Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose ... On the brink of elimination

[Clark4Ever]

Lots of positives:

Kapanen and Johnsson look like valuable pieces moving forward

Glaring weakness on D will lead to shoring that up (yeah I know its been glaring all year, but I am confident it will be fixed)

Marner has elevated his game, hes been the best player no doubt

Dermott has looked soild

This is still a very young group, there is lots of time and lots to look forward to.

I agree regarding Marner, Dermott, Johnsson, etc. There are some positive signs as far as individual performances are concerned.

As a team though, it seems like we're a lot further away from being a competent playoff team than many of us thought, myself included.

It's one thing to lose when you play your best, but we have had so many key players (too many to mention) that have not shown up in this series, and I find that very concerning.

 

[Clark4Ever]

The goalie has never left me feeling very confident, he still doesn't.

He was ten times better in last year's playoffs. Not sure what's wrong with him.

 

[glue]

Don’t know if this was posted before, but saw this article prior to the start of the playoffs and thought it was a pretty objective look at Mike Babcock as coach...some real interesting points here about his lack of success with ‘underdog’ teams ..was hoping that would be debunked these playoffs but sadly still appears to be true
Leafs coach Mike Babcock is an underdog that needs his day | The Star

 

[PromisedLand]

The guys that generally get it right are usually ridiculed here. It was a bad call, it was a very very costly call that sets us back about a couple years. That's unless we draft amazingly and get some GEMS in later rounds.

They will counter argue with UFA.

I will counter the counter with CAP

At the end we are forced to trade one of the big 3 to get help at D or some similar move. Trading out assets to improve something but you're just shifting holes and we flutter about for the next two years all because they didn't do what was right and cash out.

I have no doubt that this is going to come back to bite us on our behind in future; only way we avoid it is that we get VERY LUCKY like you said; by drafting an absolute STUD who is NHL ready in a year or two

There is no other way to spin the debacle of not trading pending UFAs who are your weakest link

 

[The Podium]

I agree regarding Marner, Dermott, Johnsson, etc. There are some positive signs as far as individual performances are concerned.

As a team though, it seems like we're a lot further away from being a competent playoff team than many of us thought, myself included.

It's one thing to lose when you play your best, but we have had so many key players (too many to mention) that have not shown up in this series, and I find that very concerning.

I rather them be behind due to rookie inexperience, than be behind in talent.

That 2013 team was behind in talent but gave it their all and fell short. There was no hope beyond that. This team is equal, if not ahead, in talent but dont have the experience or leadership to push them a bit further. This team is being led by kids that arent even legally allowed to drink in the US, let that sink in for a second.

Look at past stars in the league, most of them hadnt even made the playoffs in their 1st 2 seasons and then were bounced in the 1st round a couple times before doing any real damage. It is all a learning curve.

Sidney Crosby
Rookie DNQ
Sophomore 1st round (1-4)
Year 3 SCF

Ovechkin
3 years to make playoffs 6 years to make it out of the 1st round

Kopitar
DNQ his first 4 seasons, 1st round exits twice and then SC champions

 

[LoveRealHockey]

The biggest reason why Boston converted on theirs, and the Leafs didn't on theirs, is because both players were a scoring threat on the 2 on 1. Where most of the time with Toronto's 2 on 1's, the initial puck carrier was not a scoring threat. Rask knew whomever was carrying the puck was going to pass it. Meanwhile on the other end, you can't exactly expect Freddie to cheat on a Pastrnak/Marchand 2 on 1, where the puck carrier is in a prime position to score. Look at game 3. Marleau scored the 4th goal on a 2 on 1, and he was the one carrying the puck in, not the one receiving the pass. Why? Because he had prime real estate to take a shot from.

I'm not going to say this series is finished, but Boston beat us on home ice, and they did it without their #1 center. It's not looking good. Unless the younger players other than Marner step it the **** up.

The real reason is Boston's 2-on-1s were against AHL defencemen and Leaf's 2-on-1s were against NHL defencemen. We have a medicore group of defence-men. Rielly and Dermott belong, Hainey is overused but competent in a 2nd or 3rd pairing. The rest suck. Bring in Carrick and replace 1 of those three he can't be any worse and he has a decent shot from the point (another skill gap with this group of d-men).

 

[ShaneFalco]

Babcock summed it up nicely:

 

[mapleleafs34]

I rather them be behind due to rookie inexperience, than be behind in talent.

That 2013 team was behind in talent but gave it their all and fell short. There was no hope beyond that. This team is equal, if not ahead, in talent but dont have the experience or leadership to push them a bit further. This team is being led by kids that arent even legally allowed to drink in the US, let that sink in for a second.

Look at past stars in the league, most of them hadnt even made the playoffs in their 1st 2 seasons and then were bounced in the 1st round a couple times before doing any real damage. It is all a learning curve.

Sidney Crosby
Rookie DNQ
Sophomore 1st round (1-4)
Year 3 SCF

Ovechkin
3 years to make playoffs 6 years to make it out of the 1st round

Kopitar
DNQ his first 4 seasons, 1st round exits twice and then SC champions

THANK YOU! Finally someone with logical thinking. This fan base can NEVER be patient. As soon as we have something good going on we want to fire the coach, run our best young stars out of town etc.

 

[PromisedLand]

Hope is simultaneously both strength and weakness.


It is strength when you do things right; work hard; be competitive; never give up and hope for good things

It is a weakness; when you don't do things right, don't work hard, be carefree; and hope for good things

 

[Duffman955]

Isnt pastrnak the same age as nylander?

He has more points than all our young guns combined. No excuses about this young bullshit. Some players play under pressure, others dont. Doesnt matter what age they are.

 

[PromisedLand]

It's not that easy to play for the leafs, capital city of hockey, fans are very critical, players feel more pressure than elsewhere, and on top of that you'll pay 10% more taxes than in the sunny southern cities

That being said, regular season statistics leafs did not have nearly as good statistics as did the standings show. Posession/shooting stats were pretty horrible, these things just tend to capitalize in the playoffs more so. Still, slightly surprising how this series have gone now boston taking a quick 3-1 lead.

Personally I think this is a cop out. Players make MILLIONS of dollars; all that is expected of them is to give an honest effort for 60 mins; every other day just 60 minutes. I really have no soft spot for millionaires who are asked to given an honest effort only for 60 mins and then shit the bed.

In regular folks' life they have to work what like at least 40 hours a week; some have to work two jobs to make ends meet; and if they shit the bed in their job they get fired; so the regular jane/joe has to keep at it doing it honestly for meagre pay and putting in the hours; but it is okay to excuse millionaires to give a 60 mins honest effort?

yea.... no mercy from me. Absolutely NONE!

 

[Peiskos]

The team clearly hasn't learned how to compete in the playoffs, with the youth that is the core of this team that doesn't surprise me. It'll be a 1st round exit, what we can hope for is another 100+ point season next year which I think is very likely and more maturation going into next years playoffs.

 

[PromisedLand]

Don’t know if this was posted before, but saw this article prior to the start of the playoffs and thought it was a pretty objective look at Mike Babcock as coach...some real interesting points here about his lack of success with ‘underdog’ teams ..was hoping that would be debunked these playoffs but sadly still appears to be true
Leafs coach Mike Babcock is an underdog that needs his day | The Star

As pissed as I am at Babcock at the moment; I don't hate him.

But the article is by Feschuk and I don't just hate him I loathe him and absolutely despise him.

 

[The Podium]

Isnt pastrnak the same age as nylander?

He has more points than all our young guns combined. No excuses about this young bull****. Some players play under pressure, others dont. Doesnt matter what age they are.

Pastrnak is also allowed to make high risk high reward plays on a line with 2 of the best two-way forwards in the leauge. You really think Nylander is invisible if he was playing with Bergeron and Marchand?

 

[Trapper]

Pastrnak is also allowed to make high risk high reward plays on a line with 2 of the best two-way forwards in the leauge. You really think Nylander is invisible if he was playing with Bergeron and Marchand?

In Boston the youth compliments the vets. In Toronto, it's the opposite.
Bozak/Komarov have about 6-7 more games playoff experience than Matthews.
Who do you want having your back in terms of playoff questions and grind? Bozak/JVR or Krejci/Backes?

 

[Trapper]

Babcock summed it up nicely:

He did sum it up there but it's up to management to know there are teams that make the playoffs and then there are playoff teams.
I understand it's a 5 year plan that changes every day, but in year 3 and organizational needs + team weaknesses, I question some of Babcock's quotes from Tampa. Knowing when to move on from guys and we don't have the depth to sustain injuries. What is said and what is done kind of conflicts for me.

 

[frog]

This team has nothing wrong with it.. Aside from lack of physicality and experience which can be an easy fix after this series. this team hasnt delivered this playoffs but it is different from another job. If this team did meet expectations that means that boston didnt. we have 16 teams that are all expected to deliver but only 8 actually can. I think this team forgot that to be successful in the playoffs you need to learn how to play while holding on for dear life. I think the leafs were too confident, mathews, nylander, etc. In the playoffs no team is in control.. it seems like boston is in control because they know to expect not to be in control.

The biggest reason for this series turning this way is that Toronto should be comfortable being uncomfortable.. Instead they are uncomfortable being uncomfortable. I may be over optimistic but i think this is a great thing long-term for this team especially our young stars. Last year in the playoffs the team fought to win just a game, this year this team is fighting to win the series but thats not how you win in the playoffs.

Boston is clearly the better team and know how to win in the playoffs, Toronto will sure be ready for the unexpected next years playoffs. Playoffs is all about mindset not just skill. This is just a necessary step to becoming a stanley cup contender. Embrace losing in the playoffs its part of the process

 

[glue]

Edit

 

[glue]

As pissed as I am at Babcock at the moment; I don't hate him.

But the article is by Feschuk and I don't just hate him I loathe him and absolutely despise him.

Fair enough I admittedly didn’t check the author of the article. For the record I don’t hate Babcock, but as the article suggests, maybe he needs to win more in the playoffs with underdog teams in my opinion to be put into the ‘best of the best’ category. If the leafs lose this Saturday that puts him at 2 for 10 in the playoffs when coaching an underdog team, in a time where parity in the league is higher then it’s ever been that’s not very good..

 

[Lynk]

I was at the game and up until Boston took the lead, the Leafs were outplaying the Bruins.

This series has been a story of missed chances. Kapanen has had a few breakaways that could've easily changed the outcomes of games 1 and 2. Marner's breakaway would've given TO the lead in 2nd. And a bunch of other chances where the Leafs had sustained offensive zone pressure and just weren't able to finish. There aren't a whole lot of times where I could say Boston has just flat out outplayed the Leafs, outside of when games were already out of hand and their confidence was in the toilet.

It may be 3-1 in the series but it isn't as simple or one sided as the scoreboard may indicate, imo.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I was at the game and up until Boston took the lead, the Leafs were outplaying the Bruins.

This series has been a story of missed chances. Kapanen has had a few breakaways that could've easily changed the outcomes of games 1 and 2. Marner's breakaway would've given TO the lead in 2nd. And a bunch of other chances where the Leafs had sustained offensive zone pressure and just weren't able to finish. There aren't a whole lot of times where I could say Boston has just flat out outplayed the Leafs, outside of when games were already out of hand and their confidence was in the toilet.

It may be 3-1 in the series but it isn't as simple or one sided as the scoreboard may indicate, imo.

I tend to agree with this, nice post. It seems like so many people are going full speed towards the cliff, me I'm just waiting for tomorrow night's game to see if we can turn this thing around. Things look pretty bleak but this thing's far from over.

 

[wiindjammer]

Ho Hum... Wasted season number 51........ yaaaaaaawn

 

[CanadasTeam]

I was at the game and up until Boston took the lead, the Leafs were outplaying the Bruins.

This series has been a story of missed chances. Kapanen has had a few breakaways that could've easily changed the outcomes of games 1 and 2. Marner's breakaway would've given TO the lead in 2nd. And a bunch of other chances where the Leafs had sustained offensive zone pressure and just weren't able to finish. There aren't a whole lot of times where I could say Boston has just flat out outplayed the Leafs, outside of when games were already out of hand and their confidence was in the toilet.

It may be 3-1 in the series but it isn't as simple or one sided as the scoreboard may indicate, imo.

Nice take, thanks.

I know it's a different view from up above the stands vs. in front of the TV -- can you give an honest assessment of the Matthews line last night?

 

[Duffman955]

Series Summary so far:

Goaltending:
Simply has not been good enough. Some good saves, mixed in with some awful gaffs. The goaltending has taken away momentum and really put us behind early. It feels like every shot has a chance of going in. As simple as that, an .880 Sv% is completely awful.

Defense:
Outside of Gardiner and Rielly (who have been mediocre), the defense has been pretty bad. Constantly blown coverages, inability to clear the net, not battling hard enough on the boards etc. Going in to the season, it was our biggest weakness and was not addressed. Hainsey and Zaitsev are not playing like top 4 Dmen. Rielly and Gardiner are not top pairing Dmen. Of course having Zero confidence in your keeper is affecting them, but at the same time, some goals they have let Andersen out to dry

Offense:
Completely snake bitten and no killer instinct. Has not been able to come up with clutch goals or finish any scoring chances. They lack conviction on their shots, and look afraid of getting hit, Need some toughness and grit over here. On top of that, not a single point shot has made it through (90% of the time, its off a Bruins shin pad) I actually miss Phaneuf, at least his shots used to go through.

 

[TimeZone]

...because its a one dimensional, one line team, oh wiat...

There are scarier teams out there than a Bergeron-less Bruins team. That's the difference between a star and a superstar.