Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 3-1

[Sypher04]

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.

No evidence he was any less injured then than now. Hes struggled far more than he’s had LA games - maybe just felt good that day for some reason.

This all said, I still maintain if he’s gonna be in the lineup he needs to be better than what we’ve gotten many nights this year.

In any case as long as relevant injuries exist they will be brought up. It’s inevitable and not unique to Matthews. Consider Marner’s playoffs last year where his ineffectiveness was regularly chocked up to lingering effects of his high ankle sprain (which also may have been legitimate)

 

[BTP]

Conspiracy talk:

No one has any problem saying Florida was tanking the past few games to match with the Leafs in Rd 1... What if The LEAFS tanked that game last night to give Florida 2 points to remain ahead of Ottawa, who were just 2 points behind them before the game started?

IT GOES BOTH WAYS bitches

we lost on purpose

 

[ToneDog]

Conspiracy talk:

No one has any problem saying Florida was tanking the past few games to match with the Leafs in Rd 1... What if The LEAFS tanked that game last night to give Florida 2 points to remain ahead of Ottawa, who were just 2 points behind them before the game started?

IT GOES BOTH WAYS bitches

we lost on purpose

Yup and now they need to complete the mission and not lose to Tampa in regulation or they will fall to 2nd and end up drawing Florida.

Is it possible that, if Florida was tanking, it was to avoid Tampa more than drawing the Leafs or both?

 

[NVious]

Conspiracy talk:

No one has any problem saying Florida was tanking the past few games to match with the Leafs in Rd 1... What if The LEAFS tanked that game last night to give Florida 2 points to remain ahead of Ottawa, who were just 2 points behind them before the game started?

IT GOES BOTH WAYS bitches

we lost on purpose

What if the Leafs were tanking the last decade to make us THINK they're soft/greedy and losers?

Man are we gonna look stupid when it comes out how hard they EPICLY TROLLED us (xD)

 

[Hellcat]

If we get swept by Florida in the 1st round, our pain will soon be soothed when they announce the 98 million dollar Marner extension so it's gonna be a good summer no matter what,

98 million that is cute, it wont be a penny below $100m.

 

[Gary Nylund]

98 million that is cute, it wont be a penny below $100m.

I basically picked a random number because it doesn't matter what we pay him, as long as we pay him.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Berube obviously trying to get the second line going (all with over 21 minutes) while resting the top line (all under 16 minutes, and still with the only goal).

 

[Nineteen67]

Crosby as a mentor instead of Marleau would have made a huge difference. Marleau was Lou's biggest blunder. Shanny made his biggest blunder by replacing him with an incompetent rookie who was dumb and dilutional.

Marleau wasn’t a problem. how they handled his retirement is a completely different story. They probably didn’t need him, but once they had him, he didn’t cause too much problems.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

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……..

What concerns me is hearing Knies post game saying the team played soft. Or Berube saying that one team wanted it more. They still haven’t figured that things like this are essential to beat a team like Florida? Let’s see how they respond tonight. It’ll be telling because Tampa has been playing very well.

 

[Nineteen67]

They had 4 SOG in the 3rd and I heard they were out chanced 11-1 in high danger area chances. Matthews first SOG in the game was on a pass from Mitch after a bad giveaway by Jones. That was a gift from the Gods.

That’s nothing new. We’ve seen that for eight years.

 

[Ports]

This place loves when we lose so much. It's so wierd.

We also love when they win but when there’s not much of that in the playoffs it’s the PTSD that understandably comes out. Same core group. Same opponents. Why would we think things will be any different ? That’s on management. Not the posters here.

 

[notDatsyuk]

2nd line was on for both goals. First line played the Panthers first line even. Neither line was good enough.

Other than JT losing the draw on the first and third goals, that line wasn't much at fault, and it did score our only one.

"First line played the Panthers first line even" is an interesting take.

 

[Nineteen67]

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.

Effort is not the problem with Marner, Matthews and Nylander

 

[Ports]

He wasn’t the only one but Rielly was truly awful this game. By far our worst defenceman, more so than Myers and Benoit.

Carlo can only do so much. He can’t play his position for him. Teams like the Panthers eat him up. He plays scared. That will never change.

 

[Ports]

If we get eliminated in the 1st round again and yet they still retain Marner, Tavares and Shanahan, then at least I'd know there's no reason to pay attention at all until the core is gone and I could try to do other things to take my mind off the fact that life sucks right now.

I am a cynical, rotten bastard but even I don't expect all of those things to happen. If they lose in the 1st round I wouldn't expect them to retain Marner (unless he goes God mode in the playoffs, which he probably won't) or Shanahan.

In that case, I think Marner will leave on his own and fortunately take that decision out of their hands. It shouldn’t be about how much he wants to get paid. It’s can they win with him. Half the fan base is freaked out that they let a great regular season player walk. I guess they’re so conditioned to losing in the playoffs that that’s enough for them. Unfortunately Shanahan thinks the same way too. He needs to be the first to go.

 

[notDatsyuk]

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.

You must really like that 0-0-0- -2 as this is the second time you mentioned it.

Actually, he got to the point quickly and did what he was supposed to do - force the shot. Weird that you have to try to blame him for Woll missing an unsceened point shot.

No mention that he forced the turnover for our only goal and set up JT for what could have been another?

 

[fahad203]

Well we will find out in few weeks who this team really is.

I am tired of lackluster effort in big games from our big boys.

 

[Ports]

Better yet, they could get 4 Laughtons for the price of a Marner...

8 if the other team retains 50%.

 

[notbias]

8 if the other team retains 50%.

I was being realistic... not enough assets for that.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

In that case, I think Marner will leave on his own and fortunately take that decision out of their hands. It shouldn’t be about how much he wants to get paid. It’s can they win with him. Half the fan base is freaked out that they let a great regular season player walk. I guess they’re so conditioned to losing in the playoffs that that’s enough for them. Unfortunately Shanahan thinks the same way too. He needs to be the first to go.

Say what you (I mean a general you, not you specifically) will about Mitch Marner, he's nowhere near as responsible for the past 9 or so years as Shanahan is, he's practically innocent by comparison.

Brendan Shanahan knows what it takes to win. He often played that way. He experienced success as a player. But he sold the entirety of his soul, his very soul, his essence...he threw it all away for schmoozing and corporate greed. His post-playing actions buried his playing legacy too deep to dig it back out. Unless we miraculously win a Cup with this core he will never be forgiven.

 

[Ports]

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.

There’s a lot ways to build a contender. They haven’t been able to get it done with Marner anyway. Colorado traded a better player in Ranatanen and are playing better without him but somehow the Leafs can’t possibly win without Marner. That’s Shanahan thinking.

 

[Ports]

I was being realistic... not enough assets for that.

And I was being sarcastic. One of him is too much.

 

[Ports]

Say what you (I mean a general you, not you specifically) will about Mitch Marner, he's nowhere near as responsible for the past 9 or so years as Shanahan is, he's practically innocent by comparison.

Brendan Shanahan knows what it takes to win. He often played that way. He experienced success as a player. But he sold the entirety of his soul, his very soul, his essence...he threw it all away for schmoozing and corporate greed. His post-playing actions buried his playing legacy too deep to dig it back out. Unless we miraculously win a Cup with this core he will never be forgiven.

You can go even higher. MLSE hired the guy who hired Shanahan who had no NHL managerial experience to start with. Then they let him hire a GM with the same lack of experience and together in their arrogance they made stupid, gutless decisions for 7 years and pissed away the future of the team. Ownership/ Management don’t have the courage or will to win a cup and that reflects in the players they have bet the farm on.

 

[fbuford]

Just irksome that it looked like Matthews needed to push north in that moment, chip it forward or at least just pin it on the wall and wait for support and he did the worst possible thing bailing on moving the puck north. That instinct is going to burn us under pressure in the playoffs.

Man, Matthews hasn't been looking like old Matthews, and, it's quite worrisome.
We need a McDavid/Drai, Crosby/Malkin, combo to carry us deep in the playoffs.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Not too late to trade the core

Way too late.

Marleau wasn’t a problem. how they handled his retirement is a completely different story. They probably didn’t need him, but once they had him, he didn’t cause too much problems.

He was a big problem after his first season here, and he played two more years after leaving the Leafs.