Post-Game Talk: BLESS YOU BOYS WHAT A GAME! | Leafs Beat Hawks 4-3

[Eb]

I'd like to know what two instances these were. If you genuinely include a goal accidentally banked off of him when he was covering the entire passing lane, then I don't know what to tell you. He had a great game. He constantly broke the puck out, was using his skating to break out, and was rewarded with an assist. Y'all are ridiculous. Rielly-Hainsey has been our best pairing so far.

I already mentioned in another post what happened and why Rielly was to fault.

First goal, he was beaten wide twice. The second time caused him chasing the play and leading to the bad bounce.
Second goal, he threw a meatball up the middle, it got intercepted and he skated off to change where the proceeding rush into our zone ended up in the back of our net.

I did not think this was a break out game in any form.

 

[coupe93]

the fact that Moore's game was the only one where our PK looked bad makes me start leaning towards Fehr in this battle. There's really nothing else I care about from the #4C other than the PK.

Zeke, I've been around this board for a few years, but don't post very often. I prefer to read, especially some of the informed and stat savy posters like yourself. I was going to bring up this point, but knew (and rightfully so) that it's too small a same size to use it as a ref, correctly pointed out by bobermay.

but if I were a betting man, I'd suggest Moore will win that 4th line spot AND be one of our best pkers...

I wouldn't be so certain. I will say that Fehr unfortunately has had his bouts with injuries through his career, and I certainly don't want to jinx him by saying this. Moore will be great insurance. This team is built on depth (it's so nice to be able to say this).

 

[Pi]

I'd like to know what two instances these were. If you genuinely include a goal accidentally banked off of him when he was covering the entire passing lane, then I don't know what to tell you. He had a great game. He constantly broke the puck out, was using his skating to break out, and was rewarded with an assist. Y'all are ridiculous. Rielly-Hainsey has been our best pairing so far.

Yep. Rielly at about 65% CF and Hainsey at around 70%. If people are complaining about Rielly, they must be talking of a different Rielly.

It’s weird that Rielly has essentially become the new Gardiner. First he was dumped on relentlessly now people are coming around on him so the mantle has been passed to Rielly.

 

[Apotheosis]

I already mentioned in another post what happened and why Rielly was to fault.

First goal, he was beaten wide twice. The second time caused him chasing the play and leading to the bad bounce.
Second goal, he threw a meatball up the middle, it got intercepted and he skated off to change where the proceeding rush into our zone ended up in the back of our net.

I did not think this was a break out game in any form.

65 percent CF%. Do you not understand how much better that is than anyone played on the Hawks? I wish people would stop harping in the same way they used to on Gardiner. I've been a staunch supporter of Rielly for a while but even last year came around to recognize his faults. Those have been gone since the playoffs and the beginning of this season. Key in to the games sometimes instead of your biased agenda. He's using his skating to get himself out of situations. He's barely icing the puck in comparison to last year. He's generating chances in the offensive zone and his shot has noticeably improved. He's gotten way better at gap control. His break out was in the playoffs and it has continued. There's a reason him and Hainsey have been the best pairing so far.

 

[Eb]

65 percent CF%. Do you not understand how much better that is than anyone played on the Hawks? I wish people would stop harping in the same way they used to on Gardiner. I've been a staunch supporter of Rielly for a while but even last year came around to recognize his faults. Those have been gone since the playoffs and the beginning of this season. Key in to the games sometimes instead of your biased agenda. He's using his skating to get himself out of situations. He's barely icing the puck in comparison to last year. He's generating chances in the offensive zone and his shot has noticeably improved. He's gotten way better at gap control. His break out was in the playoffs and it has continued. There's a reason him and Hainsey have been the best pairing so far.

I'm not saying he had a poor game. Besides those two massive blunders, he played well for the most part. But you can't ignore that he was a leading cause to both of Chicago's first goals.

His lack of finish last game was also frustrating. I don't think his shot has improved too much.

His skating has remained the same, very good. He is great at moving the puck up ice, but driving those plays to quality scoring chances and even goals appears to be lacking.

 

[diceman934]

Exactly. Hes not a "lite" version of anyone. Hes his own beast

I compare him to 66 , size, shot, net drive all very similar. Mathews is just a better defensive version. Both can maintain possession in traffic with a great stick to strip others of the puck. Willingness to take the puck to the net all very similar.

 

[Duke Silver]

I'm not saying he had a poor game. Besides those two massive blunders, he played well for the most part. But you can't ignore that he was a leading cause to both of Chicago's first goals.

His lack of finish last game was also frustrating. I don't think his shot has improved too much.

His skating has remained the same, very good. He is great at moving the puck up ice, but driving those plays to quality scoring chances and even goals appears to be lacking.

Leading cause? The first goal was tipped into the net by Marner, and on the second goal, Gardiner's soft dump behind the net hit Andersen's stick and threw off everyone's assignments.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Yep. Rielly at about 65% CF and Hainsey at around 70%. If people are complaining about Rielly, they must be talking of a different Rielly.

It’s weird that Rielly has essentially become the new Gardiner. First he was dumped on relentlessly now people are coming around on him so the mantle has been passed to Rielly.

It's almost like defenseman develop beyond their early twenties or something, and expecting them to be legit #1's with no areas of improvement out of the gate is a bit silly.

 

[Eb]

Leading cause? The first goal was tipped into the net by Marner, and on the second goal, Gardiner's soft dump behind the net hit Andersen's stick and threw off everyone's assignments.

I mean if you want to disregard Marner having to play at the red line to help cover Rielly's man, then sure, blame it on Marner.

If you want to disregard Rielly throwing the puck up the ice with little pressure on him, leading to the Hawks coming back and scoring on that same play, then sure.

Blips happen (puck going off our own player, or passes intercepted by lost sticks) I'm more worried at fundamental problems.

 

[diceman934]

Leading cause? The first goal was tipped into the net by Marner, and on the second goal, Gardiner's soft dump behind the net hit Andersen's stick and threw off everyone's assignments.

You best whisper as far to many are looking to blame him for everything.

He was our best D man last night and was key to us winning with how many puck battles he won and quickly got the puck up ice. He had so many D zone faceoffs against the Hawks best players. Babcock sure played him like he was our best D last night.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Mo has been really solid, going back to the playoffs last year. Jake's soft toss behind the net, and subsequent soft play in front, led to the 2nd goal.

 

[zeke]

Last year the top pair (rielly-zaitsev) got absolutely buried under elite tough usage.

This year with two solid pairings neither one is getting abusive usage, and both look good as a result.

 

[Thread The Needle]

I already mentioned in another post what happened and why Rielly was to fault.

First goal, he was beaten wide twice. The second time caused him chasing the play and leading to the bad bounce.
Second goal, he threw a meatball up the middle, it got intercepted and he skated off to change where the proceeding rush into our zone ended up in the back of our net.

I did not think this was a break out game in any form.

The second goal was 60% Gardiner's fault and 30% Nylander's. Maybe 10% Reilly, who didn't go off to change because he was on the ice. Gardiner was bad that game. He allowed the puck to leave the O-zone too many times on the PP, but he will fix that on his own. Gardiner was taking too many penalties. He and, in all honesty, Zaitsev are too soft in front of the net which is starting to piss me off. Still, despite the amount of times Gardiner shows his stupidity, I still like him. He has an offensively instinct and that can't be taught.

 

[zeke]

I mean if you want to disregard Marner having to play at the red line to help cover Rielly's man, then sure, blame it on Marner.

If you want to disregard Rielly throwing the puck up the ice with little pressure on him, leading to the Hawks coming back and scoring on that same play, then sure..

this didn't happen.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

We're 3-0 to start the season, we beat the Hawks for the first time in what 5-6 games? Why do people feel the need to just pick everything apart?

In a hockey game everyone makes mistakes from your favorite player to your favorite whipping boy. You can and will find fault with everyone, especially if you go looking for it.

 

[Duke Silver]

I mean if you want to disregard Marner having to play at the red line to help cover Rielly's man, then sure, blame it on Marner.

If you want to disregard Rielly throwing the puck up the ice with little pressure on him, leading to the Hawks coming back and scoring on that same play, then sure.

Blips happen (puck going off our own player, or passes intercepted by lost sticks) I'm more worried at fundamental problems.

Rielly's supposed to be covering the point? Marner literally chased Rutta from the blue line all the way down into the corner. What's Rielly supposed to do there, abandon his guy at the front of the net and go chasing Rutta as well?

I'm honestly perplexed about your interpretation of the second goal, which was "Second goal, he threw a meatball up the middle, it got intercepted and he skated off to change where the proceeding rush into our zone ended up in the back of our net."

Here's video:

How does what you said map up against that video, in any way?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Also it was pretty awesome how loud the crowd was last night. For a monday night game early in the season it is pretty awesome to have some atmosphere back in the building.

 

[zeke]

Rielly's supposed to be covering the point? Marner literally chased Rutta from the blue line all the way down into the corner. What's Rielly supposed to do there, abandon his guy at the front of the net and go chasing Rutta as well?

Actually rielly was going to take marner's guy behind the net but his guy in front hooked him real good to stop him from getting there. Shoulda been a penalty.

I'm honestly perplexed about your interpretation of the second goal, which was "Second goal, he threw a meatball up the middle, it got intercepted and he skated off to change where the proceeding rush into our zone ended up in the back of our net."

Here's video:

How does what you said map up against that video, in any way?

it doesn't, of course. mo made a beauty outlet to naz, and naz got his pocket picked cleanly, and the hawks turned the puck back up quickly. meanwhile jake gives the puck away badly (i'm not even sure the goalie stick mattered there, it was still getting easily intercepted) then let his man waltz into the crease.

 

[Eb]

Actually rielly was going to take marner's guy behind the net but his guy in front hooked him real good to stop him from getting there. Shoulda been a penalty.



it doesn't, of course. mo made a beauty outlet to naz, and naz got his pocket picked cleanly, and the hawks turned the puck back up quickly. meanwhile jake gives the puck away badly (i'm not even sure the goalie stick mattered there, it was still getting easily intercepted) then let his man waltz into the crease.

This didn't happen.

 

[zeke]

This didn't happen.

oh you're right. rewatching the video i see now that rielly wasn't even on the ice. the guy that made the clearing pass that you're talking about was Jake.

 

[Eb]

oh you're right. rewatching the video i see now that rielly wasn't even on the ice. the guy that made the clearing pass that you're talking about was Jake.

It was before then. I was mistaken in thinking that puck didn't leave the zone after that, however.

 

[GrizzLeaf]

Hockey is a game of mistakes. You minimise yours and capitalise on your opponents. We could pick every single Leaf on the ice last night and find a mistake or two. Even some big ones from great players. At the end of the day, it's how often and what kind of mistakes that make a player average or great.

As other posters have mentioned. The Leafs won last night and are 3-0 to start. Why would anyone pick nits?

 

[Morgs]

Nope.

Kadri line was worse.

They were the second best line behind the Matthews line actually, in terms of shots %.

I shit myself when Babcock put the Bozak line out with 30~ seconds left.

They definitely exceeded expectations for a line I don't think should touch the ice when winning/tied in the last 2-3 minutes.

 

[Morgs]

Yep. Rielly at about 65% CF and Hainsey at around 70%. If people are complaining about Rielly, they must be talking of a different Rielly.

It’s weird that Rielly has essentially become the new Gardiner. First he was dumped on relentlessly now people are coming around on him so the mantle has been passed to Rielly.

That's what happens when Gardiner takes over Rielly's role, and Rielly takes over Gardiner's role.

Right now, they're essentially the same defenseman when they play in each others roles.

 

[Morgs]

Last year the top pair (rielly-zaitsev) got absolutely buried under elite tough usage.

This year with two solid pairings neither one is getting abusive usage, and both look good as a result.

Definitely not as dramatic as last year, but there's still a clear 1st and 2nd pairing.