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

[Tarmore]

Any points Mik gets at this point are just gravy. At some point in the last few weeks he decided he's going to be a pest and it carried into last night. The man is on a mission and seems like one of the guys TB players are going to hate coming out of this series.

Yes him and Engvall are playing like they are 13' tall..... Well together they almost are!

 

[Budz]

Didn’t we also just sign some 6’8 monster for the AHL. Can he play?

 

[wingman75]

I understand completely why they would want to play this type of player and I agree with it.
Wish it were someone other than Clifford, he's not very smart.

I think he gets a game anyway. Very dirty play.

I am surprised at the lack of agreement on this. That play has no place in hockey, period.

I like what Cliffy can bring, but we don't need that. We were lucky to have gotten away with it.

 

[Kelly]

Clifford needs to be in the line up. He set the tone for the rest of the game. We literally won because he brought the physicality on. He and Simmonds did their jobs out there. You have to play physical and you can’t be intimidated. Same with Kadri, I rather have players who toe the line and show the emotion compared to players who are p***yes and cower.

We won because we killed his 5 minute bone headed penalty. That penalty could've easily went the other way and sunk us, and you'd all be singing a different tune.

Simmonds is able to do what Clifford brings, and he rarely takes stupid ass penalties, which Clifford seems to do regularly. Brother and I called Clifford taking a dumb ass penalty days before the game, he proved us right 10 minutes into the game. That was so predictable.

Besides, he's likely sitting 2 to 3 games, won't even be able to dress him if Keefe even wanted.

 

[D00bis]

What a game super pumped I got see that live! Might have locked down some free bees for tomorrow game fingers crossed

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

I am surprised at the lack of agreement on this. That play has no place in hockey, period.

I like what Cliffy can bring, but we don't need that. We were lucky to have gotten away with it.

You dress skill players, sometimes they wow you off your feet deking out 5 guys at once then roofing it top shelf. Doesn't happen regular occurence.

You inject grit into the lineup sometimes they kill someone.

Comes with the territory. People over reacting to the Clifford hit.

 

[saltming]

Didn’t we also just sign some 6’8 monster for the AHL. Can he play?

If you're talking about Douglas, no, his contract starts next year

 

[Shooter2x]

You inject grit into the lineup sometimes they kill someone.

LMAO

 

[Twine Tickler]

This was a fine no less than a week ago. MacDermid was assessed a 5minute major and a game at almost the exact same time in the game as the Clifford infraction.

Had TB actually taken advantage of the 5 minute major the league would not have even looked at this hit. But because that 5 minute major worked against the Bolts and spring boarded the Leafs into the game now the league feels like they need to add to the punishment. It's massively inconsistent from the DOPS. Nothing new.

All things considered we won the game without Cliffy, we can do it again. But I really do think Cliffy adds to that 4th line. Specifically in this series.

 

[Sypher04]

This was a fine no less than a week ago. MacDermid was assessed a 5minute major and a game at almost the exact same time in the game as the Clifford infraction.

Had TB actually taken advantage of the 5 minute major the league would not have even looked at this hit. But because that 5 minute major worked against the Bolts and spring boarded the Leafs into the game now the league feels like they need to add to the punishment. It's massively inconsistent from the DOPS. Nothing new.

All things considered we won the game without Cliffy, we can do it again. But I really do think Cliffy adds to that 4th line. Specifically in this series.

The hit Liljegren took in (I think) the last game of the year was even worse and nothing

 

[SweLeafsFan]

Almost a perfect game made Tampa look really bad. I could get used to this.

 

[AvroArrow]

Oh it's clear the Leafs aren't just battling the Lightning this series. They're also battling the officiating and the DOPS.

Other than that call on Lyubushkin I thought the refs were fine tbh. I thought Clifford only deserved 2, but if they're going to give 5 for a play like that I can live with it. Hit from behind into the boards, My only request is when it's our player getting hit from behind, that the same call is made.

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

This was a fine no less than a week ago. MacDermid was assessed a 5minute major and a game at almost the exact same time in the game as the Clifford infraction.

Had TB actually taken advantage of the 5 minute major the league would not have even looked at this hit. But because that 5 minute major worked against the Bolts and spring boarded the Leafs into the game now the league feels like they need to add to the punishment. It's massively inconsistent from the DOPS. Nothing new.

All things considered we won the game without Cliffy, we can do it again. But I really do think Cliffy adds to that 4th line. Specifically in this series.

Leafs did not look good to begin the game. What Clifford did was bad, but it forced us to wake up quick and play to our best ability. Looking back if we win this series with A+ effort for every game, this hit Clifford threw might be the turning point of the series.

Grit is good in playoffs. Sometimes it is good through mysterious ways like last night.

 

[ACC1224]

I am surprised at the lack of agreement on this. That play has no place in hockey, period.

I like what Cliffy can bring, but we don't need that. We were lucky to have gotten away with it.

That's all I'm saying. Leafs have been too soft for years but that wasn't what was needed, loved what they brought the rest of the game though.

 

[Sypher04]

Leafs did not look good to begin the game. What Clifford did was bad, but it forced us to wake up quick and play to our best ability. Looking back if we win this series with A+ effort for every game, this hit Clifford threw might be the turning point of the series.

Grit is good in playoffs. Sometimes it is good through mysterious ways like last night.

Huh? The turning point of the series doesn’t come less than 10 mins into a scoreless game 1

Also the Leafs, aside from taking a penalty, which they killed off, were playing perfectly fine when Clifford got called

Our pk rose to the occasion when put in a really tough spot early, but it’s neither a turning point or credit to the hit

 

[Havoc]

Leafs did not look good to begin the game. What Clifford did was bad, but it forced us to wake up quick and play to our best ability. Looking back if we win this series with A+ effort for every game, this hit Clifford threw might be the turning point of the series.

Grit is good in playoffs. Sometimes it is good through mysterious ways like last night.

Yeah I said this last night. If we had the power to change anything in last night's game. Cliffords hit would remain untouched because the whole game changed after. We'd be fools to remove that hit from the game. Therefore there's no point to continue making an issue about it. He should not be punished, just needs a little warning behind the scenes to keep it clean moving forward. We need those hits just not the illegal versions.

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

Huh? The turning point of the series doesn’t come less than 10 mins into a scoreless game 1

Also the Leafs, aside from taking a penalty, which they killed off, were playing perfectly fine when Clifford got called

That 5 minute kill put the Leafs on another level. It is not a situation you want to find yourself in again but if you think it didn't force us to be the best versions of ourselves quickly we will have to agree to disagree. The intensity felt after that hit is not the same as the intensity they began the game with.

 

[ACC1224]

@ErnieLeafs was that the greatest night of you life? top 5?

 

[djdev]

gio has been the best pickup from the trade deadline imo, dude has been unreal. hes playing at the same level as when he won the norris in 2019.

 

[DopeyFish]

gio has been the best pickup from the trade deadline imo, dude has been unreal. hes playing at the same level as when he won the norris in 2019.

yeah he's been really good

the least i wanted from him was to be consistent like dermott (since we lost him for gio) and you don't know exactly what you're getting from a late 30s player who is having a bad year on an expansion team. but he's been consistent and impactful. probably our best D-man.

 

[wingman75]

You dress skill players, sometimes they wow you off your feet deking out 5 guys at once then roofing it top shelf. Doesn't happen regular occurence.

You inject grit into the lineup sometimes they kill someone.

Comes with the territory. People over reacting to the Clifford hit.

Yup. I am not overreacting. The play was handled correctly. I never said I would take it back, or didn't like it but it was dirty as f*** and something this team has been missing in the past. Plays like this are needed to simply show that you can and sometime will cross the line.

We got lucky that our PK stepped up the way they did, but lets be honest, Tampa didn't 'bring it' last night.

Whenever Clifford is available, I expect him to be back in the lineup, and stay on the right side of the line.

IMO, you can feel the play was dirty and like it at the same time, especially in this case where the opponent is no worse for wear.

 

[djdev]

yeah he's been really good

the least i wanted from him was to be consistent like dermott (since we lost him for gio) and you don't know exactly what you're getting from a late 30s player who is having a bad year on an expansion team. but he's been consistent and impactful. probably our best D-man.

yep, i was praying we would go after him as opposed to the other more expensive options at the deadline, on top of his amazing defense, hes got more points as a dman than any forward we have obtained for the playoffs in recent memory. its been the perfect situation..him and lily are absolute money!

 

[Once]

I actually didn't think the Clifford hit warranted a misconducted as Colton was fine but the game has changed and I get it. I can't help but think if that were Maroon or Perry hitting someone like Kampf then likely its a 2-minute and a fine.

Aside from that, our dcore looks DEEP. Rielly, Muzz, Gio as a trio stabilizes the squad but then you add in some grit with Boosh, steadiness with Brodie, and Liljegren's dynamic style. The leafs D isn't talked about enough.

 

[TheDoldrums]

W

 

[Shooter2x]

if you think it didn't force us to be the best versions of ourselves quickly we will have to agree to disagree.

This is important for a team known to be unable to find the killer instinct needed in the playoffs. Thrown into the deep end of adversity quick and they tasted blood seeing that they can easily overcome it. Made the back to back champs look like scrubs on a 5 minute PP. This team is one of the league's scariest if they play to their full ability and play with the confidence that they're the best.

It's not a fact they actually needed this hit (adversity) to find that killer instinct quickly but why take chances for a team prone to not finding it right? I like this romanticized story that the Clifford hit turned out to be something positive.