Post-Game Talk: Leafs 4, Pens 3 - 30 Minutes Not Enough

[Speaking Moistly]

On paper I more or less agree, but I don’t see it demonstrated. I don’t think we look really terrible or anything but I don’t see the tempo the team used to play with for whatever the reason may be.

Which is what makes me think it’s more of a mental and coaching problem than the roster. They aren’t a drastically slower team but they as hell manage to look like they are. The have dead weight but they’re better and faster than the crap they keep serving.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Our goal differential is -9 now. All I know is from my limited experience paying attention to that stat, the teams that are in the playoff hunt but are only like +1 tend to be pretenders. The teams in the minus at all are usually bad. Very interesting to me

And they were much worse holding a top 5 position.

Just their play alone say's they don't belong where they were/are.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Maybe he's just tired or something but something in his eyes scares me.

 

[WayneSid9987]

I mean, you don't have to go full "bangers" but a in his prime Kunitz-type banger would be a nice addition.

For me though, it's about compete level and ability to disrupt/win puck battles more than laying bodies out. Bones and Cullen weren't "bangers" but when they were playing well, their compete level/ability to disrupt and win puck battles is what made the bottom 6 so effective.

 

[ColePens]

Wow Sully...spittin' anger. And he's 100% correct.

 

[Ryder71]

Wow Sully...spittin' anger. And he's 100% correct.

I expect some tough practices over the next few days.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I mean, you don't have to go full "bangers" but a in his prime Kunitz-type banger would be a nice addition.

For me though, it's about compete level and ability to disrupt/win puck battles more than laying bodies out. Bones and Cullen weren't "bangers" but when they were playing well, their compete level/ability to disrupt and win puck battles is what made the bottom 6 so effective.

But all three of those mentioned had a size difference who can/did help win those battles. they didn't always have to reley on speed/leverage to win those battles.

The compete level is only part of it and winning puck battles isn't about laying guys out. At least not always.

 

[WayneSid9987]

JR and Sully do have to re-think their roster approach tho even with no moves.
Reaves getting a regular jersey ain't moving the needle at all. Treat him as a #13-14 or waive him. Get some youngsters up and play em.

 

[Pancakes]

Our goal differential is -9 now. All I know is from my limited experience paying attention to that stat, the teams that are in the playoff hunt but are only like +1 tend to be pretenders. The teams in the minus at all are usually bad. Very interesting to me

It's hard to read too much into that because Niemi was such a joke. We're probably more like an even or slightly minus goal differential team.

I think we're going to be in a fight all season to make the playoffs. It's an odd situation for this team to be in. We haven't been like this since the Mike Johnston season where we barely made the playoffs by beating the Sabres at the end there.

The problem then was a lack of depth and that's the problem now. Hopefully we can at least hang around the playoff hunt until the deadline and then maybe JR can bring something in.

 

[Pancakes]

JR and Sully do have to re-think their roster approach tho even with no moves.
Reaves getting a regular jersey ain't moving the needle at all. Treat him as a #13-14 or waive him. Get some youngsters up and play em.

Reaves would be fine if we still had Bonino/Cullen. He wouldn't be ideal of course and I'd prefer not to have him, but he wouldn't be crippling.

But when we have a bottom six that can't score as it is *and* Reaves is part of the mix, that's a problem. Sid/Geno/Phil are all PPG or better. Letang is putting up points. Guentzel/Horny have done alright offensively.

After that though? Rusty is doing OK I suppose, but after that it's just bleh. Sheary has a decent amount of goals but his overall PPG is way down this year. Schultz before he got hurt was doing nowhere near as well as he had. Hags/Kuhn/Reaves basically are just bodies on the ice. They bring absolutely nothing offensively to the table. Sheahan has been OK.

An underrated problem with our team is our defense doesn't score much this year either. Schultz having a down year offensively is really hurting us. And yes I know part of that is Tang taking some of his PP minutes but even with that we're not getting enough of Jultz.

 

[66-30-33]

Just saw the Sully interview...wow, I normally see him keep on talking when answering questions. He just gave quick replies with a pissed off look.

 

[Ryder71]

JR and Sully do have to re-think their roster approach tho even with no moves.
Reaves getting a regular jersey ain't moving the needle at all. Treat him as a #13-14 or waive him. Get some youngsters up and play em.

Agreed, play him in games where it's obvious that the opponent is prime and ready to take liberties. In other games replace him with more skill.

 

[66-30-33]

JR and Sully do have to re-think their roster approach tho even with no moves.
Reaves getting a regular jersey ain't moving the needle at all. Treat him as a #13-14 or waive him. Get some youngsters up and play em.

That's why we have a farm team, time to start using them. Archibald and DiPauli 4th line wings if Hornqvist can't play? We have been weirdly successful with our AHL guys, keep on grabbing them and using their speed/skill.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Maybe he's just tired or something but something in his eyes scares me.

He’s angry because this type of thing happens too often. Sure we need some better players but we still can and should win more than 52% of our games.

He has some blame sure, the players and JR too. Changing the roster needs to happen right now. Not all the moves but you’d think there’d be at least a couple of quick deals that could make our bottom 6 better. Kuhnhackl, Reaves need to go and Rowney should be the 13th.

 

[Ryder71]

There are many reasons for our mediocre record. Beyond what has been discussed tonight such as uneven efforts, not playing well early in games and such. However we've been without MM now quite a bit, Shultz as well. That may or may not have changed some outcomes, but losing those two sure doesn't help the cause any.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The only good thing I can say is that Simon looks good and should stay up.

 

[Shaffer]

What I’d like to see:
Simon-Crosby-Hornqvist
Guentzel-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-Sheahan-Rust
Hagelin-Bluegar-Archibald

What we’re going to see:
Sheary-Crosby-Rust
Guentzel-Malkin-Kessel
Hagelin-Sheahan-Hornqvist
Kuhnhackl-Rowney-Reaves

 

[WayneSid9987]

I don't mind them sucking this season specifically as long as the focus shifts to real needle movers via trade and FA'y.
These are important times on that front where you can potentially make a really good top 9/12.
Pour over game tape. Pour over advanced stats. Seek out the players you want and go after them until you get one to two of em.
JR really hasn't done anything to anchor him down at all. Roster is as flexible as it's ever been here for JR as GM. Also realize it can take time to get exactly what you want.

 

[Tom Hanks]

What I’d like to see:
Simon-Crosby-Hornqvist
Guentzel-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-Sheahan-Rust
Hagelin-Bluegar-Archibald

What we’re going to see:
Sheary-Crosby-Rust
Guentzel-Malkin-Kessel
Hagelin-Sheahan-Hornqvist
Kuhnhackl-Rowney-Reaves

I really don’t like either

 

[Ryder71]

The only good thing I can say is that Simon looks good and should stay up.

He was easily one of our best players tonight. From his perspective that's great, from a team perspective not so much.

 

[Shaffer]

I really don’t like either

It’s without trades of course. Pretty sure no one is contempt of our roster, but we have to make the best of it.

 

[imouttahereEdWinger]

Record is ass. Several of those wins are lame ass 3v3 wins. In my mind we're below .500 in playoff record keeping. Byslma did better in regular season with less.

 

[EightyOne]

JR targeting new trade, I know some wanted Patches, but, we'll see how Matches does:

 

[Pens x]

I don't mind them sucking this season specifically as long as the focus shifts to real needle movers via trade and FA'y.
These are important times on that front where you can potentially make a really good top 9/12.
Pour over game tape. Pour over advanced stats. Seek out the players you want and go after them until you get one to two of em.
JR really hasn't done anything to anchor him down at all. Roster is as flexible as it's ever been here for JR as GM. Also realize it can take time to get exactly what you want.

JR hasn’t been anchored down this season because he hasn’t done a damn relevant thing as of late.
So you are fine with pissing away this season so long as they focus on needle movers?
I think you need to realize it shouldn’t take 5 months to create a fourth line in the NHL. The fourth line should have been dealt with this summer.
I understand a 3C is a tall order and you don’t want to rush it. But they could have just re-signed Bones, who is on pace to score 27 goals over 82 games.
You seem to give JR a free pass for everything.

 

[Ogrezilla]

JR hasn’t been anchored down this season because he hasn’t done a damn relevant thing as of late.
So you are fine with pissing away this season so long as they focus on needle movers?
I think you need to realize it shouldn’t take 5 months to create a fourth line in the NHL. The fourth line should have been dealt with this summer.
I understand a 3C is a tall order and you don’t want to rush it. But they could have just re-signed Bones, who is on pace to score 27 goals over 82 games.
You seem to give JR a free pass for everything.

We were missing a 3C. We had Reaves (like him or not, we both know he's here for reasons outside of being the best option in terms of his play) plus Rowney, Wilson, and Kuhn. All three of those guys have been good enough to be full time 4th liners on Cup rosters. JR left one hole on this roster to start the year, and imo underestimated how much of our 4th line's effectiveness was because of Cullen.

You make it sound like he went into this season with 4 or 5 holes in our bottom 6. He didn't. He had a hole at 3C, he trusted Rowney more than I would have (and only after waiting on Cullen), and he wanted an enforcer. It hasn't worked out. He's certainly got work to do. But he had a pretty reasonable (albeit conservative) summer.