Post-Game Talk: Toronto barely loses to carolina

[Racer88]

This is the kind of game you need to win in the playoffs.

I don’t give half a shit that the 2nd ranked team in league eked out a win

You should because eking out a win is how you actually win games in the playoffs

 

[stickty111]

Liljegren is cooked. What he had going for the majority of the season he can’t get back. Keefe called him out, scratched him, he’s missing his buddies and he’s ruined now. I doubt he will right the ship before Game 1. Maybe next year Keefe (or whoever is coach at this rate) will just let him play his game and not make a big thing about his roster spot being in jeopardy for no reason.

Yup his confidence is gone. Best case scenario either way. If we advance than nice playoff success. If not, a new coach who knows how to develop young players.
Fine by me.
Keefe can only look at himself here. Cooper will run circles around him. Hopefully our team plays well enough it won't matter.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Tough result, outplayed them by a wide margin to lose in the final two mins due to a weak rebound and soft play from Lilly.

Lillypad these last two weeks has shown when there’s pressure and intensity on him, he coughs up the puck far too much, can’t have the mistake he’s been making in the playoffs.

At least try and hold Rielly and Holl to the same standard. Holy.

 

[jellery67]

too bad there wasn't a handshake line. Team would have been respected tonight........

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Murray has been abysmal. Again gave up 4 goals against tonight. just look at his recent games (last column for goals against).

He’s just a placeholder until the playoffs.

We have zero chance if Samsonov gets injured

 

[thewave]

I would still fire Keefe tonight. That's me though.

 

[Stephen]

Generally happy with the effort but leaking out there after the AM34 goal to tie it in the third.

Win or lose though, I’m pretty sick of some of the big names who consistently need babysitting and adult supervision.

Our captain is effective in about the last 20 feet of ice in the offensive zone and constantly mismanaging the puck and causing miscues on defense. The idea that he’ll be freed up when ROR can come back and do his job is not right. If ROR is going to do it, what’s the value in JT?

Certain 5 man units shouldn’t be together. Not really sure JT, Nylander, Rielly can be on the ice at the same time 5 on 5.

Murray was alright, not really at fault but unable to shut the door and give us momentum changing saves.

Matthews is back. He’s resuming his high level of play which is encouraging.

Hockey Night In Carolina. I dunno, it’s a nothing point but I don’t think that rink should be hosting the Leafs on a Saturday night.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

WHY was Lily, Rielly and the Tavares line out after the tying goal?

Keefe is going to die by playing these ineffective and badly timed lines and pairing combinations with a 4+ GAA goalie in Murray.

Disgusting.

GALAXY BRAINED

 

[htpwn]

Someone else said "playoff form" and yep. That is what it felt like tonight. Effort was fine, we even outplayed them, but just found a way to lose.

It pains me to see how Liljegren has been playing since the deadline. He was at a legit top 4 level and then boom, confidence = shot. Obviously part of that is on the player but Keefe & Dubas need to share that blame. Their treatment of young players at the NHL level needs to be better in general.

Having said that, the 4-3 goal was more on Rielly, IMO. Completely lost his man and managed to get faked out on the empty netter too. I do not know how to handle him at this point. He's in the first year of a $7.5M contract, so you can't really sit him, but I honestly think he's a net negative at this point.

Also, Murray didn't play "bad" tonight and he hasn't played "bad" of late in general, but FFS you cannot give up 3+ goals every damn game. When Kallgren gives us this level of goaltending, then I can be happy with that. But we need more from Murray.

 

[genk]

As long as Keefe continues using Rielly in situations like this, this will continue happening. He is just bad defensively. What’s he doing so high in the slot on the tying goal?

 

[Torontonian]

At least try and hold Rielly and Holl to the same standard. Holy.

Holl is useless, and Reilly has been trash. That’s a given, Lilly has made really bad mistake at crucial times.

 

[PromisedLand]

He's the most brutal PPG player I've ever seen. Embarrassingly slow and that contract is starting to look rough

Tavares isn't in the top 50 for even strength production for all skaters
Tavares isn't in the top 40 for ppg production for all skaters
His production is propped up by PP production where elite players set him up all the time

Tavares' cap hit is top 5 for all skaters in the league

Tavares is an albatross with the way he is playing; slow to every puck; brain dead no look passes; stupidity through the roof.

 

[jellery67]

I would still fire Keefe tonight. That's me though.

Oh- please? Pretty please?

 

[v00d00daddy]

You should because eking out a win is how you actually win games in the playoffs

Yeah but it’s not the playoffs.

Not the team that will be iced in the playoffs.

Would have liked a win but I’m not gonna see it as some tragic loss.

This changes nothing. Good or bad

 

[GQS]

Liljegren will probably sit for a bit

Matt Murray cannot be our starter. He has no glove hand and poor lateral movement.

Kudos to the boys for trying to come back multiple times

It would be unfair for Liljegren to sit for that go ahead goal when other Dmen have made far worse plays and are still playing. He caught the puck out of the air and then put the puck along the boards IN MID AIR and the Canes player was able to get a stick on it and knock it down and it stayed in the zone. Just a good/lucky play by the Canes player that then led to a goal.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Murray has been abysmal. Again gave up 4 goals against tonight. just look at his recent games (last column for goals against).

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You can't win with that kinda goal tending.

Tavares line has been an utter embarassment. Tavares is a JOKE even strength. Nylander is being wasted on Tavares' wing. Give Nylande Acciari and Kampf for all I care until ROR is back.

Screw Tavares' feelings

Another Dubas mistake.

 

[Mr_Fun]

For the most part, the team did what you want -- play the good teams tough.

That 4th goal though looked like something you'd expect to see back in October. Reilly was really looking like he'd turned the corner and then "totally redeems himself" on that goal.

Oh well, we'd won a game or two lately where we got outplayed so I suppose it's fair that we return the favor. Ah well, on to Nashville tomorrow.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Yup his confidence is gone. Best case scenario either way. If we advance than nice playoff success. If not, a new coach who knows how to develop young players.
Fine by me.
Keefe can only look at himself here. Cooper will run circles around him. Hopefully our team plays well enough it won't matter.

Doesn’t help that Holl is also still making his own brain dead decisions, so now Keefe has not one but two right-handed defenseman who at a moments notice can choke.

I dunno maybe he’s happy this way. Now he can use “tie goes to the veteran” reasoning and play Holl over Lily in the playoffs. 3 weeks ago that would’ve been seen as a fireable offence.

 

[stickty111]

Yeah to be honest I'd give Liljegren a bit of a pass. He only played 7 minutes at 5v5, why on earth is he being inserted into the game at such a critical time? Rielly is just a problem

I don't get it. A player who clearly is struggling, limited mins and you play him along with our worst defenceman defensively in that situation?

 

[Stephen]

He’s just a placeholder until the playoffs.

We have zero chance if Samsonov gets injured

I read a great quote this week. Smart people do stupid things when they want something they know they shouldn’t. And that kind of reminds me of the whole Murray experiment where the team seems to really want playoff hero Murray to happen.

 

[Petrus]

Keefe fails to get star team to win again. Same problems persist. Answers not forthcoming.

We are stuck with Keefe. We missed the boat on Cassidy. I thought he would have been a good hire.

 

[hfman]

He’s just a placeholder until the playoffs.

We have zero chance if Samsonov gets injured

we have zero chance no matter which of the two is in net actually

 

[MSZ]

I would still fire Keefe tonight. That's me though.

I would fire him too. The new guy would still have ten games left to figure things out.

 

[MoreMogilny]

It would be unfair for Liljegren to sit for that go ahead goal when other Dmen have made far worse plays and are still playing. He caught the puck out of the air and then put the puck along the boards IN MID AIR and the Canes player was able to get a stick on it and knock it down and it stayed in the zone. Just a good/lucky play by the Canes player that then led to a goal.

He’s making too many mistakes for Keefe. We’ve seen what he does to young D. He will opt for a veteran lineup Im sure

 

[ULF_55]

Yup his confidence is gone. Best case scenario either way. If we advance than nice playoff success. If not, a new coach who knows how to develop young players.
Fine by me.
Keefe can only look at himself here. Cooper will run circles around him. Hopefully our team plays well enough it won't matter.

I thought you were talking about -2 Tavares for a second there, but then I saw young players.

9 shots on net and no points.

Won less than half his face-offs.

20 minutes with nothing to show for it.