Post-Game Talk: Thats all she wrote.

[HandshakeLineRespect]

One game doesn't make a player? Come on.

He had a terrible game. He had a good season though. Plenty of players had terrible games and even series.

It’s more than one game. I also remember a nice pass that was right on Bergerons stick to cost us the last game 7 we were in.

 

[Peiskos]

People say we're a young team not a lot of experience etc etc, but we did acquire Marleau, Plekanec and Hainsey, this trio has tons of playoff experience and it didn't seem to help one bit.

When do we sit down and seriously start talking about this teams remarkable ability to collapse no matter who is on this roster?

May it be the 2013 edition or the 2018 entirely different roster or any team in between those years. Getting a lead and then blowing is has been a trademark for this franchise for many many years now..and to be honest I've never seen it to this degree with any other franchise in this league.

Is there something in the air in Toronto? is it something about the blue/white jerseys? its perplexing.

 

[PromisedLand]

yeah, the difference in breakouts between the two teams was astounding. it's like we are an ahl team with some guys that can finish (eg marleau)

not only that to put in Marleau/marner out on a 4 on 4 face-off in defensive zone when you have plek who has been playing well against Bergeron line makes no sense to me. absolutely no sense

 

[Pi]

f*** you negative nancies.

I’m proud of this team and their season. For 12+ years before the past two seasons, I knew the Leafs were never going to come close to the playoffs every single year and I was still a fan of the team because I knew things would turn around. I’m not going to be disappointed about losing in the playoffs because I was dying for the Leafs to make the playoffs for over a decade. Shit happens.

If I can be a fan of this team and watch every game during the JFJ, Burke, Maurice, Ron Wilson, Carlyle, and Horachek era, I can suffer through a bit of pain right now.

It’s not going to be a rapid turnaround. It doesn’t work like that. Winning this series would have been great but it doesn’t change the overall outlook of this team.

I feel for Jake Gardiner. That 5th goal wasn’t on him...he still held Debrusk to a weak shot. Andersen gave up a soft goal there.

Overall, this series exposes the few holes we still have on the team. We need one defenseman as good as Rielly to ease the minutes on the rest of the D before him. Babcock needs to learn that his young players are way better than the vets he trusts. Frederik Andersen needs to be way better and not fold like a cheap tent.

In the end, the Leafs lost to a better team. Simple as that. They weren’t good enough to win. When will they be good enough to win a playoff series? I don’t know.

I do know that making hasty decisions is how you turn a good thing into a bad thing. Look at the Oilers. Do we want to a shit team despite having a guy like McDavid?

Don’t talk of trading everyone who played bad in this series. Instead try to discuss what the Leafs can do to be better.

In the end, just remember, the losses right now make the eventual wins in the future that much sweeter. It’s not going to be easy but I know the Leafs are going to win the Cup in the near future. They will make the city proud.

 

[dubplatepressure]

that's right gardiner you did. you get 5.5 million dollars a year to put up at least a reasonable effort and not suck; if i sucked as much at my job i would be fired

You probably do every once and a while... I know I do.

 

[Azazel]

okayyy.......

Given his play tonight it was probably Gardiners. Either he did it himself or someone took it off him.

 

[Commander Clueless]

that's right gardiner you did. you get 5.5 million dollars a year to put up at least a reasonable effort and not suck; if i sucked as much at my job i would be fired

Actually Jake gets just over $4M a year to be a puck mover, and he does a good job at that.

Granted his defensive game is pretty bad and he had a horrible game, but let's not forget he put up a great season. Just saying.


All that said, if they want to replace him with someone who can play defense, I'm on board.

 

[rumman]

I'd love to have Plekanec back.

Only UFA I have a remote interest in bringing back

highly doubt he comes back, although he'd help for sure. Lots of space for size and grit going forward without JVR/Bozak/Leo.

 

[Community]

Our team is going to be SOOOOOO fast next year.

If Bozak or a 3rd line C isn't signed:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Johnsson - Nylander - Kapanen
Marleau - Kadri - Brown

Need to make some defensive adjustments or a trade and Dermott needs to be in the top 4.

I think it would help if Hainsey played om the 3rd pairing + high pk mins because he looked tired out this series and lost quite a few battles. Or at least play him less.


One thing I think we will see next year is less reliance on our secondary guys (Komarov, Hainsey, Polak, etc.) and more reliance on the big 3 + Rielly. Next season is the time to do it as theyre ready to be the full time go to guys (especially Matthews as a defensive/2-way player).

 

[Tlo1]

Babcock is an overrated, stubborn ,egomaniac that is going to lead us to another decade of futility if not stopped.

 

[c9777666]

The Leafs could have used Jonas Valanciunas tonight.

 

[Mkdaman1818]

Gardiner can’t be paired with Zaitsev - his brilliance on offense needs a shutdown D to be paired with.

In the 29 years I’ve been alive, is it just me or have the leafs never had a true stud defenseman like a Chara, Doughty, etc. That needs to change in a huge way.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

Hey hey
Ho ho
Jake Gardiner's got to go!
Hey hey
Ho ho
Jake Gardiner's got to go!

 

[rocketdan9]

Marner is so damn good. Best player for us this series.

Great series. Marner is a handful. Best player on the Leafs for long time to come

 

[PromisedLand]

did he expect to lose always? Or his EGO IS WAY TOO HUGE to accept that he could have been better and team could have been better?

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

Do you deliver the drugs that you are on right now? I sure could use some.

Obviously that would never happen. However the reuglar season is only the second most important season in the NHL the playoffs are were it matters. Marner is a playoff performer. At this point Willy and Matthews are simply not. Good thing is they are young. They have time.

 

[fahad203]

Good: the support kids
Jhonson is a keeper, Kapanen is good. Dermott will be great

Bad: Vets except for Marleau
Hainsey was horrible
Gardiner and Reilly not good at all
Kadri, he played tonight?

 

[I Am The Stig]

Actually Jake gets just over $4M a year to be a puck mover, and he does a good job at that.

Granted his defensive game is pretty bad and he had a horrible game, but let's not forget he put up a great season. Just saying.


All that said, if they want to replace him with someone who can play defense, I'm on board.

Honestly, I'd love to see Gardiner as a forward.

 

[Mitchy]

Yeah, it's a sad end of their Leafs tenure for JVR, Bozak and maybe Komarov, if they are not brought back.

I think, Leo and Bozak will be fondly remembered and missed. JVR too, but to a lesser extent.

Personally, I'd like to see Pleks back as the 4C, but won't be too upset if he leaves, which seems likely.

 

[Le Cobra]

this team will only get better once Gardiner is out and Liljegren is in!

 

[Superstar]

this was not a secret. Lou had two years to get pieces in, and it's all well and good to be all "well we're developing them" (yay Dermott) but this didn't come out of the sky. We were bad defensively before the rebuild we were bad defensively when we were in the basement we were bad defensively last year and we're bad defensively this year.

We had the assets to get defensemen, we have the assets to get defensemen (or even better defensive-minded forwards) so we can play a better defensive-cycle game which - i might point out helps generate offense.

Lou didn't do anything to address this except getting Hainsey who i am pretty sure is gonna pick out a coffin tomorrow because he is dead. I am not gonna ride on Z (he had a crap year but he had a tough off ice year from the word jump), he didn't get anyone (except for Plek who isn't gonna stay so basically he did nothing up the front either.

it's well and good to say the rebuild isn't over (and agian most great teams had good years, and 1st/2nd round exits, so that is fine) but that doesn't excuse the fact that there are a good chunk of people on this team who even though they are very talented - are not very smart. and those aren't the younger players.

Lou tried...he made an offer for McDonagh, but look what TB had to pay to get him...we probably would have had to give up a 1st, a 2nd, Kapanen, and another prospect for McDonagh...would you do it? And other teams aren't opening up their arms to do us any favours...did Ottawa even considered trading us Ian Cole? Nope.

 

[TMLeafer]

I feel gutted, sick. Tough pill to swallow after a record breaking season.

 

[Gallagbi]

You probably do every once and a while... I know I do.

Given the way he posts, I'd be amazed if he didn't suck that bad on the regular.

 

[BigGulpsEh]

One game doesn't make a player? Come on.

He had a terrible game. He had a good season though. Plenty of players had terrible games and even series.

Gardiner caused minimum one goal per game in this series. It wasn’t just game 7. He needs to go.

 

[Alexanderthe89]

I’m not on board with the hate for Gardiner. Our forwards gave no support and blew the zone far too often.

 

[Al14]

Let's calm down guys. It feels bad but we took one of the stanley cup contenders to a 7th game without our best players being our best players. These are great lessons for the young core. Really need a top 4D this off season though.

We really NEED 2 Top 4 D IMHO! Rielly is NOT a #1 D. Maybe a #1B D in a few years, but, not now!