Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 5-2 To The Rags

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If a Leafs player had scored that we would have been high-fiving each other on what a great goal it was, and laughing at how bad their coverage was and how easily their player got walked.

Since it was JT and Jones and against us, it was not even a shot and just the goalie to blame.

Watch the replay he fans on most of that puck.

If that goal had gone the other way we'd be saying how lucky we were to get that goal and how bad of a goal that was especially If say TJ Brodie or Jake McCabe did it

Because we would be and it was.

 

[Al14]

Trash game by Nylander.

Either he has the flu, or this was one of his 'who cares' games. He was mostly invisible, except for a couple of giveaways.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Exactly.

It's like we finally found what we've been looking for and trading away futures for every deadline - a solid, tough, unspectacular defenceman that we can put on the 3rd pair and he won't cost us with repetitive errors, and the results were good.

The Sheldon just decided to revert to type to try to squeeze every ounce of offense out of the team and we look sloppy and scrambly in our own zone.

We can afford to have 1 defenceman that actually defends. It's how the likes of Schenn and Bogosian managed to win the Cup.

The coaching staff went back to the idea that "puck transition" is far more important than defending. It was just needless, unless Benoit is sick?.

I mean we had Bogo, Benn, etc it’s not like Benoit is a brand new thing we haven’t had before.

Schenn sat half the playoff games the cup year and played like 10 minutes when he did, Bogo was drafted as an offensive D and can still move the puck competently. Even Schenn has a nice first pass for who he is.

Tampa’s guys can all play D outside of Serg but the bigger thing is Hedman, Serg, Cernak, McDonagh can all move the puck reliably, they don’t play defense a second more than they have to. We constantly have guys get targeted on the forecheck because they can’t break out, most of the greasy goals scored on us start in a corner off a giveaway, icing, or getting it to the line but not out.

All of Tampa, Vegas, Colorado’s D can move the puck. They don’t need to be Hughes out there, just simple reliable passes that clear the zone every time and don’t throw unforced turnovers off a low panic threshhold. I think we must lead the league in “to the line but not out” by a bigger margin than too many men penalties.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I mean we had Bogo, Benn, etc it’s not like Benoit is a brand new thing we haven’t had before.

Schenn sat half the playoff games the cup year and played like 10 minutes when he did, Bogo was drafted as an offensive D and can still move the puck competently. Even Schenn has a nice first pass for who he is.

Tampa’s guys can all play D outside of Serg but the bigger thing is Hedman, Serg, Cernak, McDonagh can all move the puck reliably, they don’t play defense a second more than they have to. We constantly have guys get targeted on the forecheck because they can’t break out, most of the greasy goals scored on us start in a corner off a giveaway, icing, or getting it to the line but not out.

All of Tampa, Vegas, Colorado’s D can move the puck. They don’t need to be Hughes out there, just simple reliable passes that clear the zone every time and don’t throw unforced turnovers off a low panic threshhold. I think we must lead the league in “to the line but not out” by a bigger margin than too many men penalties.

But Benoit has shown he can do that good enough to play 3rd pair. He plays a simple game and adds some toughness that outside of McCabe we don't really have on the back end.

I've a feeling Sheldon is going to revert to have 6 of a similar type of player in the back end.

 

[leafan11]

Either he has the flu, or this was one of his 'who cares' games. He was mostly invisible, except for a couple of giveaways.

Nylander has not been the same player since he came back from Sweden. He’s still really good but he’s playing more like the 80 point Nylander not the 100 point Nylander.

 

[MarMarSab3]

Please God no more Timmins, Trade for Peeke already. for every good thing Timmins does he follows it with 2 or 3 scratch your head type decisions. Is it a has the tools just no toolbox issue with him?

 

[arso40]

Nylander has not been the same player since he came back from Sweden. He’s still really good but he’s playing more like the 80 point Nylander not the 100 point Nylander.

Ur entitled to your opinion not even mcdavid is always on their human bud

Please God no more Timmins, Trade for Peeke already. for every good thing Timmins does he follows it with 2 or 3 scratch your head type decisions. Is it a has the tools just no toolbox issue with him?

Doesn’t process the defensive side of the game at an elite level at this point iq is far from elite his reads are terrible at this stage of his career good vision bad reads doesn’t know when to be aggressive and he’s always in a forwards position on the blue line in the d zone

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Matthews and Nylander on the top line is great but after that Keefe needs to find combinations that has the support cast popping. We have the talent to be elite just not the chemistry.

 

[ACC1224]

Please God no more Timmins, Trade for Peeke already. for every good thing Timmins does he follows it with 2 or 3 scratch your head type decisions. Is it a has the tools just no toolbox issue with him?

It’s amazing how the puck never seems to end up in the net though. Weird phenomena

 

[RunItBackAgain]

It’s amazing how the puck never seems to end up in the net though. Weird phenomena

We also lose as many games as we win (6-6) when he’s played. With Benoit we are 10-5.

 

[Aashir]

The leagues richest franchise giving fans what they paid for.

You can say the Leafs were the victims of bad luck. That they looked good despite losing. Whatever bullshit story you need to tell yourself to excuse this team's performance.

Keefe is a walking dumpster fire.

Just a brain dead coach. This guy has no idea what he's doing. Keefe's so clueless he doesn't even know he has no idea what he's doing.

Shanahan must be a very dumb individual to have such a dummy coaching his multi-billion dollar franchise.

If they flop again a coaching change will be necessary. Before people turn ugly on them all. Even the most casual of fans are getting impatient seeing what their money has bought them so far.

A mediocre team with a stunning lack of playoffs success.

You say a lot of words here, but there isn’t any substance

You say any “excuse” we have is bs yet don’t say why or don’t give your own reason to the game

Idk what keefe did wrong that game, could you maybe give the reason why?

How does 1 loss after 10 games indicate we flop. We literally took the rangers lunch money last time

Nylander has not been the same player since he came back from Sweden. He’s still really good but he’s playing more like the 80 point Nylander not the 100 point Nylander.

That entire statement makes no sense. Basing it off Sweden, before it he was a 130 point player not a 100. Secondly, while he has 14 in 12 since that, he has 14 in 9. He had a slow 3 games then proceeded to get right back to it,

He’s been instrumental to us picking up points against Columbus and islanders, good in the Nashville and first rangers game, was good in the Pittsburgh game, but so was everyone

this doesn’t really look like the same nylander in the past, he’s figured out how to score even when not having his A game, like the GWG against Ottawa. This is something which Marner has been doing for years

 

[notDatsyuk]

Watch the replay he fans on most of that puck.

If that goal had gone the other way we'd be saying how lucky we were to get that goal and how bad of a goal that was especially If say TJ Brodie or Jake McCabe did it

Because we would be and it was.

I just watched it again. From about six feet away he got it up over Jones' pad. Absolutely did not fan on the shot.

Watch Mitch's goal against Columbus - that was fanning on the shot, but it was still lauded as a great goal.

You could perhaps criticize the defenceman for covering the winger at the blue line and leaving JT to face the puck carrier.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Please God no more Timmins, Trade for Peeke already. for every good thing Timmins does he follows it with 2 or 3 scratch your head type decisions. Is it a has the tools just no toolbox issue with him?

He is a fine regular season guy, but in the playoffs, trusting him is Gardiner and Holl all over again.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Either he has the flu, or this was one of his 'who cares' games. He was mostly invisible, except for a couple of giveaways.

He's credited with no giveaways and two takeaways, one of which led to Matty's second goal.

 

[DarkKnight]

Another game where he finished as a plus.

Heavily sheltered too don't forget. Also worst SAT USAT on D last night. Last year I was on his side entirely, liked what I saw, then dropped off quickly. I saw the same this year, hence my evolved opinion he simply isn't good enough, especially a team that really forechecks hard, he crumbles. Anyways, like to be wrong, that's fine.

He is a fine regular season guy, but in the playoffs, trusting him is Gardiner and Holl all over again.

Holl was waaayyy better defensively too. Didn't start in 2021 playoffs, an unmitigated disaster 2022. Timmins isn't an answer, him in high tempo, tight hockey, he looks to be a major liability at this stage. Benoit doesn't even have to be in top 6 common playoffs, I'd like him for depth as a 7, we need to get a couple D men and we have the cap space so for sure Tre does something and acquires a stay at home bruiser.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Nylander has not been the same player since he came back from Sweden. He’s still really good but he’s playing more like the 80 point Nylander not the 100 point Nylander.

Only a 96 point pace since coming back from Sweden (127 point pace in his last 9 games). Absolutely horrible.

 

[GoonieFace]

Please God no more Timmins, Trade for Peeke already. for every good thing Timmins does he follows it with 2 or 3 scratch your head type decisions. Is it a has the tools just no toolbox issue with him?

What’s the obsession with Peeke, just curious. He’s a healthy scratch on Columbus

 

[notbias]

But Benoit has shown he can do that good enough to play 3rd pair. He plays a simple game and adds some toughness that outside of McCabe we don't really have on the back end.

I've a feeling Sheldon is going to revert to have 6 of a similar type of player in the back end.

Benoit is sitting cause Liljegren is 10x better.

Lagesson will likely sit cause Gio is better, and then Gio can replace Benoit's "toughness".

Please God no more Timmins, Trade for Peeke already. for every good thing Timmins does he follows it with 2 or 3 scratch your head type decisions. Is it a has the tools just no toolbox issue with him?

Trade for a #7 D who can't crack Columbus?

Timmins has some of the best real and fake stats on the team and people want him out...

Yep, let's bring in more low-skilled, players who can't make a pass.

 

[andora]

Watched the higlights.. yeah those 3 goals just silly dumb.. looked like kind of a dry pace

And no PPs.. nice

 

[Duffman955]

What’s the obsession with Peeke, just curious. He’s a healthy scratch on Columbus

He's ass. I don't see what he does better than Benoit.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

You say a lot of words here, but there isn’t any substance

You say any “excuse” we have is bs yet don’t say why or don’t give your own reason to the game

Idk what keefe did wrong that game, could you maybe give the reason why?

How does 1 loss after 10 games indicate we flop. We literally took the rangers lunch money last time

That entire statement makes no sense. Basing it off Sweden, before it he was a 130 point player not a 100. Secondly, while he has 14 in 12 since that, he has 14 in 9. He had a slow 3 games then proceeded to get right back to it,

He’s been instrumental to us picking up points against Columbus and islanders, good in the Nashville and first rangers game, was good in the Pittsburgh game, but so was everyone

this doesn’t really look like the same nylander in the past, he’s figured out how to score even when not having his A game, like the GWG against Ottawa. This is something which Marner has been doing for years

I said no such thing.

You are putting words into my mouth. What I said was "whatever bullshit story you need to tell yourself to excuse this team's performance". There's a difference and the italicized should answer your first question.

The answer to your second question is Keefe.

The top two lines were doing great and Matthews scored two goals. But Keefe limited both those lines to only 18 minutes in all situations. Meanwhile the bottom six were getting filled but everyone still got over ten minutes.

They never run a trap to help their unproven rookie and third string goalies out.

The Leafs great defense is a myth. The low shots against numbers are simply a result of the Leafs hemming the opposition into their own end for extended periods of time. The fact the Leafs have a high number of HDSCA is indicative of an underlying issue in defense that isn't showing up in the peripheral stats.

The flop I was referring to was in the playoffs.

I didn't make that clear. I actually edited it out, because in my head it wasn't ambiguous, but on re-reading it again I can see how it was. I also try to limit my comments to about 800 characters on this site in order to prevent them from being too long.

The result sometimes is a lot of words with no substance as I try to only say the minimal I feel necessary to get my point across.

 

[kevsh]

A veteran with playoff experience would be highly preferable to Timmins and Benoit. And Peeke.

 

[ACC1224]

We also lose as many games as we win (6-6) when he’s played. With Benoit we are 10-5.

Not sure that is relevant, is it even accurate? They are 6-1-3 in the last 10.

These don't look like the stats of a guy causing the Team to lose.

 

[All Mod Cons]

A veteran with playoff experience would be highly preferable to Timmins and Benoit. And Peeke.

I am sure Brad will bring in a defenceman before the deadline.

You would have to imagine Rielly, Brodie, McCabe, Liljegren and Giordano are safe. The new guy probably makes the group complete for this season.

 

[therealkoho]

A couple of relatively green fulltime players getting blamed for a loss, a loss that was ultimately the result of 3 very weird pinball goals. None of which were deflected by either of those players, whom btw, together have 127 NHL games to their credit. It is a sad state of affairs that two rookies have to carry the burden of being the difference between winning and losing!

Just as an observation but it seems that it's almost guaranteed that whenever Matthews returns from missing time(whether one game or a dozen) the Leafs will have a slipshod kind of game, almost like they're relieved to have him back and so for some weird reason lose the urgency to win and put it all on him.

John Tavares had 18:36 of ice time had 5 SOG, 4 hits, 1 blk and won a bunch of board battles and grazed a post and a crossbar, what a really horrible performance? Really???

In contrast to the captains performance, Will had 18:13 of ice time, had 1 assist(absolute beauty btw), 3 SOG, no hits, no blocks and no pucks dug out of anywhere.