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

conFABulator

Registered User
Apr 11, 2021
1,816
1,603
Take a peek at the kid in the AHL - Artur Akhtyamov - GAA 1.68, SV% .935, SO 2, 6-0-1 ... might be a hot streak but might just be the next coming of ....

I know, I listed him as one of our three young potential starters, with Woll and Hildeby.
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
23,534
8,130
Toronto
I mean the Atlantic does suck for the most part this year.

But we are going to see if theu are real over the next 2 months because their schedule gets A LOT harder.

Their next 6 games alone are

Minnesota
Vancouver
NYI
Colorado
Winnipeg
Utah.

Utah aside that's not easy and it just gets harder.

Take a look at their schedule from now to about mid January It's absolutely brutal.
Well Minnesota and Winnipeg are a combined 1 and 11 in our last 12 meetings. The rest have been coin flips. I think we just keep winning
 

LeafSteel

GO LEAFS GO!!!
Mar 5, 2014
6,282
9,889
Toronto
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.
Disagree.

I don’t think Dubas has a clue on goalies, and his choices showed it, starting with thinking a tandem of Murray and Samsonov was going to take us where we needed to go.

Glad he’s gone and someone else’s problem.
 

Peasy

Registered User
May 25, 2012
17,836
16,985
Star Shoppin
A gm is likely not even going to know the players picked in rounds 3+. They will default to their scouts for that.

Hate that people just give all the credit of good late round picks to the gm rather than the scouts themselves that are actually doing the work.

Like leafs have continuously found late round Swedes who end up playing in the NHL. And that is because we have a great Swedish scout (Thommie Bergman).
 

weems

Registered User
Jul 3, 2008
18,640
12,961
Props to the coaching staff for making the McCabe - Tanev pairing.
They have been so good, playing tough minutes and not giving up much defensively.

From last nights game...

Screenshot (1611).png
 

fahad203

Registered User
Oct 3, 2009
39,016
22,751
Didn't like the start, but they hung in there
The replacement crew did their job.

Lorentz doesn't get enough credit, he's been solid. Steeves played his game, which in my opinion good enough for 4th line
Better than Reaves

Didn't notice Grebenkin at all, but when you have 6 power plays and 2 PKs, that's to be expected.

Top 3 has been solid.
 

Dayjobdave

Registered User
Apr 29, 2010
3,388
1,833
This was a really good performance by the team. They faltered a bit early, but they didn't fall into the trap here, and despite hitting a bunch of posts, they hung on.

Mitch was great, and Willie scored a hard-work followed by awesome skill goal. Tough to beat.
 

thewave

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
42,288
12,736
Goes to show you how strong the D and G are. Plus, the top guys have stepped up and carried the team. Injuries to the periphery guys, + Auston, shouldn't matter that much when your top end talent and defence is that good.
We have a good team playing the right way.

Woll
Stolarz
Tanev
OEL
Timmins to an extent

Along with Berube and Treliving have fundamentally transformed this teams dynamic. The question is can they transition it to over to playoff success.
 

Da Mash

Registered User
Jul 14, 2022
614
601
A gm is likely not even going to know the players picked in rounds 3+. They will default to their scouts for that.

Hate that people just give all the credit of good late round picks to the gm rather than the scouts themselves that are actually doing the work.

Like leafs have continuously found late round Swedes who end up playing in the NHL. And that is because we have a great Swedish scout (Thommie Bergman).

Isnt that a weird take?

So if the GM gets bashed for missing picks but when they hit on later round picks its the scouts who the GM hired gets credit but not the GM?

Shanny and Dubas did build a damn good player development program here and increased the scouting Dept etc here if I remember correctly.
And in all honesty I dont get caught up with all the Dubas hating etc and now Tre is the guy kinda stuff. I mean Dubas did lose 1st rd picks to get rid of a terrible contract Lou handed to Marleau. And its not Dubas fault that a hightly touted 1st rd pick got cancer and passed away.

Even Tre first draft here was all of Dubas people making the calls as Tre had barely enough time to get his seat warm in his new office as the leafs GM.

We are lucky that our cupboards were not bare with prospects. We are witnessing it right now with these call ups. Our goalie depth has not been better. I cant remember depth this good in goal .

Tre stepped in a good spot with elite talent. Yes the cap is a problem having these high contracts. But with Tavares contract ending and Marners too, it may give us some room now to spread the cap even tho I would love to keep both at the right price.

In the end Dubas did make some mistakes.....just like every GM does. Every team has contracts they wish they could redo. Its the nature of the business. Im happy we changed direction with the GM and coach even tho I liked them both. It was time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cams and The Podium

Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
87,831
13,535
Leafs Home Board
Goes to show you how strong the D and G are. Plus, the top guys have stepped up and carried the team. Injuries to the periphery guys, + Auston, shouldn't matter that much when your top end talent and defence is that good.

"Good teams are built from the Goalie out, through strong defense,...." & "Defense wins Championships" ..

You don't need
a bunch of expensive forwards to win, when you can win with strong goaltending and defensive core & system, even while icing looks like an AHL roster upfront.

Leafs are currently 7-1 in the last 8 games without their top player making $13.25 mil.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suntouchable13

Zybalto

Registered User
Dec 28, 2012
9,727
9,133
We have a good team playing the right way.

Woll
Stolarz
Tanev
OEL
Timmins to an extent

Along with Berube and Treliving have fundamentally transformed this teams dynamic. The question is can they transition it to over to playoff success.

The biggest questions for the playoffs this year are:

Are we finally going to have the goaltending to match the other team?
Are we actually going to have an even average powerplay?
We have had the worst depth players in the playoffs. Will this improve?
Can we avoid injury?
 

Zybalto

Registered User
Dec 28, 2012
9,727
9,133
Big 5 5v5/60 in the playoffs the last 3 years:

Rielly:
Goals For: 3.07
Goals Against: 1.55

Marner:
Goals For: 3.08
Goals Against: 1.72

Matthews:
Goals For: 2.81
Goals Against: 2.06

Tavares:
Goals For: 2.06
Goals Against: 2.19

Nylander:
Goals For: 2.22
Goals Against: 2.56


All other lines without the big 5 last 3 years playoffs:
Goals For: 1.39
Goals Against: 2.82

........ for lines that did this during the regular season:

All lines without the big 5 regular season last 3 years:
Goals For: 2.25
Goals Against: 2.22

"Fixing" the top stars in the playoffs is pretty much just fixing the PP and it feels like goaltending has been much improved provided we avoid injury but this is sort of the unspoken biggest issue IMO. Are our new depth options going to not fall off a cliff in the playoffs? I feel like we could just throw a dart blindfolded and pick better options than we have had but I want to see this team go on a run and it's going nowhere if we are getting a 30%ish goal differential from depth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Duffman955

The Podium

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
22,989
10,320
Toronto
Disagree.

I don’t think Dubas has a clue on goalies, and his choices showed it, starting with thinking a tandem of Murray and Samsonov was going to take us where we needed to go.

Glad he’s gone and someone else’s problem.

What are you disagreeing with? I just listed the players he brought in
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad