Post-Game Talk: Leafs blanked by Flames 3-0

[meefer]

It doesn't matter how many they win. Matters how they win. How they gonna play in the playoffs.

Current regime is 7 years old. What results can they show?
Drafting: besides top ten picks, there is nothing to show. Where is all that drafting and developing they talked about?

Management is signing ageing vets to patch holes. And that's it.

I'm going to have to say that I disagree with just about all of what you've said. A win is a win. We don't know how they'll do in the playoffs. Drafting, the Athletic has us pegged at 13th overall, and moving up, with no top 10 picks. Some would argue there's nothing to show. Development takes time. Vets...yes they are signing vets, and they've been doing well, I'd say.

I'm out. Cheers.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

I thought Barabanov showed some promise tonight.

But, he's shown almost none up until this point. So, I'm probably being nice.

Mo Rielly played a good game.

It was the Rittich show. He had some help from his pipes. The injuries killed the scoring depth. They were a one line team and that line couldn't beat Rittich.

I like Barabanov a lot, the kid is a gamer who doesn’t look out of place on a 2nd line or on a 4th line...he works hard and does the little things right...he’s one of those guys who doesn’t stand out until you go back and watch the plays he makes...he understands systems and he plays within them...he’s not going to wow you ala AM or MM but he’s steady

 

[Guided by Veseys]

Tavares wasn’t good but I’m not going to blame him for Marner and Matthews sucking: both of those guys had entirely off games. Right from the beginning Matthews flubs between the skates plays a couple of times, the puck wasn’t sticking to him at all.
Marner just wasn’t an assassin as usual; typically he is mentally sharp and carving up his coverage, that wasn’t happening last night.
Flames had good D with active sticks and Rittich was a wall but truthfully our two top players looked a little fatigued mentally and a bit physically. Both are top 5 scorers in the league though so it’s not a concern that they stink for one single game of the year.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

It doesn't matter how many they win. Matters how they win. How they gonna play in the playoffs.

It also doesn’t matter how many they lose, what matters is how they lose. This was a blip in special teams on what has otherwise been the best PP in the league. 5v5 they played well, drew penalties, hemmed them into their zone numerous times, but alas couldn’t get a bounce to go their way. Credit to Calgary.

Nothing substantially wrong with this loss. On to the next one.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Meh, wasn't even mad. They looked off right from puck drop and you could see how it was going to play out. Easy to let go of this one and get ready for the next.

 

[hoglund]

After the 1st goal it looked like it could be a tough night for Hutchinson, but this loss had nothing to do with him, they hit too many posts and Calgary just played better, not much, but better.

 

[LeafGrief]

The positive for me is that they were skating the whole game. Calgary was hungrier, no doubt about it, but even though it felt like "one of those nights" right from puck drop, the boys kept their legs moving. It looked like they were using the wrong handed sticks, but the legs were moving. That's a step in the right direction and what you like to see from a first place team. 2 crossbars and a post, this game could have gone our way with some puck luck.

 

[Alerion]

You don’t have a starting goalie that plays like a Vezina candidate.

Wow you really got him good!!!

 

[weems]

That wasnt a very good game from either team but we still could have easily won with some puck luck.

Posts, missed point blank chances, Rittich played awesome.

The Mikheyev missed breakaway when we were down 1-0 was a big turning point. He's been making things consistently happen with his legs but man he looks to have very little finishing ability.

Tavares needs to be better.

 

[Subway Schenn]

Thrilled that I tuned out in the 2nd period. Not the end of the world that we lost, but JT really needs to figure it out..... thought the 1st line last night was crap & Willie looked better without JT on his line.

 

[Toronto makebeleifs]

That's the way she goes sometimes. Dispite the loss, our legs were there most of the game. Rittich was lights out and the bounces didn't go our way. On to Wednesday and hopefully we have a few guys back!

 

[1specter]

Meh, wasn't even mad. They looked off right from puck drop and you could see how it was going to play out. Easy to let go of this one and get ready for the next.

Games like this happen to every single team. Sometimes it's just not your night... Effort wasn't the problem. Regroup and get it done tomorrow.

 

[Cor]

Happy for the posters that haven’t posted much this season to get a chance.

 

[Cor]

Andersen - Hurt
Campbell - Hurt
Dell - Claimed off of waivers which was forced due to two injuries
Hutchinson
Woll
Scott - Hurt

Nice

 

[RoadWarrior]

Thrilled that I tuned out in the 2nd period. Not the end of the world that we lost, but JT really needs to figure it out..... thought the 1st line last night was crap & Willie looked better without JT on his line.

JT just can’t keep up with the play anymore. It’s strange because Thornton has been very effective on that first line and he can’t skate either. The difference is that Joe has a higher hockey IQ.

Maybe JT should be used primarily as a power play specialist and as a 3rd line wing at even strength.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I think the team freaked out when both Muzzin and Andersen went down. They looked discombobulated last night.

You have Hyman, Simmonds and Muzzin out of the lineup. That’s most of the team toughness right there. Add to that a fourth string goalie in net and I’m not surprised at the result.

 

[Bedards Dad]

Tavares wasn’t good but I’m not going to blame him for Marner and Matthews sucking: both of those guys had entirely off games. Right from the beginning Matthews flubs between the skates plays a couple of times, the puck wasn’t sticking to him at all.
Marner just wasn’t an assassin as usual; typically he is mentally sharp and carving up his coverage, that wasn’t happening last night.
Flames had good D with active sticks and Rittich was a wall but truthfully our two top players looked a little fatigued mentally and a bit physically. Both are top 5 scorers in the league though so it’s not a concern that they stink for one single game of the year.

MM and AM had 2 of their worst games in a VERY long time. Both seemed ot be fighting the puck, which is extremely rare for both. Matthews also couldn't get his shots through to the net. Scratch this up as a bad game and move on, no sense in dewlling.

 

[Bedards Dad]

Andersen - Hurt
Campbell - Hurt
Dell - Claimed off of waivers which was forced due to two injuries
Hutchinson
Woll
Scott - Hurt

Nice

We know who is available, and it won't cost us much.

 

[Confucius]

We know who is available, and it won't cost us much.

1-0 800 save% look it up he's there. Wow!
Anyway he has more NHL experience than the backup last night

 

[bodechek]

It was bound to happen, the Leafs are not going to win every single game.

 

[hoglund]

We know who is available, and it won't cost us much.
This loss had nothing to do with Hutchinson, you can't win if you don't score. Injuries to key players and no luck with posts, I counted 5.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

He's also not a winger, which is why people seriously need to stop suggesting that he should become one. He's about as natural of a center as they come.

Kerfoot looked good as a 2LW with Tavares + Nylander and Kerfoot is a smart playmaker. The Leafs should add a 3C so they have the flexibility to keep Kerfoot there. It would also allow the Leafs to play around with the middle 6 and give different looks when they need them. I don't think another pure top 6 winger is what this team needs.

There really is nothing to be overly worried about. His line still generates chances (and puts up points; he's almost a PPG right now), and as long as that happens, the goals will start to come. It mostly just looks like Tavares and Nylander are overthinking things and just trying so hard to get out of a slump, rather than letting the game come naturally to them. They've come really close to scoring a bunch of goals but they are just not going in (similar to what happened with Tavares against Columbus despite being our best forward behind Matthews).

JT needs to play a nice rugged style game right now. A Hyman-JT-Simmonds line might work. Then maybe try Nylander at center with Kerf and Mik. Both lines can play ~15 minutes while giving the hotter line more minutes. I think when playing centre Nylander is forced to get more engaged with the play especially at the defensive end. He's usually up for the task.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Too much grit and character out of lineup and it showed on ice. Thornton, Simmonds, Muzzin and Hyman is basically all our grit and character. Team is not gonna win with 4 of those 4 out of lineup. That was our past teams who skate skate skate and pass pass pass and yet get nowhere.

No surprise to me. Skill mixed with character wins. It is all about balanced teams. Skill on its own loses in 1st round every time unless a goalie stands on his head.

 

[Bedards Dad]

I responded to a post listing our injured goalies...

 

[Darch]

Only thing to extrapolate from this game is the shit PP and the worrying trends that have been going on for multiple games now. Mainly the piss poor play of Tavares and Rielly.

Don’t know how this team can go 0/7 with the man advantage but they did it.

That's if they aren't also nursing injuries. Team is banged up.