Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose in Game 7. Again.

[Squiffy]

This team is gonna break through. It’s hard to take right now. I tossed my jersey on the buzzer, it’ll stay there a few days. Went for a walk. Msg’d with a bunch of friends, including a Bruins fan that believes we have it. No one knows. This is a really good team. I just don’t know.

Now in my backyard having a little fire in my bowl. What else to do? It hurts less then last year? 1 goal. And you lose. I think we’d have beaten anyone but tb out of the east

 

[Suntouchable13]

Overhauling the bottom 6 is not expensive, just gotta be smart with the pickups. There's no shortage of good vets who want to play here and will do it for cheap. Bunting, Spezza, two recent examples. Perry was trying to sign here as well but Dubas inexplicably passed.

Yea, but again, how will that be different? They won't win with this core and guys who make the league min.

 

[rocketman588]

It's not a curse.

We literally went up against a powerful Caps team in 2017
Bruins powerhouse 2018
Bruins powerhouse 2019
Columbus was shitty
Montreal was a choke
Tampa Back to Back Cup Champs

This playoff alignment is horse shit. This should be the ECF and not a first round matchup. When you finish where we did in the standings the prize should not be Tampa!

Stupid league. Hell if it wasn't for covid we prob would have played Bruins, Tampa, or Florida the last two years.

The alignment is horse shit.

Every year but 2019 and this year we played the team we would have pre realignment. 2019 we get run by the pens anyways

We also played the 18 seed in the NHL and the 9 seed in the East

We don't get the tough match up excuse in the one year we get a tough match up

Tampa also lost an all star mid game 7 and vasy was pretty ass for 6 games

 

[saffronleaf]

I think the past couple of humiliations sort of skewed perceptions. It's nice that they finally had a normal 1st round series against a great team and held their own, but that's not really any different from their first ever playoff series against Washington. Winning a playoff series isn't even hard, and the Leafs have had 6 cracks at it now. Even teams like Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, etc. have managed to pull it off and those teams all kind of suck

what more is there to expect from the failingest organization in all of North American pro sports?

 

[fahad203]

Sure, give this boy genius another chance at failing so he can become the worst GM in Maple Leaf history

All of this started when he overpaid for Nylander. Nylander contract looks good now but there is no way in any world he should be making more than Pasta. In 70 playoff games he has 74 points, 30 goals. Not to mention 48 goals and 40 goals campagin
How he got bent over there is beyond me. Pasta signed that contract before Nylander

Then Tavares contract.... So much for home town discount
Matthews contract only giving him 5 years. You needed terms bud, McDavid and Eichel got 8 years
Marner at 10 million? but Rantanen 9.25 and signed after him? what?

How is everyone getting good value contracts and we get these types of contracts?

Then people are like, poor guy, he has no cap. Oh yeah

Mrazek?
Ritchie
Why did Simmonds get 2 year at 900k? those adds to your cap


This dude is so overrated it's not even funny.

 

[Suntouchable13]

This team is gonna break through. It’s hard to take right now. I tossed my jersey on the buzzer, it’ll stay there a few days. Went for a walk. Msg’d with a bunch of friends, including a Bruins fan that believes we have it. No one knows. This is a really good team. I just don’t know.

Now in my backyard having a little fire in my bowl. What else to do? It hurts less then last year? 1 goal. And you lose. I think we’d have beaten anyone but tb out of the east

And how do you know that? Last year against MTL, blew that. 2020 against CBJ and their rookie goalies, f***ed that up. Should have won those series, I don't know what to tell ya. I want to see major changes on the ice. They had their shots, and f***ed them up royally.

 

[MSZ]

Ok, whose is going to give the Leafs that true # 1 goalie and dept defenseman for Marner. Do you think Tampa will. Hell No they won't. # 1 proven goaltenders are not plentiful, infact are scarce and the teams that have one won't give them up for Marner because odds are there are way more talented d-mens and forwards than top notch goaltenders. You should know that because the leafs have made many trades at the goaltender posiition to fix it.

Did you actually read? You aren't trading Marner for a #1 goalie. I don't care if the team trade him away for a bag of pucks. You free up the cap money so you can do shoppings elsewhere.

 

[saffronleaf]

JT said in the presser that the belief is still strong in the team.

These guys will believe anything.

 

[Bellefour20]

My landlord just knocked on my door to laugh at me and hand me a plate of freshly baked cookies.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

what more is there to expect from the failingest organization in all of North American pro sports?

well whatever the future brings, I think we can agree this won't be the lowest low for these Leafs. Not even close

 

[Dragao6]

Yea, but again, how will that be different? They won't win with this core and guys who make the league min.

if the team keeps getting better every year with the tweaks we keep making eventually….
Are we better this year then last year?
If next year we’re better then this year you think we have a shot??

 

[MSZ]

JT said in the presser that the belief is still strong in the team.

These guys will believe anything.

They probably believe the earth is square, and the sun rises in the west.

 

[jgs]

If someone told you that Mitch marner would record 3 assists in the final 5 postseason games and not record a shot in game 7 while playing 24 minutes of hockey.... would you believe the leafs lost to the Two time Defending Stanley cup Champs?

Yes I certainly would be surprised if they didn't lose. We couldn't even get it done and Brayden Point only played 5 minutes.

This happened because Keefe failed to take advantage of that. If I were the coach seeing that Point is hurt and out, Kush is playing hurt or sick. I would have told the players dump the puck in deep in their zone, skate like hell and hit they're d-men and forwards everytime they touch the puck and what I mean by hit is legal bone crushing hits. By the middle of the second they will be worn down and gun shy at touching the puck, then drive the puck hard to the net. But the leafs were not hitting anyone, heck they didn't hit their stride.

 

[nuck]

Agreed with most of it but they need to swap Nylander for someone who works with Tavares and doesn't skate away from the puck in fear. You can't have a big 4 and not be able to use Nylander in a combination with the top two C's.

They also need to fix the power play.

I dont get it at all. Why run it back? What is the difference between this years fail and earlier ones? A slight improvement in regular season results at the same time their top 2 players hit their peak wasn't really unexpected. The salary bias to 4 players is the same as it has been since Dubas first season and that is what has dictated most of the significant lineup decisions since JT was signed. Maybe fewer bad decisions than in some past years but Mrazek and only adding Gio at TDL were significant misses this year.

I dont think there will be big changes because regular season success carries more weight to a bottom line than playoff glory but any real improvement to the clubs outlook would seem to involve decisions Shanny and Kyle have been reluctant to make so far(Willie), smarter moves( no Mrazek, Ritchie) and moving vets added by KD who are in decline. Do we think minor tweaks next season are all that is necessary? Do we trust S and D to make major moves at last?

I dont think the club will make management moves because it's easier not to but any endorsement for one more chance suggests changes will be made.

Next years club will be a good one but I doubt it will be much different.

 

[fahad203]

JT said in the presser that the belief is still strong in the team.

These guys will believe anything.

I really like JT. But you can tell he's already preparing for life after hockey
Probobably as a GM. Started to sound like one already

 

[keonsbitterness]

Clifford took stupid penalties tonight

#fastestcoachto100wins

lol, I'm sensing a trend here.

 

[garce]

I really hope Florida takes TB out. Less excuses for this management.

I’m going to be putting up several units of my bankroll on the Panthers and I dont think they are that good. Point appears to be hobbled and that doesn’t go away in a couple of days. That’s the series tipper.

 

[mix1home]

Last year hurt so much more, man. We had a f***ing red carpet to the finals and we chocked.

This year, even if we get by Tampa, I don't think we're the favourites in any series afterwards (Florida into Carolina into Avs).

Lol. It’s the idea - go against good teams and find ways to win. There are no bad teams in po. I don’t want to hear this stuff that there is this team or that team that is stronger. Go and get them and earn respect that way.

 

[mcleex]

Keefe should have been fired the second they lost to a zambonie driver

I would literally bring back Babcock at this point

 

[LadyLala]

JT said in the presser that the belief is still strong in the team.

These guys will believe anything.

The belief that they will never win a playoff round? Pretty sure we all strongly believe that.

 

[fahad203]

This happened because Keefe failed to take advantage of that. If I were the coach seeing that Point is hurt and out, Kush is playing hurt or sick. I would have told the players dump the puck in deep in their zone, skate like hell and hit they're d-men and forwards everytime they touch the puck and what I mean by hit is legal bone crushing hits. By the middle of the second they will be worn down and gun shy at touching the puck, then drive the puck hard to the net. But the leafs were not hitting anyone, heck they didn't hit their stride.

Keefe needed to stack his lines. He needed to put JT with Auston and Marner
Bunting sucked entire playoffs. He's not the pest people think he is

He was always one step behind the plays with Matthews and Marner

Keefe needed to doubleshift Matthews or Marner with other players. Maybe move Marner or Matthews up and down the line up

You know like every other coaches do. Keefe is a Dip S(***

 

[PromisedLand]

Most of you angry and disappointed people will comeback here next October for another leafs season. Mad in may, hope for the best in October

I think I am gonna take a break from the Leafs. I've had enough of Dubas and Keefe to be honest. When the coach ices a d-man to prove a point to a reporter eventhough that d-man cost you the game 6 OT and then kept giving away pucks in game 7; its just too much to take on top of other BS from the GM whose "offense" based philosophy does not find any offense in Game 7s

 

[Eternal Leaf]

All series they talked about Tampa's cup pedigree and in the end a playoff newbie like Nick Paul comes and outguns them in a game 7.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Last year hurt so much more, man. We had a f***ing red carpet to the finals and we chocked.

This year, even if we get by Tampa, I don't think we're the favourites in any series afterwards (Florida into Carolina into Avs).

Isn't that still an indictment on Dubie? How is Florida ahead of us? How is Carolina ahead of us? Seems like Toronto is not close to being a true SC contender then.

 

[saffronleaf]

They probably believe the earth is square, and the sun rises in the west.

exactly. idk could be very easy to scam them. they'll fall for anything.