Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 1-0

[Aashir Mallik]

I think the biggest problem with the PP is that JT as the 'net front presence' is standing to the side looking for a tip-in or rebound, rather than trying to screen the goalie.

Add to that Rielly's mediocre point shot and Marner's 'force a pass to Matty' priority, and they struggle, even when they do make a clean entry.

It also looks like Tavares has continued his inability to make a play on the entry. Whenever Matthews or Rielly come in with speed and dish it off to the left boards, it seems like 75% of the time Tavares will either lose the battle, or make an awful pass, or not even get to the puck.

He just doesn’t look like he can make the plays to keep the puck alive, and this isn’t just this game, the entire first round last year was tavares fumbling the puck like a bumbling idiot and costing us 25-30% of our entries single handedly. I’d look to play knies or Robertson on the pp and see what the can do.

As for Rielly, I don’t like OEL’s eagerness to shoot all the time, he reminds me of Tyson barrie a bit, whereas we need a bit of John Klingberg where he has a shoot but can also pass very well. I’d be open to giving him a chance, but he shouldn’t overuse his shot thinking that it’s what we need. The PP still needs to go through the core 3.

It usually takes JT about 2 to 3 months of playing before his hands start to fumble the puck on the PP...not this year...he is ahead of schedule. Why they insist on passing it to him right after a zone entry is flabbergasting to me...

I knew it wasn’t just me who saw this, it’s actually incredible how often he fumbles the puck on the entry, they might as well just dump it back and reset instead of playing the puck to Tavares there…

 

[Maple Leaf]

Ran into a super hot and lucky goalie. It happens. We outplayed them by a significant margin. My biggest pro's from this game?....all of our new acquisitions looked really good

Chris Tanev --- Exactly as advertised. Defense incredible. Blocked shots....etc
OEL --- Loved his game. Skill and puck moving abilities were really good. Also physical and gritty
Paccioretty -- More physical than a thought. He ded uses his size and you can see his offensive flare is there
Lorentz ---- Just a perfect 4th line center so far. Big, physical and fast

These guys are gonna be a difference maker in the playoffs and give us an element we've been sorely lacking

Drinking the mlse koolaid I see

 

[sampollock]

Game 1
No need to panic

 

[Gabriel426]

expected goal
Marner +1,5
Matthews +1,35
Knies +1,24
Domi + 0,64
Nylander + 0,36
Tavares + 0,26

no the fact Marner played with matthews didn't explain the fact why Marner had 4X Nylander expected goal number, why he had been 2nd team high behind McCabe and why Domi ( Nylander teammate) got basically 2X Nylander number. Both Jt and nylander been terrible and using Nylander with matthews and knies the way he played would just broke this line.

Let’s not do the expected stats ever again till they actually won something or at least a few rounds in playoffs.

I am just so sick of these expected stats that kept saying we had a great team and they should had won a few more rounds in playoffs and even a Cup or two.

Fact is they won ONE round in the last 8 years.
Fact is the top guys constantly choked when it mattered most.
Fact is they got shut out last night by a team that would be best to tank before Xmas in order to get the first overall pick.
Fact is our 4th line was pretty much our best line last night.

I am not saying let’s throw the towel bc it is ONE game but just stop with the expected stats.

 

[henryasteroidlionnet]

It's groundhog day. Year after Year. Nothing has changed with this team. It's crazy!

 

[ZEBROA]

He's looking like he is doing a little too much late night snacks, guys who eat like their pregnant wives is a thing, some of us put on 20, 30lbs when our wives are preggers. Sympathy eating?

Been there, done that