Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 3-1 To VGK

[Mess]

That was a rough game as Vegas had Leafs on their heels and on the ropes most of the night.

They really left poor Sammy out to dry and forced him to make many high quality saves while keeping the Leafs in it.

The score could have been 8-1 or so without some some goaltending on Leafs part.

Vegas speed really showed in his one as they attacked in waves and only a few times 3-4 times did the Leafs hem the Knights in their own zone and sustain some pressure.

Every period started with Vegas getting 5-6 shot on net before the Leafs finally responded with one of their own.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

I like many others here liked the way Samsonov played. Murray's injury was largely anticipated I'd think, but at least Samsonov is doing well. 1 for 2 is better than 0 for 2.

The Atlantic is much more competitive this year it seems. You don't have that big separation between the top and bottom teams. There's 4 teams with 8 points now. Buffalo, Detroit & Ottawa have taken a step up, & Boston hasn't collapsed.

 

[ULF_55]

I've read this sentiment several times so far this season. It's just another excuse for a poorly run organization.

Perhaps, but if Matthews and marner were on another team performing like they are would you blame management?

The problem is really much closer to the ice than management.

Management can be blamed for keeping the stars of the team.

At this point it is Matthews and marner who are the problem. They could be the solution as early as next game, but really, they've not done their job. Their job isn't to have good advanced stats. That's for losers, and a pathetic place to hide. Their job is to produce and help the team win games.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Hard to stay up and watch to da bitter end .. wow team completely outskated all game long .. and also outworked on wall and net front .. Vegas is a good team and I think very underrated on here re hockey skills of their personnel .. Sammy played like a man possessed and held team in this game .. without him this one was over in 1st period .. Willy still looks sick but again he had a few moments in game where he decided to be da man (I see some signs of life) .. Rielly has been bad outside of game 1 in Montreal and heart he showed but he just is not strong enough to play a defensive game .. until we get a big man who can skate beside him he is gonna struggle ..Holl and Rielly were awful again

but bottom line what you are all seeing unfold is exactly what I told you guys from camp --- Matty is still not in game shape .. until Matty starts to be able to tilt da ice on his shifts in our favour this team will not be successful .. we can't keep get caved down middle of ice each and every game .. hockey games are decided down da middle you need a centre who skates faster then other centre and tilts da ice .. then you need defensemen who don't give up da centre of ice for easy goals and chances .. right now we won a few games with skill and speed of Willy twice and Robertson once .. but you can't expect wingers to win you pro games consistently

 

[The Podium]

That was a rough game as Vegas had Leafs on their heels and on the ropes most of the night.

They really left poor Sammy out to dry and forced him to make many high quality saves while keeping the Leafs in it.

The score could have been 8-1 or so without some some goaltending on Leafs part.

Vegas speed really showed in his one as they attacked in waves and only a few times 3-4 times did the Leafs hem the Knights in their own zone and sustain some pressure.

Every period started with Vegas getting 5-6 shot on net before the Leafs finally responded with one of their own.

I thought Samsonov sucked according to his last 3 year performance?

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Good thing Simmonds and Clifford were in the lineup, the players felt so comfortable out there!

It's good thing bums like Kerfoot and Engvall were in the line-up to add scoring contributions. Also to add to your narrative.

 

[notbias]

This is not a popular opinion with many other Leafs fans, however it needs to be said once again... Rielly IS NOT a true number 1 defense man. He is an average number 2 at best. I agree, I think he is an ideal number 3 on a 2nd pairing.

He is a great skater but doesn't have much else to offer to be a true number 1. No point shot, not toughness in front of our net, and sometimes his decision making is very flawed. I sometimes question his hockey IQ.

JMHO.

It all depends on how you define #1, he is somewhere around 15 in the league, and unless you think a true #1 is the top like 10 (whatever the cutoff is), then he is a true #1, and likely the best D on 50% or more of the teams in the league.

Mind finding 45 D better than him (average #2)? And maybe even some people agreeing with you? Most rankings I see have him from 12-15 usually.

He definitely has flaws.

 

[Eye Test]

Matthews has been winning puck battles/board battles. Puck goes in the offensive zone if it is not on Matthews' stick it is out of offensive zone in a jiffy.

Also, they are taking away the Matthews shot on PP; so Leafs need to do something different except they have two muffins in marner/rielly on the PP; Rielly doesn't evven have a slapper; if I was Matthews I'd be frustrated with my linemates.

Why is Morgan on the PP? He is a puck moving defenceman with an emphasis on skating the puck. Except on the PP he just drop passes it to marner or Matthews to skate it up which makes him redundant.

whoever thought to throw Matthews on the point needs to be fired. Even if you have someone with a cannon across from Matthews (say in his normal spot on the pp), it doesn’t matter because you have marner on the other side who can’t shoot so they just angle their players to block Matthews forehand side. Then we just pass it around the perimeter for another 20 seconds.

Put sandin or Robertson on the point and Willy in marners spot. We have so much talent and it’s being used wrong.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Good thing Simmonds and Clifford were in the lineup, the players felt so comfortable out there!

Did you stay up and watch the game?

What is your sincere opinion?

 

[BackPassChampions]

The overall team looks like it has regressed this year.

We used to be fast, play with some more sand paper, we had a bright future to continue to get better. We looked dangerous.

Compared to all the more skilled talent we used to have throughout the line up in 2016-2017, it’s pathetic how Dubas gutted this team.

 

[Fogelhund]

Hard to stay up and watch to da bitter end .. wow team completely outskated all game long .. and also outworked on wall and net front .. Vegas is a good team and I think very underrated on here re hockey skills of their personnel .. Sammy played like a man possessed and held team in this game .. without him this one was over in 1st period .. Willy still looks sick but again he had a few moments in game where he decided to be da man (I see some signs of life) .. Rielly has been bad outside of game 1 in Montreal and heart he showed but he just is not strong enough to play a defensive game .. until we get a big man who can skate beside him he is gonna struggle ..Holl and Rielly were awful again

but bottom line what you are all seeing unfold is exactly what I told you guys from camp --- Matty is still not in game shape .. until Matty starts to be able to tilt da ice on his shifts in our favour this team will not be successful .. we can't keep get caved down middle of ice each and every game .. hockey games are decided down da middle you need a centre who skates faster then other centre and tilts da ice .. then you need defensemen who don't give up da centre of ice for easy goals and chances .. right now we won a few games with skill and speed of Willy twice and Robertson once .. but you can't expect wingers to win you pro games consistently

As I've said in the trade thread.. I see two main problems. (Matty's issue will fix itself).

1. Muzzin was our shutdown D pair... He made Holl look like a passable second liner, and NHLer... without Muzzin, Holl isn't the former, and not sure he's the latter.

2. Brodie doesn't seem capable of babysitting Rielly anymore. Morgan has never been good defensively, might have actually gotten worse. I don't know if that's a Brodie problem, or Morgan problem.

I'm not even sure how this gets fixed if Muzzin is done. It would be an extremely tough, and unpopular move, but I feel like Mo and Holl should go, bring in Chych to replace Mo and then a Murphy/Mayfield for a new shutdown pairing...

 

[Ianturnedbull]

That was a rough game as Vegas had Leafs on their heels and on the ropes most of the night.

They really left poor Sammy out to dry and forced him to make many high quality saves while keeping the Leafs in it.

The score could have been 8-1 or so without some some goaltending on Leafs part.

Vegas speed really showed in his one as they attacked in waves and only a few times 3-4 times did the Leafs hem the Knights in their own zone and sustain some pressure.

Every period started with Vegas getting 5-6 shot on net before the Leafs finally responded with one of their own.

I think that travel was a factor. I know visiting teams aren't always lifeless, but often times they can be from jet lag, etc.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

When a team allows Samsonov to get shelled like that, losing puck battles, etc., then jet lag/travel has to be a factor. It sucks, but sometimes good teams lose in situations like this. They'll be a lot better in the next game.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I've read this sentiment several times so far this season. It's just another excuse for a poorly run organization.

Probably because this was the case last season where we set franchise records

 

[notbias]

The overall team looks like it has regressed this year.

We used to be fast, play with some more sand paper, we had a bright future to continue to get better. We looked dangerous.

Compared to all the more skilled talent we used to have throughout the line up in 2016-2017, it’s pathetic how Dubas gutted this team.

People seem to be complaining a lot about the core he inherited right now, and they don't seem to be too upset with the JT signing.

I've seen Matthews, Marner, and Rielly all brought up a lot.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

The team is good when Matthews Marner are clicking, when they’re not, they’re average. And right now, they’re having a lot of bad luck.

Ya, it's the 2 top lines, then a big drop off after that. Not a lot of depth.

Not surprising seeing as how the money is being gobbled up by the Fab Four Forwards. They have to perform or we are in trouble.

The defense is average imho, and we will rely on Samsnov & hope he stays healthy.

Playoffs have not been our forte either. The battles get tougher, and time & space is even more limited. Our "warriors" tend to fade a bit in that kind of environment. Some teams in the Atlantic that were bottom feeders in the past have gotten a lot better too. That won't make it any easier.

 

[1specter]

These guys need to wake the f*** up and understand that it's not gonna be a cakewalk, especially this year. Last season Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit and Buffalo were fairly bad teams.... Buffalo, Ottawa and Detroit have definitely improved and even Montreal is off to a better start than expected (though I don't think it's sustainable). The Bruins are also playing really well under their new coach and with their #2C back in Krejci.

This division is a bloodbath, they can't piss away points from not giving effort, it's not acceptable.

 

[stealth1]

Probably because this was the case last season where we set franchise records

That was last season. While Matthews and Marner will eventually get going, I do see regression. They are a slower team then last year and the depth is worse.

 

[ToneDog]

Samsonov is playing for his next contract. He'll likely be gone to a better team next season! Too bad our skaters are letting him down and letting him know that they could care less about supporting him!

Small sample size but watching him last night got me thinking we should see if he is interested in resigning now for a reasonable number and term.

 

[egd27]

Probably because this was the case last season where we set franchise records and got nowhere in the playoffs.

Finished it for you.

 

[notbias]

Samsonov is playing for his next contract. He'll likely be gone to a better team next season! Too bad our skaters are letting him down and letting him know that they could care less about supporting him!

he is an RFA, he is gone if we want him to be gone.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

That was last season. While Matthews and Marner will eventually get going, I do see regression. They are a slower team then last year and the depth is worse.

Until Matty starts skating like Matty can skate this team won't do much .. try just watching Matty play every shift rather then watching da game .. it is hard to do but once you do you will get it ASAP

 

[ToneDog]

Until Matty starts skating like Matty can skate this team won't do much .. try just watching Matty play every shift rather then watching da game .. it is hard to do but once you do you will get it ASAP

Either Matty scores 60 in the last 60-70 games of the season or he has an off year and gives us a big discount.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Either Matty scores 60 in the last 60-70 games of the season or he has an off year and gives us a big discount.

It really has nothing to do with his shooting .. next game he might score 4 goals out of 4 shots and team could still lose 5-4 .. bottom line it is not his scoring which is da problem it is his skating .. once he gets back in game shape and tilts ice we will be fine again

 

[egd27]

These guys need to wake the f*** up and understand that it's not gonna be a cakewalk, especially this year. Last season Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit and Buffalo were fairly bad teams.... Buffalo, Ottawa and Detroit have definitely improved and even Montreal is off to a better start than expected (though I don't think it's sustainable). The Bruins are also playing really well under their new coach and with their #2C back in Krejci.

This division is a bloodbath, they can't piss away points from not giving effort, it's not acceptable.

A bit of cherry picking I admit......but I heard the other day that the Leafs only got 3 points out of a possible 20 against Montreal, Buffalo, and Arizona in the 2022 calendar year so far. That's the 24th, 31st and 32nd place teams from the 21-22 season.

I get there are upsets in sport, but they are usually the exception, not the rule.