Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 4-3 in OT | Lead Series 3-1

[BrannigansLaw]

You knew they were going to lose when they failed to score on that 4 min PP.

That stings the most. If they just lost in OT whatever, but to blow that kind of opportunity really rubs the salt in.

Oh well, still up 3-1. Time to move on and knock these losers out next game. They lose that one I will start getting very nervous.

 

[steelcurtain6]

Credit to Ottawa.

They scored, we didn’t.

Good the game is on Tuesday. Some time for JT to rest.

I think there needs to be lineup changes, with Robertson drawing back in.

We aren’t getting enough from Pacioretty to support sitting Robertson.

Disappointing but coming back home to Toronto to try to close it out at home isn’t a horrible situation.

Go Leafs Go!

I would pull Holmberg. But I like the 67. 11, 74 line.

Not sure Robbie would mesh with 91 and 88, particularly with how lazy 88 has been.

 

[Skullz]

Any lineup changes upcoming?

I think I would do:

Knies - Matthews - Marner
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Lorenz - Laughton - Jarnkrok
Holmberg - Domi- Patches

Have to get McMann going.

 

[MCR74]

If we had won, 10 days off and the rust forms. The law of averages is if you continually go to OT you will lose one. Now back to Tor. to finish them off. It's always hard to win when an opponents back is to the wall.

l want the team to end it on home ice.

 

[Nineteen67]

Maybe the 4 min pp will come back to haunt the leafs

I don’t know if Ottawa realized that taking one player out of the line up tends neuter the Leafs. Surprising they didn’t physically attack them more earlier in the series. All the pressure is on the Leafs now.

 

[Tak7]

Any lineup changes upcoming?

I think I would do:

Knies - Matthews - Marner
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Lorenz - Laughton - Jarnkrok
Holmberg - Domi- Patches

Have to get McMann going.

Kampf for Jarnkrok is something I'd consider too - though I have liked that line, I do think having another center would help.

Not overly keen on the way Berube has used the Matthews unit a lot for D-zone faceoffs.

 

[steelcurtain6]

Now the fun begins.

Games 5 to 7, playoff hockey and things are tightened up, along with do or die. This is where we see if marner is still the marner of old.

Was thinking that of Marner as well. Will he fold?

 

[Skullz]

Kampf for Jarnkrok is something I'd consider too - though I have liked that line, I do think having another center would help.

Not overly keen on the way Berube has used the Matthews unit a lot for D-zone faceoffs.

How about Kampf for Patches:

Run Domi - Kampf - Holmberg as "safe" line. Problem is Domi doesn't quite fit, but can move him around on situations.

 

[wingman75]

Rewatching the highlights this morning... I cannot believe Stolarz let that OT goal in. It looked like he could see it the whole way and just waived at it. That was hilariously bad.

Sure, lots of other moments earlier that the skaters should have used to put the game away, but there is no doubt that shot should not have gone in.

That is his first "bad" game in a month, maybe more. Two days off. Reset, end it on Tuesday.

 

[ShameOnYouZidlicky]

Any lineup changes upcoming?

I think I would do:

Knies - Matthews - Marner
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Lorenz - Laughton - Jarnkrok
Holmberg - Domi- Patches

Have to get McMann going.

I think the perfect lineup is

Knies Matthews Marner
McMann Tavares Nylander
Pacioretty Laughton Domi
Lorentz Kampf Jarnkrok/Holmberg

4th line can take the defensive burden off of Matthews. The Leafs also haven't gotten a regulation goal from their bottom 6. I think that 3rd line has the ability to chip in offensively

 

[Tak7]

Rewatching the highlights this morning... I cannot believe Stolarz let that OT goal in. It looked like he could see it the whole way and just waived at it. That was hilariously bad.

Sure, lots of other moments earlier that the skaters should have used to put the game away, but there is no doubt that shot should not have gone in.

That is his first "bad" game in a month, maybe more. Two days off. Reset, end it on Tuesday.

Didn't like any of the goals that went in on him last night tbh.

Even the Pinto breakaway goal sort of squirts through him - thats not an elite shot or a crazy dangle.

Very curious to see how he responds now. Combine last night with the Tkachuk muffin from game 3, and I think you have to have a short leash on him if game 5 doesnt go your way

 

[MCR74]

Out of curiosity, what was Green's opinion of the refs last night? Any complaints?

 

[hoglund]

l want the team to end it on home ice.

I think that it will end on home ice, but in game 7 and hopefully a Leaf win.

 

[BallardEra]

Rewatching the highlights this morning... I cannot believe Stolarz let that OT goal in. It looked like he could see it the whole way and just waived at it. That was hilariously bad.

This is what I thought as well.

I wonder if maybe he was screened and picked it up very late through traffic, hence the wave

 

[TheShape]

I was puzzled by this too, the main reason the 5 forward formation works so well is it allows Nylander - Marner - Matthews to be on the umbrella and funnel pucks down low to Tavares + Knies. The players work best in those spots. Using this framework, someone like McMann could've replaced Tavares as the net front guy

When you add Rielly, you now get 4 players on the perimeter with only Knies at the front of the net. This leads to very few good chances as our guys are just sticking to the outside and not creating havoc by crashing the net

As I said, it was a fireable offence and overthinking from Savard at his finest. With Rielly the PP was immediately slow, static and predictable. Swap another forward for JT and go for the jugular. McMann, Domi, hell even stick Patches net front. Reverting to Rielly as the "safe" option in that scenario was comically bad. Kill the game.

 

[hamzarocks]

That lack of a 2LW is really evident now and its only R1 of Playoffs

I called for making an additional deal at the TDL to add a LW. It was just as important as the Carlo add and we missed it

Holmberg, Pacman, Robertson, McMann aremt the amswer at 2LW and kill offense.

We missed out not adding a good LW option using the FLR 2nd +

Laughton + 2LW should have been obtained for 1st + Greb + 2nd but we only got Laughton whose been bad for the most part

Hopefully the lack of 2LW doesnt bite us as the playoffs go on

 

[ToneDog]

Collectively they have 7 goals, 23 points, and are a +8 in four games. All of them are averaging more than a point a game. Their team is up 3-1 in the series. Ya, they are hella disappointing.

11 EVP by the core 4 in 4 games. If the PP dries up vs Flo/TB like it did against Boston, good luck.

 

[Gallagbi]

Probably time to rework the third line and breakup the 4th.

Didn't like any of the goals that went in on him last night tbh.

Even the Pinto breakaway goal sort of squirts through him - thats not an elite shot or a crazy dangle.

Very curious to see how he responds now. Combine last night with the Tkachuk muffin from game 3, and I think you have to have a short leash on him if game 5 doesnt go your way

not quite short leash time IMO, you give him all of Game 5 unless something crazy happens. If it's another night like last, you go back to Woll

 

[Ianturnedbull]

It's not about not going 16-0. You have a finite number of opportunities to close the series and they let one (the first one) of those opportunities get away.

It's far from panic time, but it's at least somewhat disappointing because the win was there for them. Next time, it might not be. And with this team's history, you can't ever get complacent about things working out for the best.

When has anyone here in the last 10 years been complacent?

 

[AvroArrow]

We're up 3-1 going home for game 5 and have thoroughly dominated the series, we're fine. Originally voted Leafs in 6 but I think we close the series out on home ice. Last change proved to be a massive difference maker in games 1/2. All we need is stable goaltending, Stolie has been great but that was 2 games in a row where he let in some weak floaters.

The Tkachuk tying goal in game 3 and of course the OT winner last night. Gotta stop those pucks. We've really limited their chances and took away shooting lanes all series. Just keep playing our game, all will be fine.

We're up 3-1, we aren't going 16-0, a loss is inevitable. Just keep doing the little things right and we'll be ok.

Do we put Robertson back in, with last change at home ?

 

[Gallagbi]

11 EVP by the core 4 in 4 games. If the PP dries up vs Flo/TB like it did against Boston, good luck.

What do you think is a reasonable expectation for ESP/G?

 

[AvroArrow]

What's the deal with zub's elbow on tavares? Bunting was suspended for 3 games doing the same thing.

You must be new here. Teams are allowed to head shot our guys, run our goaltender, cross check us in the head and go knee on knee. But we better not retaliate, that'll be a full series suspension.

 

[ToneDog]

What do you think is a reasonable expectation for ESP/G?

They are getting paid top dollar. Why should they not be expected to produce as well as the best?

 

[Stephen]

We're up 3-1 going home for game 5 and have thoroughly dominated the series, we're fine. Originally voted Leafs in 6 but I think we close the series out on home ice. Last change proved to be a massive difference maker in games 1/2. All we need is stable goaltending, Stolie has been great but that was 2 games in a row where he let in some weak floaters.

The Tkachuk tying goal in game 3 and of course the OT winner last night. Gotta stop those pucks. We've really limited their chances and took away shooting lanes all series. Just keep playing our game, all will be fine.

We're up 3-1, we aren't going 16-0, a loss is inevitable. Just keep doing the little things right and we'll be ok.

Do we put Robertson back in, with last change at home ?

Leafs and Leafs fans shouldn't get into our heads too much about the failed sweep last night. If you asked anyone last Sunday whether that was a likely outcome, the answer would be no, and if someone gave you the option to be up 3-1 after 4 games you'd take it all day long. We are still further ahead than any other team that has a series lead. You don't take that kind of position and start losing your mind over it.

The script in Game 4 was very similar to Game 3. Maybe you characterize them as toss ups, and here we are 1 and 1 in them. Some worrying trends like Stolarz starting to come back down to earth and less than visible star player games will need to be reversed.

Just need that veteran, hero game at home and finish out on Tuesday. The mission is the same.

Yes, I'd put Robertson back in for the scratch and score effect. Pacioretty plays heavy and had a nice look in Game 4 but feels kinda rusty moving up and down the ice.

 

[Orfieus]

Such a calm, reasoned reaction.

1-12 in series clinching games