Post-Game Talk: Leafs win.

[The Podium]

That is a fair remark. For the record, his ice time is up only a tat compared to his career average. 28 seconds or so.

I like Buntings' hustle and he is making life hard for the opposition in front of the net, but he has everything to prove when it comes to playing on a top line and clearly does not yet have much chemistry with his current line mates.

In my opinion defensive speed and turnovers are much bigger worries then the play of Kämpf and Bunting. Kyper and Bourne had a guy on earlier this week (Michael Kelly?) who mentioned every metric for the Leafs is good and he believes the Leafs will recover from this hesitant start to the season, but he predicted losses for the Leafs in the play-offs for the last five years because of turnovers and he sees the same thing happening now.

Bunting is still figuring out how to play with Matthews and Marner. When he was on a line with Willy and JT he looked a lot more comfortable since both of those players are very predictable. With Matthews last night, there were a few short passes that Bunting just didnt read that drifted off into open ice, a few times where they tried to cross on the rush but skated into each other. It'll get better as they play together more, took Hyman 4 years before he figured it out.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

2021-22 TOI/GP
Bunting: 15:07
Kampf: 14:17

2020-2021 TOI/GP
Bunting: 16:42
Kampf: 14:40

Their minutes are both actually down from last season in different organizations. They are not playing higher in our lineup due to CAP.

Its not uncommon for teams to have a low cost role player or 2 up in their top 6.

Kampf is playing a shutdown role on the 3rd line and has been fantastic, so not sure why you are criticizing him.

I am not criticizing them at all .. not sure why you thought that .. of all da pickups those 2 are best ones for sure .. are they Bogo and Hyman NO not even close

 

[Notsince67]

WOW we beat da worst team in NHL in OT. And we got massively out skated by them in 1st period. But team fought back in 2nd and 3rd. Showed some fight especially Matty. Why is Holl even dressing? And sit down Muzzy if he is injured to rest him up. Dermy played his best game of year finally. Only guy on that defense who made zero mistakes last night.

Thank god we got Soup and Willy. Soup made 3 10 bellers in 3rd period otherwise that was an L. and thank god one of our big 4 can fly. Luv that breakaway speed combined with da deke skill to win game in OT Willy.

In fairness to AM, he did draw the worse defensive pair on a lot of his shifts last night. Holl and Muzzin dragged that line a bit

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

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.

Glad he's getting angry. We need that. Hopefully he starts playing better as well.

 

[ToneDog]

I don’t think you know what cap hell is…

Perhaps, in which case can you kindly explain it for us dummies ?

 

[The Podium]

Perhaps, in which case can you kindly explain it for us dummies ?

Cap hell is when your hands are tied forcing cap decisions. The Leafs hands aren’t tied, they are choosing to stay loyal to their core.

They have 3 high priced forwards without trade clauses that can easily be moved and rectify any issue

 

[hobarth]

2021-22 TOI/GP
Bunting: 15:07
Kampf: 14:17

2020-2021 TOI/GP
Bunting: 16:42
Kampf: 14:40

Their minutes are both actually down from last season in different organizations. They are not playing higher in our lineup due to CAP.

Its not uncommon for teams to have a low cost role player or 2 up in their top 6.

Kampf is playing a shutdown role on the 3rd line and has been fantastic, so not sure why you are criticizing him.

Is he tho, TO d was decent all last year and even in the playoffs so is Kampf necessary. TO lost in the playoffs because they couldn't score and Kampf getting 14/15 minutes per game or more, maybe, while providing zero offense isn't a solution for anything other than the coach feeling great. I think Kase and Engvall/Micheyev might have better offensive potential while providing decent d but with a center like Kerfoot/Kampf their ability to provide offense will be severely limited.

Talented players that can buy into a system are valuable, limited players like Kampf will always be limited, they aren't what champions are built of. TO played Pitts. and had 7 goals scored against, that team was mostly comprised of 3rd line quality players that could be counted on to fill in when injuries happen, I don't think Kampf, Kerfoot, Engvall, Mikheyev, Ritchie, Simmons and Amadio are anything more than 3rd liners at best or in some cases 4th liners at best.

Dumpster diving due to Cap issues is what has happened to TO, next year will probably be even worse.

 

[The Podium]

I am not criticizing them at all .. not sure why you thought that .. of all da pickups those 2 are best ones for sure .. are they Bogo and Hyman NO not even close

But it’s not Hyman and Bogo compared to Kampf and Bunting, it’s Hyman, Bogo and Jumbo compared to Kampf, bunting and Sandin which is a lot closer.

Engvall - Kampf - Kase has looked great compared to our 3rd line last season.

Bunting has looked good even if his lines haven’t been producing.

Sandin-Dermott has been great even without Bogo as a 3rd pairing D.

The PK has been good even without Hyman and Bogo.

The issues, relative to last season, aren’t the players we replaced, but the ones we kept. The big 4 and the top 4 D, which have remained unchanged, have been completely MIA to start the season. The cap space has nothing to do with that.

 

[ToneDog]

Cap hell is when your hands are tied forcing cap decisions. The Leafs hands aren’t tied, they are choosing to stay loyal to their core.

They have 3 high priced forwards without trade clauses that can easily be moved and rectify any issue

Not sure how you can say our hands are not tied when for the past 3 years, we have had to dump Kappy, AJ, Hyman, Bogo, Foligno, Barrie (yes he sucked), Andersen, Ceci etc. etc. etc. and probably going to watch Rielly and Mik walk this summer, assuming we resign Soupy.

 

[The Podium]

Not sure how you can say our hands are not tied when for the past 3 years, we have had to dump Kappy, AJ, Hyman, Bogo, Foligno, Barrie (yes he sucked), Andersen, Ceci etc. etc. etc. and probably going to watch Rielly and Mik walk this summer, assuming we resign Soupy.

It was a choice to keep top end and lose depth. Teams that compete lose UFAs every year, not wanting them to do so is a loser mentality.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Not sure how you can say our hands are not tied when for the past 3 years, we have had to dump Kappy, AJ, Hyman, Bogo, Foligno, Barrie (yes he sucked), Andersen, Ceci etc. etc. etc. and probably going to watch Rielly and Mik walk this summer, assuming we resign Soupy.

and Mitch and JT are virtually UNTRADEABLE right now .. Matty and Willy would get a pretty great deal yes but those are our 2 best players and without them this team would have lost EVERY single game this season bar none

 

[ACC1224]

Not sure how you can say our hands are not tied when for the past 3 years, we have had to dump Kappy, AJ, Hyman, Bogo, Foligno, Barrie (yes he sucked), Andersen, Ceci etc. etc. etc. and probably going to watch Rielly and Mik walk this summer, assuming we resign Soupy.

It's more 'limited flexibility' then 'cap hell'.
'Cap Hell' was throwing away a 1st with Marleau to make space, dumping Johnsson and Kapanen.

Any way it's spun, they aren't in an ideal spot cap wise.

 

[Trapper]

In fairness to AM, he did draw the worse defensive pair on a lot of his shifts last night. Holl and Muzzin dragged that line a bit

You’re not going to get points every night but Matthews got “points” in my book for having Campbell’s back and looking angry instead of goofy smiling at times.

Marner on the other hand (people said he played well), I guess from and assist creating standpoint but man, he wins no one on one when someone challenges for a loose puck and just can’t score goals for 11 mil. Sorry but for me that doesn’t equal “points”. If that’s the 11 mil bar, sorry, I’d rather a Kadri/Hyman/Brown and D for that price.

 

[ACC1224]

You’re not going to get points every night but Matthews got “points” in my book for having Campbell’s back and looking angry instead of goofy smiling at times.

Marner on the other hand (people said he played well), I guess from and assist creating standpoint but man, he wins no one on one when someone challenges for a loose puck and just can’t score goals for 11 mil. Sorry but for me that doesn’t equal “points”. If that’s the 11 mil bar, sorry, I’d rather a Kadri/Hyman/Brown and D for that price.

He comes up with a ton of loose pucks.
Needs to start scoring for sure though.

 

[The Podium]

Is he tho, TO d was decent all last year and even in the playoffs so is Kampf necessary. TO lost in the playoffs because they couldn't score and Kampf getting 14/15 minutes per game or more, maybe, while providing zero offense isn't a solution for anything other than the coach feeling great. I think Kase and Engvall/Micheyev might have better offensive potential while providing decent d but with a center like Kerfoot/Kampf their ability to provide offense will be severely limited.

Talented players that can buy into a system are valuable, limited players like Kampf will always be limited, they aren't what champions are built of. TO played Pitts. and had 7 goals scored against, that team was mostly comprised of 3rd line quality players that could be counted on to fill in when injuries happen, I don't think Kampf, Kerfoot, Engvall, Mikheyev, Ritchie, Simmons and Amadio are anything more than 3rd liners at best or in some cases 4th liners at best.

Dumpster diving due to Cap issues is what has happened to TO, next year will probably be even worse.

You dont think a solid defensive PKing C was needed?

Have you not watched this team try to win a faceoff on the PK and then have their non-PKing C scramble to get off to change for the proper PKing forward only to get caught on bad changes and scored on? Or having Jason Spezza caught out there because he lost the faceoff and being completely mismatched in a PK role.

There are 11 other forwards who can be relied on to score, but Kampf was a huge need for this team.

The PK has improved 6% already, albeit early into the season, with Kampf on the 1st unit.