Post-Game Talk: Leafs winn 4-2

[RLF]

2 games in a row with more compete, more physical battle, more aggressive forecheck and defensive zone coverage. Matthews dominant. Muzzin way more effective when we play aggressive. Solid game by pretty much everyone. What a huge difference in this team when they want to compete.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Willie should be a point per game player to earn his contract, particularly playing with Matthews. Every play doesn't equate to a "bargain" discussion, in fact it merely means "earning his keep". Why exaggerate, he's getting a big ticket, he's supposed to produce, when he does no need to over hype it. Every single time Willie gets a point there is a barrage of bargain posts, maybe it counters the hatefest, but it's just as irrelevant to reality. People way too polarized it seems. He has 6 assists his last 7 games, playing with a man possessed, fine.

Hehehehehehe can't wait till you see this year's RFA crop and see how much players that get PPG+ during their rookie contracts make.
Why do you even think that he doesn't deserve 7 million? Because Pasta and Gaudreau were signed years ago and are on steals of contracts? What about all the terrible 7m contracts? Look at the 2016 UFA class alone and tell me Willy isn't worth 7m. He had a bad start to the season and has now clearly caught up to speed. His contract will be 100% fine in the future and has probably the most potential to be a steal of all of Dubas' contracts.

 

[DarkKnight]

Hehehehehehe can't wait till you see this year's RFA crop and see how much players that get PPG+ during their rookie contracts make.
Why do you even think that he doesn't deserve 7 million? Because Pasta and Gaudreau were signed years ago and are on steals of contracts? What about all the terrible 7m contracts? Look at the 2016 UFA class alone and tell me Willy isn't worth 7m. He had a bad start to the season and has now clearly caught up to speed. His contract will be 100% fine in the future and has probably the most potential to be a steal of all of Dubas' contracts.

When you're done oddly laughing, he had 60 points playing with Auston so your comparisons are silly. Willie was over paid, based on his numbers at the time. That's the sentiment you hear around the league, and those people don't have an angle, unlike yourself for instance. Cheers.

 

[ToneDog]

Lets see this effort against a real NHL team before the warm and fuzzy feelings come back

May not see a real NHL team before they clinch and once they do I rest most of my stars. Their Magic number to clinch is 4.

 

[DarkKnight]

May not see a real NHL team before they clinch and once they do I rest most of my stars. Their Magic number to clinch is 4.

Be nice to rest a Hainsey as well.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

When you're done oddly laughing, he had 60 points playing with Auston so your comparisons are silly. Willie was over paid, based on his numbers at the time. That's the sentiment you hear around the league, and those people don't have an angle, unlike yourself for instance. Cheers.

No. Not at all. Due to his points at the time x inflation of the salary cap he made right around where he is supposed to (at least by cap hit seasons 2-6 which is all the Leafs ACTUALLY care about) People are comparing him to Pasta and Gaudreau because of cap hit but those guys simply shouldn't be paid that little.
Also if you think that Matthews carried Willy then how does Matthews barely outproduce him when they play together? It's totally possible that they compliment eachother. Because I seriously haven't seen posters on here say that Tavares carries Marner which he honestly does 5v5 more than Matthews carries Nylander. Being carried to a contract was like Draisaitl by McDavid (who has since proven that 8.5M is a good salary). I have no idea how the benchmark of Willy "needing to be a PPG" to justify a 7m contract as I saw one poster say. Guy will be a 70+ point player annually beside Matthews while not having any of our top players on the 2nd PP unit with him.

 

[Jmo89]

Hehehehehehe can't wait till you see this year's RFA crop and see how much players that get PPG+ during their rookie contracts make.
Why do you even think that he doesn't deserve 7 million? Because Pasta and Gaudreau were signed years ago and are on steals of contracts? What about all the terrible 7m contracts? Look at the 2016 UFA class alone and tell me Willy isn't worth 7m. He had a bad start to the season and has now clearly caught up to speed. His contract will be 100% fine in the future and has probably the most potential to be a steal of all of Dubas' contracts.

You ignored the post. The constant barrage of posts every time he does something decent and every time he does something bad are both equally annoying. Most of us are sick of hearing about it and just want to watch him play. Unfortunately there are a few on each side who need to remind us he's either the best player in the league or the worst.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

You ignored the post. The constant barrage of posts every time he does something decent and every time he does something bad are both equally annoying. Most of us are sick of hearing about it and just want to watch him play. Unfortunately there are a few on each side who need to remind us he's either the best player in the league or the worst.

I just want everyone to agree that it's not heinous. Like some people are saying he needs to be PPG+ for it to be justified and... I just don't know how that's fair and some people are like breakouts alone = 10M. Dude is good and has been looking better than he ever has since the start of Feb and he still never ever catches a break. Feels like 80% of the fanbase at least on here either wants him to fail or has decided he's a failure.

 

[ToneDog]

Be nice to rest a Hainsey as well.

As soon as Rosen is ready.

 

[Jmo89]

I just want everyone to agree that it's not heinous. Like some people are saying he needs to be PPG+ for it to be justified and... I just don't know how that's fair and some people are like breakouts alone = 10M. Dude is good and has been looking better than he ever has since the start of Feb and he still never ever catches a break. Feels like 80% of the fanbase at least on here either wants him to fail or has decided he's a failure.

Im a fan of Nylander and wanted him resigned, however he's a grown man making millions. He chose to sit two months of the season. Just like he was entitled to do that, fans are entitled to be upset about how his season has turned out.

That being said, I agree, I'm sick of hearing about how amazing he is after every zone entry and how horrible he is every time he's rubbed out on the boards. That's the nature of the internet though.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Im a fan of Nylander and wanted him resigned, however he's a grown man making millions. He chose to sit two months of the season. Just like he was entitled to do that, fans are entitled to be upset about how his season has turned out.

That being said, I agree, I'm sick of hearing about how amazing he is after every zone entry and how horrible he is every time he's rubbed out on the boards. That's the nature of the internet though.

To be honest, I never cared aside from missing watching Willy play. We all knew the benefit it would provide and having an additional 0.54M in cap space will prove to be one of many little things that keep us under the cap. Just imagine he was signed at a cap hit of 7.5M flat through 6 years? Then these boards would be even worse.

 

[GuthrieGovan]

My word we played the best game we've had in what feels like forever last night.

Still room for improvement, but we remembered how to stay in it for a full 60 minutes and use that world class offense.

Didn't let them get a huge lead in the first.

We still need work on defense, we need Gardiner and Dermott back on the blue line. I didn't realize how much we'd miss Gardiner. Can't wait until they come back.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[ZEBROA]

Did we just win the cup!!!!

Oh... it was just a regular season game...

against a team that dont want to win...

It is a win so that is good. On to the next one.

 

[GuthrieGovan]

I can only imagine what kind of season we'd be having had we not signed JT.

 

[BayStreetBully]

1 more goal and Tavares will have the most goals of any Leaf since the start of the dead puck era (1996-97 to present). Since Andreychuk score 53 in 1994.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Another one of those funny games, where one team dominates play and has all kinds of scoring chances, but can't bury them.

All four Leaf goals were the result of lucky bounces, rather than great shots.

But I'll take it.

Matthews and Kapanen were the best Leafs.

 

[The90]

Hehehehehehe can't wait till you see this year's RFA crop and see how much players that get PPG+ during their rookie contracts make.
Why do you even think that he doesn't deserve 7 million? Because Pasta and Gaudreau were signed years ago and are on steals of contracts? What about all the terrible 7m contracts? Look at the 2016 UFA class alone and tell me Willy isn't worth 7m. He had a bad start to the season and has now clearly caught up to speed. His contract will be 100% fine in the future and has probably the most potential to be a steal of all of Dubas' contracts.

Also take into account he plays on the second PP now.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Also take into account he plays on the second PP now.

Without much help, at least compared to previous seasons. If you take his 2nd season PP points and 3rd season 5v5 points and add them together you get 75 pts. He can clearly do it he just needs a running mate. Finally got it back in Matthews.

 

[93gilmour93]

Great game from the boys last night. Matthews is turning it up and is looking dominant with the puck

 

[The90]

Did we just win the cup!!!!

Oh... it was just a regular season game...

against a team that dont want to win...

It is a win so that is good. On to the next one.

You’re the type of fan, that other fans dislike lol

 

[Rob Brown]

Lmao, anyone see The Winter Soldier in the Sabres GDT talking shit about the Leafs, calling them soft and basically pandering to the Sabres fans? It's like the guy goes to whatever team we are playing and talks shit. So obsessed.

 

[RLF]

Another one of those funny games, where one team dominates play and has all kinds of scoring chances, but can't bury them.

All four Leaf goals were the result of lucky bounces, rather than great shots.

But I'll take it.

Matthews and Kapanen were the best Leafs.

Personally, I am believer that you make most of your own luck. I don't believe in the narrative that winning the Cup has a large amount of Luck involved (not saying you are saying this).
We drove the net harder than normal last night and therefore were in the position for pucks to hit players and go in. You allow yourself to get boxed out and those goals don't happen. They look lucky, but everyone of those goals was a result of hard work, even Hyman's empty netter. There is a reason the guy is good at it, his reads in our end are quite good and he doesn't collapse too deep which allows him to jump all over those kind of plays and out work opponents to the loose pucks. I just don't see that as lucky. There are definitely some goals or plays I would call lucky, just not as many as some would I think.

 

[Notsince67]

Marner also does it when the going gets tough.

Like the playoffs

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Willie should be a point per game player to earn his contract, particularly playing with Matthews. Every play doesn't equate to a "bargain" discussion, in fact it merely means "earning his keep". Why exaggerate, he's getting a big ticket, he's supposed to produce, when he does no need to over hype it. Every single time Willie gets a point there is a barrage of bargain posts, maybe it counters the hatefest, but it's just as irrelevant to reality. People way too polarized it seems. He has 6 assists his last 7 games, playing with a man possessed, fine.

If you look around the league to me it seems that the going rate is +/- $100,000 per point. Therefore IMO Nylander should get around 70 points every year to justify his contract. Under 70 should be considered an overpay and over 70 is a deal.