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

[rumman]

Scanning today's sports obituaries for the Leafs, the team is almost universally being praised for losing. That's what happens when the team's owners also own the press - literally. It's exactly the same as daily legacy news where the owner dictates the consistently fictional narrative.

I used to love listening to talk radio immediately after Leaf games because in Ontario there were at least two phone-in shows for the fans to commiserate/share/praise/vent. Now there are none, none allowed to exist.

Sports media appear to be a willing propaganda arm of MLSE.…..

 

[All Mod Cons]

That's a hard one to take, because we didn't get beat - we got robbed. Can't even be mad at anybody on the team after that.

Played our hearts out all season, blew past franchise records and hit a mark that's only been hit 15 times in the cap era. Our reward? Playing the B2B Cup champs - an ECF matchup - in the 1st round. Whatever, you take the hand you're dealt. So we play our hearts out in the series, outwork and outplay them, and the refs decide to steal both game 6 and game 7 away from us with some of the worst calls I've seen in my life as a hockey fan. The infamous Fraser high stick is a joke compared to the past 2 games.

Like at this point it feels like we have to have the best team in the league by far just to overcome the divisional playoff format and reffing and make it past the first round. This honestly feels more and more like the WWE as each year goes by. We're not supposed to win, so we won't win, until the NHL decides it's a good narrative. Or maybe when the NHL doesn't have a battle of Florida to milk.

In the words of Bo Burnham... It's not right. It's not funny. But they'll keep beating this dead horse until it stops spitting out money.

I can't quit the Leafs, but I'm done spending any money on this league. It's broken.

I'm concerned that we're going to blow up the best team we've ever had because of this garbage. Hopefully management is smart enough to tune out all the idiots who will pressure counter-productive moves because blah blah blah 1st round.

Yeah. Some could see it coming a mile off. Others couldn't. It's why we're all fans.

 

[40BayStreet]

Columbus wasn’t a playoff series, it was a play in series. I don’t think we get to claim this record. Damn.

 

[palmateer67]

Blow it up? Okay, buddies. Relax there. Only one change is needed, and that is the coach. Keefe just isn't the guy despite Dubas' friendship. Get Trotz in there. (And if Dubas doesn't have the stomach, get Hunter back as GM.)

 

[DylanSensFan]

The winners get to say what every they want…….that’s why winning is great but the losers have to live with their failure

I cheer for the Senators, who have been in the bottom of the league for a while now. From my perspective, I think Stamkos is correct. If the leafs came up against anyone but Tampa in that first round, we wouldn't be talking about their exit. The thing about Tampa, is that they are really good at playing playoff hockey: super stingy style of play, get the first goal and sit on it. Plus they have a decent, cup winning goalie. I wouldn't say that Vasileskiy is that much better than Campbell. The difference is only experience. In fact that is the difference between the entire Tampa team and the Leafs. But the Leafs are very close to being a finals team. Just like the Capitals. It took Ovechkin and that crew a few tries to finally make it happen.

 

[Jozay]

Maple Leafs making history

 

[authentic]

Honestly, the Leafs fans falsely proclaiming this team was "different" deserve every bit of shit now being thrown their way. This team had done nothing to justify their overconfidence

Dude if you weren't gifted a phantom 5 on 3 while down a goal in an elimination game you wouldn't be saying shit right now.

 

[mikeyz]

Columbus wasn’t a playoff series, it was a play in series. I don’t think we get to claim this record. Damn.

It was still a series.

 

[saffronleaf]

Hopefully the young guys see what cash over cups looks like.

doubt it

they don't care

they're already planning out their vacations, attending sporting events, etc.

it's no surprise that they play 80+ games in the regular season but then come playoff time when there's no more paychecks, they're eager to leave.

 

[Dekes For Days]

LA also came into the playoffs with a swagger very few teams have. Once Sutter was behind the bench and they acquired Carter, they had the look of a team that was there to ruin some days.

In 2012 they had the best d man in the league (Doughty), the best goalie in the league (Quick), one of the best 2 way centers in the league (Kopitar), and the best 2nd line in the league (Penner-Richards-Carter).

What of these pieces do the Leafs have?

Lol. Swagger.

Leafs have an amazing team featuring some of the best players in the world - including arguably the best.

I'm not really interested in a discussion where you wildly exaggerate every other team and downplay the quality of the Leafs and their players. I merely noted a fact that was relevant about teams winning after not winning a round previously. It has happened. Assuming we don't make stupid, counter-productive moves, we have just as good a chance at the cup next year as anybody, regardless of being robbed of this ECF-quality series win.

 

[Nineteen67]

Yeah. Some could see it coming a mile off. Others couldn't. It's why we're all fans.

The high stick in game 6 was a great sales job by the Tampa player. He did what he was taught to do. Bunting did it all year and in the series. No way you can blame the ref on that.
The Holl pick was classic interference.

Most of the Leafs stepped up their game during the series but unfortunately for them a few still don’t understand what it takes, or they’re unwilling to sacrifice.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

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.

Hmmm, I remember somebody saying similar things in 2017. It was met with pure vitriol and hate.

Example 1

Example 2

 

[Nineteen67]

doubt it

they don't care

they're already planning out their vacations, attending sporting events, etc.

it's no surprise that they play 80+ games in the regular season but then come playoff time when there's no more paychecks, they're eager to leave.

My assumption, he'd rather play in the world championships than the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

[hamzarocks]

Except that's not true. Both teams scored the same amount - 2 goals.

The original person I was responding to did.

It was enough to still be alive right now against the B2B champs, in a fairly called game.

No both teams didn't score 2 goals

You appeal to the NHL when it suits you (saying the NHL declared the play-ins were playoffs so the Leafs made it to the playoffs on 2020) and ignore them when it doesn't (saying the goal which NHL deemed not legal was a fake call)

Say what you want about management but they don't make bullshit excuses for the team usually. Management doesnt pretend it was a 2-2 game, they know the team lacks killer instinct and the ability to close a series out but don't know how to address adding the finishing pieces to the team to get over the hump

Your simply pretending the leafs scored 2 goals when they didn't. If it were 2 goals for the leafs it would have seen the game go to OT. You like the rest of posters here (including me) are a nobody when it comes to the NHL rules and officiating. You don't get to say the score of game is different than what it was after 60 mins.

Stop making excuses for once

 

[Stephen]

Hmmm, I remember somebody saying similar things in 2017. It was met with pure vitriol and hate.

Example 1

Example 2

Unfortunately, there are no awards for being right about Leafs shortcomings. It's just more pain.

 

[saffronleaf]

Dude if you weren't gifted a phantom 5 on 3 while down a goal in an elimination game you wouldn't be saying shit right now.

no excuses tho

the losers lost and the winners won

 

[Dekes For Days]

No both teams didn't score 2 goals

Except they quite literally did both score 2 goals.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the result the NHL wanted.

 

[hamzarocks]

Except they quite literally did both score 2 goals.

Nope they quite literally didn't

Need to get your eyes checked as the score was 2-1 not 2-2

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Nick f***ing Paul. That doesn’t sit right, absolutely embarrassing.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Nope they quite literally didn't

Need to get your eyes checked

My eyes are perfectly fine. They very clearly saw Tampa players shoot the puck into the net 2 times, and they saw Toronto players shoot the puck into the net 2 times. Both teams scored 2 goals.

 

[3blizzard4]

Nick f***ing Paul. That doesn’t sit right, absolutely embarrassing.

Almost had a hat trick too.

 

[saffronleaf]

Steven Stamkos said that the Leafs have a Stanley Cup team. He said it was basically too close to call between the two teams, and that it just happened that the Lightning were dreaming as big as the Leafs. While I am sure it is disappointing from the perspective of Leaf fans. I wouldn't jump the gun on dismantling this team, or trading any major assets.

of course he's going to say that in front of the cameras. what else is he going to say?

hopefully they have some inside locker room footage, it'll show them laughing their asses off as they clowned the leafs without point, a sick kucherov. paul nick single handedly destroyed the big 4, and smacked marner after he scored the series winning goal.

 

[JKG33]

Dude if you weren't gifted a phantom 5 on 3 while down a goal in an elimination game you wouldn't be saying shit right now.

Are you implying I'm a Tampa fan??? LOL I hate that dirty ass team. I respect any team that wins cups, but F those guys

 

[hamzarocks]

My eyes are perfectly fine. They very clearly saw Tampa players shoot the puck into the net 2 times, and they saw Toronto players shoot the puck into the net 2 times. Both teams scored 2 goals.

The puck can be shot into a net 1000 times but if the goal isn't deemed legal who cares?

One team scored 2 goals and the other scored 1.

One team is moving on and the other is stuck wondering how did we lose again?

You can keep pretending the leafs scored 2 goals until we lose in game 7 next year but it won't change reality

 

[KingJoffrey]

James Mirtle and Kyle Dubas are BFF's. So ofc Mirtle will use his platform to defend his pal.

First it was Lou who was the problem. Then it was Babcock. Then Andersen. But never have Mirtle said anything against Kyle "Dubler" Dubas.

What Leafs need to do is fire Dubas and don't let Mirtle's propaganda people in the building for free. Let them pay for tickets.