Leafs Lose 5-2

[Racer88]

Tampa now leads the division by point%. They have 4 games in hand and are 4 back of the Leafs and Panthers. Not bad for a team that did an offseason

Kinda sad that a team doing an off season retool can do a better job then us after 8 years of a tank and rebuild with these “stars”.

 

[ToneDog]

Kinda sad that a team doing an off season retool can do a better job then us after 8 years of a tank and rebuild with these “stars”.

Look at what the Caps did in the offseason while we continue to run back the same core and changing the pieces around them. The good thing is that this GM does not have his head in the clouds and realizes you have to be able to defend and stop pucks to win in the playoffs.

 

[wingman75]

willy smiling after another loss/every loss. typical of him. knies is still concussed; glad he wasnt signed yet.

The people clamouring for him to be signed seem to have faded away, for now.

There was never any rush to sign him,.or anybody for that matter.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Injuries aside, the defensive game has been deteriorating. Rielly once again exposing himself as a liability.

I wouldn't count on this forecast. He gets "written off" most years and then he ends up being one of the best playoff performers.

There's a "Stamkos is cooked" thread on the main boards that has your name on it.

Injuries aside, the defensive game has been deteriorating. Rielly once again exposing himself as a liability.

I wouldn't count on this forecast. He gets "written off" most years and then he ends up being one of the best playoff performers.

There's a "Stamkos is cooked" thread on the main boards that has your name on it.

 

[Delete1]

Tampa now leads the division by point%. They have 4 games in hand and are 4 back of the Leafs and Panthers. Not bad for a team that did an offseason retool.

I'm not sure they are much different than last season. One line drives all offense, and they tend to stumble against good teams. As they play more games, I expect that their win percentage will decline.

Look at what the Caps did in the offseason while we continue to run back the same core and changing the pieces around them. The good thing is that this GM does not have his head in the clouds and realizes you have to be able to defend and stop pucks to win in the playoffs.

View attachment 952871

Washington's turnaround has been very impressive.

 

[ToneDog]

I'm not sure they are much different than last season. One line drives all offense, and they tend to stumble against good teams. As they play more games, I expect that their win percentage will decline.


Washington's turnaround has been very impressive.

They are hot now so you might be right. Will be interesting to see what the standings in the Atlantic look like at the end of January.

 

[mjd1001]

The Leafs may not be much better than last year or any other year, but the good news is what is happening around them may give them the best path to the cup:

Boston starting to 'age out', Florida with a cup hangover (hopefully). Tampa being just tampa (good, but not elite). The Leafs (to my surprise) matching up well with New Jersey. The Rangers turning into whatever it is they are turning into.

For this year at least, I see less huge hurdles for the Leafs to have to climb over than in the past.

 

[3blizzard4]

 

[Gary Nylund]

I'm not sure they are much different than last season. One line drives all offense, and they tend to stumble against good teams. As they play more games, I expect that their win percentage will decline.

IIRC, I told you not long ago that writing off TB as a contender to win our division would be a mistake as they had an pretty good goal differential, which suggests that there's a good chance that they will actually rise up in the standings. At the time they were behind us, but not by that much really when you look at the standings the way you should (PTS%).

Today, TB is 8th overall (by PTS%), the Leafs are tied for 10th (we were 4th about a week ago).

Today, TB has the 2nd best goal differential in the league at +41 whereas the Leafs are a mediocre +10, let that sink in.

Maybe their win percentage will decline, maybe not. At the moment however, I don't see any reason to expect that it will.

 

[ACC1224]

Didn’t Tampas ‘retool’ consist of Stamkos leaving for more money?
Had he taken their offer would they really have retooled?

 

[OddyOh]

Why is dewar on this team ?

Because they overpaid the top guys. Or because they refuse to move at least one of them. Balance needed on this roster.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The Leafs may not be much better than last year or any other year, but the good news is what is happening around them may give them the best path to the cup:

Boston starting to 'age out', Florida with a cup hangover (hopefully). Tampa being just tampa (good, but not elite). The Leafs (to my surprise) matching up well with New Jersey. The Rangers turning into whatever it is they are turning into.

For this year at least, I see less huge hurdles for the Leafs to have to climb over than in the past.

All this is true. At the same time, we had an easy path to the final 4 when we lost to MTL in the 1st round a few years back, Boston wasn't very good last year and we couldn't get past them and the one time we did win a series, we didn't even show up for round 2 against Florida.

Who your opponents are and how they play is a factor. A much bigger factor however, is yourself, are you ready and willing to fight and can you play your potential. That's been our biggest problem with this core, at least that's the way I see it.

Didn’t Tampas ‘retool’ consist of Stamkos leaving for more money?
Had he taken their offer would they really have retooled?

Maybe the lesson here is to stand firm while negotiating with your players, understanding that if they do leave for money it might actually be a good thing. I know you love Marner so you don't want to hear it, but nevertheless ...

 

[BrannigansLaw]

He ain’t wrong. This team isn’t any different aside from better goaltending and less scoring.

 

[wingman75]

He ain’t wrong. This team isn’t any different aside from better goaltending and less scoring.

Right. Basically, we are getting the playoff Leafs during the season.

I guess the hope was, if they play this way now, they would have figured out how to score enough come playoff time.

If anything, this just emphasises to me that the opponent has not been the problem in the playoffs.

This franchise is the epitome of:

 

[BallardEra]

Because they overpaid the top guys. Or because they refuse to move at least one of them. Balance needed on this roster.

Last season:

GF/G : 3.47
GA/G: 3.08

This season:

GF/G : 3.11
GA/G: 2.84

2022-23:

GF/G : 3.44
GA/G: 2.92

 

[Leafsfan74]

Difference tonight was goaltending and special teams.

Goaltending - just ride Woll until Stolarz is back. Murray is just not an NHL goaltender anymore.

Special teams need a lot of work between now and the post season. Very worrying as they've been a problem for years.

You can't just ride a guy who is on a team that faces a high volume of shots and risk injury. Murray or someone is going to have to get in games, no team is going to have three #1 goalies, so Leafs have to do a better job defensively and wait for their tandem to return to full health.

Nylander wants 50 and he can get it, but it has to be organic. He has to be sure of possession and the outlet pass being there before he picks cherries.

 

[Roo]

Tough loss. Two garbage goals by our 3rd stringer and fanned clear attempt cost us the game. We're a better team than WAS but they are playing a very structured game and basically did to us what we've been doing to other teams this season.

 

[ACC1224]

Ovi gets it, Berube for Keefe is a huge upgrade.
Not often you hear players admit this stuff.

 

[stealth1]

Just a reminder that next weekend will be the 3rd straight weekend of back-to-back games for the Leafs and yet again against a well rested team. It's ridiculous.

Tell Sportsnet to give up Saturday games. Problem solved

 

[Stephen]

He ain’t wrong. This team isn’t any different aside from better goaltending and less scoring.

Ovi's a chucklehead. He might speak the truth but I wouldn't lean on him for any in-depth analysis.

 

[ToneDog]

So he thinks the Leafs are the same team he accused them of being in the past under a new coach? I doubt he is taking a shot a Keefe who is doing just well, thank you in New Jersey.

 

[ToneDog]

Ovi's a chucklehead. He might speak the truth but I wouldn't lean on him for any in-depth analysis.

He was right then and he is probably right now. We will know better in April. The good thing is we have a playoff warrior in Tanev and he can be a difference maker.

 

[1specter]

He was playing with Matthews and Marner. A lot of guys will have inflated numbers with his skill set.

Knies os going to be good. He will never be a drove the line type of player but with the roght guys around him he is 30 goal/70 point with an edge

Nah he's played a bunch with JT and Willy too so either way his linemates are elite. His style of play has noticeably changed, he's more tentative and isn't the same physical force he was in the playoffs or before the hit.

 

[Stephen]

Nah he's played a bunch with JT and Willy too so either way his linemates are elite. His style of play has noticeably changed, he's more tentative and isn't the same physical force he was in the playoffs or before the hit.

It looks like it could be mental fatigue, but the tentativeness looks like maybe it's after you come back from a concussion and things don't look right.

 

[TakeTheBody]

Calm down. We are seeing the Leafs at their worst right now. Matthews out, Stolly out, Knies not the same player since getting leveled. Players will get better and the Leafs will add at the deadline. Then if they suck, UNLOAD.