Post-Game Talk: Leafs Stomp Tampa Bay 5-2 (Really 6-2)

[Jimmy Firecracker]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848762331905298594

 

[Gallagbi]

I caught more of this game then others

I thought we looked quicker and at a higher pace than previous years. It led to some big chances against, but created some opportunities for us as well. It's a shift we saw last year (even before then, but last year was noticeably different) in being more of a rush/counter team

I like it and think we'll settle in with fewer breakdowns as the team gets more comfortable.

Top 2 lines looked great, thought the foot speed on our bottom pair was noticeable, but it's nice to have Timmins vision if nothing else. Stolarz looked solid. Special teams need to improve, but it's tough to see the PP continuing at this rate

 

[Duffman955]

This is exactly the type of hockey I want to see out of these guys

 

[3blizzard4]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848739586085658766

 

[LeafsFan89]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848739586085658766

LOL. The "biscuit eater".

 

[egd27]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848757456479863184

Joke league.

No kidding..............he was fined the max for a soft (at best) call, just like "JackEye" attacking a player from behind and repeatedly punching him on the back of the head.

Not a shred of consistency or good judgement within the DoPS.

 

[rumman]

LOL. The "biscuit eater".

Speaking about biskets, Savard needs to push the bisket plate away from himself, guy looks like he’s going to explode…….

 

[tuckerintensity]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848757456479863184

Joke league.

Deserved, really. No attempt at all to play the puck and Guentzel didn't touch it either. I'm fine with this, though 5K being the max is a bit comical, like that matters to any player in this league.

Consistency is ridiculous though. You gotta start nabbing everyone for their dangerous plays, not every once in a while or only if they aren't a big superstar (though that didn't seem to help Auston at all with his crosscheck).

 

[Twine Tickler]

Berube Hockey has been so refreshing. Win or loss, I really feel like we get an effort that the boys can be proud of. I know the NYR game didn't go our way on Saturday, but it was a loss I could tolerate for the most part. Some bad puck luck, and bad mistakes, but overall still a good effort against a top opponent.

And then to bounce back after a tough loss like that with arguably one of our best games in years. Hard to put it into words.

Still very early, but this team feels like the the COVID-19 north division level dominant IMO. The only difference is I think this team plays a far more sustainable brand of hockey, and they are not playing only 6 teams in the NHL. This is a brand of hockey I could only dream of the Leafs being able to play. Dominating 5v5 minutes, heavy on pucks, and overall just wanting it more than our opponents.

You cannot game plan around those principles. If we want it more than our opponent, we stand a very very good chance of winning against any team, any night.

Side note, OEL being prime Phoenix Coyote OEL was not something I was expecting. He might be our best defenseman lol. And if it's not him, its Tanev. I was not overly happy with Tre's offseason in the summer, but early results are showing he's hit on every single add/subtraction. Lorentz has been excellent. Stolarz has been our MVP and looks like a legit #1. Letting Bert, Edmundson, Sammy, Gregor, and Brodie walk all seem like the right call. And then obviously bringing in chief in place of Keefe.

Still a very long way to go, but I am loving what I am seeing 6 games into this season.

 

[IPS]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848757456479863184

Joke league.

Hahahahaha called it

Every f***ing time the opposing team goes full on goon mode against the Leafs it's ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS a Leafs player who somehow comes out punished from it. This league is so f***ing beyond terrible it's not even funny. It's like the league just goes out their way to send a message to Toronto that they can't fight back or it's them who will be punished, never the other team.

 

[fahad203]

Berube Hockey has been so refreshing. Win or loss, I really feel like we get an effort that the boys can be proud of. I know the NYR game didn't go our way on Saturday, but it was a loss I could tolerate for the most part. Some bad puck luck, and bad mistakes, but overall still a good effort against a top opponent.

And then to bounce back after a tough loss like that with arguably one of our best games in years. Hard to put it into words.

Still very early, but this team feels like the the COVID-19 north division level dominant IMO. The only difference is I think this team plays a far more sustainable brand of hockey, and they are not playing only 6 teams in the NHL. This is a brand of hockey I could only dream of the Leafs being able to play. Dominating 5v5 minutes, heavy on pucks, and overall just wanting it more than our opponents.

You cannot game plan around those principles. If we want it more than our opponent, we stand a very very good chance of winning against any team, any night.

Side note, OEL being prime Phoenix Coyote OEL was not something I was expecting. He might be our best defenseman lol. And if it's not him, its Tanev. I was not overly happy with Tre's offseason in the summer, but early results are showing he's hit on every single add/subtraction. Lorentz has been excellent. Stolarz has been our MVP and looks like a legit #1. Letting Bert, Edmundson, Sammy, Gregor, and Brodie walk all seem like the right call. And then obviously bringing in chief in place of Keefe.

Still a very long way to go, but I am loving what I am seeing 6 games into this season.

This team feels like nothing like the Covid 19 team or any other previous leafs team. With previous teams we won games but never really know why or how. We would have stretches were we were totally hemmed in, doing circles and totally rely on talent to bail us out

With this team, it's forecheck and hard work. That's the hallmark of this team so far. Very effort driven, very blue collar hockey

 

[therealkoho]

So twerking isn’t allowed?

Not when wearing the B&W

 

[Twine Tickler]

This team feels like nothing like the Covid 19 team or any other previous leafs team. With previous teams we won games but never really know why or how.

I was meaning this team feels as dominant as that team did based on the commanding way that 2020-21 team won. But yes, stylistically they are different from any other team in the "Core 4" era.

I know that COVID season ended in such a catastrophically Leafy fashion, but they absolutely dominated the North division in the regular season. That team was also for the first team in the core 4 era able to finish in the top 10 in Goals against/game played. Clearly paying more attention to the defensive end of the ice. So despite the massive failure in the playoffs, they were clearly different from previous iterations of the team.

Point being, similar to the 2020-21 year, there appears to be a cataclysmic change in this group. They clearly took a step in the 2020-21 season and for all intents and purposes should have competed for the Stanley Cup that season. I feel as though this group has taken a similar step forward this season to that of 2020-21.

We have the benefit of hindsight to realize that 2020-21 squad was in fact NOT "different", but the widespread sentiment on this board and in the public was that team was a real contender going into the playoffs based on their dominance and improved defensive abilities

Lets just hope this iteration of the Leafs is in fact "different", and that the end result is much, MUCH, different than it was in 2020-21 lol

 

[Dekes For Days]

'Slight' tweaks is definitely an understatement.

Not really. I don't really consider using certain breakouts slightly more and making small tweaks to our PK approach (which we've done a number of times over the years) a seismic shift that makes us "nothing like the past".

I would say berubes line ups and the play of Knies and McMann along with the OEL and Tanev and of course Stolarz has been a pretty big shift from previous years.

Berube didn't really change much about the lineup. Those referenced skaters have been pretty good so far, but they're not all that different from players we've had before. Stolarz has been amazing so far, but we've had amazing goaltending in October and November before. And it's hiding some issues. That isn't to say that there aren't reasons to be optimistic and excited. There just seem to be some people who really want to pretend the differences are bigger and better than they are.

You're not going to get much traction here, even if there is truth to it. I seem some minor things, like we've simplified things a bit in breakout/dump in, but overall I would agree. There is just this really weird line in the sand here about Dubas' role building this team that I don't really get, like you can't be in the middle here. You can't think he did a good job (even though it's clear that he did) and think BT is also doing a good job (which I think he is, though after year one I was unsure). Like you have to be all in on one or the other, the major pieces of this team are the same, we're plugging the holes the same types of ways we've tried since Shanahan scorched earth us. Even Berube's type of play, we've been here, too.

End of the day, the main players on the ice are still here, we're still plugging around our forwards in the same ways, and we're still looking for deals in net. The biggest change is behind the bench (also we've done that) and I think BT got the defence mix right here (and some includes pieces from previous GMs, too).

Most of the vocal people here though are very all or nothing, it can't be a similar team because they hate Dubas (or they hate BT, that is a two way street).

(Also, we're six games into the year, I don't know we can say that things look vastly different yet or not. It's so early and I don't think Berube has had enough time to fully implement the things he wants to).

Well said.

 

[barilko05]

Deserved, really. No attempt at all to play the puck and Guentzel didn't touch it either. I'm fine with this, though 5K being the max is a bit comical, like that matters to any player in this league.

Consistency is ridiculous though. You gotta start nabbing everyone for their dangerous plays, not every once in a while or only if they aren't a big superstar (though that didn't seem to help Auston at all with his crosscheck).

I don't know what video people are watching, this is the second time someone has said the puck wasn't there. It IS! It's in OEL's feet as he is checking Guentzel. He's in front, Guentzel is behind him, and both are about to make a play on it. If OEL doesn't back into him, he's going to get plowed into the boards and probably lose the puck. Oh, but wait, I forget...we're the Leafs. We're not supposed to fight back. Sorry DOPS...mea f***in' culpa!

 

[JT AM da real deal]

5th game where Leafs were BEST team on ice .. this is a very good trend .. our new defense is very good .. our new tender is excellent .. there are issues on 3rd line for sure but that's it up front .. JT is done .. it is hurting Robertson as he is a young kid trying to play C in our end as JT can't make it back in time

 

[Dekes For Days]

A north-south game, a bigger more experienced defence, and generally a shift in philosophy when it comes to puck pursuit and possession. Acquiring the right players has meant a huge change in how the team plays the game, e.g. Tanev, OEL, Lorentz, Domi, Benoit...players with size and/or grit who don't mind mixing it up and defending their players. Gone are the soft players who played the game differently like Malgin, Sandin, Johnsson, Kapanen, Engvall, Petan, etc. We've even changed our philosophy in goaltenders...more size, and less mental fragility and talent eg. Hutchinson, Campbell, Samsonov, Mraszek, etc. Let's face it, Dubas had a certain philosophy as to how to build a team which has proven unsuccessful in the playoffs.

We've been slightly more north-south. That's good in some ways, and bad in others. Our defense has averaged a pretty similar size every year, and isn't really any more experienced. We're still heavy into possession. The players you named aren't all that different from players we've had before. You just decided to name the most different players you could think of, including pretty irrelevant ones that barely even played. The difference in 'grit' is exaggerated, and also bringing some good and some bad.

It's great that our goaltending has been hot to start the year, and I'm liking Stolarz, but we're doing the same philosophy of not allocating much cap to the position. In fact, this is the least we've ever allocated. Almost all of our goalies over the years have been between 6'3" and 6'5". This year our two main goalies are 6'3" and 6'6". Not much different. In fact, the biggest goaltender we've used under Treliving is Hildeby, who was drafted by the previous guy. Let's face it. People just make up whatever narrative they want as a philosophy and then use confirmation bias to reinforce their perception.

clearly out of traction and spinning wheels. Fully exposed and grasping at straws to maintain some sort of narrative going that your opinions have been on target and relevant lately.

That's a pretty good description of what you're doing, quite frankly.

Seems like most aren't really responding to you anymore.

Quite a few did, actually. Including agreement.

 

[Mr_Fun]

Now that we've all had a bit of time to digest from last night's Amazon broadcast:

Did anyone else find last night's audio mix to be so much more crisp and authentic to the in-arena viewing experience, compared to what SN and TSN provide us?

The goal horn sounded like it was in my living room last night. What a fantastic experience.

My only niggle was that like SN, they mute the crowd noise after a goal so that they can add instant analysis. I guess to put a positive spin on it — at least it wasn’t muted to hear Craig Simpson.

 

[Mr_Fun]

I would like to know how it's possible to be balder than both Messier and Sundin...

I just tied them both with some late in the game shenanigans. Truth is - my real hairline right now would cause Ben Franklin to giggle.

 

[Racer88]

Slightly tweaking some minor things isn't really the seismic shift some are pretending. Biggest change so far has been really strong goaltending.

Ya it’s nice to see a GM address goaltending instead of treating it like an afterthought like Dubas did

 

[Dekes For Days]

Ya it’s nice to see a GM address goaltending instead of treating it like an afterthought like Dubas did

This is the least we've ever spent on goaltending. We went with two backups. The goaltending we've gotten is great through 6 games, but let's be real.

 

[rumman]

Ya it’s nice to see a GM address goaltending instead of treating it like an afterthought like Dubas did

Indeed…….

 

[Jmo89]

It's almost like when games are out of reach they play the lesser players more, especially with a back to back.

Tanev was 5th in ice time, does this mean he is thought of as the 5th best D?

Still want Reaves over McMann?

What's the point of being so negative about this? Regardless of if the game was out of reach it's nice to see Benoit continue to grow into a solid (possibly middle paring) dman.

What a silly, innocuous comment to get upset over.

In a 5-2 win Benoit looked great last night and logged the third most minutes among dmen. Zero reason to compare him to a much better dman in Tanev just for the sake of being negative.

 

[notbias]

What's the point of being so negative about this? Regardless of if the game was out of reach it's nice to see Benoit continue to grow into a solid (possibly middle paring) dman.

What a silly, innocuous comment to get upset over.

In a 5-2 win Benoit looked great last night and logged the third most minutes among dmen. Zero reason to compare him to a much better dman in Tanev just for the sake of being negative.

It is disingenuous and Benoit hasn't been good.

The poster went on rant after rant about how good Benoit was, and he is not looking great this year so far.

It's still early, and I think he is still a good bottom pairing D, but the poster was obnoxious, so it's nice to point out how dumb he is sometimes.

Looked great? No, he didn't.

Using ice time to point out who played the best is silly, so that is what I was pointing out, sorry if you couldn't understand that.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Indeed…….

Could trade dubas tavares and marner his buddies