Post-Game Talk: It wasnt a fight, just fuggit aboutit

[Nineteen67]

I love digging up small sample size of stats tailored to support the narrative thry want to create. In a couple of days they can write a hit piece that will generate all kinds of hits and adds a goodly amount of loonies to their next paycheque!

They admit they like math and don’t watch a lot of hockey.

These are the only 2 teams that have not won a playoff series in a Cap World since it was instituted in 2004.

How is it possible to have faith and trust that this is the Leafs year, when they're getting pounded 5-1 by a recent expansion team built on other teams castoffs?

This is a good example perhaps that the regular season has little value in setting playoff expectations, and its simply going to be a wait and see what happens when the playoff begin.

Seattle Kraken are even getting playoff buzz now by Leaf reporters for the way they're playing.

Are the Kraken a legitimate playoff contender? What execs, analysts and the players themselves say

After a disappointing inaugural season, the Kraken have exceeded expectations so far in 2022-23. But can they keep it up and make some noise this spring?

www.espn.com

Without Matthews and Marner the Leafs are Seattle

 

[ACC1224]

They admit they like math and don’t watch a lot of hockey.

Sounds like a few people here.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I don’t want to belabour the point but you might want to watch the highlights again. You cannot absolve Rielly of blame on McCann’s goal. Even Simpson said on the telecast that Rielly was “looking to pinch” on that goal. If he saw that Giordano was already deep Rielly’s intentions should have been defence-first as a DEFENCEMAN. I get it, you like the guy, he’s a sweetheart, but the many questions about his play being asked of him by fans and media is justified.

It has absolutely nothing to do with "liking the guy" or not. It's literally just the facts. That goal is not on Rielly, and it really just exposes your bias when you try to put it on him.
I don't care what you think Simpson said. Go watch the highlight yourself.
Rielly is patrolling the blueline as the puck is behind the net. He is not pinching. His intention literally WAS defense-first as a defenseman.
When the puck gets shot around the boards, he takes a stride towards the wall, realizes the opponent is alone and is going to easily get it, and immediately starts racing backwards. He's literally at center ice skating full-speed back before the puck even gets to McCann's stick.

Notice how there's 1 Leaf behind the net, and 3 Leafs deep in the zone? Yeah, none of those are Rielly. Rielly is the one at the blueline.
Notice the one Seattle player in the top right that's completely uncontested by either Giordano (who unlike Rielly, did pinch) or a Leaf forward covering for him, while Rielly has to be focused on the puck being whipped around the other side? Yeah, that's McCann, the goal-scorer.
Notice the one Seattle player in the middle on the left side, completely uncontested by a Leaf forward, that's allowed to whip a tape-to-tape pass to a streaking McCann?

What the heck is Rielly supposed to do there? It literally takes less than 3 seconds for the puck to go from behind the opposing net to on the stick of a full-speed opponent at our blueline. Is he supposed to just stand in his own end the whole game while the puck is in the offensive zone or literally everything that happens is his fault, no matter what his linemates do?

And again, this is one of the just 2 total goals that Rielly has been on the ice for since coming back 4 games ago. The Rielly-bashing is not "justified" in the slightest.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

It has absolutely nothing to do with "liking the guy" or not. It's literally just the facts. That goal is not on Rielly, and it really just exposes your bias when you try to put it on him.
I don't care what you think Simpson said. Go watch the highlight yourself.
Rielly is patrolling the blueline as the puck is behind the net. He is not pinching. His intention literally WAS defense-first as a defenseman.
When the puck gets shot around the boards, he takes a stride towards the wall, realizes the opponent is alone and is going to easily get it, and immediately starts racing backwards. He's literally at center ice skating full-speed back before the puck even gets to McCann's stick.
View attachment 631659
Notice how there's 1 Leaf behind the net, and 3 Leafs deep in the zone? Yeah, none of those are Rielly. Rielly is the one at the blueline.
Notice the one Seattle player in the top right that's completely uncontested by either Giordano (who unlike Rielly, did pinch) or a Leaf forward covering for him, while Rielly has to be focused on the puck being whipped around the other side? Yeah, that's McCann, the goal-scorer.
Notice the one Seattle player in the middle on the left side, completely uncontested by a Leaf forward, that's allowed to whip a tape-to-tape pass to a streaking McCann?

What the heck is Rielly supposed to do there? It literally takes less than 3 seconds for the puck to go from behind the opposing net to on the stick of a full-speed opponent at our blueline. Is he supposed to just stand in his own end the whole game while the puck is in the offensive zone or literally everything that happens is his fault, no matter what his linemates do?

And again, this is one of the just 2 total goals that Rielly has been on the ice for since coming back 4 games ago. The Rielly-bashing is not "justified" in the slightest.

If you continue from that still, Rielly is going to pinch in an attempt to keep the puck in. If he was defensively aware, he'd see what was happening in front of him, with 4 players at the faceoff circle or below, and a Kraken at the blueline, and retreat. But as he want to do, his first inclination is to pinch, in EVERY situation, and a breakaway from centre ice was the result. You cannot deny he pinched. It's what he should do in most circumstances, but not this one.

 

[Dekes For Days]

If you continue from that still, Rielly is going to pinch in an attempt to keep the puck in. If he was defensively aware, he'd see what was happening in front of him, with 4 players at the faceoff circle or below, and a Kraken at the blueline, and retreat. But as he want to do, his first inclination is to pinch, in EVERY situation, and a breakaway from centre ice was the result. You cannot deny he pinched. It's what he should do in most circumstances, but not this one.

What are you even talking about? Do you see the way his legs and feet are angled? Rielly is not pinching there, or trying to hold the line, or trying to move forward. He's turning to race backwards, because he IS defensively aware and realizes that he needs to retreat. By the time the puck gets around to the side wall, Rielly is out of the zone and already full-stride backwards.

If you can't recognize it from the still, then again, go watch the highlight.
Rielly is not the one who let the puck get whipped around the boards from behind the net.
Rielly is not the one who pinched.
Rielly is not the one who was supposed to cover for Giordano, who did pinch.
Rielly is not the one who was supposed to be covering McCann.
Rielly is not the one who left the side wall uncontested.
Rielly is literally just in proper position, and immediately races back once things get dicey.

It's amazing that you have undeniable visual evidence and you're still arbitrarily blaming Rielly - who again, was only on the ice for this one goal in this game, and only 2 goals total in the 4 games since he's returned.

 

[ACC1224]

If you continue from that still, Rielly is going to pinch in an attempt to keep the puck in. If he was defensively aware, he'd see what was happening in front of him, with 4 players at the faceoff circle or below, and a Kraken at the blueline, and retreat. But as he want to do, his first inclination is to pinch, in EVERY situation, and a breakaway from centre ice was the result. You cannot deny he pinched. It's what he should do in most circumstances, but not this one.

He probably should have just gambled and pinched. He ended up just being in no man’s land.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

What are you even talking about? Do you see the way his legs and feet are angled? Rielly is not pinching there, or trying to hold the line, or trying to move forward. He's turning to race backwards, because he IS defensively aware and realizes that he needs to retreat. By the time the puck gets around to the side wall, Rielly is out of the zone and already full-stride backwards.
View attachment 631673
If you can't recognize it from the still, then again, go watch the highlight.
Rielly is not the one who let the puck get whipped around the boards from behind the net.
Rielly is not the one who pinched.
Rielly is not the one who was supposed to cover for Giordano, who did pinch.
Rielly is not the one who was supposed to be covering McCann.
Rielly is not the one who left the side wall uncontested.
Rielly is literally just in proper position, and immediately races back once things get dicey.

It's amazing that you have undeniable visual evidence and you're still arbitrarily blaming Rielly - who again, was only on the ice for this one goal in this game, and only 2 goals total in the 4 games since he's returned.

Just rewatched the highlight of that goal for the first time, plenty of blame to go around as I initially said. Simpson did say Rielly pinched. Camera hovered on Rielly immediately after the goal as if he was culpable. Rielly initially was hovering at the blueline on the left side of the ice inside the blueline, when the puck was moved to the right he started to pinch and when he noticed he wouldn't beat Schwartz to the puck, he started to retreat. Problem was that McCann was beyond centre ice at that point and it was too late. As I said, not totally on Rielly, but he could have had more awareness being above the play and retreated earlier. As I said before, the Leafs seem less patient and force the issue more with Rielly on the ice, and that was another example.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Just rewatched the highlight of that goal for the first time, plenty of blame to go around as I initially said. Simpson did say Rielly pinched. Camera hovered on Rielly immediately after the goal as if he was culpable. Rielly initially was hovering at the blueline on the left side of the ice inside the blueline, when the puck was moved to the right he started to pinch and when he noticed he wouldn't beat Schwartz to the puck, he started to retreat. Problem was that McCann was beyond centre ice at that point and it was too late. As I said, not totally on Rielly, but he could have had more awareness being above the play and retreated earlier. As I said before, the Leafs seem less patient and force the issue more with Rielly on the ice, and that was another example.

Again, I don't care what incorrect statements Simpson says, or where the camera hovers. The camera LOVES hovering on defenders after goals in this market, regardless of who was to blame, and it's actually a significant reason why this fanbase has so disproportionally and improperly blamed our defenseman for every goal against for decades - usually whoever the scapegoat is at the time.

Rielly did not pinch. Rielly did not move forward at all. Rielly is in proper position patrolling the blueline, turns in the direction where the puck is shot to, as all defenders do, and then immediately races back. And McCann is not "already at center ice". Rielly is essentially neck and neck with him in the neutral zone. The difference is that McCann had already built up his speed and momentum.

Rielly retreating while the puck is behind the opposition net is not the play. The play is either for Giordano to not pinch there when he's dead tired, or for a forward to cover his position, or for a forward to contest the side wall. It is not Rielly job to be everywhere on the ice at once. It is not Rielly's job to cover every opponent. It is not Rielly's job to be psychic. It is not Rielly's job to be on the opposite end of the rink from the play. It is not Rielly's job to make up for multiple different linemate mistakes simultaneously in some impossible way.

Again, there are less than 3 seconds from when the puck is behind the opposition net, to when the puck is on the stick of a full-speed McCann at our blueline.
The Leafs are not "less patient and force the issue more with Rielly on the ice". It is not Rielly's fault that Giordano pinched, and it's pretty ridiculous to blame him for it.
The team was aggressive because we were down, not because Rielly exists.

Rielly is literally the last person to point at for that goal. And again, it's one of just two total goals that he's been on the ice for in the 4 games he's been back.

 

[Racer88]

Nobody likes it, not us, not LeaFland, not the media nor the team itself, sometimes you just need a rest in the doldrums of the schedule. Trade deadline will get the adrenaline going and relight the flame.

Cheers bro.

I hear ya…….the dog days of the season for sure

 

[therealkoho]

Just facts

Can I show you why Bunts is the greatest goalscorer buckling up his helmet in hockey today?

 

[therealkoho]

No, that wasn't us but that was a beautiful moment. Felt bad for that kid too.

I missed that, was the kid jumping around like somebody with their hair on fire and shrieking like a deranged howler monkey like in most of those videos of children getting a gift of some kind at some sort of occasion where gifts are expected?

 

[therealkoho]

Again, I don't care what incorrect statements Simpson says, or where the camera hovers. The camera LOVES hovering on defenders after goals in this market, regardless of who was to blame, and it's actually a significant reason why this fanbase has so disproportionally and improperly blamed our defenseman for every goal against for decades - usually whoever the scapegoat is at the time.

THIS!

so 100 times this.

 

[therealkoho]

No one has put the loss just on Rielly, that would be silly.

Well I suppose, but if it's not than it's obviously all Justin Holls fault, I mean it's the only other reasonable explanation, isn't it?

 

[rocketman588]

I don’t want to belabour the point but you might want to watch the highlights again. You cannot absolve Rielly of blame on McCann’s goal. Even Simpson said on the telecast that Rielly was “looking to pinch” on that goal. If he saw that Giordano was already deep Rielly’s intentions should have been defence-first as a DEFENCEMAN. I get it, you like the guy, he’s a sweetheart, but the many questions about his play being asked of him by fans and media is justified.

In Riley's defense most of our D pinches a lot

We have them cycle behind the net even on occasion so that's more of a system thing

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Again, I don't care what incorrect statements Simpson says, or where the camera hovers. The camera LOVES hovering on defenders after goals in this market, regardless of who was to blame, and it's actually a significant reason why this fanbase has so disproportionally and improperly blamed our defenseman for every goal against for decades - usually whoever the scapegoat is at the time.

Rielly did not pinch. Rielly did not move forward at all. Rielly is in proper position patrolling the blueline, turns in the direction where the puck is shot to, as all defenders do, and then immediately races back. And McCann is not "already at center ice". Rielly is essentially neck and neck with him in the neutral zone. The difference is that McCann had already built up his speed and momentum.

Rielly retreating while the puck is behind the opposition net is not the play. The play is either for Giordano to not pinch there when he's dead tired, or for a forward to cover his position, or for a forward to contest the side wall. It is not Rielly job to be everywhere on the ice at once. It is not Rielly's job to cover every opponent. It is not Rielly's job to be psychic. It is not Rielly's job to be on the opposite end of the rink from the play. It is not Rielly's job to make up for multiple different linemate mistakes simultaneously in some impossible way.

Again, there are less than 3 seconds from when the puck is behind the opposition net, to when the puck is on the stick of a full-speed McCann at our blueline.
The Leafs are not "less patient and force the issue more with Rielly on the ice". It is not Rielly's fault that Giordano pinched, and it's pretty ridiculous to blame him for it.
The team was aggressive because we were down, not because Rielly exists.

Rielly is literally the last person to point at for that goal. And again, it's one of just two total goals that he's been on the ice for in the 4 games he's been back.

"Rielly is essentially neck and neck with him in the neutral zone"?. I stopped reading at this point. If you can't see that McCann is past the centre line and Rielly behind the line when McCann receives the pass, I can't help you. I appreciate that you stand up for a great guy like Rielly, but please try to be a little objective when assessing a guy's play. I don't want to belabour that one play as I initially said, and if you choose to defend Rielly's subpar play this season, then you're entitled. Not everyone is looking for a scapegoat, and it is possible to criticize certain players of your team and still be a devout fan. People have been complaining less about Holl, not because Rielly has become the scapegoat, but because Holl is actually playing better. If you think Rielly has been playing like a #1, making great defensive plays, using great judgment on when to pinch, then have at it. We're not all going to agree with you cause quite frankly, you're wrong.

 

[Dekes For Days]

"Rielly is essentially neck and neck with him in the neutral zone"?. I stopped reading at this point. If you can't see that McCann is past the centre line and Rielly behind the line when McCann receives the pass, I can't help you. I appreciate that you stand up for a great guy like Rielly, but please try to be a little objective when assessing a guy's play. I don't want to belabour that one play as I initially said, and if you choose to defend Rielly's subpar play this season, then you're entitled. Not everyone is looking for a scapegoat, and it is possible to criticize certain players of your team and still be a devout fan. People have been complaining less about Holl, not because Rielly has become the scapegoat, but because Holl is actually playing better. If you think Rielly has been playing like a #1, making great defensive plays, using great judgment on when to pinch, then have at it. We're not all going to agree with you cause quite frankly, you're wrong.

The only one wrong here is you. You have picture evidence, you have video evidence, and it's been thoroughly explained to you, and you still refuse to acknowledge it.
For the record, this is the moment when McCann receives the pass:

Notice how both of them are over the center line. Rielly is not "behind the line", like you incorrectly claimed. Rielly is not "starting his retreat" at that time, like you incorrectly claimed. He's in full stride, trying to get back, just half a step behind McCann, but on the other side of the ice, because again, that wasn't his man.

It's okay to criticize individuals to an appropriate extent for things that they deserve to be criticized for. That doesn't mean blaming people for things that were not their fault, and misrepresenting how they are playing and what they are doing. Rielly has had his ups and downs this season, and he has strengths and weaknesses like any player, but overall, he is a great player, a big part of this team, and well worth his contract. His positives far outweigh his negatives. He is not at fault for this goal, and he is not at fault for other people's actions and play.

 

[ToneDog]

The only one wrong here is you. You have picture evidence, you have video evidence, and it's been thoroughly explained to you, and you still refuse to acknowledge it.
For the record, this is the moment when McCann receives the pass:
View attachment 631837
Notice how both of them are over the center line. Rielly is not "behind the line", like you incorrectly claimed. Rielly is not "starting his retreat" at that time, like you incorrectly claimed. He's in full stride, trying to get back, just half a step behind McCann, but on the other side of the ice, because again, that wasn't his man.

It's okay to criticize individuals to an appropriate extent for things that they deserve to be criticized for. That doesn't mean blaming people for things that were not their fault, and misrepresenting how they are playing and what they are doing. Rielly has had his ups and downs this season, and he has strengths and weaknesses like any player, but overall, he is a great player, a big part of this team, and well worth his contract. His positives far outweigh his negatives. He is not at fault for this goal, and he is not at fault for other people's actions and play.

Is that what you call "essentially neck and neck with him in the neutral zone."?

 

[Dekes For Days]

Is that what you call "essentially neck and neck with him in the neutral zone."?

Yes, half a stride behind is "essentially neck and neck". He didn't catch up to him because McCann had started with speed, and Rielly also had to cover the width distance between them, as McCann was coming from the other side and was not Rielly's man to cover.