Post-Game Talk: Leafs Salvage A Point | Lose 6-5 in Shootout.

[Evilhomer]

First place is a new Cadillac, second place is a set of steak knives, third place is your fired…….

One of my favourite movies of all time.

 

[PromisedLand]

LOL oh man we couldn't even get 2 points against bottom feeders

and...

 

[rumman]

One of my favourite movies of all time.

I send that meme to my wife every Monday when she goes off to bingo, rarely helps…….

 

[Evilhomer]

I send that meme to my wife every Monday when she goes off to bingo, rarely helps…….

My problem is that I send my wife out and she keeps coming back.

 

[rumman]

My problem is that I send my wife out and she keeps coming back.

Roger that……..

 

[ToneDog]

LOL oh man we couldn't even get 2 points against bottom feeders

and...

First round exit if they do not turn it around.

Our third line would be in tough against the Tampa, Florida and Ottawa third lines.

We also are not very good 5 on 5.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Time to break up the first line.

The question is how do you do that without touching the second line, which is on fire?

Who did you shuffle between lines 1 and 3?

Actually, line 3 played well.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Before the game, I watched a highlight real of goalie gaffs just for fun. So watching the SJ game, I see the puck come to Woll to stick handle, and the puck is in LINE with the net. I'm like "hm, this looks familiar and I don't like it; Woll better be caref–". Sure enough, it's a misplay.

I don't like goalies playing with the stick when the puck is on net; just f-in paddle it aside.

Woll clearly struggled, but the team was wretched.

Wretched example of the short handed goal:

• Willie tries to pass through THREE sticks, that anyone could see wasn't going happen. Look at the replay. It's 3 sticks in the way
• Mathews takes a full minute to register that yes, indeed, you need to start getting your legs going to defend. He watches Braf take the puck and only starts skating when he realizes indeed that Braf has the ability to skate up the ice. He couldnt put it together before he actually saw it happin
• Then, Mathews stops his skating like 3-4 for times to take random swipes at Braf for the puck which have <5% of working. There are 2 men back; all he needs to do is skate hard and wait till Braf gets slowed down a bit and he'll be on him; but no, he's not skating continuosly, and Braf has time to deak, go right, load his shot, and score.

If Mathews had immediately recognized the danger while they were still in the SJ defensive zone, and taken 2-3 strides to close down, that puck STAYS in SJ's zone. SJ doesn't score; Leafs probably score on the PP, and they probably with the game. No need for last minute heroics.

THIS is the problem I have with this team. They don't play optimally; they don't do the little, constant efforts needed to win games. They don't realize small, smart, but necessary plays add up to big consequences.

Sure, they'll look like theyre trying with tons of stick checking and racking up points. But it's alot of noise cause by their own inattention and lack of effort where it matters.

Good players make that pass pretty often, but it wasn't a great decision. The positive is that he recognized it and hustled back, tying up his man and leaving the puck carrier to Matty and Mitch and Woll.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Goaltending has been sub par in March but the D has been consistently getting burned giving up odd man rushes regularly. They trying hard to make up for Rielly’s lack of contribution but it’s not working. That Rielly contract is looking ugly at this point.

Everybody thought the Tavares contract was the problem.. but he’s turned himself into Dave Andreychuk later in his career. Still has the soft hands.

 

[Ports]

Yeah we definitely need him to be a threat from everywhere and not relying on just scoring from in close. Maybe we lucked out by him only signing for 4 years if it's just gonna get worse.

I have heard recently that he has both back and shoulder injuries that are impacting some parts of his game including his shot. Hopefully they can be addressed in the off season and he can get back to being the best 5 on 5 goal scorer in the league.