GDT: The Edmonton Oilers visit your Toronto Maple Leafs for HNIC.

[Traveled]

I'll never understand why any coach believes playing an elite player through an injury is better than allowing him to heal. It's not like Toronto doesn't have players who would step up.

 

[HolyCrap]

What a joke - Campbell has played 6 games this year- Freddy 22 ... Relax Campbell people!

Thankfully I’m not a Campbell worshiper or a Freddy crotch sniffer. I’m blessed with common sense.

 

[Wendelstache]

matthews has chemistry with both nylander and marner, the coach should be using that to his advantage.

 

[hockeyes]

Where the heck has the Leafs offense gone? They can’t score on ANY team anymore.

They desperately need a solid point shot to spread things out a bit. As it is, teams can just park 5 guys within 6 feet of the net and the Leafs generate nothing.

 

[NK94]

Engvall shouldn't be allowed to score anymore.

The last two games he scored in? The 5-1 collapse against Ottawa and the David Ayers game.

 

[Stephen]

Thornton was an incredibly stupid signing. Puts them in a bit of a PR nightmare if they waive him.

Thornton is fine as a warm body. He’s just not a first line option.

 

[The Apologist]

Keefe may as well mix things up with the lines.

Let's get Nylander on Matthews left wing for a few shifts.

Get Hyman with him.

 

[ottomaddox]

 

[Gallagbi]

been out building a keyhole raised bed how is the game?

They've bent, but not broke. We've broke, but not bent. Our stars hit posts, theirs hit twine

 

[Azazel]

been out building a keyhole raised bed how is the game?

You probably saw better hockey raising the bed.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I never enjoyed the games Fred lost for us.

You enjoy posting Freddie's numbers on a daily basis, even when he's not playing.

 

[Azail]

Ehhhh he could have definitely made the save on a couple of those...

Sure, but sometimes the shooter beats the goalie.

This board blows my mind on the blaming on the goaltending. Hayek in his prime wouldn't be good enough for a lot of posters on this board. (Not targeting this at you IPS).

 

[Avilaj07]

Keefe really needs to separate Matthews and Marner. Run with

Galchenyuk-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Mikheyev-Engvall-Simmonds
Kerfoot-Spezza-Thornton

 

[saffronleaf]

matthews looks as healthy as he can be right now. I think a lot of people are using his injury as an excuse, he is clearly no longer injured.

If he's not severely injured right now then that's even more concerning.

 

[zeke]

You enjoy posting Freddie's numbers on a daily basis, even when he's not playing.

And you'll notice I have multiple posts criticizing Jack this game.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Precisely!

Nothing pisses me off more than when posters here post garbage like xgf and corsi hdcf% BS.... it is about how many actually end up in net is what matters and helps dictate the outcome of the game

Fancy stats stop materring when the point totals are tallied at the end of the season and the hardware is given out.

McDavid
2017 Hart
2017 Art Ross
2018 Art Ross
2017 Ted Lindsey
2018 Ted Lindsey

Draisaitl
2020 Hart
2020 Art Ross
2020 Ted Lindsey

Matthews
2017 Calder

Marner
Nothing

It's not close.

 

[francis246]

I don't McDrai are dominating tonight based on "luck".

A slump for those two is 2-3 games. Not 10+.

We pay our core forwards FAR too much money to just accept how often they just don't show up. And I don't care about the excuses for why they don't show up.

LOL, a slump is a slump. it doesn't matter how much you get paid. Right now they are in one. they are working hard but things aren't going their way.

A lot of it also has to do with, Toronto is the easiest team in the North to defend. They do the same thing night in and night out. When Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Marner are at their best, they are quick on the rush and attacking in straight lines, much like McDavid and Draisaitl do every night. But those four shy away from contact. If they wanna score they gotta just get into the dirty areas, these cross crease play is not there anymore. Every team has copied what Columbus did. Put 5 guys in front of the goalie and Toronto will not be able to do anything. It also doesn't help that our PP has been GOD awful

 

[34]

They desperately need a solid point shot to spread things out a bit. As it is, teams can just park 5 guys within 6 feet of the net and the Leafs generate nothing.

No kidding. Looks like opposing teams know the blueprint to beat the Leafs.

 

[michi510]

It’s concerning that all this money we pay for offence is again drying up. It’s not even a slump anymore when throughout March we’ve been bad.

Last year against Columbus, and the year when it mattered against Boston.

We’re supposed to be at a point where our elite players should have matured to be able to find a way or grind out a win when easy offence isn’t there.

Can’t say I have too much confidence for this group this year again...

 

[fahad203]

Where the heck has the Leafs offense gone? They can’t score on ANY team anymore.

We have no D with offensive insinct or shot. Everyone knows the secret, keep the leafs to the outside.
This forces us to overpass

Rielly has been s&**, Dermott has 1 goal, Brodie with 0 goals,

Our D total has 6 goals. Offense just doesn't come from forwards

 

[MattySnipes]

salary wise, sure. performance wise? not in the same league.

What do you say to doubters who bring up PP numbers, or zone starts, or no back checking.

I still don't think Drai is 2nd best in league, but he's definitely a very impressive player in his own right.

 

[ToneDog]

I'll never understand why any coach believes playing an elite player through an injury is better than allowing him to heal. It's not like Toronto doesn't have players who would step up.

Possible Matty wants to play through the injury in order to chase the Rocket.

 

[The Beyonder]

been out building a keyhole raised bed how is the game?

About as listless as your raised bed.

 

[NK94]

Thornton is fine as a warm body. He’s just not a first line option.

He’s making league minimum and has been better than expected for his age. Like what did people want?

I swear people believed that 114 point Thornton was coming back with all the vitriol against him lately.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Funny to see the people who were awfully quiet in our last 3 games against Edmonton when McDavid and Draisaitl were absolutely useless and invisible are coming out in full force tonight.

 

[Mats13]

If Thornton comes out on the first line we might as well just forfeit