Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 3-1

[likecheese]

I think he needs to give it the full season. With that being said, in 2019 I said I’d give Dubas a couple years to straighten things out...he will lose me this year, though, if we flounder again.

Especially if the Habs can rebuild on the fly and have a more successful year. This is a weak division, we’ve never had a better opportunity to go deep.

The Habs lapping us would be the ultimate insult and they've made some moves that are working for them, I agree that it's early to start pounding the drums but win or lose, personally speaking, my job is a black hole and I tune in to these games at night for entertainment purposes, not to fill my evenings with a dumpload of boring, sloppy, uninspired hockey after all the hype and payouts (excuse the rant).
What was the high point of this core group anyway? A respectable loss in 6 games to the Caps? Their time is almost up.

 

[Cobra777]

All these excuses about trying to shut down 2 superstars etc. etc. Come on. We have more depth than e
Edmonton by a country mile if the Superstars neutralize each other. The Flames and the Habs didn't have trouble beating this team why do we? Coaching maybe. Thing is this team always has an excuse!!

agree

 

[Cobra777]

Nicely stated. Nobody knows if you can win with 1/2 your cap going to 4 forwards but I am coming to the conclusion this one cannot unless it is surrounded by a better supporting. Hence the short term dilema. If the answer is Dubas' great drafting, we are a minimum of a couple of years away. Sadly the answer might be that one of our 3 $11M players needs to go.

Thanks Tone, problem is it seems AM shows up game in and out most nights and carries play and is noticeable, if Marner and Nylander could play like their 1st couple seasons most games mabe we wouldn't be having this discussion, even JT was real good like his 1st season with us.

Now out of the 3 they never fire on all cylinders at the same time, too many nights one shows up to play while the others are invisible it seems and then the rest of the team is quite a few tiers down in quality due to cap. Reilly was good with Hainsey go figure and now struggles in games and possesses no big threat(big shot) from the point ala guys like Weber, former McCabe, etc and a few others which makes a power play lethal in balance with some of our skilled forwards. He is a great skater and carries the puck well up ice but defense has not been strong for him since Hainsey left.

I find Nylander still floats too much and Marner just seems to botch things up forcing passes and plays that just are not there creating turn overs and hasn't been his Magical sharp self since the big raise. Also being smallish he possesses no forecheck with feeble tenacity in puck battles and cannot help the team when his prime skills are in struggle. We have too many that just refuse to bang and crash like other teams which force turn overs and make them hard to play against. Going out getting a few older players to do that just does not cut an identity, however I am ok with the way they have contributed for the small contracts they accepted.

To beat Toronto and most teams in the league know is to clog up the middle of the ice with a hard fore check on the puck carrier to neutralize their skill

 

[likecheese]

I find Nylander still floats too much and Marner just seems to botch things up forcing passes and plays that just are not there creating turn overs and hasn't been his Magical sharp self since the big raise. Also being smallish he possesses no forecheck with feeble tenacity in puck battles and cannot help the team when his prime skills are in struggle. We have too many that just refuse to bang and crash like other teams which force turn overs and make them hard to play against. Going out getting a few older players to do that just does not cut an identity, however I am ok with the way they have contributed for the small contracts they accepted.

To beat Toronto and most teams in the league know is to clog up the middle of the ice with a hard fore check on the puck carrier to neutralize their skill

Marner's forced passes are getting painful to watch. It's easier said than done but the obvious strategy is to stop the pass to Matthews and Marner is having a terrible time dealing with it. You could give him a free pass to the net and he's not going to score, nobody is leaving the pass to Matthews open to stop that shot. I wish they had a sniper for the left side, somebody else for Marner to pass to, but they don't. Mikheyev is just more of Johnsson and Hyman is just a puck retriever.
None of it even matters anyway if Matthews is the only guy playing with any tenacity and forcing loose pucks. At least Hyman brings that. You could put Hyman there and move your dman with the heavy shot into the play as an option but they don't have that either. Maybe Robertson will be the answer at some point.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Good teams roll over opponents same as the Lightning, sometimes yes they have bad games, but our team game in and out is a flip coin cracker jack what prize inside are going to show up. IMHO this core will go nowhere, AM is the only real deal as he is now taking the body when opportunity arises, puck possession and support is excellent as well as he come back to back check, Nylander shows up 1 game out of every 5 it seams wouldn't break an egg if a dozen eggs were fitted in his pants and Marner who was one of the most dynamic hockey players his 1st 2 seasons where every time he touched the puck MAGIC happened has almost just disappeared into coughing up pucks and disappointment after his big contract so far. I don't give a RATS AZZ what type of flames I receive for stating the truth. Truth is with everyone touting so much talent and firepower on this team they are NOT rolling over teams as they should and struggle beating teams in rebuild and did not take advantage of another team(Oilers who have played poorly). I don't think there are too many here that if they had the 40+ mill all over again would spend it on these same guys other than one contract for Mathews. Yes I know its only 5 games in but the same type of problems keep rearing its ugly head from last season and I don't have to list them all.

Here here ... very well stated