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Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs Lightning. Game 5

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RealisticLeaf55 said:
This series has been weird. One team comes out hot and win, then the next team does the same.

Seems like whoever wins the first period has won the game.
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Score the first goal of the game and score at least five overall...surefire victory!
 
Havoc said:
Fired today. No clue why. Sweepstakes begin.
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Wow really. Damn I haven't been to the mains today yet. I just came in here directly after work hoping to find some tweets regarding Leafs changes or what not.

They fired Trotz after he made conference finals for two years in a row? WOW!

Thats high standards there from Isles I guess

Cleetus said:
he got canned.... was really shocked to read that
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That is shocking indeed.
 
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I don't like Keefe's coaching game in this series. He has the winning recipe from Game 1 and Game 3 and I'm expecting him to get creative and make random edits that solve no problems, random hunches and a poor feel for managing the momentum of the games.
 
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PromisedLand said:
Wow really. Damn I haven't been to the mains today yet. I just came in here directly after work hoping to find some tweets regarding Leafs changes or what not.

They fired Trotz after he made conference finals for two years in a row? WOW!

Thats high standards there from Isles I guess



That is shocking indeed.
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I dunno, heard he forgot a patch of stubble on his beard and Lou said you're done here
 
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The lines feel like they should be very simple to me

Bunting - Matthews - Marner --> leagues best line in the reg season
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander --> gives JT wheels
Mikheyev - Kampf - Engvall - great defensive line
Clifford - Blackwell - Kase --> Clifford brings the edge, Kase/Blackwell are good together

Rielly - Holl --> Good in minimal minutes in reg season
Muzzin - Brodie --> our best defensive pair
Giordano - Liljegren --> best reg season pair

Campbell
 
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PromisedLand said:
In 3 years if Leafs haven't achieved anything of significance; it is time to rebuild again anyway. This is the 6th year with the same core in the playoffs. Add 3 years that will be 9 years.

There is nothing left for next year anyway. We don't have much cap space and Campbell, Mikeheyev, Engvall, Lily, Sandin etc... are all RFAs/UFAs with Matthews and Nylander pending UFAs in 2 years time.
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I've been assured repeatedly by several posters here that the cap hell the Leafs have painted themselves into is.. fine.. somehow?

Meanwhile I look at what they have committed for next year and how many pieces they need to sign, and the numbers don't seem to work for me!
 
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justloveleafs said:
Blows my mind, no one has pointed out, that our entire gameplan, has been aborted.

They have a big defence, and in game one and two and the first period of game three, we swarmed that D.

It was incredible to see, then suddenly, out of nowthere, suddenly, our new strategy was to dump the puck in and withdraw, retreat and see what might develop.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. But that is what is happening and what happened.

We went from dominating them, to not even playing.

If we come out with this strategy in period one of game five, that is it, the television goes off.

And no one, can justify, wtf, this winning strategy suddenly was abandoned.

Smells really fishy to me. Smells like WWE....type fish.

Someone got a call, and we were told to withdraw, we were embarassing the defending Stanley Cup Champions, but suddenly, Keefe, decides to withdraw a winning engagement.

Me being a trader, I don't buy that it was Keefe. Guy is smart, and Matthews expression, demeanor and body language speaks volumes to me. He smells a whole factory of fish.

I have never seen anything like this, in all my years of watching hockey.

Once the Lightning D gets a chance to roll, their team comes in as a big wave.

But we never let that wave develop initially. We also did this in the regular season regularly.

Suddenly we are playing unrecognizable hockey.

And the players have gone from enthusiastic to "get me the f*** out of here".
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Tampa made a simple coaching adjustment to counter our forecheck pressure half way through game 3. They now sit 2 forwards on ethier wall just beyond center ice in the neutral zone, as soon as the D gets it they fire it up to an open winger and the deflect it in our zone. The other two skaters persue with pace and we're suddenly outmanned because we over-commited on the forecheck. We haven't had an answer.

Decent NHL coaches don't sit back and allow you to impose your gameplan on them over a 7 game series. Cooper and co. went to work. Ball is back in our court on home ice, lets see what we come up with.
 
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Strangle said:
What has this team shown that does make win game 5, lose game 6 and lose game 7 the most obvious result here.

Tonight was a great chance to prove they have the ability to kick a team when they are down, or to rise above some adversity. Big fail.

All evidence points to this team still not being able to put a team out.

I hope I’m wrong, but even a win in game 5 doesn’t spark much confidence. They still need to beat a team when that team is desperate and fighting for their lives. This is usually when they back off and provide zero resistance.

I feel like I’ve seen this show before
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You have. In 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
 
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Atomos2 said:
Does anyone get the feeling this is the moment where Tampa separates themselves from us? Basically saying "This has been some fun first round entertainment for the time being, but we've gotta start thinking about the second round now."
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I'm cautiously optimistic that we can win one more (which will hopefully happen tomorrow night). It's that ever elusive fourth victory that's so much tougher to predict.
 
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Atomos2 said:
Does anyone get the feeling this is the moment where Tampa separates themselves from us? Basically saying "This has been some fun first round entertainment for the time being, but we've gotta start thinking about the second round now."
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honestly thats the feeling I get...
 
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Atomos2 said:
Does anyone get the feeling this is the moment where Tampa separates themselves from us? Basically saying "This has been some fun first round entertainment for the time being, but we've gotta start thinking about the second round now."
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Every playoff series has a moment where it looks like that's going to happen, but it rarely does at this level. Carolina looked poised to laugh their way to round 2 after game 2. Edmonton looked like they'd figured out LA after game 3. After a tough game 1 the Wild trounced the Blues in 2 straight games and looked like the far better team. The NHL is a weird league and a betting man's worst nightmare. Lots of luck, lots of parity, and factors like home ice advantage, momentum and a hot goalie can make any team look like the globetrotters. I'm done making predictions in the playoffs. The better team USUALLY pulls it off in a 7 game series, but it almost never plays out like you think it's about to.
 
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Damn you all posters for not putting twitter links in this thread. I have to do you work :P






Other Keefe quotes:

FSVqr3kWYAINfRp


FSVu5EoWYAE9IVE
 
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Tampa without a 11 AAV player(s) is ridiculous. Please show up... if not for fans sake at least for dubas' sake the dude that gave you guys money you asked without even blinking

 
Atomos2 said:
Does anyone get the feeling this is the moment where Tampa separates themselves from us? Basically saying "This has been some fun first round entertainment for the time being, but we've gotta start thinking about the second round now."
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Unfortunately was feeling the same thing
 
I said at the start of the series that winning game 1 was crucial because of Tampa Bay's ridiculous record after a loss. So far, it's played out that way.

We absolutely must win game 5 at home. If we do, I expect a loss in game 6, and then we would have a winner take all on home ice, which is exactly what these players have fought for all season.
 
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