Re-tooling For One More Run With This Core

[HoweHullOrr]

It's amazing how Tampa wasn't "warmed up" and "on their game" after back-to-back Stanley Cups, and going 5-1-0 and +16 in their final 6 games of the season - with Vasilevskiy going 4-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA and 0.925 SV%, and the team averaging 5.7 goals per game.

I can remember everybody freaking out about that like it was a few weeks ago. Oh wait, it was.

No, its not amazing. Anyone could see this by watching as long as their brains weren't clouded or fogged over by excuses. Their passes weren't crisp or accurate, they were over passing, etc. Some people/fans are just excessive/compulsive excuse makers.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Their passes weren't crisp or accurate, they were over passing, etc.

It's almost like our speed and hard forecheck made them force passes quicker, making them less crisp and accurate, and our positioning and good anticipatory abilities gave them little time and space in the offensive zone as well as bad angles to get good shots off, forcing them to pass too much.

But nah, I'm sure it's just that they decided that they'd try a new strategy - for our series only - of just not caring or trying some days because they just don't feel like it.

Some people/fans are just excessive/compulsive excuse makers.

You do realize that the only excuses being made here are you making excuses for Tampa, right?

 

[HoweHullOrr]

It's almost like our speed and hard forecheck made them force passes quicker, making them less crisp and accurate, and our positioning and good anticipatory abilities gave them little time and space in the offensive zone as well as bad angles to get good shots off, forcing them to pass too much.

But nah, I'm sure it's just that they decided that they'd try a new strategy - for our series only - of just not caring or trying some days because they just don't feel like it.

You do realize that the only excuses being made here are you making excuses for Tampa, right?

I didn't say anything about the Bolts using a different strategy, so that's just a bogus straw man. More importantly, further discussion will be pointless & a waste of my time. You can argue with the next guy. You do you (excuse making routine) though.

 

[Gallagbi]

Further discussion will be pointless. You can argue with the next guy. You do you and your excuse making routine though.

....what is he excusing?

 

[Dekes For Days]

I didn't say anything about the Bolts using a different strategy, so that's just a bogus straw man.

Except you did, because just randomly deciding to be "off their game" all on their own isn't a strategy they've employed through countless dominant series wins on their way to back to back cups or their 3-0 series lead on the President's trophy winners this year.

More importantly, further discussion will be pointless & a waste of my time.

In other words, you know I'm right. The only thing you've pointed to is something that is specifically impacted by the play of the opponent, and I've pointed out and explained to you how our play resulted in the things you saw and Tampa playing the way they did.

You do you (excuse making routine) though.

I haven't made any excuse at all. You're literally here making excuses for Tampa.

 

[zeke]

No, its not amazing. Anyone could see this by watching as long as their brains weren't clouded or fogged over by excuses. Their passes weren't crisp or accurate, they were over passing, etc. Some people/fans are just excessive/compulsive excuse makers.

Wow lucky leafs got the only bad playoffs series TB has played in 3yrs.

What mysterious luck!

 

[GreeningOil]

Florida had a vision of a team they are going to build
They went out got that type of players last 2 years

Bennett
Gudas
Reinhart
Verhaege
Marchment

I wanted Bennett so bad last year. But who needs Bennett for a 2nd rounder when you can get Nick Foligno for a 1st

Apparently Florida isn’t the model after all . If anyone was gonna take out Tampa, it looks like it was the leafs

 

[Gallagbi]

Wow lucky leafs got the only bad playoffs series TB has played in 3yrs.

What mysterious luck!

We're pretty lucky on the whole I'd say. Probably the luckiest team in history

 

[PromisedLand]

Bickering over how well we lost is the Leafiest thing ever.

Not the Leafiest thing man. The expected BS/60 is 100%, the outcome of dubas love fest. It is the same posters. It's not like the new posters are coming in and giving their 2 cents or already old posters are now changing their stance.

Arguing/debating with posters to whom dubas has more meaning than the Leafs; what do you expect?

i must agree with this.
I was a bit stunned at how bad they were and that includes Vasi.

Then after finding out their top player was badly sick and at half speed,their 2nd best player not fully healthy and a couple of others fighting a bug it made more sense to what I was watching.

Knowing we had these advantages as well as home ice and still could not beat them is really sad.

Don't let facts get in the way of a narrative. They don't count

 

[Havoc]

Watching Tampa up 3-0 is so irritating. We had these clowns beat man. All we needed was one of those idiots in the bottom 6 to step up even once in the final 2 games to help out and they all disappeared.

Edit: I stopped prematurely in anger and clicked send. I mean it's obvious the direction I'm going with the re-tool.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Watching Tampa up 3-0 is so irritating. We had these clowns beat man. All we needed was one of those idiots in the bottom 6 to step up even once in the final 2 games to help out and they all disappeared.

Edit: I stopped prematurely in anger and clicked send. I mean it's obvious the direction I'm going with the re-tool.

It's almost like we have too much money tied up in 4 guys

 

[Havoc]

It's almost like we have too much money tied up in 4 guys

Is it a cap problem though? How much does a Nick Paul cost?

Cap doesn't even exist in the playoffs. Can't put a price on the will to win.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Is it a cap problem though? How much does a Nick Paul cost?

Cap doesn't even exist in the playoffs. Can't put a price on the will to win.

Very true

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Except you did, because just randomly deciding to be "off their game" all on their own isn't a strategy they've employed through countless dominant series wins on their way to back to back cups or their 3-0 series lead on the President's trophy winners this year.

In other words, you know I'm right. The only thing you've pointed to is something that is specifically impacted by the play of the opponent, and I've pointed out and explained to you how our play resulted in the things you saw and Tampa playing the way they did.

I haven't made any excuse at all. You're literally here making excuses for Tampa.

There is nothing wrong with admitting that Tampa best players weren't at their best in the 1st round. Kucherov was pretty bad for the most of the series and Point had some bad stretches. Vasi was a sub .900 through the 1st round and let in some goals that he normally doesn't give up.

Now look at how they're playing against the best team in the league this year. Kuch has 7 pts in his last 3 games and Vasi has only given up 4 goals in his last 4 games since waking up and has now brought his sv% back to a .922 and is back to his dominant self.

The Leafs played great for most of the series and did a great job of completely neutralizing their attack at times. Their players and coaches praised us and said it was one of the toughest matchups they've had but we can't act like it wouldn't have been a completely different series if Vasi was playing like he is now and Kucherov and Point weren't playing like ass at times.

 

[Stephen]

I hope our big guns take to heart what a game of inches these series can be and take that into future playoffs with them and play that much harder in a series. If you're up 1-0 in a series, you don't no-show for the first 10 minutes of Game 2. If you're up 2-1 on the road you don't settle for the split. You get a partial breakaway you make sure you score.

 

[Stephen]

There is nothing wrong with admitting that Tampa best players weren't at their best in the 1st round. Kucherov was pretty bad for the most of the series and Point had some bad stretches. Vasi was a sub .900 through the 1st round and let in some goals that he normally doesn't give up.

Now look at how they're playing against the best team in the league this year. Kuch has 7 pts in his last 3 games and Vasi has only given up 4 goals in his last 4 games since waking up and has now brought his sv% back to a .922 and is back to his dominant self.

The Leafs played great for most of the series and did a great job of completely neutralizing their attack at times. Their players and coaches praised us and said it was one of the toughest matchups they've had but we can't act like it wouldn't have been a completely different series if Vasi was playing like he is now and Kucherov and Point weren't playing like ass at times.

Well, Kucherov was apparently sick during the Toronto series so that would explain the sluggishness. Florida's also playing Tampa without Brayden Point. As far as Vasi is concerned, I think it can both be true that he wasn't at the top of his game and Toronto was slicing and dicing him up as well. If you look back on the various teams Tampa has played during their 2.5 year run, Toronto was definitely one of the strongest rosters they had to face.

 

[notDatsyuk]

You're the guy that said he wasn't even a 2C... which means there are 64 better centres.

I suppose I'll try one more time, then give up.

To be the 3C on the Leafs, you don't have to be the 65th best C in the league, just the third best on the Leafs.

Just like Draisaitl doesn't have to be the 33rd best C in the league, he just has to be behind McDavid.

 

[fahad203]

Apparently Florida isn’t the model after all . If anyone was gonna take out Tampa, it looks like it was the leafs

Are they not in 2nd round ?

Have they conceded a 3-1 series lead to habs, lost to columbus 5 games at home or 0-7 in clinching games ?

Sure you can argue they havent made the playoffs in long time. But their recent rebuild has been amazing

 

[Gallagbi]

Are they not in 2nd round ?

Have they conceded a 3-1 series lead to habs, lost to columbus 5 games at home or 0-7 in clinching games ?

Sure you can argue they havent made the playoffs in long time. But their recent rebuild has been amazing

When did their recent rebuild start?

 

[PromisedLand]

I think the more likely explanation is both teams canceled each other out in many matchups. Which Florida is simply unable to match. Leafs look better and better the worse the Panthers look.

Florida's special teams is a bigger JOKE than the Leafs (no thats not an excuse for Leafs. Leafs were pretty bad too). 5 on 5 Florida is about the same as Leafs.

PowerPlay
Tampa Vs Toronto: 21% (includes the 5 on 3 phantom call)
Tampa Vs Florida: 36%

Toronto: 14%
Florida; 4% (Vs Tampa 10%)

Penalty Kill (5 on 4 only exclude 5 on 3)
Tampa Vs Toronto: 89%
Tampa Vs Florida: 90%

Toronto: 85%
Florida: 68.6% (Vs Tampa: 63.6%)

5 on 5 Goals Forced
Tampa Vs Toronto: Forced 12 goals in 7 games (1.7 GF per game)
Tampa Vs Florida: Forced 5 goals in 3 games (1.7 GF per game)

5 on 5 Goals Against
Tampa Vs Toronto: Allowed 13 goals against in 7 games (1.8 GA per game -> Note Game 1 was an outlier for Tampa).
Tampa Vs Florida: Allowed 3 goals against in 3 games (1 GA per game)


Overview:
Now if we really look at all the above. Florida isn't that different than the Leafs when it comes to 5 on 5 play. Florida is worst than the Leafs when it comes to special teams.

This by no means implies that Leafs were decent in special teams. Leafs SUCKED ASS on special teams too. Special teams was once again a deciding factor for the Leafs under the same shitass coaching of Keefe.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I suppose I'll try one more time, then give up.

To be the 3C on the Leafs, you don't have to be the 65th best C in the league, just the third best on the Leafs.

Just like Draisaitl doesn't have to be the 33rd best C in the league, he just has to be behind McDavid.

No, you said he was a 3rd liner caliber player. Saying he's the 3rd best center on the Leafs doesn't even make sense as a deflection, because he's obviously 2nd best.

Aren't you the Islanders fan who said the Leafs should trade Matthews for Pageau and Cizikas but the Islanders would say no?

 

[fahad203]

When did their recent rebuild start?

Probably last 3-4 years. Last 2 years players they have acquired along with knight are competing now and getting eeady for future

I didnt say they were the gold standards. But they built a team with certain philosophy in mind. Their D sucks

But they got skill and grit

 

[Gallagbi]

Probably last 3-4 years. Last 2 years players they have acquired along with knight are competing now and getting eeady for future

I didnt say they were the gold standards. But they built a team with certain philosophy in mind. Their D sucks

But they got skill and grit

Do you mean their retool? Because they haven't rebuilt the last 3-4 years


Knights got potential, but they went out and locked up Bob to block him. They also have 1 top 60 pick over the next 3 years.

 

[zeke]

Probably last 3-4 years. Last 2 years players they have acquired along with knight are competing now and getting eeady for future

I didnt say they were the gold standards. But they built a team with certain philosophy in mind. Their D sucks

But they got skill and grit

Looking way less gritty than the Leafs at the moment.

 

[ULF_55]

Is it a cap problem though? How much does a Nick Paul cost?

Cap doesn't even exist in the playoffs. Can't put a price on the will to win.

$1.3mm

Ottawa retained.

Yep, with the Leafs and Lightning top players shutdown the support cast made the difference.

Vasilevskiy versus Campbell is perhaps the biggest difference, although Campbell could only have won with a shutout.