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

[Al14]

How many goals were related to the new goalie pad rules?

"It should be about skill and athleticism and all those exciting things that people pay to watch, as long as [the goaltenders] are protected and it's fair from goalie to goalie," he said. "That's the main thing."

NHL, NHLPA add new chest, arm pad rules for goalies

It's about time they cut down on the size of the goalie pads. The goalies were becoming bigger than the giant balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I'm surprised a team didn't hire the Michelin Man as a goalie!

Now, they need to reduce the size of the catching and blocking gloves. They are now almost double the size they were in the 1960s!

 

[mix1home]

Dear opposition teams,
You might be well aware by now of our poor team D that might allow some goals on any given night. This is to advice you not to take advantage of this unfortunate situation. Simply speaking, don’t make us mad as we can score more goals that you possibly can imagine or contemplate. We can and we will. We are promising to not score more than five goals if you limit yourselves to 1-2 goals a game.
So save yourself embarrassment of losing 10-7, 9-5 or 8-3.
Your truly, Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[hotpaws]

Jonas Siegel✔@jonassiegel
Mike Babcock tonight on Zach Hyman: “Zach can't get anyone to even talk about him, but to me -- why does that line play in the offensive zone all the time? Because he just keeps going to get it, and go get it and go get it and go get it.”
10:44


lol Babs still going on about his boy Hyman , maybe someone should ask him about how thrilled Mathews is without him on his line

 

[DarkKnight]

It's about time they cut down on the size of the goalie pads. The goalies were becoming bigger than the giant balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I'm surprised a team didn't hire the Michelin Man as a goalie!

Now, they need to reduce the size of the catching and blocking gloves. They are now almost double the size they were in the 1960s!

Make the nets slightly bigger, all these purists are funny, you see the monstrous looking nets of the past, obviously it isn't the same game anymore. I make the net as big as the posts are now, that means every "ping" would now be a goal. You'd still need skill, accuracy, but at least a near perfect shot has a chance. A small change that doesn't impact the integrity of the game, and we can let the equipment stay as it is.

 

[Heritage]

I wonder if they have ever studied the possibility of angling the structure of the posts to make an inward deflection likely.

The size of the nets remains the same, but the posts become a goal scorers best friend instead of the goalies.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Dear opposition teams,
You might be well aware by now of our poor team D that might allow some goals on any given night. This is to advice you not to take advantage of this unfortunate situation. Simply speaking, don’t make us mad as we can score more goals that you possibly can imagine or contemplate. We can and we will. So save yourself embarrassment of losing 10-7, 9-5 or 8-3. We are promising to not score more than five goals if you limit yourselves to 1-2 goals a game.
So save yourself embarrassment of losing 10-7, 9-5 or 8-3.
Your truly, Toronto Maple Leafs.

I don't quite understand why folks say the Leafs and defencemen are so bad. Hawks allowed 7 goals last night, Leafs only six. Last year the Leafs were 12th in GAA, so obviously 19 teams allowed more goals.
People said Polak and Carrick were so bad last year, but this year those two are playing for the Stars. Has anyone written how bad the Stars dman are?

 

[Warden of the North]

I wonder if they have ever studied the possibility of angling the structure of the posts to make an inward deflection likely.

The size of the nets remains the same, but the posts become a goal scorers best friend instead of the goalies.

The issue with that as I understand it is that there is a concern that making a point of some nature (to do what you are saying) could pose a greater injury hazard

 

[Warden of the North]

I don't quite understand why folks say the Leafs and defencemen are so bad. Hawks allowed 7 goals last night, Leafs only six. Last year the Leafs were 12th in GAA, so obviously 19 teams allowed more goals.
People said Polak and Carrick were so bad last year, but this year those two are playing for the Stars. Has anyone written how bad the Stars dman are?

Hawks might very well be a lottery team. The Leafs are expected to be a Cup contender. Thats the difference.

 

[Faltorvo]

Hawks might very well be a lottery team. The Leafs are expected to be a Cup contender. Thats the difference.

This early in the season i will not get wound up on how they get their points

i only care that they earn those points at the needed pace.

now if this kind of play lasts to say game 15/20 ish,

then i start to worry.

 

[IPS]

Jonas Siegel✔@jonassiegel
Mike Babcock tonight on Zach Hyman: “Zach can't get anyone to even talk about him, but to me -- why does that line play in the offensive zone all the time? Because he just keeps going to get it, and go get it and go get it and go get it.”
10:44


lol Babs still going on about his boy Hyman , maybe someone should ask him about how thrilled Mathews is without him on his line

This is the 3rd time he's brought up Hyman now during the season. Mike, everybody notices him. You just don't realize that it's not for all the right reasons.

 

[Boutette]

Hawks might very well be a lottery team. The Leafs are expected to be a Cup contender. Thats the difference.

FYI, Montreal enjoyed a 5-1 laugher against Pittsburgh the other night. Think Pittsburgh is going to be a lottery team like Montreal is guaranteed to be?

 

[ShaneFalco]

Yeah the Hyman thing is a bit much

 

[crump]

FYI, Montreal enjoyed a 5-1 laugher against Pittsburgh the other night. Think Pittsburgh is going to be a lottery team like Montreal is guaranteed to be?

Some guffawed when I said the Habs would be a team to reckon with this season. It's early, but yup, they aren't pushovers.

 

[Boutette]

Some guffawed when I said the Habs would be a team to reckon with this season. It's early, but yup, they aren't pushovers.

Pittsburgh also got seriously pummelled early last year too. Took them half the season to catch up GF vs GA. Made it further than the Leafs.

 

[Zybalto]

Hawks might very well be a lottery team. The Leafs are expected to be a Cup contender. Thats the difference.

The two teams I picked to surprise before this year started were Carolina and Chicago.

Halfway through December last year, Chicago was already feeling the effects of his injury woes but still had a record of 17-11-5(99 point pace) but really crumbled after that as they couldnt find any sort of competent goalkeeping despite trying a bunch of different names.

Crawford last year: .929% 16-9-2
Other 5 keepers: .902% 17-30-5

With Crawford coming back soon (October 18 is targeted), I expect the Hawks to be a strong playoff team this year and they are already laying the foundation with a strong start.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

I'd be very shocked if the Hawks made the playoffs.

 

[Zybalto]

I'd be very shocked if the Hawks made the playoffs.

Last year:
4th best possession team.
10th best team for scoring chance differential.
Without Crawford, the worst goaltending in the league. (Carolina in the running with them)

It just goes to show how important goaltending is to a team. They went from 109 points to 76 and it was almost all due to goaltending. A bit of a lost season for them.

The Leafs actually had the most scoring chances in the league last year. Who was 2nd? The Chicago Blackhawks.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

The bar must be laying on the floor. All that I have seen is a winger who is two steps to slow and Brown as the up ice pressure steering the play towards Levio who can not get there. When the steer guy is doing his job the other guy needs to be on time for the the effort to work.

Babcock is seeing it as well hence the ice time.

Steer guy? You do realize there's no such thing as steer guy right? Brown is supposed to be the Hyman of his line and has failed at his job.

Leivo's done a fantastic job along the boards and good passes. Of course he has had flaws so far, as you pointed out. But I haven't noticed any slowness that's caused Leivo to be bad?

IMO Kadri and Brown have been disappointing considering that Brown and Kadri haven't shown anything offensively.

 

[Obliviate]

I'm just a guy who lives on planet earth where Sparks had a bad preseason and a bad night tonight and has never been good in the NHL and is already 25. Those are the facts, feel like the people blindly arguing against them are probably the ones with the agendas.

Again, I really don't care, I don't think Sparks will sink this team, I'm not at Dubas' throat about letting our ancient journeyman backup go, I just don't think the pro-Sparks camp has ever made a good argument.

Agree on all points with the exception of age being a factor. Goalies usually peak late 25 doesn't concern me.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

My rankings right now based on the 3-games IMO:
Matthews / Tavares
Marner
Hyman / Kapanen
Marleau / Leivo
Kadri / Brown
Lindholm / Ennis / Johnsson

What they should be IMO:
Matthews / Tavares
Marner
Kadri / Kapanen
Johnsson
Brown / Hyman / Marleau / Leivo
Ennis / Lindholm

 

[cupcrazyman]

Barely beat Habs
Lost to Sens
Barely beat Hawks

 

[New Liskeard]

Barely beat Habs
Lost to Sens
Barely beat Hawks

Does that mean the two points for a win does not count against those teams? Last i checked a win is a win, and it is 3 games into the season.

 

[ottomaddox]

Jonas Siegel✔@jonassiegel
Mike Babcock tonight on Zach Hyman: “Zach can't get anyone to even talk about him, but to me -- why does that line play in the offensive zone all the time? Because he just keeps going to get it, and go get it and go get it and go get it.”
10:44


lol Babs still going on about his boy Hyman , maybe someone should ask him about how thrilled Mathews is without him on his line

At least there is evidence of 1 Maple Leaf going into the corners. God knows our 3rd and 4th line players won't.

 

[ottomaddox]

Does that mean the two points for a win does not count against those teams? Last i checked a win is a win, and it is 3 games into the season.

I get what you're saying, but a complete game (regulation win, good defensive play, scoring, goaltending, not giving up the lead, etc.) is what you strive for.

Randy Carlyle's Leafs won some pretty donkey games too.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Make the nets slightly bigger, all these purists are funny, you see the monstrous looking nets of the past, obviously it isn't the same game anymore. I make the net as big as the posts are now, that means every "ping" would now be a goal. You'd still need skill, accuracy, but at least a near perfect shot has a chance. A small change that doesn't impact the integrity of the game, and we can let the equipment stay as it is.

So you think that changing something that has been the same throughout the history of the game will maintain the "integrity of the game" better than removing the increasingly oversized cheaters that goalies have been adding to their equipment over the last few decades?