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

[CaptainCrunch17]

Yes, expectations were too high.

The team has proven over and over and over and over again they don't have the players to fight through adversity.

Enjoy the regular season and then accept that's it.

The successful playoff teams can quickly transition from playing one style of play, to another. The Leafs do not seem have the players to do that. I’m not sure if they’re not capable, or, just unwilling—maybe it’s both. They have great offensive capabilities, but are very lacking in other skills.

Tampa has shown they can push their offence, get ahead by a goal or two and then quickly transition to a lock it down, shut down, trap game. Where they simply clog up the neutral zone, collapse around their net, block shots and protect their lead. And when it counts most, like in the playoffs, that’s when they are most committed to that style and willing to pay the biggest price by blocking shots.

The Leafs have a really hard time playing against any team that gets up by a goal or two and does that. There are ways to break the trap and they should have the speed and offensive talent to do it, but it doesn’t seem to happen at the most critical times. If the Leafs would dump the puck in and attack the offensive zone with speed and physicality, in game one, they would force their opponents to back out off their own blue line and they could go back to using their speed on the rush. But they don’t do that. They typically continue trying to play their possession game. They try to get fancy getting into the O-Zone which doesn’t usually work, or, when they finally do resort to dumping the puck in, they don’t attack with speed, physicality and bear down on their opponents defense. So often they give up the puck, but don’t get it back.

Conversely, if the Leafs go up by a goal or two they have not shown they can successfully transition to a shut down game like the Tampa Bays of the league can. They typically try to do it but can’t hold off their opponent successfully and then seem to have trouble quickly transitioning back to their offence first game.

Until the Leafs address these issues, I don’t think they will go far in the playoffs. They might win a round or two, but eventually they’ll meet up with a team like Tampa that will just get a lead and then shut them down.

 

[New User Name]

Just an ask from Leafs fan. Please stay off the main boards FOREVER. Fans of other teams are having a lot of fun mocking us. It's vicious. It's actually trolling but it's being allowed. That doesn't surprise me though with hfboards.

I know there's a number of Leafs fans that act like dicks and make sarcastic/idiotic comments too and that's why others are doing it. But if we all stick to Leafs threads on here we don't give them ammunition.

 

[PromisedLand]

Thé GM, thé coach and the core have Loser attitude

they pat themselves for participation trophies.

The colossal F-up that is the dubas era will go down in the books as the biggest FLOP in maple leaf history and the worst GM

As long as dubas and shanahan are still here I am done with the Leafs

they have made this franchise a JOKE.

what a waste of opportunities

for the people that keep bringing up Ovi;

- ovi had more than first round in his earlier years

also if waiting tat long is the case the. it can be done with anyone. WTF is special with dubas? he has ruined this franchise

 

[Leafblooded]

So many excuses for a team that simply failed to get it done. Again...

 

[7even]

Y'know they actually played a pretty good series. First time I haven't had a terrible taste in my mouth since Washington '17. In every year for the last 4 years they've choked spectacularly. That didn't happen this year. They just lost.

 

[SprDaVE]

Is that including the players heading to UFA and does that include Reilly new contract kicking in next year

What it means is that in this moment, we have 11M of cap space. It doesn't count RFA/UFAs like Campbell, Mikheyev, Engvall, etc etc. It does count Riellys new contract.

 

[stealth1]

What it means is that in this moment, we have 11M of cap space. It doesn't count RFA/UFAs like Campbell, Mikheyev, Engvall, etc etc. It does count Riellys new contract.

So basically not enough money to significantly change the bottom 6.

 

[New User Name]

Just an ask from Leafs fan. Please stay off the main boards FOREVER. Fans of other teams are having a lot of fun mocking us. It's vicious. It's actually trolling but it's being allowed. That doesn't surprise me though with hfboards.

I know there's a number of Leafs fans that act like dicks and make sarcastic/idiotic comments too and that's why others are doing it. But if we all stick to Leafs threads on here we don't give them ammunition.

Thé GM, thé coach and the core have Loser attitude

they pat themselves for participation trophies.

The colossal F-up that is the dubas era will go down in the books as the biggest FLOP in maple leaf history and the worst GM

As long as dubas and shanahan are still here I am done with the Leafs

they have made this franchise a JOKE.

what a waste of opportunities

for the people that keep bringing up Ovi;

- ovi had more than first round in his earlier years

also if waiting tat long is the case the. it can be done with anyone. WTF is special with dubas? he has ruined this franchise

This is the franchise that could have signed BOBBY ORR but decided to wait. While waiting the Bruins signed him. It's been a joke for decades. Remember Pal Hal?

 

[SprDaVE]

So basically not enough money to significantly change the bottom 6.

Trades happen all the time.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Upgrade the goalie and try again

 

[Stephen]

The successful playoff teams can quickly transition from playing one style of play, to another. The Leafs do not seem have the players to do that. I’m not sure if they’re not capable, or, just unwilling—maybe it’s both. They have great offensive capabilities, but are very lacking in other skills.

Tampa has shown they can push their offence, get ahead by a goal or two and then quickly transition to a lock it down, shut down, trap game. Where they simply clog up the neutral zone, collapse around their net, block shots and protect their lead. And when it counts most, like in the playoffs, that’s when they are most committed to that style and willing to pay the biggest price by blocking shots.

The Leafs have a really hard time playing against any team that gets up by a goal or two and does that. There are ways to break the trap and they should have the speed and offensive talent to do it, but it doesn’t seem to happen at the most critical times. If the Leafs would dump the puck in and attack the offensive zone with speed and physicality, in game one, they would force their opponents to back out off their own blue line and they could go back to using their speed on the rush. But they don’t do that. They typically continue trying to play their possession game. They try to get fancy getting into the O-Zone which doesn’t usually work, or, when they finally do resort to dumping the puck in, they don’t attack with speed, physicality and bear down on their opponents defense. So often they give up the puck, but don’t get it back.

Conversely, if the Leafs go up by a goal or two they have not shown they simply cannot successfully transition to a shut down game like the Tampa Bays of the league can. They typically try to do it but can’t hold off their opponent successfully and then seem to have trouble quickly transitioning back to their offence first game.

Until the Leafs address these issues, I don’t think they will go far in the playoffs. They might win a round or two, but eventually they’ll meet up with a team like Tampa that will just get a lead and then shut them down.

During their run:

Tampa has an elite forward group at the top end.
Tampa has prime age role players who can play crash and bang hockey.
Tampa has a redwood forest of defensemen of varying ability.
Tampa has the best workhorse playoff goalie of the era.

Toronto has the first ingredient but aren't elite at any of the other categories. Everything is a little to a lot worse.

 

[stealth1]

Trades happen all the time. The 11M might grow after some moves.

To get any significant cap space one of the big 4 have to be traded.

 

[TimeZone]

0-10 in elimination games since 2013.

If you're STILL making excuses for this pathetic group, you're a loser.

They choked, again.

 

[SprDaVE]

To get any significant cap space one of the big 4 have to be traded.

They don't need significant cap space if your goal is to change secondary players.

 

[Le Magnifique]

To get any significant cap space one of the big 4 have to be traded.

unlikely.
MLSE is likely better off lobbying for changes in the CBA to remove the salary cap.

 

[stealth1]

They don't need significant cap space if your goal is to change secondary players.

I disagree. That's what they have been doing the last few seasons and nothing has changed.

 

[CaptainCrunch17]

It was clear Tampa had figured them out defensively in game 7. They couldn't get to the net and the team is too reliant on space. Tavares had the right idea all series long. Just dump and chase, dump and chase. The team is nearly unbeatable when they are given space and Tampa knew it and figured out how to play them. This happens every year, the leafs start scoring less late in the series. They need to be way better winning puck battles down low, because that's how you win in the playoffs. Dubas might not recognize it as he's so focused on puck control and skating, but the team needs to simplify things way more. Marner and Nylander really are a microcosm of the problems with this team. They are unbelievable talents and their effort was clearly there, but creativity and being dynamic playmakers isn't what wins games in the post-season, its good old fashion grunt work in the corners. Matthews and Tavares can clearly do it and they do, but Nylander and Marner can't, they just are too bloody reliant on space and flow. The team needs to get bigger or at least stronger in their top 9. I honestly think they should change their team identity into a big physical team that dominates through size and strength. Tavares and Matthews are great pillars for a team like that.

Bang on.

A good start would be trading Nylander for a power forward that can play with a physical edge. That would completely transform Tavares line.

 

[Racer88]

What it means is that in this moment, we have 11M of cap space. It doesn't count RFA/UFAs like Campbell, Mikheyev, Engvall, etc etc. It does count Riellys new contract.

How are we 11 million below the cap And if so why did Dubas not spend it to make the team better

 

[Dekes For Days]

I agree no Cup champs went from not winning a round to Champs

LA won after not winning a round previously.

 

[Borschevsky]

I said this at the same time last year

I never want to hear from other Leafs fans how we're too negative about this team again It's hilarious.

 

[SprDaVE]

How are we 11 million below the cap And if so why did Dubas not spend it to make the team better

FOR NEXT YEAR

 

[stealth1]

unlikely.
MLSE is likely better off lobbying for changes in the CBA to remove the salary cap.

That's unlikely to ever happen. The league and owners love the salary cap. Why would MLSE want the cap gone? I'm sure their profits have risen since the Cap.

 

[The Masters]

In hindsight, it feels like climbing out of the basement in 2016-17 too early was a double edged sword. They didn't stay in the basement long enough to scoop up a finishing piece like a Makar or Heiskanen but the accelerated timeline led to accelerating expectations and salaries which hit the Marleau and Tavares UFA signings which forced them to churn through an entire supporting cast (Kadri, Brown, Johnsson, Kapanen, etc.) Some of the early success like the Washington series and even meeting Boston are now looking like failures even though the Leafs were quite ahead of schedule.

A slower build, more of a program emphasis would have yielded a stronger team up and down.

well said

 

[Gabriel426]

In hindsight, it feels like climbing out of the basement in 2016-17 too early was a double edged sword. They didn't stay in the basement long enough to scoop up a finishing piece like a Makar or Heiskanen but the accelerated timeline led to accelerating expectations and salaries which hit the Marleau and Tavares UFA signings which forced them to churn through an entire supporting cast (Kadri, Brown, Johnsson, Kapanen, etc.) Some of the early success like the Washington series and even meeting Boston are now looking like failures even though the Leafs were quite ahead of schedule.

A slower build, more of a program emphasis would have yielded a stronger team up and down.

If we are looking back with hindsight, a lot could have happened. Like drafting player x instead of player y, or if only Leafs didn’t make that trade or make that trade.
I do agree that the Leafs rushed the rebuild but at that time, it was the right thing to do bc the team was progressing.
Marleau’s contract should have been two yrs instead of three. The Boyle trade was a good trade but the turtleneck one was horrible at the TDL.
Not trading even one of Leo, JVR and Bozak were a mistake.
Still don’t think signing JT is a mistake but not signing Willie a year before RFA is a mistake. As thats set up AM and MM not signing before their RFA too.

 

[CaptainCrunch17]

On the bright side, there is 2.3 mil in cap space for next year.

Which is probably not enough cap space to re-sign Campbell, assuming they want to.