BigGulpsEh
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- Feb 20, 2017
- 3,148
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They weathered the storm in the 2nd and showed moxy to put the pens away
Benn making 2 saves on the open net was amazing
Benn making 2 saves on the open net was amazing
Post-Game Talk: Murray's first Win as a Leaf!, 5-2 leafs
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fancy lad
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- Nov 22, 2021
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Really impressed by the Murray's effort. Definitely an improvement over the montreal game.
I want to talk about your grand salami man .. well done!!!!!!!!!!!! .. friggin brilliant .. onto da game Leafs had good games from most of team and Mitch and Murray were great .. nothing like coming out to play and Mitch man those 1st 2 goals were on his back .. and Murray came to play when needed at 3-2 which is what a $$$ goalie does .. there are points in time in games where you need 10 bellers and keep da lead for ur team .. if u can't make those ones then rest makes no difference .. this is why stats mean very little in hockey .. it is what you do when game is on da line which count .. also shout out to Benn .. he is a little quicker than I thought .. he is making a difference for team .. well done team effort too
Exactly, some bad give always here and there but they found a way to come on top. Gotta like what we say. They actually finished plays
TMLeafer
Rest in Peace Johnny Bower
I liked Benn's game again. I'm not expecting him to keep it up but it's very timely that he's been able to step in.
Warden has issued the challenge
GoonieFace
Registered User
Guys like Benn are exactly what a bottom pairing dman should be. Tough, makes the smart plays etc. Need to jettison Holl to the moon or any other celestial body
Sandin had a couple of horrible turnovers, luckily we only got punished for 1 of them.
kevsh
Registered User
- Nov 28, 2018
- 3,889
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therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
Crazy game a little bit of a roller coaster, but the Leafs and Murray stood firm and the eventual 5-2 victory was the well deserved result! TBH I had some doubts when the Penguins closed to 3-2, they're still a very good team and getting a PP a few minutes after the 2nd goal, I said a big oh-oh to myself but Murray made a couple of great positional saves to give the Leafs the life and confidence they needed to take back control of the game.
Congrats to the Captain on #400
The top 6 was humming along all night credited with 19 SOG and the bottom 6 are looking like they've gotten comfortable with each other, played effective minutes and produced some dangerous chances. I'd like to see this 6 stay together a little while longer, although when they need the train the train plays.
Congrats to the Captain on #400
The top 6 was humming along all night credited with 19 SOG and the bottom 6 are looking like they've gotten comfortable with each other, played effective minutes and produced some dangerous chances. I'd like to see this 6 stay together a little while longer, although when they need the train the train plays.
therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
jeebuzz cripes you guys never stop, Holl had a solid game 4 hits 3blks no penalties and 22 minutes of hardly being noticed. Give it up or at least watch the games.
therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
notdoneyet
Registered User
Gary Nylund
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- Oct 10, 2013
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I keep telling people, sports media is not a reliable place to get intelligent information. There may be nuggets of gold here and there but it's mostly entertainment only. So blame Hayes sure, but anyone thinking Hayes is some sort of hockey expert should blame themselves first.
therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
hope you're kidding, I mean I'd love to have Jaime but not at 2 seasons after this at 9.5m that's still 7.125m...... lot's of dinero for a guys who's floating around .5ppg over the last few years....... the 5 year ago Jaime yes, but not the present day guy!
Good road win. I wasn't too thrilled with our 2nd period TBH. It was way too sloppy and if not for Murr that 3 goal lead would have been gone by the end of 2. But on the flip side of that, it is really nice to see Murr back in the cage and kicking. He really held the fort down in that 2nd after those 2 quick goals. He was a rock start to finish. It has been a long time since we had a goalie play as large in the blue paint. He's got that Riemer/Giguere like ability to stay tall in his butterfly which allows him to save pucks he doesn't even see. Pucks just seem to hit him. He is also more athletic than Riemer and Giguere ever were so it allows him to make saves when he is out of position as well.
I oddly have a ton of confidence in Murr's ability to win us games, my only concern is his health.
I also liked the splitting up of Mitch and Auston. We need to see something different from our top 6. They'll be back together at some point, but for the time being they need a fresh look to get going.
Malgin continues to impress. Such a great addition to our lineup. He makes a difference almost every shift. That 4th line of ZAR - Kampf - Malgin has been absolutely dominating
all strengths nubers:
As much as I love the look of that line, I am actually curious how Malgin would do in the top 6. He's played with Auston in Zurich before, and he definitely has the skill to play in the top 6. He has been an absolute dog on pucks in the offensive zone. Very intelligent player. He knows how to extend plays and more importantly has the ability to extend them. I'ds really like to see something like this:
Bunting - Matthews - Malgin
Nylander - Tavares - Marner
Robertson - Kerfoot - Jarnkrok
ZAR - Kampf - XXXX
XXXX could be a rotation of Engvall, Simmonds, Holmberg, Steeves, Anderson...etc
Isolate Matty on his own line. Have the opposition really stew over what line to match. The best player, or the best line. If they key in on Matthews, that loaded "2nd line" can take advantage. If they key in on the 2nd line, it gives Matty more space to work. He's good enough to drive a line on his own, and I honestly think Malgin can get him the puck where he needs it.
Lastly, I think Engvall needs to hit the press box for a couple. He's been f***ing terrible all year. His defensive and neutral zone play is the sloppiest on the team right now, and it cannot continue IMO. He didn't have much of a camp, if any, so I can see why he's been behind the 8 ball. But we are well into the season now, he needs to be better. We've seen this uninspiring play from him in the past. He probably just needs yet another wakeup call. He has responded well to being healthied in the past, so I don't see why it would be any different this time around. I know how effective he can be, he's just terrible right now. Not saying Robby has earned a regular spot in the lineup, but he's certainly moved the needle more positively then Pierre at this point.
I oddly have a ton of confidence in Murr's ability to win us games, my only concern is his health.
I also liked the splitting up of Mitch and Auston. We need to see something different from our top 6. They'll be back together at some point, but for the time being they need a fresh look to get going.
Malgin continues to impress. Such a great addition to our lineup. He makes a difference almost every shift. That 4th line of ZAR - Kampf - Malgin has been absolutely dominating
all strengths nubers:
As much as I love the look of that line, I am actually curious how Malgin would do in the top 6. He's played with Auston in Zurich before, and he definitely has the skill to play in the top 6. He has been an absolute dog on pucks in the offensive zone. Very intelligent player. He knows how to extend plays and more importantly has the ability to extend them. I'ds really like to see something like this:
Bunting - Matthews - Malgin
Nylander - Tavares - Marner
Robertson - Kerfoot - Jarnkrok
ZAR - Kampf - XXXX
XXXX could be a rotation of Engvall, Simmonds, Holmberg, Steeves, Anderson...etc
Isolate Matty on his own line. Have the opposition really stew over what line to match. The best player, or the best line. If they key in on Matthews, that loaded "2nd line" can take advantage. If they key in on the 2nd line, it gives Matty more space to work. He's good enough to drive a line on his own, and I honestly think Malgin can get him the puck where he needs it.
Lastly, I think Engvall needs to hit the press box for a couple. He's been f***ing terrible all year. His defensive and neutral zone play is the sloppiest on the team right now, and it cannot continue IMO. He didn't have much of a camp, if any, so I can see why he's been behind the 8 ball. But we are well into the season now, he needs to be better. We've seen this uninspiring play from him in the past. He probably just needs yet another wakeup call. He has responded well to being healthied in the past, so I don't see why it would be any different this time around. I know how effective he can be, he's just terrible right now. Not saying Robby has earned a regular spot in the lineup, but he's certainly moved the needle more positively then Pierre at this point.
justashadowof
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- Aug 15, 2020
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1specter
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- Sep 27, 2016
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Malgin has been pretty great. As much as I don't want to ruin the mojo of that line, I too wonder how he'd look in the top six. Eventually if he keeps playing the way he is it'll be hard to deny him a bigger opportunity, especially since someone like Kerfoot has been a total dud and Robertson doesn't really seem to have Keefe's trust.
GoonieFace
Registered User
See this is the problem, some guys just fit in the bottom 6, and once you try to elevate them, they fail. Leave him where he is, he’s nothing more than a bottom 6 guy
I can definitely see why Robby doesn't have Keefe's trust quite yet. His defensive zone awareness is subpar to say the least. He is constantly blowing the zone prematurely, and is often caught out of position as a result. That said, he is still very young and learning to adapt to that aspect of his game. I don't mind what Keefe is doing when it comes to Nick. If you want to play regularly, you have to learn to play in your own end.
Kerf on the other hand has been no more/less effective then say Jarnkrok. In fact I actually see a ton of similarities in both of their games. They can play multiple forward positions, and up and down the lineup. They are defensively responsible, but rarely are you going to be wowed by anything they do. That being said, we only need one of them IMO. Given the fact that Kerf is a pending UFA, and he makes 1.5M more than Calle, I see him as completely expendable. I'd really love to see the Leafs go for Bo Horvat. I know he'd cost a ton, but I can see Kerf being of value going back the other way. He's Vancouver born and raised and he would help bring the AAV's closer to make a deal financially work between the 2 teams.
To TOR:
Bo Horvat
To VAN:
Alex Kerfoot
Topi Niemela
2023 1st round pick
2024 2nd round pick
The money should work on a deal like this because of LTIR space. The Canucks get a quality RHD prospect that they are looking for and some high picks for a player they likely cannot resign without moving some critical pieces. Not to mention, who knows if Bo even wants to stick around in that shit show. Bo is a difference maker. A guy who plays the right way. It would be like having 2 Tavares' only this version of Tavares can skate. I think Bo can be our Khawi type move. Not to mention, he'd almost 100% resign with us being an Ontario kid who clearly wants to win and play for a good team. With the cap set to go up, I don't see why we couldn't make that happen either.
therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
Maybe Bunting wasn't yelling loud enough
Not sure if this was meant for AM or 38
not to mention the Captain losing a couple of teeth and no friggin call, you can't make up calls on one team and ignore infractions on the other
If Murray didn't "keep losing track of the puck" as some have mentioned he might have been 37 for 37
LeaFlander's are often the special guests at those parties but they rarely if ever show up and when they do they never touch the main course!Above .500 hasn't meant anything in the NHL standings for several decades now. Wake up, smell the coffee and get with the program. PTS% is the only stat that matters in the overall standings and the Leafs are 8th overall with a .618 PTS%. Welcome to the 21st century.
A definite possibility. Gonna be a crow eating party if it happens, that's for sure!
Yes we all saw the giveaway. Let's give the kid a break shall we? It wasn't long ago people were saying he's a future top pairing guy for us, that was premature and giving up on him now like many seem to be doing would also be premature. Playing D in the NHL is freaking hard, the kid is only 22, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if he looked great a few months from now.
GLG!!
Agreed about Sandin, he's just broken 105 games in the NHL, still a neophyte when all things are considered, and so still prone to those mental errors that can create turnovers, ironically most of them committed because of him second guessing himself. He'll look so different at 300 games he'll hardly be recognizable bye todays standard. It's no different for Liljegren, he just played his 80th, both of these kids I believe have the tools to be top 4 guys but they are still developing. The Leafs still have to excercize some patience when it comes to their usage. I'd really prefer them the Leafs to pair them up with Gio or Benn, rather than a Rielly.
No kidding, the talking heads who've never played above Jr may be a little more knowledgeable than most, but they're really there to give hot takes and generate ears and eyeballs. I much prefer the experts on hockey chat sights who've played a couple of games of house league and are great with a calculator
30 more goals this year and than two season's of 35 not out of the question but he'll need someone a lot like Marner for most of it rather than a guy like Willie. He and MM seem to have a real chemistry, than again Mitch pretty much has chemistry with anyone and everyone.
1specter
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- Sep 27, 2016
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Maybe that's the case but he's only 25 and seems to have grown a lot as a player over the last couple of years. He was great for Switzerland in the World Championships and also tore up Swiss league last year, and was a standout in Leafs camp.
He did look out of place in the top six to start the season, however he wasn't doing the things that are making him successful right now - which is keeping his work rate high even when off the puck and also going to the net with authority; he was too timid playing with JT and Nylander. He seems to have gained confidence being the offensive driver on his line, I think he should get another chance.
He actually reminds me a lot of Barabanov in terms of his play style and build, and we gave up on Barabanov way too quickly.
Ianturnedbull
Registered User
- Jun 11, 2022
- 6,445
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I don't think Hayes ever claimed to be an authority on hockey. He has played Junior hockey and he does hang with people who've been in Hockey Media/Reporting for many years.
From what I gather from Hayes' concerns with Murray don't have to do with his ability, but his health.
I didn't see the game last night, but fans on this board seem to be in consensus that Murray played well.
Great. Good for him and good for TOR.
Nothing has changed in terms of Murray's injuries. He's been placed on LTIR after his first game, and he has a long history of missing games due to injury.
We all want the best for the team, but Murray has a long way to go to prove that he can stay healthy.
From what I gather from Hayes' concerns with Murray don't have to do with his ability, but his health.
I didn't see the game last night, but fans on this board seem to be in consensus that Murray played well.
Great. Good for him and good for TOR.
Nothing has changed in terms of Murray's injuries. He's been placed on LTIR after his first game, and he has a long history of missing games due to injury.
We all want the best for the team, but Murray has a long way to go to prove that he can stay healthy.
Challenge accepted
Ha ha, this was the play that immediately came to mind as well. If this is what we can come up with, we are in good shape!!
I disagree personally. If that were the case, guys like Bunting and Hyman would have never been more than just a grinder. Some players can handle the elevated role. I personally think Malgin can. He's driving play against tough opposition. Keefe has not been shy to use that 4th line against anyone. There were a handful of shift last night where the 4th line was controlling play against the Crosby line. Of course Kampf and ZAR are huge factors in that as well, but it's undeniable the impact Denis has made to that line. The 4th line has gone from terrible to excellent and the only real change that was made was putting Malgin on it.
I am not suggesting Malgin 100% will work in the top 6, but his play thus far warrants a look with out a doubt. We've given lesser performing players a look in years past, I don't see why we wouldn't do the same with Denis. I am not seeing a lot of flaws in his game at this point. He's made far more good decisions with the puck vs. bad. He doesn't play an overly risky game, and he has skill to keep up with the big boys. I don't like the idea of breaking up a very effective 4th line, but I also don't like the idea of potentially under utilizing a player that can help make an impact elsewhere.
I just think it has to be worth a look. Not because of injury, just make the decision to reward a player who has done everything you've asked of them and then some.
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