Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs Lightning. Game 5

[JT AM da real deal]

He will play well tonight again due to preferable line matching at home ie Keefer will keep Matty away from Point .. my worry is Holl gives up a couple more goals against and team is done .. you can't hide an AHL player in NHL playoff hockey .. hope I am wrong .. hope Soup throws up a shutout or 1 goal game and it won't matter

Match up Kampf and Engval and Willy on whatever line Point is on ..

 

[Maplebeasts]

So no Liljegren again eh? If we lose this series I want Keefe gone and Trotz in. His line-up decisions are f***ing idiocy.

 

[al secord]

I have more faith in you and Martina coming through than the rest

But one must believe

GLG

I'll be the TSN turning point from section 109

 

[AuraSphere]

I honestly don't get the hate for Holl. Yes he's not a top 4 dman - but hes a pretty good bottom pairing dman.

I think Holl has been better than Lybushkin. If anything - people should be upset with Lybushkin still staying through

 

[CanHeDoIt99]

Boosh gets too much love around here. Hes been at best very medicore.

I can appreciate the fact people like that hes stylistically different, but the value add from the big open ice hits is not worth the absolute inability to move the puck.

He doesn't even kill penalties - if he was good on the PK then I could see the value proposition - but since he doesn't he just goes out there and gets eaten alive at evens.

 

[MoreMogilny]

Matthews and Marner need to have big games

But we need to stay out of the box and make sure our top line gets into a rhythm.

 

[SprDaVE]

We can talk about the defensive pairings to no end... but to me, this is the biggest problem. Matthews and Marner need to be better. Really unacceptable that it's that lop sided.

 

[Leaf4Life]

Keefe playing Holl just to spite Simmonds

Can't wait to see Holl on the ice to start the game again (and get scored on again).

 

[CanHeDoIt99]

We can talk about the defensive pairings to no end... but to me, this is the biggest problem. Matthews and Marner need to be better.

Not an excuse for them because they need to figure it out either way but part of their struggles in g3 and g4 in my mind have been that Rielly-Lybushkin haven't been able to deal with the Cirelli line's forcheck and they've struggled to transition out of the zone.

Still need to break through either way though.

 

[Sypher04]

Liljegren is one of only 3 defensemen on this team with a +/- greater than 0.
The Muzzin/Brodie pairing has been excellent all series. If Muzzin is feeling up to it, I'd look to increase their minutes and lessen the load on another pair.
Rielly/Lyubushkin had a very rough game in game 4, but I'm not sure putting Liljegren or Holl with Mo is the answer either. I think you may have to bet on them just bouncing back tonight.

 

[SprDaVE]

Not an excuse for them because they need to figure it out either way but part of their struggles in g3 and g4 in my mind have been that Rielly-Lybushkin haven't been able to deal with the Cirelli line's forcheck and they've struggled to transition out of the zone.

Still need to break through either way though.

I agree. A big problem. Lyubushkin is awful at making plays to break out of the zone. I don't know why the coaches insisted on playing that pairing all the time with Matthews on the ice.

 

[Racer88]

We can talk about the defensive pairings to no end... but to me, this is the biggest problem. Matthews and Marner need to be better. Really unacceptable that it's that lop sided.

That’s simply pathetic for 2 guys eating that much cap

 

[Sypher04]

We can talk about the defensive pairings to no end... but to me, this is the biggest problem. Matthews and Marner need to be better. Really unacceptable that it's that lop sided.

I don't question that Marner and Matthews are being outchanced and need to generate more, but I question the collection of these statistics personally. I don't see how they have only generate 5 attempts. An attempt doesn't even need to hit the net and I can think of several instances that don't jive with these numbers for me.

 

[Apex Predator]

The Leafs need Lyubshkin in the line up. He brings an element that we lack. The problem is he shouldn’t be top pair with Rielly. We need him in the bottom pair. The problem is who do you play him with on the bottom pair? He’s only really played with Sandin and Rielly this year since joining the Leafs.

 

[Sypher04]

I'm glad to see Nylander and Tavares split up again. If they are not going to do anything offensively, let's not put them together effectively killing an entire line...

 

[Racer88]

Yup. As the saying goes, winning breeds winning so getting past TB is something that they can take with them for the rest of their careers.

Unfortunately, the counter to that is that losing breeds losing and maybe that's why we just can't seem to win no matter what. Doesn't matter who we play, if we're underdogs or favorites, the one constant is that we take the series to one deciding game and then we just fall apart and that history will be hanging over our heads until we break the cycle.

I'm not even demanding they win but show that you can fight hard FFS. If we lose again in game 7 but play our butts off and leave it all out there, that would at least be a step in the right direction. But if our last game of the season is a loss that resembles that pathetic performance last night, then it's time for a major shakeup.

I hear ya but I’m to the point of they have to win. I’m not interested in moral victories at this point. It’s time to have some success

 

[SprDaVE]

I don't question that Marner and Matthews are being outchanced and need to generate more, but I question the collection of these statistics personally. I don't see how they have only generate 5 attempts. An attempt doesn't even need to hit the net and I can think of several instances that don't jive with these numbers for me.

I don't question it. They've been terrible 5 on 5. Remember, this is strictly Matthews line vs Points line.

Matthews and Marner have had most of their chances on the PP. They got destroyed by Points line last 2 games because TB heavily matched them up.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Not an excuse for them because they need to figure it out either way but part of their struggles in g3 and g4 in my mind have been that Rielly-Lybushkin haven't been able to deal with the Cirelli line's forcheck and they've struggled to transition out of the zone.

Still need to break through either way though.

Yeah they dominated game 1 and then it went downhill from there. At least we're at home again so we can avoid that matchup, but that line should be going toe to toe with anyone.

Really hard to watch them chase the puck for over a minute in the D zone

 

[lebdafor norris]

Can't wait to see Holl on the ice to start the game again (and get scored on again).

You saw that exactly once during the past 2 games despite Holl playing PK, we saw this 4 times with Boosh on ice so far in the series despite Boosh recieiving very little PK time and contributing nothing during the transition.

 

[Cleetus]

whats a jib?

here is the official definition

1. a triangular staysail set forward of the forwardmost mast.
2. the projecting arm of a crane.

the slang definition
1.The mouth, sometimes particularly the tongue, underlip, or tooth.

 

[Clark4Ever]

It was at this point in the series last year against the Habs that the team started fizzling out.

It will be interesting to see if they can muster up the energy they'll need from this point forward.

 

[Sypher04]

I don't question it. They've been terrible 5 on 5. Matthews and Marner have had most of their chances on the PP. They got destroyed by Points line last 2 games.

I stil feel like I can l think of several 5 on 5 moments. I mean, I don't think it'd be a ton more than the 5, but I'm just saying 5 seems too low from what I've seen, but same maybe could be said for Tampa's line. Either way. I am not disagreeing they've been terrible and even if I'm right, they need to be a lot better...

 

[Teeder Keon]

I've got that inevitable feeling again. Jack really didn't look good last game. The team didn't look good. Its like when Keefe said we got the split, now they are going to be greedy, the players felt they didn't need to show up. Who says that anyway, going down there you say you want win both out of the gate, none of this split stuff. I could see by their body language in the hall before the game, they weren't loose or even nervous, just sort of in a daze.

All these previous years and series where I stuck with them and watched to the bitter end, blowing leads, I am going to switch things up this time. The series is tied. It's a best of 3. We have home ice. I'm not watching until we either get to the next round or we start the next season in October.

Cheers everyone, hopefully I'll be back next week. I am superstitious. I've tried everything else, now I just won't watch. I will sacrifice my "enjoyment" for their success. I hope I can stay away from the news and radio and be elated next Sunday. I guess if I see a lot of Blue Maple Leaf flags on cars on Saturday night I'll know.

GLG

That’s a very interesting take on it all .
One of the very few things that stand out to me negatively about our coach and his new age feel and style ( which I think by the way is The right approach ) with regards to todays athlete,but maybe not in hockey yet !, but will be , is exactly what he said and the feel of his press interview before last game ( re talking points Re split , we are in a good position yadda yadda yadda )
I think this approach and attitude isn’t conducive in the NHL playoffs , you need to be ready and ready to fight for every inch at all times no matter what ( see Pointes aggressive play with Mo nearing the end of the game when they were up and going to win ) he played that icing like they needed it !!!
We didn’t all game long .
A team mirrors its coach and message and we seemingly play with that sane mentality as he radiates , smart , aloof , and always playing for the next game .that may work in the regular season, but it doesn’t and won’t work in the playoffs .
I would have rather seen and heard him with a serious business like attitude and not accepting anything but winning at all costs .
I like him , I think he’s doing a great job , but in the playoffs , one little play can sway the series and possible chance to win it all or conversely completely shut it all down …
Depending on how we do here , we may need a intense all our winning at all costs type of coach here ???
GLG

 

[ToneDog]

I called in sick at work. I just cannot work today. I would have snapped at some jackass at work today guaranteed if they pissed me off; probability was very high of that happening LOL

This f***ing team I tell ya.....

Hate to be near you tomorrow if they lose tonight.

 

[TheDoldrums]

We can talk about the defensive pairings to no end... but to me, this is the biggest problem. Matthews and Marner need to be better. Really unacceptable that it's that lop sided.

They absolutely need to be better.

But Keefe needs to use home ice advantage to help them get them away from that line as much as possible as well.