Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-3

[HamiltonNHL]

EDM 3 - LAK 0

 

[Shawnathon]

76 points in 79 games.. since we are rounding, just call him a PPG player

What team is clearing 11 million dollars for that at this point in his career? I said it in my post, good player boat anchor contract. The teams that are successful don’t sink that much of their cap in one player unless they’re a superstar and he’s not that. He’s also still owed $7 million in each of his last 3 years which doesn’t make him attractive for a team looking to get to the salary cap floor.

 

[Azazel]

So just for fun:
Game 1

6:18 Matthews 2nd period Goal
8:16 Mikheyev Holding
Goal/penalty within 2 mins

9:27 Kampf Goal
10:46 Boosh Interference
Goal/penalty just over 1 min

Game 2
7:47 Bunting Goal
9:28 Simmonds Roughing
Goal/Penalty Bout a min and a half

11:53 Marner Goal
14:54 Bunting slashing
Goal/penalty 1 second over 3 mins

Keeping in mind the first 2 are when we were just up 2-0 and 3-0 respectively, so the game was still up for grabs when the league decided to penalize us for each goal.

For those curious Tampa has not had one goal penalized.
9:57 Kuch
15:59 Bellm holding
Goal/Penalty over 6 mins

5:38 Point
17:25 point slashing
Goal/Penalty nearly 12 mins

 

[ktownhockey]

I have never seen a more USELESS player with such a high caphit than Tavares

What a f***ing boat anchor. We could have done so much with that cap hit to load up the team with competent players

I don't even know what does he even do to get the minutes he gets. Kampf could take his minutes and have the same outcome. Seriously WTF

Whahhhhh

 

[The Big Swede13]

Move on to game 3. Leafs gave Tampa a freebie

 

[kevsh]

What team is clearing 11 million dollars for that at this point in his career? I said it in my post, good player boat anchor contract. The teams that are successful don’t sink that much of their cap in one player unless they’re a superstar and he’s not that. He’s also still owed $7 million in each of his last 3 years which doesn’t make him attractive for a team looking to get to the salary cap floor.

All true but it's a moot point. Tavares isn't waiving to go anywhere.
If the Leafs don't win in his remaining years here, it's that contract that's going to be pointed to by fans for generations as the anchor that killed this team's Cup aspirations, and it will haunt Dubas for the rest of his hockey life.

For now, it's still 1-1 and Toronto hasn't lost anything. But as I mentioned above, any of us expecting Tavares to do anything more than he's been doing (which is nothing outside of winning faceoffs) is going to be disappointed.

 

[WillNy29]

Anyone catch Cernak on the bench saying "I didn't even feel it" what a f***ing bitch ass diver

 

[Cleetus]

It's over bro

the f*** it is, its tied bro....

 

[wingman75]

Engvall was pretty poor today, Mikheyev too. Liljegren had a rare subpar game but was great game one, Simmonds was the worst player on the ice.

Marner, Matthews, Kerfoot, Kampf (less the brain fart), Bunting, Muzzin, Brodie and Rielly all look fantastic.

Campbell, Tavares, Nylander, Blackwell, Kase, Giordano, Lyubushkin have all kind of just been *guys*, neither good nor bad.

Realistically, I would just reunite Kerfoot/Tavares/Nylander and the MKE line, especially without home ice advantage, but this may be good:

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Kase - Kerfoot - Nylander
Blackwell - Tavares - Spezza
Mikheyev - Kampf - Engvall

Agree with the boldes parts for sure. We just need those guys to be a little firmer.

I think if we play like we did in the first we win on Friday.

 

[danron1376]

Anyone catch Cernak on the bench saying "I didn't even feel it" what a f***ing bitch ass diver

yeah, saw the link on reddit. bellemare also just flopping on the ground like he was shot. keefe should call out tampa for embellishing. get those into the minds of the refs.

 

[ktownhockey]

And the cycle repeats!!

Do people want 2018 Boston game 2 all over again? Because that's what you're getting. It's not Kadri, Clifford or Simmonds fault. The officiating has a different set of rules for us. Why our fanbase cannot understand this is beyond me.

I hate blaming refs but the sample size is large in the playoffs and YES we get the raw end every series. If a team isn't skilled (Not TB obviously) they let everything go. If it's against a skilled team like us they just pick and choose penalties. Must be tough for the guys to fully engage because of this. That one call where our stick touched a glove in a non scoring area where the player (Point?? or Cirelli??) probably didn't even know it happened to him was absolutely insane. Guys are getting dusted after the whistle and no call.

I'm not shocked. It happens every single time. Not much you can do....... Loved the fight back.

 

[Chief Leaf]

JT Matthews MM
Willy Kerfoot Kase
Mik Kampf Engvall
Cliff Spezza Simmonds

I don't mind the look but that seems really too harsh on Bunting.

 

[Mopar]

Tavares is getting a lot of heat. And rightfully so. He's supposed to be a superstar center giving us a lethal 1-2 punch. Feasting on weaker matchups. Unfortunately it isn't working out that way.

He needs to step up and be a factor in this series. He was hurt last year unfortunately. Prior to that he hasn't provided this team much edge in the playoffs.

I would love to see him turn it around.

 

[ktownhockey]

And Nylander too. He was the best forward last year, so far absolutely nothing.

Sushi lol fakkkk

 

[Duffman955]

Officiating was dog shit

Our PK needs to be better. Our PP needs to be better

Loved the fight back.

On to Tampa

Let's go Leafs nation. We got ourselves a contender. Let's get out there and support the boys

 

[Jojalu]

That won’t work either. If keefe had balls he would run kase, kerfoot nylander as line two, leave mik kampf and engvall as line 3 and run tavares as 4C with extra pp minutes

Nylander has to get away from Kampf and Engvall. At the game tonight sitting behind Vasi and Nylander came in multiple times and neither Engvall nor Kampf have enough creativity to get ooen or drive the net. There is no option as Tampa just doubles up on him and they end up with no chance.

 

[Squiffy]

Not beside myself here, you knew they were coming back strong. Actually don't think it was that lopsided, couple of key moments broke TBL's way, there's the game. Might be time to rethink that 4th line, if it's going to be a penalty fest, and that's fine, lets go skill over braun. I expect Spezza in, Simmonds gets a chance to redeem after a brutal game, Clifford sits. I bet Kerfoot goes back up on the M&M line too. Put Bunting on the Taveres line and just create mayhem in the crease al game long. Lots of options.

I think they win game three. This series is going to be a war.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I hate blaming refs but the sample size is large in the playoffs and YES we get the raw end every series. If a team isn't skilled (Not TB obviously) they let everything go. If it's against a skilled team like us they just pick and choose penalties. Must be tough for the guys to fully engage because of this. That one call where our stick touched a glove in a non scoring area where the player (Point?? or Cirelli??) probably didn't even know it happened to him was absolutely insane. Guys are getting dusted after the whistle and no call.

I'm not shocked. It happens every single time. Not much you can do....... Loved the fight back.

If we take out Simmonds and Clifford, the whistles will be put away in Tampa. Not sure what the right way to go about it is.

 

[3blizzard4]

EDM 3 - LAK 0

and the night keeps getting better.

 

[ECanuck]

So just for fun:
Game 1

6:18 Matthews 2nd period Goal
8:16 Mikheyev Holding
Goal/penalty within 2 mins

9:27 Kampf Goal
10:46 Boosh Interference
Goal/penalty just over 1 min

Game 2
7:47 Bunting Goal
9:28 Simmonds Roughing
Goal/Penalty Bout a min and a half

11:53 Marner Goal
14:54 Bunting slashing
Goal/penalty 1 second over 3 mins

Keeping in mind the first 2 are when we were just up 2-0 and 3-0 respectively, so the game was still up for grabs when the league decided to penalize us for each goal.

For those curious Tampa has not had one goal penalized.
9:57 Kuch
15:59 Bellm holding
Goal/Penalty over 6 mins

5:38 Point
17:25 point slashing
Goal/Penalty nearly 12 mins

Something was fishy. They got the two early ones for us and they went to work.

 

[MarMarSab3]

Nobody is going to be looking to tie up $11 million dollars for the next 3 years in a 70 point player who will be turning 32. Good player, anchor contract.

Agreed

 

[Squiffy]

If we take out Simmonds and Clifford, the whistles will be put away in Tampa. Not sure what the right way to go about it is.

I think you gotta leave Simmonds in, haul him out next game and it just looks like punishment for Simmonds for doing what they want Simmonds to do, except without the crushing penalties. Clifford I think you can explain a bit more with Spezza creating another layer of concern on the fourth.

Not apoplectic but a crappy night huh? I could happily just sleep until Friday 7pm, its all just waiting for the next game, dont care a ton about much else. Just going through the motions.

 

[rocketman588]

yeah, saw the link on reddit. bellemare also just flopping on the ground like he was shot. keefe should call out tampa for embellishing. get those into the minds of the refs.

On ESPN they said he said what a f***ing idiot idk

But you can't be stupid and spear/slash dudes 40 feet behind the play just like you can't get away with flying cross checking dudes 8 seconds late. Boosh had some pretty ass calls against him but wayne screwed himself over. The one on Perry was a bit softer then the second one but it serves no purpose to hit him over Campbell anyways that's just asking for our starting goalie to get injured.

Dubas and Keefe have been begging the refs to call it tight all year. You can't get too this point and be idiots and make it easy.

 

[rocketman588]

On another note Matthews can't go the entire game with 3 shots if we want to win.

That's an embarrassing offensive performance from him

 

[notDatsyuk]

I have never seen a more USELESS player with such a high caphit than Tavares

What a f***ing boat anchor. We could have done so much with that cap hit to load up the team with competent players

I don't even know what does he even do to get the minutes he gets. Kampf could take his minutes and have the same outcome. Seriously WTF

He's paid 11M. Seriously, I think that's part of it. A player with his skillset on a 3-4M per season contract would be a 3W who took faceoffs.