Post-Game Talk: DJ Smith leads Leafs to another defensive blunder leafs lose 4-3

[Nineteen67]

The Leafs are a team built on speed and puck movement. They cannot be a team that chips the puck out of their own zone. The stretch pass works, but they need a few dmen better than Hainsey to be a more complete team. He is too slow in transitioning the puck. So basically, I think the system works but the execution is lacking.

The problem with that is they have too many guys that can’t handle the puck at top speed. Additionally the opposing defensive players are putting the Leafs in a position to win a one on battle at the blue line which is so hard to do and far too often that causes broken plays and turn overs in the neutral zone.

I don’t mind stretch passes,I wouldn’t abandon it completely , but I think they’ll need more dump and chase especially against some of the slower defenders or when they don’t have numbers or separation at the point of attack.

 

[Schooner]

You realize that out of a 82 game season, teams are going to play some stinkers. Tampa doesn’t play well every night either, people are nuts

I mean, Tampa hasn't lost in regulation since November, but I get your point

 

[horner]

So yeah. I love Matthews. I think he can be the 2nd best player in the NHL rather easily. When he is on, he is so amazing to watch and completely tilts the game.

However the play he has been having lately, despite his points, has been terrible. That's fine for a 8M player or even a 9M player, but if there is any truth to this McDavid money stuff, or even the 13M, then he needs to be much much better.

McDavid engine never stops
Mathews does
He is not worth more than McDavid

 

[Nineteen67]

McDavid engine never stops
Mathews does
He is not worth more than McDavid

That ship has sailed...someone will offer him as much or more than McDavid.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I thought we looked pretty good yesterday. We were marginally the better team but got beat with goaltending. Dubynk was outstanding. Hutch was what hutch is a decent AHL goalie who gives up a bad one per game and loses a lot of NHL games. Winnipeg tried him for years but it was exactly the same situation as what we saw yesterday.

 

[zeke]

sloppy game. not surprising for a matinee, but still dissappointing.

The 2 early goals were probably a bad thing, tbh.

 

[Einzakin]

sloppy game. not surprising for a matinee, but still dissappointing.

The 2 early goals were probably a bad thing, tbh.

And if we didn't score early and lost we'd be saying "We need to get chances and pot a few early ones"

 

[Mess]

Matthews with that costly give-away tin his own zone to Praise for the winner is not something you see very often.

Auston generally protects the puck better and makes smarter decisions.

The other Leaf dman Dzone mistakes on other Minny goals was pretty par for the course however.

This game and the last one showed how much Leafs need Freddy in net to mask their mistakes defensively.

 

[TheBigThree]

Rielly is so predictable on the PP. Back and forth passes between Matthews and marner. Nothing else. I would take him out and put gardener in

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Matthews with that costly give-away tin his own zone to Praise for the winner is not something you see very often.

Auston generally protects the puck better and makes smarter decisions.

The other Leaf dman Dzone mistakes on other Minny goals was pretty par for the course however.

This game and the last one showed how much Leafs need Freddy in net to mask their mistakes defensively.

When your centres have to play too much defense mistakes can happen as only 2 forwards to pass to. If we had better defense then Matty and Kadri and Goat would not have to help out so much getting puck from our end. Only centre who is weak on the defense is Tavares. But he has always been weak in that area of game.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Rielly is so predictable on the PP. Back and forth passes between Matthews and marner. Nothing else. I would take him out and put gardener in

That's his job and what he is told to do. If you put in Gards who is the better offensive defense then he will get more points and his contract will be harder to get done. Think about that.

 

[Mess]

When your centres have to play too much defense mistakes can happen as only 2 forwards to pass to. If we had better defense then Matty and Kadri and Goat would not have to help out so much getting puck from our end. Only centre who is weak on the defense is Tavares. But he has always been weak in that area of game.

Nothing wrong with 200 ft players and its a centres defensive responsibility to be the one back to help out the defense. Its why the centre position is more critical to team success.

We have seen countless great defensive zone plays from Matthews assisting his Dcore out and breaking up plays.. This time he made a high risk cross zone breakout attempt that Parise anticipated and made him pay for it with the GWG.

 

[Nineteen67]

Rielly is so predictable on the PP. Back and forth passes between Matthews and marner. Nothing else. I would take him out and put gardener in

Although the generated scoring chances yesterday, I think the need to do something else when the PK stays in a tight box. Move Kadri or JT out from the slot and maybe have Matthews skate around to open some space and create some 2 on 1 situations. It would be nice if they had someone else with an above average shot

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Nothing wrong with 200 ft players and its a centres defensive responsibility to be the one back to help out the defense. Its why the centre position is more critical to team success.

We have seen countless great defensive zone plays from Matthews assisting his Dcore out and breaking up plays.. This time he made a high risk cross zone breakout attempt that Parise anticipated and made him pay for it with the GWG.

Agreed terrible pass but more time he spends helping out the defense the less time he spends scoring goals. My point is our centres are playing too much defense.

 

[egd27]

Rielly is so predictable on the PP. Back and forth passes between Matthews and marner. Nothing else. I would take him out and put gardener in

He should be unloading that wicked wrist shot from the point instead of starting the puck movement?

 

[Budsfan]

 

[ULF_55]

Agreed terrible pass but more time he spends helping out the defense the less time he spends scoring goals. My point is our centres are playing too much defense.

I think the forwards are playing too little defense, and Matthews may be their best defensive forward but everyone makes a mistake now and then.

The Matthews giveaway can be forgiven, the season long defensive zone blunders can't.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I think the forwards are playing too little defense, and Matthews may be their best defensive forward but everyone makes a mistake now and then.

The Matthews giveaway can be forgiven, the season long defensive zone blunders can't.

Have you ever watched a Leaf practice? If not then go watch one at Mastercard. The wingers are instructed and told where to be on the breakout. One up at opposing teams blue line for stretch and other at our blue line as a backup outlet. If you blame our forwards then really you are blaming our coach.

 

[Mess]

Agreed terrible pass but more time he spends helping out the defense the less time he spends scoring goals. My point is our centres are playing too much defense.

I don't think there is such a thing as too much defense. The best offense is a good defense.

Players that abandon defensive zone responsibilities in order to pad offensive stats generally lead to more goals against and potentially more losses.

Players like Bergeron and Kopitar are revered for their defensive games and still pile up the points offensively.

 

[Budsfan]

Have you ever watched a Leaf practice? If not then go watch one at Mastercard. The wingers are instructed and told where to be on the breakout. One up at opposing teams blue line for stretch and other at our blue line as a backup outlet. If you blame our forwards then really you are blaming our coach.

Just swap Kadri's wingers and Matthews wingers, it would be the easiest and best way to get our star player going

 

[ULF_55]

Have you ever watched a Leaf practice? If not then go watch one at Mastercard. The wingers are instructed and told where to be on the breakout. One up at opposing teams blue line for stretch and other at our blue line as a backup outlet. If you blame our forwards then really you are blaming our coach.

Coaches aren't perfect, but maybe if they had a better defense that system would work.

I watched a lot of Wings during their recent power years, and I was impressed with how they moved the puck, short passes in their own zone and forming an attack, and being willing to retreat if the attacked look weak. Kind of like a good EPL team that wouldn't give up the ball for a weak opportunity.

Perhaps that is a system the Leafs would employ if they have a good enough defense and that player at the opposite blue-line was effectively used to stretch the defense of the other team. Unfortunately, he's cut off from receiving the puck because the other team intercepts and pressures the Leafs defense by outnumbering them. Or they clog up the middle and the Leafs are effectively playing shorthanded.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Coaches aren't perfect, but maybe if they had a better defense that system would work.

I watched a lot of Wings during their recent power years, and I was impressed with how they moved the puck, short passes in their own zone and forming an attack, and being willing to retreat if the attacked look weak. Kind of like a good EPL team that wouldn't give up the ball for a weak opportunity.

Perhaps that is a system the Leafs would employ if they have a good enough defense and that player at the opposite blue-line was effectively used to stretch the defense of the other team. Unfortunately, he's cut off from receiving the puck because the other team intercepts and pressures the Leafs defense by outnumbering them. Or they clog up the middle and the Leafs are effectively playing shorthanded.

I did too. But Wings had a mobile defense before mobile defense was the thing. They had a short pass D to D to C to D and Lindstrom carries the puck out by himself. It was a thing of beauty no doubt. But Leafs would look a lot better too with a Lindstrom. Fact is we don't have that player. Fact is no NHL team has had that player since Lindstrom.

 

[ULF_55]

I did too. But Wings had a mobile defense before mobile defense was the thing. They had a short pass D to D to C to D and Lindstrom carries the puck out by himself. It was a thing of beauty no doubt. But Leafs would look a lot better too with a Lindstrom. Fact is we don't have that player. Fact is no NHL team has had that player since Lindstrom.

I know, but they don't need a Lidstrom, a lowercase Lidstrom would do. I think it is between the ears where the Leafs defense suffers.

To me, either they haven't learned the system, or they just don't think quick enough to deliver. That's really the only complaint I have about Rielly, he looks like he has to process the game, rather than having an intuitive ability.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Also Lidstrom played over 30 minutes a night in playoffs every night. He carried the team.

 

[1specter]

Rielly is so predictable on the PP. Back and forth passes between Matthews and marner. Nothing else. I would take him out and put gardener in

Lol f*** no. Gardiner is the king of poor shot selection. Rielly is a great PP QB and proved it last year. The coaching staff needs to do a better job of drawing up more plays on the PP because the current ones are too predictable.