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

[Beaninfritz]

You are hilarious. The guy has been arguably our best player through the first 5 games. You question his killer instinct and finish. Last year he tore the CHL apart winning every individual award and leading his team to the Memorial Cup, stepping up his game at each stage as the games became more meaningful. Sometimes players make an extra pass when they should shoot, but to base your rant on that one play is kind of silly. He has not been afraid to shoot the puck thus far. He has 14 shots through 5 games, which is pretty good for a pass first guy in his first 5 NHL games.

He probably has the best 200 foot game on the team. Let's also not forget, he's a habitual slow starter. Even still though, 3 points in 5 games in his rookie season is not a bad start at all. He's definitely sacrificing his body a lot in blocking shots. Blocking a lot more than any other forward on our team.

I have zero complaints about Marner. He'll start pumping the points soon. If he doesn't, and stays at this pace, I have no complaints if he continues to be responsible in his own end.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Marincin was not the problem with the leafs defence

 

[AuraSphere]

Nylander and Matthews are gems. For sure. They both have the killer instinct.

I flip flop on Marner. People complaining about a fifth goal, if Marner actually shot the puck instead of trying to make the highlight reel, fifth goal would have been scored and the win sealed. That guy better learn that wins are important. That play pissed me off tonight. I hate when players lose sight of the main goal (win) and focus on being pretty. It's like they're not mentally where everyone else.


Maybe he still wants to play junior so he do all kinds of globe trotter garbage (while Nylander shoots from anywhere and Matthews will take any garbage goal).

You have issues. Sort them out.

 

[The Legend]

Didn't his line mates score 2 goals while he contributed nothing?

He had 1 assist (and likely will be credited with a second).

 

[sessiroth]

...............

Wow.

He does make good points. It seems after 2 years now he still doesn't know that JVR and Bozak are a liability defensively. One minute left in the game up by one and you put Bozak with JVR on the ice....... Our weakest defensive Center and Winger......... then in overtime you put JVR back out there instead of the kids????? JVR who losses coverage on 5 on 5 your gonna trust 3 on 3?????? Then letting Holland take the first shot in the shootout????? our fourth line plug????? We tried to give him away and we couldn't. Instead of Nylander who scored two goals? Chicago put there best offensive weapons on the shootout and we counter with holland....

Just sit and think about it. Leafs lead 4-2 with 2 minutes left and end up losing 5-4.

Babcock blames vets but I put some blame on Babcock for trusting them so often after getting burned by them time and time again.

When Nylander and Mathews only get one shift in OT 3 on 3 when they had been dangerous all night.... I'm in lost of words.

At the end of the day. if the fans sitting at home know putting bozak and jvr on the ice in the last minute wen trying to defend a one goal lead is a bad idea amongst everything else, why can't our coach see it?

 

[ECanuck]

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

Everyone knows where he is shooting now.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

He does make good points. It seems after 2 years now he still doesn't know that JVR and Bozak are a liability defensively. One minute left in the game up by one and you put Bozak with JVR on the ice....... Our weakest defensive Center and Winger......... then in overtime you put JVR back out there instead of the kids????? JVR who losses coverage on 5 on 5 your gonna trust 3 on 3?????? Then letting Holland take the first shot in the shootout????? our fourth line plug????? We tried to give him away and we couldn't. Instead of Nylander who scored two goals? Chicago put there best offensive weapons on the shootout and we counter with holland....

Just sit and think about it. Leafs lead 4-2 with 2 minutes left and end up losing 5-4.

Babcock blames vets but I put some blame on Babcock for trusting them so often after getting burned by them time and time again.

When Nylander and Mathews only get one shift in OT 3 on 3 when they had been dangerous all night.... I'm in lost of words.

At the end of the day. if the fans sitting at home know putting bozak and jvr on the ice in the last minute wen trying to defend a one goal lead is a bad idea amongst everything else, why can't our coach see it?

Well, they had to kill two penalties

 

[Standardly]

He's been one of our best defensive forwards, and the play you're complaining about was him passing rather than dangling.

He has great hands. That's not a reason to be nervous...

His play is like:

The guy that does everything to get a girl. Works out, is witty, great listener. Finally musters up the courage to speak to the girl and when she reciprocates and is engaged in their conversation he tells her he has to go because he has to be at the gym. . Ladies and gents that's my summary on mitch marner

 

[sessiroth]

Well, they had to kill two penalties

Which wouldn't be the case if Babcock didn't make questionable decisions on player selection to begin OT

 

[TheDoldrums]

Well, they had to kill two penalties

Babcock has favoured the veterans in OT's so far. Bozak/JVR and Kadri/Komarov have gotten the first shifts each time iirc. Frustrating since most teams put their most skilled players out first.

 

[TheRexman]

Babcock has favoured the veterans in OT's so far. Bozak/JVR and Kadri/Komarov have gotten the first shifts each time iirc. Frustrating since most teams put their most skilled players out first.

Except the very first game where it was Matthews and Nylander that started and lost it.

 

[pgk]

Babcock needs to take some heat for this one. Holland 1st shooter was utterly insane. Leo Polak Hunwick got us through OT but mostly because the Hawks wouldn't shoot. Nylander had to be 1st shooter no question

 

[91Stammer*]

Babcock blaming vets in his post game comments. This has nothing to do with being a young team.

Why not blame himself for putting wrong guys at wrong time? Sounds like an excuse everytime now.

 

[Leaftors]

Why not blame himself for putting wrong guys at wrong time? Sounds like an excuse everytime now.

Its the 4th game of the season, the whole reason you have vets on a team is for experience in these types of situations, and they failed him. Its incredible how a guy can make a team play way above their heads and then be the one to blame like any of us have NHL coaching/playing experience to have valid acredidation of our armchair coachinf. We are not a playoff team, we're in year number 2 of a rebuild, what does anybody expect? The playoffs? Some of you need to give your head a shake.

 

[Torontonian]

Why not blame himself for putting wrong guys at wrong time? Sounds like an excuse everytime now.

I don't think you have watched the game.. Realistically who else are you gonna put out there? Carrick? we saw what he did against winnipeg.. moe who couldn't tie his man up for the 3rd goal and Zaitzev.. The leafs simply dont have a capable one-two shut down like other teams in league.. We dont have a keith/weber/doughty

 

[sessiroth]

On a side note I had a question. Has a team ever started the season with leading all of the first 5 games going into the third and winning only 1? For some reason I don't think It's happened before.

The kids are amazing and the vets stink. It's a shame. Usually the vets carry the rookies not the other way around.

 

[Daisy Jane]

On Tuesday, I want the following:

Polak out.
Hunwick out.

Holland out
(because I think this Griffth kid needs to play).

Brown moved up.

and go from there.

 

[91Stammer*]

I don't think you have watched the game.. Realistically who else are you gonna put out there? Carrick? we saw what he did against winnipeg.. moe who couldn't tie his man up for the 3rd goal and Zaitzev.. The leafs simply dont have a capable one-two shut down like other teams in league.. We dont have a keith/weber/doughty

Zaitsev and Rielly are the most reliable options. But I blame that awful guy for putting Hunwick and Polak on ice 3v4, I blame that pylon for letting in Holland in shootouts let alone 1st. I blame that tool to not being able to keep the situation calm under pressure for each and everygame this season.

He should start blaming himself from now on for every game we lose until we win 10 games. This guy is pathetic.

 

[Leaftors]

Zaitsev and Rielly are the most reliable options. But I blame that awful guy for putting Hunwick and Polak on ice 3v4, I blame that pylon for letting in Holland in shootouts let alone 1st. I blame that tool to not being able to keep the situation calm under pressure for each and everygame this season.

He should start blaming himself from now on for every game we lose until we win 10 games. This guy is pathetic.

Holland in the shootout? Idc how bad you think he is, he is 5-12 lifetime in the shootout. You cannot argue with the thought process there, how do you have an opinion if you ignore factual stats?

 

[moon111]

I saw the score and think it's awesome the Leafs got a point out of Chicago.
As for Holland on the Shoot-out... the most shoot-out goals ever scored by a Maple Leaf, was Mats Sundin. He had 6. Holland had 4 with two less shots then Sundin's team record. Perhaps Kadri was suppose to be the guy, but lost that opportunity with his performance?
All I know, heard complaints about all the defencemen, yet hear it's Babcock because (insert name) played. Well who's he suppose to use? At a certain point, you have to play what you got. Trade for Trouba! Can't afford him. When it comes down to it, management HAS to find low-end talent. Guys that are just passable and cheap. So you're always going to have so-so d-men. Because if you want to pay for those forwards... someone's got to be wage cut in the future.

 

[91Stammer*]

Holland in the shootout? Idc how bad you think he is, he is 5-12 lifetime in the shootout. You cannot argue with the thought process there, how do you have an opinion if you ignore factual stats?

The fact here is that it is a tiny sample size in NHL thus you can not rely on a guy who can not score.

 

[Leaftors]

The fact here is that it is a tiny sample size in NHL thus you can not rely on a guy who can not score.

sure man.

 

[ponder]

The good:
This team is clearly SUPER talented, I'm extremely excited about the future. Matthews, Nylander, Marner and Rielly is an outstanding core, especially when surrounded with lots of other talent like Gards, Zaitsev, Kadri, JvR, Brown, etc. We might lose a lot of games this year, but we'll be entertaining, and in a few years I'm very confident we'll be a cup contender.

The bad:
We REALLY lack shutdown ability. We're a talented puck possession team, but when the pressure's on, and other teams need to score on us, they do, VERY consistently.

The Kadri/Komarov/Michalek line is not working, at all. The Matthews and Marner lines are great, but the Kadri line is just getting destroyed. I personally think it's a no brainer to move Michalek to the 4th line, and Brown up to the Kadri line. If that doesn't do it, try switching Hyman and Komarov too.

Obviously Babcock is a great coach, but he's made some pretty nuts decisions. In this game, when we were trying to hold down the lead with the game on the line, his d pairing is ... Polak and Hunwick!?!? These guys are borderline AHLers. No surprise the Hawks tied it up, it simply should not happen that such weak dmen are on the ice to hold on to the lead. Rielly is our best dman by far, he HAS to be out there in these situations, and he should be joined by one of Gards or Zaitsev.

Andersen, I feel like he's not been as poor as the stats would suggest, he's made some big saves and has been put in some very poor positions by our d, but he does need to be better.


Long story short, I'm very willing to accept the flakiness that will come from playing lots of rookies. However, Babcock needs to be more proactive. The Komarov/Kadri/Michalek line is just not working, and playing our worst dmen in the crucial minutes when we're trying to hold on to the lead is just not OK. Rielly needs to be out there in the crucial minutes.

 

[TMLS]

It's crazy how Babs gets so much love here, he is soooooooooo overated. If it was Carlyle or Ron Wilson playing these lines and giving some scrub top mins everyone would have gone crazy. Nah, its Babs tho best winning coach in the world with god mode team Canada and fully stack Detriot team.

 

[TML1]

Why not blame himself for putting wrong guys at wrong time? Sounds like an excuse everytime now.

As a coach you have to prepare everyone and if it doesn't work out protect your players at the utmost! Don't throw anyone under the bus!!