Post-Game Talk: What Home Ice Advantage? | Leafs Beat LA in LA 3-1

[Divine]

The last few seasons Tavares looked re-energized to start the season then tailed off after about December. Not this season. He's looking crisp out there heading into April. Great to see.

If we had last year Matthews and Stolarz starting in the playoffs, this team could do some damage.

He still doesn’t have his shot back and it’s been months since his injury. Matthews is shooting for rebounds now - he used to be able to beat goalies clean.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Need Woll to pull his head out of his ass tonight and get this W, and I'm not talking about winning 6-5 either he's got to cut the bullshit and get going.

 

[Maple Leaf]

A busy home barn too is a factor, some of it is self inflicted by MLSE. You got a NBA team to get through there too. And as many zillion concerts as you can.

Ship the raptors somewhere else

 

[DarkKnight]

And this is the most ridiculous take on it. He flipped the puck down the ice, Tavares made a great play to get the puck. Simple as that

Forward your “analysis” to HNIC, because they all praised what he did as well. You should apply, your talents are wasted on us. Such a go out of your way hater dude, it’s beyond comical. He made a great play. He also made two very smart no penalty interference moves on the Matthews goal sequence.

 

[ToneDog]

LA had the advantage in play for most of the night but they did not have many High Danger Area chances and when they did, Stolarz was up to the task. Kuemper was also good until he broke some in the 3rd.

Thought the Matthews goal should have been disallowed due to the high stick but like they say, sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. Last night they got the break like they did against the Avs on the Lorenz shortie.

Quality, character win against as team that is/was money at home to keep pace for 1st in the Atlantic.

Still concerned that they do not score much 5 on 5.

 

[DarkKnight]

The last few seasons Tavares looked re-energized to start the season then tailed off after about December. Not this season. He's looking crisp out there heading into April. Great to see.

That’s true, you’re waiting for the lull, but it just isn’t coming.

 

[Puckstuff]

An effort and a half, let's end the regular season with a 10 win streak.

If the Leafs go on a 10 game win streak to finish the season - that’s when you panick because it means they will probably be due to lose 2 or 3 in a row in the playoffs.

Better to get hot in the playoffs not before it. Ideally they get hot 2-3 games before playoffs.

 

[Niagara Bill]

Did Domi play?

 

[GoonieFace]

Forward your “analysis” to HNIC, because they all praised what he did as well. You should apply, your talents are wasted on us. Such a go out of your way hater dude, it’s beyond comical. He made a great play. He also made two very smart no penalty interference moves on the Matthews goal sequence.

He flipped the puck down the ice. It wasn’t a great play. I would say that if Benoit did the same thing. The lengths people go to turn a simple play into a Jesus like miracle…

 

[ToneDog]

The last few seasons Tavares looked re-energized to start the season then tailed off after about December. Not this season. He's looking crisp out there heading into April. Great to see.

He's quieted a few of his critics and is clearly worth $7mx3 at this point. Hopefully this is more than him playing for his last contract and he can play close to this level for the next 3 years.

 

[Donnie740]

And this is the most ridiculous take on it. He flipped the puck down the ice, Tavares made a great play to get the puck. Simple as that

Novice hockey fans and casual observers won’t comprehend the presence of mind that Marner had on that sequence.

First, he anticipated where the puck would be going. Second, he didn’t just fire it out of the zone and down the ice. He put the LA defenceman in an awkward position of having to judge the descending puck, which gave Tavares the opportunity to locate it first.

And yes, it was a great play by Tavares to then shoot the puck into the empty net. Sometimes players will occasionally misfire when they’re five feet away from an empty net.

 

[ToneDog]

He flipped the puck down the ice. It wasn’t a great play. I would say that if Benoit did the same thing. The lengths people go to turn a simple play into a Jesus like miracle…

I thought it was very calculated and one Benoit could never make. This one was not an empty calorie EN assist or goal.

 

[Nineteen67]

It was NOT clearly above the shoulder so they upheld the ref’s original decision. The ref was looking right at it a few feet away. Why are you insisting? Did you have money on the Kings tonight?

The ref might have thought he missed it. The replay showed his stick was above his shoulder, but maybe he didn’t touch the puck, in their opinion. I thought the TV replay showed it ticking the stick but maybe they didn’t have that angle.

 

[weems]

Would like to see Myers get a game or two on a pairing with OEL.

Allows OEL to get back playing on his strong side.

Benoit definitely brings some nice elements but he also shouldn't be a lock to stay in the lineup if his play starts to slide.

 

[ACC1224]

Great effort, all around. Win tonight will make for a very successful trip.

Kings are a very good team. Oilers won’t have an easy path through them this time.

 

[Mess]

After a couple disappointing losses this was a big win in a playoff style environment.

Still not sure how that Matthews goal was not a high stick on the play. The video as sure made appear as it was above his shoulders.

 

[al secord]

After a couple disappointing losses this was a big win in a playoff style environment.

Still not sure how that Matthews goal was not a high stick on the play. The video as sure made appear as it was above his shoulders.

You should have called in to complain.

 

[Sypher04]

After a couple disappointing losses this was a big win in a playoff style environment.

Still not sure how that Matthews goal was not a high stick on the play. The video as sure made appear as it was above his shoulders.

Didn’t seem nearly conclusive enough to overturn the call on the ice to me.
Also keep in mind the league has more video angles than we do watching the broadcast

 

[Sypher04]

Great effort, all around. Win tonight will make for a very successful trip.

Kings are a very good team. Oilers won’t have an easy path through them this time.

I could see this being the year LA takes Edmonton out.

 

[GoonieFace]

I thought it was very calculated and one Benoit could never make. This one was not an empty calorie EN assist or goal.

Meh, the goal of any player there is to not ice the puck, so the alley oop pass is the play. I’m not downplaying it, but some of the reaction is a bit much IMO.

 

[Sypher04]

He's quieted a few of his critics and is clearly worth $7mx3 at this point. Hopefully this is more than him playing for his last contract and he can play close to this level for the next 3 years.

Still really hope they use deferred money to make get this down further, but we’ll see. I’ve not been on the Tavares is washed train a lot of people were on in the summer but I will admit I didn’t definitely expect him to basically score 40 goals and 80 points this year despite missing a handful of games. He’s seemed loose and has been terrific all year.

 

[GoonieFace]

I could see this being the year LA takes Edmonton out.

It’s quite possible. I’m sure they both are sick of each other at this point.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

The ref might have thought he missed it. The replay showed his stick was above his shoulder, but maybe he didn’t touch the puck, in their opinion. I thought the TV replay showed it ticking the stick but maybe they didn’t have that angle.

I thought it was a high stick but I don't know. Is it where the blade touches it or don't I remember a rule about it's where the shaft of the stick is relative to the shoulder? There has to be a reason for the call they made if they had the same footage we did.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I thought it was a high stick but I don't know. Is it where the blade touches it or don't I remember a rule about it's where the shaft of the stick is relative to the shoulder? There has to be a reason for the call they made if they had the same footage we did.

I think the confusing part is the rule states "normal height of the shoulder", and Matthews is crouched on a bit of an angle. How does "normal" factor in?

 

[kevsh]

Novice hockey fans and casual observers won’t comprehend the presence of mind that Marner had on that sequence.

First, he anticipated where the puck would be going. Second, he didn’t just fire it out of the zone and down the ice. He put the LA defenceman in an awkward position of having to judge the descending puck, which gave Tavares the opportunity to locate it first.

And yes, it was a great play by Tavares to then shoot the puck into the empty net. Sometimes players will occasionally misfire when they’re five feet away from an empty net.

That to me was the greatness in that play.

The almost instantaneous realization that the Kings player was going to fire the puck around the boards instead of to the front of the net (where the only player there was Marner).

First, he had the situational awareness to know that he was alone in front, second he saw the Kings player was on his forehand and where he was looking - not in front but to the far wall - and immediately went right there. Perhaps a tiny bit lucky the player didn't fire it along the boards in which case Marner would have missed it but even if so he was in the right position between the defender and the net for what could have happened next.

That level of understanding + reaction is part of what makes him an elite player, despite all the negatives that we fans throw at him on a daily basis.