Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose to Caps 3-1

[hoglund]

The greatest trick the fixers ever pulled was convincing the fans that the refs didn't know what they were doing.

Are you saying that the refs intentionally kicked it? I think that it was an accident, however I think in this case as soon as the ref realizes that he kicked it the whistle should blow and they should face off closest to the play.

 

[Nineteen67]

Are you saying that the refs intentionally kicked it? I think that it was an accident, however I think in this case as soon as the ref realizes that he kicked it the whistle should blow and they should face off closest to the play.

That’s not the rule, though. They can blow the whistle if they think believe the ref is injured.

 

[hoglund]

That’s not the rule, though. They can blow the whistle if they think believe the ref is injured.

I realize that that's not the rule, I'm saying that's what it should be and maybe after reviewing similar plays the rule will be changed.

 

[Al14]

Washington played better and wanted this game more but holy f*** can we ever win the penalty differential? Add to that the absolute bullshit calls against us while they were allowed to obstruct is absolutely shameful. Does anybody at the league review these games?

But I’m disappointed by our effort level in a home game where first place in the conference was up for grabs.

The NHL doesn't and won't review what they have already sanctioned. The NHL is hell bent on getting a better and better U.S. TV deal.

The only way to do that is to prop up the American based teams to garner more fan support. That comes at a cost to Canadian based teams, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The TML are sold out and it takes families a generation to finally get seasons tickets. The TML pay their fair share, and more, into the NHL's revenue sharing. For every Leafs fan that gets pissed off with the blatant and obvious anti-Leafs refereeing, the NHL knows there are thousands more Leaf fans willing to buy tickets and merchandise.

The only way things would change would be if Leaf fans STOPPED buying tickets and Leaf gear all over North America including in Toronto. Till that happens, Bettman and his boss Jeremy Jacobs, will continue to have the Refs, and especially the DoPS, to continue their shenanigans against our Leafs.

The American markets are the be all and end all to the NHL. Having the Leafs, or any other Canadian franchise, be successful and win the Stanley cup does NOT help the NHL sell tickets in non-traditional hockey markets in the U.S. of A.

Just look how long the NHL let the Phoenix Coyotes situation go on !!! If that had been a Canadian based team they'd have been moved to Utah 20 years ago.

f*** the NHL, f*** Bettman, f*** Jacobs, f*** the NHL Refs, and f*** the NHL DoPS !!! They are all crooked in favor of everything U.S.

JMHO.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Reaves Holmberg and Robertson were all trash. The only thing worse on that ice were the two dumb ass refs that cost us the game. Clearly gave them a pp advantage, non calls to sag our momentum and a perfect assist to end the game.

Refs should be disciplined for that turd. Not even joking, if I were an NHL manager over the Refs and had integrity about me, that would be done. Doesn't matter the crest on the team or even if WSH was on the receiving end and lost the game. It was a shit show.

Imagine there were an international body, like a fairness commission brought in to observe and give an opinion on the officiating the Leafs get. By the numbers too. Slam dunk they would find Toronto is mercilessly and constantly on the recieving end of poor officiating.

Shouldn't be that hard to do.

With gambling now legal I can see someone wanting to conduct a study like that. Sue the NHL if they find conclusive evidence of calls being influenced. Or use it to their advantage by betting appropriately depending on what the conclusions find.

Just from my own observations I don't think officiating tends to be the deciding factor in most games, but has at times been an issue, and this year the officiating appears to be a lot worse than normal for some reason.

 

[Burnie97]

To make this loss sting a bit more, this has been the Leafs 16th home game (12-4) with only 10 road games thus far (4-4-2).

This means thus far their schedule has been quite advantageous and with 6 fewer road games they may be batting above their EV (expected value),

True but they will be fine on the road. They were pretty good there last year. They just need to stick to their system. Don't deviate.

They had their chances last night and that didn't bury it or the puck luck wasn't there.

Im surprised I think as many others that Washington is playing that well. I feel like they'll fall off a cliff at some point.

For the games the Leafs have played at home... they're winning so that helps a lot.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

True but they will be fine on the road. They were pretty good there last year. They just need to stick to their system. Don't deviate.

They had their chances last night and that didn't bury it or the puck luck wasn't there.

Im surprised I think as many others that Washington is playing that well. I feel like they'll fall off a cliff at some point.

For the games the Leafs have played at home... they're winning so that helps a lot.

Good last point. If there was a disparity and we weren’t winning the home games, then I’d be worried. But we’re a pretty good road team, with good defence and great goaltending, we’ll be fine. We’re not going to have bad puck luck and reffing every road game.

 

[Doublerum1975]

Can’t expect same players to carry the team every night need some depth scoring

 

[34]

The Leafs had no room at all. Washington was ruthless on not giving them any space. They literally suffocated them.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Just here to say last night's game was a bit of a turd. Hopefully better tonight.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

The Leafs had no room at all. Washington was ruthless on not giving them any space. They literally suffocated them.

And yet Nylander had 2 breakaways and Tavares had 1. Tavares had a great chance in the last minute all alone in front, and we missed several open nets during the game. We only got 2 PP to their 4. They were good, but let’s not think they dominated us to the point we couldn’t win that game. What Washington is doing is not sustainable with that lineup. They’ll start losing soon.

 

[Nineteen67]

I realize that that's not the rule, I'm saying that's what it should be and maybe after reviewing similar plays the rule will be changed.

It doesn’t happen enough and there’s no need to blow a whistle every time the puck hits an official.

 

[capfit9]

Tight checking game Matthews & Marner not noticeable, when they have time & space they are great, especially Marner but it looks like the same old story.

 

[Leafsfan74]

True but they will be fine on the road. They were pretty good there last year. They just need to stick to their system. Don't deviate.

They had their chances last night and that didn't bury it or the puck luck wasn't there.

Im surprised I think as many others that Washington is playing that well. I feel like they'll fall off a cliff at some point.

For the games the Leafs have played at home... they're winning so that helps a lot.

The Caps outworked and pressed them all night in their zone. This is the way to play in the playoffs and it will be the type of team that will beat the Leafs once again.

 

[67leafs]

Robertson = Beer League
Reaves = Beer League

 

[saltming]

It doesn’t happen enough and there’s no need to blow a whistle every time the puck hits an official.

The rule is, if it goes in directly off an official, the play is blown dead.

 

[Stephen]

And yet Nylander had 2 breakaways and Tavares had 1. Tavares had a great chance in the last minute all alone in front, and we missed several open nets during the game. We only got 2 PP to their 4. They were good, but let’s not think they dominated us to the point we couldn’t win that game. What Washington is doing is not sustainable with that lineup. They’ll start losing soon.

I only caught the highlights but it looked like a 1-1 game decided on some unfortunate bounces. The ref deflection was a disaster and otherwise they got enough looks with the goalie pulled, but it looks like the Leafs dealt with an uncomfortable tight game reasonably well. Obviously the results could have been better.

I'd like to see them put it all together for the 60 minutes with a star led effort. Proof of concept of what a committed juggernaut is supposed to look like and come out full throttle, turn the opposition into road kill, rough them up a little on the way out.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Robertsons in his own head now.

Unfortunate because he has some good potential as a goal scorer but I think this market spotlight is too much for him.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Shouldn't be that hard to do.

With gambling now legal I can see someone wanting to conduct a study like that. Sue the NHL if they find conclusive evidence of calls being influenced. Or use it to their advantage by betting appropriately depending on what the conclusions find.

Just from my own observations I don't think officiating tends to be the deciding factor in most games, but has at times been an issue, and this year the officiating appears to be a lot worse than normal for some reason.

I don’t think you could prove that reffing consistently leads certain teams to win or lose but there’s an easy argument that game management reffing increases the amount of late game betting. You won’t be getting many 2nd intermission bets on a 6-0 game compared to a game that was artificially managed to 4-2 going into the third. It’s good business for bad teams to look boxscore competitive through 40 minutes, if they’re getting called every time one of their tweener D men LARPing as a top-4 needs to hook an elite forward that’s hard to do.

Even better, bad teams consistently get to OT for more betting, concessions, and artificially inflated standings going into March to keep the playoff race “interesting”.

 

[Nineteen67]

The rule is, if it goes in directly off an official, the play is blown dead.

Only if it goes in the net.

 

[Evilhomer]

I don’t think you could prove that reffing consistently leads certain teams to win or lose but there’s an easy argument that game management reffing increases the amount of late game betting. You won’t be getting many 2nd intermission bets on a 6-0 game compared to a game that was artificially managed to 4-2 going into the third. It’s good business for bad teams to look boxscore competitive through 40 minutes, if they’re getting called every time one of their tweener D men LARPing as a top-4 needs to hook an elite forward that’s hard to do.

Even better, bad teams consistently get to OT for more betting, concessions, and artificially inflated standings going into March to keep the playoff race “interesting”.

There is so little money bet on NHL games, relative to other sports, that I very much doubt this would ever be an issue. Also, the oddsmakers are so good at this stuff that they have been the ones who have caught refs and players in the past who were fixing games.

 

[The Best Leafs Everr]

Well.. we shot one at a ref tonite. Didn't work out so good..

Don’t need to shoot so prettily, just shoot like you mean to kill them. We need to develop an identity of referee killers like the Phillys used to be the bullies back then. Just need to shoot 15 times every single game, better if Matthews one times it to them.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I’m yelling this for the last 5 games. We need to start shooting pucks at referees. Haunt their lives, when they go to sleep they should be scared of pucks in their dream. Don’t worry if anything happens to them. We need that Darcy Tucker mentality, kill them at all costs.

Mitch and Matty tried hitting the refs with the puck in the last two games, and all it did was cost us two goals.

 

[notDatsyuk]

NFL officiating > NHL referees

It’s really gotten that bad.

With all the penalties the NFL game should be called flag football.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Are you saying that the refs intentionally kicked it? I think that it was an accident, however I think in this case as soon as the ref realizes that he kicked it the whistle should blow and they should face off closest to the play.

The rule is that the officials are part of the playing surface, just like the ice and the boards and the glass. A puck taking a funny bounce off a stanchion or an official is treated exactly the same, except if the puck goefirectly into the net without touching anyone.