Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose. Thornton on the first PP unit. Weak. Nice work keefe. Do better.

[6ix]

Thornton was playing well coming into the playoffs, but he was absolutely atrocious and the reason for both goals against. In the playoffs there should be no seniority favourites. He needs to be scratched next game.

 

[Gallagbi]

Sandin is responsible for how Sandin handles his coverage. Not Thornton.

Tie him up, trip him, off-set the penalty..

The flail on your belly reach around poke-check is a junior move that doesn't fly in the NHL.

He did trip him

 

[BertCorbeau]

Sandin has to pivot there and change momentum while already gassed and while Byron is already skating straight down. It's not his fault. It's Thornton's. He gave the puck away and put Sandin in that position. Sandin played it fine given the situation, he tripped him up and players don't normally score while on their knees but as we saw, Byron scored a great goal.

Turnovers in the high offensive zone are always brutal .. They kill you in transition. And it did last night.

 

[notbias]

I'm a little confused about Sandin - how in the world did the kid get blown past that easily in that short of a distance? This is supposed to be our top puck moving (mobile) defenceman? That play and his lack of any containment on Byron with a big head-start is confusing and disappointing.

Sandin is not fast, Byron is very fast.

Sandin makes up for his lack of explosiveness with hockey IQ, by being in the right spot. That play is 100% on Thornton for turning the puck over at the blueline and forcing a foot race between an average skater and one of the fastest players in the league.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Credit to Byron on that game winning goal. He didn't give up and just tried to put anything on net, which luckily for him ended up being a perfectly placed chip shot.

The Leafs' didn't get too lucky last night with a couple of posts either.

 

[fahad203]

This is a ridiculous take. Every coach in the league starts Riley Nash in that spot last night, just as they started Hyman (also returning from injury). Had they not, all we'd hear today is how we went out and got Nash and didn't even use him and how stupid the Leafs are.
We lost a close game in which we lost our captain in a gruesome freak incident while our opponent gave us everything they had. The Habs always play us hard. The games are almost always close. It was never going to be a sweep. Engvall and Gally were most certainly not the difference last night.

We will come back. Saturday will be ours.

Why would every coach start a player who has been in decline for past 3 years, has 2 goals this year and been injured for better part and hasn't played in 2 months?

You had hot hands in Engvall who brings size and speed. You had another player in season form.

I mean was Nash the reason why we lost, no. But to say we iced the best team is far from it.

Simmonds and Mikaheyev needs to gtfo

 

[Dion TheFluff]

Thornton needs to be taken out of the lineup. To slow and has been costing more than helping us.

Heck even Simmonds didn't even really have an impact for what he's supposed to be providing.

I'd roll with something like this next game

Foligno Matthews Marner
Galchenyuk Kerfoot Nylander
Mikheyev Engvall Hyman
Brooks Nash Spezza

 

[fahad203]

Credit to Byron on that game winning goal. He didn't give up and just tried to put anything on net, which luckily for him ended up being a perfectly placed chip shot.

The Leafs' didn't get too lucky last night with a couple of posts either.

That is the most frustrating part in all this. Not only we don't score on PP, we give up a shortie and that's a winning goal which is the best goal of the playoffs so far.

I mean you can't make that stuff up

 

[fahad203]

Thornton needs to be taken out of the lineup. To slow and has been costing more than helping us.

Heck even Simmonds didn't even really have an impact for what he's supposed to be providing.

I'd roll with something like this next game

Foligno Matthews Marner
Galchenyuk Kerfoot Nylander
Mikheyev Engvall Hyman
Brooks Nash Spezza

That's a good line up. I wouldn't mind seeing that.

I don't want to see Simmonds in Leafs uniform ever again. In fact, I would put Nylander with Matthews and Marner.
Get one good solid line. If the Habs want to play Denault 25 mins a game against our top line, let them

 

[Trapper]

I was more referring to the butterfly effect. Leafs would still have Tavares and Thornton wouldn’t have cost them.

Agreed though, Marner and Matthews have to be much better.

kudos to Nylander for finally throwing his first career hit.

Nylander was good. I had no problem.
Matthews was getting his shots.

Marner on the other hand need to stop looking to the sky and chewing his mouthguard. Games down here bud. Get in it. Keep it simple and work hard. Plays will open up where you can use your skill, not try to skill every second if the game. I haven’t liked him since the Boston series when he was blocking shots and working hard. Wish that guy would come back.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

The Habs are more than happy playing a tight game and waiting for a mistake. Need to inject more offense.

 

[Brown Dog]

We didn't play near well enough last night but also got a lot bad breaks, starting with the Tavares injury.

Really hoping we can catch a break early in Game 2 and take control of the game/series from there.

 

[BertCorbeau]

That is the most frustrating part in all this. Not only we don't score on PP, we give up a shortie and that's a winning goal which is the best goal of the playoffs so far.

I mean you can't make that stuff up

A traditional Leaf-y way to lose.

I like that the refs let a lot go, overall, but I had a laugh at the penalty call late in the second when the Leafs had momentum and controlling the game, and it was a soft hook with the Habs played holding Spezza’s stick in his midsection.

There’s your game management call.

 

[fahad203]

Mikayehev can be a force with his speed and size........ He just choses to do nothing with them other than doing circles
Engvall same.........

It's really our style of game. Keefe doesn't want our players play that game

 

[Apotheosis]

Thornton should have retired a while ago. So many better options than him.

 

[ShaneFalco]

One game - and that JT injury sucked the life out of the building. Not worried

 

[ShaneFalco]

Nylander was good. I had no problem.
Matthews was getting his shots.

Marner on the other hand need to stop looking to the sky and chewing his mouthguard. Games down here bud. Get in it. Keep it simple and work hard. Plays will open up where you can use your skill, not try to skill every second if the game. I haven’t liked him since the Boston series when he was blocking shots and working hard. Wish that guy would come back.

Sometimes in the playoffs he's like a boy playing with men

 

[ryno23]

If you plan on playing Marner in an offensive role for 24 minutes a night, and want him to be effective then perhaps don't play him another 4 minutes on the PK in addition as well.

Don't the Leafs have enough Hyman, Mikheyev, Nash and Foligno types to toss out on the PK that are not on your so call top PP unit as well?

Exactly. Give him a few less PK mins to keep him fresh. No player is effective playing 27 mins especially when you have OT that can go on forever.

 

[notbias]

Montreal 57 hits Leafs 27 . The metrics/skill lovers just do not understand what playoff hockey is about. Excuses excuses excuses, Tavares got hurt its a tough break suck it up and play harder. I think they may have to consider a name change from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Toronto Dairy Queens cause all they serve up is soft product.

MIA Thornton, Holl, Marner, Mihkayev, Reily, Brodie, Nash, Simmons

They out-chanced and outplayed Montreal last night, hit 3 posts I believe, this could have been a very different game.

One team's game plan is built on holding onto the puck and generating quality scoring chances.
The other's is to get the puck, put it into empty space, and try to win it back by hitting and hoping there is a breakdown for a scoring chance.

Here is another game with lopsided hitting last night
Pit - 29 | NYI - 46

It is almost like less skilled teams need to muck it up to try to make it a game.

Also would not surprise me if half the "hits" from last night were just Montreal laying cross-checks in front of the net.

 

[The Apologist]

Why would every coach start a player who has been in decline for past 3 years, has 2 goals this year and been injured for better part and hasn't played in 2 months?

You had hot hands in Engvall who brings size and speed. You had another player in season form.

I mean was Nash the reason why we lost, no. But to say we iced the best team is far from it.

Simmonds and Mikaheyev needs to gtfo

Because Riley Nash is a veteran with a history of solid playoff performances and Engvall has an hour of solid regular season play in what, three seasons? I start Nash 100% of the time in yesterday's situation.

 

[BertCorbeau]

FWIW Montreal hit the Leafs' more than any other team hit any other opposing team all year, cumulatively in all the games played against each other. Didn't really help this in the regular season.

The physicality only is really effective when it's disruptive on the other teams' ability to move the puck. We saw that a bit last night, more in the first period. Once the Leafs' got their first goal they calmed things down to their level and gave them a chance to win this game.

Unfortunately the PP stinks. One thing I'll say is the PK looked really good. So there's still hope in the special team's battle. But they can't give up short handed chances like that.

 

[weems]

Hopefully JT can recover from this injury and his longterm health isnt drastically effected.

Disappointing loss but this series is long from over and Vegas still has us as the favorite to win.

I would like to see some changes to the lineup. Last night was one of the slowest versions we've iced in the Matthews/Marner era. It's great to get bigger and tougher but you have to find a good balance and dont want to become a slow team because of it.

Keefe better find the right roster fast and cant play favorites. This isnt about keeping Thornton or Simmonds happy. It's about doing whats best for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

There ain't no way Keefe has the stones, but Jumbo's gotta sit.

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Kerfoot - Nylander
Mikheyev - Engvall - Foligno
Simmonds - Nash - Spezza

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Bogosian

 

[Ziggdiezan]

A breakaway goal on the PP materializing in the slot isn't exactly a situation many goalies are going to thrive in.

In Andersen's case, he really doesn't help his case by always letting in those point shots he doesn't quite track.

Byron was on his knees though without any speed as a result and Campbell came out to try to play the puck which he messes up routinely. Like I said he made other good saves but that one really broke the teams confidence

 

[Coaches Coroner]

And to think plenty in this forum laughed at the Anderson Domi trade.......and laughed louder when the Habs signed Anderson to his contract. He was the best player on either team tonight AND a actual power forward in his prime, not a washed up old pugilist who can’t keep up, and brings nothing to the table. Guess table scraps are all you can afford when half your cap is tied up in 4 players, one of whom might be out for a extended period of time. Genius move by boy wonder GM..........

these takes after game one that think a freak injury should be predictable are hilarious