GDT: Sens @ Leafs pre-season - 7PM EST

[rumman]

That’s a poor excuse. It was Ottawa’s first game and they looked faster and ready to play

Take care of the little details and the big one’s will look after themselves has always been this teams problem, Berube has his work cut out for him, hope the players are open to his advice…….

 

[Nineteen67]

The lack of speed is going to be difficult to overcome.

 

[Niagara Bill]

The worst happened. Pacioretty got lucky twice...he didn't get hurt, there goes a place for a young player

 

[Avilaj07]

The worst happened. Pacioretty got lucky twice...he didn't get hurt, there goes a place for a young player

Pacioretty scored 2 goals and got an assist. More then any of our "star" players

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

The worst happened. Pacioretty got lucky twice...he didn't get hurt, there goes a place for a young player

So you wanted him to get hurt then

 

[Nineteen67]

You're right! Part of being a happy Leaf fan is keeping expectations low. Don't expect much the first game of preseason, don't expect much at end of preseason, don't expect much during regular season and expect more of the same playoff success. Should be a sticky on how to keep a Leaf fan happy.

When you look at the roster and consider everything, having unrealistic expectations is unhealthy.

IMO, if this team wins a round and is competitive in the second, I think it would be a phenomenal achievement.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Pacioretty scored 2 goals and got an assist. More then any of our "star" players

Not entirely true, Tavares had 3 points too

 

[Al14]

Exhibition games don’t matter, but the parroting the term “meaningless game” every time they play like shit is at the heart of the entire culture problem with this franchise. You accept low standards, inconsistency, periods and nights off cause they’ll figure it out next time. Well, guess what, they don’t do too well in “meaningful games” either. It’ll be nice to see Berube give them a rough ride.

As a retired hockey coach, I can tell you that every single game should matter, including exhibition and/or pre-season games.

As long as they have score keepers and refs, a real hockey player should always want to be on the winning side of the score. Our Leafs looked like they didn't even want to be playing. They played like they all wanted to be still on vacation.

Our Leafs played like they didn't care about winning. This should be unacceptable to everyone in the organization.

Winning in the pre-season sets the winning culture in motion. The Sens did this last night, and our Leafs settled for another loss. The Sens now have all the momentum going into our regular season series against our Leafs, especially if they beat our Leafs again on Tuesday.

With our Leafs having every single >$10M player in the lineup, they should have really spanked a Sens team full of no-names and rookies.

Our Leafs better not allow the Sens to dominate them again on Tuesday night. They have to take back the momentum and establish a better culture of winning.

JMHO.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

If they’re freaking out that they foresee us out of the first round every year, well then they’re almost always right, no?

If we had of won the game convincingly were we cup bound? Or is it just doom and gloom if you lose a pre season game? Win and it doesn’t matter lol it was a bad effort…it doesn’t have to be anything more then that.

 

[ACC1224]

It was the dying few minutes, odds are they just had shortened the bench. Nobody ever claimed Nylander playing center would mean he plays no wing at all. It’s almost surely in no way a reflection of what Berube thought of Nylander’s job at C

Anyone trying to draw any conclusions from one preseason game are getting way ahead of themselves

You're too polite.

 

[Nineteen67]

The biggest hurdle with this team is not lack of effort, it’s a physical inability to skate. How will the coaching staff work around that?

 

[Kazparov]

I see the doom posting starts early.

Man some of you guys need to relax.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

First preseason game, no big deal, but the defence was a mess. From being knocked off pucks along the boards, to being outhustled, to being walked by in OT, that was a brutal display by veteran defencemen. OEL was particularly bad but no one stood out on D.

Impressed by Patches and Grebenkin, but not much else by any other forwards. Expecting a younger roster with more hustle in the next game.

 

[VanW27]

It's like no one has ever watched a preseason game before.

The worse of a team you ice, the better chance you have at winning.

Every year, every team is the same thing. The 'B' team typically beats the 'A' team. This isn't a Leafs thing, it's everyone. If your team does really well in the preseason it's probably not a good sign, because it probably means you got a bunch of 'B' level guys on your 'A' team.

Established NHLers are just going through the motions and getting into game shape. Young players want to make an impression and quad A guys like Adam Gaudette look great in the preseason year after year.

 

[DarkKnight]

One thing you can count on, people wwwaaaaayyy over analyzing preseason nothingness. Take it easy Malgin nation, it's embarrassing.

Nobody got hurt, 67 looked healthy. Next....

 

[eramosat]

I know what the easy solution is for the cycle of despair between Leafs love and Leafs hate for die-hards is. And it's cannot come too soon for me.

Divide Leafsland into 2...or 3...or 4 quadrants. Create new NHL franchises in each new sector. And let the chips fall where they may.

It will take time after, but the insane yoyoing between we are the greatest and we are the dumbest will ease. As the travails of the Wexford Raiders and the Etobicoke Mounties build.

Each new team could easily pay a fortune for the privilege to the incumbent, and in time, be a goldmine.

 

[JL17]

If Marner was smart and absorbed anything in his time with Sid and Nate is that they 110% every given opportunity. Doesn’t matter what it is practice exhibition games. One mind set to become great.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I barely watched this game, couldn’t give a crap about preseason but here’s the thing: people always make excuses for this team. Oh it’s just preseason, oh it’s just November, oh it’s just a meaningless game in April after they have clinched. Guess what? It always ends the same way for 8 seasons. They are not magically gonna become something they are not. This team is what it is. Doesn’t matter who the coach is.

 

[rumman]

The biggest hurdle with this team is not lack of effort, it’s a physical inability to skate. How will the coaching staff work around that?

Put the Bat Signal out for Barb Underhill…….

 

[Evilhomer]

Doesn’t matter who the coach is.

Yes, it does matter who the coach is. We are going to see that this season.

 

[Stephen]

As a retired hockey coach, I can tell you that every single game should matter, including exhibition and/or pre-season games.

As long as they have score keepers and refs, a real hockey player should always want to be on the winning side of the score. Our Leafs looked like they didn't even want to be playing. They played like they all wanted to be still on vacation.

Our Leafs played like they didn't care about winning. This should be unacceptable to everyone in the organization.

Winning in the pre-season sets the winning culture in motion. The Sens did this last night, and our Leafs settled for another loss. The Sens now have all the momentum going into our regular season series against our Leafs, especially if they beat our Leafs again on Tuesday.

With our Leafs having every single >$10M player in the lineup, they should have really spanked a Sens team full of no-names and rookies.

Our Leafs better not allow the Sens to dominate them again on Tuesday night. They have to take back the momentum and establish a better culture of winning.

JMHO.

Yeah exactly what you said.

To be clear, I’m not sitting there being Pat Burns emotional and actually all that upset over an exhibition game but it’s the principle of it and the predictable bad patterns. The games aren’t real yet but the time and money fans invest into this is. So don’t be slobs on Tuesday even if there’s no impact on the standings.

 

[Niagara Bill]

So you wanted him to get hurt then

Well no, but that would follow his history the past 2 or 3 years.
My point, I think we have some young guys who can be more productive, given playing time he is about to get.
I also see him as the equivalent of Spezza, who was a waste, and Dubas spy in the room.
I hope I am wrong, but I fear not

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Guys relax, it's not like the team has plateaud for 7 years.

 

[Nineteen67]

I barely watched this game, couldn’t give a crap about preseason but here’s the thing: people always make excuses for this team. Oh it’s just preseason, oh it’s just November, oh it’s just a meaningless game in April after they have clinched. Guess what? It always ends the same way for 8 seasons. They are not magically gonna become something they are not. This team is what it is. Doesn’t matter who the coach is.

They certainly hope the coach makes a difference and can work with the limitations and get the most out of them. Rather than trying to play a run and gun style make them a defence first team that capitalizes on mistakes.

 

[Racer88]

It was the dying few minutes, odds are they just had shortened the bench. Nobody ever claimed Nylander playing center would mean he plays no wing at all. It’s almost surely in no way a reflection of what Berube thought of Nylander’s job at C

Anyone trying to draw any conclusions from one preseason game are getting way ahead of themselves

That would be a reasonable statement if we had not all watched this team/core play games like this countless times whether it is pre season mid season or playoffs. They have done this so many times that it is what the team is known for.
Maybe the better plan would have been to show up for the entire game and set the tone for the season.
What we watched last night is the same group of players do what they have done for 8 years……play hard only when they feel like it.
It is going to take some very hard love from Berube to change this group around, including some nights sitting in the stands for this core.
It will be a major battle and I hope Berube will survive and prevail or he will become just one more casualty of them