Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 3-1

[TheGreenTBer]

I'm not underestimating Tampa. They are good at home, terrible on the road, and the Leafs have pretty well dominated them this season. I think they are very likely to be a first round exit no matter which team they play.

I'd way rather play TB than Florida. TB's great and they have a goaltender that can go God mode, but we can legitimately match up and compete with them if Vas isn't superhuman.

We have nothing for the Panthers sometimes. They are in our heads Boston-style and they know it.

 

[Evilhomer]

I'd way rather play TB than Florida. TB's great and they have a goaltender that can go God mode, but we can legitimately match up and compete with them if Vas isn't superhuman.

We have nothing for the Panthers sometimes. They are in our heads Boston-style and they know it.

I agree, but unfortunately I don't know that the likelihood of the Leafs playing Tampa in the playoffs is very likely.

 

[notbias]

I’d rather sign JT and have 7 plus available to sign another player.

Who? Orlov is coming up, he just got a 7 million dollar contract and didn't live up to it...

Fantasy land is, yes, we sign multiple players to smaller contracts who out perform what Mitch could have done, that is the ideal scenario.

I just think more often than not, this doesn't happen.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I agree, but unfortunately I don't know that the likelihood of the Leafs playing Tampa in the playoffs is very likely.

We just have to beat the teams in front of us I guess, because at this stage we shouldn't have to hope for certain matchups.

Let's just all band together and hope they can finally do it. Things are going to be U-G-L-Y here if they lose in the first round, and if they get smoked in the 2nd round by Florida or someone else again it's not much better.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

It's not the fact we lost this game that concerns me, it's not a playoff game after all. But the way we lost does concern me. Florida heavy, pressuring play wasn't handled very well by the team, particularly the defence. They had trouble getting the puck out of the zone, and part of that was on the forwards as well.

One shot on goal total by Matthews, Marner, and Nylander reeks of playoff production from these three in key games. Great chance by Matthews to make a difference and score on that great chance in the third is a replay of the glorious chances in the playoffs.

Rielly making a key blunder, like the overtime goal in game 7 against the Bruins, at a key point in the game is another replay of the past. His constant lack of engagement and passing the puck to no one or the wrong colour jersey is common place with him.

Laughton was brought in to bring something against a heavy team like Florida. Once again, he was invisible and ineffective. His lack of offensive IQ is astonishing. He loses the puck too easily. I really don't understand what our pro scouts and Treliving saw in this guy.

Win tonight and we'll feel better because it distances us from finishing second and playing Florida in the first round. I don't think we match up well against these guys.

 

[definedMF]

I think enough isn't being said of our bottom six being smaller and less of a bite.

Laughton is a failed acquisition, Jarnkrok looks like he tries but just gets outbattled and muscled. Roberston has his giveaway warts and is small, yet Holmberg is succeeding on the line with Lorentz quite well. Its really just Domi, Holmberg, Lorentz in the bottom 6 worth any value. Patches might help a bit, but this is a huge glaring issue, core 4 aside.

 

[AllHeartNoSkill]

We just have to beat the teams in front of us I guess, because at this stage we shouldn't have to hope for certain matchups.

Let's just all band together and hope they can finally do it. Things are going to be U-G-L-Y here if they lose in the first round, and if they get smoked in the 2nd round by Florida or someone else again it's not much better.

I’m not so sure it’ll get THAT ugly. I’ve resigned myself to believing that making the playoffs yearly is considered “successful enough” by the organization. If they were truly concerned with getting better, we would have seen more meaningful moves than tinkering with the bottom pairings.

A first or second round exit SHOULD result in a purge of the front office. But that’s been true for several years now.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I’m not so sure it’ll get THAT ugly. I’ve resigned myself to believing that making the playoffs yearly is considered “successful enough” by the organization. If they were truly concerned with getting better, we would have seen more meaningful moves than tinkering with the bottom pairings.

A first or second round exit SHOULD result in a purge of the front office. But that’s been true for several years now.

Like I said earlier, if they lost in the 1st round and keep Marner, Tavares and Shanahan I'll just find another hobby until the core leaves. To put it bluntly: if they don't care, why should we?

I totally agree with you, full stop. Major changes should have been made after Columbus or Montreal, and that's not hindsight. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that, and if it does, better late than never I guess.

 

[rumman]

Like I said earlier, if they lost in the 1st round and keep Marner, Tavares and Shanahan I'll just find another hobby until the core leaves. To put it bluntly: if they don't care, why should we?

I totally agree with you, full stop. Major changes should have been made after Columbus or Montreal, and that's not hindsight. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that, and if it does, better late than never I guess.

What about rooting for another team? This clown show is getting old, it’s even hard to find something new to post sbout here because we’ve seen all before, multiple times……..

 

[TheGreenTBer]

What about rooting for another team? This clown show is getting old, it’s even hard to find something new to post sbout here because we’ve seen all before, multiple times……..

For me, the answer to that is:

Never. Never, ever, EVER in a million years. I'll stop watching the NHL altogether before I cheer for a different team. If that means I never see a Stanley Cup so be it.

But I understand if others think otherwise.

 

[ACC1224]

For me, the answer to that is:

Never. Never, ever, EVER in a million years. I'll stop watching the NHL altogether before I cheer for a different team. If that means I never see a Stanley Cup so be it.

But I understand if others think otherwise.

If you could start cheering for another team you were never really much of a fan to begin with.

 

[CuuuJooo]

Since it wasn't a great game, my favourite moment of the night was actually from Gord Miller in the third period:

"You can hear chants of 'USA! USA! USA'. . .

. . . as Carter Verhaeghe streaks down the ice with the puck. . .

. . . only to have it taken off his stick by Auston Matthews of the Leafs."

I don't think I've ever heard an announcer roll his eyes on the air before.

 

[darrylsittler27]

The writing is on the wall. That Laughton acquisition will likely spell the end of the front office. A new Gm will have an empty cupboard to work with a undoable purge with all the nmcs. Very messy and completely hoping for the right matchups. Who says Ottawa won't beat them?

 

[Evilhomer]

The writing is on the wall. That Laughton acquisition will likely spell the end of the front office. A new Gm will have an empty cupboard to work with a undoable purge with all the nmcs. Very messy and completely hoping for the right matchups. Who says Ottawa won't beat them?

This seems like a rational reaction to a team that has lost twice in its past 10 games?

 

[darrylsittler27]

This seems like a rational reaction to a team that has lost twice in its past 10 games?

Given the cores history and the fact they added Laughton ,at a huge expense , to support them means logically we will be crying about a lack of goals...again. I don't care about reg season stats. I will be shocked if this core wins 2 rounds and then 3 years of no picks and empty cupboards. My prediction? Pain!

 

[yubbers]

Could be worse. Just saw the Nuks / Stars game highlights. WOW

 

[Niagara Bill]

I think enough isn't being said of our bottom six being smaller and less of a bite.

Laughton is a failed acquisition, Jarnkrok looks like he tries but just gets outbattled and muscled. Roberston has his giveaway warts and is small, yet Holmberg is succeeding on the line with Lorentz quite well. Its really just Domi, Holmberg, Lorentz in the bottom 6 worth any value. Patches might help a bit, but this is a huge glaring issue, core 4 aside.

On a night when big guys were silent the bottom had nothing.

 

[rumman]

For me, the answer to that is:

Never. Never, ever, EVER in a million years. I'll stop watching the NHL altogether before I cheer for a different team. If that means I never see a Stanley Cup so be it.

But I understand if others think otherwise.

I know your from New York state so another team in Toronto wouldn’t have much of an effect at changing your opinion in that would it?

 

[Stephen]

Do we need to speculate on Matthews’ injury every time he plays poorly? He was 110% in that LA game but so banged up just because he was ineffective vs Florida? He often struggles in a low scoring, defensive and physically tight matchup environments.

 

[Confucius]

Who? Orlov is coming up, he just got a 7 million dollar contract and didn't live up to it...

Fantasy land is, yes, we sign multiple players to smaller contracts who out perform what Mitch could have done, that is the ideal scenario.

I just think more often than not, this doesn't happen.

Hard to believe we can’t replace at a bare minimum the 23 points with 7 plus million and we end up with more goals. Maybe we can’t, I’m just saying that’s what I’d do. Lol

 

[TheGreenTBer]

If you could start cheering for another team you were never really much of a fan to begin with.

I've never been the best at holding in emotions; I have to do it at work and with my family, and with hockey and on this board they come out, sometimes to a fault. Good or bad, my feelings and posts are genuine. When I post like I'm angry, I'm angry. The reverse is true.

You can't fake that. You can't fake being a fan. You might be able to take a break but you can never fully turn it off. You can't fake the spontaneous reactions and emotional feelings, and I feel like cheering for another team is just that: empty and hollow. I don't know how other people can do it but I can't. If by some miracle this team ever wins a Stanley Cup I will cry like a baby, literally, and I don't care if that is embarassing. You just can't fake that with another team.

You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave.

 

[Optimist]

Do we need to speculate on Matthews’ injury every time he plays poorly? He was 110% in that LA game but so banged up just because he was ineffective vs Florida? He often struggles in a low scoring, defensive and physically tight matchup environments.

Matthews looked like he was out for an optional morning skate last night.

 

[Tak7]

Since it wasn't a great game, my favourite moment of the night was actually from Gord Miller in the third period:

"You can hear chants of 'USA! USA! USA'. . .

. . . as Carter Verhaeghe streaks down the ice with the puck. . .

. . . only to have it taken off his stick by Auston Matthews of the Leafs."

I don't think I've ever heard an announcer roll his eyes on the air before.

MJ's little giggles in the background were perfect during that sequence too

 

[Sypher04]

I’m sure some here will call it delusion but I still think this team can beat Florida in a playoff series.

Now absolute turds like they laid last night certainly don’t instill confidence, but at the end of the day we couldn’t really have played much worse. The way Florida played us certainly is part of that, but we played like a team that just did not care about the game at all.

In short. I believe we were our own problem moreso than Florida and adjustments will be made. We have a lot more to give and if they bring it in the playoffs we will be competitive. If they don’t, well, it’ll look like last night

If hypothetically we eliminate Ottawa and draw the Panthers in the 2nd round we’ll no doubt have to dig deep and our best guys will need to lead - which they appeared to have no interest in doing last night.

 

[Jojalu]

Willie ended the game with 0 shots, 0 hits, 0 blocks. If he didn't have a -2 beside his name or being seen in the highlight making the feeble attempt to get to the point on the first goal, you'd wonder if he dressed. Zero effort on display last night.

Go rewatch.

He didn't have a great game but I will guarantee he had min 2 hits in the third.

One on a hard forecheck, and another in the defensive zone.

Since I only watched in the third I can't speak for the first two periods.