Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 4-3

[CabanaBoy5]

Have you actually watched any of the last 7 games? The immediate response of a person who has no clue how the game is played, thinks, the goal was scored on the goalie, goalies fault. The person who knows hockey thinks how could have the skaters better defended that play, one screen, could have boxed out the attackers better, on the tip, could have tied up the attackers stick better, one puck off the ass of our defender, sometimes s#it happens, what are ya gonna do there? Andy has made many difficult saves over the last 3 weeks, apparently you are not able to see that for some reason? I don't judge you or your opinion because you don't know what you don't know. Its not your fault you can't assess the Leafs last 7 games from a position of knowledge. Andy is not a Veznia goalie and that is what it would have taken to stop 3 of those 4 goals but he is a very good goalie, the skaters in front of him have to give him a chance to see the puck. His stats are a result of how poorly his team has played in front of him.

I used to be like you, thought that Andersen was a very good goalie, and to be fair he hasn't let in any true stinkers that go through him and completely deflate the team. In years past, when the defence was truly shoddy, Anderssen was a very good goalie for most of the season (not early or in playoffs). However, a very good goalie will sometimes stop deflections, have better positioning in the net, move with more agility from post to post, anticipate plays, take ownership of inadequacies. A very good goalie will keep his team in games, particularly early, and will not allow that next goal after a team has struggled to tie the game. A very good goalie will use the lack of high danger chances to reward his team for that defensive help, not blame them for screw-ups, which inevitably happen to every good team. Every spectacular goalie, has a team in front of him that allows him to be spectacular because they've made mistakes.

An average goalie however, will do everything Andersen is doing now. He's a notch above Hutchinson right now, nowhere near being the goalie a playoff-ready team will require. The worst part, Andersen has lost all confidence and belief in himself that he can be that guy. Time to move on.

 

[stickty111]

The interesting thing is many aren't even "big saves"

The Gio, Tanev and Tkachuk goal are not big chances, they wouldn't even register as top 5-10 opportunities last night

Yeah goaltending from Freddy as a whole has been a let down. On a bad night, only one of those goals should be going in. On an average night, none of those three go in. It should have been at worst a 3-2 win.
Sadly now all this does is put uneeded pressure on Campbell today. Really need a win though.

 

[Joey Hoser]

His stats are a result of how poorly his team has played in front of him.

I'm struggling to believe that you actually believe that.

 

[stickty111]

Been off for a while, he's rarely square to the puck and can't find the right depth, which is why he's beat so often on tips.

Just a lost goalie right now, but we've seen it from him before

Concerning part is this bad stretch by Andersen is going on from last year. This is now all the bad multiplied by 5 without the good stuff to somewhat balance it out.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Andersen with the .778 save pct. That'll win you games.

Those are Hall of Fame numbers... In baseball.

 

[Bluelines]

Very good goalies aren’t in the middle of a two season regression and rock a .897 SV% when the team in front of him has improved.

Every team has defensive breakdowns, but good goalies don’t allow every semi-decent chance against in the net. I’m genuinely annoyed that the roles have reversed. When they needed Andersen he was there for them, but now that the pressure isn’t on him, he’s gotten worse. Enough with the excuses.

It takes some serious mental gymnastics to believe that Andersen’s play isn’t sinking the team right now.

Simply not true, every semi decent chance sis not in the net. When people say Andy needs to make a big save or two, what they are rally saying is Andy has to make EVERY save that is a result of the Leafs F-ing up. Not reasonable or possible for any goalie. The team needs to play better, its that simple.

 

[Voodoo Child]

It's not that these are shots Freddy should be saving but isn't - and they are, but that the team is putting tons of pressure on the other goalie, and as soon as the puck gets out Freddy lets in a goal, completely deflates shit. I'm giving Campbell the net and seeing if he can run with it whilst simultaneously looking out there at UFA goalies we can sign.

What's a guy gotta do to get a save here?

That Tkachuk-Holl 'fight', where they dropped them, then Tkachuk looped away and then jumped on Holl when he went to pick up his gloves, why didn't he get an extra two?

Matthews should have been given an extra day off to heal the wrist. He didn't look bad (Markstrom robbed a sure goal in the 3rd I believe) but he isn't 100%.

An absolutely horrible all around game from JT, Rielly and Holl, and Brodie didn't look hot either.

 

[HomerJLeafs]

I feel your pain. The say things are going though, I wouldn't be too surprised to see this post a week or two from now:

Hopefully We don't have to play Hutch because Jack is healthy and doing great
FingersCrossed

 

[Bluelines]

I'm struggling to believe that you actually believe that.

80% of the goals scored over the last 7 games, have been off screens, tips or system break downs. That is on the skaters in front of Andy. Replace the goalie and don't fix the shitty coverage in our own zone and you'll get the same results.

 

[paulhiggins]

These are my ratings for the team as it stands. It doesn't look like a team that will be successful in the playoffs, assuming they make the playoffs. Looking a lot like last year.

offense 8/10
defense 6/10
team defense 5/10
power play 9/10
penalty killing 4/10
goaltending 3/10
coaching 4/10
gm 5/10

 

[Gallagbi]

If your goalie HAS to make big saves it means your team probably isn't paying well, you blew coverage or you don't have the right match ups... In todays game with all the systems we have, teams can dictate play with consistent systematic play.

I have him at 1 big save to make last night, the second goal.

80% of the goals scored over the last 7 games, have been off screens, tips or system break downs. That is on the skaters in front of Andy. Replace the goalie and don't fix the shitty coverage in our own zone and you'll get the same results.

You do realize we're creating more of all these situations, usually with higher caliber shooters, right? And that most goalies, even outside Leafs games, are making a save on significantly more of these type of chances.

Every SOG is off a breakdown fwiw, perfect defense allows zero shots against.

 

[Lauro]

Andersen still a Leaf?

 

[NK94]

Simply not true, every semi decent chance sis not in the net. When people say Andy needs to make a big save or two, what they are rally saying is Andy has to make EVERY save that is a result of the Leafs F-ing up. Not reasonable or possible for any goalie. The team needs to play better, its that simple.

If you're sitting here pretending that Andersen should only make the saves he should be making while Hellebuyck and Markstrom make 10-bell saves all night long and actually win their team games because they played well, you’re a terrible liar.

 

[Gallagbi]

If you're sitting here pretending that Andersen should only make the saves he should be making while Hellebuyck and Markstrom make 10-bell saves all night long and actually win their team games because they played well, you’re a terrible liar.

Even then, he *should* make that Tanev save and *should* make a save on at least 1 of the two tip last night - likely both. Bad fundamentals and lack of confidence is killing him on these plays, hes continually losing his net and losing sight of the puck

 

[egd27]

God help them if Campbell loses.

Well that's the thing, it's pretty easy to point the finger solely at Andersen right no.

I'm guessing the team is on their "best behavior" for the first few Campbell starts so that should at least stop the bleeding.

Hopefully we have something in Jack.

 

[Mess]

If your goalie HAS to make big saves it means your team probably isn't paying well, you blew coverage or you don't have the right match ups... In todays game with all the systems we have, teams can dictate play with consistent systematic play.

Leafs not paying well, certainly isn't this teams problem.

 

[KPower]

Freddy will get over this slump and play great down the stretch.

Then choke it up in the playoffs again.

 

[NK94]

Even then, he *should* make that Tanev save and *should* make a save on at least 1 of the two tip last night - likely both. Bad fundamentals and lack of confidence is killing him on these plays, hes continually losing his net and losing sight of the puck

The Tanev goal was a total “shoot the puck and maybe it will go in” goal while Andersen was hiding in the net on the first one. Might have had a chance to stop that one too if he was out and aggressive.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Thats a three way deal man ha. He wasn’t ours in any way but paper

it was a joke

 

[Gallagbi]

The Tanev goal was a total “shoot the puck and maybe it will go in” goal while Andersen was hiding in the net on the first one. Might have had a chance to stop that one too if he was out and aggressive.

Proper side shooter, unscreened from the point and doesn't even hit iron and in. That quality of goal cannot go in, that's not Matthews going bar down, that's a defensive D putting a floater into the twine from the point.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

it was a joke

I was half cut, i mean tired technically happened. Need to work another one ofbthem for ourselves now ha

 

[KPower]

Simply not true, every semi decent chance sis not in the net. When people say Andy needs to make a big save or two, what they are rally saying is Andy has to make EVERY save that is a result of the Leafs F-ing up. Not reasonable or possible for any goalie. The team needs to play better, its that simple.

 

[Trapper]

So change the goalie if that makes everyone feel better.
Something new to blame.
Blame the coach, we changed it.
The assistant coaches, done.
Lou for Dubas, changed.
Defense. Changed that too.
Bottom 6 people didn’t like. Changed. Out goes Kapanen,Kadri,Johnsson,etc.
Then people didn’t like Vesey. He’s out.
The refs, sorry can’t help there.

Not everything is going to be perfect on the way to the Cup. At some point the core of Matthews/Marner/JT/Nylander/Rielly and maybe even now Brodie are going to have to compensate for shortcomings due to cap, or the fact that every position can’t be superstars. The sum of the parts above are going to have to prove as well that they can rise over skids, slumps, bumps, etc and stop a slide, win a series, win the 7th game etc.

So again if the problem is all goalie change it. Change it or I have to question the GM for not seeing the same things people are. Then there should be no reason the core can’t get it done.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Here's a funny thing about the second goal - it should have been a high danger chance as it was a shot from the mid-high slot, but it was hard for Fred to get across because he was already out of position when the passer (Andersson) got the puck at the faceoff dot. Andersson could have scored himself had he shot far side. So Fred badly misplayed both scenarios.

 

[egd27]

Interesting

Month	Coach	SV%	TOI
October Totals	Babcock	0.919	592:50:00
November Totals	Babcock	0.942	653:52:00
December Totals	Babcock	0.903	532:29:00
January Totals	Babcock	0.919	237:55:00
February Totals	Babcock	0.922	717:21:00
March Totals	Babcock	0.890	592:42:00
April Totals	Babcock	0.925	183:06:00
October Totals	Babcock	0.901	594:05:00
November Totals	Babcock	0.938	669:48:00
December Totals	Keefe	0.904	652:25:00
January Totals	Keefe	0.893	469:17:00
February Totals	Keefe	0.884	496:05:00
January Totals	Keefe	0.892	478:07:00
February Totals	Keefe	0.918	479:23:00
March Totals	Keefe	0.876	403:11:00

[TBODY] [/TBODY]