Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-4 in OT | Lead series 2-1

[rumman]

The most Dangerous man on the Leafs is Matthew Knies… he is literally playing like a Honey Badger out there.

Leafs in 5

Knies us the kind of player I would be cloning if I was building a winner…….

 

[Anthrax442]

Knies us the kind of player I would be cloning if I was building a winner…….

One for Center and one for D

 

[Rare Jewel]

This seems so obvious, but still some cannot grasp the concept. If we wanted Mathews to play like Adam Lowry we’d get Adam Lowry and save 10 mil per year…….

This is true.

But it is very possible he's dealing with something as well. The issue is that as the game gets tighter, he's needed offensively even more. It can't just be Knies, Nyander and a bit of JT for the goals.

 

[arso40]

The most Dangerous man on the Leafs is Matthew Knies… he is literally playing like a Honey Badger out there.

Leafs in 5

Not true but like @rumman said I would clone him before anyone else

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

This seems so obvious, but still some cannot grasp the concept. If we wanted Mathews to play like Adam Lowry we’d get Adam Lowry and save 10 mil per year…….

Think of Ovechkin. Once he started playing a more defensibly responsible game, they won a Cup. I would bet money a similar conversation happened with Matthews.

 

[Aashir]

Think of Ovechkin. Once he started playing a more defensibly responsible game, they won a Cup. I would bet money a similar conversation happened with Matthews.

Ovi still scored

15 goals in 24 games, a 50 goal pace, for Matthews to hit 15 goals this playoffs would need to play 68 games……

 

[HockeyThoughts]

Think of Ovechkin. Once he started playing a more defensibly responsible game, they won a Cup. I would bet money a similar conversation happened with Matthews.

Ovechkin had 15G the year they won the Cup. Winning had nothing to do with him playing a defensively responsible game lol

 

[seventieslord]

Spezza got 6 games as a first time offender.

Matthews got 2 games as a first time offender. DOPS made a statement out of Kadri twice and Bunting. your analysis would bear weight if you went through all major incidents for and against Toronto which should have resulted in suspensions and either didnt (in the case of against) or did (they got it right this time but then for some reason they didnt get it right after that).

Also that play should have been blown dead the instant Carlo played the puck with a broken stick. so Wes McCauley can see the puck in the scramble but couldn't see Carlo playing it with a broken stick? give me a break. TJ Luxmore I believe calls Domi for going up high in the first period and promptly Wes McCauley ignores Evan Rodrigues trying to make tavares eat through a straw?

Spezza deserved it, it had all the signs of premeditated retribution. Matthews was very lucky he was a first time offender and lady byng winner or he would have gotten much more. That was an absolutely vicious play. Kadri deserved it, and if I have taken the pulse of leafs nation correctly, we think of him as a guy who screwed us twice in the playoffs with bad suspensions, not a guy who got targeted by the league. Bunting was probably a bad one, it came at a time when there was a lot of talk about reverse hits but I think the tide has turned and it's turning into an acceptable play for player who's about to get hit himself. In retrospect it sucks but the timing of it had a lot more to do with it. If your point is that the leafs have had bad suspensions and missed suspensions against, sure that's true. But it's true for every team. But thinking the deck is stacked against you is just loser talk.

I certainly don't want referees just blowing the whistle as soon as they lose sight of the puck when we're jamming away at the opposition's net, do you? And that's not what they're supposed to do. They need to either know or have a very strong belief that it's underneath the goalie. I don't think there was any reason for the referee to blow the whistle at that moment, either from losing sight of the puck, or from calling a penalty on Carlo. If he did catch Carlo playing the puck with a broken stick, I don't think you blow the whistle at that very moment, I think your arm goes up and you blow it dead the next time Toronto takes possession, which of course did not happen.

And they miss high hits and elbows all the time, both ways. If they called it every single time the game would be nothing would power plays and nobody wants that. It's stupid but that's what the game has devolved to in the playoffs. It's nothing against Toronto.

 

[Cleetus]

No, definitely not, but I highly doubt Berube is asking Matthews, a prolific goal scorer, to miss the net.

There's something wrong with him.

exactly, great point, if we have any chance to do anymore damage he will have to score, but there is something broken with him, I wonder if we will hear anything when the off season begins, as to what it is

 

[Jojalu]

exactly, great point, if we have any chance to do anymore damage he will have to score, but there is something broken with him, I wonder if we will hear anything when the off season begins, as to what it is

100% we will.

There is no doubt something is wrong with him.

That being said, he has never really been great in the playoffs outside the Tampa series, and a game in Bos last year. There are probably others too.

It's great that he is pretty good defensively, blocks a lot of shots, wins draws etc, and it means a lot more than people here seem to think but for 13 mi, injured or not, will the puck into the net

 

[tuckerintensity]

Christ on a cracker this place is insufferable most times. Tough one last night, still took them to OT and easily could've been up 3-0. But it's like if we don't win 5-0 every night we're not good enough.

The playoffs are tough, the farther you go the more difficult it gets, we're playing the reigning champs and lost a tough one with sub par goaltending and two very unlucky goals against.

Nothing changes, go out there tomorrow and do the same things and try to take one in Florida.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Too bad. They had the series on the verge of being wrapped up and blew it. Now Florida is in it but hopefully the Leafs can get the split.

 

[weems]

Carlo has been very good for us but last night he had a rough game.
Have to hope he's alright after taking that huge hit in the first period.
A big part if we win this series will be how our D handles their forecheck and the physical toll it takes over a 7 game series.
Tanev and Carlo might be hearing footsteps everytime they go back to retrieve pucks.

 

[Jojalu]

Too bad. They had the series on the verge of being wrapped up and blew it. Now Florida is in it but hopefully the Leafs can get the split.

They always needed the split. If they win tomorrow it crushes Florida.

They needed to play from behind and had an OT fluke goal to win.

If they lose tomorrow at home, they are cooked

 

[CelticDruid]

The problem with this train of thought is that while Willy has 44 even strength points in his playoff career, he is a +1.
Meaning he is barely above breaking even on overall impact.
All while facing the opposition's secondary defrlenders.

Meanwhile, the shitty Matthews has 41 even strength points, but is a +5. While facing the opposing primary players.



Does anyone remember that time we had a phenomenal offensive player who didn't try very hard defensively, was matched with primary defenders and didn't quite meet expectations, chased out of town, went to a team where he was not the primary player and then won 2 cups and got shafted on a Conn Smythe as he feasted on secondary and tertiary opponents?

Me neither.

Willy has gotten the benefit of that last part of the deal, but while he's been good offensively, he hasn't been outstanding.

This post season, he has done his job of generating offense. That's his only role on the team. He isn't expected to win draws, or play down low, or backcheck particularly hard, or kill penalties. Simply to produce offensively.

Tavares is tasked with covering down low and in his zone, win face-offs and to pop in a bit offensively. He has done his job thus far.

The 3rd line and the 4th line are out there to give the top guys a break and to wear down the opposition while not giving up much. They've done their job.

The top line is tasked with generating offense, nullifying Barkov, Vergaege and Reinhart. They have done this to a T (outside of the 3 horrendous goals given up

The problem with this train of thought is that while Willy has 44 even strength points in his playoff career, he is a +1.
Meaning he is barely above breaking even on overall impact.
All while facing the opposition's secondary defrlenders.

Meanwhile, the shitty Matthews has 41 even strength points, but is a +5. While facing the opposing primary players.



Does anyone remember that time we had a phenomenal offensive player who didn't try very hard defensively, was matched with primary defenders and didn't quite meet expectations, chased out of town, went to a team where he was not the primary player and then won 2 cups and got shafted on a Conn Smythe as he feasted on secondary and tertiary opponents?

Me neither.

Willy has gotten the benefit of that last part of the deal, but while he's been good offensively, he hasn't been outstanding.

This post season, he has done his job of generating offense. That's his only role on the team. He isn't expected to win draws, or play down low, or backcheck particularly hard, or kill penalties. Simply to produce offensively.

Tavares is tasked with covering down low and in his zone, win face-offs and to pop in a bit offensively. He has done his job thus far.

The 3rd line and the 4th line are out there to give the top guys a break and to wear down the opposition while not giving up much. They've done their job.

The top line is tasked with generating offense, nullifying Barkov, Vergaege and Reinhart. They have done this to a T (outside of the 3 horrendous goals given up by Woll).

Overreaction per usual.

 

[Racer88]

Poor 2nd period, but our team does a good job collapsing down low and minimizing the severity of the scoring chance the Sens or Panthers had. Getting outplayed in the 2nd should not have had an impact on the outcome based on the score


If Woll continues to falter, Leafs need to go shopping in the off season.

If the leafs lose this series they need to retool big time, not just goalie but I agree that goalie will be part of the retool.
The biggest thing will be convincing Matthews to waive his no trade

 

[NinjaKick]

That’s likely the season

that's right... I'm bringing back the wut granny


...also she's dead

 

[Jojalu]

View attachment 1033388


that's right... I'm bringing back the wut granny


...also she's dead

Morbid post!

 

[seventieslord]

Ovechkin had 15G the year they won the Cup. Winning had nothing to do with him playing a defensively responsible game lol

Absolutely one of the most bogus narratives that's out there right now. He had the same poor defensive stats he always does.

 

[Jojalu]

Absolutely one of the most bogus narratives that's out there right now. He had the same poor defensive stats he always does.

Score 900 goals and who cares?

 

[seventieslord]

Score 900 goals and who cares?

Right or wrong, that's true.

 

[crump]

Get some rest and get ready for Sunday. Nobody said it was going to be easy. But we have areas we can do better, better than they played the game of their lives and they lost. Seems everyone is healthy still. (Since we lost I’m relinquishing the game day thread to someone else for luck.)

 

[Nineteen67]

Matthews has 10 points in 9 games while playing a defensively responsible role and penalty killing. Gets nothing but grief from (some) Leafs fans.

The great and almighty Barkov has 7 points in 8 games playing pretty much the same role. I don't see Florida fans bitching about him.

What is each player paid to do?
If Matthews were to start scoring they’d have a great chance to win the series.

 

[Brown Dog]

It's so frustrating that we lost after scoring the first 2, twice having a two-goal lead, putting 4 past Bobrovsky, tying it late, and being one shot away in the coin flip that is OT. You really want to win those games, especially when it would have meant a 3-0 lead and in all likelihood curtains for Florida. Still so dang frustrated!!

But in the big picture, I'm trying to remember we're still in the driver's seat and the split in Florida is still available. I don't think the boys will be rattled and (IMO) have had a slight edge in play so far. Even a loss tomorrow isn't the end of the world. It's very possible--maybe even likely--this series goes the distance.

 

[seventieslord]

Ironically, his terrible shooting percentage is based on him doing exactly that.... Hitting the net. Problem is the goalie is in the way. The 6% doesn't include the other key part of the problem, all the shots he's putting wide and into shin pads

.... Not to mention, all the shots he's NOT taking