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

[ThrillinPhil]

damn for someone so close to buying a $150 jersey.. there are... 0 ... $150 jerseys

Use code "NHLGOAL15" and get 15%off.It came out to $150.88

 

[Canada4Gold]

I think the bigger question in regards to tonight is how the hell did we get 6 penalties to their 2. Its not like we were outplayed/outclassed at any point of the game

We don't have the proper clearance to get that answer

But we all know that answer

If the Hawks PK wasn't so **** we might have gotten 3, maybe, but they couldn't risk it

 

[Trapper]

Morgan Rielly frustrates me the way his game is showing panic for no good reason. He constantly passes to bad ice where players are in coverage but seems to have lots of time. He is not a very poised defenseman. This guy is basically stagnant. The most aver rated player on the team by a country mile.m

I think Rielly is too focused on being the D corp leader and leading the way at the moment.
He's a young guy as well trying to stabilize the situation. It will come once he relaxes. Everyone plays in panic mode at times. Bobbling passes,overskating plays,turning left instead of right.

 

[Walshy7]

the thing is people are complaining about Andersen not coming up with a huge save when needed, but not the defense just doing their job before it even gets to him. All the d men didnt have a good night tonight

 

[Erdinger]

I think the bigger question in regards to tonight is how the hell did we get 6 penalties to their 2. Its not like we were outplayed/outclassed at any point of the game

Because we are the Leafs. No officials have any respect for the Leafs

 

[Rayban*]

Let's all just ignore that we play defence like an AHL team and blame Andersen for everything. Everything is always easier when there's a scapegoat. Keep looking at a tree, never look at the forest.

I think i found the Andersen tree...

 

[BertCorbeau]

Disheartening, that's for sure .. Especially given they've blown 3 previous games, but to blow it with less than 3 minutes left after such a solid third period .. Ouch.

Some tough growing pains this past week.

Then again, most of us thought the Leafs would get blown out of the water - and they didn't. I mean they haven't been out of a game yet. Just a ****** job at closing them out.

 

[Pyrophorus]

All blown leads are on the road.

Lets see what home can do.

 

[hockeyes]

If there's one thing I'm scared about with all of these late game collapses causing, it's a younger players becoming frustrated and uninterested in playing anymore. You can already tell Matthews is getting annoyed with the losing, and I'm sure it won't be long before the other younger players follow. Babcock really needs to figure this out and hold these vets accountable or else this might get ugly.

There are not many teams that can add an 8 point in 5 game rookie and somehow lose all but 1 out of 5 games. I think Mathews is more than mature enough to deal with it but when he goes on a cold streak I wouldn't be surprised if it takes winning a game or two to shake out of it.

 

[NikoEhlers]

i know our D is garbage, but man andersen needs to be clutch once in a while. good goalies should be.

Its very early, hes gotta get into better form, not easy going into Toronto in front of this funk show and find your form and your game, but hes obviously gotta figure it out. But its 4 games and ppl are ready to run him out of town, a lot of rookies and the best leaf d are puck moving defencemen.

 

[NarcoPolo]

I still don't see #1 dman in Reilz either

I thought he was fine tonight. Outside of that ugly rebound goal he looked steady. Watching Gardiner play is enough to give a person a heart attack though. Makes a brilliant play at one point, and then goes full blown bone head the next. Keith didn't look very good tonight eithe.

 

[Jacquestrapless]

Seems we've resorted back to flipping pucks out of the D-zone again...even then we still stuck at doing that especially on the PK

 

[Canada4Gold]

So Babcock, I think you know my next question

Why the **** are you playing Polak and Hunwick so much and in those spots? Even you can see they're ****ing up right there with your answers

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Call Winnipeg and see what they want for Trouba. If you can get him without trading one of the big 3 and Rielly. Than go for it. Gardiner and Top 3 protected 1st RD pick get it done?

It'd take less than that probably.

However I would have no issues with trading Gardiner for Trouba. Sure it may seem like a lateral move right now, but Gardiner will be easier to replace. Plus Trouba is a little bit more cautious in his own zone than Gardiner, who likes to take more risks. This defense could use someone with more of a steadying presence, and I'm sure Rielly could use it too.

It may sound crazy, but I think Zaitsev and Hunwick may work out. It worked pretty well in the preseason, because Zaitsev just needs someone who can do the basic things well and plays a smart. Hunwick does that in spades, but just looks awful when he's overused. Plus the Hunwick-Zaitsev pairing worked very well in preseason. Then pairing Marincin back with Polak should get the two back to when they were playing really good hockey.

At this point, it's worth a shot, at least the second part. However Gardiner-Rielly would have to go back to being a pairing, and I remember that not working out in the past.

 

[TheBigThree]

What???

Yeah I know the unconditional love he gets but if you're honest with yourself you would see all the gaffs he has. He only had one nice play this season and it was in game 1, pass to matthews. Other than that defensively he's been messing up constantly. Zaitsev is our most solid defense-men

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

This one absolutely isn't Andersen's fault, and he looked really solid for most of the game + OT, but it'd be really nice if we could get a save late in the third or in the shootout.

Not much you can do when you got Toews, Kane and Panarin coming at you in the shootout. Toews shot was near unstoppable

Andersen made some really nice saves tonight. He was very good but he'd have to be Carey Price level to have stolen this one for us

 

[Al14]

I think i found the Andersen tree...

Now, that right there is a five hole!

 

[Pi]

i heard on the radio (and I agreed). you can't keep a lot (or all) of these vets. they need to go (even if it's getting new vets) they clearly know they aren't part of what's being built hence the meh play.

Bozak, Michalek are placeholders. JvR should be traded soon because he doesn't deserve 6-7M he will demand when he only shows up for half the games.

Kadri line is just all kinds of wrong...they don't mesh together at all. No idea why Komarov and Kadri play together still.

I'd much rather have JvR with Kadri and Marner and Matthews with Nylander and Brown. This team is just not balanced.

I think we are tanking. Unbalanced PP units, broken D pairings, broken lines. It's like we are purposely not putting the jigsaw puzzles pieces in the right places.

Hunwick and Polak out on the ice defending a one goal lead is ridiculous. Both of these players are #7Ds.

If we have to lose, can we do it with our best players?

 

[ULF_55]

Disheartening, that's for sure .. Especially given they've blown 3 previous games, but to blow it with less than 3 minutes left after such a solid third period .. Ouch.

Some tough growing pains this past week.

Then again, most of us thought the Leafs would get blown out of the water - and they didn't. I mean they haven't been out of a game yet. Just a ****** job at closing them out.

Yep.

They played well, I honestly was surprised when Babcock didn't take the time-out after the 3rd. goal.

What was he waiting for the tying goal.

I think Babcock blew it.

Is there anyone besides Babcock on the planet who didn't know they needed to get their heads straight after that 3rd. goal.

Perhaps another blindspot after the Hunwick love?

 

[The Legend]

u think Babcock is gonna want a diva like Trouba who when he doesnt get his way holds out? lmao.

Umm, Trouba has no contract.

If every person who refuses to work under those circumstances is a diva, we'd have a lot of divas.

 

[yubbers]

I thought he was fine tonight. Outside of that ugly rebound goal he looked steady. Watching Gardiner play is enough to give a person a heart attack though. Makes a brilliant play at one point, and then goes full blown bone head the next. Keith didn't look very good tonight eithe.

Oh I still like Reilz. I just wanna see more outta him. I agree with the other poster who mentioned he might have a bit too much weight on his shoulders and over thinking things.

Gardiner needs to be packaged up ASAP imo

 

[Purity*]

Not much you can do when you got Toews, Kane and Panarin coming at you in the shootout. Toews shot was near unstoppable

Andersen made some really nice saves tonight. He was very good but he'd have to be Carey Price level to have stolen this one for us

Every team has good shootout players, it ain't no excuse.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

It'd take less than that probably.

However I would have no issues with trading Gardiner for Trouba. Sure it may seem like a lateral move right now, but Gardiner will be easier to replace. Plus Trouba is a little bit more cautious in his own zone than Gardiner, who likes to take more risks. This defense could use someone with more of a steadying presence, and I'm sure Rielly could use it too.

It may sound crazy, but I think Zaitsev and Hunwick may work out. It worked pretty well in the preseason, because Zaitsev just needs someone who can do the basic things well and plays a smart. Hunwick does that in spades, but just looks awful when he's overused. Plus the Hunwick-Zaitsev pairing worked very well in preseason. Then pairing Marincin back with Polak should get the two back to when they were playing really good hockey.

At this point, it's worth a shot.

Hunwick-Zaistev has been horrible all season long though. I thought Hunwick played his best game of the season tonight and it was still not good.

Marincin - Trouba
Rielly - Zaistev
Hunwick/Polak - Carrick

Play the **** out of the 1st and 2nd pairing. I'm all in for putting Rielly into a position to succeed, the kid needs easier minutes.

 

[Erdinger]

Polak's play is definitely diminishing his anticipated trade deadline return. That's why he was signed wasn't it?

 

[Pi]

Not much you can do when you got Toews, Kane and Panarin coming at you in the shootout. Toews shot was near unstoppable

Andersen made some really nice saves tonight. He was very good but he'd have to be Carey Price level to have stolen this one for us

You don't have to be Carey Price to win a game you lead 4-2 with less than 2-3 minutes to go. I bet teams go on to win that game 95% of the time regardless of the goalie in net.