Post-Game Talk: Leafs win.

[Sypher04]

Where did we improve? Bogo and Hyman gone, a bunch of bandaids brought in. You think our depth is better, I don’t see it, pretty vanilla.

I do think our depth is better, but that doesn’t mean that I disagree it’s vanilla. I just think our depth last year was even more so.

 

[AvroArrow]

Not to mention Matthews was actually yelling at someone. Seems like it’s about time Alternate Captain Moustache got angry, if Captain Pyjamas won’t.

He was chirping that hawks fan after the win, I love it. Fan was talking shit and gave him the finger, it might not be much but it honestly restored some of my faith in these guys. They actually care. Hopefully it wasn't just a 1 game thing and they can consistently bring that passion.

 

[ToneDog]

Where did we improve? Bogo and Hyman gone, a bunch of bandaids brought in. You think our depth is better, I don’t see it, pretty vanilla.

Where did we improve? Bogo and Hyman gone, a bunch of bandaids brought in. You think our depth is better, I don’t see it, pretty vanilla.

We're gonna see just how good this team is when we play the top teams. So far nothing tells me we are at that level.

 

[DarkKnight]

I do think our depth is better, but that doesn’t mean that I disagree it’s vanilla. I just think our depth last year was even more so.

I don’t know you have a career fourth line center playing on our third line. Ritchie is a liability, Kase is a body nothing more. Apart from Bunting, not much to show for off-season. There is no Hyman replacement, so net negative there and we are seeing what Bogo brought, he was great last year, again no real replacement, net negative. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Jumbo Joe is gone, but I’m hard pressed to see good depth here and our top six isn’t better.

 

[Statsman1]

He was chirping that hawks fan after the win, I love it. Fan was talking shit and gave him the finger, it might not be much but it honestly restored some of my faith in these guys. They actually care. Hopefully it wasn't just a 1 game thing and they can consistently bring that passion.

Pride and passion have to start somewhere.

 

[fahad203]

Wasn't a fan of our game much yesterday. I cannot for the life of me understand why the directive with the D is to be so active in neutral ice. We get caught pinching not to keep the puck in the offensive zone, but more often to keep it on the their side of the red line....which makes zero sense to me. What is the gain?

It is very clear that this is the message to the D and not them making individual decisions. This needs to be cleaned up ASAP.

Happy the boys battled back and got the W, but they really should not have gotten a single point. Soupy bailed us out big time with some massive saves in the 3rd to keep it tight.

Hopefully this is the W that gives them a shot in the arm going forward.

Standouts:

-Campbell was a rock
-Willy is just so unbelievably underrated when in the same sentence as Mitch and Auston. He is every bit as skilled as those 2, and we are seeing it night in and night out now. Absolute monster out there, total treat to watch him be so dominant.
-Marner's best game by a mile, still a bit off, but strong bounce back
-Sandin was the best D IMO
-Engvall - Kampf - Kase is a line that is showing signs of promise. If anyone reads my posts on here you'll know how little I think of Engvall from an IQ perspective. But I have to give him credit, he has shown a bit more awareness this year. He still makes the vintage dumb f***ing plays that cost us goals against, but he has also shown an ability to make plays with the puck on his stick.

Standouts for the wrong reasons:
-Muzz/Holl pairing is f***ing terrible right now. They turn like 18 Wheelers and have been stuck in the mud all year.
-Matthews just seemed off all night.
-Bunting just looked a little out of sorts with Matts and Willy. Not sure if it is the wrong mix, or if it was just an off night for the line. But there were a lot of miscues with drop passes going no where, and general fumbling of the puck.

all n all, take the 2, get on top of the wave for a change and hopefully ride it for a little while. We desperately need our confidence back. A little streak in the right direction would do wonders

Campbell to me was very questionable. He makes great saves only to let in a bad goal
The goal by Dach was brutal, then the one went through five hole behind the net or beside him

This was a better game, but it wasn't a good game

 

[francis246]

We're gonna see just how good this team is when we play the top teams. So far nothing tells me we are at that level.

the crazy thing about this team is they actually play better against top tier teams. It's such a weird dynamic. Teams they should be better than they just don't play motivated against.

 

[DarkKnight]

We're gonna see just how good this team is when we play the top teams. So far nothing tells me we are at that level.

We’ve had an incredibly easy schedule to date.

 

[Nineteen67]

i still don’t think there’s much difference in roster quality between this year and last year overall. We got weaker in a couple spots, but improved I think in others. The biggest issue still in my estimation is that our players are not playing to their abilities, and I don’t know how you solve that

The only place they may have improved is goaltending if and when both are healthy.

 

[DarkKnight]

the crazy thing about this team is they actually play better against top tier teams. It's such a weird dynamic. Teams they should be better than they just don't play motivated against.

Or like last night, they come out with no jam and then turn it on to salvage the night. We’ve seen that forever, it’s a mentally weak team. You’ll never win that way.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

Or like last night, they come out with no jam and then turn it on to salvage the night. We’ve seen that forever, it’s a mentally weak team. You’ll never win that way.

Wouldn't mentally weak teams get down in a game early and then just give up?

 

[Nineteen67]

the crazy thing about this team is they actually play better against top tier teams. It's such a weird dynamic. Teams they should be better than they just don't play motivated against.

They played two top tier teams and we’re humiliated in both games.

 

[socko]

If you're not worried about Matthews wrist, well then lets just say I disagree. Even in the playoffs before the surgery, he was missing shots at a much higher clip than he usually has. It's not just about the power but the accuracy too. And quite frankly I don't see the power right now. They operated on the guys meal ticket and there is a reason that surgery is a last resort.

 

[DarkKnight]

Wouldn't mentally weak teams get down in a game early and then just give up?

No mentally weak teams don’t show up at puck drop.

 

[Nineteen67]

Wouldn't mentally weak teams get down in a game early and then just give up?

They were a fluke goal off the Ds skate from losing that game.

 

[socko]

This team is much weaker than last years. I'm expecting them to miss the playoffs. Jack Campbell will take a lot of the blame which is a tragedy because he's actually a solid starter.

 

[francis246]

They played two top tier teams and we’re humiliated in both games.

carolina? Who was the other?

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

No mentally weak teams don’t show up at puck drop.

Uh, Ok. I would tend to think that those same mentally weak teams would just give up and go home after getting down early.

I dunno. So much criticism is warranted with this hapless bunch, but still some want to draw such weird conclusions.

To be clear, as I'm sure I'll be misconstrued....I think this team IS mentally soft. I don't think the point you made proves it, however.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

They were a fluke goal off the Ds skate from losing that game.

That has nothing to do with my point. They played much better after getting down 2 early, IMO. I did not comment on how close they were to winning. But thank you.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Where did we improve? Bogo and Hyman gone, a bunch of bandaids brought in. You think our depth is better, I don’t see it, pretty vanilla.

I agree, both those guys were huge losses. It's possible this team is better in the playoffs though, we just need to be lucky enough to have all our key players healthy at the right time.

This team is much weaker than last years. I'm expecting them to miss the playoffs. Jack Campbell will take a lot of the blame which is a tragedy because he's actually a solid starter.

On paper the team isn't as good as last season but much weaker is a huge overstatement. Don't forget out goaltending was pretty bad last season, if nothing else than that at least should be better. I expect to comfortably make the playoffs.

 

[AvroArrow]

Campbell to me was very questionable. He makes great saves only to let in a bad goal
The goal by Dach was brutal, then the one went through five hole behind the net or beside him

This was a better game, but it wasn't a good game

I thought Soupy was incredible last night. Dach made a really nice move to score that goal, you want your goalie to have that obviously but I think Dach deserves some credit on that play.

Their second goal was Debrincat on a breakaway, I don't blame him on that at all.

 

[notDatsyuk]

In like Novice or Pee wee they teach you not to make a move at the line. You gain the line first.

Holl dekes before he gains the line and puts his man offside. Matthews is frustrated because again, you’re taught better in minor hockey.

That's what they teach, but it still happens. At the same age, defencemen are taught to force the play at the blueline to get the offside.

Last game, Tavares did it twice in one PP.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I thought Soupy was incredible last night. Dach made a really nice move to score that goal, you want your goalie to have that obviously but I think Dach deserves some credit on that play.

Their second goal was Debrincat on a breakaway, I don't blame him on that at all.

I couldn't agree more. Not sure why goalies are expected to be flawless in this market but it makes no sense at all. Campbell was pretty damn good last night.

 

[socko]

I agree, both those guys were huge losses. It's possible this team is better in the playoffs though, we just need to be lucky enough to have all our key players healthy at the right time.



On paper the team isn't as good as last season but much weaker is a huge overstatement. Don't forget out goaltending was pretty bad last season, if nothing else than that at least should be better. I expect to comfortably make the playoffs.

On paper its just a little worse. I base the rest on the eye test. A good sign was that Tavares showed life. I still see dark days ahead.

 

[Twine Tickler]

Campbell to me was very questionable. He makes great saves only to let in a bad goal
The goal by Dach was brutal, then the one went through five hole behind the net or beside him

This was a better game, but it wasn't a good game

I totally disagree. Dach's shot came extremely weird off of his blade as it was a rolling puck, and he was able to elevate it quite quickly. It was just a hell of a play by Dach, and absolutely terrible defense by Muzz.

The Second goal was just a filthy head fake shot by debrincat. Made it look like he was going far side and just ripped it blocker side. Great release, and great finish. Gotta credit the shooter on that one

I think the second play that you are referring to was the Entwistle breakaway late in the game that squirted through his 5-hole? That was a very good deke IMO, and Entwistle kind of just got unlucky that it didn't clip Campbell's left pad on its way through the 5-hole. It was the exact same deke that beat Lankenen for the GWG and is one of the harder saves for a goalie to make when a guy comes in with pace. You can't help but open up the 5 hole there, because if you don't stretch out, you will easily be beat by a deke.

Overall, soup was tidy as f***, and made some absolutely massive saves to keep it tight. that one cross seem save after the second debrincat breakaway in the 3rd was huge. It was a 2-1 game and that easily could have been curtains for us. Jack battled all night, and realistically was the biggest reason we won the game IMO