Post-Game Talk: Hockey is Fun!

[stickty111]

I believe I just saw a graphic on twitter that says our GA/G under Keefe is 2.73... good for 6th lowest in the league.



Dunno how we can be so elite at keeping pucks out of our net if the Leafs are a tire fire defensively.

inb4 AnDeRsEn, as if we're the only team in the league with an elite goalie.

@Clark4Ever is right though. Run and gun won't work with the playoffs. However I have trust the defensive play will get better under Keefe in the coming weeks, and it already has.

 

[Martin Skoula]

@Clark4Ever is right though. Run and gun won't work with the playoffs. However I have trust the defensive play will get better under Keefe in the coming weeks, and it already has.

It's not really run and gun though, we're trading extended cycle opportunities. We can get better defensively just by getting the top lines more familiar with eachother in this system and cycling for longer.

I've been noticing we're already getting better, I'd say a quarter of our cycles last long enough to have time to do a line change without losing possession. I don't think I ever saw us do that under Babcock.

 

[stickty111]

It's not really run and gun though, we're trading extended cycle opportunities. We can get better defensively just by getting the top lines more familiar with eachother in this system and cycling for longer.

I've been noticing we're already getting better, I'd say a quarter of our cycles last long enough to have time to do a line change without losing possession. I don't think I ever saw us do that under Babcock.

I didn't mean they have played run and gun with Keefe. This was the only game you can say that. For the most part, the team has played structured offensive hockey.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I didn't mean they have played run and gun with Keefe. This was the only game you can say that. For the most part, the team has played structured offensive hockey.

Fair enough. It is nice to know that if we can get the game to break down to river hockey like this, we should win more than we lose.

 

[EXPECT THE LEAFS]

Well even though it was not ideal to give up a lead like that at least they showed resilience and came back. I don't think Babcock 2019-2020 Leafs would've came back.

 

[Superstar]

I don't think that can explain his sudden slow skating. Mo has to be fighting through some sort of chronic joint/muscle pain. Don't forget he had a serious knee injury in his last year of junior. The arthritis might be coming in

Babcock confirmed early in the season that Rielly is not playing at 100%..he even excused him in a bunch of Leaf practices...but he's not thinking the game right, which is concerning.

 

[saffronleaf]

I went to happy hour after the second period. The bar erupted when Matthews passed it to Marner and it just kept going from there.

What an awesome game. One of my favorite Leafs games in recent memory.

Marner, Matthews, Hyman, Tavares, Nylander, etc. all pulled through, but especially Marner & Matthews.

11-4.

Merry Christmas and lets keep it going!!

 

[Magic Man]

Kind of an unbelievable performance. Score 3 in 5 minutes and then take the next 5 in your own net until the end of the 2nd and then shovel home 5 in the 3rd period for the win.

Incredible skill on display. Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, Mikeheyev and so on were all lights out on offense. That was an incredibly shaky defensive performance. But, there not so bad to watch when you win! I do think Marner is great little player defensively for us.

I like the way Svechnikov plays for the Canes as well.

 

[ruaware41]

I believe I just saw a graphic on twitter that says our GA/G under Keefe is 2.73... good for 6th lowest in the league.



Dunno how we can be so elite at keeping pucks out of our net if the Leafs are a tire fire defensively.

inb4 AnDeRsEn, as if we're the only team in the league with an elite goalie.

We're one of the few teams though with a goalie playing at an elite level this season with a very high workload. All other teams rely on backups a lot more which will drag the average GA up. I think some stat showing high danger chances against and seeing how we rank would be much better as it accounts for goaltending and strategical interest in keeping shots to the outside.

 

[FlareKnight]

Well even though it was not ideal to give up a lead like that at least they showed resilience and came back. I don't think Babcock 2019-2020 Leafs would've came back.

That's the biggest thing for me in the game. The crazy skill is awesome that's for sure. But, that they actually showed some resilience and came back matters most. If this was October Leafs I think they end up losing this 9-3 or something stupid like that. What has sunk them most in the past few seasons is just falling apart when things don't go their way. If Keefe can really get this team having the belief that they can come back no matter the score then that'll be incredibly important.

Fingers crossed this sort of fight and resilience sticks with them. Just...with less of the blowing a 3 goal lead thing.

 

[WildWolfdog]

What a fun game, which I naturally would have hated had they lost. I'm just happy for the kids.

A few thoughts:

• Nice to see them persevere past that 45 second stretch when Holl received an envelope of cash from Carolina (all in good fun if you're reading, Justin, love ya)
• We win that game because of our players, but our players played because of Keefe. No way Babcock rolls the first line over and over like that, right?
• A 14 goal game, and Kappy was invisible. He doesn't play PK1. We can get his production for 1/3 of the cost.
• Hate when people lick the faces of the opponent, but Carolina is good.

We've seen other coaches do that against us (Boston, Tampa) but I don't remember Babs doing it too often at all.

 

[TheProspector]

we need this guy back on TV ASAP!!!!!

Preach.

 

[PuckMagi]

I think Hyman has really improved a lot since he first started in the NHL. He's always had good hustle... but some of his other skills have come a long way. He's always engaged in a lot of puck battles, but I think he's winning a higher percentage of those battles than he used to. His passing is better. His shot still isn't great, but he's still managed to finish and get more goals than he used to. Wrap around still needs work.

 

[stuart5035]

Where’s that ******* from earlier ?
Where’s these termites from earlier ?
Sorry I’ll repeat myself
Very few things pissed me off more under Babcock then the way he handled the Ovie comments ..
I knew right there that the team would give up on him !!!!!
I’m sure Shanny thought the same
I’ve said it before
What would Burns do and say
What would Quinn say and do ??
I’m sure Keefe as well !!!
Never ever ever take the side of another team or player or fan !!!!!
Ever ever !!
I would have taken Babcock to task in the dressing room the second I heard his Babbling sucking Ovie ...
I couldn’t believe it then
That was the turning point of this years team that lead to Keefe
Also don’t ever take it as fans from other fans
I’ll take the suspension
I’ll even take being banned for good
I’m a former player coach manager and more of different sports
I would never ever throw my team under the bus like that openly and publicly ..
And like I said if I ever heard a teammate or a coach agree publicly and toss shade to my team and teammates I literally would have a altercation with him ...
We are fuking Leaf Nation
Like it or not everyone !
I’ve been watching my team for almost 60 years and I’ll take it from true fans , but I’ll never ever going to take it from another teams fans or players
FU
Go Leafs Go

Well I have about 58 years of faithfulness; yours is one of the best comments I’ve ever heard in that time. You hit the nail on the head!

 

[cipher]

He’ll be due for a big pay day after next season. Don’t be surprised if he asks (and gets) 7M...

Darren Dreger has entered the chat.

 

[Teeder Keon]

Well I have about 58 years of faithfulness; yours is one of the best comments I’ve ever heard in that time. You hit the nail on the head!

Way to go on your tenure ...
We’ve seen a lot , haven’t we .
Thx for the comment
Cheers
GLG

 

[cipher]

You're forgetting the other teams have game in hands on us.

There are only three teams in our conference who have played less and could tie us or pass us by winning those games:

-Montreal's played 1 less and can only tie us on points if they win
-Florida has played 2 less and would be 1 ahead if they win both
-Tampa Bay has played 3 less and would be 2 ahead if they win all three

Are you worried about Montreal/Florida right now? The only team from those three I care about long term is Tampa. More importantly, it's December and we 44 games left to play, a couple of games/points means nothing right now. What's equally important is how quickly we caught up to these teams and have shown up the bedwetters who were worried that the playoffs were a pipe dream...even though we haven't reached the half way point of the season.

We've gone 11-4 since Keefe took over, are currently 11th overall and only 5 points back of 4th place overall. Enjoy the ride as we continue to move up the standings in Jan/Feb.

 

[stuart5035]

There are only three teams in our conference who have played less and could tie us or pass us by winning those games:

one thing I haven’t seen anyone comment about is the fact that that was the Leafs 3rd game in 3.5 nights (not 4), truly unreal and hard to believe such a punishing schedule! Carolina has a game Saturday and that’s it. Somehow, Bettman is behind this

-Montreal's played 1 less and can only tie us on points if they win
-Florida has played 2 less and would be 1 ahead if they win both
-Tampa Bay has played 3 less and would be 2 ahead if they win all three

Are you worried about Montreal/Florida right now? The only team from those three I care about long term is Tampa. More importantly, it's December and we 44 games left to play, a couple of games/points means nothing right now. What's equally important is how quickly we caught up to these teams and have shown up the bedwetters who were worried that the playoffs were a pipe dream...even though we haven't reached the half way point of the season.

We've gone 11-4 since Keefe took over, are currently 11th overall and only 5 points back of 4th place overall. Enjoy the ride as we continue to move up the standings in Jan/Feb.

 

[taurine330]

It’s amusing reading all the back peddling and saltiness from the trolls on the mainboards GDT.

There's mainboards GDT? Who would even go there and why?

 

[Lainehasaweirdface]

Let's not kid ourselves. We outscored a horrible defense and goalie.
That being said with Babcock we lose this game 7-3.
You got to respect Keefer riding the stars.

Lolwut Carolina is one of the better defensive teams in the league and Reiner has been lights out this year, Mrazek hasn’t been bad either.

 

[HolyCrap]

There's mainboards GDT? Who would even go there and why?

Entertainment. That’s what it’s there for. I like laughing at people. I don’t post I just read and laugh.

 

[Lainehasaweirdface]

Yeah the third was interesting...

But really some of the defending was amateurish. Goals against in bunches and getting scored on right after scoring. The individual efforts of Matthews and Marner turned the game, but if you're looking at the game objectively it's a mess.

How about the fact they managed to pull their heads out of their asses and stop the collapse in the game? Yeah it was a track meet but stopping the bleeding after giving up 5 straight and 3 in a minute is big for this team.

 

[MattySnipes]

 

[AvroArrow]

120 point pace under Keefe. Feels good.

lmao at the mains who were trying to tell me a 97 point pace under Keefe was unimpressive and unsustainable

 

[Mitchy]

All the Keefe haters were booting up their pentium 2's to come on HFboards to troll.

By the time they got to their desktop the game was already 8-6

late entry for post of the year