Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 2-0 To Pittsburgh

[danny90]

None of the teams we played were able to shut our top players down like the Pens did. I watch all the games.

Matthews line was dominant, just couldn’t score tonight.

 

[Nylanderthal]

Not the toughest schedule teams .... going to get more and more difficult moving forward.

They’ve beat Calgary Vegas Rangers Nashville Tampa and Boston very recently,.. Wot

 

[Torontonian]

Might need to go LW shopping at the deadline if Ritchie is still this useless come the trade deadline. Toronto will try to slot Mikheyev there before they make a deal. Ho-sang has been playing well for the Marlies, but would be surprised if he would be the one that fills the void.

Back at it again tomorrow against the Islanders.

 

[Leaf Fans]

They’ve beat Calgary Vegas Rangers Nashville Tampa and Boston very recently,.. Wot

The schedule is the new whinny narrative first brought up on the Marner hater thread and then repeated in this thread by the same poster.

 

[Enga Olly]

they haven't learned any lesson from the same problems that usually haunt them come playoffs (top-6 offense isn't going, tight checking games, PP not getting into a rhythm, which this game had elements of)

they still have issues that need to be fixed

why do you care - you're a Penguins fan your input is not needed or of any value

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Meh can't get to mad when they won 5, then lost 1 then won another 5 then lost 1

 

[tokyoite]

spezza deserves on the first line unit.
plain and simple.
keefe is dumb.

 

[m1ker]

Ritchie out and Clifford in

 

[RadekBong]

Leafs need to learn how to play in low-scoring, close games. End of story

Today was a bad game but 4 out of the last 5 games were low scoring games that they closed out.

 

[Leaf4Life79]

a pathetic ending to an overall well played game (except f*** you Holl, Ritchie, and Muzzin)

Agreed.... Holl....needs to 'haul' his ass out of Toronto.. what a shit D.... Ritch the B#$%% needs to go as well.. and I guess u could compound Dumbass into that as well... other then that, we do have a great team, just.. a few plugs that need to go. =)

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Ritchie out and Clifford in

I am all for that!

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Not a great effort but man do we need to either replace Holl or use someone else with Muzzin because he just gives up easy plays and bad readss every night this season.

Ritchie experiment should be over its doing nothing for us now.

Ya... I agree... Holl needs to hit the road! never to return! Lily and Sandy we're a GREAT pairing...

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Today was a bad game but 4 out of the last 5 games were low scoring games that they closed out.

Thanks to SOUUUUUUUP!

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Matthews has a history of immaturity off the ice... two years ago he sexually harassed a woman (could have gotten himself killed in the process) and proceeded to lie to his boss(es) about being in trouble with the law, I believe Dubas read about it via the news. Now last off season? Despite a brutal playoffs and should be recovering from surgery, its more important to get drunk with his "buddy" Justin. The guy has all the skill in the world, he's fluff between the ears however.

wtf are you even yammering on about son??? you have no proof of said facts.. yes.. we all know its fact he had a good time with some buddies and did some sht... but you're going way out of line thinking you know 'full well' what truly happened that night... good for you, for trying to catch and carry the torch, moron.

 

[RadekBong]

Pens wanted it a bit more tonight.....it happens.

Still not clear why the coach decided to go back to Ritchie on the top line and putting 34 & 16 back together. Didn't they go something 8-1 once he split them up and dropped Ritchie in the line up?

Don’t worry, Keefe will bench Willy next game (despite being our best forward) and that will get Matthews and Marner going!

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Don’t worry, Keefe will bench Willy next game (despite being our best forward) and that will get Matthews and Marner going!

are you serious?????????? Nylander has been one of our best forwards.. not a f***ing chance!

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Don’t worry, Keefe will bench Willy next game (despite being our best forward) and that will get Matthews and Marner going!

You need to bench yourself, and rethink how you perceive the game dude.. you're way out of line....

 

[RadekBong]

are you serious?????????? Nylander has been one of our best forwards.. not a f***ing chance!

This season he’s absolutely been one of the better forwards.

 

[Leaf4Life79]

This season he’s absolutely been one of the better forwards.

For sure he has!, he has played amazing! Willy Styles!

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

We have too much fire power to not score 1 goal. I missed the game as my sister was giving birth

 

[griffon1]

A couple of defensive breakdowns, about 4 hit posts, bad 2 man adv, and this is the end result.

Can't win them all, particularly when you don't score a goal.

 

[justashadowof]

For sure he has!, he has played amazing! Willy Styles!

I've been a vocal critic of his play off the puck in the past but anyone can see that he has figured out how to put pressure on the forecheck and create turnovers/takeaways while protecting himself from dangerous contact situations. He's positionally sound in the defensive end. He has grown considerably as a player.

 

[Bluelines]

This is the result you get when you see Keefe matched up vs a good coach or hot goalie, this is a replay of the Columbus series, a replay of the last 3 games vs the Habs. Keefe's fatal flaw is once the other coach figures out Keefe's weakness or if there is a hot goalie, Keefe has zero ability to adjust midgame. Keefe just keeps rolling out the same lines, refuses to adjust to what will help the team win, he has one approach and one approach only, he refuses to play a grinding game, when a grinding game is what that game dictates. Who is responsible to tell the guys like Simmonds, Ritchie, to take away the eyes of Jarry? How often did we just park a guy in front of the net and make life miserable on Jarry? On the 5 on 3 why the F was Bunting not on the ice? You send two of our guys to the net to take Jarrys eyes away and then bang and crash the net and ram the puck down their throat. This is what Bunting does. He is s junk yard dog and a crease critter. If a finesse game is not working ADJUST your game. Not Rocket Surgery Sheldon.

Last night is a preview of what we should expect in the playoffs, if we make it, this year.

 

[Bluelines]

Matthews has a history of immaturity off the ice... two years ago he sexually harassed a woman (could have gotten himself killed in the process) and proceeded to lie to his boss(es) about being in trouble with the law, I believe Dubas read about it via the news. Now last off season? Despite a brutal playoffs and should be recovering from surgery, its more important to get drunk with his "buddy" Justin. The guy has all the skill in the world, he's fluff between the ears however.

IMO Matty looks disinterested this year, like Hockey is a burden for him. I don't see the same aggressive take over the game compete level. He's normally a beast on a mission. I have not seen Beast Mode Matty this year. Most games he is invisible and his shot, jebus if feels like he's missed the net more times this year than in his career combined. and then I look at the stats and he has 7 goals in 16 games - 36 goal pace - looking disinterested he is on a 36 goal pace... must be nice to have his natural talent. He has yet to go on one of his hot streaks where he scores 11 goals in 7 games or 4 goals in one night.

 

[justloveleafs]

Bluelines, that is a very interesting post, I am not able to give it a l...e because, I am in the penalty box.

Friend of mine, who has this uncanny knowledge of hockey and who was ranked behind only lemieux and craig redmond, when he was 13, agrees with you...

His father enrolled him in another sport which I was coaching, and he fell in love with the sport and dropped hockey, his dad, who had gotten him to that number three spot, almost had a stroke lol...

I was a pro, and by the time he was 14, he was coaching me and took my game to a way higher level, than I ever thought possible.

I watched last nights game and it seemed like we played reasonably well , but Pittsburgh seemed to know every move we were either making or about to make.. We made them look like Cup contenders..


Keefe can still be retained, I suppose, but he needs an assistant who is a strategy genius, to prevent me having to watch, what I saw last night...

The Jays have something similar in Montoya imo, a guy who needs someone he can tap and go, what thee hcck can I do here..

This stuff in a lot of cases has to be on the spot, for adjustments...So yes, your lead manager or coach, really should have this skill, or a headset to the guy perhaps in seats who can get him making the right situatons happen..



I used to know every player in the NHL, AHL, heck every league in north america and many in Europe, I don't have that level of passion any more, other stuff to do...

But knowing the personnel is one thing, how to employ them in the conflict, is more important.

Very good post sir..

In closing, I will say that we have also have had bizarre bad luck offensively...posts, cross bars, pucks swirling around the goaline but never quite crossing it, never seen so much volume of bad puck luck.

I think the personnel for a strong performance in the playoffs is there... Maxing that personnels performance is paramount..

Final comment, love this Kase and Kampf duo... I think those two are better than having Hyman, great signings from Dubas...

Heck, Ritchie threw one of the cleanest yet most dangerous body checks I have seen a Leaf forward make in years...I am amazed the guy he hit didn't go down, and stay down, it was a massive thump...

That hit, is the reason people are still hiring this guy, cause if anyone could get him to do that with some scoring he would be a Neely lite...