Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose to Buffalo

[TMLeafer]

Terrible game. This team has issues with intensity and defensive play. Looked helpless against a bottom feeder, what a dud.

 

[LeafSteel]

We wasn’t playing for realsies……

On to the next.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Sandin will be fine. This is on a Keefe not sure what was the point of changing things up ?

Yeah it's a head scratcher

Usually there is some sense in his line up adjustments .. this one was out of left field.

 

[Koolboss]

So much wasted cap, Tavares, Campbell,Mrazek, Nylander, Spezza, Simmonds, Kerfoot. Over 27 million dollars of uselessness.

Dubas is done

 

[PromisedLand]

I think that Willy has checked out with having Tavares as his centre, he needs faster players, and it's time to change that 2nd line up. It's been crap for a while.

been saying it for a while

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Nylander
Tavares-Spezza-Kase (yes JT on the wing; guy can't skate fast enough for a center)
Engvall-Kampf-Simmonds

 

[Racer88]

I’ll have to hold judgment until after these playoffs and his performance…
I hope your wrong

I hope I’m wrong too but we have seen very little out of these guys yet again that they haven’t developed a killer instinct

 

[Teeder Keon]

Fire Everyone.

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

 

[GQS]

For context:

Florida is 0-3 against Seattle and Ottawa this season and Carolina is 1-4 against Seattle and Ottawa

Tampa's lost games against Ottawa and Buffalo this season as well.

Arizona has beaten Colorado and Vegas.

Bad teams beat good teams so it happens.

I think the difference is that the Leafs have alot of baggage behind them where every bad loss makes you question this team. Teams like Tampa and Colorado losing to crappy teams, you don't question them much that they can comeback no problem.

With the Leafs and their history especially in the playoffs when they lose, rightly or wrongly I start to doubt them and if they're able to comeback and show up the next game.

 

[MSZ]

This team reminds me of the Cansucks of the early 2000s. One dominant scoring line, OK-ish D and absolutely awful goaltending.

 

[Ciao]

I'm usually pretty indifferent to the line compositions and defence pairings, but the Rielly-Sañdin pairing really stood out for me tonight.

Two left-handed offensive-oriented defencemen, both prone to glaring defensive lapses.

It's like they brought out the worst in each other tonight.

I also don't understand the logic of moving Brodie to the left side when there's no real need for that. Are they thinking of some combo of Liljegren, Holl and Lyubushkin on the right side, with Rielly, Brodie, Muzzin and Sandin on the left?

I would have preferred any one of Brodie, Dermott, Holl, Liljegren or Lyubushkin on the right side with Rielly tonight.

I sincerely hope that this experiment is over!

 

[Teeder Keon]

I hope I’m wrong too but we have seen very little out of these guys yet again that they haven’t developed a killer instinct

I’m struggling to disagree , but I’m going to hold up hope
GLG

 

[Puckstuff]

Defence will rebound. Just change the pairings. Get a top 4 D at the deadline with the Muzzin money or gamble on Muzzin rebounding by playoffs if they believe in his health.

The takes on Tavares being garbage = true based on the cap hit he will never live up too but he's still a very useful 75 point elite 2nd line C or decent first liner on most teams and we can win with him. He's not an anchor just over paid.

The takes on Mrazek = very justified. Goaltending is a major issue that could cost us an opportunity at contending.

We just need J.T Miller, a healthy Muzzin and a goalie. Yes it's a lot. Common Dubas.

 

[ACC1224]

Yeah it's a head scratcher

Usually there is some sense in his line up adjustments .. this one was out of left field.

Taking the opponent lightly ?

They should have been fired up ready to move into first in front of a full house. Very disappointing night. So glad I wasn’t there.

 

[1specter]

Disgusting performance.

 

[djdev]

for once i agree with hayes, if u need to make a big trade to "help tavares" we have bigger problems.

 

[Buds17]

At first glance the Rielly/Sandin pairing looked like a bad idea. Still not sure what the thought process was there. Perhaps they picked names out of a hat?

Muzzin's injury definitely exposes that left side. That, in my opinion, acted as the impetus for moving Brodie over to the left, which unfortunately led to the split of the Rielly-Brodie pairing.

 

[Apotheosis]

Post i made from a different thread:

leafs ranked by cap hit spent on position:

Goalies: 26th in the league
Defense: 24th in the league
Forwards: 2nd in the league (3nd as Vegas LTIR is screwing things up)

If the leafs aren't putting up top end offense and winning games you can't really blame anyone else other than the forwards.

Obviously the goalies both need to be better but you have to score more than 1 goal to win a game with the way this team is structured

NHL Forward Spending - Cap

I still wish we spent the Tavares money on a good like Pietrangelo. Could you imagine the D corps with Brodie, Rielly and him? And would still have money to spare considering how absolutely f***ing massive the Tavares contract costs.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Taking the opponent lightly ?

They should have been fired up ready to move into first in front of a full house. Very disappointing night. So glad I wasn’t there.

I'm more disappointed with the big guns .. at least the third line showed up, and the fourth line.. tried?

Was really surprising to see the top two lines have little success turning the puck over, and also getting clear shooting lanes to the net.

Seems like they took the Sabres lightly.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Meh. Chalk it up to a schedule loss against a rested team that is always fired up to play the Leafs

 

[Mr_Fun]

I don't get the hate on Tavaresnhe hasn50 points in 53 games his production is fine and even during this slump hens till has what? 11 points in 13 games the production is fine.

The main issue is goaltending

Yup, right now, bad goaltending is our achilles heel. To be fair, even with good goaltending, we still lose that one tonight.

 

[ACC1224]

Good on Sandin for facing the Press.

 

[Racer88]

I’m struggling to disagree , but I’m going to hold up hope
GLG

Yup. I will begin next game just like I do every game….cheering for the Leafs to win

 

[Mr_Fun]

Hardy Astrom

Not even that good. More like Hardly Astrom.

 

[PromisedLand]

See what happens when Lili sits?

when Holl effed up on one of the sabres goals; Brodie did exactly what I thought he would do "try to cover Holl's F-up"; and then he lost position

If Lily was playing that does not happen

 

[ACC1224]

I'm more disappointed with the big guns .. at least the third line showed up, and the fourth line.. tried?

Was really surprising to see the top two lines have little success turning the puck over, and also getting clear shooting lanes to the net.

Seems like they took the Sabres lightly.

No doubt the whole team is accountable tonight.