Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-3

[cesareborgia]

it's too bad Kadri lost his cool in 2 playoffs cause he was the player we need. He dragged the leafs into lots of games where they were floating around the ice. He would lay a hit sometimes borderline but it would force his teammates to ramp up their game as the other team starting running after Kadri. He would get into the dirty area's.

If Marner had Kadri's passion and fire he would be worth his money

Yup, we sorely sorely miss Kadri. Exactly what we currently need.

JFJ level bad trade.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Thornton is on the first line. I don't really understand why people aren't understanding this. If people have an issue with him being on the first line, I get it. Him getting those minutes shouldn't be when he's on a line with two elite players. I think he should be the #3 center. Find somewhere for Kerfoot in the top 9.

That whole line shouldn't be getting those kinds of minutes tomorrow night. They've combined for 2 assists over 2 games, while Tavares, Nylander and Vesey have combined for 10 points through two nights.

Meritocracy. Play the guys that are producing. John and Willy are producing.

 

[Hockey 4 Life]

it's too bad Kadri lost his cool in 2 playoffs cause he was the player we need. He dragged the leafs into lots of games where they were floating around the ice. He would lay a hit sometimes borderline but it would force his teammates to ramp up their game as the other team starting running after Kadri. He would get into the dirty area's.

If Marner had Kadri's passion and fire he would be worth his money

Marner is playing like he is scared. He used to play fearlessly and with a ton of confidence. Hes playing like a shadow of his former self.

 

[Marshy]

Marner is playing like he is scared. He used to play fearlessly and with a ton of confidence. Hes playing like a shadow of his former self.

He's always been a slow starter I'm hoping it's just that.

 

[Hockey 4 Life]

He's always been a slow starter I'm hoping it's just that.

I hope so as well. I think the kid is great but he needs to start playing like he can or the fans are gonna turn on him quick.

 

[Critical13]

Barb, Spezza, Brodie and Simmonds with awful xGF% so far.

here’s what I would change:

Barbanov > Robertson
Dermott > Sandin
Bogosian > Lehtonen

Put Robertson on the 4th.

Tavares has been, in my opinion, our best player so far. 42% ozone starts but still has by far our best xGF% tonight.

The Matthews line looks so good but also very complacent in their own end at times. The opposition seems to create huge gaps in coverage against them.

 

[MattySnipes]

 

[saffronleaf]

Now it really feels like the NHL is back. :/

 

[TheDoldrums]

Ottawa isn't as bad as many of you make them out to be.

As far as the Leafs go they are still the same team they have always been. The top guys don't have the will to win and look disinterested in playing defense. It's amazing the amount of people who keep defending them.

Matthews usually has it. This was a really bad game for him though, puck was bouncing all over his stick. And he wasn't good defensively

 

[hockeyes]

A good team would hold themselves to account on their effort levels, a bad team will put in less effort to spite each other. I'm pretty sure half the team hates each other.

 

[Fogelhund]

Thornton is on the first line. I don't really understand why people aren't understanding this. If people have an issue with him being on the first line, I get it. Him getting those minutes shouldn't be when he's on a line with two elite players. I think he should be the #3 center. Find somewhere for Kerfoot in the top 9.

Kerfoot's line was one of the few bright spots... I like what he's doing on the third line. I'm not sure what to do.. .but Thornton's play, and TOI isn't the real big issue here.. .It's just Matthews and Marner's play first, and that Brodie and Rielly look like a bad match.

 

[All Mod Cons]

John Shannon
@JShannonhl
·
23m
Marner 25 minutes…0 goals 0 assists…0 shots on goal

7 expected goals, so we're aiighht

 

[mallory67]

Don't worry. Freddy is a slow starter. He is also terrible in the playoffs.
But boy will he steal a couple of games in December for you.

 

[Marshy]

Barb, Spezza, Brodie and Simmonds with awful xGF% so far.

here’s what I would change:

Barbanov > Robertson
Dermott > Sandin
Bogosian > Lehtonen

Move Holl down and give Muzzin a puck mover in Lehtonen.

Put Robertson on the 4th.

I like the idea of Robertson with Simmonds. Simmonds can babysit him a bit.

 

[Bomber0104]

Barrie was brutal with the Leafs...

Brodie played terribly tonight...

And I don't recall Hainey costing $5 million a year...

But thank you for that extremely horrible Twitter take.

Learned a lot.

 

[Budz]

What is this teams identity?

Shut your eyes and answer - I’ll hang up and listen.

 

[weems]

Is Rielly bad defensively?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

7 expected goals, so we're aiighht

When you don't irrationally overreact from game to game like a stereotypical fan, then yes it is alright.

 

[TeddyBare]

It's all fine
Plenty of teams are 1-1 with each game going completely opposite from the successful one

you want to get a loss early on in the season and build from it.
You want to be humbled early on in the season, and this division is good.

 

[Critical13]

What is this teams identity?

Shut your eyes and answer - I’ll hang up and listen.

At one time it was youth and tenacity, but these days it seems to be Chaos.

 

[Disgraced Cosmonaut]

Anyone else for moving Marner and Freddie for a top pairing D asset, new goalie and 20/20 winger - picks to balance? I think Auston can carry any good passer he got familiar with.

People wanna know what's missing. Kadri. That's what. Perfect player for this team - warts and all. Now the team is misshapen, malformed, whatever. We will see some really good nights, to be sure, but anyone who's confident that this team wins as-is, particularly with this goalie, is not being impartial.

 

[hobarth]

I like Keefe and agree with a lot of things he says, but I'm super confused about the lines.

He likes to play his stars big minutes (which is great and something we need to do for this team to succeed), but puts guys on their lines that shouldn't see big minutes (Thornton & Vesey). Just load up our top 2 lines and play them close to 40 minutes.

I don't like playing Thornton with the top line and then dropping him every few shifts since he can't handle those minutes... If he can't handle those minutes then he shouldn't be on that line to begin with IMO.[/QUOTE

I don't think TO has the depth to provide more than what Thornton has so far, I think he's providing the support AM and MM need but they need to provide more. It looks to me like he can handle the minutes but it also looks to me like AM and MM are pacing themselves, not fully invested, they need to be better. Thornton is a minimum wage player.

It's always possible that the star players will slump and why that happens is hard to understand but what's even harder to understand is how uninvolved they are when not scoring.

 

[Bomber0104]

7 expected goals, so we're aiighht

Couldn't even get one of our powerplays set up for the entire two minute duration...

Pretty sure that still counts as an expected goal on the blogs.

 

[Critical13]

Kerfoot's line was one of the few bright spots... I like what he's doing on the third line. I'm not sure what to do.. .but Thornton's play, and TOI isn't the real big issue here.. .It's just Matthews and Marner's play first, and that Brodie and Rielly look like a bad match.

Agreed! The 3rd line was very competitive tonight, I was impressed.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Yes, or you would damage the relationship so badly you might as well trade him now.

Marner would be the laughing stock of the hockey world if he turned down a 9 million dollar deal to go play in Europe.