Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-3

[ToneDog]

Andersen clearly deserves the lion's share of the blame since the Leafs were dominating until he decided to let every shot past him, but it's not all on him. The Leafs are absolutely good enough to come back against a team like ottawa and just gave up

Your #1 pair dmen were a combined -7 and your best player was -3. Yup Andy deserves the lion's share. They will be better tomorrow with Campbell in goal and everybody will say, see it was Andy.

 

[CanadasTeam]

Matthews.. 0 points, -3 Umm... yup, our Superstar.

I really thought after seeing McDavid's hat trick yesterday that he'd at least have a couple against the Sens tonight.. damn.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I don't hate this makeup

Can't have Thornton and Spezza on the same line. That's a shooting gallery for the opponent. Just rotate Spezza and Thornton in and out of the lineup.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Joes legs are gone. Anyone else notice he just can’t really stride with the puck on his stick anymore. Second he gets it, it’s a drop pass or little chip to space.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

People gotta stop using +/- as an indicator (especially a one game sample size), it just makes you look like a hockey noob tbh

 

[Antropovsky]

Coulda traded Marner for either Tkachuk and had millions in cap space. Could maybe do the same with Dubois, but our management is committed to a Marner statue.

... come on lighten up! Marner almost got a shot on goal today!

 

[Leafsfan74]

Biggest takeaway for me is to move Thornton down the line-up... He's still a valuable player, but the only nice plays he makes are when he isn't moving which is not what Marner and Matthews need.

Expecting one of the old guys (Spezza most likely) to be dropped and Robertson or somebody else to get a shot for the b2b.

Rielly-Brodie were bad, but you give time to them as you need them to be your top pair and put in Lehtonen/Sandin for Bogosian despite him being better than last night.


Our top guys were our worst players and I doubt that happens in game 2 of a b2b, but we better come out flying tomorrow or I'll be a lot more worried.

Reilly/Brodie will be a solid pair, but Reilly will have to accept a more physical role IMO. My word has always been balance, they will hopefully find it this year. Players are waiting in the wings when needed.

 

[Confucius]

I cant believe I stayed at home on a Friday night to watch this sh*t...

out of towner ?

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Leafs have to improve both their presence in front of the opposition net and getting position/being physical when they are in front of our net.

I also want to see more of Simmons because he cares. Sue me.

I feel like we’ve been saying that for a decade.... full turnover of coaches, players, managers.... it’s the same cursed story. 2 games out of 56 or not

 

[CabanaBoy5]

It’s early but what a pathetic defensive effort. Brodie and Reilly were a tire fire. Thornton is a pylon. Marner coasting like last year. Andersen can’t play consistently well. We need to see Campbell Robertson and Lehtonen in tomorrow night. In the words of a wise man “same old same old”.

 

[TopChedder]

Will over skill.

Determination prevails. A lot of standard hockey talk, but it doesn't have to be rocket science.

It's one of the reasons teams like the Bruins are continually great.

 

[Community]

I'd go back to old lines for the top 2

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Tavares - Marner
Simmonds - Kerfoot - Robertson
Thornton - Spezza - Barabanov

Much better... I know Keefe is looking to spread the offense a bit more, but that is still a 3rd line where all players should put up 40pts in a full season which is great given how well the first 2 lines should produce.

I'd be okay with this or something similar to this where Hyman/mik or Nylander/Marner are switched.

Also want to see Lehtonen, Sandin, or Liljegren in next game.

 

[Fogelhund]

Here is the bottom line... Marner and Matthews need to be our best players, each and every night. They have to have the will to win, at every level. Tonight, they clearly did not.

Whether Robertson, Liljegren, Sandin, Lehtonen, or anyone else are in the lineup just isn't relevant. Our Best players need to lead. Until these guys do, each and every night, nothing else matters. If these guys can't lead, and can't be the best players, I'm afraid this era is over. We can complain about the goalie, or the coach, or the GM, about role players, but NONE of that matters, when guys like Matty and Marner play like this. We drafted right, and these guys... at times... are wizards with the puck. But, it's not a full effort all the time, and often lazy. They need more emotion to their game, and they need to play like winners. Again, complain about everything else around them, and there are some points to be made.. but if these two aren't playing at a MVP level, like they are paid to, forget about it.

 

[ToneDog]

Biggest takeaway for me is to move Thornton down the line-up... He's still a valuable player, but the only nice plays he makes are when he isn't moving which is not what Marner and Matthews need.

Expecting one of the old guys (Spezza most likely) to be dropped and Robertson or somebody else to get a shot for the b2b.

Rielly-Brodie were bad, but you give time to them as you need them to be your top pair and put in Lehtonen/Sandin for Bogosian despite him being better than last night.


Our top guys were our worst players and I doubt that happens in game 2 of a b2b, but we better come out flying tomorrow or I'll be a lot more worried.

Thornton Spezza Siimmonds. Yikes.

 

[Canadian Finn]

It's one of the reasons teams like the Bruins are continually great.

ugh.

I know.

Makes me puke in my mouth a little...but yes.

 

[Cpt Maple Leaf]

Losses were expected. Losses this pathetic were expected but we still foolishly had hoped that they might turn a corner.

Good teams win the games that they are supposed to win. Not necessarily every one of them, but consistently win most. There seems to be no continuity with this group.

 

[Stanley Sumdae]

Roberston might not be ready for the NHL full time. He needs time to develop his game, build some strength, and there is nothing wrong with that. His time will come.

Plus, we have Barabanov, a KHL free agent signing, who needs to be given a chance. It's only Barabanov in the lineup tonight, that can come out of the lineup, without passing through waivers. Roberston will be given his chance.

Ready? The kid played in a playoff series and was good. I'd rather watch him go through growing pains then watch Vesey play. I know he'll be given a chance, but I thought he earned that last spring.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Joes legs are gone. Anyone else notice he just can’t really stride with the puck on his stick anymore. Second he gets it, it’s a drop pass or little chip to space.

Joe was never fleet of foot to start with. Now he's a statue.

 

[hockeynorth]

Leafs need more grit. The draft was great, and draft for skill, but you need to gain physical players elsewhere. We haven’t.

The best leafs team to watch in the past 10 years is still the team in the shortneded season that cracked the playoff drought. It was built on toughness. This team is hit or miss. If they’re offence is down, they don’t have any other layers

Putting Joey Anderson in could help a bit

 

[Nineteen67]

Leafs need more grit. The draft was great, and draft for skill, but you need to gain physical players elsewhere. We haven’t.

The best leafs team to watch in the past 10 years is still the team in the shortneded season that cracked the playoff drought. It was built on toughness. This team is hit or miss. If they’re offence is down, they don’t have any other layers

At least one of your core players should have a little physical play in their game.

 

[IrishInOntario]

138:36 minutes played
2 Assists
-5

That's Matthews and Marner through two games. Not acceptable for 22.5 million dollars and substantially more minutes than any other forwards on the team.

 

[Dave92]

Guess we can rule "pressure from the fans" out as an excuse for this team, the bubble and the past 2 games is the worst they've looked since 2015.

 

[ToneDog]

People gotta stop using +/- as an indicator (especially a one game sample size), it just makes you look like a hockey noob tbh

I think the -7 our #1 pair were says a lot about how they played tonight but then again maybe I am a knob.

 

[Canadian Finn]

138:36 minutes played
2 Assists
-5

That's Matthews and Marner through two games. Not acceptable.

Babs fault.

Obviously.

 

[Leafs87]

Putting Joey Anderson in could help a bit

Ideally, every line has a Simmonds/Hyman type. You don’t need someone who drops the gloves every game. But you need compete and hard grinding.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Andersen clearly deserves the lion's share of the blame since the Leafs were dominating until he decided to let every shot past him, but it's not all on him. The Leafs are absolutely good enough to come back against a team like ottawa and just gave up

I'd say that sums up this game.

There are issues with this team. We were sloppy defensively tonight (even more than last game, where it was already iffy but passable if we received any kind of great goaltending) and after the Kerfoot goal, were somewhat sloppy offensively either. We were better against Montreal and we are better than that too.

Andersen is just concerning right now though. As are some of Keefe's lineup decisions, but he will find something that will work. I'm not sure when Andersen is going to figure it out and he has a lot less runway to do it this year.

I think Keefe puts Hyman back with Matthews and Marner eventually. Thornton may end up on the third line, or maybe even the fourth line. Barabanov or Simmonds could move up to play on the 3rd line.