Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose to Stars, 4-1

[Ports]

Kessel had a nasty streak from time to time for sure. All stick work though so not particularly courageous.

Matthews fears a serious injury. The teams core is run down and uninspired too often. They know deep down they don't have the horses to win in the playoffs. The spots won't change so the teams makeup better.

Matthews fears his own shadow. It has nothing to do with injury. He’s never stood up for himself or his teammates.

 

[weems]

Florida wins in SO against NJ

 

[Martin Skoula]

We can all critique a little cap inefficiency here, a bottom pairing guy there, should the middle 6 be faster or higher scoring or big and tough to play against. Do you want a water bug on D or a big bruiser, yada yada.

But when the team hits the skids it’s an Auston Matthews problem first. It’s a Mitch Marner problem and a William Nylander problem second, tied. These guys are the source of our success and all bullshit. Then it’s a John Tavares problem third and a Morgan Rielly problem fourth. And throw in goaltending as the wild card, whether you get saviour level goaltending or Mickey Mouse stuff we’ve seen lately.

It’s not a cap inefficiency thing it’s a scouting thing. Legally speaking no one is allowed to be surprised that Domi can’t play D and loses his fire when he has term on his deal. Knowing this, what is his job as 3C? 2 weeks successfully playing run and gun with McMann against 3rd pairs? Toss him an NTC just for fun too, why not.

Even Tanev and OEL, can’t complain about them, but even when they do hit on a good fit it’s now almost a decade without a point shot on the back end with our only offensive D aging at the speed of milk.

No one is arguing that the core doesn’t need to do better and/or get broken up, obviously they do, they also have NMCs and contracts you won’t win a trade on. The pro scouting and depth construction can also simultaneously be bad. The trickle down effects of a pond hockey 3C needing to be sheltered and no offensive D is also going to make the core look worse than it is.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

But I thought the bear patrol er I mean Reaves was supposed to prevent the cheap shots lol.

That's not happening. Reaves retired at the start of this season.

 

[Mr_Fun]

These guys are a boy band.

Maybe some Autotune can make them right again.

 

[Ports]

Great shot

Even that’s not what it was before his wrist injury. The upside is he’s found different wayd to score but he doesn’t wire it by goalies top shelf the way he used to. Prime Cary Price wouldn’t even move before it was by him.

I have seen trash in the regular season that just snuck in with good Tending win it. Give them there last chance, the are are all being paid with MM JT contracts ending.

They need to lose some more yet. Be a good punch in the kisser to the entitles prissy boys and see how they respond. Including Shanny and Tre. Maybe this will spur trades of guys like Holmberg Kampf Reaves etc.

Who even wants those players though ?

 

[Ports]

I have seen trash in the regular season that just snuck in with good Tending win it. Give them there last chance, the are are all being paid with MM JT contracts ending.

They need to lose some more yet. Be a good punch in the kisser to the entitles prissy boys and see how they respond. Including Shanny and Tre. Maybe this will spur trades of guys like Holmberg Kampf Reaves etc.

Who even wants those players though ?

 

[Obo]

When I said I wanted to see the Leaf's playoff performance be more like their regular season performance, this isn't what I had in mind.

 

[Ports]

The team looks to their leader. Matthews is so soft he has zero pushback. Sitting on the bench making 12 million less why would I go to battle when you hide behind someone

Great point. Its gotta be disheartening to watch the lack of courage from him, Marner and Nylander

 

[Stephen]

I have seen trash in the regular season that just snuck in with good Tending win it. Give them there last chance, the are are all being paid with MM JT contracts ending.

They need to lose some more yet. Be a good punch in the kisser to the entitles prissy boys and see how they respond. Including Shanny and Tre. Maybe this will spur trades of guys like Holmberg Kampf Reaves etc.

Punishing and banishing Team B guys doesn’t feel like the just outcome here. They all suck in their own way, but the hammer’s got to come down on the guys at the top.

 

[Ports]

Cup winners Crosby and MacKinnon stick up for themselves. Even Steve Yzerman did.

The last Leafs teams to make the Conference finals had Gilmour, Clark, Osbourne or Roberts, Tucker, Corson who would all go through a wall to win.

Sam McGee ripping them running back this core. He gets it.

Not rocket science though. Eight years of failing in the playoffs should have been obvious to anyone. Not Shanny apparently.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

So how many coaches are we gonna keep doubting until the finger starts getting pointed at the players.

I don’t think there is a limit. Management has been blowing the core and committing to them at max money for so long there’s no chance they’ll admit they were wrong now. It’s a pathetic way to manage imo but they being paid handsomely to do it.
In other words, in their minds, nothing is broken.

 

[ChurchOfMatthews]

Berube worse than Keefe? Many people are saying.

He definitely doesn't seem to have any new tools in his toolbox. Same shit different coach.

 

[Skullz]

I think back to the Montreal series when he was getting rag-dolled and laughing instead of retaliating. There is just not a lot of pushback and self-respect. I wonder what it says that he is now the captain. Certainly is not an emotional leader who drags players into the fight.

 

[ChurchOfMatthews]

Send a message to management, stop watching.

My brother in law just paid $56,000 for Leaf/Raptor season tickets. I don't think management is too worried about people not spending money... or watching.

 

[Ports]

Ever see this Leafs team respond this way. That’s Sheldon Keefe’s Devils.

 

[PromisedLand]

LOL and we pay what 40+ million AAV combined for four forwards for offense eh? LMAO

 

[Schennanigans]

They look like complete ass again.

 

[leafsfan5]

It is certainly a decision to play dump and chase, heavy hockey when we employ players like Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Robertson, Domi

Said it when the Leafs won their 5th in a row a week ago, the record does not reflect how this team has been playing. They've been awful for a while, it's just catching up to them now

 

[Martin Skoula]

LOL and we pay what 40+ million AAV combined for four forwards for offense eh? LMAO

You just don’t get low event playoff style hockey

 

[TMLeafer]

Mid season slump, but painful to watch.

 

[rdogg]

Auston Matthews just needs to appear in a few more commercials and I'm sure that'll turn the season around. He's already wearing McDonalds earrings. Pathetic. This is the captain of the Maple Leafs

 

[leafsfan5]

Since December 1st the Leafs are:

24th in xGF%
21st in SF (shots at 5v5)
23rd in scoring chances%
19th in high danger chance%

That is 22 games of being a lottery level team at 5v5

 

[LaPlante94]

It is certainly a decision to play dump and chase, heavy hockey when we employ players like Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Robertson, Domi

Said it when the Leafs won their 5th in a row a week ago, the record does not reflect how this team has been playing. They've been awful for a while, it's just catching up to them now

If they can't play dump and chase hockey then why are they playing hockey? Defending the line/neutral zone is not very hard and almost every team now is playing some kind of trap to do so. Speed can be one way to beat it/push it back but we don't exactly have that with this core.

 

[TopCheeseShotta]

Yeesh. That was awful. Hadnt lost 3 ib a row in 3 years, til now...

The ol' Lustre is fallin' off the Berube coaching change awfully quickly, in'nit..??