Post-Game Talk: Babcock gets out-coached and team gets embarrassed again.

[ULF_55]

Lost it in the 2nd.

Take away the blatant trip on Borgman to get the puck for the 5th., and the no challenge on the 6th. goal and this game is a lot closer.

Nice to see the mini Matthews line (Martin-Bozak-Marner) starting to put it together. I'd have to call them the 3rd. line now, based on playing time the past few games.

Not sure what happened to the Kadri line but not a good road trip for them, almost looks like they are waiting for the game rather than owning the game. Trying to be a defense first line maybe, rather than an offensive line that can play defense okay?

Ups and downs during a season, and right now the 2nd. line looks lost.

 

[deletethis]

BIG PICTURE:

Few NHL players, particularly those blessed with great skills, will embrace a fully encompassing team game without experiencing the pain of repeated failures trying to win only in the offensive end of the ice.

HOMER LEAFS FAN:

The Leafs really did get jobbed by the refs last night. There was one set of rules for the Leafs and one set of rules for the home town Blues.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Next game is against VGK. They will have to bring their A effort or they will lose, quite frankly. Time to shape up. Rough road trip for anybody in the league, yes, but now they are back home and it's time to right the ship. Put the road trip behind you. It's done, won't have to go back there again.

 

[ACC1224]

Expected outcome in this one for me. St Louis is a very good team while the Leafs are finding out they still have a ways to go. I'm sure the tape from this one will provided some invaluable learning for them.

Big 4 games this week, time to make some hay.

 

[thewave]

The hope for me is that brass will identify Bozak Polak JVR and maybe even Komarov have no future here and that we need assets back to help us have a complimentary set of player for 3 years from now to go with an experienced core.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

We need a poll.....worst period of the season:

2nd period vs. SJ
3rd period vs. SJ
1st period vs. LA
2nd period vs. STL

 

[Nithoniniel]

It wasn't desperate and Willie wasn't centering a line last night. All Babs did was switch Brown and Willie from those two lines after Willie blew the defensive coverage on the 2nd Blues goal. Willie took a couple of draws for Marleau just like he does when playing with Matthews.

I can't see Willie at center for some time if he keeps blowing defensive assignments on the wing.

The Nylander of the last few games look remarkably like the Nylander that started last season.

I think he has the two-way game in him to be both a reliable player and a center. He has a tendency right now to fade out of the games, and the good thing about the center position is that it demands that you are involved and active all the time. I think that's why he's historically looked better at center, because it keeps him from falling into some bad habits.

 

[fahad203]

The key to turning it around will be Kadri and Gardiner. If they keep playing how they are leafs will be a lot of trouble

Gardiner right now is a hotmess

 

[thewave]

The key to turning it around will be Kadri and Gardiner. If they keep playing how they are leafs will be a lot of trouble

Gardiner right now is a hotmess

This is a gross oversimplification. Jake has been rookie defender bad. Rielly has been blowing dzone coverage all over the map. Z and Hainsey have been OK while guys like Polak have stunk. Defensively the forwards outside Matthews lie have not been consistent. Kadri has been mostly OK but Komarov has taken a step back, he is getting old. Marner has troubles executing and is getting played hard so he rushes his plays. JVR and Bozak are too old to change, sure you get a game out of them and then right back.

 

[coupe93]

The hope for me is that brass will identify Bozak Polak JVR and maybe even Komarov have no future here and that we need assets back to help us have a complimentary set of player for 3 years from now to go with an experienced core.

Don't forget Martin. Oh wait

It's the worst part of our schedule this year, and it's in the rear view mirror now thank goodness. Troubling to me are individual battles being lost and structure. These teams that have handily beaten us, honestly look to be bigger, stronger, even faster at times and definitely more structured. Babcock has to wear a good portion of the blame (structure), no defending this.

This was a ridiculous portion of the schedule, magnified by a team struggling to adopt some semblance of defensive awareness. The next few games will be interesting to see how they lick their wounds and respond. It's frustrating at the moment, but I haven't completely lost hope.

I think this is a good humbling lesson, which they'll be better for in the long run. Perhaps a change or two could the made, and I'm certain if something were available to improve the team long term, Lou would be all over it. Lots of hockey left....

 

[IPS]

goosfraba everyone.

We're gonna beat Vegas on Monday and go 6-2-2 in our next ten.

gooooooooooooooooooooooooosssfrrrrrrraaaaabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (one of my favorite movies )

I agree, our schedule looks pretty damn manageable going forward.

 

[Suntouchable13]

gooooooooooooooooooooooooosssfrrrrrrraaaaabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (one of my favorite movies )

I agree, our schedule looks pretty damn manageable going forward.

Well, let's not take VGK for granted. They have a better record than us. The hung 5 on a supposedly trap team in Ottawa yesterday. If Leafs don't come in to work, they will lose 100%.

 

[dimi78]

The key to turning it around will be Kadri and Gardiner. If they keep playing how they are leafs will be a lot of trouble

Gardiner right now is a hotmess

You pointing out individuals which is ironic because the issue is that the team is playing as individuals that is the hotmess.

All this talk about defense and the defensive zone during this poor stretch did we the fans learn anything on this road trip?

LA and STL are currently ranked #1 and #2 on defense and they just showed us all that they do it by means of not playing defense but being machines on the offensive cycle. They don't enter the O zone with the mind set to score lose the puck and find themselves playing D. No they enter the O zone with the commitment to establish a cycle. If they score they score off established structure play not individual greatness like the Leafs have on the hot start.

What happen to both LA and STL when they started to defend the lead and stopped executing the cycle? The Leafs started to make a comeback on them showing yet again that when your playing defense you taking faceoffes, rely too much on goaltending and are getting scored on.

So why is it that Babcock continues to chime in about working hard? Playing a cycle game starts on hard work.

Management has to get on there horses JVR must go, Bozak must go because it's gotten to the point they're effecting the rest of the team from being a strong cycle forcheck team that is the root of being a good defensive team. Told everybody that if you took Marner alway from these 2 it will expose the rest of the lines and looky looky things have gone from bad to worst.

You guys can blame Babcock all you want. Management has moved too slow to do what is needed JVR & Bozak must go for this team to start playing winning hockey from all it's lines not just 1 or 2.

 

[PromisedLand]

Martin was a star yesterday with 3 assists including 2 primary assists on beautiful plays.

Leafs 4th line was its most effective on the night against the Blues. Partly because they faced the Blues 4th liners as QofC but also because of effort last night.

corrections

 

[IPS]

Well, let's not take VGK for granted. They have a better record than us. The hung 5 on a supposedly trap team in Ottawa yesterday. If Leafs don't come in to work, they will lose 100%.

All things considered I think VGK is the perfect team for a bounce-back game.

We have a roster that's infinitely more talented than theirs and they beat teams through grinding. I think we match their effort and come out with a strong win.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I've watched the Games in Six for the entire Western Road Trip (3 losses and one win). There is a lot of puck watching, standing still or drifting towards the puck but not actively pursuing it. All seem like similar issues of just not being aware enough out there on the defensive end. Almost every goal against... That was the problem. Even goals for, that's typically how we got them on the other team. They were watching the puck, and we found an open man.

 

[rent free]

only if the leafs played like they did in the third period for the entire game

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Next game is against VGK. They will have to bring their A effort or they will lose, quite frankly. Time to shape up. Rough road trip for anybody in the league

Every eastern conf team heads west and vice versa. Wasn't surprised by last night's outcome. Blues are good both offensively and defensively.

You are right about VGK. That's not an easy win by any means. They play well together as a team.

 

[weems]

Andy has not been good. He definitely deserves his share of the blame but the rate this team is making mistakes infront of him and are playing sooo disorganized is unbelievable.

 

[stickty111]

Bozak might be better suited for 4th line duties where he can get the easiest competition possible.
He looks lost in a top 9 role. Problem is now we have a 4.25 million dollar player on 4th line.
Its amazing how much his game has dropped off.

 

[Eb]

I'm sure it has been discussed, but why would Babcock not challenge goalie interference on the sixth goal? Any explanation?

 

[Ziggdiezan]

Bozak might be better suited for 4th line duties where he can get the easiest competition possible.
He looks lost in a top 9 role. Problem is now we have a 4.25 million dollar player on 4th line.
Its amazing how much his game has dropped off.

I don't think I have ever seen so much hate directed at a player after a game which they scored two goals.

 

[IPS]

I don't think I have ever seen so much hate directed at a player after a game which they scored two goals.

Yeah I really wonder what the hecks going on? Marner-Bozak-Martin has looked good lately, especially Bozak.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

Yeah I really wonder what the hecks going on? Marner-Bozak-Martin has looked good lately, especially Bozak.

That one dish by Martin was a Mitch Marner pass.. Maybe Mitch is giving Martin some tips in practice

 

[PromisedLand]

I think the issue is that they probably could and should have been. Some bad management decisions, at least to me, and we are where we are.

Even when they started off on fire, there were some games where we probably didn't play well but scored on almost 30% of our shots.

Some fans are also pretty embarrassed after pumping their chest so early, so they lash out here.

this