Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 7-3

[Throw More Waffles]

Matthews and Marner got owned?

What f***ing game were you watching?

The game in which Matthews and Marner were horrible and humiliating.

 

[Enniskillen]

All new additions are good, the core are the same old shit chokers. At least one positive thing is there will be a purge. Keefe, Dubas, prez and a couple of core will be gone. Oh and holl too.

 

[IPS]

I've had a theory about Matthews but I'll save it until after the series is over.

He's not a leader though, I'll stick my neck out that much.

What's the fun in that?

Share your opinion and see if it comes true.

 

[RoadWarrior]

If anyone said Leafs starting goalie Samsonov would give up 6 goals on 29 shots posting a .793 sv% and be pulled after 2 periods in game #1 you would say that's ridiculous.

Sadly he looked like a goalie with only 1 playoff win to his name tonight.

This outcome makes game #2 an almost must win for Toronto or this series is all but over.

Goaltending the biggest question mark heading into the playoffs is still unanswered.

If you think this loss can be laid at the feet of Samsonov then you aren’t paying attention.

 

[GoBuds14]

Man I miss the Sundin era teams. Waiting for this core to win me (and the rest of the fanbase) over, this series is either the last ride or a the breakthrough for this core

 

[Stephen]

Leafs lost game #4 last year to Tampa Bay 7-3 where Campbell gave up 5 in a period and half of work so its not like this outcome tonight is foreign to this Leafs team in the playoffs.

Knowing the Leafs. They’ll have a great Game 2. No show either Game 3 or 4. And they’ll be in a lot of trouble if they win Game 5 and look to be in a strong position. They’re not down for too long but neither are they going to be on best behaviour.

 

[keonsbitterness]

I stopped watching after the second. The lesbian couple picked house #1 on My Lottery Home, if anyone is curious.

Were they hot?

 

[CincoHolio]

Most cringe moment of the game - a grinning Dubas leaning over to pat Spezza on the back after Nylander brings it to within 1.

No smiles from Spezz, however. Wonder why? hmm.

 

[fahad203]

Watching the game between Jets and Vegas
There's a sense of urgency in that game. I wonder why. Oh yeah, it's a playoff game

 

[saffronleaf]

It’s pretty simple to me. The Leafs star players don’t perform well under pressure. The top players raise their games when the games matter most. The Leafs stars play scared.

ergo they are not stars. they are nice fun complementary pieces if you want to watch an exhibition match or all star game. that's it. you can't bank on these pathetic losers to perform when it matters.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

He has to start coaching to win.

Lilly in for Holl.

Knies in for Kerfoot or ZAR.

Basically roll 3 lines:

Knies Matthews Jarnkrok
Marner Tavares Lafferty
Bunting O'Rielly Nylander
Acciari Kampf Aston-Reese

Rielly McCabe
Brodie Gio
Schenn Lilly

Sammy (short leash)
Woll

No way Bunting avoids a suspension for at least the next game.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

So you are ok with the game tonight

Was it ideal, no? Were Tampa fans ok after Game 1 last year?

It'll be ok, and if not, that's ok too. Is just game.

 

[Racer88]

Honestly, we played badly at the start, had good pushback, that Kampf call was deflating, and then the Bunting one sealed it (he deserved it).

I'm more annoyed they had no pushback and didn't try to punish Tampa more when the game was out of reach, they actually looked better than Tampa for the first half of the game.

Unfortunately our goalie that was supposedly our saviour after our other saviour goalie was injured most of the year played bad.
Where do we go from here? Do we put Sammy back in…….can we trust him or are all our eggs in the basket or Woll

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Alot of penalties benefits Tampa.

Endless stream of overcalls and makeup calls.

Garbage.

 

[ITM]

I wouldn't say Willy is #1.

If Matthews asks for 15 the only way the Leafs can say yes is if the Leafs win the Cup this year. I really don't believe Matthews does ask for that much.

You might have to shop all 3 and see what gives the greatest return and start from there

I'll say it. He is. He plays like it when it matters. And he might be the only player whose make-up is big enough to lead a club like Toronto.

Work his deal out first, which will come under Pastrnak, and tell the other two, get in line here or we're moving you to support Willy with assets who believe in the club first.

Don't believe us? Here, give your best to Morgan, he's on his way to the airport to report to Vancouver.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I wouldn't say Willy is #1.

If Matthews asks for 15 the only way the Leafs can say yes is if the Leafs win the Cup this year. I really don't believe Matthews does ask for that much.

You might have to shop all 3 and see what gives the greatest return and start from there

Matthews is gone in 4 months.

 

[BlackAdam]

PK%
2019 vs Boston 43.8%
2022 vs Tampa 78.8%
2023 vs Tampa 50%

And you all wonder why Leafs piss away wins. No team can win a series with that atrocious of a penalty kill.

 

[Pebble live]

The ZAR pass torpedoed them. Why a sandpaper energy guy is finessing a pass out to the feet of his teammate when his job is to get a clean out set the tone for the evening. Holl looking like he wasn’t sure he was supposed to be there in front of the net sealed the deal.

Right before his shift there was a shot of him on the bench, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and put his head back. I turned to my buddy I was watching with and said "ZAR is nervous, he's going to have a rough start". Awful pass up the middle of the ice on his first shift and a goal against.

The boys were nervous. I actually believe home ice "advantage" is a disadvantage of the leafs at this point they are so psychologically fragile. I think they'll be ready for game 2.

 

[All Mod Cons]

If we trade Matthews and Marner we might as well just start another rebuild. An aging Tavares and O’Rielly aren’t leading this team anywhere.

Do it. What's the other option?

 

[Trapper]

Absolutely……..hahahahahaha

Look on the bright side. At least this wasn’t Murray’s fault.

 

[striker3]

The ZAR pass torpedoed them. Why a sandpaper energy guy is finessing a pass out to the feet of his teammate when his job is to get a clean out set the tone for the evening. Holl looking like he wasn’t sure he was supposed to be there in front of the net sealed the deal.

Agree completely bad start. The jumbling of who was on the ice was a bad way to go in in my opinion. Cirelli is good, but he's not god. If cooper wants to start his 4th against your 1st let it ride. Holl was kept up to PK and they scored 4. I don't have numbers of how many he was on the ice for, but goals are going to be a premium against vas. So put a guy like Lilly in who might make a mistake but will also make 5 plays to make up for it. Just my opinion though.

Disclaimer: not blaming holl for the loss, just don't think he should be in, even with Lilly's slide the last 6~ weeks

 

[mcleex]

Keep making excuses. Oh we gave up 4 PP goals, bla bla bla oh it was close except this one turnover

at the end of the day this is a results driven league. We don't provide results

I don't care if you lose 2-1 or 20-1. You lost the f***ing game

 

[RoadWarrior]

PK%
2019 vs Boston 43.8%
2022 vs Tampa 78.8%
2023 vs Tampa 50%

And you all wonder why Leafs piss away wins. No team can win a series with that atrocious of a penalty kill.

and yet according to Keefe Holl is essential to the PK….

 

[theTTC]

Nice to see Sammy owning up to his play. Let’s hope he can have the mental fortitude to push through.

No, as the BeeGees sang, "It's only words, and words are all I have..."

Sammy is not a first string goalie. Nice guy though, and that's what's really important in Toronto, right?

 

[Future]

All I know is that the geniuses on this board, including Keefe, thought that sitting ZAR for Knies would prevent us from giving up a terrible turnover in a key moment.

I watched ZAR hyperventilating with his eyes closed before puck drop and then do a blind backhand pass to a Tampa player for the first goal in the first 2 minutes to set the tone.

How about we play our best player and play to win, eh?