Lack of goals

srnd9399

Registered User
Apr 10, 2018
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131
NB, Canada
If they don't go far in the playoffs I think it will be due to goaltending. Even though the power play has been stagnant they were still winning games due to their 5 v 5 play and getting decent goaltending. Last 5 games Leafs are getting save % of .858 on average of 25 shots against. Can't win with that.
 

TheScandal89

Registered User
Jun 26, 2016
1,622
1,312
They scored 3 goals last night and the 3rd should've been the back breaker for the Canucks. But Rittich couldn't save a beach ball last night, that has gotta be the worst goaltender performance we had this year, maybe several years

If you have to score 4-5 a night to win in the playoffs, your not going anywhere.

However, the bottom 6 is just god awful with old, slow or useless players. Engvall should not be in the line up, let alone top 9
 

The Blueprint

Registered User
Dec 4, 2018
595
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They scored 3 goals last night and the 3rd should've been the back breaker for the Canucks. But Rittich couldn't save a beach ball last night, that has gotta be the worst goaltender performance we had this year, maybe several years

If you have to score 4-5 a night to win in the playoffs, your not going anywhere.

However, the bottom 6 is just god awful with old, slow or useless players. Engvall should not be in the line up, let alone top 9
This is what I think too. Way too many old farts in the bottom 6, not nearly enough energy.

Hope the boys can figure things out and heat up heading into the playoffs cause we're running out of runway here
 
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TheScandal89

Registered User
Jun 26, 2016
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This is what I think too. Way too many old farts in the bottom 6, not nearly enough energy.

Hope the boys can figure things out and heat up heading into the playoffs cause we're running out of runway here

Yeah you can't be running a line of Thornton - Spezza - Simmonds in the playoffs, its just way to slow.

Idk what there gonna do with Thornton, but if they are gonna keep playing the guy, give him some damn rest.

Thornton - Matthews - Marner
Chucky - Tavares - Nylander
Foglino - Kerfoot - Hyman
Mikheyev - Spezza - Simmonds

Thats pretty much the only way you can spread these guys out. Thornton back on the 1st line is not ideal at all, but what else can they do if they intend to dress him.
 
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Community

44 is Rielly good
Oct 30, 2010
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The Darkest Timeline
Our offense has been fine. Even with a mess of a PP run (hopefully we are starting to get back on track now), we have still been scoring.

I mean,when we are fully healthy our forward lines would likely be:

Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Hyman -Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Thornton - Spezza - Simmonds

With Nash, Engvall, and Robertson possibly taking away a spot from one of the older trio. That's a dynamite top 10 players and I'm still hopefull Simmonds game rebounds as he was playing great pre-injury. If our biggest problem is Thornton on the 4th line, I'm not too worried.
 

CabanaBoy5

Registered User
Feb 17, 2013
3,393
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Woodbridge
They scored 3 goals last night and the 3rd should've been the back breaker for the Canucks. But Rittich couldn't save a beach ball last night, that has gotta be the worst goaltender performance we had this year, maybe several years

If you have to score 4-5 a night to win in the playoffs, your not going anywhere.

However, the bottom 6 is just god awful with old, slow or useless players. Engvall should not be in the line up, let alone top 9
I think we had a better bottom 6 when Thornton and Simmonds were injured. I think the Spezza-Boyd-Petan line was decent for a while and Engvall with Miky and Hyman were good. Now with the useless geriatric pair that bottom 6 looks slow and plodding. Robertson adds speed but he needs work staying on his skates. He spends more time on the ice than a 10 yr old learning to skate.
 

Buds17

Registered User
Nov 29, 2015
8,237
3,357
I'm in agreement here about the lack of offence. Last night was probably the exception to that though since the losing streak began. My general hope is that three goals for at least puts the team in position to garner a point more often than not. Putting aside the two losses that went to OT, I'd say that the goaltending has also gone south during this slide as four, five and six goals against is exceedingly expecting a lot from the offence.
 
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BlueForever75

Registered User
Oct 4, 2017
5,691
2,303
When this team is fully healthy, there isnt a team better than us other then maybe TB up and down the lineup.

Gally-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Hyman-Kerfoot-Micheyev
Thornton/Spezza-Nash-Simmonds

Reilly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Bogo
Hutton, Sandin, Lilly

Andersen
Campbell
Rittich
Hutch

This lineup should easily make it through the first 2 rounds, no questions asked. If they dont it would be consider a colossal disaster.
 

michi510

Registered User
Aug 31, 2011
144
123
Toronto
Can’t say I’m not disappointed with how things have gone for a few years with this offence and how it’s built.

From the moment we got JT, it was supposed to be rolling 3 lines that should overwhelm opponents. That didn’t really happen, but we should still be able to with Matthews and JT lines.

I can’t be the only one who wonders why there’s talk that we need to continue to provide support on the wings for their lines.

We’re paying both to be difference makers to carry their own lines and make their wingers better. They got Marner and Nylander respectively.

Time and time again each year we see spurts of this juggernaut offence, but it’s never sustainable and consistent enough for a cup run.

Now this year with our goaltending issues, still don’t believe they can make any progress... until I’m proven wrong. I hope I’m wrong.
 
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Anthrax442

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Aug 4, 2008
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When this team is fully healthy, there isnt a team better than us other then maybe TB up and down the lineup.

Gally-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Hyman-Kerfoot-Micheyev
Thornton/Spezza-Nash-Simmonds

Reilly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Bogo
Hutton, Sandin, Lilly

Andersen
Campbell
Rittich
Hutch

This lineup should easily make it through the first 2 rounds, no questions asked. If they dont it would be consider a colossal disaster.


They didnt have many injuries when this side happened. And the worse thing of it all, they make backups look like Vezina winners, they pour 40 shots on net and get one goal
 

Mitch nylander

One of the biggest fans from a bipolar fanbase
Jun 2, 2016
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Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Hyman- Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Engvall - Spezza - Simmonds
--------------------------------
Nash - Thornton - Robertson
Petan - Brooks - Agostino
Noesen - Suomela - Sabourin


Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott- Bogo
Sandin/Hutton

Swiss Cheese
Anderseive
Big Sieve Dave
Hutch

Offence isn't the problem, the bolded is.

Anderseive - .897sv% this year
Big Sieve Dave - .877% with the leafs this year
Campbell - .875% has been his best performance in the last 4 games.
Hutchinson - Can't be trusted.
 

m1ker

Registered User
Apr 11, 2014
907
684
When this team is fully healthy, there isnt a team better than us other then maybe TB up and down the lineup.

Gally-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Hyman-Kerfoot-Micheyev
Thornton/Spezza-Nash-Simmonds

Reilly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Bogo
Hutton, Sandin, Lilly

Andersen
Campbell
Rittich
Hutch

This lineup should easily make it through the first 2 rounds, no questions asked. If they dont it would be consider a colossal disaster.
Galch has got to come off the Matthews line. That line looks good in a video game but come playoffs they'll disappear. They should be trying to build chemistry with galch-kerfoot
 
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ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
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Richmond Hill, ON
Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Hyman- Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Engvall - Spezza - Simmonds
Nash/Robertson/Thornton

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott- Bogo
Sandin/Hutton

Swiss Cheese
Anderseive
Big Sieve Dave
Hutch

Not bad. Not sure whether 71 plays with 91 or not. As for 24, if he does not bring any jam, I would try 89 47 19 or 89 20 19 if 20 is healthy.
 

Anthrax442

Registered User
Aug 4, 2008
15,376
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Toronto
www.russianroulette.ca
Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Hyman- Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Engvall - Spezza - Simmonds
Nash/Robertson/Thornton/Suomela/Brooks/Agostino/Petan/Noesen

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott- Bogo
Sandin/Hutton

Swiss Cheese
Anderseive
Big Sieve Dave
Hutch

Offence isn't the problem, the bolded is.

Anderseive - .897sv% this year
Big Sieve Dave - .877% with the leafs this year
Campbell - .875% has been his best performance in the last 4 games.
Hutchinson - Can't be trusted.


Which one is swiss cheese
 

Leaftors

Registered User
Jul 21, 2011
2,402
719
Welland, Ontario
it's lack of keeping goals out of the net. Which comes from terrible goaltending and by far and away the most turnovers of any team in the league.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
23,708
21,840
Richmond Hill, ON
Galch has got to come off the Matthews line. That line looks good in a video game but come playoffs they'll disappear. They should be trying to build chemistry with galch-kerfoot

Yup load up your top 2 lines and ask your bottom 2 lines to stay with their bottom 2 lines.

Hyman Matty Marner
Foligno JT Nylander
 
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Egghead1999

Registered User
Nov 9, 2007
3,149
847
Our offense has been fine. Even with a mess of a PP run (hopefully we are starting to get back on track now), we have still been scoring.

I mean,when we are fully healthy our forward lines would likely be:

Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Hyman -Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Thornton - Spezza - Simmonds

With Nash, Engvall, and Robertson possibly taking away a spot from one of the older trio. That's a dynamite top 10 players and I'm still hopefull Simmonds game rebounds as he was playing great pre-injury. If our biggest problem is Thornton on the 4th line, I'm not too worried.
Leafs need to explore the idea of
Galchenyuk - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman -Tavares - Marner
 

Mitch nylander

One of the biggest fans from a bipolar fanbase
Jun 2, 2016
4,470
5,791
Not bad. Not sure whether 71 plays with 91 or not. As for 24, if he does not bring any jam, I would try 89 47 19 or 89 20 19 if 20 is healthy.

I think Foligno plays bottom 6 personally and Hyman plays with 91 once healthy. Foligno is more suited for a bottom 6 checking role when playoff time comes.

I like your suggestions for line 4.
Spezza is a given regardless, he's been our most effective player on line 4.
As much as I am a fan of Robertson, I am not sure if he is ready to play the fourth line in a playoff situation. As for Simmonds, he has not been great since his injury but I do think he will have a good playoff.
 

m1ker

Registered User
Apr 11, 2014
907
684
I think Foligno plays bottom 6 personally and Hyman plays with 91 once healthy. Foligno is more suited for a bottom 6 checking role when playoff time comes.

I like your suggestions for line 4.
Spezza is a given regardless, he's been our most effective player on line 4.
As much as I am a fan of Robertson, I am not sure if he is ready to play the fourth line in a playoff situation. As for Simmonds, he has not been great since his injury but I do think he will have a good playoff.

The issue with the leafs in the playoffs is we don't play big, gritty, and bang enough bodies. You need your top 6 to play this way because they are on the ice the majority of the game. When you have guys like Nylander, Marner, somewhat matthews and tavares, your top 6 is already soft. A guy like foligno can help out in this category if he plays in the top 6.

It's kind of like our top 6 getting hit by trucks all game while their top 6 are getting hit with pillows. It adds up in a series.
 

Community

44 is Rielly good
Oct 30, 2010
6,769
1,668
The Darkest Timeline
Leafs need to explore the idea of
Galchenyuk - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman -Tavares - Marner

That is a possibility, but I was just putting together what I think the Leafs lineup will likely be.

Foligno and/or Mikheyev could also make the top 6 to spread out some offensive talent onto the 3rd line.
 

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