GDT: 5/4/22 - 7:30PM EDT - #3 Tampa Bay @ #2 Toronto [ECQF GAME 2]

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

The boys are back in town.

Literally and figuratively lol

Hedman on why the team is good after losses:

1 We have the best goalie in the world
2 We take it personal

We might but he hasn't looked like the best this series, We need Big cat to be better.

 

[The Gongshow]

Besides the one bad turnover McDonagh was a BEAAAAST tonight.

Vasy played very well. Kept the boys alive early. That huge save when only up 2-1.

 

[U55]

This game vasi saved our asses. 2 of the goals tonight weren't even his fault. They scored a 2 on 1 on a PK and McD turned the puck over for another 2 on 1 earlier in the game.

 

[JoVel]

Besides the one bad turnover McDonagh was a BEAAAAST tonight.

I haven't done a good job of hiding my man crush of McDonagh here over the past couple of years, but he's possibly the biggest unsung hero in the league. Our defense would be in shambles without him.

 

[Rschmitz]

Paul is playing like the power forward I've wanted on this team for a long time. Find a way to keep him

 

[Stammertime91]

Yeah people saying vasy has been average are out to lunch. He had 18 limp dicks in front of him in game. Tonight, McD and Killorn make blunder resulting in 2 on 1s. He played amazing tonight and held it down. No shot with anybody else in the league we stay at only 3 against. Only shesterkin would've maybe held us in. Vasy was in vezina form til Tampa Claus gave them two gifts.

 

[BoltzManConstant]

I haven't done a good job of hiding my man crush of McDonagh here over the past couple of years, but he's possibly the biggest unsung hero in the league. Our defense would be in shambles without him.

I get a crush is a crush, but weird time to pledge your undying love to McDonagh. Some garbage failed clears including the one that gave them the first goal. Cernak's shouldering the shutdown load right now.

McD will get it back, but he didn't have it tonight.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Yeah people saying vasy has been average are out to lunch. He had 18 limp dicks in front of him in game. Tonight, McD and Killorn make blunder resulting in 2 on 1s. He played amazing tonight and held it down. No shot with anybody else in the league we stay at only 3 against. Only shesterkin would've maybe held us in. Vasy was in vezina form til Tampa Claus gave them two gifts.

Eh, He needs to be better and sticks to form, He has looked like he has battled, The first period was scary at times.

But I digress I trust Vasy to be solid. I guess the problem is most of us are expecting him to play like last year and last year's playoffs and we haven't seen it yet.

 

[Stammertime91]

Really liked Paul and Hagel tonight. Hagel seemed like he finally knew what to do each shift. Accepted he's not going to score and instead play two way and did it. And.... still scored. Paul was a monster. Colton was solid as well. Should've rolled with that from the start.

 

[Hoek]

Those late goals against should help stave off some complacency from the win hopefully.

So any idea what in the heck changed for Point in this game? Suddenly no longer looked hurt.

 

[Point21]

 

[BoltzManConstant]

Eh, He needs to be better and sticks to form, He has looked like he has battled, The first period was scary at times.

But I digress I trust Vasy to be solid. I guess the problem is most of us are expecting him to play like last year and last year's playoffs and we haven't seen it yet.

If you don't think Vasy looked like shit on Monday then I don't know what you're watching.

He was fine tonight, but even that's a mediocre performance relative to the standard he set in the last two posteasons.

But we tonight and have every chance to take this series, and that's what matters.

 

[T REX]

Good push back. Nice to see them respond.

I'm sure it was all because of the refs though and not the guys who've won 2 cups in a row.

Tin foil shortage in Toronto

 

[Bartleby]

My 3 stars...

1) Brian Engblom - f***ing hell he was on point the whole game. Probably the best game he has ever done.
2) Hedmonster
3) Big f***ing Cat

Unsung heroes for the game:

Bellemare
Bogosian
Palat

Good observation on Engblom. I admit that, despite his outstanding knowledge of the game, he drives me crazy with his verbosity and (absurdly ) excessive use of adverbs but tonight he nailed it. Razor sharp, didn't miss a thing and called out Bolts players when they needed to be. Please give us more of that BE. Just the facts.

 

[JFleegs]

Really liked Paul and Hagel tonight. Hagel seemed like he finally knew what to do each shift. Accepted he's not going to score and instead play two way and did it. And.... still scored. Paul was a monster. Colton was solid as well. Should've rolled with that from the start.

Yeah honestly gave me shades of last years 3rd line. Could be an x factor going forward, all three guys are puck hounds.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

If you don't think Vasy looked like shit on Monday then I don't know what you're watching.

He was fine tonight, but even that's a mediocre performance relative to the standard he set in the last two posteasons.

But we tonight and have every chance to take this series, and that's what matters.

I was talking about tonight?

 

[Hoek]

The heck was mediocre about Vasi tonight? The 2nd and 3rd goals were just massive brainfarts by his teammates. He dominated the rest of the night and the Leafs never got close to coming back as a result.

 

[Bartleby]

This game vasi saved our asses. 2 of the goals tonight weren't even his fault. They scored a 2 on 1 on a PK and McD turned the puck over for another 2 on 1 earlier in the game.

Sorta true, but the reason people call him the best in the world is that in the past he has been the brick wall that the opposing team runs into after one of our skaters makes a mistake. So yeah, they were 2 on 1s, but in previous years only one of them is a goal, not both. He's still solid, but he hasn't shown his superman stuff in quite some time.

 

[bov]

Agreed with the above comments on Engblom, has become one of the best color guys in the league. Timely insight and picks up on subtleties.

Hedman, Cernak and McDonagh came through in a big way. The odd mistake doesn't take away from the overall body of work, we needed them tonight.

Hagel-Colton-Paul...yes please.

Point still looks hurt to me, just hope the goal adds some confidence and it's something that won't worsen by the game. I saw him go to the bench gingerly a few times tonight. Nonetheless, still had himself a nice game.

 

[UseYourHedman]

Sorta true, but the reason people call him the best in the world is that in the past he has been the brick wall that the opposing team runs into after one of our skaters makes a mistake. So yeah, they were 2 on 1s, but in previous years only one of them is a goal, not both. He's still solid, but he hasn't shown his superman stuff in quite some time.

Rewatch the first half of the game. Actually just watch the whole game again

 

[U55]

Sorta true, but the reason people call him the best in the world is that in the past he has been the brick wall that the opposing team runs into after one of our skaters makes a mistake. So yeah, they were 2 on 1s, but in previous years only one of them is a goal, not both. He's still solid, but he hasn't shown his superman stuff in quite some time.

I agree he has been off this season, but this game he was on fire. Those 2 goals and even arguably the third goal were not being stopped by any goalie. The team needs to stop leaving him hanging like that.

 

[Bartleby]

Rewatch the first half of the game. Actually just watch the whole game again

He's an NHL goalie, the best league in the world. That's what he gets paid 10 mil a year to do. He's been fine, but he hasn't been making the huge save when we need it all season. Doesn't mean we aren't going to see it as the playoffs progress but for this team to have a chance, good or excellent every other game isn't going to cut it.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

I haven't done a good job of hiding my man crush of McDonagh here over the past couple of years, but he's possibly the biggest unsung hero in the league. Our defense would be in shambles without him.

He was absolutely dreadful tonight and responsible for a goal but ok.

You know who was actually great tonight and got the russianguyovich stamp of approval? Palat. Just absolutely crushed it. Doesn’t have to get on the board, he was an absolute specimen tonight. One love.

 

[Bartleby]

I agree he has been off this season, but this game he was on fire. Those 2 goals and even arguably the third goal were not being stopped by any goalie. The team needs to stop leaving him hanging like that.

I agree, they do need to stop leaving him hanging like that. But they have left him hanging like that in years past and yet somehow, miraculously, he would stop the puck. That's what made him so special and that's whats been missing. He's going to have to be special, consistently special, again. Not great one night and extremely average the next.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Literally came in here to laugh about how no one is demanding we trade McD after a Shitshow of a game due to the confirmation bias of the hive mind around here, and one dude is literally singing his praises.

If serge would’ve coughed up that puck he’d need witness protection. Ridiculous.