Post-Game Talk: #FireBabcock - Leafs Lose 4-0 to the Wings.

[Daisy Jane]

I couldn't take the commentators any longer and found an American stream too. I will likely being doing that all season

Listening to the Baseball guys then after the hockey guys, the baseball commentators know how to call a game. The hockey guys know how to swing from the nuts of the most popular player on the ice and not stop until it is nauseating.

that's what i am doing. American if its on sportsnet, tsn I'll watch fine. it just sucks monkey butt that HNIC has been taken over by Rogers.

 

[theTTC]

What unfolds this year will help put Randy Carlyle in proper perspective: he was an effective coach for the players he was given by management. Babcock's style will take a couple of years and basically a new roster of players to show it's genius. Stay tuned for an almost Horachek-like season - did anybody expect different?

btw, don't mind watching them lose, but I wish we had a fighter or two to alleviate the horrific boredom - there's just no excitement, nothing fun to anticipate, no scrap or thundering check on the horizon, no emotion - it's like watching ineffective whirling robots going through programmed motions on the ice.

Otherwise that's okay, we got'em where we want'em: a shot at the #1 draft pick.

 

[hullsy47]

What unfolds this year will help put Randy Carlyle in proper perspective: he was an effective coach for the players he was given by management. Babcock's style will take a couple of years and basically a new roster of players to show it's genius. Stay tuned for an almost Horachek-like season - did anybody expect different?

btw, don't mind watching them lose, but I wish we had a fighter or two to alleviate the horrific boredom - there's just no excitement, nothing fun to anticipate, no scrap or thundering check on the horizon - it's like watching whirling robots going through programmed motions on the ice.

That's okay, we got'em where we want'em: a shot at the #1 draft pick.

well draft mathews ,sign stamkos and there u go ,crappy year u get yout next captain and 2 superstars ,then u watch it develop ,the marlies seem to handle the power play better already until bozak and lupul buy in this may never beat anyone .
the real perspective is how crappy nonis /burke regime really was .

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

Yeah this year is a write off and not even an evaluation year like last year, it's a "biding time" year and probably not worth investing in. But I'm still gonna watch.

After tonight's game I agree with people saying they don't care about 90% of these players, I just can't give a **** about a lot of these guys that bring nothing and have no future here.

I actually wish they'd televise the Marlies games in HD all year, with the Leafs broadcasts level of production, and put the Leafs on Rogers TV or Leafs TV every five games with the others only on radio, so no one could see what was happening

Exactly...This year is a total write-off...I'd certainly rather watch the Marlies than the Leafs this year. There is nothing to watch on the Leafs besides Rielly and perhaps Kadri...I'll probably catch the first period of games and see how it goes...I don't expect to watch many complete games this year---it's just lousy hockey and frustrating to view.

I'm also shocked at how bad Bernier looked last night...It's early yet be he doesn't look like a #1 goalie going forward...Some teams like Detroit have two #1 goalies but we are stuck with two scrubs in net.

Memo to Hunter: Goaltending is the most important position on a team. DRAFT A GOALIE EVERY YEAR!

 

[SprDaVE]

At least we didn't give up an absurd amount of shots? Meh.

At some point, shots will go in. Right now it's really to the point of unlucky. Posts, desperation save from the goaltender, just missing, etc.

Overall, most players last night were pretty bad. I don't care if we lose every game but only if they play a good game like they did on Wednesday. Last night was pretty pathetic. They completely stopped skating after getting down a couple goals when the game was nowhere near over. I can't remember the last time the Leafs actually mounted a nice come back after being down 2 or 3 goals. This is the losing culture that has affected a lot of players on this team, mostly the veterans that have been here for awhile.

 

[Leafsman]

that's what i am doing. American if its on sportsnet, tsn I'll watch fine. it just sucks monkey butt that HNIC has been taken over by Rogers.

It's as if they went and located everyone we don't want to hear from and stuck them on TV. Is it some kind of inside joke at Rogers and they sit laughing at us during every broadcast.

Ron Maclean, for god's sake?!?!? How do you take that guy out? For George Stroumboluspejlajda??? That's like replacing Santa at Christmas with George Stroubmofhfdaskjhdaskjhh!!!!

 

[ULF_55]

that's what i am doing. American if its on sportsnet, tsn I'll watch fine. it just sucks monkey butt that HNIC has been taken over by Rogers.

HNiC has been brutal for years, regardless who is employing them they aren't and haven't been very good.

Over the years I've found American crews report (outside of the blantant old school homers in Buffalo and Boston) the games fairly and without agenda.

 

[Mansfield]

What unfolds this year will help put Randy Carlyle in proper perspective: he was an effective coach for the players he was given by management. Babcock's style will take a couple of years and basically a new roster of players to show it's genius. Stay tuned for an almost Horachek-like season - did anybody expect different?

bit of a stretch after two games, no?

 

[ULF_55]

At least we didn't give up an absurd amount of shots? Meh.

...

This is the losing culture that has affected a lot of players on this team, mostly the veterans that have been here for awhile.

Let's hope the Marlies have a good season, and Rielly isn't too injured by his time with the veteran filled line-up in Toronto.

Morgan is 21, and might be better off in a winning environment. He is far from being a complete hockey player, as I don't think he has topped out in development. Perhaps he shouldn't be in the NHL, as it isn't a development league.

At 21 there is still hope for him.

 

[SprDaVE]

Let's hope the Marlies have a good season, and Rielly isn't too injured by his time with the veteran filled line-up in Toronto.

Morgan is 21, and might be better off in a winning environment. He is far from being a complete hockey player, as I don't think he has topped out in development. Perhaps he shouldn't be in the NHL, as it isn't a development league.

At 21 there is still hope for him.

Hopefully by then he'll be surrounded by a good core of young players.

 

[Dragao6]

well draft mathews ,sign stamkos and there u go ,crappy year u get yout next captain and 2 superstars ,then u watch it develop ,the marlies seem to handle the power play better already until bozak and lupul buy in this may never beat anyone .
the real perspective is how crappy nonis /burke regime really was .

Yes Burke and Nonis were the real magicians here so lets not forget them please while we go through this

I would only be concerned if the Marlies dont do well...I just wish Laefs management put the games on Leafs TV

The Leafs well were suppose to lose so its all good, I just hope theres more of the habs loss effort then yesterdays.
It was obvious awhile ago this season is about trying to improve assets play to trade entire roster for picks and after trade deadline flop for top 3 pick so keep it up...Love Babcock still trying to win though with this roster, we will win some dont kid urself

Im now on board in trading Bernier if we can get a 1st...hes good but we dont need him for next few years so Reimer would do.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

This was probably 1st time in at least 5 years that I've watched a Leafs game and didn't know who the players were based off of their jersey number.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I was barely able to watch the game as Gamecenter Live didn't put it up until just now, and I couldn't keep both eyes on the game. Horrible game though.

Funniest thing was the Detroit announcers. Apparently Larkin is as good of a prospect as McDavid.

 

[Atomos2]

This is probably in my head and all, but does anyone see Detroit becoming the new "Boston" in terms of the Leafs?

You know, with a star hockey *player/coach leaving them to join our team and then all of a sudden, they end up continuously beating us in blowout games everytime we face them?

 

[Mess]

I was barely able to watch the game as Gamecenter Live didn't put it up until just now, and I couldn't keep both eyes on the game. Horrible game though.

Funniest thing was the Detroit announcers. Apparently Larkin is as good of a prospect as McDavid.

They jokingly referred to him as Dylan McDavid.

However it looks like its going to be Calder race with McEichel getting challenged by Larkin and Panarin and a couple of others.

 

[Lethalsniper007]

I was barely able to watch the game as Gamecenter Live didn't put it up until just now, and I couldn't keep both eyes on the game. Horrible game though.

Funniest thing was the Detroit announcers. Apparently Larkin is as good of a prospect as McDavid.

He actually played better then mcdavid in his first game.

 

[Liminality]

I was barely able to watch the game as Gamecenter Live didn't put it up until just now, and I couldn't keep both eyes on the game. Horrible game though.

Funniest thing was the Detroit announcers. Apparently Larkin is as good of a prospect as McDavid.

One of them thought Boyes had a huge dirty hit on Green and that it should have been a penalty. He was complaining that if a player can't see you coming, you shouldn't hit them at all as that could injure them...even if it's a clean hit.

 

[Nithoniniel]

He actually played better then mcdavid in his first game.

Yeah. I'm sure at some point in time, Colton Orr had a better game than Crosby too.

It was an incredibly homerish comment, and not the first one from them.

One of them thought Boyes had a huge dirty hit on Green and that it should have been a penalty. He was complaining that if a player can't see you coming, you shouldn't hit them at all as that could injure them...even if it's a clean hit.

Yeah, not the first time he says things like that. Always when they are against Detroit players too, at least when I've heard. Not a fan of their announcers. Still, a little comic relief was pretty much needed after watching this game.

 

[naturalnumbas]

HNiC has been brutal for years, regardless who is employing them they aren't and haven't been very good.

Over the years I've found American crews report (outside of the blantant old school homers in Buffalo and Boston) the games fairly and without agenda.

This is true. I seem to remember the nyr in particular have a good crew. With the ubiquity of vpn services and the comparative prices of cable packages to streaming there's really nothing keeping us glued to the duds in Toronto

 

[RyanOhReally]

Rielly's fine, good young players play on bad teams literally all the time. They usually have to. The more young talent we bring in, the better we'll be for the future. No one was complaining in Calgary about Monahan when Calgary was the 4th worst team in the league. Babcock will get the team to compete and that's all I ask for. We've seen one impressive game and another with loads of turnovers and poor goaltending. If we had scored a few last night then Leafs fans wouldnt be freaking out so much.

 

[Hurt]

The older sounding Detroit announcer was such a hypocrite. Got mad that Subban got 'hit from behind' last game and 'wasn't ready' but then had nothing to say when Arcobello got hit from behind in to the boards and wasn't ready.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Game
-------
Easy to get fooled by numbers this game, both ways. Sure 4-0 was not great, but we did create some chances and we did, after a dreadful start, keep an even playing field. However, that can often happen in a big lead and our problem this game was not finishing the plays. So often we wouldn't finish a play before moving on to the next, leading to plenty of situations where we got abandoned and lost our positioning. It's easy to talk about effectiveness and bad luck as well, but we opened the door for them and they stole the silverware and left while he still waited for the handshake. Let's pretend that makes sense, I'm tired.

Reviews will be a bit half-hearted, as I was a bit occupied while watching.

Great
-------
-

Good
-------
Gardiner - The only Leafs player to get complimented for his play from the Detroit announcers. Didn't get as victimized by the Detroit speed as our other D-men.

Average
----------
Phaneuf - Nothing wrong with Dion today, in my opinion. He wasn't bad, but wasn't particularly valuable either.
Hunwick - Not as good as last game, but better than his partner and most of our D-men.
Harrington - I liked him today, but I didn't like how weak he played Abdelkader on the second goal. Has played much better than during the preseason though.
Kadri - Made stuff happen offensively, was old Kadri defensively. One of the worst when it came to doing what I described above, not finishing one play. Left our D with bad support too many times. Not good enough. Could just as easily been in the Bad section.
JVR - Very similar to Kadri.
Spaling - Worked hard, did his job, was in on some chaos a few times.
Winnik - Same as Spaling. Reliable guys.

Bad
-----
Rielly - Didn't like Rielly today. Got stuck offensively, lost the puck some, out of position on their transition, giving them too much room (as on the Larkin goal).
Marincin - Worked himself up from a really bad start, made some nice plays in the third. Still, need to do better. Will probably sit against Ottawa.
Bozak - Will be interesting to know if he played against as tough opposition this game as last. That might bump him to Average. A better performance than last game, not that it's saying much.
Boyes - Nice hit, a few nice moves. Not enough done other than that.
Matthias - When I saw him, I liked him. It was just not enough from him to be good enough.
Arcobello - Fumbled the puck when he really can't, was a non-factor offensively like most of the team.
Komarov - Where has the old Uncle Leo went? He's behind the play too much nowadays.
Reimer - Feels a bit bad putting him here, but he let in a goal on pretty much the only thing Detroit bothered to do offensively after he came in. Made a nice save at one point, the rest was just 99% save-situations.

Awful
-------
Bernier - First goal was out of his control, the second was the type that goes in more often than not, but the third was weak. Moreover, he was obviously nervous. I find it obvious that he doesn't trust his teammates right now, but a goaltender has to do that to be able to do their job. He needs to do it even when they don't give him a reason to.
Parenteau - Was a waste of space and ice time this game.
Lupul - I didn't see Lupul unless he did something stupid. Like that first penalty? Hooking someone while your teammate has the puck? Dumb.

 

[HarrisonFord]

That defensive decision by Marincin on the 3rd Abdelkader goal was just awful. Rielly had caught the passer, so instead of getting a stick or even pressuring Abdelkader in the slightest, he plays the pass. I know on a 2 on 1 you're supposed to edge towards the passer, but just lack of awareness about Rielly by Marincin leads to that goal

 

[Mess]

he actually played better then mcdavid in his first game.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Top rookie this year? Sure. McDavid-level prospect? Just no.

At this point I hold him as the strongest forward from his draft, along with Bennett. Nylander and a bunch of others just behind.