Pre-Game Talk: Leafs vs Lightning. Game 5

[OVO16]

Yep, every cup winner top line has faced a checking line, you either show some moxy or cower, that’s why some are champions and others pretenders. Matthews in particular has to hold onto the puck and blow their doors off.

Mathews and Marner still look like they're running from any sort of Body Contact. I thought they would finally change after the years of disappointment...but nope

I dont know how other teams get so lucky with their stars

 

[ShaneFalco]

Mathews and Marner still look like they're running from any sort of Body Contact. I thought they would finally change after the years of disappointment...but nope

I dont know how other teams get so lucky with their stars

Ours are coddled

 

[OVO16]

I was told by someone yesterday that this has 0 to do with coaching. I wonder what it has to do with...Is Tampa just too good for us? Bad roster ? Because i'm usually fairly negative of Dubas but i do believe this team has enough pieces to beat Tampa(i think there is enough balance and offensive firepower)....But if a coach believes in something entirely different(like hanging back and defending even though Tampa isn't really great defensively themselves...in terms of chances allowed)...well then...But yea 'it's not coaching'...

We absolutely have the pieces to beat Tampa. Our roster is stacked.

But they still lack that Aggressiveness and Passion. That playoff-style hockey where everyone is playing robust from top-down.

I just dont see it with this team yet

 

[ShaneFalco]

Game 1 hits (Clifford and Simmonds)
56-36 Tampa (-20)

Game 2 hits (Simmonds)
39-36 Tampa (-3)

Game 3 hits (Spezza)
41-36 Tampa (-5)

Game 4 hits (Spezza)
40-32 Leafs (+8)

So in the two games without both of Clifford + Simmonds in the lineup the leafs have a greater body checking/hitting impact.

Meh the number of hits don't tell the whole story, just like advanced stats don't

 

[DarkKnight]

Mathews and Marner still look like they're running from any sort of Body Contact. I thought they would finally change after the years of disappointment...but nope

I dont know how other teams get so lucky with their stars

I’ve been fine with Mitch on the boards. Matthews is huge, it’s a different metric for me. He hasn’t wanted the puck like he does when he’s feeling. Nobody can handle him, he just has to push through. Marner just needs to be shifty and slippery.

 

[NiftyMits]

Based on Keefes comments to that reporter, i think Holl stays in unfortunately

I was hoping this wouldnt have been the case

 

[MarnerElite]

We absolutely have the pieces to beat Tampa. Our roster is stacked.

But they still lack that Aggressiveness and Passion. That playoff-style hockey where everyone is playing robust from top-down.

I just dont see it with this team yet

I think getting at least one of those guys(Simmonds preferably) in, would add that element. Remember in the past you would only need 1 guy who can make some clean hits and it would fire up the rest. These guys can't be so overly cautious that they totally ignore the aggressive side of the game. Just need to keep it clean and it's all good.

 

[Stephen]

Yep, every cup winner top line has faced a checking line, you either show some moxy or cower, that’s why some are champions and others pretenders. Matthews in particular has to hold onto the puck and blow their doors off.

“Oh if only the seas could part and the Leafs can complete their Stanley Cup prophecy and not get their hairdos messed up” - isn’t it supposed to be hard? Isn’t winning under those difficult conditions the fun part?

 

[ShaneFalco]

It's not going to matter whether Holl is in the lineup or not, if the boys get shut down once again and Keefe does nothing about it.

 

[Enniskillen]

I disagree. Lyubushkin has been getting caved and defensively has been terrible. A few hits doesn't change the issues, but somehow Holl makes one mistake and it's the end of the world.

Holl, is that you?

 

[DarkKnight]

Meh the number of hits don't tell the whole story, just like advanced stats don't

Hits sometimes are a function of playing too much defence, they’re a loaded stat and everyone knows that. TB did out hit us Game 1, because we were all over them.

 

[Gallagbi]

I think Holl is over hated here, but I would have made the swap to Lilj.

Would also like to see Blackwell on the wing, feels like we need more size down low if we're going to match 4th lines.

 

[ACC1224]

It's not going to matter whether Holl is in the lineup or not, if the boys get shut down once again and Keefe does nothing about it.

Nope, also the severity of the hit isn't taken into account.
Not all hits are the same.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

JT been bad the whole season despite getting his points. He had his moments here and there but he has been bad. Line 3 is really good and I think Line 4 needs a better identity like are they physical or speed or whatever, right now, it seems like they are out there for the sake of having 3 skaters in the game. AM's line been quiet ever since the first game where they dominated.

Mitch looked great to me in every game except game 4 .. Matty was ok in game 1 but since then is blah blah blah .. but my point was Matty is keeping up with Tampa and it is pretty even steven hockey .. JT loses every race, can't get open for pass, can't get to net front, can't get either up or down ice in transition so what is happening is his line gets stuck as no C to get pucks and distribute to wingers for opportunities .. JT's wingers have to go get their own loose pucks and figure out a way to create without JT at all .. i mean JT is not even functioning in a C role at a 4th line level (he is really a high level AHL player at this point as a C)

 

[TMLeafer]

Holl scores tonight*

*which net TBD

 

[Mess]

They need to go through Cirelli and Point even if they can’t get away. Why are we even talking about Hart Trophies if you can’t get through a matchup checking line?

That's fair.

The CBC panel during periods emphasized a similar thought that if you are a HART candidate then you have to be one both at home against favourable matchups and on the road as well.

Marner still makes him impact on the PK on Matthews has to go beast mode 5v5 always,