Post-Game Talk: Leafs tie Season Series with Senators

[Gallagbi]

A tribute to how fast Marner got that to Matthews. Incredible anticipation pass.

It looked like he called for it, which makes it even more impressive

 

[wingman75]

For anyone who would like to hear the TSN panel perspective:

 

[TheGreenTBer]

youngest niece in Ottawa is experiencing her first doses of playoff pain, I texted her this morning to say you'll get used to it

getting beat down by a better team isn't true playoff pain, not even close.

Like you said, she'll learn. It gets much, much worse than that.

 

[leafs in five]

getting beat down by a better team isn't true playoff pain, not even close.

Like you said, she'll learn. It gets much, much worse than that.

true but she would have also successfully negotiated a bedtime extension to watch OT. to see it end after one minute is some shit

 

[TheGreenTBer]

true but she would have also successfully negotiated a bedtime extension to watch OT. to see it end after one minute is some shit

My kindergartener badgered me into watching a few picks of the NFL draft last night. She doesn't even understand football, she just liked watching the activity lol. She even shushed me during trades!

 

[ACC1224]

As a lifelong Leafs fan, they aren't making it easy on my heart. So glad we've pulled it off in OT twice, now for this mans sake please end it on Saturday.

I find that this is the least stressed I've felt watching the Playoffs. Haven't had that feeling of pending dread that I've experienced over the past few seasons.
It's a nice change.

 

[3blizzard4]

I find that this is the least stressed I've felt watching the Playoffs. Haven't had that feeling of pending dread that I've experienced over the past few seasons.
It's a nice change.

Same. I am almost always on edge previous years. Maybe it’s because it’s Ottawa? And subconsciously I feel we can handle them. There hasn’t been a rivalry in the playoffs with them past 9 years either.

God if this was Boston or Tampa….

 

[Twine Tickler]

All n all, excellent road game. Sure there were times we got outplayed, but this is exactly what this group has grown comfortable playing in. Even though we were "drastically outplayed" in the 1st period to the eye, the xGF to xGA was something like 0.31 to 0.52 in favor of the Sens.

This is what low event hockey can look like at times. If you don't cheat for offense, you will have to weather the storm at times when ice is hard to come by. The Sens did a great job early on keeping a high intensity, and to the eye it looked as though they dominated based on time of possession. Specifically in the offensive zone. But lets be real, all that zone time amounted to f*** all for the Sens. We defended the house very well, and it really was only a matter of time before frustration would set in. I thought things started to even out near the end of the 1st and it was pretty even throughout the 2nd as well.

Ironically, the 3rd period was probably our best period of the series. We jump out to a quick lead and absolutely smothered the Sens thereafter. It really was poetry in motion at times. Textbook defending for 10+ mins, and it really looked like we were going to walk to a regulation win. The goal against you probably want a save, but that's gunna happen from time to time as well.

But ya, that's one hell of a road effort against a desperate team. Very proud of this group

 

[Leafs98]

I find that this is the least stressed I've felt watching the Playoffs. Haven't had that feeling of pending dread that I've experienced over the past few seasons.
It's a nice change.

100%. Stud defensemen and nhl level goaltending are the key reasons. But they do need to figure out how to not let in that goal while in lock down mode.

 

[Warden of the North]

 

[Clark4Ever]

Bunch of buddies went. When the tickets came out I looked at the calendar and thought there might be a playoff game on. When I saw the second night was Saturday I told them I was out.

Hope it was a great show!!!

It was awesome. Looking forward to part 2 on Saturday which unfortunately falls on game night again.

Every time the Leafs scored there were small cheers erupting all over the stadium and there were plenty of Leaf jerseys in the crowd.

 

[stats1]

God Ottawa is so soft lol lobbing pucks at Stolarz like that would ever bother him

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

I find that this is the least stressed I've felt watching the Playoffs. Haven't had that feeling of pending dread that I've experienced over the past few seasons.
It's a nice change.

Me too. I don't seem to have that feeling you get when the villain dies halfway through the movie and you start looking around for other ghosts to pop up. This feels real because they seem comfortable playing this way and confident that the results will be there.

 

[TMLeafer]

Wait so Ottawa didn't win the 5 on 5 Stanley Cup after all?

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

 

[MCR74]

You don’t understand what you are watching. It’s ok…

Then again, neither does most of the playoff board.

 

[Warden of the North]

Wait so Ottawa didn't win the 5 on 5 Stanley Cup after all?

I honestly don't get this narrative that the Sens were better.

They scored a 5v3 goal, a fluke screen that likely doesn't go in usually, outplayed at 5v5 and had basically nothing for the final 22 minutes of the game.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Sypher04]

I like this new Leaf strategy.
If we just win every game and never play games 5-7 of any series, we’ll be unstoppable lmao

 

[seventieslord]

Has anyone thought about what may happen if there's an empty net in game 4 and someone gets a free look at it?

Any chance leafs finish off the series with a clapper into the open cage? Think the Sens do it to throw leafs off their game for game 5?

 

[Sypher04]

Has anyone thought about what may happen if there's an empty net in game 4 and someone gets a free look at it?

Any chance leafs finish off the series with a clapper into the open cage? Think the Sens do it to throw leafs off their game for game 5?

lol that’d be amazing if we did it.

 

[likecheese]

I wonder if Greene is whining about the linesman not dropping the puck fairly.

 

[seventieslord]

I do find it funny the narrative about the Sens being some young plucky upstart with only up to go from here. All of their core players are smack in the middle of their primes. I guess Sanderson is just entering his. They are a team that desperately struggles to put the puck in the net and they really have nothing coming that will change that anytime soon. Wouldn't be shocked if they fall backwards and miss the playoffs next season tbh.

100%. This is year 5 since they drafted the 4th of their initial core 4. And they just made it now. Leafs made it in year 1 and are in year 9 of probably a 12 year playoff window. Sens playoff window of 1-3 years just opened up this season.

(Sanderson makes it a core 5 and he's better than anything we've ever had, but otherwise they are 5 years behind us in every other respect. They successfully rebuilt their team and came out of it, just with significantly inferior pieces)

 

[Pinkcat]

Same. I am almost always on edge previous years. Maybe it’s because it’s Ottawa? And subconsciously I feel we can handle them. There hasn’t been a rivalry in the playoffs with them past 9 years either.

God if this was Boston or Tampa….

I think it is because the team is built and coached to an identity. Years past it always felt that they were vulnerable to opposing teams that played like the Leafs do now.
I don't have angst because this is who they are supposed to be and even if they do ultimately fail the quest, the right steps will be taken to improve.
Ottawa has a style of play that would have been challenging to the Leafs of seasons past.

 

[wingman75]

Not what I was expecting from the written descriptions.

That was pretty blatant and had nothing to do with the Sens flipping pucks towards centre ice from their own zone.

And no shock who it was.

Hope the league does nothing, and the let the Leafs take care of it on the ice.