Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose .. A lot to not a lot

[Leafsfan74]

Only four players didn't end the game with a minus beside their name in the +/- stat: Clifford, Simmonds, Lybushkin and Spezza.

Hopefully this team wins it because many will say "we told you so".

The league won't evolve. It's basicslly a platform for MMA fans come playoffs. So, Leafs need to realize what is needed when refs don't do their jobs.

I say this, the Leafs of 2002 would win the Cup today if the refs let them play as they did tonight. T.B would be on their heels all night against that squad. Is thst good or bad for the league? For society?

Young fansnof hockey shouldn't see Kutcherov go at Marner the way he did, ornplayersndoubplenteaming guys. If this is what refs will allow, the game is back in the 70s.

 

[binop7]

To be fair, ripping his team publicly after a really long stretch of really good hockey, isn't the right move.

Especially coming right after a loss to your likely round 1 opponents.

There's a balance, but saying tampa were being try hards isn't the right approach. Of course they try hard to win this is the NHL not little leagues.

 

[Tak7]

There's a balance, but saying tampa were being try hards isn't the right approach. Of course they try hard to win this is the NHL not little leagues.

Generally, I think we put too much stock into what players & coaches say publicly here.

We know that what Keefe says to them in the room, and what he says publicly, are often two very different things.

Wouldn't surprise me if he tore a coat of paint off the dressing room immediately after the game, but then found some composure before speaking to the media.

 

[Enniskillen]

Lol here we go. You do this after every loss. Yes it's a hot take

You wanna argue how Rielly, Matthews, Marner or Tavares lead by example and respond when facing adversity in playoffs? There is no evidence of that, quite the contrary) And that’s the main problem of this team. Only Willy showed that he can play well when it counts.

 

[binop7]

Generally, I think we put too much stock into what players & coaches say publicly here.

We know that what Keefe says to them in the room, and what he says publicly, are often two very different things.

Wouldn't surprise me if he tore a coat of paint off the dressing room immediately after the game, but then found some composure before speaking to the media.

It just feels like the same old song and dance. Sure they showed more venom, but they seem to be content with golfing in May.

 

[Mr_Fun]

Parros: Marner gets 2 games for intent to injure Kucherov's skate.

That was the worst thing of the night. THAT should be the only suspension handed out tonight.

 

[fahad203]

It's one game.
We have played better

 

[PromisedLand]

Well.....this shows us Tampa won't go down easy in round 1. Appears they aren't dead tired, rather dead bored

I mean which team that the leafs have faced in the 1st round went down easy or hard against the leafs in the last 5 years or so?

1. Caps?
2. Bruins?
3. Bruins again?
4. CBJ?
5. Habs?

Come on man...

 

[Stephen]

That Kucherov play was really dirty. It really looked to me like he swung his skate at Mitch.

I think that’s why he’s often on the receiving end of cheap shots.

 

[PromisedLand]

Games like this show how easily Tampa could sweep the Leafs if Toronto doesn't put the work in.

technically habs did win 3 in a row to win the series.... an almost sweep last season. So.... you don't need games like this to know what it might take to be swept....

 

[34]

That‘ll do it.

season/

 

[Dave92]

What core is getting worse?

Their playoff performances

 

[34]

Games like this show how easily Tampa could sweep the Leafs if Toronto doesn't put the work in.

Leafs won’t win a game.

 

[Craigo85]

That was the worst thing of the night. THAT should be the only suspension handed out tonight.

Problem is proving intent like the Cooke slice on Karlsson. I think Kuch had ill intent in that kick, but can't prove it

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Leafs have played a ton of hockey lately while Tampa was rested (and at home for a bit). The situation was reversed last time and the Leafs took advantage.

Both will be rested come game 1.

 

[Lightsol]

I'm honestly starting to not even blame the Leafs for this.

The officiating works more and more against them as the physical/greasy play ramps up.

What really grinds my gears about the reffing is that when the playoffs start, the reffing goes from regular season to playoff reffing.... For everyone else. But for the Leafs, it goes from "no calls period" to "DIRTY TEAM! PENALTY!"

I say this was a good playoff preview, in that this is exactly how I expect a Toronto-Tampa playoff series to be reffed.

 

[PromisedLand]

Need one say more?

Did we win the advanced stats battle?

Game was closer than the score, but still got outplayed.

The good from this game is I think we look tougher than Tampa, they have a bunch of pretenders, but no one who actually wants to do anything, if this is the series, keep Simmonds and Clifford in

 

[Lightsol]

Well.....this shows us Tampa won't go down easy in round 1. Appears they aren't dead tired, rather dead bored

And the last time the Leafs were an easy out in the playoffs... was 1999.

 

[Rubyblue]

Core wilted again when things got tense. Have anyone seen marner or tavares? That’s their mo in games that are intense i.e. playoffs. Wish we could unload lousy captain and his alternate marner, who is good only at regular season games which are not physical and not hostile. This is not a hot take: first round exit. Tampa and Boston would fight hard just to play Leafs and get a freebie 2nd round.

Marner & company have been a lot better this 2nd half season than ever before but I agree with you, tonight remi did me of a nasty playoff game where our top players disappear. Bad omen for playoffs. Like it or not' Tampa has a culture & a will to do whatever it takes to win to a man. Do the Leafs?

 

[Coachcorner]

Kind of an embarrassing showing by Tampa to not even hit 10 goals

Definitely sire. We gangsta and took many many penalties. I told y'all young folks that people will get injured and that crack dirt is some bad zhit.
We will prevail and matthews will play for us saturday night (travolta fever) and lift errrbodys spirits and make even Johnny t scesore again. now thats some real dirt right thurr sire.

 

[PromisedLand]

We are about to find out just how much heart this team has in a couple of weeks.

Do you mean Killer Instinct?

Shanahan: ‘Killer instinct’ missing in Habs series; Leafs want to keep core - TSN.ca

Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and GM Kyle Dubas aren’t backing down and were defiant during an end-of-season media availability on Wednesday, doubling-down on Toronto’s enduring Stanley Cup aspirations amid another shocking first-round playoff disappointment. Kristen Shilton has more in...

www.tsn.ca

 

[hockeyes]

Tampa went out of their way to make it a pissy game. Sending a message or not, I think it just shows they are concerned with the likely first round. If the Leafs have any backbone this should backfire for the bolts.

Clifford my God though, if you are going to take a 5 minute, make it count. Force perry into eating a few fists and turtling or something instead of whatever that was.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

It looks like the team is eyeing what we all had seen. Goaltending that is reliant on Campbell being the best he can be, with no other plan. Along with a coach who can't win a coaching battle, as he is predictable and doesn't adjust in meaningful ways. Burning their prime window on obvious flaws is disappointing. Keefe isn't a playoff coach. We need to get through this interim phase and get someone competent. Losing a year to further solidify that message is a waste.

So the same plan of every competitive team pretty much ever? What is Tampa's plan if Vasilevsky is not the best he can be? Tampa lost a lot of games when that happened in this last 20 game stretch.

What about Shestyerkin, who is covering up a bottom 10 defense in the NHL right now? Or Andersen or Jarry or Markstrom? These are all teams that have relied upon their goaltending for success this year more than we have.

If our goaltending was just consistently average this year from start to finish, we are the top team in the league. There haven't been too many games where we asked our goaltending to steal the game for us. They just needed to not let in weak goals, and far too often they failed. Cup winners never have to worry about weak goals killing them. Weak goals have killed us in all 5 of our series losses, and in a bunch of our close losses this year too.

 

[PromisedLand]

Parros: Marner gets 2 games for intent to injure Kucherov's skate.

every tampa player plays dirty in the playoffs and that is why they have been successful.

boy scout plays aint gonna cut it in the playoffs. its not regular season.

 

[riffle]

I don't know who watched Keefe in the post-gamer, but he looked like he thought that game had meaning. Looked pretty upset/embarrassed and rightfully so.

Best part was him correcting a mindless drone of a reporter saying to him that they had their seed all but locked up. Proud of his stern correction, because he knows exactly what can happen now. His team opened the door. It was more than just the loss, it was the way they lost that might have a carry-over effect.