Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose to Buffalo

[djdev]

lol, its really frustrating talking to leaf fan friends, theres no in-between, either a fan boy or a hater.
i want JT to be good, i never said trade the bum etc etc. a better JT means a better leaf team.
but cmon there has to some good conversation out there about how hes actually played that isnt just about his points(or intangibles).

 

[Stephen]

Score 1 goal vs sabres....they lost to montreal..arizona..Buffalo is the last what 9 days ?? Not s original and defenseman not good enough....

Seems pretty clear they need to spend that Muzzin LTIR money on defense or goaltending so they have a functional back end... so much money has been on the forward group, it's not like another $6 million forward is going to magically cure our $11 million captain.

 

[lebdafor norris]

You can blame both goaltending and the offense for a loss though. The reality is that outside of the CBJ series he was really, really bad in the playoffs for us. I remember some awful goals being let in from him at bad times.

.922 sv% during the second BOS series, I remember going to the Bruins board during that series and the posters there being very impressed with Andy and that if it weren't for him the Leafs wouldn't have made it to game 7. Someone even mock Leafs claiming that Andy would likely take the majority of the blame because Leafs fans are too blind to see that the Leafs skaters were simply outplayed and he wasn't wrong.

Andy played fine during the WAS series but the Caps were at their peak at the time while the Leafs were still a team full of rookies, Andy would have needed a Carey Price like performance to lift the team which he obviously didn't do but he didn't cost them the series or anything. Really the only series when Andy deserved the blame hurl towards him was the 1st BOS series, it was just unfortunate that this has been the only playoff series thus far when Marner actually looked like the 90-100 point player that he truly is.

 

[Shooter2x]

At least Bear looks like a keeper. One of our worst defensive games of the century but he was lights out

Also convinced at this point Keefe has no idea what he's doing

 

[Clyde Brewer]

Ya I get the allure of adding a big time UFA like JT but when you have a bunch of forwards who are going to be expensive too it is a big risk.

Adding Tavares made the other forwards more expensive. Tavares signed for 11 million, so Matthews was getting over that- no way was he not going to be highest paid.

Marner went from a 69 point player to a 94 point player after the first season with Tavares there. Marner would have been significantly cheaper had Tavares not been there.

There would also have been no need to buy out Marleau's contract and give up that first round pic.

They got too good too fast, and it put them in salary cap hell well before they should have been. They should have waited and solved the RD which has existed for years- Pietrangelo wouldn't look terrible there.

 

[lebdafor norris]

Andersen finished 2020-21 with an .895 SV% and a 2.96 GAA. For comparisons, Mrazek has a .890 SV% and a 3.22 GAA. Mrazek is a tire fire this season but so was Andersen last year when he lost his job.

We may need a goalie upgrade coming up but the solution wasn't Andersen.

Thats a fair assessment at the time, personally I though Andy was going in the way of Brayden Holtby due to his declining numbers during his last 2 years here and so I agree with the decision to go with Campbell. Giving Mrazek almost similar $ to what Andy got was very questionable thou as he doesn't really posses the track record and at BESTyou could expect him to become the 1b goalie who could give you .905-.915 sv% for about 40 games.

 

[Azazel]

Everyone ?
Including ushers and food stand people and that lovely nice singer and the cleaning staff ?
Really ??
Man I’m glad I don’t work for you

How many goals has our singer even scored? How many shots has she NOT blocked? Fired! Cleaning staff have to stay though, someones gotta clean up this mess. Give em goalie pads and lets see how far we go!

 

[Sammy Kat]

Andersen finished 2020-21 with an .895 SV% and a 2.96 GAA. For comparisons, Mrazek has a .890 SV% and a 3.22 GAA. Mrazek is a tire fire this season but so was Andersen last year when he lost his job.

We may need a goalie upgrade coming up but the solution wasn't Andersen.

Andersen had a rough year with injuries and poor use along with as usual with our Leafs getting peppered but he is better than the 2 back ups we have.

Andersen takes over in Carolina,who dumped Mrazek and so far,

38

37

29

7

0

2

1,079

76

2.03

.930

3

2,245

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

So I am not putting it on Freddy but much more on the team in front of him.
I would have taken back Freddy easily over our 2 present choices.

 

[Sniper99]

Tavares is garbage. Has zero impact game to game. He needs to be dumped in the offseason.

You're not trading that contract. Its Not Happening!! Hes got his clause too. But keep on spinning those tires thinking he needs to go.

 

[wingman75]

I missed the game, first miss of the season I think... I had recorded the game, so I watched the moments before and after the goals(2-3 mins on either side).

Some odd bounces for sure... biggest things that stood out for me, and this has been a recurring theme, the D did not do anything to help their goaltender... deflecting stuff on him, not covering anyone in dangerous areas... just a weak performance in the limited minutes I watched. Mrazek has to make a save or two there... every decent chance against cannot go it... that was the 80's and no other team is playing in that era anymore.

Number one thing though, that imo would make the above issues go away is simply compete level. They were outworked in almost every pre-goal situation and most post-goal situations. I mean, I don't understand how this team, this group of players, do not understand the importance of matching the opponents work level. Truthfully you should not have to and should be able to drive your own game, but it's clear the give-a-f*** factor was pretty low. And it is a very common thing... the MTL game was the exact same.

You don't lose games 5-1 because of goaltending, that is a compete level thing. You lose games because of goaltending with scores like 5-4, 4-3, 5-3 etc. What I saw I felt was pathetic and digusting. This roster doesn't need changes to alter that outcome, they just need to get their heads out of their asses and have some pride.

Yea I know, all good teams lose to bad teams... but do they do it repeatedly? I don't see much of that happening other than the Leafs. Inexcusable, but sadly fully believable.

 

[Stephen]

I missed the game, first miss of the season I think... I had recorded the game, so I watched the moments before and after the goals(2-3 mins on either side).

Some odd bounces for sure... biggest things that stood out for me, and this has been a recurring theme, the D did not do anything to help their goaltender... deflecting stuff on him, not covering anyone in dangerous areas... just a weak performance in the limited minutes I watched. Mrazek has to make a save or two there... every decent chance against cannot go it... that was the 80's and no other team is playing in that era anymore.

Number one thing though, that imo would make the above issues go away is simply compete level. They were outworked in almost every pre-goal situation and most post-goal situations. I mean, I don't understand how this team, this group of players, do not understand the importance of matching the opponents work level. Truthfully you should not have to and should be able to drive your own game, but it's clear the give-a-f*** factor was pretty low. And it is a very common thing... the MTL game was the exact same.

You don't lose games 5-1 because of goaltending, that is a compete level thing. You lose games because of goaltending with scores like 5-4, 4-3, 5-3 etc. What I saw I felt was pathetic and digusting. This roster doesn't need changes to alter that outcome, they just need to get their heads out of their asses and have some pride.

Yea I know, all good teams lose to bad teams... but do they do it repeatedly? I don't see much of that happening other than the Leafs. Inexcusable, but sadly fully believable.

The goaltending/team not playing well kind of negatively reinforce each other. The first goal that bounced off Rielly and deflected was a 'bad bounce' and put the team on the back foot to start but maybe if Mrazek had come out to play that angle properly or had the trust of the team you don't see a sag in the effort level. Then you look at all the game tape where Mrazek is overplaying shots, flopping around, butterflying early and this guy is clearly not playing an organized gam, not making himself big, not giving himself margins for when there is a weird bounce. I think the team just doesn't have a comfort level playing in front of that mess, and the goalie doesn't have trust in the team in front of him.

Right now we don't have goaltending.

 

[TeddyBare]

Pfffttt Justin Holl

In 20+ plus minutes of even strength TOI
0 Dangerous scoring chances for
8 Dangerous scoring chances against

 

[AvroArrow]

That sucked

 

[Menzinger]

Andersen finished 2020-21 with an .895 SV% and a 2.96 GAA. For comparisons, Mrazek has a .890 SV% and a 3.22 GAA. Mrazek is a tire fire this season but so was Andersen last year when he lost his job.

We may need a goalie upgrade coming up but the solution wasn't Andersen.

Andersen had definitely run his course in Toronto. Both player and team needed to move on from one another. The Leafs question mark goaltending this season so far still doesn't change that

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Only 7 of our 15 losses have come when both Sandin and Liljegren have played. Maybe we should stop sitting them.

 

[Teeder Keon]

at the end of the day, the better team won tonight

Oh so right …at the end of the day , at the start and in the middle and alllllll the way Phuqquen home ……!

 

[Welsh Maple Leaf]

At least Bear looks like a keeper. One of our worst defensive games of the century but he was lights out

Also convinced at this point Keefe has no idea what he's doing

3rd in the East and the coach doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing.

Some people are morons when we lose.

 

[Lauro]

Glad I didn't watch. I guess the Rielly-Sandin experiment is over?
Not a fan of shitting on old guys like JT, Simmonds, Spezza and Muzzin during the (far too long) regular season. They know that they need to be fit in the playoffs. Hopefully they'll be.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

How about Holl weak attempt to rub Okposo(number 24 I mean) out on the 5th goal. Play should have died there with a routine pin. Exclamation mark on his disaster of a game. Get Liljegren back with Rielly, sandin back with bear and a real no.4 for Brodie and our D corps is lights out. Holl is the weak link, need to get his usage away from the playoffs. He will get eaten alive on the cycle by these elite teams.

 

[Shooter2x]

3rd in the East and the coach doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing.

Some people are morons when we lose.

Only a moron thinks this team needs Keefe to be 3rd.

The new special team coaches also deserve way more credit than Keefe this season. I bet die hard fan like you doesn't even know their names without having to go Google it now.

 

[sittler rules!!!]

The Tavares signing was a mistake.

Ya think. We could still have Kadri at half the cost. And don;t go blowin smoke about the suspensions again. Y>'all know right now you would take back Naz over JT

 

[geo25]

Serious question. Why do you love Keefe ?

What has he done to get any love?

Dudes way over his head with this team. Even team that has less competes night in night out. This team doesnt. Thats on the coach

I couldn't agree more and have said it more than once. The "hand picked buddy coach" of Dubas is wayyy in over his head. Can you image if we had an actual ex cup winning coach? Even Gallant would have been great....

 

[sparxx87]

Andersen had definitely run his course in Toronto. Both player and team needed to move on from one another. The Leafs question mark goaltending this season so far still doesn't change that

That’s an emotional take, not a logical one. Letting a top 10 goalie walk for nothing as a UFA and move forward with two backups is completely moronic, even by Dubas’ standards.

This team is still soft, still can’t defend, but this year the added issue of goaltending being far less reliable.

Silver lining is Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan will be gone this off-season.

 

[sparxx87]

3rd in the East and the coach doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing.

Some people are morons when we lose.

He does more head-scratching things than almost anyone I’ve ever watched.

As many have suggested, it seems some of the foolishness comes from Dubas. It would make more sense that some of these ideas and strategy come from someone whose never played or coached competitively.

If Keefe isn’t the moron, he’s taking direction from one.

 

[janesy12]

Horrible game, and it's not a good trend.

Although I've just turned my mind off from these games. It's Tampa/Florida maybe Boston or Washington in the first round.
None of this means anything until then, and if I were to wager money on that 1st round series? The only team I see them possibly beating is Washington.

So all of this is for nothing. The big question is what to do then? If it's another 1st round exit then changes have to be made. You can't run this back.