Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 4-2

[Superstar]

We're fine at 2-2 and looking solid. Hell, even down 3-2 we have a legit shot.

Even the GTG wasn't much of a play

Some of the young core on this team like Marner, Nylander and Rielly still need to mature...there's no need to lose focus, be reckless and implode being up by a goal or in a 2-2 tied game midway in the 3rd. Nylander playing scared with the delay of game penalty and Marner was losing patience trying to do everything by himself in a tie game...no idea what Rielly was doing turning around to stare at the ice in front of Andersen with Miller crashing the net for the 3rd Vancouver goal - the obvious play was to shield out the opponent and let Andersen get the puck...welp, we all saw what that led to.

 

[therealkoho]

The Good: They showed they are the better team when they want to be(that's the bad) and they didn't show enough desire to go to the net, they didn't win races they should have won, they let the Nux take some free shots at Matty with no push back and that was unforgiveable....jeezzus this is supposed to be the good

The Bad: As soon as the referees let those, not one but two face off infractions go, I said to my wife, "that's it the Leafs can't win this!" She said "are you going to turn it off," and I said without a hint of irony "no way sweetie it's early!"

The Ugly: I'd truly love to see the referees explanation of not calling what seemed like at least 3 blatant interference calls if not 5, the face-off thing and the numerous stick infractions by Boesser.

So it's Saturday night and that game did nothing to slake my thirst for NHL hockey, it left me feeling frustrated and unfulfilled so I thought what the heck I stay up and take in the Edmonton Calgary tilt, Oilers 3 Flamers 2, what a great hockey game Tkachuk within the first 8 minutes was a missile and flattened 3 Oilers, Lucic and Nurse went at it, and then Neal and Tkachuk, we are talking old time hockey, the hits were 42 - 40 Oilers, it was a rockin game. The reason I'm telling you this is that if the Flames go down a couple of Dmen, Dubas needs to get on the phone pronto and and acquire Matt Tkachuk for whatever the cost within reason

just think

Tkachuk - Matty - Mitch

that line couldn't be stopped and those cheap shots on Auston that we've seen too many of this year will finally stop, although maybe the referees should just do their frickin jobs

 

[Lainehasaweirdface]

The refs still have to make a call on it though. They let trips go all the time that probably should be called and call trips that the other team does to their own players.

Maybe its just that they dont wanna let the refs handle that hand grenade and the simplicity of it is an easy out?

That's more missing the call with their eyes than judging what the intent of the offending player was. It happens w/ DoG penalties too. Refs get together to determine whether it deflected or went straight out. They get it wrong sometimes.

 

[Superstar]

It wasn’t always that way. The GMs had their reasons for changing the rule. Maybe fan safety?

Wouldn't we all love it if it's the playoffs, and all teams do is just keep flipping pucks out to get a face-off...man, that would be sooo entertaining...

I'm okay with the delay of game penalty...players know the rule...it's like being responsible for your stick not to take a high-sticking penalty...I mean, players can no longer be like Glenn Anderson and raise their sticks to someone's face to avoid getting hit.

 

[Menzinger]

Wouldn't we all love it if it's the playoffs, and all teams do is just keep flipping pucks out to get a face-off...man, that would be sooo entertaining...

Though how is it all that different from just icing the puck? Which isn't a penalty.

 

[ACC1224]

Though how is it all that different from just icing the puck? Which isn't a penalty.

You aren’t always able to ice the puck and you can’t make a line change. It’s so much easier to fire it over the glass then down the ice.

 

[Superstar]

Though how is it all that different from just icing the puck? Which isn't a penalty.

Maybe Bettman is cheap and don't want the fans to get all the pucks...there is a difference, they have to draw the line somewhere...the opposition has a chance to keep the puck in on an attempted icing whether along the boards or up the middle...flipping the puck high and out of the rink? Not so much.

 

[Zack47]

Put Andersen in... we start losing... and of course, with a thirds period lead... Houston, we have a problem

 

[Menzinger]

You aren’t always able to ice the puck and you can’t make a line change. It’s so much easier to fire it over the glass then down the ice.

It may be easier in some circumstances but I dont think the gap in effort for either is all that big.

A defensive zone faceoff + blocked line change option seems a more reasonable consequence than a penalty in this situation

 

[ACC1224]

It may be easier in some circumstances but I dont think the gap in effort for either is all that big.

A defensive zone faceoff + blocked line change option seems a more reasonable consequence than a penalty in this situation

Perhaps, yet the GMs changed the rule for some reason.

 

[Twine Tickler]

My recap of the "losing streak"

game 1- Were far and away the better team. 68% share HDCF, 65% xGF share. We lost because of excellent goaltending. WHich is going to happen regardless of how good the team is. This combined with playing a rested VAN team on our 3rd game in 4 nights... C'est La Vie

Game 2- Alot more even of a game. Thought the canucks as a whole looked pretty solid. Demko again stood tall when he needed to. 5v5 we were the better team, but we couldn't find a way to get a kill. The tying goal and GWG were unlucky bounces that are avoidable when you make the right plays beforehand. Willy's puck over glass penalty is as bareheaded of a play I have seen all year. When the puck rolls on edge like that in the defensive zone, and you are looking to go high and hard I completely get it. It Happens. Willy had all but exited the zone and thought the wise play was to go off the glass to get most likely get it in deep, but not deep enough for icing. Its a lazy play. 10 feet more, he has the red line and can dump and change. Complete trash. I can get behind players making mistakes, this one is inexcusable. The was no puck pressure, and we were at that point dominating the run of play. the subsequent kill was actually good, but they got a lucky one by Andy off bogo, and then another broken play circa 2019-20 with marner that lead to the GWG. VAN certainly looked more motivated yesterday, and played more than well enough to win. However, we had the lead in the 3rd, and were the better team in the 3rd, and somehow lost by 2..........

disappointed in the finish yesterday, but overall they played well enough to get 4pts, just the way she goes sometimes

 

[Mikeyg]

Put Campbell in the net, fred is just a loser unfortunately. Losers will always be losers.

 

[Racer88]

Good for you. What’s a hardo?

I was wondering what a “hardo” is as well

 

[Racer88]

Though how is it all that different from just icing the puck? Which isn't a penalty.

In a normal season the NHL loses the puck when it goes into the stands and those Buggers are expensive.
LOL

 

[ShaneFalco]

Tavares said it best, would could have been a great road trip, turned into a pretty good one

Looking forward to getting Robertson in the lineup, and Wayne back
Also looking forward to a trade to bolster the lineup

 

[ShaneFalco]

Clifford would have been nice right now

 

[zeke]

to blame the goalie on a night Marner coughed up 2 goals is really rich. never blame magic mitch.

Leafs Last night with Nylander-Tavares on the ice:
Shot attempts: 10-1 for Leafs
Shots: 6-0 for Leafs
Scoring chances: 6-1 for Leafs
Goals: 1-0 for Leafs

We can blame more than one player.

Mitch sucked, Freddy sucked.

Fred sucks much more than Mitch on average tho.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Tavares said it best, would could have been a great road trip, turned into a pretty good one

Looking forward to getting Robertson in the lineup, and Wayne back
Also looking forward to a trade to bolster the lineup

Don't think Robertson is close to physically ready enough to handle an NHL schedule (especially this one). He will be someday, but I think that he's a pretty big non-factor in the short term.

I agree with you entirely regarding Simmonds, who will bolster a dimension of this team that they're short of. I also agree that they need a trade to bolster the forward group. Preferably it will be a top 6 left wing to compliment what we have at center and on thr right wing. Thornton has something to add up there, but can't play those minutes every night. Alex Kerfoot simply isn't a top 6 guy, IMO and while Zack Hyman is, he dominates while carrying the third line and belongs there on a complete team.

Rackell, Forsberg, Hall, Palmieri (moving Nylander to the left)... That's the type of piece Toronto is missing in their top 6 right now to complete a line.

IMO, in a perfect world it would be something like...

Rackell-Matthews-Marner
Nylander-Tavares-Hyman
Thornton-Engvall-Mikheyev
Simmonds-Boyd-Spezza
Vesey

I don't think the staff sees it the same way though.

 

[Rondo Hatton]

I actually really like the rule.

So do I, I also like that it's absolute - no consideration of intention.

Nylander screwed up and in a game where we were not in top form, it cost us what precarious grip we had on the game. These are lessons to be learned along the way. Minor speed bump.

 

[The Kessel Run]

Leafs allowed 7 shots in the 3rd. Freddy posted a .571 SV. That’s how you lose.

maybe but they didn’t play well enough to win either way.

 

[flying v 604]

Because there is no real competition in the CDN div to seriously test the Leafs, and they don't really need to compete at a high level that there are some concern creeping into Leafs overall game.

Matthews high sticking as he clips a player and Van scores.
Nylander coming out of his own zone with no pressure puts the puck over glass delay of game and Van ties the game.
Marner has 2 X careless giveaways near center and Canucks score on both turnovers to win the game.

The fear that complacency is going to raise its ugly head as Leafs coast to a playoff spot, might result in more of these types of mental breakdowns, which will result in losses even against poor teams.

Hopefully these losses, and the Winnipeg set coming up will snap the Leafs out of this mini funk as they look to hold off the Jets for the Div lead. We need more Edmonton effort than Van effort in their play.

Do you actually think the Leafs are that much better than a team like Vancouver? the way Vancouver has played since the 3-1 loss to you guys has been at a close level to the team that was one highlight-reel save from advancing to the conference finals.
This version is capable of beating anyone Hamonic and Nate have turned a corner and bubbleDemko seems to be for real.
I still think The Leafs and Nucks are the best teams in the North and hopefully they can get on a run cuz, for pure entertainment having to teams that play an entertaining brand of hockey, a North playoff series between them would be fun as hell to watch

 

[Gallagbi]

Interesting premise. 100% laughable but interesting nevertheless

Your boy had a terrible night and he's in a funk. Don't worry, it happens

 

[Judas Tavares]

One thing we've seen this year is the randomness of goals going in. I mean we see it every year but I feel like with more of a baseball series style of play, it is more noticeable.

Take the Vanouver series in Toronto and series in Edmonton.

28 goals on 161 shots in 6 games. A 17% shooting %.

Take the two Rittich games and these past 2 Demko games.

5 goals on 144 shots in 4 games. A 3% shooting %.

Sometimes you need to take the highs and lows in stride and just kind of chill. The game to game emotional swings is wild and I get it is part of being a fan. But like I exhibited this when I was 10.

Nowadays one good game doesn't have me planning a parade and one bad game doesn't have me screaming to tear it down. Give me the big picture at the end and analyze from there. I save my freaking out for Game 7s when it is truly do or die. Otherwise hockey would kill me!

 

[Gallagbi]

Freddy played amazing. Seriously do you watch the games?

He saved our asses through the first 2.5 periods. (Missed the tail of the third)

Did he even make a save the first half of the third period?

 

[Mess]

Do you actually think the Leafs are that much better than a team like Vancouver? the way Vancouver has played since the 3-1 loss to you guys has been at a close level to the team that was one highlight-reel save from advancing to the conference finals.
This version is capable of beating anyone Hamonic and Nate have turned a corner and bubbleDemko seems to be for real.
I still think The Leafs and Nucks are the best teams in the North and hopefully they can get on a run cuz, for pure entertainment having to teams that play an entertaining brand of hockey, a North playoff series between them would be fun as hell to watch

Leafs could coast to 1st in the CDN div playing .500 hockey here on out. 30 games to go @ .500 hockey = 30 points + 38 currently = 68 points.

Nucks have 24 points in 28 games at the 1/2 mark.. Vancouver would need 44 points in last 28 games just to keep up with the Leafs coasting at .500 hockey. That would mean a +20 point improvement from their 1st half. You think Vancouver is capable of going something like 20-4-4 down the stretch coming off an 11-15-2 first half?

Your Nucks have already played the most games in the NHL this season and below the playoff line and going to be in a real dog fight for the last playoff spot. Vancouver's biggest advantage might be that both Calgary and Montreal already fired their coaches for underperforming, but both are still ahead Van and in much better positions for make the playoffs due to games in hand.

Montreal has + 8 point lead on Van for the last playoff spot in the North BUT has +5 games in hand, so with 33 games remaining for them playing at .500 ie 15-15-3 = 33 points + 28 current = 61 points. Vancouver would need 38 points to pass them in 28 games.

By sweeping the Leafs, Vancouver may have kept hope alive a little to make the playoffs this year, but I personally don't like your chances, based on a shortened season of 56 games and running out of games and little room for error. IMO