Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 4-1

[PromisedLand]

First loss against Detroit in 9 games (5 years!) in regulation.

Thats a sign. First time the Leafs are gonna go past the 1st round in the past 5 years and win the cup



(please God)

 

[Tak7]

It's remarkable just how thin that forward group looks when you take one name out of it.

They need Matthews back, but they also need their mojo back - that felt like an early season performance again tonight, alongside the Seattle embarrassment last week.

 

[Smif]

Also, Keefe is a moron for playing Simmonds and Benn. There was absolutely no reason to change up a winning lineup especially when Timmins has been excellent.

Benn was fine. IMO Rielly and Benn were better than Rielly-Holl

 

[Stephen]

Leafs these past two games without Matthews showing the problem we all know exists, a lack of offence. Like in 2021, if God forbid one of the Big Four Forwards gets injured we’re f***ed.

This team is overloaded with "utility" forwards when the Big 4 aren't clicking.

 

[Cleetus]

Boston perhaps coming back down to earth?

nope I doubt it..... they are playing amazing hockey. Seattle is playing very well

 

[ClarkSittler]

Hopefully Big Daddy 34 will be back for the Bruins, we need him.

 

[ryno23]

this was a game where Simmonds should have been all over Chairot and feed him his lunch for the numerous liberties he takes on Leafs players the last number of years. Knock him out before he injuries of the leafs down the road.

 

[Martin Skoula]

The bad part is Bunting and Keefe are the only ones who ever seem to get mad about anything and even they don’t do anything about it. I get that it’s a nothing game in January but you have to draw a line somewhere of how much abuse you’re gonna take before you retaliate.

 

[1specter]

Benn was fine. IMO Rielly and Benn were better than Rielly-Holl

Benn took a costly penalty and we really lacked offense which Timmins brings more of.

 

[LaPlante94]

Also, Keefe is a moron for playing Simmonds and Benn. There was absolutely no reason to change up a winning lineup especially when Timmins has been excellent.

You really think that's the reason we lost the game? Not that the entire team looked like shit and just didn't look like they could skate at all today. We were lucky Samsonov decided to show up or else it would've been much worse.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Also, Keefe is a moron for playing Simmonds and Benn. There was absolutely no reason to change up a winning lineup especially when Timmins has been excellent.

Timmins had a bad giveaway last night, late in the third .. Murray bailed him out. That's probably why he sat tonight.

Simmonds in is a bad call. He doesn't have the speed and tenacity to be disruptive and make a play to change momentum. Anderson should be up and played tonight.

But neither were the reason they lost. A lot of the team looked sluggish.

 

[6ix]

More explanation needed.

Wayne Simmonds and Jordie Benn.

No reason Timmins shouldn’t have played tonight. With Matthews out the offense is lacking, which Timmins has been brining.

 

[ClarkSittler]

Also, Keefe is a moron for playing Simmonds and Benn. There was absolutely no reason to change up a winning lineup especially when Timmins has been excellent.

Yep, especially when they added zero toughness except Benn's dumb penalty.

 

[wingman75]

Benn took a costly penalty and we really lacked offense which Timmins brings more of.

I really didn't like Benn tonight. Granted the entire team was bad. I felt we missed Timmins' puck movement more than anything.

 

[Voodoo Child]

The Leafs have been speed-bagging the Wings for the better part of a decade, it was bound to happen sometime.

But yet again it’s January 12th, the Metro is tighter than a duck’s ass and the ASG that no one likes is two weeks away.

Boston: 68
Toronto: 59
Tampa: 51
Everyone else: 42 or less

Does that look set to you? Because to me it looks about set…on January 12th, again.

 

[Smif]

This team is overloaded with "utility" forwards when the Big 4 aren't clickin

Wayne Simmonds and Jordie Benn.

No reason Timmins shouldn’t have played tonight. With Matthews out the offense is lacking, which Timmins has been brining.

I find the difference between Hunt and Simmonds is barely anything. Normally I would say Timmins is a huge factor vs Benn but his game last night was pretty rough.

 

[Mr_Fun]

Time for Reilly to pick his game up; both ends.

For the love of God Simmonds - save face and retire. Nobody in their right mind can possibly think he's contributing anything but lousyness.

Dud night for everyone. If I'm a dad at that game, I'm drinking a few more beers, downing 5 shots, then yelling at my kid for about 40 minutes.

 

[kb]

 

[LeafsNation75]

I need to get this off my chest but the refs tonight sucked.

Bunting gets a stick in his face and his helmet falls off and no penalty. Tavares barley slashes at a Red Wings player stick and gets 2:00 minutes, where as Liljegren gets his stick slashed in half and no penalty is called. Right before Detroit's 2nd goal Kerfoot gets his sticked kicked away and that's why they scored and no penalty is called.

 

[Stephen]

I find the difference between Hunt and Simmonds is barely anything. Normally I would say Timmins is a huge factor vs Benn but his game last night was pretty rough.

The Leafs seem to get a lot of those explicitly non offensive utility guys who can skate and keep the flow of a game going and keep things relatively safe defensively but have no scoring touch. It's a lot of Todd Warriner's.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Time for Reilly to pick his game up; both ends.

For the love of God Simmonds - save face and retire. Nobody in their right mind can possibly think he's contributing anything but lousyness.

Dud night for everyone. If I'm a dad at that game, I'm drinking a few more beers, downing 5 shots, then yelling at my kid for about 40 minutes.

 

[Aashir]

I’d like to add that I’m glad Ben Chiarot doesn’t actually play ice hockey. Dudes a sumo wrestler combined with a WWE athlete. Takedown after interference after tackle

 

[therealkoho]

Liljegren - Sandin combo was a little slash and burn tonight but still had some really solid minutes, they're still improving a little game to game, they're letting the game come to them and then creating turnovers with a strong transition game

Tough to win in this league missing such an important piece as Matthews, he can dominate both ends and open up the game for the 2 and 3 lines

 

[leafsfan5]

This team is overloaded with "utility" forwards when the Big 4 aren't clicking.

It's why I'm still not confident in the bottom 6 come playoff time. Kerfoot, Engvall, ZAR, Jarnkrok. I expect little to no offense out of these guys in a series

We definitely need more scoring come the TDL

 

[Stephen]

I wonder if Tavares will be next to take a 1 week holiday. He looks like he's low on batteries.