Post-Game Talk: You get a blown lead! You get a blown lead! Everyone gets a blown lead!

[The Beyonder]

That means we actually have leads to give up. How many leads did the Leafs even have last season? 14?

Even still, we've given up leads 4 times in 5 games. Granted we had leads every game after 2, but that's just insane to give up leads 4 times in 5 games and lose when we did. I don't think it's gonna last long, but it's not good for their psyche; certainly not for mine already.

 

[yubbers]

I agree with a poster above, it's a team game. All five players need to play properly in their own end. Saying that we really need a stud D.

Jvr and Gardiner

Equals real d man +

Make it so Santa

 

[Ropesman]

This team is beautiful, exciting and incredibly disheartening at the same time. We actually looked like we had learned our lesson, pushing them and not letting them have anything in most of the third. And then we just stopped, again.

They'll learn. Eventually. And when they do, it'll be a beautiful time.

Andersen needs to be better. He's not playing his game, he doesn't look at all like he usually does.

Gardiner needs to be better. I talk about judging defense by what they do in the large mass of events, not just the ones that are standouts. But that works when there's one or two bad plays in a game, Gardiner had like five or six this game.

Hunwick looks like half the player he was last year, and in ways that annoy me. I'd be fine with him, as the character and leadership guy, if he was struggling due to being overwhelmed physically or by skill. That's not the worst problem. He's just playing a badly structured game. Example, the Panik goal. When Keith takes the shot, Hunwick is on the outside of his man turned towards the board. What on earth is he doing there? Defending the linesman?

Kids are alright, so was John van Bozdiek.

I think I'll probably stay off the boards for a while. I have a feeling that people will be freaking out left and right, and I'm not sure I can stand it.

You and me both man, I did that after the last game.

 

[Rayban*]

It's still hardly anything to complain about. He also made a great move but Darling actually made a save. Babcock went with a player that has been good in this previously. Hardly the problem tonight.

How 'bout how we got to the shootout in the first place? This is what the discussion should be. Not who we deployed to shoot.

Ummmmm....no it shouldn't? Have you guys really never played any competitive sport. Context matters and they pissed away another win, in a game they were controlling. It's nothing to be happy about.

 

[Gallagbi]

It was painfully obvious that this defense wasn't good enough
Why does everyone seem so shocked?

At least we're playing an entertaining brand of hockey
Our kids will get better and as they do, necessary upgrades will be made to the defense

Because the defense plays the whole game and these problems seem to pop up late in the third? Then there's the fact a lot of the issues aren't necessarily the D themselves.

 

[Walshy7]

If we are going to lose though I'm happy Nylander and Matthews are racking up points and Marner is getting chances

 

[Semantics]

Holland is good in the shootout. 5-12 lifetime is a good number.

Correction, he's lucky in the shootout. 5 goals is a tiny sample size, I've never seen anything from him that suggests he has the hands, release, or moves to keep that rate up.

 

[saffronleaf]

Badcock needs to be hard. It's the only way the kids will learn.

 

[EmergencyExit]

Can we please stop fighting amongst ourselves? It's bad enough from other fans, but it's another thing entirely when we start getting all high-and-mighty with fellow Leafs fans. We can argue these things without resorting to ad hominems and calls for heads.

For real. This board can be so over dramatic.

 

[Eb]

ANOTHER GREAT GAME BY MATTHEWS AND NYLANDER.

MARNER HAD I COUNTED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES HE COULD HAVE ALMOST SCORED.

WHO CARES ABOUT THE LOSS. OUR CORE ARE PLAYING WELL.

WOOO GO LEAFS go.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Matthews and Nylander with a really strong performances tonight.

They very much did (even though I don't the line 5v5).

It's shame we're taking about "other things" after the game though.

 

[supermann_98]

I'm not saying Anderson shouldn't bear some of the blame, but he also made a few game savers when the team D decided it was time to nap in the 3rd

Nice to see Matthews 1 for 1 on shootouts, but Nylander had a hot hand and you've gotta give him a shootout chance over Holland, career stats be damned

Long season to go boys, don't let a shootout loss on the road against the Hawks damper your spirits, way to early for that.

Lots to be excited about! Watching Matthews and Nylander together makes me jump out of my seat and Marner is just so creative and dangerous ... loving this team. Bring on the rookie year because next year and the year after this is going to be incredible

 

[Jacquestrapless]

Marner blowing the zone in OT leaving that Hawk alone in front of andersen was pretty funny to be honest.

 

[saffronleaf]

Correction, he's lucky in the shootout. 5 goals is a tiny sample size, I've never seen anything from him that suggests he has the hands, release, or moves to keep that rate up.

He doesn't. No hands, no release, no moves, limited IQ.

 

[leafsfan1234]

Polak was second in toi tonight, Hunwick third......

 

[exporta]

How does Babcock not call a TO after the 3rd goal?
Bozak, Polak, Hunwick... quite the shutdown group.

Umm. He called a coaches challenge on the third goal....

 

[Loosie]

I can't believe this fanbase is freaking out. There seems to be three camps of Leafs fans:

1) Those who thought that the Leafs were going to win 75 games, and be a playoff team (50%)

2) Those who said "yeah, they are going to be pretty bad because they are young, there are going to be a lot of rookies learning the NHL game, and some many new pieces that it is going to take 20 games or so to see what we have (5%). Also, our defence is horrendous".

3) Point #2, but with a "jklol I was just kidding. We're a Cup contender" at the end (45%).

My thoughts about the game:

- Andersen played well. Kept us in it, especially in OT.
- Marner needs to work on his defence. I saw some posters praising his defence game tonight. For example, he should have got the puck out that lead to the tying goal. But people are blind 'cause #OHLJesus. I am actually a Marner fan (inb4 the Church of Marner followers).
- Thews, Nylander, Marner, Nifty Mittens, hell, even Bozak or JVR. Nope. Peter moddafrickin Holland in the shootout.
-Dammit Hunwick.

I could handle losing these games if they weren't leading in the 3rd every game. These games on their own aren't too horrible, losing one goal leads happens all the time around the league. However losing a game in which your #1 overall pick scores 4 on his own in his debut, losing to Winnipeg after being up 4-0 is the bottom right now. Everything else was a one goal lead going into the 3rd period.

Tonight sucks too as they were playing well and then just fell apart, again if this was an isolated game it'd be easier to take. I still question not having Nylander out in the shootout tonight despite Holland's numbers.

 

[Erdinger]

Yup officiating was complete trash without a doubt. Even that hook on Marner. Marner literally had his stick there the entire time, soon as Panarin saw Bozak coming in to lay him out he dropped to the ice to protect himself and Marner got called. That was garbage.

Missing a too many men IN OVERTIME, that's inexcusable. Really really really hate how the league will hold all it's players accountable and judge their credibility, but have a different set of rules for the officials. Maybe we would have lost anyways but there was some clear garbage being called out there. If the league really cared about integrity they'd hold officials accountable.

Perhaps it's the league's lack of integrity that is guiding the officials

 

[Trapper]

This team is beautiful, exciting and incredibly disheartening at the same time. We actually looked like we had learned our lesson, pushing them and not letting them have anything in most of the third. And then we just stopped, again.

They'll learn. Eventually. And when they do, it'll be a beautiful time.

Andersen needs to be better. He's not playing his game, he doesn't look at all like he usually does.

Gardiner needs to be better. I talk about judging defense by what they do in the large mass of events, not just the ones that are standouts. But that works when there's one or two bad plays in a game, Gardiner had like five or six this game.

Hunwick looks like half the player he was last year, and in ways that annoy me. I'd be fine with him, as the character and leadership guy, if he was struggling due to being overwhelmed physically or by skill. That's not the worst problem. He's just playing a badly structured game. Example, the Panik goal. When Keith takes the shot, Hunwick is on the outside of his man turned towards the board. What on earth is he doing there? Defending the linesman?

Kids are alright, so was John van Bozdiek.

I think I'll probably stay off the boards for a while. I have a feeling that people will be freaking out left and right, and I'm not sure I can stand it.

The board needs people who can keep their head about them while all others lose theirs.
We need a sing along. We can help people get through this. I like what we're building. How can you not like this young talent?

 

[bobermay]

I don't care if we lose but when the reason why hunwick is on the team is because he is "a good pro" yet consistently plays like the above picture shows then I have an issue

Well that will be an easy fix, won't it??


Seriously, what are you expecting this season? Playoffs? 1st round? 2nd round?

Myself, I just wanted to see promise from our young guns and peices we're building around... and I'm seeing it in spades

 

[The Beyonder]

Marner bad a lazy tip before the Panik goal, he should have just hacked it and chased the puck to the empty net. Really bad play on his part, especially since he's been really good defensively this game.

 

[Walshy7]

Umm. He called a coaches challenge on the third goal....

Called it on the 4th goal ie too late

 

[Ropesman]

Marner blowing the zone in OT leaving that Hawk alone in front of andersen was pretty funny to be honest.

I was wondering when someone else was going to comment on that, that lay led to him running around and taking that penalty he took as well. Luckily freddy bailed him out.

 

[htpwn]

Hunwick needs to go away. At least Polak provides an element of physicality that the rest of our defense core lacks. He's also a RHD. Hunwick brings nothing to the table. There is zero reason why he should be playing ahead of Corrado or Marcinin (yes I'm aware the latter is banged up right now).

 

[hockeyes]

The only "pain" Babcock apparently was referring to was having to listen to a bunch of losers repeat his line after every loss.

You don't lose games like tonight regularly, not even last place teams lose games like this regularly. It's something else, either goal tending, bad personnel choices, or something in between but something is very wrong when you throw away 4 of 5 games regardless of how you are expected to finish.