GDT: Round 2 Game 3 Baby! 6:30pm (rolls eyes) - Leafs vs Florida - The BWO presents Florida with the Leaf Nation Road Show

[Anthrax442]

They should put Simmonds in the game so he is fights Wes early, takes him out for 5 minutes early

 

[Drytoast]

Wes McCauley is the ref tonight. Incoming loss.

 

[Chief Leaf]

Wes McCaul is the ref tonight. Incoming loss.

I think we just gotta add some jam to this Drytoast.

 

[Drytoast]

I think we just gotta add some jam to this Drytoast.

0-8 playoff record when he is the official.

 

[Marshy]

Alyn McCauley >>>>>> Wes McCauley

 

[Mess]

Just win the damn game, win the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that.

Stop talking about pressure and moments and just act like the powerhouse everyone wastes so much time talking about and trying to prove online to each other. Make saves, score lots, hit to make a difference and stand up for each other, just like on the playground.

Today is going to be a really good test to truly see the make-up of this team..

I don't believe this core group has ever faced the adversity of being down 2 games in a series where the next loss would be almost too big a hole to recover from.

This is really a potential defining moment crossroads here dependent on the outcome for the core 4 in particular.

Leafs have often been accused of missing that "killer instinct" to put teams away and end series, but what kind of instinct is need "survival" to mount a giant comeback in the series to stay alive?

Not a lot of room for error when tasked with the challenge of winning 4 of the next 5 to keep Cup hopes alive.

 

[Squiffy]

Again I say, Wes may suck as a ref in general, but he is not throwing games out there ffs.

Just another narrative to flip. 1-9 in Wes playoff games after tonight, book it. Let’s not waste our time whining about refs 7 hours before the game even starts.

 

[Drytoast]

Alyn McCauley >>>>>> Wes McCauley

Macaulay Culkin >>>>> Wes McCauley

 

[Stephen]

Today is going to be a really good test to truly see the make-up of this team..

I don't believe this core group has ever faced the adversity of being down 2 games in a series where the next loss would be almost too big a hole to recover from.

This is really a potential defining moment crossroads here dependent on the outcome for the core 4.

They went down 2-0 to Boston in 2018, made it 2-1, fell down 3-1 and clawed all the way back to 3-3 before their first Game 7 trauma.

They just need to get out of their heads the notion of expected goals and deserve to win-o-meters and just go full throttle like the guys in Edmonton. They saw what Tampa's process was like in Game 3 and 4 and yet the Lightning couldn't win if their lives depended on it. We hear so much about how elite this core is. Now is the best time to prove this, not lose grip of this series, face an uncertain future and then have to slog through another 82 games, another first round just to prove you aren't choke artists yet again.

 

[Chief Leaf]

0-8 playoff record when he is the official.

Still, we just gotta play to win,...meaning, play full out and not even worry bout the refs.
Tonight we should all stay positive and feel like our team can make it look 1-9

 

[BayStBullies]

When you consider how many goals the Leafs eat from being unable to clear the zone; it bugs me to no end that they allow other teams to exit their zones often for free. Rielly is the worst culprit.

 

[leafsfan5]

I don't care who the ref is, you need to win tonight. Wes isn't the reason we're not finishing our chances or that our core 4 has 0 goals this series

Step up and win

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

No reason to complain about the refs, they're clearly fine with it. I wish our organization wasn't totally spineless but it is what it is

I feel like today would be about the worst day for Keefe to throw shade at McCauley.

Nothing to win by that and everything to lose.

Doesn't matter anyways, the team needs to show up and play if they want to win. Refs aren't why we've got our backs to the wall.

GLG

 

[Mess]

Again I say, Wes may suck as a ref in general, but he is not throwing games out there ffs.

Just another narrative to flip. 1-9 in Wes playoff games after tonight, book it. Let’s not waste our time whining about refs 7 hours before the game even starts.

Toronto got 5 PP (including a double minor) to 1 for Florida in game #1
&
In game #2 Toronto had 3 PP opportunities to 1.

So 8 PP vs 2 in the series todate in favour of TO.

Reffing in the series shouldn't really be the main narrative, when its heavily favoured the Leafs in series #2.

 

[Stephen]

When you consider how many goals the Leafs eat from being unable to clear the zone; it bugs me to no end that they allow other teams to exit their zones often for free. Rielly is the worst culprit.

The Leafs eat a lot of shit with their puck reversals under pressure and generally thinking that backwards is a good idea.

A bump back to the D, Rafalski to Lidstrom and up again is a fine puck possession option. I'm all for it. I've loved it since 2008 yada yada. You look like an elite soccer team and the possession clock time is elite. Whatever.

A Pierre Engvall style curl back in the neutral zone with heavy forecheck and the possibility of the play getting jammed down your throat is not okay.

Giving away an easy zone exit to relieve pressure for a more complicated breakout is not okay. The fact that they have to talk about the concept of "living to fight another day" and Schenn talking about throwing the puck out along the boards as a viable strategy is mind boggling. They reinvented the wheel and frankly the old wheel was better.

A PP bump back is utter f***ing garbage. Someone please have an intern run the math on how many real minutes of PP have been wasted in the 2022-23 season alone on the reversal. The ultimate set up is 9 men standing still at the blueline and one unlucky Leaf having to cross the blueline. Why not do it earlier or just create a odd man puck retrieval with a normal chip and dump in? You don't have to actually possess the puck to transport it.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

When you consider how many goals the Leafs eat from being unable to clear the zone; it bugs me to no end that they allow other teams to exit their zones often for free. Rielly is the worst culprit.

I've always wondered about this. Why do you think it's so hard for them and so easy for their opponents?

 

[Stephen]

I've always wondered about this. Why do you think it's so hard for them and so easy for their opponents?

They probably did some modelling on why behaving like a normal hockey team is inefficient and galaxy brained up a new way to zone exit, manage the neutral zone and enter a zone.

 

[Apotheosis]

Skipping a paid meeting tonight to watch this. They'd better win.

 

[Cynical]

Is the NHL trying to self sabotage? I read that the Leafs contribute to 42% of the leagues revenue. Essentially the League would be in huge trouble if this team wasn't sharing it's revenue. What happens when people get tired of this and just decide to not watch the game anymore? Does Bettman think the US TV deals will get big enough to carry the league? I know him and David Stern were buddies and Stern was one crooked mofo when he ran the league. Bettman probably picked up a thing or two.

A Canadian team not winning a championship since he took over isn't a coincidence.

 

[sxvnert]

Is the NHL trying to self sabotage? I read that the Leafs contribute to 42% of the leagues revenue. Essentially the League would be in huge trouble if this team wasn't sharing it's revenue. What happens when people get tired of this and just decide to not watch the game anymore? Does Bettman think the US TV deals will get big enough to carry the league? I know him and David Stern were buddies and Stern was one crooked mofo when he ran the league. Bettman probably picked up a thing or two.

A Canadian team not winning a championship since he took over isn't a coincidence.

The league is a decade away (at most) from financial trouble.

 

[Mess]

They went down 2-0 to Boston in 2018, made it 2-1, fell down 3-1 and clawed all the way back to 3-3 before their first Game 7 trauma.

They just need to get out of their heads the notion of expected goals and deserve to win-o-meters and just go full throttle like the guys in Edmonton. They saw what Tampa's process was like in Game 3 and 4 and yet the Lightning couldn't win if their lives depended on it. We hear so much about how elite this core is. Now is the best time to prove this, not lose grip of this series, face an uncertain future and then have to slog through another 82 games, another first round just to prove you aren't choke artists yet again.

O Yeah forgot, the Lou Lam and Mike Babcock days back in 2018, when they replaced the GM shortly after that comeback performance year when the scrappy Leafs refused to quit as underdogs.

I suppose that is the similar story Florida is riding on after doing down 3-1 to heavily favoured Boston this year in round #1.

Our Leafs need to pull a Florida against Florida and turn this story around now for themselves.

 

[ULF_55]

Time to elite!

Core will be judged.
Character will be judged.

 

[stats1]

Just win the damn game. And then do the same thing on Wednesday. And then 2 more times after that.

The league is a decade away (at most) from financial trouble.

Yes and thats why you hear a ton of chatter of multiple expansion teams. Who doesn’t love free money. Every time this league gets into financial trouble you either hear about a possible lock out or expansion.

 

[TMLeafer]

Time to elite!

Core will be judged.
Character will be judged.

Only if they lose*


Leafs need to be clinical on the PP. Started out well in game 2 but didn't carry it through. Also no weak bullshit flip plays up the middle.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

All the vibes coming at Leafs that they'll lose... so it's a Win tonight.