Post-Game Talk: Leafs win game 3 5-2

[hockeyes]

TB's coach took the goalie out with 2:20 left, TO had been under siege thru the entire 3rd period, what a bonehead move, the only reason TO won.

Where is the dislike button, terrible takes

 

[ECanuck]

For those that complain about Nylander and Tavares, how many goals is Stamkos/Pointe/Kuch scoring at even strength?

Cancel each other out.

 

[PromisedLand]

I don't know why people are complaining about Holl. He was fine.

I don't know why people aren't frustrated with Boosch. He needs to sit for Liljegren more than anything. He couldn't do anything defensively.

Riiigghttt..... How date Boosh take body, lay hits and make it difficult for opposition to carry puck from his side

hell how date boosh set up blackwell for the goal tonight. How dare he!

All hail Justin Holl

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Matthews still had a number good looks including a breakaway

Not really. Maybe on the PP he had a couple and that nice pass from Rielly gave him that clean breakaway, but he shot it right into Vasilevsky's chest and then whiffed on the rebound. He didn't really create anything for himself today, and his line was dominated far too often in their own end tonight. That is not all on him - he did win some battles in his own end - but nonetheless, his line was thoroughly dominated for the entire game (which is 1/3 of the overall game for the Leafs).

He played 1/3 of the game and pretty much the entire time, the ice was tilted against him. That can't happen. It is fine if he doesn't score every game, but something else needs to happen to support his linemates offensively at least. Tavares does that by being a pain in front of the net or extending cycles. Marner was blocking shots. Nylander... Well he needs to be better too.

I expect Matthews will be better (he has to be if we want to win), and maybe that will be the thing that helps the Leafs close out this series in 5 games. Because we were able to grind out a win even with Matthews at his worst.

 

[zeke]

 

[Damisoph]

It's almost like it was going to be tough beating the 2 time Cup champs.

 

[Bigmarycombo]

Campbell was huge too. Type of game that stifled the Leafs on the other end in years' past.

Bottom 6 was great. Top line was awful the entire game. 2nd line was too at the mid-way mark, but was good in the first half. IDK if it is the food poisoning or what, but Nylander goes from looking great in the first half to completely sinking the line in the second half. Kase too was having a lot of trouble clearing the puck, and then Tavares was spending a crap ton of energy killing cycles and engaging in board battles down low only for Kase and Nylander to fail to make easy clears. He was really struggling to win draws cleanly after a strong first half, but even when he had a great tie-up, Kase and Nylander were always slow/weak on puck battles and races.

Matthews and Bunting have to get their heads out of their asses... Absolutely crap for pretty much the entire 60 minutes. Marner was at least blocking shots and was great on the PK. Matthews stunk on the PP and flubbed at ES too.

Defense struggled to clear the puck out but it was as much to do with the wingers as anything. All 4 lines' wingers were awful at clearing out the puck today, especially in the 2nd half. Lyubushkin and Holl had some iffy moments when it came to pinches and cycling in their own end, but in general, I thought the defense was fine if we were able to have the forwards do a much better job with their defensive responsibilities.

I will take the win, especially after a strong first half where we were far better than Tampa, but that 2nd half and the overall effort from that top line at ES is absolutely not going to cut it if we want to get anywhere.

Jesus I missed the game due to work but reading this terrible post I think we lost the game.

 

[SprDaVE]

What a joke of a thing to say by Cooper.

 

[BertCorbeau]

It's almost like it was going to be tough beating the 2 time Cup champs.

And it only gets tougher from here.

 

[Azazel]

Jon Cooper is giving Tampa fans a bad name.

 

[tom leafers]

Yo shout out to this man!
@BHD

 

[PromisedLand]

Matthews still had a number good looks including a breakaway

He needs to take shooting lessons from Kampf. Kampf beet Vasy clean twice already

 

[All Mod Cons]

I don't know why people are complaining about Holl. He was fine.

I don't know why people aren't frustrated with Boosch. He needs to sit for Liljegren more than anything. He couldn't do anything defensively.

Guys gets an awesome assist and practically an assist on Kampf's goal GWG with a thunderous hit, separating the puck from Hagel.


Should probably sit.

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

relax champ, it was just a lighthearted comment.

not directed to you sorry was general. getting annoyed of posts before yours where tavares continues to get run out of town but a depth player can have a bad game, CF 33% xGF of 20% to back up what my eyes saw, but gets praise as game changer over him because of 30 seconds of easy empty net assists.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

We had 5 PP's? Tampa had 3.

Two over the glass calls. I mean you can't complain about that.

One was a high sticking on Blackwell. It was legit just like Lyubushkin's was.

One was a cross check in the numbers on Kase. Tell your team not to be stupid and undisciplined.

Cernak at the end of the period was the only one which maybe he can have a gripe about, but once again, your team was stupid and undisciplined. Cernak thought he could be the 2nd man but the refs were not having it, and he got burned.

Meanwhile, the Holl holding penalty was not a penalty. Holl played Hagel clean and Hagel held onto his stick and wrapped it around him before falling. That should not have been a penalty but at the same time, good on Hagel for selling it well and Holl has to make sure it doesn't not happen in the first place. Not blaming the refs on that one; Hagel earned that sell job.

That "hook" on Muzzin was barely even a hook. There were a bunch of those kinds of plays on both sides and none of them were called, even on drives to the net.

Ultimately, it was 3-3 in PP's if you take out the two objective delay of game calls, and Tampa even got away with a trapezoid violation (albeit a minor one). It was 7-4 last game and we didn't have any delay of games or anything, and we were called a lot tighter than Tampa was today.

Cooper shouldn't be complaining about the refs right now. His team is getting the advantage and is just absolutely sucking with it.

 

[SprDaVE]

Guys gets an awesome assist and practically an assist on Kampf's goal GWG with a thunderous hit, separating the puck from Hagel.


Should probably sit.

An assist doesn't remove how awful he was defensively. Did we watch the same game?

I'm ok with Boosch and what he does. But it blows my mind he gets passes from everyone but Holl breathes and people complain.

 

[leafsafc]

I'm embarrassed for Tampa watching these post game interviews. Do they realize how they come across? Nobody cares about anything but right now, and you're asking for the game to respect you because of what you've accomplished. Not going to happen.

 

[MattySnipes]

would people feel better if the leafs outplayed TB by a large margin and lost because they couldnt beat vasi? we won, in the playoffs thats all that matters.

Lmao seriously. It's first to 16 wins. Who tf cares how pretty it is.

 

[pcruz]

Wasn't on the ice for either goal but yes the BS penalty call on him did result in a lucky PP goal for them.

He also got caught pinching which led to a rush that Campbell made the save. Tampa scored off that face-off.

He did not have a good game at all.
Far too much fumbling the puck in the defensive zone as well and instead of crisp passes out of the zone, tons of button-hook turns.

For what it's worth, Lyubushkin is just as bad, but at least he has a heavy physical presence out there and plays with less of a safety blanket in Rielly as compared to Giordano.

Gio is our best defenseman to be honest.
He's not going to put up a gazillion points, but his play is best described as the steadying force on the ice.
Handles pressure well, gets himself in good position to receive and make passes too.
Also, despite his age, he doesn't get caught pinching while still being pretty aggressive out there.

Quite easily Dubas' best acquisition for the Leafs.
Hope he sticks around another year.

 

[Leafs1991]

Sure hope JT is playing hurt because 1 SOG in a crucial playoff game is not enough from our erstwhile captain

He continues to show that faceoffs are the only thing he can provide now. Even my dad is finally seeing it and he was being supportive of Tavares all year.

 

[djdev]

not directed to you sorry was general. getting annoyed of posts before yours where tavares continues to get run out of town but a depth player can have a bad game, CF 33% xGF of 20% to back up what my eyes saw, but gets praise as game changer over him because of 30 seconds of easy empty net assists.

ive been extremely positive if you see my posts, but the JT thing is a problem imo. anyways..we won so im not gonna stress haha

 

[bax]

And there we go lol thanks Cooper.

 

[leafsafc]

Also I loved Spezza's comment earlier today about how each game is a new start and in the playoffs, the momentum doesn't carry over. He's exactly right. Game 4 won't care about who won period 3 of game 3. We got the W.

 

[DarkKnight]

Mitch Marner 4 blocks.

 

[Burnie97]

It's almost like it was going to be tough beating the 2 time Cup champs.

I appreciate the enthusiasm but let's wait til the end of the Leafs round 1.