Post-Game Talk: Leafs Win?

[Confucius]

Blown leads and Jack giving up 13 goals in 3 starts on this trip were the bad news, the good is the team goes into the "New York , New York" series on a win and Auston chasing history.

Bure, Yzerman? Not bad company to keep if he can pot one versus the Rangers.

I'm surprised Gretzky doesn't have a piece of that.

 

[wingman75]

Why do people think they deserved to lose last night?

Like, what did the Blues do to deserve to win?

I thought that was a game we clearly deserved to win solely based on the effort in the 3rd period. Both teams were a bit sloppy and didn't have dominating goaltenders. One team took more advantage.

If we should only win games we dominate we are fcked.

 

[Dekes For Days]

If we lose, how we played is considered irrelevant, because we lost, but if we win, it doesn't count unless we completely dominate every single second of play time.

This is like first lesson in the "how to dump on the Leafs 101" class.

 

[Gary Nylund]

If we lose, how we played is considered irrelevant, because we lost, but if we win, it doesn't count unless we completely dominate every single second of play time.

This is like first lesson in the "how to dump on the Leafs 101" class.

How we played is never irrelevant.

 

[4thline]

How we played is never irrelevant.

Eh, he's got a point. There's an element on this board that applies style/quality points to discount "undeserved wins" but also views doing the same about losses as "excuse making"

 

[zeke]

The Leafs have the best expected goal differential in the league so far.

They deserve every bit of their wins so far, and arguably more.

 

[zeke]

No one got what I was on about when I referenced Gilmour’s OT winner regarding Marner’s move but the man himself recognized it.

Dougie's being generous. His double/triple turnback was on another level.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Eh, he's got a point. There's an element on this board that applies style/quality points to discount "undeserved wins" but also views doing the same about losses as "excuse making"

There's a zillion different "elements" on this board. There's one for example that puts a positive spin on absolutely anything the team ever does and attacks anyone who dares to be critical of anything. They're especially tiresome because they seem to make hundreds of posts a day, it's like they're policing every thread 24 hours a day but whatever, there's something on this board to annoy everyone I guess, it is what it is.

 

[4thline]

There's a zillion different "elements" on this board. There's one for example that puts a positive spin on absolutely anything the team ever does and attacks anyone who dares to be critical of anything. They're especially tiresome because they seem to make hundreds of posts a day, it's like they're policing every thread 24 hours a day but whatever, there's something on this board to annoy everyone I guess, it is what it is.

And neither of us is either of those, but of the two active negativity is far more annoying given the state of the team. Ask yourself, which camp would pooks and TWS be in right now?

 

[ACC1224]

There's a zillion different "elements" on this board. There's one for example that puts a positive spin on absolutely anything the team ever does and attacks anyone who dares to be critical of anything. They're especially tiresome because they seem to make hundreds of posts a day, it's like they're policing every thread 24 hours a day but whatever, there's something on this board to annoy everyone I guess, it is what it is.

Easily the most annoying, bursting with uninformed opinions.

 

[Gary Nylund]

And neither of us is either of those, but of the two active negativity is far more annoying given the state of the team. Ask yourself, which camp would pooks and TWS be in right now?

LOL I'd rather not think about those guys. I get what you're saying and there are definitely annoying posters supporting every POV under the sun but for me, the two most active ones on the positivity side are the most annoying and that's all I will say (don't want to get an infraction/warning or WE).

Easily the most annoying, bursting with uninformed opinions.

Opinions are one thing but those guys, man everyone knows what their "opinions" are before they even post a word.

 

[glue]

There's a zillion different "elements" on this board. There's one for example that puts a positive spin on absolutely anything the team ever does and attacks anyone who dares to be critical of anything. They're especially tiresome because they seem to make hundreds of posts a day, it's like they're policing every thread 24 hours a day but whatever, there's something on this board to annoy everyone I guess, it is what it is.

Indeed, it’s equally bad to have Toxic positivity

 

[zeke]

looks like the mods have forced me to ignore somebody so i'm missing some of this convo.

but it's weird that the Toxic Positivity people are right about how good the team is, while the "realists" are wrong.

 

[Zybalto]

The Leafs have the best expected goal differential in the league so far.

They deserve every bit of their wins so far, and arguably more.

Combine that expected goal differential with 2nd best team save% and their 24-9-3 (.708) record actually does look underwhelming.

Those early games where we had trouble finishing plus getting goalied badly a couple of times will do that I guess.

This is certainly one of the best Leafs team we've ever seen which is why negativity is pushed back on pretty hard I think (and rightly so). The team has done all of this depsite key injuries and getting slammed by covid as well (to no hero's ovation like the Canucks last year).

Really hope they make some noise in the playoffs this year and they look primed to do so with covid around having been a thing. Just need to avoid the injury bug like last year (and no more career playoffs performances from the opposing goalie).

 

[Gary Nylund]

Indeed, it’s equally bad to have Toxic positivity

Equally bad - I agree in principle. Those two "everything is awesome" dudes are more annoying because they just post so damn much, if the other guys posted the most then they'd be the most annoying. I may have to put the last guy on ignore, I had him on ignore before but then I happened to look here one day on my phone where I'm not logged in and I noticed that even though I have ignored him for ages, he still regularly quotes me and slags me which is annoying and I felt compelled to respond. Maybe it's not worth it though, it probably isn't. Sigh.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Really hope they make some noise in the playoffs this year and they look primed to do so with covid around having been a thing. Just need to avoid the injury bug like last year (and no more career playoffs performances from the opposing goalie).

To be fair, they've looked primed for four years now with nothing to show for it. You can talk about injuries and goaltending and whatever else and while there's some truth to that, it's also not enough to justify getting outscored 15-2 in the most important 10 periods of hockey we've played in the last 4 years. Really hope thing are different this spring but until they finally win a playoff series, the questions remain.

 

[zeke]

Combine that expected goal differential with 2nd best team save% and their 24-9-3 (.708) record actually does look underwhelming.

Those early games where we had trouble finishing plus getting goalied badly a couple of times will do that I guess.

This is certainly one of the best Leafs team we've ever seen which is why negativity is pushed back on pretty hard I think (and rightly so). The team has done all of this depsite key injuries and getting slammed by covid as well (to no hero's ovation like the Canucks last year).

Really hope they make some noise in the playoffs this year and they look primed to do so with covid around having been a thing. Just need to avoid the injury bug like last year (and no more career playoffs performances from the opposing goalie).

there's some weirdness that has to settle still that's for sure.

i.e. COL and FLA are scoring at unfathomable levels right now. Statistically you would think both would drop significantly in that department going forward but who knows? they're certainly stacked with talent.

also i think COL and TB are ahead of us only thanks to shootout points at the moment.

As of now, despite our good goaltending, of all the top 10 teams the Leafs are outpacing their xGF% the least.

GF% - xGF%

1. CAR +5.8
2. MIN +4.7
3. COL +3.5
4. FLA +3.3
5. NYR +3.3
6. TBL +2.5
7. PIT +1.6
8. TOR +1.0

So you would think that going forward regression would hit those other teams harder than the Leafs...but we'll see.

 

[Apex Predator]

Equally bad - I agree in principle. Those two "everything is awesome" dudes are more annoying because they just post so damn much, if the other guys posted the most then they'd be the most annoying. I may have to put the last guy on ignore, I had him on ignore before but then I happened to look here one day on my phone where I'm not logged in and I noticed that even though I have ignored him for ages, he still regularly quotes me and slags me which is annoying and I felt compelled to respond. Maybe it's not worth it though, it probably isn't. Sigh.

I have not blocked anyone but I can see why some people want to. It works both ways with the negative and positive. I’m probably bunched in more with the negatives because earlier in the season I had my concerns and expressed them. I was wrong and can admit it.

You should still have concerns based on the past and should be able to express it without being bombarded about why you are wrong. Negativity is bad but shoving positivity down your throat and ignoring everything else can be just as bad.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I have not blocked anyone but I can see why some people want to. It works both ways with the negative and positive. I’m probably bunched in more with the negatives because earlier in the season I had my concerns and expressed them. I was wrong and can admit it.

You should still have concerns based on the past and should be able to express it without being bombarded about why you are wrong. Negativity is bad but shoving positivity down your throat and ignoring everything else can be just as bad.

There's always the good and the bad, the positive and the negative. If people are only capable of seeing one or the other that's their problem, not mine and they certainly have the right to be myopic. When those people post more than anyone else and bombard every thread with their 100% predictable "opinions", that's when they get annoying.

 

[Fogelhund]

 

[ACC1224]

Absolutely they should.
Teams should be worrying about facing the Leafs in the Playoffs and Leaf fans shouldn't care who they match up against. At this stage, they should beat anyone. The 'pain' Babcock talked about should be over.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Absolutely they should.
Teams should be worrying about facing the Leafs in the Playoffs and Leaf fans shouldn't care who they match up against. At this stage, they should beat anyone. The 'pain' Babcock talked about should be over.

On one hand sure, winning the division seems like a reasonable goal and one that is certainly within reach. It also would mean an easier 1st round matchup which is a very nice prize considering the division were in.

On the other hand, our MO has been that no matter who our opponent is, we compete until almost the end but when the finish line is in sight, we fade away into oblivion. That being the case, I'd be less concerned with who we play and more concerned with having our heads on straight and being able to play up to our enormous potential when the stakes are highest. I swear if we play TB in the 1st round and go toe to toe with them before getting dominated 3-0 or 5-1 or whatever in game 7, it's going to be the longest summer ever.

 

[glue]

Equally bad - I agree in principle. Those two "everything is awesome" dudes are more annoying because they just post so damn much, if the other guys posted the most then they'd be the most annoying. I may have to put the last guy on ignore, I had him on ignore before but then I happened to look here one day on my phone where I'm not logged in and I noticed that even though I have ignored him for ages, he still regularly quotes me and slags me which is annoying and I felt compelled to respond. Maybe it's not worth it though, it probably isn't. Sigh.

Well it makes sense though right. Someone who is constantly negative no matter what, doesn't attack you for being positive typically. Their annoying but can be easily ignored by not responding to their comments or laughing it off in terms of how nonsensical they sound. You can even to an extent give that crowd a break at times given how much failure leaf fans have had to endure (sometimes a pure emotional reaction rather than logical). On the other hand if someone is constantly trying to argue that we are simply going through the 'process' and 'patience' is required, that is far more annoying. Like don't get me wrong, no point dwelling on the past, at the same time it can't be ignored or rationalized that the leafs keep losing with this core in rd 1. At some point you need results, and to suggest we've been unlucky every single time and finding excuses for it gets annoying.

 

[wingman75]

looks like the mods have forced me to ignore somebody so i'm missing some of this convo.

but it's weird that the Toxic Positivity people are right about how good the team is, while the "realists" are wrong.

Ha ha! I think we all (should) know that the jury is still out on how good this team really is though, isn't it? I say, enjoy the regular season for what it is, a tune up for the real thing. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a positive attitude, its a great way to live. But it cannot come at the expense of reality... I was super critical of the team blowing the third period leads on the recent road trip... does it matter in the moment? Not really, but if we play like that in the playoffs we are done for. So while I love that the team is winning and there are tons of positives day in and day out, there is something to be said about winning the right way consistently... because those 'cheat' wins are far and few between once playoff time comes and that is what worries me.

 

[ACC1224]

Did the Team practice today? Any updates?