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Pre-Game Talk: Minnesota @ Toronto - Wednesday 7pm

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Suntouchable13 said:
Jeez, does anyone realize how close we are to joining the wildcard mess? Ottawa is 6 points back. Would be nice to pick up some wins before the break and keep a healthy distance away from the wildcard teams.
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It is pretty tight.

7 points away from being out of playoffs with Columbus, yet still in first with a game in hand.

It has been a different year. Usually by now we know who the Leafs will play in Round 1.

Now it will change on a weekly basis
 
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Feels like either Minnesota will beat the wheels off the Leafs physically, or the Leafs top guns will come alive.
 
LeafsNet said:
That game in Ottawa brought back some tough playoff games I’ve seen them play in recent years. Nothing clicking, nothing being generated, hanging around and taking the L.

Let’s hope they get a bunch of W’s before the break, and all should be well.
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Tanev is a really good D, but is it really the guy we needed? Scoring was the issue in the past couple of playoffs. I guess they are just hoping the big guns figure it out.
 
Suntouchable13 said:
Tanev is a really good D, but is it really the guy we needed? Scoring was the issue in the past couple of playoffs. I guess they are just hoping the big guns figure it out.
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I never really understood the 'we need better defence' mantra. The Leafs have played excellent defence in the playoffs for the past 4-5 seasons... maybe longer.

The issue has always been an inability to generate enough scoring chances. I love Tanev, but he does little to fix that despite his excellent outlet passing.

I believe we'd need peak Rielly and another passing forward who could help generate chances off a pass. Outside Marner, we really lack in that area, meaning the big dogs have to create themselves while carrying the puck, which is what goes away in the playoffs more than anything else.

As far as the Wednesday games goes, I'd expect this to be a closely checked game and physical. Hopefully it displays more skill than the game from the weekend, which was awful to watch.

Woll is on a bit of a good run, looking for that to continue. Boys will be looking ahead to the big roadtrip and break on the flipside. Lets hope they haven't overlooked this one.
 
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MSZ said:
Best road team in the league this season. Should be an easy win for Minny.
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Leafs have the 4th best home record. Only easy if the Leafs no-show again. If they do, Minney will have to work for it.

I will say.. despite some small losing streaks, the team is not directly losing games like they used too off of lazy turnovers. They are finding new and exiting ways, but at least that is gone from their game.
 
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wingman75 said:
I never really understood the 'we need better defence' mantra. The Leafs have played excellent defence in the playoffs for the past 4-5 seasons... maybe longer.

The issue has always been an inability to generate enough scoring chances. I love Tanev, but he does little to fix that despite his excellent outlet passing.

I believe we'd need peak Rielly and another passing forward who could help generate chances off a pass. Outside Marner, we really lack in that area, meaning the big dogs have to create themselves while carrying the puck, which is what goes away in the playoffs more than anything else.

As far as the Wednesday games goes, I'd expect this to be a closely checked game and physical. Hopefully it displays more skill than the game from the weekend, which was awful to watch.

Woll is on a bit of a good run, looking for that to continue. Boys will be looking ahead to the big roadtrip and break on the flipside. Lets hope they haven't overlooked this one.
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The problem wasn't the defending the Leafs identified as the issue. The bigger problem Toronto identified from our D-core was that Toronto didn't have enough mobile d-man that could skate or pass the puck out to our forwards, which is the reason for lack of generating anything offensively. as you said.

Can see Wednesday being another boring, low eventful game. I hope people remember we are missing 4 regular top 9 forwards (even though one hasn't played all year) and our 3rd line is essentially our 4th line, and our 4th line is pretty much a AHL line as of right now.
 
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Torontonian said:
The problem wasn't the defending the Leafs identified as the issue. The bigger problem Toronto identified from our D-core was that Toronto didn't have enough mobile d-man that could skate or pass the puck out to our forwards, which is the reason for lack of generating anything offensively. as you said.

Can see Wednesday being another boring, low eventful game. I hope people remember we are missing 4 regular top 9 forwards (even though one hasn't played all year) and our 3rd line is essentially our 4th line, and our 4th line is pretty much a AHL line as of right now.
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While it’s a fair call out, what we are seeing is a bit of an indictment of the quality of our depth we have to weather injuries. I think as a contender it’d be reasonable to expect to have better fill in options.
 
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Sypher04 said:
While it’s a fair call out, what we are seeing is a bit of an indictment of the quality of our depth we have to weather injuries. I think as a contender it’d be reasonable to expect to have better fill in options.
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I dunno... I look at depth to be able to not give up things rather than to generate things. Expecially on the backend. I don't feel any of the 8 guys we rotate through give up much, Timmins has drifted from his good start so we could say he is the one guy who does.

Again, I feel good depth is supposed to be able to step in and not get caved in, allowing your stars to do what they are supposed to best.
 
wingman75 said:
Leafs have the 4th best home record. Only easy of the Leafs no-show again. If they who, Minney will have to work for it.

I will say.. despite some small losing streaks, the team is not directly losing games like they used too off of lazy turnovers. They are finding new and exiting ways, but at least that is gone from their game.
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They have been a no show against the Canes, Jets and Capitals at home. I don't expect anything different, but they're more than welcome to prove me wrong.
 
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Jojalu said:
It is pretty tight.

7 points away from being out of playoffs with Columbus, yet still in first with a game in hand.

It has been a different year. Usually by now we know who the Leafs will play in Round 1.

Now it will change on a weekly basis
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Yeah scary what a 2 game losing streak can do. Need to show more urgency. Not sure this team has the mental fortitude to be battling it out, night in night out, with 30 or so games left. But if it gets to that, maybe we'll see consistent urgency never before seen. Although covid year i think they would have got caught.
 
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Sypher04 said:
While it’s a fair call out, what we are seeing is a bit of an indictment of the quality of our depth we have to weather injuries. I think as a contender it’d be reasonable to expect to have better fill in options.
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Yes & No, I don't think many teams in the contender status have the ability to take a hit to 4 top 9 forwards.

It really did expose us though through the center ice position.
 
Toronto has lost more man games at Forward, and at Forward quality, than any other team. We are still leading the division. Nobody has quality depth, to replace some of the injuries we've had. We have three forwards that have played every game. We were without two of our top six guys, and three of our top nine guys last game. No team is going to be immune from these kind of losses.

We had Quillan, Minten, Reaves, Holmberg in the lineup... if we were healthy, I don't want any of them in the NHL for us right now.
 
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Fogelhund said:
Toronto has lost more man games at Forward, and at Forward quality, than any other team. We are still leading the division. Nobody has quality depth, to replace some of the injuries we've had. We have three forwards that have played every game. We were without two of our top six guys, and three of our top nine guys last game. No team is going to be immune from these kind of losses.

We had Quillan, Minten, Reaves, Holmberg in the lineup... if we were healthy, I don't want any of them in the NHL for us right now.
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Treliving needs to find some center help then

Even fully healthy I don’t like seeing’s

Matthews-Tavares-Domi-Kampf

Down the middle, domi is a natural winger, he’s not a Center and forcing him into that isn’t working. To try and get him going I’d still look to run
Knies/McMann-Matthews-Domi

Then either go Marner nylander on a line with anyone with hopes that this guy is replaced by a traded player and Tavares and the other LW and Robertson. Otherwise you swap JT and nylander and have 3 lines

Marner-Holmberg/Trade-Nylander
Knies/Mcmann-JT-Robertson

Or

Marner-Tavares-Holmberg
Knies/Mcmann-Trade/Nylander-Robertson
 
Aashir said:
Treliving needs to find some center help then

Even fully healthy I don’t like seeing’s

Matthews-Tavares-Domi-Kampf

Down the middle, domi is a natural winger, he’s not a Center and forcing him into that isn’t working. To try and get him going I’d still look to run
Knies/McMann-Matthews-Domi

Then either go Marner nylander on a line with anyone with hopes that this guy is replaced by a trade player with Tavares and the other LW with Robertson. Otherwise you swap JT and nylander and have 3 lines
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Most of the talk here has been about us needing just that, a 3C for the lineup.
 
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Leafs98 said:
Yeah scary what a 2 game losing streak can do. Need to show more urgency. Not sure this team has the mental fortitude to be battling it out, night in night out, with 30 or so games left. But if it gets to that, maybe we'll see consistent urgency never before seen. Although covid year i think they would have got caught.
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When you add in the 3 game losing streak we just had it’s not surprising that things are tightening up.
We are a .500 team the last 10 games

Racer88 said:
When you add in the 3 game losing streak we just had it’s not surprising that things are tightening up.
We are a .500 team the last 10 games
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Delete

29Potvin said:
We need a PPQB, someone that can hammer the puck from the point.
Special teams have been what has killed this team in ever playoffs.
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What we need is some heart transplants and some testicular replacements for a few.
Please don’t ban me, I tried to frame it as PG as I could
 
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