Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 4-2

[CabanaBoy5]

Got goalied again. Got a feeling it’s going to happen in the playoffs. The bonehead plays and decisions cost us this game. Rielly had a terrible game. Brodie hasn’t played well in a long time. Holl was Holl.

For the 50th time this season…why is Simmonds on this team?

 

[IPS]

Just saw that Simmonds has 0 goals in his last 30 games and 1 goal in his last 37 games. Didn’t know it was that bad for him.

Spezza also has 0 goals in the last 13 games and 1 goal in the last 20.

This is our 4th line. It's not scoring, it's not a hard forechecking line, there's no speed, it can't pressure the opposition in anyway and with the way Simmonds is playing it's providing no physicality at all.

We are essentially running the most ineffective 4th line in the league and Dubas seems to be perfectly A-Ok with it.

 

[fahad203]

U kinda proved my point thanks

The thing about us was we have so many holes. You needed to go all in or nothing at all
It tells me that you kind of believe in this team, kind of hoping Campbell can save you and kind of hoping for other team to F up

 

[BertCorbeau]

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Knies/Abrusezze-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Kampf-Mikheyev
Kerfoot-Spezza-Blackwell

Try that out to see if one of those kids can bring some energy to that line.

 

[PromisedLand]

So was it or was it not the right call to not get a goalie at the deadline?

I swear 80% of this fanbase was adamant about needing a goalie but after the deadline they immediately flipped their opinion to it being perfectly OK for Dubas not to get a goalie..

I have ZERO faith in Keefe as a coach

I am glad they didnt throw away assets for a goalie. Looking at Leafs players' habits; how they play especially when the opposition plays physical, tight defense or keeps them to the outside (all playoff modes) there is no chance Leafs gonna win a round this year even with a goalie unless they were somehow getting Vasy in net

 

[fahad203]

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Knies/Abrusezze-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Kampf-Mikheyev
Kerfoot-Spezza-Blackwell

Try that out to see if one of those kids can bring some energy to that line.

Why Spezza though?

 

[Superstar]

At least Habs took themselves out of last place in the league, hopefully they don't draft 1st overall.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Why Spezza though?

Strong on the draw .. Honestly I think he's really being anchored by Simmonds. I'd like to see him with some better wingers to see if that revitalizes his game.

 

[BigGulpsEh]

Leafs got extremely unlucky with the new playoff format. No one will acknowledge it, because it's easier to make fun of the Leafs. They play in a division where they can finish top 5 in the NHL and start on the road, because their division is the best in hockey.

One year the Leafs finished 4th in the NHL, their reward? Playing the 3rd overall Bruins in the first round.

The first round in the Atlantic is basically third round/SCF hockey for other teams.

If we got to play Edmonton or LA in the first 2 rounds, we wouldn't be worried about 1st round exits.

I think you are forgetting about playing columbus and habs. Leafs have had their chance against "easier" teams and failed

Also the metro is a juggernaut as well. If leafs end up in a wildcard spot and play the metro it will be just as tough.

Its time to put the excuses away and for the leafs to show up in the playoffs. Hopefully this core can finally get over the hump and figure it out

 

[Knies iT]

Simmonds gets piled on and rightfully so, but Spezza is done. Has been the entire season for the most part.

If you are trying to ice the best roster, both guys sit, but that won't happen. Simmonds brings a needed element on paper but in practicality does not.

Not going to pile on here much more but without him this is the softest forward group in the league. I foresee another "goalied" situation in the 1st round with nights like these, but show me a heat map that's deep blue between the hash marks otherwise these backups will continue to look like Roy.

 

[riffle]

Honestly I feel for him, and I can definitely see why he would become so unmotivated. He has been the easy scapegoat for multiple coaches now. When he does good things, he rarely gets praise, just skewered on every mistake or bad game. Other players having struggles get coddled (Marner earlier in the year, Tavares recently), he gets thrown under the bus. He plays HUGE for us in the playoffs, but that doesn't help get him any rope at all.

If I was him I'd be praying I get traded.

Also - if Nylander had someone who could actually shoot a puck on his line we'd be falling all over him. At least 2-3 insanely smart passes a game fanned on or muffined by his lines mates. That's gotta be demoralizing as well.

That was the most disappointing thing about the deadline for me...that he wasn't.

I agree with you that EVERYONE should be held to the exact same standard when it comes to effort. Not sure I agree guys like Marner and JT aren't trying. 88's mistakes are glaring and those of effort where they're not debatable. I believe many fans confuse lack of production or dry spells with lack of effort and they're two completely different things. Hard to ride a guy who isn't producing when he's giving effort. It is not hard to ride a guy who isn't giving effort.

EDIT: I wanted to add that lack of effort should be called out even with a player who has great production. Effort should be a given from anyone making the kind of money NHL players make. It's not like because a guy scores a goal that he shouldn't be hammered for not backchecking or battling on the boards, hitting, etc. He should. Play hockey. Nylander is built to do anything he wishes. I've believed for a long time he plays fearful on the ice like he's going to get injured. He never is...because he makes business decisions game after game.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Knies/Abrusezze-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Kampf-Mikheyev
Kerfoot-Spezza-Blackwell

Try that out to see if one of those kids can bring some energy to that line.

I dont want to plug Abrusezze as quickyl to the top six but his playmaking might be very beneficial for tavares

 

[Atomos2]

So this is the team Kyle bet his future on eh?

 

[stickty111]

So this is the team Kyle bet his future on eh?

A team that deserved to win but is getting unlucky with goaltending? Yes

 

[OldCraig71]

Allen was Godlike for us and made 15-20 outstanding saves, the one on Marner was a save of the year candidate and we scored on limited chances, that's it. I really like Mikheyev, would love to have him play for the habs.

​

 

[stickty111]

WTF! Are you kidding.

He's right

 

[fahad203]

A team that deserved to win but is getting unlucky with goaltending? Yes

I guess it's an annual thing for us. We got goaltended last year being up 3-1
Not to mention Columbus

I mean he did get two of our goalies.

It must be the luck

 

[stickty111]

So go watch your team then it’s definitely not the leafs

Leafs fans are honestly some of the worst fans in the league. Going to say this again but when they win, some of the fans won't deserve it but the team will.

 

[PromisedLand]

Made an account to finally post this. I'm going crazy over here watching Marner & Matthews remain together.

Tavares best career season came playing with Marner. Why is this forgotten? Matthews could play with Engvall & Kerfoot and still put up 45 goals. There's a reason Sidney Crosby can play with any winger and get them a huge pay day... Take advantage of having the best player in the world?????

Tavares cannot drive a line. Marner can. Keefe, wake up

Individual glory versus cups

Point, Pastrnak and even now Crosby/Malkin etc... can easily cheat for individual glory but their coach plans around whats best for the team.

Even Ovi said it that if Leafs want to win in the playoffs they will have to change the way they play (basically: stop cheating for offense).

Barzal could cheat for offense easily too... he played two conference finals play 2 way hockey.

Bergeron/Marchand can easily cheat for offense but they always play defense first especially in the playoffs.

These are just some examples.

On top of that my personal take is that Keefe is not an NHL coach. He is a rookie who is supposedly learning on the job. It was pretty obvious how Torts outcoached him in the CBJ series and how he got outcoached by another crap coach last season

 

[Bomber0104]

A team that deserved to win but is getting unlucky with goaltending? Yes

4 straight first round exits..

"Unlucky with goaltending"

 

[LastOne2100]

That was the most disappointing thing about the deadline for me...that he wasn't.

I agree with you that EVERYONE should be held to the exact same standard when it comes to effort. Not sure I agree guys like Marner and JT aren't trying. 88's mistakes are glaring and those of effort where they're not debatable. I believe many fans confuse lack of production or dry spells with lack of effort and they're two completely different things. Hard to ride a guy who isn't producing when he's giving effort. It is not hard to ride a guy who isn't giving effort.

I think the difference is, any mistake Nylander makes we immediately blame on "effort". Any mistake JT makes we just assume he's trying his best, despite being equally lazy on multiple backchecks tonight, and making multiple brutal lazy turnovers.

It's a strange double standard.

I can point to more things Nylander did right on defense tonight than JT, like that beautiful backcheck and strip of the puck to prevent a Montreal breakaway.

 

[fahad203]

Leafs fans are honestly some of the worst fans in the league. Going to say this again but when they win, some of the fans won't deserve it but the team will.

We have been fans for 50 years bud. Our team hasn't won anything 20+ years
but you are right. we are the problem and we deserve to be laughed at when the Leafs win

When the Leafs win anything, I'll be happy to be laughed at. I'll be happy to be mocked and ridiculed

 

[Mopar]

Pretty frustrating watching this ta drop games like this all season long. This tram could be in the hunt for 1st overall of they took care of business against weaker opponents and got some adequate goaltending in some of the other games where they played well.

Having a hard time getting excited for the playoffs this year. They just don't seem to have it. Plus our goaltending situation is a catastrophe. Backup Goalie VS Vasilevskiy or Bobrovsky and even Andersen. Won't be pretty.

 

[Stephen]

I feel the opposite way. I watch marquee games this season and haven't watched every game...I rarely get upset whether they win or lose because I know any single game isn't going to change my mind or my outlook towards the team.

They just need to show up starting Game 1 of the playoffs and realize that they only way they shut their own fans and haters up is by winning in the playoffs.

The tune up to the playoffs doesn't concern me at all. They can flop to the playoffs or they can win 18 games on the trot heading into the playoffs, and I would feel the same way.

I think it's an even bigger letdown if they were to go on a run before the playoffs begin only to go cold in the playoffs. I'd much rather they work through different lineups, different combinations, give some ice time to Knies when he signs, Abruzzese etc. Work Muzzin back into the line up etc.

There are teams that are much worse than the Leafs have ever been in the last 5 years that have won multiple playoff rounds...The absolutely mediocre Arizona Coyotes won solely because of Bryzgalov and Mike Smith back in the day and made it to the WCF IIRC so there is no question they can win, they just have to do it.

Getting mad or being disappointed because they lost game 64 of an 82 game season after outplaying and outshooting the opponent 50-17 with our 3rd string goalie in net isn't something that makes sense to me.

I’m not too mad about tonight but reminds me of the Winnipeg and Ottawa games to close out the season last year when they just didn’t have it in what were perceived as meaningless games. And didn’t seem to matter to people they had the switch flipped off.

Plenty of runway and tomorrow is a true test with immediate playoff foreshadowing. I would summarize my critique of their losses as they don’t seem to be in control of their destiny from a play style point of view.

 

[fahad203]

I think the difference is, any mistake Nylander makes we immediately blame on "effort". Any mistake JT makes we just assume he's trying his best, despite being equally lazy on multiple backchecks tonight, and making multiple brutal turnovers.

I can point to more things Nylander did right on defense tonight than JT, like that beautiful backcheck and strip of the puck to prevent a Montreal breakaway.

It's a strange double standard.

A classic case of coach can't say anything to a perineal superstar
Lets face it, who is Keefe to talk down to Tavares? nobody

But he can with Nylander