Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-3

[Chief Leaf]

Special teams were the difference tonight. Our power play just hasn't been clicking, which is unfortunate as they had a chance to take an early lead and get some energy going. On the other side, our penalty kill was a bit of a disaster tonight after being excellent last game which really turned the tide.

Bottom line is, we didn't have the same sense of urgency as we did in game 1 and it showed.

Simmonds taking multiple penalties is inexcusable - you can't have your 4th line be a liability and now that's two games in a row where they are negatively impacting the team.

Campbell got outdueled by Vasilevsky but that was always to be expected. Tavares with another no show game.

On to game 3 - we have to play hungry again.

I like what you said and basically it is the truth but,..our players.....

ALL of our players have to realize that just because Bunting comes back that the rest of them can loosen their capes. Be the team that plays like a team with meaning, And give er as much as you can individually and chip in!

Yes Simmonds is a vet and should shark it out better.

Now for our fans...man stay positive!

 

[Stephen]

Nylander may be the trade bait.


Players on the present roster who will be looking for new contracts are Jack Campbell, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, Mark Giordano, Ilya Lyubushkin, Jason Spezza, Colin Blackwell, Pierre Engvall, Ilya Mikheyev, and Ondrej Kase. Obviously, the team won’t be able to re-sign them all. Still, we’re sure they would like to sign as many of them as they can.

Having Nylander’s close to $7 million salary-cap hit off the books would go a long way to helping get as many of those players signed as possible.

One other long-term consideration is that Nylander’s contract has only two more years to run, which coincides with Matthews’ present deal expiring. While Matthews already makes just over $11.6 million, we feel it will take significantly more money to convince him to remain in Toronto.


source:

Maple Leafs Will Trade William Nylander This Offseason - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

William Nylander is one of the Core Four for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Still, we predict that he'll be traded this offseason. Why?

thehockeywriters.com

I could see it, it's not my favorite course of action, but Tavares would be the first and best hockey move if it came to shedding a lot of salary very quickly (and not really missing what goes out the door too much).

 

[MarMarSab3]

Great 3C

2021-22

Los Angeles Kings

NHL

79

27

24

3C what? He is an outstanding 2C

 

[HamiltonNHL]

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

No Bunting ?

 

[Stephen]

Really missed that silky Spezza magic on the attempted comeback trail. He's got to come back next game.

 

[TMLeafer]

For those complaining about Simmonds, the crap Perry and Maroon would get up to without him around would be even worse. I think he paid the Leafs jersey tax, no way Maroon or Perry or any other pest gets two after-the-whistle roughing penalties in a game. That said, I didn't like the PK that much today and obviously the PP did not deliver.

 

[LeafSteel]

We got absolutely suckered into playing away we need to play.

By the time we got back to it, hole was too deep.

We can beat Tampa, but only if we don’t beat ourselves by playing into their mind games.

Forget the mistake but learn the lesson, and go to Tampa smarter and beating them at our game, not theirs.

Go Leafs Go!

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I could see it, it's not my favorite course of action, but Tavares would be the first and best hockey move if it came to shedding a lot of salary very quickly (and not really missing what goes out the door too much).

Has an 11 million dollar AAV ever been traded ?

 

[robertmac43]

Did you really think either of them would have been called if he'd been wearing Black and Gold with a B on the front. Marginal calls at best.

Even if you think they shouldn't be called and I can kind of see where people are coming from with Simmonds. The guy literally did it twice.... You get called once, fine, a second time for essentially the same thing... Come on, be smarter.

 

[Torontonian]

Lots of doom and gloom but Toronto just needs to clean up there game. Special teams was the difference tonight, you cannot give Tampa bay 10 powerplays in 2 games and think you'll be up 2-0 in the series. Our 4th line (Simmonds and Clifford) have taken 9 mins in pens in two games, cannot happen. Also cannot afford to get shutout on your own powerplay.

Our first period was excellent apart from not scoring and letting a goal in with 2 seconds left. Our 2nd we got out played and in the 3rd I thought we played well but got far too aggressive far to early in the 3rd, no need on the 4th goal to make a play like that with 18 mins left in the period.

All in all, if they are able to stay out of the box and play 5 on 5, they have looked like the better team at even strength through two games.

 

[notbias]

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[TD]2021-22[/TD]
[TD]Los Angeles Kings[/TD]
[TD]NHL[/TD]
[TD]79[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
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3C what? He is an outstanding 2C

I have the standards of Tavares as 2C, sorry. Good 2C, great 3C.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

This is where Galchenyuk came in handy last year. Nylander needs someone with skill to play with. He's not going to put up points with Engvall and Kampf in the playoffs. These are straight line spin back high effort players. Players like this don't score (put up points) regularly on Tampa. We need point per game from Nylander.

 

[robertmac43]

Correct.

 

[djdev]

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

lol you took out bunting? really?

 

[Gallagbi]

Simmonds and Soup cost us big time. Muzzin had his moments defensively.

Simply need a smarter effort next game, but were in it.

 

[MarMarSab3]

I have the standards of Tavares as 2C, sorry. Good 2C, great 3C.

Except Tavares is a 1C on 50% of other teams

 

[wingman75]

For those complaining about Simmonds, the crap Perry and Maroon would get up to without him around would be even worse. I think he paid the Leafs jersey tax, no way Maroon or Perry or any other pest gets two after-the-whistle roughing penalties in a game. That said, I didn't like the PK that much today and obviously the PP did not deliver.

I was thinking the same. I think a slight adjustment to the after whistle play is l that is needed. Between the whistles I think Simmonds is doing his job. Bring back Clifford next game. I really would swap Blackwell with Spezza.

 

[Fonzieleaf]

Put Spezza in. He's a beast in the playoffs and was probably our best player all series last year.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Keefe: "We took too many penalties."

Me: "We were assessed too many penalties."

 

[MSZ]

Has an 11 million dollar AAV ever been traded ?

Jagr was traded by the Caps to Rangers. 11m x 7.

 

[Gallagbi]

For those complaining about Simmonds, the crap Perry and Maroon would get up to without him around would be even worse. I think he paid the Leafs jersey tax, no way Maroon or Perry or any other pest gets two after-the-whistle roughing penalties in a game. That said, I didn't like the PK that much today and obviously the PP did not deliver.

He needs to understand the situation he's in. The slew foot was obviously going to get called and if not, it should be..

The second one was just pure bullshit given the situation

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Put Spezza in. He's a beast in the playoffs and was probably our best player all series last year.

Simmonds has to be out for a few games at least after that.

 

[notbias]

Except Tavares is a 1C on 50% of other teams

You posted stats as an argument for Danault (actually think he's overrated defensively), he is 50th in the league for points by a C this year, he is a good 2C.

 

[Fonzieleaf]

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

He's also battling food poisoning so.

 

[Stephen]

We got absolutely suckered into playing away we need to play.

By the time we got back to it, hole was too deep.

We can beat Tampa, but only if we don’t beat ourselves by playing into their mind games.

Forget the mistake but learn the lesson, and go to Tampa smarter and beating them at our game, not theirs.

Go Leafs Go!

As much as I'm an old school pound of flesh kind of fan who grew up with the Clark era runs and enjoyed the Tucker/Roberts Islanders series, it just seems like the Leafs should spend less time on the Maroon, Perry and Bellemare stuff. Save your scrumming and bear hugs and extra shots on Kucherov, Point and Stamkos and save up your big hits on puck retrievals. Play hard, take penalties, but direct it at the right people.