Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 5-2

[Al14]

Garbage PP, PK fails when it’s needed most. Special teams suck ass.

In conclusion, Berube hasn't changed a f***ing thing other than adding a smidgen more hitting.

I'm fed up with the core players. With the salaries they are paid, we should be winning at a similar rate as the 1976-77 Habs.

And, I'm done with Matthews. He is just too injury prone and disappears when he is needed the most.

It's complete nonsense if they pay Marner a single dollar over what he currently makes. At his current salary he should be dominating play EVERY SINGLE GAME. His disappearing act in the playoffs is legendary.

JMHO, and yes, I'm simply frustrated with all the recent loses. This Leafs team should be comfortably leading the Atlantic, and they're not !!!

 

[Sypher04]

So they win 6-3 lose 6-3, win 5-2 lose 5-2. Sounds like a mediocre team.

I don’t think they are a mediocre team, but they certainly have played like one in December.

 

[Gary Nylund]

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

Ovi said "different" coach, he didn't say anything about "better".

 

[ToneDog]

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.

They will never UNLOAD. They will give us the same lip service that everything is on the table and then do what they always do, run it back because the fanbase bleeds blue and white unlike the core that bleeds green.

 

[sunstersun]

This team is not good. The record is not reflecting the rot.

 

[Al14]

Get healthy Matthews, so we can trade you !!!

Fixed it for you. LOL

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Sucks that we only got 2/6 points against the Caps this year. It could’ve easily been 4 or at least 3 if not for the stupid refs helping them out in that second game with that perfect pass out front. f***’s sake.

 

[Leafsfan74]

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

Keefe wasn't the problem and I have tried to be objective while cursing the damned pom poms I've inherited as a birthright being born in Toronto.

There were decisions by Keefe and Dubas I disagreed with, in the end it is up to the well paid stars to earn their reputations when it counts. Their reputations they have indeed earned.

What Ovie is saying there is that, it's the same team, so "no problem, we beat them in 2015 we will beat them in 2024".

When Keefe was rumoured to get the NJ job I said "it's a perfect spot for him" as much as he wanted to take some time off I was glad he took it. Since I don't blame him for their losses though again, I disagreed with some lineup decisions, we can just wish him well and he has put NJ in a great position for the playoffs.

Coaches control maybe 15-20% of the game, mainly by lineup decisions and ice time. The odd brow beating to demand accountability and calling out their flaws is important too, but he isn't on the ice.

Wayne Gretzky was arguably the best player to play the game of hockey at all levels. He coached and failed. It wasn't because he didn't understand hockey.

Even Ovechkin doesn't blame the coach. Maybe it's time ownership tried to reclaim some dignity for the franchise by focusing on winning instead of jersey sales?

 

[CabanaBoy5]

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.

Exactly, we're playing our worst, and we're still in first place in the division. We'll turn it around once we get Stolarz and Matthews back. Hopefully Knies wakes up from his coma, and we make better decisions with our defenceman i.e. Timmins out, Rielly on the third pair, no more Matthews with Marner, a few good trades for a 3C and another defenceman.

 

[Racer88]

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.

Agreed. That was a shot at the Leafs running the same core year after year, not at Keefe

Keefe wasn't the problem and I have tried to be objective while cursing the damned pom pom I've inherited as a birthright being born in Toronto.

There were decisions by Keefe and Dubas I disagreed with, in the end it is up to the well paid stars to earn their reputations when it counts. Their reputations they have indeed earned.

What Ovi is saying there is that, it's the same team, so "no problem, we beat them in 2015 we will beat them in 2024".

When Keefe was rumoured to get the NJ job I said "it's a perfect spot for him" as much as he wanted to take some time off I was glad he took it. Since I don't blame him for their losses though again, I disagreed with some lineup decisions, we can just wish him well and he has put NJ in a great position for the playoffs.

Coaches control maybe 15-20% of the game, mainly by lineup decisions and ice time. The odd brow beating to demand accountability and calling out their flaws is important too, but he isn't on the ice.

Wayne Gretzky was arguably the best player to play the game of hockey at all levels. He coached and failed. It wasn't because he didn't understand hockey.

Even Ovechkin doesn't blame the coach. Maybe it's time ownership tried to reclaim some dignity for the franchise by focusing on winning instead of jersey sales?

Never gonna happen as long as Shanny is running the show. The new big boss is a clown and full of Bs

 

[ToneDog]

Sucks that we only got 2/6 points against the Caps this year. It could’ve easily been 4 or at least 3 if not for the stupid refs helping them out in that second game with that perfect pass out front. f***’s sake.

It would have been zero if not for some Caps' stupidity late in the game the Leafs won it OT. That game should never have gone to OT.

 

[Da Mash]

 

[The Best Leafs Everr]

Only in Toronto dogs get paid like humans!

 

[Ianturnedbull]

This team is not good. The record is not reflecting the rot.

I would argue that this is a good team. Injuries, showcasing players, injecting Marlies from time to time, a slow start from Tavares (due to illness), their star center missing many games, their 1B goalie missing games, and platooning/experimenting their bottom 6 all while being 6th place in the NHL.

They are capable of more and better play. Their PK has improved and so is their defensive play. Goaltending looks terrific when it is Woll/Stolarz.

"Rot"?

 

[ACC1224]

Keefe wasn't the problem and I have tried to be objective while cursing the damned pom pom I've inherited as a birthright being born in Toronto.

There were decisions by Keefe and Dubas I disagreed with, in the end it is up to the well paid stars to earn their reputations when it counts. Their reputations they have indeed earned.

What Ovi is saying there is that, it's the same team, so "no problem, we beat them in 2015 we will beat them in 2024".

When Keefe was rumoured to get the NJ job I said "it's a perfect spot for him" as much as he wanted to take some time off I was glad he took it. Since I don't blame him for their losses though again, I disagreed with some lineup decisions, we can just wish him well and he has put NJ in a great position for the playoffs.

Coaches control maybe 15-20% of the game, mainly by lineup decisions and ice time. The odd brow beating to demand accountability and calling out their flaws is important too, but he isn't on the ice.

Wayne Gretzky was arguably the best player to play the game of hockey at all levels. He coached and failed. It wasn't because he didn't understand hockey.

Even Ovechkin doesn't blame the coach. Maybe it's time ownership tried to reclaim some dignity for the franchise by focusing on winning instead of jersey sales?

Keefe was obviously a problem but of course not the only problem.
I don’t know how anyone could take Ovechkins comment as anything but a compliment. Not many players, none that I can recall, slight a team after beating them. This doesn’t happen in the NHL.
Perhaps I’m just not overly negative so I read it that way.

 

[Racer88]

I would argue that this is a good team. Injuries, showcasing players, injecting Marlies from time to time, a slow start from Tavares (due to illness), their star center missing many games, their 1B goalie missing games, and platooning/experimenting their bottom 6 all while being 6th place in the NHL.

They are capable of more and better play. Their PK has improved and so is their defensive play. Goaltending looks terrific when it is Woll/Stolarz.

"Rot"?

Same results just different excuses over the last 8 years

 

[Leafsfan74]

Keefe was obviously a problem but of course not the only problem.
I don’t know how anyone could take Ovechkins comment as anything but a compliment. Not many players, none that I can recall, slight a team after beating them. This doesn’t happen in the NHL.
Perhaps I’m just not overly negative so I read it that way.

Well, context is everything.

If the Leafs had won the game and he said, maybe you can interpret it that way.

If Caps win the game and he states that, it is at best, open for interpretation.

Teams don't come into Toronto worried about a hard night and that's a real problem. I hoped they were heading in a direction in which other teams would find playing against the Leafs unpleasant, but that seems to have evaporated. Too many injuries and it might even have some players shying away from physical play they were showing earlier in the year.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I would argue that this is a good team. Injuries, showcasing players, injecting Marlies from time to time, a slow start from Tavares (due to illness), their star center missing many games, their 1B goalie missing games, and platooning/experimenting their bottom 6 all while being 6th place in the NHL.

They are capable of more and better play. Their PK has improved and so is their defensive play. Goaltending looks terrific when it is Woll/Stolarz.

"Rot"?

I'd say it's a good regular season team, but that's nothing new. We'll have to wait until the playoffs to see if anything's changed, or if we extend our 8 year run of being a sub .500 playoff team in the playoffs.

 

[ACC1224]

Well, context is everything.

If the Leafs had won the game and he said, maybe you can interpret it that way.

If Caps win the game and he states that, it is at best, open for interpretation.

Teams don't come into Toronto worried about a hard night and that's a real problem. I hoped they were heading in a direction in which other teams would find playing against the Leafs unpleasant, but that seems to have evaporated. Too many injuries and it might even have some players shying away from physical play they were showing earlier in the year.

Players are complimentary of an opponent when winning, critical of themselves when losing. Player interviews have always been this way.

Agreed that it’s open to interpretation but history says he’s likely being complimentary here.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Players are complimentary of an opponent when winning, critical of themselves when losing. Player interviews have always been this way.

Agreed that it’s open to interpretation but history says he’s likely being complimentary here.

We can agree to disagree and I admit, I only read what he said didn't hear the audio which could make a difference in the interpretation.

Regardless. Ovies opinion doesn't change anything, Hopefully the team gets healthy and fires on all cylinders.

 

[Evilhomer]

The guy is a savage.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I done blame Murray, sure he didnt make any sensational saves, but none were stinkers and two were near impossible.

We nees Matthews back thats obvious.

The first 2- goals were absolutely stinkers especially the first goal

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Same results just different excuses over the last 8 years

These are not excuses. These are sound arguments (near elite).

 

[Leafs98]

Its actually very poetic and leaves interpretation to the reader. Like the pretty woman / ugly woman picture, it all depends on what you see. He's playing to the divided fan base lol

 

[Hellcat]

Watching this team it's become obvious they are a team of ghosts with no identity. If I was to ask you what is this teams style? Fla is a swarm team with a hive mentality, Oil are a pond hockey team, Boston is a high trailer, seam pass team, you see identities in these teams. With Toronto, I'm not really sure what they are. Are they a fast team? No. Are they a hard on the forecheck team? No. Are they a locked down tight defensive team? No. Are they a ground and pound? No. Are they a quick transition team? No. Are they a possession team? No. Are they a team that puts fear in the hearts of their opponents? I honestly dont think so.

I think the Leafs need more energy and aggression from their wings and since Nylander and Marner have RW, I think it needs to specifically come from their LW. I think a guy like Bunting, not him specifically but a chaos type winger who has some skill and energy. A guy who pulls his teammates into the fight. I know you shouldn't have to pull $11 million forwards into the fight but these glue type players have a purpose and often are the spark for the boom.

Where is the fire boys?