Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose to Sharks

[Niagara Bill]

I like Rielly and think he is a great player. But we are getting to the point of insanity with a lot of this core. Does signing him at 8.5+ mil a year make sense when we just seem to be spinning our tires.

I have no idea if Sandin can do what Rielly can, but I dunno, change might be necessary, especially if he prices himself out.

Reilly and great are 2 words that should not appear together.

 

[theTTC]

Well, maybe when Mitch Marner followed up after the loss to Montreal by saying he wouldn't change anything about his game and preparation and then re-iterated he's not going to change anything the organization should have sat him down and given him some guidelines...

Maybe you're forgetting, Lou doesn't work here anymore

 

[Dreakmur]

I am not sure I have seen that but fair enough if you think so.

He gives them whatever they want.

 

[YearsintheWilderness]

Dubas is the adult. He was supposed to protect Marner from signing a deal he can't live up to like a parent protects their child from eating too much candy....


/S

This is exactly right. An often overlooked aspect of that horrible contract. If Marner gets paid 8.5 to 9 like he should have, the criticism is still there, but the perception of a soft, money-grubbing punk isn't quite as intense.

 

[TheShape]

I feel like if Dubas is let go, he's going to succeed with another NHL team. He clearly knows how to evaluate talent and finding value contracts, he's just been so awful at negotiations and far too soft with his stars.

I hear ya. I trust Dubas' drafting, he definitely does have an eye for talent and has found some nice bargain bin deals. He's had some blunders like the Foligno trade (yuck) and Kadri/Kerfoot deal. But Tavares and Marner's contracts are killing us right now, I don't believe Dubas sat there thinking 11m for each was going to be a wise move, I still think there was some pressure/meddling from people above to get the players signed. Of course no one saw COVID and a flat cap coming.

 

[egd27]

I actually like that he called them out. I think that might be the first time I have heard him do that.

Obviously taking Richie off the top line is easy, tomorrow it very well could be them being split up if there isn't any improvement.

Think he's finally bold enough to try it?

 

[Azail]

Reilly and great are 2 words that should not appear together.

Haha fair enough. I mean he is a great player. He isn't a franchise player, or a superstar or even I guess a star player. I think we would be overly critical of not calling him great.

Maybe I am just using the word great too loosely.

 

[Gabriel426]

Well, we know the Leafs are their own worst enemies. So we'll either see their A game tomorrow so they can dick off next week, or they'll keep finding new and unusual ways to not get it done. This sounds like frustration, and it is. But it's also exactly who Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander and Rielly are and have been since the year they got Babcock fired. Squarely on those 5 guys.

These last two games remind me of Game 5 and 6 of the Habs series. I am afraid tomorrow game will be like Game 5 against the BJs and Game 7 against the Habs.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

So Keefe, Spezza, and Matthews said they didn't like how they started the game? WTF, are you kidding me? You had 4 days off, start off like a house on fire and San Jose won't be able to play their game. It just isn't in the top 2 lines of this team to start on time.

Reporters kept asking about Ritchie's laziness and Keefe said he's still trying to find himself. There is nothing to find. This is how he played in career, he ain't changing. The reporters should hammer Keefe on his top two starters, they were crap tonight.

 

[Cleetus]

My buddy just texted me absolutely ripping the 11 AAV guys and dubas for letting Hyman walk

I am sure the dude is drunk as F right now LOL

well drunk or not is he wrong? lol

 

[Azail]

Think he's finally bold enough to try it?

Possibly. That doesn't mean putting Marner on the third line though I doubt. It would maybe be switching Nylander and Marner I would assume.

 

[LaPlante94]

Usually our PP and offence starts the season off on fire and then goes completely cold and we lose in the first round. Hopefully this is the opposite where our PP and offence is starting out cold and gets hot and we win some playoff series.

 

[Sniper99]

Are the Leafs gonna ask to start tomorrows game early so we can get on a plane as fast as humanly possible after we get our asses kicked?

 

[Captain Crunch]

Just no excuses tonight. Way too lose, low intensity plays. Sure, Keefe can bench depth guys all he wants, and probably Nylander, but he'll show me real fortitude if he sat Marner's ass on the bench for a bit. Matthews was brutal as well.

Oh and flush that stacked PP unit, they want to pass it into the net and it's looked way too stagnant and predictable with Matthews back.

I really liked the way the 2nd PP were working tonight. They looked much more dangerous.

 

[Optimist]

Losing to a team with a 3 hour time zone differential and on a back to back against a well rested Leafs team is not acceptable. Heads should roll here soon. This half of our cap spent on 4 guys isn't working.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Bring in Tortorella. I just hate how comfortable the top guys on this team are. Half ass efforts all the time until they’re losing and the game is almost over. He’d make their lives a living hell for it.

 

[Azail]

He gives them whatever they want.

By playing them together I assume you mean?

 

[Gabriel426]

Well, maybe when Mitch Marner followed up after the loss to Montreal by saying he wouldn't change anything about his game and preparation and then re-iterated he's not going to change anything the organization should have sat him down and given him some guidelines...

Pretty sure the MGT told him he needs to be more mature and he took their advices and got engaged.

 

[Stephen]

It depends how the story ends.

What do they do at the tdl or in the postseason before we can say it's been the right call one way or the other

Don't want to go too far down the worst case scenario with a .500 team one week in... but if we're just kicking around ideas about long term strategy this wouldn't be the worst year to take a knee...

The Leafs NHL roster looks so thin and capped out, if they were taking on water and forced to sell off Rielly, maybe some combination of Ritchie, Kase, Mrazek, Kerfoot, Muzzin, Brodie whatever - they might have more of a kick start for 2022 with the youth assets they get back and a bit of cap wiggle room.

 

[Apex Predator]

So Keefe, Spezza, and Matthews said they didn't like how they started the game? WTF, are you kidding me? You had 4 days off, start off like a house on fire and San Jose won't be able to play their game. It just isn't in the top 2 lines of this team to start on time.

Reporters kept asking about Ritchie's laziness and Keefe said he's still trying to find himself. There is nothing to find. This is how he played in career, he ain't changing. The reporters should hammer Keefe on his top two starters, they were crap tonight.

again with this we didn’t start on time BS. This is ridiculous this is on the players. 2 different coaches and same problems.

 

[Azail]

Bring in Tortorella. I just hate how comfortable the top guys on this team are. Half ass efforts all the time until they’re losing and the game is almost over. He’d make their lives a living hell for it.

Haha didn't we just have that coach with Babcock?

I cannot imagine our players would be any more receptive to him then they were to Babs. Unfortunately it appears we have some prima donnas and really what can we do about it? They make the big bucks...

 

[Superstar]

Bring in Tortorella. I just hate how comfortable the top guys on this team are. Half ass efforts all the time until they’re losing and the game is almost over. He’d make their lives a living hell for it.

The Leafs had Babcock and he's not nearly as intense as Tortorella...unfortunately, it seems like the inmates are running the asylum.

 

[Polaris1010]

Bring in Tortorella. I just hate how comfortable the top guys on this team are. Half ass efforts all the time until they’re losing and the game is almost over. He’d make their lives a living hell for it.

That is an extreme option.

There could be brawls in practice if that comes to pass, lol!

At least the Leafs would have some fight.

 

[Dreakmur]

By playing them together I assume you mean?

And who their LW is, and playing them too much, and letting them dictate where they play on the PP.

 

[Stephen]

again with this we didn’t start on time BS. This is ridiculous this is on the players. 2 different coaches and same problems.

Maybe they need to lower the thermostat so they aren't falling asleep before games?