Post-Game Talk: Leafs win 7-6 in OT

[Optimist]

Biggest surprise for me was the Auston showboating...hope he learned a lesson when Kaner scored right away! Don't jinx your team like that....and it's not cool,in my books!

Personally I like the fact that he is showing some emotion.

 

[JerseyMike34]

Terrible reactionary tender.

Maybe it's the new equipment? Goalies can't JUST be big in the net anymore.
We could see a whole batch of goalies get run outta towns this season.

 

[Schooner]

Nope. Give him his 20 or so games. He deserves a fair shot to prove himself after last season and I don't care how bad it gets give him his 20 maybe he'll find his groove.

(Unless you can grab Pickard back and waive Sparks)

You realize 20 games = 40 potential points lol would you rather be a lottery team?

 

[LeafChief]

Why aren't Isles fans liking all of the posts in here tonight? They were all here last night.

Should we chalk it up to it being a Sunday?

 

[GodEmperor]

Terrible reactionary tender.

He's Polak, in goalie form, massive sloppy f***er that leaves you wondering "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST PLAY NORMAL????"

 

[CabanaBoy5]

This is on the coaches. When you have a weak defence and goaltending, you better pressure the player with the puck. Sparks is NOT an NHL goalie, never was never will be. Even last year with the Marlies, he was average at best and very lucky because he has poor technique. He would not have duplicated last years stats.

 

[ULF_55]

Brown stopped three breakaways almost all on his own tonight

Okay, let's build a 3rd. and 4th. line out of:

Kadri, Lindholm, Leivo, Brown, Ennis, Johnsson.

Are we sure Engval wouldn't be a better fit in there.

Two line team right now.

 

[Liminality]

Personally I like the fact that he is showing some emotion.

Liked it, I LOVED it. Heck I even loved the friendly banter when Kane did it. The NHL needs more of that.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Sparks should have saved those last 2 goals. Bad defence but unacceptable goaltending

I accept that this is part of Sparks' development. Management made their choice. Now they need to make him better

He had a bad game but this is rather tough. It was a snipe from one of the best offensive players in the world with a ton of time on his hand, and a shot going wide directed into the net by his own defender. In both those particular instances, I dislike the defense more. My overarching issue is how Babcock has us playing these minutes. But Sparks share the blame with our defense for this game being close. He looked like the goalie some have disparaged him as. Let's hope he bounces back for the next one.

 

[pucky]

Yeah there is a lot of adjustments to be made clearly. Early in the season.

First 15 to 20 games are figuring out what you have usually. Or at least some of your guys.

It's a W though. . Just really wacky start so far.

It might be early but so far, it shows that you have an awful GM.

Look, he did NOTHING in terms of upgrading the D. He sucks at making decisions - tough decisions and evaluating talent - in this example, evaluating goaltenders. Sparks is crap. If Andersen goes down for any reason, they are done. A fan here already pointed that out. That's a HORRIBLE situation to put your team in but Dubas has done it already.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

An incredibly entertaining win. After Kapanen was put on Matthews' line it changed the tone of the game.

I don't think our defensive play was as bad as the score indicated. Sparks was sub par.

It was the other way around. Defensive play was extremely sub par. Especially at the end. Sparks was left as the scapegoat.

 

[LeafChief]

Loved Matthews showing some emotion on some of his goals this year.

Thrive young boy! Thrive!!

 

[darnok]

Junior game

 

[CelticDruid]

Terrible reactionary tender.

That why I said that he resembled Raycroft. Same style.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

There are lots of shots that get deflected, you can't be letting in all of them.

Sure but deflections are The hardest things to stop, you can’t really attribute an acceptable level of stops for that.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Yep 13m per year

We're gonna have 3 players making 10+
Which is great in my mind because it means they're playing great

 

[Pi]

Sparks could have been better but he was not to blame for either of the two EN goals. That blame falls on Babcock, and the D pairings. No aggressiveness, they just let them have the puck and pass it around to their best player, twice in a minute. Kane is too good to miss out on easy pickings.

 

[GQS]

Sparks has played like garbage this season but I can understand Dubas keeping him far more than I can understand Babcock keeping Hainsey on the top pair.

Well to be fair, if Hainsey isn't playing alot who else do the Leafs have that could play top 4 minutes? Dermott is the only other guy that seems capable right now and I guess Babcock isn't ready to hand him a top four position yet.

 

[LeafChief]

 

[ryno23]

I am probaly crazy but i only WTF once tonight with our D that was the Gards giveaway at the end od 2nd.

D was soft in front of our net but lots of these goals i am blaming squarely on Sparks.

I think they move the puck better tonight and hate to say it but Marincin didnt play bad.

 

[LeafGrief]

Lmao

 

[LeafChief]

 

[Crysis]

You realize 20 games = 40 potential points lol would you rather be a lottery team?

With this team no way he doesn't grab 25 of those points.

 

[gabeliscious]

Rielly. Dermott
Gardimer. Zaitsev
Borgman. Marincin

Next game?

 

[LeafChief]

I can't help but smile.

We have John Tavares and Auston Matthews.

 

[pucky]

Maybe it's the new equipment? Goalies can't JUST be big in the net anymore.
We could see a whole batch of goalies get run outta towns this season.

I was even thinking this while watching the game. If I'm a forward or dman, I'm actually trying to aim for the five-hole more than usual. Maybe, that reduced area for the pads is making it just a little tougher for the goalies? Regardless, I'm trying to shoot there maybe a bit more often.

 

[Green Snow Storm]

I don't even think the D was that bad tonight. Sparks was letting in goals from the outside with no traffic in front. What can you do?

They weren’t terrible a decent game by their usual standard.