Post-Game Talk: Leafs Make A Meaningless Game Out of Florida

[egd27]

And after all the complaining about the playoff format, it's exactly as it would be in the 1-8, 2-7, format.

 

[Ciao]

69 is a nice number, too.

Some people like it a lot more than 70.

 

[pcruz]

This game reassured me that Marner and Matthews need to be split up for the playoffs .. they haven't gotten it done in years' past and this year they have been off.

Which is fine. Kessel couldn't quite gel with Malkin and Crosby, and that formed a great 3rd line on a cup run.

The 3 main takeaways from tonight:

Woll was terrible for 1 period of the game and really good the rest of it. That's a recipe for disaster come playoff season. He's not ready.

The defense was terrible and the biggest names are the worst of the bunch right now - Rielly, Brodie

Nylander is completely invisible far too often. I saw him kind of throw a hit once, but not really. He looked mentally and emotionally checked out of the game before it started. Going to need to buy him a toggle switch so he can flip come Saturday.

 

[Stephen]

This game reassured me that Marner and Matthews need to be split up for the playoffs .. they haven't gotten it done in years' past and this year they have been off.

Which is fine. Kessel couldn't quite gel with Malkin and Crosby, and that formed a great 3rd line on a cup run.

Agreed. When the Leafs are under pressure to create offense, the Matthews and Marner duo is often times the worst thing that can happen.

Matthews defers to Marner for puck carrying duties. Gets lost in the crowd and Marner starts ice dancing looking for seams where there’s none. Turning Matthews into the Ovi Stammer do nothing one time option when he can be controlling the game himself. The third forward is just completely isolated.

Predictable, stale. Terrible.

 

[Stephen]

69 is a nice number, too.

Some people like it a lot more than 70.

For me, I’m pissed off they stall out at 99 points for Marner with the empty net last year, 98 points for Nylander cause he turned into a goofball. 69 goals for Matthews. Like it’s symbolically just a vanity number and whatever. But they just come up short of the mission like the moment became too big. Like just get it done.

 

[Budz]

Woll has the worst blocker side ever. Like Vasy level bad.

 

[fahad203]

Woll has the worst blocker side ever. Like Vasy level bad.

Except Vasy is kind of really good at everything else though

I still can't figure out how you give up 32 shot a period

 

[TorMapleJays]

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Agreed. When the Leafs are under pressure to create offense, the Matthews and Marner duo is often times the worst thing that can happen.

Matthews defers to Marner for puck carrying duties. Gets lost in the crowd and Marner starts ice dancing looking for seams where there’s none. Turning Matthews into the Ovi Stammer do nothing one time option when he can be controlling the game himself. The third forward is just completely isolated.

Predictable, stale. Terrible.

Trading Marner or letting him walk resolves this issue.

 

[Stephen]

Nylander had the night off.

Nylander just load managed himself after Benoit failed to pass him the stretch pass for his Bure impression. It was cheque please after that for Ol’ Willie.

 

[Jojalu]

The whole load management and meaningless games narrative is a load of shit, and it comes from baseball otherthink it needs to go back to baseball.

This is not how competitors gear up for the playoffs in the sport of hockey.

I tend to agree with you unless there is a real nagging injury that can be solved by resting.

See it too often in football when guys take week 17 off and come out flat.

Baseball with 162 games and playing almost every day you can afford to rest.

 

[wingman75]

Just limit his minutes but give him all the powerplay time. He deserves it.

I'd run the lines in reverse. 4-3-2-1. PP2-PP1.

Literally the most meaningless game ever.

 

[Ciao]

Leafs team sent one helluva message tonight.

Who broke the give-a-shit meter, anyway?

 

[Stephen]

I tend to agree with you unless there is a real nagging injury that can be solved by resting.

See it too often in football when guys take week 17 off and come out flat.

Baseball with 162 games and playing almost every day you can afford to rest.

Yeah, just watching as a fan but it seems like teams that get into the battle mode mentality have a leg up. It’s clearly not about who is freshest wins the series.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Keefe's huffing the copium.


I suppose you've got to be sort of positive.

 

[New User Name]

Trading Marner or letting him walk resolves this issue.

Should have traded him when he had no protection.

 

[pcruz]

For me, I’m pissed off they stall out at 99 points for Marner with the empty net last year, 98 points for Nylander cause he turned into a goofball. 69 goals for Matthews. Like it’s symbolically just a vanity number and whatever. But they just come up short of the mission like the moment became too big. Like just get it done.

This is why I think the greatest NBA players I've ever watched were Michael and Kobe.

They didn't want to beat the opponent.
No, that wasn't enough.

They wanted to humiliate the players on the other side of the ball.

These were guys who would untie the laces of the opposing team if they thought they could annoy them enough.

 

[New User Name]

I am convinced this team is cursed.

 

[pcruz]

Nylander just load managed himself after Benoit failed to pass him the stretch pass for his Bure impression. It was cheque please after that for Ol’ Willie.

Yes, and the fact that the breakaway was even a possibility is what bothers me most about Nylander:

He's always looking to blow the zone for scoring chances and never thinking about contributing to the rest of the line defensively.

 

[TorMapleJays]

Watch Domi and Matthews go off for 4 points tomorrow vs Tampa.

 

[Stephen]

This is why I think the greatest NBA players I've ever watched were Michael and Kobe.

They didn't want to beat the opponent.
No, that wasn't enough.

They wanted to humiliate the players on the other side of the ball.

These were guys who would untie the laces of the opposing team if they thought they could annoy them enough.

As a fan, that’s what killer instinct means to me. Beat a team on the scoreboard but also rough them up physically, find a grudge match angle and run them into the ground.

 

[Enniskillen]

Soft core can’t match opposing team’s physicality? Same sh.t every year. Even less physical bruins will eat them alive. Coyle and marchand have already showed how it’s done. Nothing will change till jt and marner are gone.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Agreed. When the Leafs are under pressure to create offense, the Matthews and Marner duo is often times the worst thing that can happen.

Matthews defers to Marner for puck carrying duties. Gets lost in the crowd and Marner starts ice dancing looking for seams where there’s none. Turning Matthews into the Ovi Stammer do nothing one time option when he can be controlling the game himself. The third forward is just completely isolated.

Predictable, stale. Terrible.

And Bertuzzi feels like he needs to try to match at the high skilled play too often, and doesn't quite think the game on Marner's level

 

[ACC1224]

Watch Domi and Matthews go off for 4 points tomorrow vs Tampa.

Domi won’t play.

 

[Stephen]

Should have traded him when he had no protection.

I feel bad for Marner cause he’s the only star who even scored but man the stars did not shine. Even when I watch JT, whom I have very low expectations for he seemed most dialled in potentially grabbing a garbage goal with Matthews out there.