Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 5-1

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For me the roster is so watered down you can’t draw any conclusions. But we’ve also seen the Leafs lose in that fashion to a team like Florida with all hands on deck in the past. So you worry that’s the dynamic.

The only conclusion I drew is there is a clear difference between a NHLer and an AHLer. Miten has a legit NHL shot, that puck off the post was on and off his stick stupid fast..
 
One thing I notice about Sam Reinhart and his game every time I see him play is how simple his game is. North South, throw it on net. No frills, keeps it a lot simpler than his natural skill level. We need a guy with that mentality entrenched in the top 6. Like the reliable meat and potatoes style guy who just funnels it all to the net.

Noticed that up and down the line up, Florida likes to have a guy disappear from coverage and be the open guy for puck battles, usually behind the net, sometimes in the corner but there is always a guy who is in a spot away from the play who goes to a spot where he can get lost. They pressure the puck in pairs and it feels like they have 6 skaters vs our 5, they work their ass off... they look like a team that knows their assignments, each player has a purpose. I think that is what Berube is trying to get this team to be.
 
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Noticed that up and down the line up, Florida likes to have a guy disappear from coverage and be the open guy for puck battles, usually behind the net, sometimes in the corner but there is always a guy who is in a spot away from the play who goes to a spot where he can get lost. They pressure the puck in pairs and it feels like they have 6 skaters vs our 5, they work their ass off... they look like a team that knows their assignments, each player has a purpose. I think that is what Berube is trying to get this team to be.
Agreed! Our forecheck is pathetic. One guy in (sometimes) who waves at the puck carrier and then backs off, allowing the other team to roll unimpeded thru the neutral zone to set up.
 
Agreed! Our forecheck is pathetic. One guy in (sometimes) who waves at the puck carrier and then backs off, allowing the other team to roll unimpeded thru the neutral zone to set up.

It's a half ass forecheck sometimes... we'd be better off just clogging up the neutral zone if we are not going to commit to an active forecheck.

Watching Robertson for example, he rarely wins 50-50, he cheats on the forecheck, it is at best a fly by, when he poke checks he does not commit to the puck, he goes through the motions. Holmberg, Steves passengers, what do they do, besides be a cheap cap hit?
 
Noticed that up and down the line up, Florida likes to have a guy disappear from coverage and be the open guy for puck battles, usually behind the net, sometimes in the corner but there is always a guy who is in a spot away from the play who goes to a spot where he can get lost. They pressure the puck in pairs and it feels like they have 6 skaters vs our 5, they work their ass off... they look like a team that knows their assignments, each player has a purpose. I think that is what Berube is trying to get this team to be.

From what I can tell guys like Dewar and Holmberg and co. aren’t really the right people to build an identity line that can forecheck like that. They just don’t have the personality, size, drive and ability.
 
Leafs big guys, namely Marner and Nylander still going east west too much. They love to skate the perimeter with the puck, Marner likes to try to create offense from the blueline.
 
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On the one hand, yeah, missing that much of our lineup, a game like that was probably inevitable.

On the other hand, I hope Berube is taking notes, because the Panthers are absolutely going to be an obstacle again this year if we want to make any headway in the postseason. Get this team's habits down to a science.
 
One thing I notice about Sam Reinhart and his game every time I see him play is how simple his game is. North South, throw it on net. No frills, keeps it a lot simpler than his natural skill level. We need a guy with that mentality entrenched in the top 6. Like the reliable meat and potatoes style guy who just funnels it all to the net.
He wasn’t like that before though and now he is just keeping it simple instead of trying to do some fancy stuff.
Really good for him to see this progression.
 
He wasn’t like that before though and now he is just keeping it simple instead of trying to do some fancy stuff.
Really good for him to see this progression.

I don’t remember what he did in Buffalo too well but recall the feeling of being underwhelmed that he was a second overall pick and that’s all he looks like every time we play the Sabres. Like where was all the flash and franchise changing presence?

In the right environment he’s definitely just turned into a highly efficient player who is just the right combination of boring, but deadly. If that makes sense.

For Berube hockey we definitely need a guy like that who is just an efficient assassin type player.
 
I don’t remember what he did in Buffalo too well but recall the feeling of being underwhelmed that he was a second overall pick and that’s all he looks like every time we play the Sabres. Like where was all the flash and franchise changing presence?

In the right environment he’s definitely just turned into a highly efficient player who is just the right combination of boring, but deadly. If that makes sense.

For Berube hockey we definitely need a guy like that who is just an efficient assassin type player.
He was praised as having the highest IQ in recent years. Thus the expectation is quite high esp in creating space and playmaking…..
But in fact, he is just one of those players who just keep the game simple and effective.
 
He was praised as having the highest IQ in recent years. Thus the expectation is quite high esp in creating space and playmaking…..
But in fact, he is just one of those players who just keep the game simple and effective.

In Reinhart’s case I appreciate the application of high end IQ and skill towards really simple, effective and impactful plays. Goes to the net in clean lines, follows the puck, keeps it alive in zone, Johnny on the spot and just enough east west movement to find a lane or seam here and there. It doesn’t have to be fancy because there no style points.
 
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Florida was on a mission tonight and we are seriously shorthanded (McMann hurt now to geez). So not a bad showing all things considered. The one major ask I have is, Evilhomer for the love of god stop making confident predictions. My jinx believing heart (not really, sort of, maybe) can’t take it. 😂
I blocked that dude lol
 
He wasn’t like that before though and now he is just keeping it simple instead of trying to do some fancy stuff.
Really good for him to see this progression.
I think Reinhart is a very good example of how a toxic (maybe that's not really the right word) environment like the Sabres affects a player.
 
From what I can tell guys like Dewar and Holmberg and co. aren’t really the right people to build an identity line that can forecheck like that. They just don’t have the personality, size, drive and ability.
For this kind of aggressive forecheck, the Leafs need a few more Knies, McMann and Greyboykin-type wingers. They've got some good ones, but they really need a few more.
 
For this kind of aggressive forecheck, the Leafs need a few more Knies, McMann and Greyboykin-type wingers. They've got some good ones, but they really need a few more.

You gotta get the natural dirtbags who love to play that way. They’ll play a rambunctious style, give you a personality and be an energy contributor to the whole team. Versus trying to squeeze that out of bland guys who really just want to give you 30 seconds of safe polite hockey.
 
You gotta get the natural dirtbags who love to play that way. They’ll play a rambunctious style, give you a personality and be an energy contributor to the whole team. Versus trying to squeeze that out of bland guys who really just want to give you 30 seconds of safe polite hockey.
But you also have to be careful, because of Parros. If they're too dirtbaggy, Parros is going to jump all over them.
 
They needed the opening PP goal too. But so much needed to go right to win 2-1 or 3-2. Need 34 back with the multi goals every few games.
One game samples don't mean much really.


and on cue, a bad hot take.... Did you even look at the roster we iced. Bad games happen.
Did you even watch what this roster has done in big games in the last 8 years????

Punta or San Domingo?
Punta. I am at the Macau
 
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