Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose.

[BertCorbeau]

First time the Leafs have had a game 7 home ice game with fans (in a fun capacity) in 18 years.

 

[wingman75]

Well, except for the multiple times a game our guys take sticks or elbows to the face with no calls...

Elbows are a different story. That is almost always deliberate... its a rare day where you lose control of your elbows. And yes, one was missed today. All I am saying is Kerfoot should not have been engaged there... there was no point to it.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Not surprised about the reffing ... I'd practically guarantee the refs were told this needs to go 7 .. and all they had to do was provide the opportunity for Tampa to capitalize.

Yet Toronto possessed at least 4 extremely high danger chances to win the game in overtime, and just couldn't get it done. Despite the refs swallowing their whistles, they very much were in a position to win that game.

Just have to get the execution to match the effort, when it matters most.

 

[GoBuds14]

Not surprised about the reffing ... I'd practically guarantee the refs were told this needs to go 7 .. and all they had to do was provide the opportunity for Tampa to capitalize.

People really believe this? That the league tells the refs to toss aside all their professional integrity and favour another team? That’s fantasy land. Human error happens and the game is so fast that sometimes the refs miss, that’s just sports

 

[Lightsol]

If your theory is true, that's beyond dumb. What Leaf's pull in for the league in later series would be massive. Was the reffing questionable? Absolutely. If the league has decided Tampa going for 3 is more valuable than the Leafs chasing the Cup, they are god damn lucky they aren't publicly traded.

Yeah, I don't think it has anything to do with money. I truly believe the reason we keep getting f***ed like this is because Bettman doesn't want his expansion experiment to fail... Combined with the fact that Leaf fans will come back win or lose, but other teams may lose fans if they lose...

 

[BertCorbeau]

If your theory is true, that's beyond dumb. What Leaf's pull in for the league in later series would be massive. Was the reffing questionable? Absolutely. If the league has decided Tampa going for 3 is more valuable than the Leafs chasing the Cup, they are god damn lucky they aren't publicly traded.

What's a better storyline for Bettman? The Leafs advancing, or one of his southern US expansion teams getting a third straight cup?

I mean Bettman clearly has an ego about these things.

 

[IPS]

People really believe this? That the league tells the refs to toss aside all their professional integrity and favour another team? That’s fantasy land. Human error happens and the game is so fast that sometimes the refs miss, that’s just sports

The naivety of takes like this is beyond hilarious.

The refs have made the Leafs THE MOST PENALIZED TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS BY A LARGE MARGIN and folks like you still think it's just "human error"

 

[Cleetus]

Scum may be a reach, but taking victory laps now if anyone is a supposed fan is a top level dick move.

I agree to a point, but calling posters names is uncalled for

 

[Lightsol]

People really believe this? That the league tells the refs to toss aside all their professional integrity and favour another team? That’s fantasy land. Human error happens and the game is so fast that sometimes the refs miss, that’s just sports

It's been caught a few times in the Big 4, and is especially common in non-North American leagues...

 

[Mopar]

We're winning Game 7 in TO. Relax and have faith.

Tonight was not a choke. Our best players have been our best players. We're playing well defensively. Jack needs to be a little sharper and we need not to shoot ourselves in the foot.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Fans who act like patronizing twats after every tiny bit of success or win and channel all their energy into hating & talking down other fans for their lack of amnesia are as if not more toxic than the i told you so crowd.

I'm fine with criticism if it's constructive. Reading the same old "Leafs suck" laments over and over again is as tiresome as the same old posts from the Leafs-can-do-no-wrong crowd.

 

[Mr_Fun]

This series could easily be over had this team folded when they were down by 2 goals, two games in a row. Instead this team showed some moxy and character by battling back against the champs. I still think this is a different team than last year's by leaps and bounds.

 

[BertCorbeau]

This series could easily be over had this team folded when they were down by 2 goals, two games in a row. Instead this team showed some moxy and character by battling back against the champs. I still think this is a different team than last year's by leaps and bounds.

I tend to agree but game 7 is their chance to prove the doubters wrong.

 

[Lightsol]

The naivety of takes like this is beyond hilarious.

The refs have made the Leafs THE MOST PENALIZED TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS BY A LARGE MARGIN and folks like you still think it's just "human error"

The Leafs have 130 PIM's in 6 games. That averages out to 22 PIM's per game in this series. Over a period of penalty minutes per game.

 

[GoBuds14]

What's a better storyline for Bettman? The Leafs advancing, or one of his southern US expansion teams getting a third straight cup?

I mean Bettman clearly has an ego about these things.

In trying times people turn to conspiracies because it gives them “answers”, even if the answers are outrageously illogical, it’s comforting having someone to blame… theres no chance Bettman and the refs have a secret deal to screw the leafs, so let’s stop that narrative

 

[Clark4Ever]

First time the Leafs have had a game 7 home ice game with fans (in a fun capacity) in 18 years.

Coincidentally, the last time we won a playoff series.

 

[wingman75]

This series could easily be over had this team folded when they were down by 2 goals, two games in a row. Instead this team showed some moxy and character by battling back against the champs. I still think this is a different team than last year's by leaps and bounds.

Cannot disagree. Just wondering, more worrying, how their mental state is as they head into another series clinching game with an 0-9 record? I picked us to win the series in 6... I have little to no confidence we can win a game 7 vs a veteran team. I think we can... I don't think we know how.

 

[Lightsol]

In trying times people turn to conspiracies because it gives them “answers”, even if the answers are outrageously illogical, it’s comforting having someone to blame… theres no chance Bettman and the refs have a secret deal to screw the leafs, so let’s stop that narrative

Nah, it's naturally just a coincidence that one of the least penalized teams in the NHL for the last 6 years turn into the Broad Street Bullies when the playoff start. Every year, like clockwork.

 

[93LEAFS]

My generation has never seen a championship, but I got to hear about them from my father. He got to see a lot of them in the 50's and 60's. Telling me about the greats, the wins and joy of it. What stories have we got to tell the next generation? Yea, Gilmoure scored a cool OT goal... Gretzky and Fraser f***ed us, Sundin was a great centre and Matthews scored 60. Yippee f***in yay.

Just to say, the link to any kind of winning is fading, and I think with that some of the passion may fade... there are probably enough of us yuks where there is no real impact, but the longer this goes on, the chances do grow greater.

No doubt you are right about the tickets.

Demographics will lead to the Raps being equal if not bigger in the next 20 years (and probably make us a top 5 NBA team value wise). But, financially, the Leafs not being a top 3 NHL financial team is further off.

My generation was young when Frazier happened, and watched Irbe and Hasek out goalie us with our best chances, and have seen what you have. Let's put it this way, Leafs are a prestigious institution people want to be connected with.

But, this isn't some justification crap. I'd rather have the Arizona Coyotes financials with a cup, than be financial masters with none in the past 50 years.

What's a better storyline for Bettman? The Leafs advancing, or one of his southern US expansion teams getting a third straight cup?

I mean Bettman clearly has an ego about these things.

What makes the best storyline for Bettman is making more money.

 

[New Liskeard]

Toughest team in the world to be a fan of. Not just hockey, any sport.

Try being a Buffalo Bills fan.

 

[Gallagbi]

That's not the type of class I'm talking about. I'm referring to the result of incredible effort, and incredible execution aligning. The Leafs have a horrible tendency in these elimination type games, to either bring the heart, effort and intensity, but lack in the execution department, or come out sharp in terms of execution, but get out played and out worked.

You need both factors to come together in the playoffs, for a prolonged period of time. Toronto struggles, mightily, to achieve that synergy.

They haven't executed and they've only dominated prolonged stretches while not really being dominated at all.

Honestly, it's just execution.

 

[Maple Leaf]

o can it

 

[Tak7]

I'm okay if this is the last we see of Alex Kerfoot.

He's been here for 3 years now, and we don't know whether he's:

• A scoring winger
• A checking winger
• A center?
• A top 6 guy or a middle 6 guy
• He's seen some 4th line time this season

Made a brutal mistake. That's fine, that happens.
But that 3rd period high stick, a million feet away from his own net, is going to haunt us forever. For the first 7 or 8 minutes of that 3rd period, they were cruising, before those penalties changed things completely. Had enough chances to end the game too and just..... ugh.

Devastating.
Thanks but no thanks, Alex.

 

[binop7]

JT had a fall in Tampa's zone too... ice looked like garbage in OT.

But that's what you have to deal with. That's why they just need to get greasy goals, get pucks to the net.

Ice looked like garbage from about 10 mins into the 1st period. Strong skaters like Nylander, Rielly, marner were having trouble with it all night

 

[IPS]

The Leafs have 130 PIM's in 6 games. That averages out to 22 PIM's per game in this series. Over a period of penalty minutes per game.

The Leafs are literally being penalized at an unprecedented rate for playoff hockey.

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