Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs Lightning. Game 5

[francis246]

Isn't it?

I've read the exact same comments for the previous 4 years. Sometimes I feel like a fortune teller when really i can only see what is actually happening.

The series is tied. Like what are you going on about.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Isn't it what? Over? No, there are at least two games left and we have home ice. The series is tied, it's not over.

Dude it's over. We could've gone up 3-1. We didn't.

Don't wait to get smacked in the face when it's obvious it's coming.

 

[keonsbitterness]

What?

What what?

 

[ACC1224]

anyone else depressed after last nights game?
I think Tampa will take Tuesday and we'll be in a must win by Thursday - Setting the stage for Game 7 winner take all on Friday, where we lose.

Incoming " We pushed the cup champs to game 7 - we should be happy with our progress"

Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday

 

[IPS]

The series is tied. Like what are you going on about.

I wish I could get my memory wiped every year.

The pessimism is coming from a very, very familiar place.

 

[Rob Brown]

Dude it's over. We could've gone up 3-1. We didn't.

Don't wait to get smacked in the face when it's obvious it's coming.

Dude it's not over. I'm not saying the Leafs will win but it's not over just because you're miserable and negative. I get the frustration but acting like it's over when we have home ice and have proven we can beat them is silly. It's not like we're down 3-0.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Next 2 games for sure have to be played like there is no tomorrow. I don’t know what it will take this team to play every playoff game with same desperation. If they are up 3-2 going into game 6, they have to play that game like they are down 3-2.

 

[IPS]

After how bad we've gotten caved the last 5 periods I won't stop beleafing but I'd be lying if I wasn't worried. Tampa completely stole our momentum and it's gonna be almost impossible to get it back. And now Keefe's coaching is becoming a huge detriment.

 

[Legion34]

I mean for what its worth, he just won $235k on a $100k bet that Drake London was the first WR off the board in the NFL draft.

Drake curse has been over since the Raps won the NBA title

Dammit. Game 7 it is then.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Dude it's not over. I'm not saying the Leafs will win but it's not over just because you're miserable and negative. I get the frustration but acting like it's over when we have home ice and have proven we can beat them is silly. It's not like we're down 3-0.

It's over. Have you taken in anything that this team has shown you time and time again?

Me saying "Leafs in 6" changes nothing. They lost the series last night.

There will need to be some changes.

 

[therealkoho]

Good News guys Pierre McGuire is available, he can replace Keefe and Dubas

 

[francis246]

I wish I could get my memory wiped every year.

The pessimism is coming from a very, very familiar place.

That’s my problem with a portion of the fan base. And why they are never happy. They carry over burdens from last year to this year. It’s a completely new year. It’s actually not healthy to do that in general

 

[Rob Brown]

It's over. Have you taken in anything that this team has shown you time and time again?

Me saying "Leafs in 6" changes nothing. They lost the series last night.

There will need to be some changes.

Great, if we lose you can boast about how you were right. If the Leafs win you can disappear for the rest of the playoffs (we both know you wouldn't, though).

Ironically, you saying 'it's over' changes nothing.

Either way, not sure why you're spending your time trying to convince people that a 2-2 series is over. If you truly think it is then go enjoy your spring and stop worrying about us.

 

[fahad203]

Next 2 games for sure have to be played like there is no tomorrow. I don’t know what it will take this team to play every playoff game with same desperation. If they are up 3-2 going into game 6, they have to play that game like they are down 3-2.

Historically speaking this core has never done that, played like their last game

Really hoping the team comes out blazing.

 

[IPS]

That’s my problem with a portion of the fan base. And why they are never happy. They carry over burdens from last year to this year. It’s a completely new year. It’s actually not healthy to do that in general

This is 6 years now we've had franchise changing talent on the team with Matthews and Marner and there's STILL no playoff success. You seriously blame them? Go ahead and have your moral high ground then

 

[Rob Brown]

Historically speaking this core has never done that, played like their last game

Really hoping the team comes out blazing.

I think they did play like that in 2017 and 2018.

2017 - playing the best team in the league, tons of rookies, nothing to lose. Made it interesting and lost in OT in Game 6.

2018 - came back from down 3-1 including a Game 5 win on the road (people tend to forget this), forced Game 7, had a lead going into the third and slipped up.

 

[IPS]

Historically speaking this core has never done that, played like their last game

Really hoping the team comes out blazing.

Historically this team gets worse as a series goes on. I'm going to be flabbergasted if they come in games 5 and 6 like they did in game 1.

 

[therealkoho]

Reporter: "what to you have to do different next game?"

Soup: "play better, stop some pucks and enjoy the home crowd!"

perfect, we got this

 

[All Mod Cons]

Great, if we lose you can boast about how you were right. If the Leafs win you can disappear for the rest of the playoffs (we both know you wouldn't, though).

Ironically, you saying 'it's over' changes nothing.

Either way, not sure why you're spending your time trying to convince people that a 2-2 series is over. If you truly think it is then go enjoy your spring and stop worrying about us.

I'm not going to boast about something a large part of the fanbase can see and have been asking for changes for a long time.

I'll be here win or lose.

I actually care if the team wins or not. The whole "well we gave it a good shot" crowd needs to move on to a different team. No time for those fans.

 

[Rob Brown]

I'm not going to boast about something a large part of the fanbase can see and have been asking for changes for a long time.

I'll be here win or lose.

I actually care if the team wins or not. The whole "well we gave it a good shot" crowd needs to move on to a different team. No time for those fans.

I'm not saying I won't be pissed or annoyed or whatever if we lose, but I'm not going to spend my time whining on the internet about how the series is over before it's over. I'm sure if you knew it'd be 2-2 going into Game 5 before the series started you'd be okay with that. Let it play out then be pissed off if it ends the way you think it will.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I'm not saying I won't be pissed or annoyed or whatever if we lose, but I'm not going to spend my time whining on the internet about how the series is over before it's over. I'm sure if you knew it'd be 2-2 going into Game 5 before the series started you'd be okay with that. Let it play out then be pissed off if it ends the way you think it will.

K. Let's wait 3 days.

 

[Rob Brown]

K. Let's wait 3 days.

Sounds good.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

what? have been a coach before? the coach never stops coaching, you never stop looking for advantages for your players. If you do, you are a horrible coach. I coach both collegiate and at the provincial level (team ontario) for another sport (not hockey), even when my best athletes are locked in, there are moments the opposition shuts them down for a certain period of points. We have plays designed to create mismatches our get them them open. You never stop creating advantages for your players just because your players are better than the opposition, especially when you have the ability to do so like in hockey with last change. That literally does not matter.

My coaches didn't adjust to account for execution issues unless they were long running issues, and it usually did not happen in the middle of the game (at best they may start giving you softer matchups). Are we in the position to be giving soft matchups to a guy like Matthews right now when it means a worse player is getting harder matchups? He already gets a ton of offensive zone starts, he is going up against a line which he should be capable of dominating, and he is even getting some Grade A chances that he is flubbing. Effort wise and defense wise he is performing fine; it his offensive execution which simply has not been sharp, and it was that way on the PP as well (which is a completely different situation and a completely different matchup, but we are seeing the same issues). A lot of that sounds like something Matthews has to figure out for himself, and not something Keefe should be overanalyzing to fix for him.

My coaches adjusted if it was a systemic or effort issue. Tavares' usage is a systemic issue. We are putting him in areas where he is not getting pucks from his wingers and defensemen, and his wingers are not taking advantage of the added attention placed on him. We need to switch up how we use Tavares and get him involved more actively on the puck in the offensive zone (and we need to play him more than 14 minutes). Nylander and Kase simply do not have the active engagement or effectiveness to allow for them to be taking so many puck touches away from Tavares right now.

Nylander's issue right now is effort. It waivers from shift-to-shift and it is simply unacceptable. When he is on, there are no issues with his play. When he is off, he looks like he should be benched.

The issue with the breakouts right now is a bit of everything. Keefe can dial back the aggressiveness at times, which is systemic. The wingers at times are not winning key puck battles and races, which is effort. Sometimes they don't execute on clean, simple passes and Tampa takes advantage... Which is execution. It is not Keefe's job to tell these guys how to make simple passes, and it is not his job to adjust for simple things that these guys should be executing properly almost every time... And those adjustments certainly do not happen in-game.

 

[Torontonian]

After Game 4 debacle, and the no show in a big momentum game, sadly the question of, is this the same team as previous years has started to creep back up and rightfully so.

Game 5 will be the most important game to this date for this core IMO, do they show up play well and win, or do they crumble under the pressure and give Tampa all the momentum.

If Tampa wins in game 5, I don’t see the series coming back to Toronto for game 7. Roster changes should be coming for Game 5, probably by swapping Holl out for Lilly and being able to match him as they want, can also see Spezza out for Simmonds/Clifford to try to get the building rocking with hits.

 

[francis246]

My coaches didn't adjust to account for execution issues unless they were long running issues (and usually that meant giving you easier minutes). Are we in the position to be giving soft matchups to Matthews right now? He already gets a ton of offensive zone starts, he is going up against a line which he should be capable of dominating, and he is even getting some Grade A chances that he is flubbing. Effort wise and defense wise he is performing fine; it his offensive execution which simply has not been sharp, and it was that way on the PP as well (which is a completely different situation and a completely different matchup, but we are seeing the same issues).

My coaches adjusted if it was a systemic or effort issue. Tavares' usage is a systemic issue. We are putting him in areas where he is not getting pucks from his wingers and defensemen, and his wingers are not taking advantage of the added attention placed on him. We need to switch up how we use Tavares and get him involved more actively on the puck in the offensive zone. Nylander and Kase simply do not have the active engagement or effectiveness to allow for them to be taking so many puck touches away from Tavares right now.

Nylander's issue right now is effort. It waivers from shift-to-shift and it is simply unacceptable. When he is on, there are no issues with his play. When he is off, he looks like he should be benched.

The issue with the breakouts right now is a bit of everything. Keefe can dial back the aggressiveness at times, which is systemic. The wingers at times are not winning key puck battles and races, which is effort. Sometimes they don't execute on clean, simple passes and Tampa takes advantage... Which is execution. It is not Keefe's job to tell these guys how to make simple passes, and it is not his job to adjust for simple things that these guys should be executing properly almost every time... And those adjustments certainly do not happen in-game.

It’s not necessarily a soft match up, I’m not saying put him only against the 4th line. Match Matthews with the Stamkos line instead of the 3rd line. That line is a better match up for Matthews head to head. You guys automatically thinking to the worst possible outcome.

It’s still a tough match up but Stamkos’ line is more offensive which means Matthews line will also get their fair share of offensive rush chances. It’s not that complicated