Post-Game Talk: The legendary Maple Leafs win! Game 1 vs tampa

[TheProspector]

Statement game by every member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, including the crowd.

 

[Shooter2x]

Auston and Mitch came up big and got a little bit of the pressure off themselves which is huge (obviously the weight won't be fully gone until we win at least a series).

Kerfoot, Kampf, Engvall and Mikheyev are all big contributors to this team, it's huge having a bunch of depth guys who play fast 200 ft hockey and can chip in some offense too. These guys to me embody modern team toughness, none of them are overly physical, but their speed is a weapon and they're strong on the puck and win a lot of 50/50 puck battles.

Our D is really solid with the addition of Giordano and Lybushkin, and Liljegren emerging as a real top 4 guy at the perfect moment.

Campbell playing solid, hopefully he can get hot.

The one piece I'm a little worried about is JT, he looked slow out there tonight, wasn't very noticable. This team has a chance to go on a real run, but we will need him to be a real 1B center for us when Auston and Mitch aren't firing on all cylinders.

This series is a sweep if JT can find his elite offensive game. Nylander is ready to go on a tear but needs a partner in crime.

 

[IPS]

I just wanna give Keefe some credit too, I'm usually not super keen on him but I was very happy to see Lilly in and Holl healthy scratched

It's honestly more between Lyubushkin and Holl then it is Liljegren. Unfortunately for Holl Lyubhskin was really showing his value tonight too.

 

[Mr_Fun]

Just some random musings...

• If they're going to suspend Clifford, then the have to suspend Maroon.
• Willy had a huge blocked shot early on. Although it won't show up stats wise, he came to play.
• The crowd was our home ice advantage
• I thought the reffing called it a lot tighter than in previous playoffs. Hopefully this is the trend and not an aberration.
• That time out by Keefe was a very under-rated maneuver.

 

[Da Cool Rula]

The 3rd period confirmed Clifford must start. What he did is equivalent to your first liner missing a wide open net in overtime. You're not going to sit the first liner next game.

He got carried away but he's still needed for this series. Tampa bottom 6 is all trash looking to play dirty. Perry Maroon Bellemare Killorn then those two useless guys Paul and Hagel. We can afford to dress Clifford, Tampa isn't deep any more we can run them into the ground with skill and grit (the grit from Clifford falls in goon type grit but I do feel it's needed for this series over Spezza).

Sit Blackwell fir Spezza

 

[Stephen]

Kucherov was rattled tonight. Questionable decision making, passing up shots, errant passes everywhere.

Stamkos, Kuch, Point, Hedman are all elite gamebreakers but the absolute biggest concern for me is whether or not Vaz flips the switch and goes god mode. Otherwise I like our chances here, Tampa simply can't match the Leafs skating.

I don't really want to look ahead too much. Just win one 20 minute segment at a time against the defending champions. Stay focused and do the things that we did well tonight and let it snowball.

 

[Stephen]

Excited to see how Bunting does once he's healthy.

Yeah for sure. We also have Spezza waiting on the wings.

 

[PromisedLand]

Corrado repping the leafs LMAO

 

[RunItBackAgain]

Kampf with the most minutes of our forwards and over 7 mins of PK time with a shorty.

Matthews with 16:47 on the ice and over 8 mins on the PP.

Tavares over half his minutes on the PP with over 9 mins and 13-3 on the dot.

 

[Hurt]

Sit Blackwell fir Spezza

No chance. Blackwell is a player. Only way Spezz gets in is if Clifford is suspended (possibly) or Simmonds/Clifford have a real stinker of a game.

 

[Pi]

We are going to win this series if this is how Cooper actually feels about this game lol.



We killed 7 minutes of PP time in the first 10 minutes and had more shots and chances than them in those 7 minutes on shorthanded time.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

Corrado repping the leafs LMAO

Highly recommend listening to Corrado on the Steve Dangle podcast. Really funny guy and a great conversation.

Also go Leafs go, WHAT A WIN!

 

[jaric1862]

Clifford might involuntarily out I would guess

If he's available he should be back on the fourth line for game 1

 

[Cleetus]

Corrado repping the leafs LMAO

#FreeFrank

 

[jaric1862]

Every single one of our defenceman played phenomenal tonight as well.

 

[hockeyfanplayer]

I don't really want to look ahead too much. Just win one 20 minute segment at a time against the defending champions. Stay focused and do the things that we did well tonight and let it snowball.

THIS. IIRC we won game one rather decisively last year against them, so don't ease up on the pedal. TML has a MASSIVE speed advantage, and you guys, at least most of them, look like they have that "eye of the tiger" as the up-and-coming contender vs the over-the-hill fighter.

Stay aggressive, screen Vasilevsky and I think you guys can do this in 6, maybe even 5.

Plus I want to see Lou's face if JT wins a cup this year LOL.

 

[Antropovsky]

Perry and Maroon are the biggest babies. This was a solid clean hit and they acted like Simmonds shot Rutta.

Yep their actions got Rutta a nice scar on his forehead too in a nothing time of the game.

 

[Hurt]

I LOVED Borscht's passion today but he needs to be careful and not take stupid penalties. Tampa won't miss that much again this series.

 

[Stephen]

Going to be honest with you... I think Perry injured Tavares on purpose last year. I know it's taboo to say that.

It was an accidentally on purpose kind of play where you get a piece and see what happens. In a game of attrition, old school hockey sees every hit as an “investment” as dinosaur as it seems. I absolutely believe Perry intended to put the hurt on Tavares but the severity was obviously not by design.

 

[1specter]

Perry is a p***y ass bitch

 

[Frostitute]

Sorry it took me so long to get here...That being said...
HELL YA BOYS! FANTASIC GAME 1 I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER OUTCOME! LFG GO LEAFS GO!!!

 

[IceColdBear]

This series is a sweep if JT can find his elite offensive game. Nylander is ready to go on a tear but needs a partner in crime.

I don't see a sweep as a possibility just because Tampa has everything, elite offensive players, elite D, and an elite goalie - plus a winning pedigree.

We will neeed JT to contribute to win this series. He didn't look great tonight, but it's just one game (could say the same for basically the whole Lightning team). With Tavares's limited speed he can't really take over a game like Matthews or Marner, but his puck skills allow him to make the one big play at a big time in a game that could win us this series.

If he's going, our team is definitely very, very difficult to beat.

The energy in the building and the way the team responded felt incredible to watch - playoff hockey is not the same without fans in the building.

 

[Pi]

Every single one of our defenceman played phenomenal tonight as well.

Incredible feeling not to be nervous when any of our D are on the ice. Lilly was already amazing but playing with Giordano is taking his play to the next level.

He's seriously underrated and if Giordano sticks around for a few more years (which I am sure he will), he'll probably help Lilly become one of the best defenders in the league.

We aren't even playing Sandin yet who only lost his spot because of injury. Great depth on D this year but also exciting for the future.

 

[Squiffy]

Thought Lilly looked shaky in first. This is fine, first game first period. Got back to his improved 2022 self as it went on. A lot of monkeys off backs in that game for whatever thats worth. Biggest one is still a mile off though.

 

[Gabriel426]

Engvall also played a great game.
I really like the dynamics of the D pairings, for the love of God, Keefe better don’t touch them bc he wants another Dman some play time.
Lilly is really good and I think he could just be our RHD for the next 12 years.