Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose Game 1: 4-2

[notDatsyuk]

Because of this effort right here. No will to move Duclair in front of the net or block the shot. Numerous times on the forecheck he did the same thing. That last part was kinda just added on, they need more from everyone.

The d-zone coverage is my biggest worry, it's been garbage for 7 games now.

So the complaint about Nylander wasn't really part of the complaint about the PP? That makes more sense.

Willy had been engaged with Mahura for quite a while on that play, staying with him all the way in from the point. It was also the end of a 1:10 shift, mostly playing 5on6 because of the McCabe penalty.

 

[Gallagbi]

Was a weird trade. 5 for 1 if I can remember correctly.

Clearing contracts

 

[Twine Tickler]

you just knew when Bobrovsky made his first save of the night with the nob of his stick that it was going to be a night where we would not get any bounces.

We played well enough to win that game. Definitely some things we need to clean up going forward. But I'll be honest, I actually feel better about our chances after game 1. I really wasn't all that impressed with Florida. They really feel like a 1 line team. Lots of open ice for our guys to make plays. Just need to find a way to minimize the Tkachuk line's impact as well as find a way to beat Bob.

We will be fine

 

[Jmo89]

Seemed like McCabe, ROR, and Samsonov all had bad games. The powerplay going 0/3 is unacceptable as well.

I think they mention in the Florida/Boston series that the team who scored first won every game. Toronto had the chance to take the lead early and didn't.

I really hope they go back to what they were doing with Tampa defensively. And please stop trying to pass the puck into the net. Just shoot ffs.

 

[HellasLEAF]

you just knew when Bobrovsky made his first save of the night with the nob of his stick that it was going to be a night where we would not get any bounces.

We played well enough to win that game. Definitely some things we need to clean up going forward. But I'll be honest, I actually feel better about our chances after game 1. I really wasn't all that impressed with Florida. They really feel like a 1 line team. Lots of open ice for our guys to make plays. Just need to find a way to minimize the Tkachuk line's impact as well as find a way to beat Bob.

We will be fine

At no point last night, at home, did the Leaf hold the lead.

They deserved to lose last night the effort was 'good'. They played 'well'. But they did not play well enough to win the game the scoreboard is correct never lies.

 

[ACC1224]

Seemed like McCabe, ROR, and Samsonov all had bad games. The powerplay going 0/3 is unacceptable as well.

I think they mention in the Florida/Boston series that the team who scored first won every game. Toronto had the chance to take the lead early and didn't.

I really hope they go back to what they were doing with Tampa defensively. And please stop trying to pass the puck into the net. Just shoot ffs.

Seemed like they missed the net a lot as well.

 

[notDatsyuk]

To start this series, the strange decision was running the John Tavares-led line against the Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk line. Presumably, the logic was that Mitch Marner was matched up on Tkachuk’s side and Calle Jarnkrok — who is a solid defensive winger — was on the other, but Tavares is not exactly a defensive center nor is he fleet of foot.

The Tkachuk line dominated them and opened the scoring in this one. Tavares and Mark Giordano lost a battle behind the net as Bennett came out with the puck and got it to Tkachuk, who walked out from the corner. Marner sort of half-heartedly waved his stick at him with one hand, which was easy for Tkachuk to just step around, walk in, and shoot. Cousins whacked in the rebound as Jake McCabe didn’t tie him up well enough.

In the second period, the Leafs started using Auston Matthews against this line, and it went much better. I just don’t know why the coaching staff thought this would be a good idea at all in the first place.

Florida has three good lines, and the Leafs botched the matchups in Game 1. They started to figure it out as things went along, but ultimately, they ended up chasing the game. They will need to adjust and impose their style heading into Game 2.

Game in 10: Maple Leafs sucked into the Panthers' style of game en route to Game 1 loss

For years now, the prevailing thought was that if the Maple Leafs could just get over the hump of winning in the first round, the pressure would be off and they would ride the wave from there. They certainly looked like the pressure was off and played a loose, open style of hockey that played […]

mapleleafshotstove.com

Mitch is very good on the PK, where the offensive focus is on puck movement, but I don't think that translates as well to even strength, especially against a heavy forecheck.

JT is just too slow.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Clearing contracts

We didn't need to clear contracts though, especially recently drafted 3rd round picks coming off their age 19 season. We were in a rebuild, and it was September.
Not a huge deal... we're so far past that now, and it doesn't really have anything to do with the game... but the logic behind it was never there.
Maybe he had a beard he didn't want to shave?

 

[Notsince67]

After watching Tkachuk in the playoffs, anybody still think Marner is 1.5m or more better ? We saw why you do not pay Nylander major dollars. He is not winning you any playoff games when opponents up their physicality. IMO Marner will not either.

1. I actually do and the idiotic comparisons from 1 game are a bit much.
2. Why do you even watch this team?

 

[AvroArrow]

Seemed like McCabe, ROR, and Samsonov all had bad games. The powerplay going 0/3 is unacceptable as well.

I think they mention in the Florida/Boston series that the team who scored first won every game. Toronto had the chance to take the lead early and didn't.

I really hope they go back to what they were doing with Tampa defensively. And please stop trying to pass the puck into the net. Just shoot ffs.

Tons of chances on the PP as well, just couldn't get anything to go.

 

[pspot]

maybe the most confident i've ever felt after a loss. will see

 

[Americanadian]

We didn't need to clear contracts though, especially recently drafted 3rd round picks coming off their age 19 season. We were in a rebuild, and it was September.
Not a huge deal... we're so far past that now... but the logic behind it was never there.
Maybe he had a beard he didn't want to shave?

The Leafs had to clear SPC's. They were able to pick up waiver claims by clearing the space. The only waiver claim they ended up grabbing from my memory is Corrado.

It's not like Verhaeghe was a legitimate prospect at the time. His PPG in the OHL dropped from his D+1 to his D+2 season. NYI and Tampa gave up on him before he became the player he is now.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Pavelski is some player, my goodness, and not young anymore.

Joe Pavelski Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Joe Pavelski, a hockey player from Plover, WI born Jul 11 1984 who was active from 2002 to 2024.

www.hockeydb.com

Not bad for a 7th Rounder

I'll give him credit, the man can score goals

 

[ToneDog]

1. I actually do and the idiotic comparisons from 1 game are a bit much.
2. Why do you even watch this team?

Not surprised. OK. Let me know when Marner wins us a series.

 

[TakeTheBody]

Everyone is quick to call out Holl and for the most part rightly so. It seems Gio is hands off though. I like the guy a lot but he may have played too many regular season minutes. He hasn't look great in the playoffs. Back to 11-7?

 

[Dekes For Days]

The Leafs had to clear SPC's. They were able to pick up waiver claims by clearing the space. The only waiver claim they ended up grabbing from my memory is Corrado.
It's not like Verhaeghe was a legitimate prospect at the time. His PPG in the OHL dropped from his D+1 to his D+2 season. NYI and Tampa gave up on him before he became the player he is now.

We didn't need to clear contracts though.
Yes, it took him a while to become what he did, and we may have justifiably moved on before that point anyway, but while his production remained pretty much the same from D+1 to D+2, it was still basically double the production he had put up when he was drafted in the 3rd round 2 years prior, and the same production he put up when they signed him to an ELC the year prior. What were they seeing when drafting and signing him so high so recently that suddenly became completely unworkable?
Was just a really weird decision to throw him away after his age 19 season for no reason as part of a package for some bad 1 year rental player during a rebuild.
Not the reason he's in Florida scoring goals against us, but still a bad, baffling decision.

 

[robertmac43]

After watching Tkachuk in the playoffs, anybody still think Marner is 1.5m or more better ? We saw why you do not pay Nylander major dollars. He is not winning you any playoff games when opponents up their physicality. IMO Marner will not either.

Would we be better off sending Marner and Nylander to the press box for Wayne Train and Laf?

 

[ToneDog]

Would we be better off sending Marner and Nylander to the press box for Wayne Train and Laf?

LOL yup let's go to extremes because I said our $11m winger is not worth more than their 9.5m winger.

I mean what did I say that was not clear to anybody watching the game last night and most of round #1 against Tampa and what Tkachuk did to the Bruins and what Tkachuk did during the regular season?

How's about we just try to get Nylander and Marner to play better instead ??

 

[ACC1224]

Everyone is quick to call out Holl and for the most part rightly so. It seems Gio is hands off though. I like the guy a lot but he may have played too many regular season minutes. He hasn't look great in the playoffs. Back to 11-7?

They really should have rested him more in the last month.

 

[HellasLEAF]

How are the Leafs 1 of 4 at home these playoffs...

That just sucks. Home ice disadvantage.

 

[Amadeus]

I think we try to play a flashier game at home at times where as on the road, we play simpler.

 

[theTTC]

Can't they harness some of that energy to being dangerous 5-5?

As we all know, Dubas built an offensively top-heavy team, salary-wise and talent-wise. When that Core Fore cannot take advantage of any power play against an atrocious penalty killing team, and basically vanished 5-5 while not being targeted physically... what more can be said?

Nit pick about 4th line, float all the what-if and if-only hypothetical scenarios, blame reffing, blame Holl, etc. - it all just boils down to whether any of these four influence the game. And they did not, against Florida who was coming down off the exhaustive high of beating the Bruins in seven, with less rest than the Leafs.

The only one allowed slack is Mitch. PP, PK, stirs the drink with all of the many linemates he's shuffled with, not afraid of physical play, never out injured. And c'mon Keefe, do you have to exhaust Mitch and risk his health blocking shots on the PK? That's what 4th liners are supposed to be for.

 

[Mess]

Everyone is quick to call out Holl and for the most part rightly so. It seems Gio is hands off though. I like the guy a lot but he may have played too many regular season minutes. He hasn't look great in the playoffs. Back to 11-7?

Keep in mind Gio is the oldest Dman currently playing in the NHL nearing 40 years old.

For me its not Gio's fault he is getting older and struggling to keep up with players 10-15 years younger. That is how life works.

 

[leafs in five]

LOL yup let's go to extremes because I said our $11m winger is not worth more than their 9.5m winger.

I mean what did I say that was not clear to anybody watching the game last night and most of round #1 against Tampa and what Tkachuk did to the Bruins and what Tkachuk did during the regular season?

How's about we just try to get Nylander and Marner to play better instead ??

thought Nylander was great last night

 

[ACC1224]

McCabe needs to rein it in a bit. Playing a little too excited.