Post-Game Talk: Leafs come back to get a point

[Trapper]

are you saying that size matters more now than it did 10yrs ago?

Certainly size + skill combo matters if you can find it but it’s not the end all.

At the end of the day it’s the way you play that has the biggest impact.
Marleau is 6’2, 200 + lbs but plays nothing like Gallagher at 5’9.

We have a combination that plays soft or some try but just aren’t heavy enough (or good enough at it) to repeatedly win battles. When the games becomes that.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Hyman's goal was also very fortunate to turn into an own goal to break that Blues shutout streak.

As was Matthews' - a deflection off Bouwmeester's stick, and then Matthews' skate, and then untouched into the net.

 

[araisarena]

I'm not expert on playing NHL hockey, but my guess is defense and structure can impact goaltending.

Just a guess.

that excel shows that the leafs give up less scoring chances than TB though.

 

[therealkoho]

I had a really hard time listening to kypreos last night. Saying how the Leafs don't have the players to compete in tight checking games like this and that Dubas has to think of making a change.
Yet, when the Leafs pushed it to overtime with no PP aworded and lost it on lucky giveaway on O.T he would not give any credit to the Leafs.

it's his job to rouse the rabble that are known as LeaFlander's

most of his negatives from last night have shown up in this thread, funny how that works

 

[Trapper]

As was Matthews' - a deflection off Bouwmeester's stick, and then Matthews' skate, and then untouched into the net.

And there is nothing wrong with that. You get those chances by going hard to the net and winning battles.
Be it luck of hard work to force the other team into mistakes, it’s what you have to do when there is no time and space.

 

[Bluelines]

are you saying that size matters more now than it did 10yrs ago?

Are you saying every player who played a clutch and grab game 15 years ago would be effective today?

 

[therealkoho]

It’s such lazy analysis imo. Like the media like trotting our this idea that we lost to Bruins last year because we weren’t tough enough and got bulllied. We lost to the Bruins because we didn’t have a single defense pair that could hand Marchand, Bergeron, Pastrnak. Turns out when you have one of the best puck retrievers in the NHL in Marchand skating down (our) right side, and he’s either looking at Hainsey, Zaitsev, or Polak, it’s not all that difficult to enter the zone.

maybe it's me but in most of the Bruins games I've seen, Marchand plays on the right side of the Bergeron line as Pasta is primarily a LW, which means he's got a 1 in 3 chance he's going against one of the leagues worst puck retrieval Dmen in Gardiner

 

[zeke]

I love context Zeke. But when someone posts cherry picked advanced stats over a 25 game stretch against TB to claim that we were "Better" than them in that stretch (except for goaltending IIRC) while completely ignoring everything else (including wins and losses) then that's not "context", it's BS.

Since you're in such a nit-picking mood today allow me to apologize and re-phrase:

Wins and losses aren't the only thing that matter, but 60 games into the season, compared to cherry picked Corsi stats they may as well be regarded as such. Better?

It seems like despite trying really hard to argue with me, (and I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong) we're actually on the same page. We're not as happy as we'd like to be because we think this team can be much better. Maybe you're right and it's on our coach, whatever it is, they better fix it soon or you're going to find it much harder to console yourself with "context" a couple of months from now. I'm not sure it's that simple though, the way we came out to start the game last night had nothing to do with who got ice time. It didn't have much to do with the game before either.

actually that 25gm stretch was an unnecessary cherry pick.

we can look at the whole season, and see that tampa's only real advantage over the leafs is special teams.

Even Strength

TBL: +41gls, 56.8% goals (#3), 52.7% chances (#6), 51.3% corsi (#8), 10.5sh% (#3), 91.8sv% (#7)
TOR: +38gls, 56.2% goals (#4), 52.3% chances (#7), 51.1% corsi (#10), 11.1sh% (#1), 92.0sv% (#6)

Special Teams

TOR: 59gms, +3 goals, 12.4ppsh% (#24), 87.1pksv% (#13)
TBL: 61gms, +36 goals, 21.8ppsh% (#1), 90.5pksv% (#1)

 

[bionic]

If you listen to Toronto Sports radio you will know that Kypreos is not the only guy saying this. Carlo Colo, Button and Miller are saying the same this now on Leaf Lunch. Bobby Mac, Burke, Pang, McGuire, O'Dog, Noodles, Hayes, Ferraro, Brady, Savard, Mattihas, McLean have also sung the same tune.

Well that's just simply not true. Sure when asked what might Dubas do to improve the leafs chances that analyst will say the only thing they actually might improve them, team toughness.
I know for a fact that Bobby Mac, McGuire and Button have all said it would be nice to add toughness but shouldn't do so if it means subtracting from team.

 

[therealkoho]

Every ****ing time we lose, I see a bunch of messages about being soft, we lost to a more physical team, bla bla bla. It's so lazy and tiring.

Oops sorry... almost every time. If Sparks starts a game that we lose, he gets 100% of the blame.

Sparks and physicality. Like clockwork.

don't you ever, ever leave out Babs EVER again, Mister

 

[ToneDog]

Well that's just simply not true. Sure when asked what might Dubas do to improve the leafs chances that analyst will say the only thing they actually might improve them, team toughness.
I know for a fact that Bobby Mac, McGuire and Button have all said it would be nice to add toughness but shouldn't do so if it means subtracting from team.

Listen to what Pang said yesterday on TSN radio and then watch the first period of last night's game.

It is known that the team does not want to subtract (that was true for Muzzin deal) but any subsequent deal requires money in money out due to the cap. The team either needs to add some toughness or play with a little more. Carlo Colo was commenting on how many stick checks they were making last night.

 

[Dough72]

He already pissed off Matthews, Nylander, Johnsson and probably more

there have been fewer rumors of disgruntled players or locker room turmoil than quite a while in Leafs land or anywhere else and Babcock hasn't been pandering to his stars like most coaches. I think he deserves a ton of credit for running a tight ship.

 

[notDatsyuk]

And there is nothing wrong with that. You get those chances by going hard to the net and winning battles.
Be it luck of hard work to force the other team into mistakes, it’s what you have to do when there is no time and space.

Not complaining at all. But someone said that Hyman's goal was lucky, and since there are several posters her who denegrate anything Hyman does, I thought I would mention that Matthews' goal was also lucky. Both were also the product of hard work.

 

[therealkoho]

If you listen to Toronto Sports radio you will know that Kypreos is not the only guy saying this. Carlo Colo, Button and Miller are saying the same this now on Leaf Lunch. Bobby Mac, Burke, Pang, McGuire, O'Dog, Noodles, Hayes, Ferraro, Brady, Savard, Mattihas, McLean have also sung the same tune.

absolutely true

but think about this, they were also the same people banging the drum about Buster playing in the top 6, they were the same bunch questioning Babs every move and even mocking him openly

can you now see the symbiotic relationship it has with the bleatings of LeaFlander's?

 

[Dough72]

The team either needs to add some toughness or play with a little more. Carlo Colo was commenting on how many stick checks they were making last night.

they actually come to a full stop to avoid landing a body check. It's been like that all year. It's actually weird. So is the idea Babcock is about old-school or gud-pros.

 

[Budsfan]

Mark Masters‏Verified account @markhmasters 13h13 hours ago
Nylander: "I'm feeling pretty good, skating well & chances are there & they're coming, that's all I can say." Babcock on William at centre: "First couple of shifts maybe not as good defensively. In the third, he was good defensively & offensively & was a factor in the game."

 

[ToneDog]

absolutely true

but think about this, they were also the same people banging the drum about Buster playing in the top 6, they were the same bunch questioning Babs every move and even mocking him openly

can you now see the symbiotic relationship it has with the bleatings of LeaFlander's?

Might be true for the media people who did not play the game. What many are questioning is Babs' use of his top players. It is puzzling why he does not give his stars more minutes. Doing so could mask some of short comings of this team.

 

[Bluelines]

Honest assessment ...

... "Once we got under the hashmarks we gave them fits.. I mean they didn't have much...they don't like defending down there at all ... "

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/blue-jackets-foligno-maple-leafs-dont-defend-well-hash-marks/

I think any honest Leaf fan would agree with those comments. I would suspect more players who excel at stopping the cycle down low will be targeted at the TDL.

 

[ACC1224]

If you listen to Toronto Sports radio you will know that Kypreos is not the only guy saying this. Carlo Colo, Button and Miller are saying the same this now on Leaf Lunch. Bobby Mac, Burke, Pang, McGuire, O'Dog, Noodles, Hayes, Ferraro, Brady, Savard, Mattihas, McLean have also sung the same tune.

It's blatantly obvious.
Teams preparing to play the Leafs will show last nights 1st period.

If not for Andersen, the game is over after 1.

 

[hockeyes]

Every team in the league is going to have issues defending how the Blues started last night. They are playing their best hockey of the year, on a 10 game winning streak, at home against an original six team who also happens to be at the top of the standings and they came out full tilt. This isn't some unique phenomenon to the Leafs or being scared down low, this is one team with a game plan of overwhelm early and hang on and it barely worked, yet we are supposed to marvel at how it's apparently such a superior style? It's completely unsustainable long term or even for a complete game, lets see how they look once their streak ends and see.

 

[bionic]

Listen to what Pang said yesterday on TSN radio and then watch the first period of last night's game.

It is known that the team does not want to subtract (that was true for Muzzin deal) but any subsequent deal requires money in money out due to the cap. The team either needs to add some toughness or play with a little more. Carlo Colo was commenting on how many stick checks they were making last night.

Sure but as was proven already in this thread the leafs have actually beaten a lot of the so called bigger tougher teams. Some may think they need more toughness for the playoffs, and maybe the do, but what I'm arguing is that maybe they don't need to subtract from the team to get tougher. Edmonton tried that to huge failure. My problem is with the way Kypreos was a 100 percent certain leafs would fail in the playoffs without it. I just think that's foolish talk.

 

[ACC1224]

Mark Masters‏Verified account @markhmasters 13h13 hours ago
Nylander: "I'm feeling pretty good, skating well & chances are there & they're coming, that's all I can say." Babcock on William at centre: "First couple of shifts maybe not as good defensively. In the third, he was good defensively & offensively & was a factor in the game."

He was very good last night, no issues if he plays like that.

 

[member 262271]

I wasn't expecting much, so a point is very nice.

 

[Trapper]

Mark Masters‏Verified account @markhmasters 13h13 hours ago
Nylander: "I'm feeling pretty good, skating well & chances are there & they're coming, that's all I can say." Babcock on William at centre: "First couple of shifts maybe not as good defensively. In the third, he was good defensively & offensively & was a factor in the game."

I’m on board with Willy at C. Always have been. I think he’s much more engaged and not just on the ice. He was engaged with Johnsson on the bench after the move.

It’s just my opinion but I think Nylander feels he needs to matter as much as Matthews/Marner and being in control of his own line is key. Plus it gives us our only right hand C. Nylander needs room, he isn’t a North/south winger like we need heavier on the wings. Both Matthews/Nylander need a heavier, skilled Hyman type on the wings.

Matthews + heavy + Kappy/Johnsson
Hyman...Tavares...Marner is fine
Nylander + heavy + Kappy/Johnsson

 

[ShaneFalco]

Mark Masters‏Verified account @markhmasters 13h13 hours ago
Nylander: "I'm feeling pretty good, skating well & chances are there & they're coming, that's all I can say." Babcock on William at centre: "First couple of shifts maybe not as good defensively. In the third, he was good defensively & offensively & was a factor in the game."

But I won't play him there again