Post-Game Talk: Leafs snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, 2-1 OT win

[TMLBlueandWhite]

And now for something completely different.

I'm not sure what I just watched. But it was definitely different. So hard to believe the Leafs only had a single lonely shot after the first period.

Only fourteen total the entire game.

The hit by Knies wasn't a good one. But watching that gutless puke Kovacevic peeking out to see if the refs called it really burns my ass. If you're not hurt get up and if the ref calls it he calls it.

Playing peek-a-boo while laying on the ice is disgusting yellow-bellied behaviour no NHL player should be lowering themselves to commit.

It was a weird game that my favourite team somehow won. It wasn't pretty but neither am I. The difference is that an ugly win is still a win while an ugly me is just plain ugly.

Two points is two points even if they won the game in the most screwed up way possible.

 

[Mr_Fun]

Berube seems to be biting his tongue a bit, but each interview seems to be having similar frustrations with this team as Keefe. After the Washington game Berube indicated players were going backwards with the puck too much and have been getting into old habits for a few games, instead of playing North. When a reporter asked if he liked the way Marner scored vs Pitts (the rebound goal while screening the goalie), Berube smiled and said "I like greasy goals". He continurd by saying the coaches have been telling the 2 in front of the net at all times. He also said they've been preaching to the players that fancy goals dont happen in playoffs and that they need to be able to score greasy goals.

Even Tanev seems to not be pleased with the efforts of the forwards, both Berube and Tanev talked about the lack of forechecking and taking the body after todays game. Tanev, whose obviously to the point in his interviews, has indicated in past postgame interviews that the team wasnt playing the coaches way (hard forechecking, north hockey etc).

This is obviously all primarily directed to Matthews, Nylander, Marner and Tavares. I dont think Tavares is the problem, hes always in front of the net and I believe led the leage in slot shots last year.

Yes we are winning, but its interesting to see that Berube seems to be having a bit of a challenge getting the "core" to buy into a playoff style, much the same as Keefe did.

I never like to imply that they're being lazy, but I really think this was a case of one team not matching the intensity of the other team. They only seemed to pick their game up when Patches laid out that big hit.

As Bob Gainey once said "some nights you have to play the game that is being played that night" (at least I think it was Gainey?). For most of that game, I don't think they really knew what game they had to play.

 

[Maple Leaf]

WOW

 

[Visnovsky]

Elite things come to those who play like ass

 

[horner]

OMG the Devils are such a Sheldon Keefe coached team.

It's like we played the Leafs tonight.

All offense
No fight to players get steam rolled.
Markstrom is not going to win them a cup.
They have incredible talent

 

[arso40]

All offense
No fight to players get steam rolled.
Markstrom is not going to win them a cup.
They have incredible talent

Sounds close

 

[All Mod Cons]

Seems like Devils fans are pissed off with the choice of players that saw the ice in OT.

Where have we heard that before?

 

[Racer88]

It served you well in this game. It's important to be right rather than a winner.

Not at all. From someone who actually watched the game the Leafs were horrific until Jerseys goalie let in a stinker. Yes we won but my guess is we lose that game 9 out of 10 times.
If you had watched the game you would have seen this

 

[Al14]

Imagine disrespecting Spezza who came here taking multiple discounts and gave an honest effort every night.

I personally lost my respect for Spezza, and anything he did for our Leafs, when he hitched his ass to Dubas and fled our Leafs for Pittsburgh.

 

[Bomber0104]

Sheldon Keefe classic. Won the Deserve to Win meter tonight.

It’s pretty great to be on the other side of this now, where we win games we deserve to lose instead of patting ourselves on the back for losing games with the prettier blogger stats.

 

[GoonieFace]

Leafs looked like a bunch of geriatrics out there, were outskated badly. Thankfully Stolarz was between the pipes

 

[weems]

We badly need a healthy McCabe to return.
Our defense doesn't look anywhere near good enough without him and you could argue he was our best defencemen through 20+ games.
He seems to stabilize whatever pair he plays on and can both move the puck but also play strong physical defence.

 

[Torontonian]

Wow, I honestly think that was the worst I have seen Toronto play in the past 10 years lol. From start to finish and every player except our goaltending was BRUTAL. I think the only positive you can take out of that game was the PK.

And still somehow come out with a 2-1 W. It really was a classic Keefe loss for the Devils.

 

[LeafSteel]

Fugly game to watch.

Stolarz is incredible, and with all due retro Will, but Stolarz is the goalie we have to run going into the playoffs as our starting goalie. He’s just is.

Our roster plays better when Marner and Matthews are separated. They just do, and the last 3 games just confirms this. For the betterment of the entire roster, they need to be separated.

Congratulations to Keefe for being the 2nd best coach in that game. Again. As always. I salute his consistency, and keep on Keefe’ing.

I still can’t get over Patches physicality. Love it!

We were lucky to win, but will take it and run.

 

[Warden of the North]

Not happy with that effort, but boy howdy did I cheer on the winner.

 

[Warden of the North]

Still oncerned about 34's wrist. His shot still stinks.

 

[Nineteen67]

Whew. That was the worst beatdown they’ve had in awhile.

 

[Racer88]

Berube seems to be biting his tongue a bit, but each interview seems to be having similar frustrations with this team as Keefe. After the Washington game Berube indicated players were going backwards with the puck too much and have been getting into old habits for a few games, instead of playing North. When a reporter asked if he liked the way Marner scored vs Pitts (the rebound goal while screening the goalie), Berube smiled and said "I like greasy goals". He continurd by saying the coaches have been telling the 2 in front of the net at all times. He also said they've been preaching to the players that fancy goals dont happen in playoffs and that they need to be able to score greasy goals.

Even Tanev seems to not be pleased with the efforts of the forwards, both Berube and Tanev talked about the lack of forechecking and taking the body after todays game. Tanev, whose obviously to the point in his interviews, has indicated in past postgame interviews that the team wasnt playing the coaches way (hard forechecking, north hockey etc).

This is obviously all primarily directed to Matthews, Nylander, Marner and Tavares. I dont think Tavares is the problem, hes always in front of the net and I believe led the leage in slot shots last year.

Yes we are winning, but its interesting to see that Berube seems to be having a bit of a challenge getting the "core" to buy into a playoff style, much the same as Keefe did.

Big shocker, a leafs coach having trouble getting this core to buy into playoff style hockey.

 

[CincoHolio]

If the Leafs lost this, we'd be ripping them like crazy. Just a horrible effort in the first two periods. Took Berube till the third to decide to put Knies back on the first line and Patches with Tavares and Nylander. But the team was so lethargic, no effort, dumb plays with the puck, etc. This is the same Leafs effort we've seen many many times except..............unbelievable goaltending. We haven't seen this kind of thievery by a goalie since Cujo in the early 2000's.

Although at the end of his career, Eddie was pretty solid too. But agreed, it's been since forever! Feels good to have finally.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I mean.. 2 points is 2 points, but that was horrific. Not a great feeling when your new coach gets his ass whooped by your previous coach. Might be the worst game I've ever seen the Leafs play in the Matthews era...

 

[Dekes For Days]

People really need to distinguish between perimeter shots and high-quality shots. That was a lot of perimeter shots from what I saw. It's why the Leafs always got "goalied".

Yes, people really do need to better distinguish between perimeter and high quality shots. If they were able to do that, they would know that we just got hit with a ton of in-close, high quality shots, not perimeter.

They would also know that "perimeter shots" is not why the Leafs have been "goalied" in the past.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Stolly 1st 2nd and 3rd star baby .. he pulled a Mitchy from last week .. but downside folks which I have told you guys for years which was very evident last night .. we don't do well against super fast teams .. tending won last night .. missing McCabe on D in a huge way as we don't have a shutdown pair right now to stabilize games .. McCabe and Tanev will decide our fate in playoffs mark my words here (along with a tender)

 

[DarkKnight]

Tanev “first two we were god awful”.

 

[ACC1224]

Had no idea New Jersey had such a large fanbase here. Their GDT rivals ours in size.

 

[Nineteen67]

Stolly 1st 2nd and 3rd star baby .. he pulled a Mitchy from last week .. but downside folks which I have told you guys for years which was very evident last night .. we don't do well against super fast teams .. tending won last night .. missing McCabe on D in a huge way as we don't have a shutdown pair right now to stabilize games .. McCabe and Tanev will decide our fate in playoffs mark my words here (along with a tender)

NJD are extremely soft and will be eliminated in round 1.