos type game. They absolutely looked like a hybrid of every thing bad from Keefe's game to everything bad about Berube's game and everything bad about the core four's game. I think once they figure out how to be comfortable in the new system they are going to be a hard team to play against. Berube's coaching style cannot be any further away from the type of game Keefe coaches, it will take time

4) Dogshit - OEL, Marner, Nylander, Knies, Rielly. Rielly has looked especially bad preseason and last nights game, if I had the chance to make the decision he would be sitting in NJ. Nylander was showing some of his "why do I even bother attitude", with flashes of brilliance.

5) Gumdrops and Lollypop's - Stolarz, Tanev, Lorentz

 

[DarkKnight]

It would be interesting to have someone go back and breakdown the gametape and see what happened because if you go by what the advanced stats sites say, it shows that we actually had alot of high danger chances in this game.

23 high danger chances for according to naturalstattrick and this is where last night's game would rank in HDCF compared to every game last season. Only three times last year in total we put up more high danger scoring chances than last night.

I am always skeptical around some of these stats and not every high danger chance created is equal, so I hear what you're saying when you raise doubt.

View attachment 914587

We had plenty of close in chances, I suspect those heat map visuals would support that? We hit six post too, it’s just one of those games. The PP was where we need to be more direct, apart from that I liked our game.

 

[Favster]

Thanks, but we’re trying to be as negative as possible here.

You’re also right, we dominated everywhere.

LOL Just saying it like it is, if you guys play like that you'll have more success in the tight PO style hockey.

 

[DarkKnight]

LOL Just saying it like it is, if you guys play like that you'll have more success in the tight PO style hockey.

Agreed, thanks for sharing some objectivity.

 

[weems]

We had plenty of close in chances, I suspect those heat map visuals would support that? We hit six post too, it’s just one of those games. The PP was where we need to be more direct, apart from that I liked our game.

Yes the PP was brutal and really killed any potential momentum.
That's one of those spots where you have to go at least 1 for 4 on the PP and we'd have gotten a point and maybe the win.

 

[rumman]

Just one game, but I don't like the lines.

Best skater, second best shooter, with a 3rd. liner and a grinder.

Heavy Baby.

4th line looked good imo…….

 

[Arzak]

Expensive.

rarely auto-correct betrays me like this

 

[DarkKnight]

All the adds Tre made in the off season looked good, which is informative.

Stolarz was fantastic, Lorentz was effective, Pac looks anything but spent, Tanev was Tanev and I think OEL was good on both sides, his offensive instincts bring a different wrinkle to the group.

 

[rumman]

I think Lily can move the puck a lot better and is positionally also a lot better. he should be given a free reign to his thing. Timmins is also bit of a slow skater IMO; Lily also has higher IQ

If they are gonna scratch Lily then they should just trade him IMO. 3M AAV sitting in the pressbox is kinda stupid IMO

Signing Lilly to that deal was what’s stupid imo………

 

[henryasteroidlionnet]

What is it with special teams with this group of players?

0-4 on the PP and we looked lost at times.

 

[DarkKnight]

Signing Lilly to that deal was what’s stupid imo………

Arbitration. His number was exactly what was expected. He’s easily tradeable, don’t forget too he was given a huge signing bonus, which was shrewd for any potential suitors. Also only two years.

 

[rumman]

Arbitration. His number was exactly what was expected. He’s easily tradeable, don’t forget too he was given a huge signing bonus, which was shrewd for any potential suitors. Also only two years.

Personally I don’t think teams are lining up to acquire him at that salary, but that’s just my opinion…….

Pretty sure they will trade him, and soon.

Funny, I feel Timmins moves the puck better and more importantly is better in the defensive zone along the boards under pressure. I'm tired of our team getting hemmed in our zone because Timmy got dominated down low.

I expect Timmy and Kampf to be traded soonish.

I’d use Myers over either Timmins or Lilly………

 

[DarkKnight]

Personally I don’t think teams are lining up to acquire him at that salary, but that’s just my opinion…….


I’d use Myers over either Timmins or Lilly………

You only need one team, and he still has some intrigue. I don’t see a problem moving him, nor was his contract with arbitration any surprise.

 

[HockeyVirus]

That is probably the stat that mattes the most, and the one I bet the coach was looking at first. Wonder how many we gave up in game 1 last season. Berube is all about that team D.

The problem we have seen for like 8 years is when these guys clamp down on the defensive side, their offence literally disappears.

And that is what Berube needs to help them learn is to play that way and still get chances to let their skill take over.

Panthers found a good mix of collapsing D and an aggressive forecheck that lets them generate chances

 

[Malachi Crunch]

Thanks, but we’re trying to be as negative as possible here.

You’re also right, we dominated everywhere.

It's a den of neuroses in here. Psychologists should study this thread.

 

[Leafshater67]

At least Stolarz looked good I guess. I’m really rooting for him. I liked his game in Florida and although he isn’t playing behind the panthers, I still think he can have a good season.

Gonna cancel my flights for the parade if they lose to the devils tonight. Someone arrest Montembault for stealing the game

 

[Fogelhund]

Playoff like atmosphere last night. It explains why we couldn’t execute offensively, and the PP sucked. Berube probably went home, had a scotch and considered quitting. Ok, it’s one game, they dominated puck possession, Stolarz was great… but it’s the finishing inability we’ve grown accustomed to in the bigger moments. Unfortunately, it’s who we see them as, until they prove otherwise.

 

[Hellcat]

Playoff like atmosphere last night. It explains why we couldn’t execute offensively, and the PP sucked. Berube probably went home, had a scotch and considered quitting. Ok, it’s one game, they dominated puck possession, Stolarz was great… but it’s the finishing inability we’ve grown accustomed to in the bigger moments. Unfortunately, it’s who we see them as, until they prove otherwise.

It's really getting old fast, Toronto playing down to their opponents.

 

[Fogelhund]

It's really getting old fast, Toronto playing down to their opponents.

Our games against non-playoff teams should be automatics, not the games we are more likely to lose.

 

[613Leafer]

It's really getting old fast, Toronto playing down to their opponents.

Lack of "killer instinct", to use the buzz word from a few years ago.