Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-4 in OT

[LastOne2100]

I think before the game started, I would have taken the point, considering all who was missing. Don't like the idea of singling out any players here as it was all a team loss.

Yeah I was predicting a loss so I'll take the loser point. Rough way to lose out on the W though.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Good point tonight. Refs we're not helping matters.

Battered them at our place and lost in OT at theirs. Take that all day long against a top 5 team in the league.

Decent start to a tough week.

 

[Jozay]

It’s hard to deny they were a factor with that lopsided officiating. Matthews was hauled down without the puck in front of the net and they didn’t call it.

Refs were bad, but the leafs had no push back when the avs turned things up

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Refs were bad, but the leafs had no push back when the avs turned things up

Both things can be true, you’re right.

 

[Stephen]

I know game management.

But the Ritchie penalty at Centre Ice with a 4-4 tie.

overplayed by the zebras.

Ritchie is definitely a problem out there. You get a goal out of him don’t try to squeeze more out with a regular shift later in the game.

 

[TheShape]

I don’t think Avs dominated as shots suggested but the Leafs did take the foot off the gas somewhat and were not aided by those weird cheap calls the Avs always seem to get. Imagine a momentum difference when Nylander getting sent air borne in the neutral zone or Matthews repeatedly interfered with in the offensive zone are called. Maybe it’s a 4-2 or 4-3 Regulation win.

We also had that point blank shot to win it in OT so we had our opportunities. One thing the Avs have the edge in is the mobility on the blueline. Makar, Toews, Girard and Byram is a nice core defensive group. Usually the way to neutralize that advantage is to forecheck them really hard and hit them early and often as hard as you can. We don’t quite have the personnel for that.

Yeah Nylander sent flying and Matthews pitchforked in the offensive end. If that's a penalty for Tavares on Kadri then Matthews draws at least one considering how many times he was mauled tonight. I don't ask for the refs to win us games but call things evenly ffs.

Great mobile core but this will be the Avs downfall again. They're even softer at the back than they were last season, should've found a way to hang onto a guy like Zadorov who kept teams honest. We played them off the ice a few weeks back with a proper roster. Even the first half of this game Matthews' line had Colorado in a pretzel in their own end.

The two teams have a lot of similarities.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Good point tonight. Refs we're not helping matters.

Battered them at our place and lost in OT at theirs. Take that all day long against a top 5 team in the league.

Decent start to a tough week.

I'm not at all worried about losing, in OT, to a top 6-7 team in the league, at their place.

My lone concern remains watching the Leafs playing with the lead, and how that translates to the playoffs. I understand that they held on to almost all of these types of games this year and that they were going to lose one, eventually, but the number of times teams come from 3 down to make it a nail biter, screams of concern in the playoffs, IMO.

 

[leafsfan5]

I listed 7 of their top 12 forwards, and 5 of their top 6 defensemen. That's 12 of their top 18 skaters (66% of the regular depth)... It's not like I pointed to 3 players and called them deep.

Mackinnon
Rantanen
Landeskog
Kadri
Burakovski
Nichushkin
Newhook

Makar
Girard
Johnson
Bowen
Toews

Yeah but then you can just use the leafs top end talent to call them deep too?

Matthews
Marner
Tavares
Nylander
Kerfoot
Bunting
Kase

The Avs defense is definitely better, I'll concede that (though I think they have too many puck movers, Girard should be gone for someone more physical and able to handle a tough forecheck). But the offense is very comparable.

 

[HogTown06]

Now that I calmed down a bit... 3 bones to pick:

Mind boggling why Clifford was on the ice so late in a tight game, not to mention Ritchie.

Muzzin and Spezza look very slow playing these fast teams too.

Matthews should have switched on the 3 x 3, he was tired there at the end.

Bonus: Screw these crooked refs.

 

[Kiwi]

We've hardly played for a month, when we did it was against bottom feeders
We've got some important guys out up front
We were playing at altitude against a bloody good hot team
Managed to wrangle ourselves a point in a tough situation

All in all I can't be to disappointed and I think we will be better for the run

 

[34]

That was a complete garbage game played by the leafs tonight. They should be embarrassed of themselves. They stopped playing after the first period, and then Colorado completely took the game over and kicked their f***ing asses. They deserved that loss tonight! Wake up!

 

[BTP]

complete f***ing joke that we have to go back home to empty arenas. like how is that even fair? its not the same league.

 

[Stephen]

I'm not at all worried about losing, in OT, to a top 6-7 team in the league, at their place.

My lone concern remains watching the Leafs playing with the lead, and how that translates to the playoffs. I understand that they held on to almost all of these types of games this year and that they were going to lose one, eventually, but the number of times teams come from 3 down to make it a nail biter, screams of concern in the playoffs, IMO.

I want perfection too, but I do think expectations need to be attenuated to the big pandemic layoff they had in December, as well as most of the team recovering from Covid and loss of momentum from earlier in the season.

It's their third game back and they're also down Marner, Engvall and Kase. Injuries aren't an excuse but considering the start they had tonight, the lead they nursed deep into the third and also the chance to win it in OT, it's a work in progress. Keep building on this road trip, hope things get better here at home and have a more clear picture as the season progresses.

 

[BTP]

I'm not at all worried about losing, in OT, to a top 6-7 team in the league, at their place.

My lone concern remains watching the Leafs playing with the lead, and how that translates to the playoffs. I understand that they held on to almost all of these types of games this year and that they were going to lose one, eventually, but the number of times teams come from 3 down to make it a nail biter, screams of concern in the playoffs, IMO.

That is true, but to be honest, this year, we've locked it down when we get leads. I don't remember too many nail biters like this this year. Was kind of ... exhilarating. lol

Colorado can be beaten when we are healthy and Soupy on his game. They remind me of us when we were all skill. Even their defense is all skill based

 

[MapleLeafs94]

Besides from the Brodie call (which was quite obviously a terrible call), what other calls did you guys disagree with?

I don't think any PPs the Avs got were bad calls besides maybe the first one on Matthews and Brodie, it's more the non calls when the Leafs were controlling the game in the first half that are anger inducing.

I mean your team just kept playing and no fault to them, you guys ran us over in the third. Just can't help but feel the game could of been way out of reach (you'd think 3-0 would be good lol) earlier in the game if the game was called better.

Chasing the game down by a few pretty much every team cuts corners with infractions trying to tie it, including ours. It's more a ref incompetence thing or maybe even some tin foil hat keep the games close conspiracy league mandate. Don't think the refs have Avs bias by any means but the officiating was atrocious tonight and completely turned the complexion of the game. I'm sure you've felt the same way when you're team gets big lead early at some point.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Yeah but then you can just use the leafs top end talent to call them deep too?

Matthews
Marner
Tavares
Nylander
Kerfoot
Bunting
Kase

The Avs defense is definitely better, I'll concede that (though I think they have too many puck movers, Girard should be gone for someone more physical and able to handle a tough forecheck). But the offense is very comparable.

No doubt the forward groups are comparable, but your comment about the defense is where the difference lies and that difference is important. Because Rantanen took 9.2 million, Landeskog took 7.0 million, Mackinnon took 6.3 million and Kadri to 4.5 million, they could afford to pay all of Makar, Johnson, Toews and Girard, with Bowen being a rookie, obviously. Murray is the only one in the group who is "meh", but he's paid accordingly.

Top 4 Toronto forwards...
Matthews (11.6m)
Tavares (11.0m)
Marner (10.8m)
Nylander (6.9m)
Total: 40.3 million

Top 4 Colorado forwards...
Rantanen (9.2m)
Landeskog (7.0m)
Mackinnon (6.3m)
Kadri (4.5m)
Total: 27.0 million

That 13 million dollars is a hell of a lot of cap space to build a top notch d-core. They've got some tough choices coming up, but to this point they've managed their cap really well and they've drafted ridiculously good, especially on the back end.

 

[Alkalinesky]

One of our main issues is Muzzin's sudden decline. I'm wondering if he is going to snap out of it. It's not like he is slower than the game or something, he is just making stupid decisions. If that pair was the shutdown pair they were the last 2 seasons we'd be the best defensive team in the league.

Dubas need to move on from Muzz at the draft, try and get a first for him. This is how you afford to keep Campbell and keep the cheap depth coming. 2 picks in the first would be huge.

I was at the game and watched Muzzin favouring his leg more than once off the puck. Dude is slow, skating is off, confidence is not there. It was really obvious he's not 100%.

 

[3blizzard4]

I tuned in last first period and early second. Even though the Leafs were up, Colorado had more jump
And I could sense this will go their way.

 

[as Pure as Evil]

shit like this happens when you have a massive interruption in your schedule we have played what 3-4 times in the last 3 weeks . get over it and move on to the next.

 

[nammerus]

Jack Campbell is a f***ing stud. You guys have a good one their.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Like to see Liljegren back in the next game with Muzzin. Muzzin-Holl needs to end.

 

[Torontonian]

complete f***ing joke that we have to go back home to empty arenas. like how is that even fair? its not the same league.

It certainly is a competitive advantage for other teams in the league that aren't from Canada. Teams are able to feed off of the home crowd and gain momentum.

But in Ontario it's the people that have to pay the price for the governments short comings.

 

[BigGulpsEh]

I'm not at all worried about losing, in OT, to a top 6-7 team in the league, at their place.

My lone concern remains watching the Leafs playing with the lead, and how that translates to the playoffs. I understand that they held on to almost all of these types of games this year and that they were going to lose one, eventually, but the number of times teams come from 3 down to make it a nail biter, screams of concern in the playoffs, IMO.

No matter what it will always be a concern until the leafs can win in the playoffs.

They can lock it down every single game all season long and there will a black cloud because of their playoff history

 

[leafsfan5]

No doubt the forward groups are comparable, but your comment about the defense is where the difference lies and that difference is important. Because Rantanen took 9.2 million, Landeskog took 7.0 million, Mackinnon took 6.3 million and Kadri to 4.5 million, they could afford to pay all of Makar, Johnson, Toews and Girard, with Bowen being a rookie, obviously. Murray is the only one in the group who is "meh", but he's paid accordingly.

Top 4 Toronto forwards...
Matthews (11.6m)
Tavares (11.0m)
Marner (10.8m)
Nylander (6.9m)
Total: 40.3 million

Top 4 Colorado forwards...
Rantanen (9.2m)
Landeskog (7.0m)
Mackinnon (6.3m)
Kadri (4.5m)
Total: 27.0 million

That 13 million dollars is a hell of a lot of cap space to build a top notch d-core. They've got some tough choices coming up, but to this point they've managed their cap really well and they've drafted ridiculously good, especially on the back end.

That difference is also negated when you have elite goaltending. Campbell is a vezina level talent while Keumper isn't close.

Offensively they're roughly equal
Defense sizeable advantage Avs
Goaltending sizeable advantage Leafs

Results in overall similar teams

But yeah in terms of cap they've done well. They've done a great job managing it but got lucky with their best player signing before he exploded (Mackinnon). We'll see how they deal with it when it's time to pay Mack 10+

 

[Gabriel426]

The bottom six lacked speed to catch up.
Kase and Engvall are huge upgrade to Ritchie and Clifford.
Not to mention Marner being in the mix.
Having Simmonds, Clifford, Ritchie and Spezza in your bottom 6 is really tough to win against a team like the Avs.