Post-Game Talk: Leafs win 3-2 against Utah

[1specter]

Not trying to defend Dubas here, but Stolarz is literally the only goalie in the Leafs pipeline not drafted or signed by Dubas

Actually I think Woll might have been Lou

Woll was Mark Hunter/Lou, and Freddy Andersen was Lou. Dubas was Mrazek, Campbell, Kallgren, Murray and Samsonov lol. Also decided to promote Sparks and give him McElhinney's spot.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Sorry, but Dubas goalie carousel here is a complete comedy of error that Treliving seems to have figured out very quickly.

Dubas deserves no credit for anything related to our current goaltending. His handling of Jarry in Pittsburgh just further reiterates the guy has no clue.

Tonight’s game was easily one that previous iterations of this team would throw away.

Even with a bunch of Marlies this team showed up.

Doesn’t have to be pretty. The work ethic is speaking for itself.

November 2022 we were running a defense that looked like

Sandin-Liljegren
Giordano-Holl
Benn/Hollowell/Mete

With Murray and Kallgren as the only healthy goalies, iirc Murray got injured and Kallgren was the starter at one point. We went 11-2-2 averaging 2 GAA through that stretch.

Our goalies were shit and it’s starting to look better, not going to argue there, but there’s been a lot of stretches where we got destroyed by injuries and the team showed up with a month of professional defense first hard work only to revert back to old tendencies once healthy. I might be misremembering but I’m pretty sure there as an almost identical one the year before that as well where they locked it down for a month while we had 4 or 5 injuries and then forgot how to do that once we got healthy.

 

[LeafSteel]

November 2022 we were running a defense that looked like

Sandin-Liljegren
Giordano-Holl
Benn/Hollowell/Mete

With Murray and Kallgren as the only healthy goalies, iirc Murray got injured and Kallgren was the starter at one point. We went 11-2-2 averaging 2 GAA through that stretch.

Our goalies were shit and it’s starting to look better, not going to argue there, but there’s been a lot of stretches where we got destroyed by injuries and the team showed up with a month of professional defense first hard work only to revert back to old tendencies once healthy. I might be misremembering but I’m pretty sure there as an almost identical one the year before that as well where they locked it down for a month while we had 4 or 5 injuries and then forgot how to do that once we got healthy.

Not giving Dubas any passes.

He brought in an injury plagued goalie in Murray that he should have avoided, or at least gotten for pennies.

As pitiful as that defence looks, that was pretty much what Dubas saw fit on defence for us. Who is it missing? Rielly and Brodie?

Guy gave no emphasis goalie or defence and got showed it over and over again. Instead of learning and doing something about it, he just kept doubling down on the core 4 and path of least resistance roster moves and soft losers like Holl and Kerfoot.

It honestly felt like when the decision was made to bring in guys like McCabe, Schenn, O’Reilly, and Acciari, Dubas was pushed aside and Shanahan mandated those moves.

Anyways, good riddance to that goof, as well as Keefe.

Glad we have Berube, and a team properly built from the net out and playing good, hard to play against hockey.

Still been hurt too many times by this team in the playoffs but these guys just slap different now then any previous iteration of this Core 4 team.

Hopefully we see this in the playoffs. Adding strength at 3C and let’s see what we roll into the playoffs like.

 

[Antropovsky]

While playing with Marner again…

Let’s hope we don’t see Matthews and Marner back together when Matthews returns.

Tavares has been great with every 5v5 line he's been on.

In fact Tavares averages only 7 shots per 60 with Marner. He averages 11.76 shots per 60 with Nylander.

Tavares averaged 1.61 xg/60 with Nylander but just 0.54 xg/60 with Marner.

Additionally, Tavares averaged 7.69/per60 high danger chances for with Nylander and only 2.6/per 60 high danger chances for with Marner.

So Tavares appears less dangerous offensively 5v5 with Marner. Maybe an argument could be made that Marner and Tavares are better defensively?

 

[Martin Skoula]

Not giving Dubas any passes.

He brought in an injury plagued goalie in Murray that he should have avoided, or at least gotten for pennies.

As pitiful as that defence looks, that was pretty much what Dubas saw fit on defence for us. Who is it missing? Rielly and Brodie?

Guy gave no emphasis goalie or defence and got showed it over and over again. Instead of learning and doing something about it, he just kept doubling down on the core 4 and path of least resistance roster moves and soft losers like Holl and Kerfoot.

It honestly felt like when the decision was made to bring in guys like McCabe, Schenn, O’Reilly, and Acciari, Dubas was pushed aside and Shanahan mandated those moves.

Anyways, good riddance to that goof, as well as Keefe.

Glad we have Berube, and a team properly built from the net out and playing good, hard to play against hockey.

Still been hurt too many times by this team in the playoffs but these guys just slap different now then any previous iteration of this Core 4 team.

Hopefully we see this in the playoffs. Adding strength at 3C and let’s see what we roll into the playoffs like.

Who’s giving anyone a pass? We’ve seen this mirage in November multiple times before, a worse coach with worse goalies and a significantly worse defense managed to pull off a similar or better stretch defensively. It’s too early to give a team of losers credit for turning a new leaf and saying this was a game we wouldn’t have won in years past when we objectively did multiple years while missing Rielly Muzzin Brodie and both starting goalies. I’ll believe it when I see them locking down fully healthy in April and May. As it stands neither of our goalies has started even half a season and our next man up on D is a guy with no kneecaps and whatever the hell Benning is after his surgeries.

 

[meefer]

I don't remember exactly the date but there was an article written where Berube was asking forwards to work the puck to the points if there isn't a clear high quality chance for point shots

Kadri was pretty good at it and made a living and a solid contract feeding pucks to Makar

I think we have OEL who can really wire the puck, and may be Timmins. Rielly needs Christopher Nolan type inception to just shoot the effing PUCK ffs

Do you mean the Rielly that leads the team in shots (41-39 OEL), shooting percentage (9.8-6.7 Timmins) and goals (4-1 OEL and Timmins), and every other Dman on the team? That Rielly? The one who has more goals than all the other defensemen combined. Ok.

I do agree that our D could shoot more. After OEL's 39, it's McCabe with 19, and then Timmins with 15. More production from the back end would certainly help the cause.

Fun fact #1: our 7-2-1 L10 is the best in the league, damn.
Fun fact #2: there's a new #1 GAA in the league, Mr J. Woll, come on down. 2.00*
Fun fact #3: the leagues' #1 SV%...Mr A. Stolarz, come on down. .927%*
(* played 7 or more games).

 

[mobilus]

Willie “Tarp off” Nylander cracks me up. Being interviewed shirtless in the hallway with brother Alex after the game. The guy just loves flashing the flesh.

I think he's advertising for a wife.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

They call him Brick Woll for a reason.

I'm honestly shocked he didn't tear his groin/knee/whatever after making that save.

 

[arso40]

I'm honestly shocked he didn't tear his groin/knee/whatever after making that save.

Don’t speak too soon

 

[Puckstuff]

Only losing one game without Matthews is wild. If only the team knew how to step up like this when it mattered. Berube is the only hope left.

Not to be a broken record because I’ve said it multiple times, but this team needs to play Willy, Marner, and Matthews on separate lines. Nylander and Marner have played better away from Matthews recently while driving their own line. Matthews and Domi who have struggled to start the year can make up 2/3 of a line when they’re back and they have chemistry. Just keep everything the exact same and put Knies-Matthews-Domi as a line when they’re back.

 

[arso40]

Not to be a broken record because I’ve said it multiple times, but this team needs to play Willy, Marner, and Matthews on separate lines. Nylander and Marner have played better away from Matthews recently while driving their own line. Matthews and Domi who have struggled to start the year can make up 2/3 of a line when they’re back and they have chemistry. Just keep everything the exact same and put Knies-Matthews-Domi as a line when they’re back.

I wouldn’t say Nylander plays better away from Matthews he’s just used to playing away from Matthews but I agree three lines with one of them on it is the cheat code I can however Dee chief putting Willy on Matthews line with Knies if domi isn’t playing on Wednesday with the two Matthews in the line up

 

[Strangle]

Another win. I mean. The resilience is pretty amazing. With Matthews out and all the other injuries... that's what... 7-1 now.

We'll probably see a dip soon. It's a lot on the big guns with many regulars out but the defence and goalies have been outstanding.

Beating the Florida teams would be huge. Good thing is they still have time to rest up most the week.

Then it gets busy afterwards again.

Good on everyone to keep it together and keep it going.

Wednesday at the Panthers. Be nice to get that one.

Go Leafs Go

I’d say less than Matthews having an effect is that it’s just November.

Pretty used to these November runs

 

[Avilaj07]

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Mcmann-Tavares-Marner
Pacioretty-Holmberg-Nylander
Dewar-Lorentz-Steeves

I've really liked Steeves on that 4th line and has shown that line isn't a liability when on the ice.

Minten, Grebenkin, and Nylander back to the Marlies

Reaves, Kampf, Robertson and Jarnkrok all moved out

Ideally we upgrade our 3rd line center position (Laughton, Bjugstad, Frost) and you move Holmberg to your 4th line center

 

[horner]

Good win, good effort, only really outplayed and barely in the first. Glad to see it since they play...Wednesday, then next Saturday, after playing last Wednesday, and the previous Saturday. Five games in two weeks? What he hell is that!? What planet is Gary on? It's not going to be compressed enough with 4N coming up in a few months!?

It would have been nice to put them away when they ran into penalty trouble in the 2nd.

Utah has a fairly solid color team with our old boy Dominic Moore on it. Lots of US teams have mediocre teams, a few are outright crap and some are top-titty (Dallas is the best IMO). This was a solidly entertaining and decently unbiased group.

Maveric Lamoreaux has to be one of the dumbest hockey players I've ever seen, he's got Nick Ritchie-tier intelligence, flagrantly bad defensive giveaways. It's okay to work a guy with a cross check if he's in front of the net - not three times and when the ref is staring right at you. Five penalties in two games, I wouldn't stand for that if he was Roman Josi which he ain't.

They really dropped the ball going in as 'the Hockey Clubs' this year. They had like six months to pick a name, there was time (I like the Utah Mammoths).

How close was Sergachev born to Chernobyl? Because he looks and plays like he was born right in the middle of town there. Physical tools from Sotheby's, brain picked up at Giant Tiger.

On their side I was impressed by Cooley, Vejmelka, Stenlund, Carcone, Kesselring, McBain and Guenther. Hayton and Macielli did jack, Sergachev made some mistakes, Crouse just kinda gooned it up, Keller had a couple of good plays but nothing earth shaking and Schmaltz was just kinda there.

Even our old boy Kerfoot looked good for them, as in about the same as he did with us, a middle-six energy type. He's a good dude, I hope he's happy there.

So this is what it looks like when your coach is a better coach than the other coach, I like it. Have we seen Berube get outcoached this year? Maybe in one of the blowouts sure, but since the last guy got outcoached by Dominic Ducharme it's a big step up.

Woll didn't have too much to do but he made the stops he needed to, it's a good feeling having two great options in net.

Mitch put on a damn show, I hope everyone enjoyed it since this was the only game in town.

Willy was a little more subdued but struck when he needed to.

That JT sauce to Mitch for the breakaway was Karlsson-esque.

Grebenkin was a little quieter this game, probably for the best, he doesn't want a target on his back.

He didn't score but McMann's size and speed is a huge problem for teams to deal with. He's going to be a rich man the year after next.

I respect his try but Nicky Bobby is just getting no puck luck, two posts tonight alone. He's not like Holmberg who can play well enough in all three zones either - he has to be a scorer or he's in the A. I think it's time for him to try his luck elsewhere, especially being flush with superior forward options.

Minten has such solid positioning, he's a keeper.

Timmins is becoming more confident and audacious with the puck, good for him, he's been a definite pleasant surprise so far this year.

Alex Nylander you can see the tools are there even if they aren't nearly as refined as Willy's. As I said before, if he can come on and be a 30-40 point guy, then he's found money.

Alex is not an NHL player at least for us

 

[Peasy]

Get a legit 3C and this team is looking really scary.

Hope they carry this november throughout the rest of the season.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Mcmann-Tavares-Marner
Pacioretty-Holmberg-Nylander
Dewar-Lorentz-Steeves

I've really liked Steeves on that 4th line and has shown that line isn't a liability when on the ice.

Minten, Grebenkin, and Nylander back to the Marlies

Reaves, Kampf, Robertson and Jarnkrok all moved out

Ideally we upgrade our 3rd line center position (Laughton, Bjugstad, Frost) and you move Holmberg to your 4th line center

Like it or not this team benefits from Reaves in the lineup.

If he plays as he has in the past, physical, forecheck, net presence and of course a willingness to protect his teammates, he is an asset on the 4th line.

It may be more difficult for Berube to justify keeping him in during the soft stretches in the schedule but I hope he is not lulled into the false sense of identity this team is showing. Once playoffs start, the core will be bullied, constantly hit and they will fold. Reaves in for at least the first couple of games in a series can pay dividends.

My only hope is that somehow the North/South heavy forecheck mentality becomes ingrained and they are able to break through come playoffs. I wouldn't even wage your money that this comes to fruition.

 

[LeafSteel]

Who’s giving anyone a pass? We’ve seen this mirage in November multiple times before, a worse coach with worse goalies and a significantly worse defense managed to pull off a similar or better stretch defensively. It’s too early to give a team of losers credit for turning a new leaf and saying this was a game we wouldn’t have won in years past when we objectively did multiple years while missing Rielly Muzzin Brodie and both starting goalies. I’ll believe it when I see them locking down fully healthy in April and May. As it stands neither of our goalies has started even half a season and our next man up on D is a guy with no kneecaps and whatever the hell Benning is after his surgeries.

Who said that you were?

I’m speaking for myself on not giving Dubas any passes…..

 

[Confucius]

Another win. I mean. The resilience is pretty amazing. With Matthews out and all the other injuries... that's what... 7-1 now.

We'll probably see a dip soon. It's a lot on the big guns with many regulars out but the defence and goalies have been outstanding.

Beating the Florida teams would be huge. Good thing is they still have time to rest up most the week.

Then it gets busy afterwards again.

Good on everyone to keep it together and keep it going.

Wednesday at the Panthers. Be nice to get that one.

Go Leafs Go

The injured coming back?

Sorry Knies you’ve been great as well.

 

[Confucius]

Our bottom 4 / 5 forwards probably should be rotated out with our next best 4/5 guys on a regular basis depending on how they are playing. Keep the positions up for grabs.

 

[The Podium]

Sorry, but Dubas goalie carousel here is a complete comedy of error that Treliving seems to have figured out very quickly.

Dubas deserves no credit for anything related to our current goaltending. His handling of Jarry in Pittsburgh just further reiterates the guy has no clue.

Tonight’s game was easily one that previous iterations of this team would throw away.

Even with a bunch of Marlies this team showed up.

Doesn’t have to be pretty. The work ethic is speaking for itself.

You’re giving Tre all the credit for the current goalie pipeline

Dubas drafted Hildeby and Akthyamov, Lou drafted Woll. Tre is only responsible for Stolarz.

Hate Dubas all you want, at least be honest in your criticism.

For all the hate Dubas is getting for building a soft team, Knies, McMann, Grebenkin and 1/2 of our tough shutdown pair (McCabe) we all his adds. Like it or not he is responsible for adding most of the teams toughness.

 

[hoglund]

Not giving Dubas any passes.

He brought in an injury plagued goalie in Murray that he should have avoided, or at least gotten for pennies.

As pitiful as that defence looks, that was pretty much what Dubas saw fit on defence for us. Who is it missing? Rielly and Brodie?

Guy gave no emphasis goalie or defence and got showed it over and over again. Instead of learning and doing something about it, he just kept doubling down on the core 4 and path of least resistance roster moves and soft losers like Holl and Kerfoot.

It honestly felt like when the decision was made to bring in guys like McCabe, Schenn, O’Reilly, and Acciari, Dubas was pushed aside and Shanahan mandated those moves.

Anyways, good riddance to that goof, as well as Keefe.

Glad we have Berube, and a team properly built from the net out and playing good, hard to play against hockey.

Still been hurt too many times by this team in the playoffs but these guys just slap different now then any previous iteration of this Core 4 team.

Hopefully we see this in the playoffs. Adding strength at 3C and let’s see what we roll into the playoffs like.

I agree with you on getting rid of Dubas, but Keefe was and is a good coach, which shows in New Jersey's record.