Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 2-0 ...Hmm Haven't Looked good.

[Pyrophorus]

1. Its still a work in progress
2. If we win 3 and lose 1, for the rest of the season-I'm good.
3. 5v5 is becoming a problem.
4. As is possession/chances-looking more like Carlyle lately

 

[Budsfan]

Why is anyone complaining about this game.

Bruins are the better team, and the Leafs (based on goaltending and structure) stayed in the game and never gave up.

Certainly, the Leafs don't have any firepower, but their structure was fine.

Lupul is way past his best before date, and van Riemsdyk is a top 6 player, but other than that they're playing with cast offs and depth players.

This is a good sign that once the Leafs get a couple players with skill, they should be able to fit into a defined structure / system and provide some offensive abilities.

This was hardly a failure.

The problem I saw, was that we were playing a Back to Back game and Boston was on a 2 day rest, our schedule has been the pits, I know Babcock doesn't like excuses but playing a team that has been rested a few days and our team tended to droop in the 3rd period, the schedueling should change and have maybe 4 or five at most but we have 16, that's crazy.

Leafs Announce 2015-16 Regular Season Schedule

http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=772131

• Number of back-to-back games: 16

 

[Bluelines]

The Leafs have scored just 2 or less goals in 12 of 21 games this season so Babcock is not blessed with a lot of offensive talent.

However his game plan, preparation, system and team compete level does give the team a chance to win most nights by keeping game scores low and close.

Wonder how much influence Lemaire is having on this recent streak as well as the team is playing his type of style as well?.

Imagine where we would be if some of the guys produced at career normal, I think it's safe to say we would have a few more points in the standings.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Froese is killing the Lupul - Winnik combination. They aren't generating anything with him.

 

[Dough72]

There is more, but he's never been known as an exciting coach. The wings weren't fun to watch as a team (individual talent like Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Lidstrom were), same in Anaheim.

I remember people saying that but were Detroit fans saying that?

maybe the mob just got frustrated watching Detroit keep the puck away from their favourite team all game

I found it fun enough to watch when Sundin and antropov and poni would play basic keep-away in the corners, circling around and drop passing and waiting for someone to flash open. I can't remember Detroit but I assume Babcock is after something more artistic. But if the ugliest form of future Leafs hockey is similar to what sundin line did I think it should be a fun style to watch. At least for Leafs fans.

 

[thewave]

Froese is killing the Lupul - Winnik combination. They aren't generating anything with him.

Lupul should likely be moved up. Was thinking this myself.

 

[burpsalot]

First off, no way Chara should be shooting slapshots unopposed from the hash marks.

Lots of Dzone breakdowns by the forwards on that play to give Chara that good a look.
And a great pass to setup the shot ... certainly fooled Komarov.

Neither JVR or MATT HUNWICK could get the puck from MATT BELESKEY, as he passed to the point (?Zach Trotman) who fake shot passed to **WIDE** open Chara. Komarov was seemingly trying to cover both points to make up for JVR ... ended up covering neither.

Kadri doesnt know where the puck is but is covering his man.

Who do you fault most on this play here ? JVR for double teaming Beleskey and not getting the puck ? or Komarov for covering JVR's point and leaving his wide open ?

Fault wise, I'll say 66% Leo, 33% JVR.
Leo can't leave his point man that open to cover for JVR.

You should go a little earlier & see the two semi checks of Kadri on the boards, that created the need for JVR to come low. Plus Babcock wants his wingers coming low to assist the D. Then the centre or winger rotate on the open D if he gets the puck. Personally, I would put most weight of the error on Kadri & the two low effort checks on who originally had the puck. I think Leo was the least at fault, he forced the D who passed it to Chara. Kadri got caught up with the man he was covering & didn't realize Chara was the greatest threat. He should have left his man in the slot & force Chara up high, then JVR or Hunwick would cover the guy in the slot. JVR did go down to cover him, as Chara walked in.

This isn't zone defence, it's defence helping your teammates & forcing the other team to make the good passes or cough up the puck. The rotation is so the player that is open, won't be for long. Chara was open for a long time because there was no rotation.

 

[Killion]

Team defense and goaltending and team offense win series. If you're bottom 5 in any of those, playoffs are a pipe dream. There's a reason NJ finished 6th last, last year.

Oh? Remember the 2011/12 Coyotes?

Lol you're a mod and you just said you want to take a blow torch to us?

Not to those of you who are Charter Members of Tank Nation personally, no. To your inflatable Panzers & Tiger tanks, GI Joe battalions, see, Im gunna blow em up. Savvy?... Tanking? Not gunna happen. Players have pride for one thing, for another, under Babcock, just.... no... dont even think about it. You miss your assignment defensively... benched.

The Babcock system is necessary given the tools he's been given, but its pretty boring hockey to watch. Lots of dump and chase, not much flow to the game, limited offense, etc. It's effective I suppose, but boring.

Absolutely. Similar system employed by Maloney & Tippett in Arizona when they inherited the mess that they did under the former Gretzky regime. Playing sound defensive hockey absent any real firepower up-front, finished first in the Pacific in 11/12, did some real damage in the Playoffs. Of course, the wheels fell off thereafter due to all kinds of external factors but still.... Babcock, were in for tight Defensive Total System Hockey and ya, its boring. But its the same thing we saw under Imlach 50 years ago when we owned the league. Carl Brewer who despised it & railed at Imlach's "system hockey" got it right when he said at the time... "its boring hockey but it works, and all 15,000 screaming fans care about is the win".... Well, in todays NHL, thats what were looking at. All system, Team Defense. Babcock, Lamiorello, these are the best at it.

 

[Gallagbi]

I remember people saying that but were Detroit fans saying that?

maybe the mob just got frustrated watching Detroit keep the puck away from their favourite team all game

I found it fun enough to watch when Sundin and antropov and poni would play basic keep-away in the corners, circling around and drop passing and waiting for someone to flash open. I can't remember Detroit but I assume Babcock is after something more artistic. But if the ugliest form of future Leafs hockey is similar to what sundin line did I think it should be a fun style to watch. At least for Leafs fans.

It's fun if you win, not as an unbiased observer.

I noted that earlier (possibly in another thread).

 

[yubbers]

hehe

Mario Kart Chara

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Babcock wants his wingers coming low to assist the D. Then the centre or winger rotate on the open D if he gets the puck. Personally, I would put most weight of the error on Kadri & the two low effort checks on who originally had the puck.

I saw the second low effort Kadri check.

Wait I saw the first one ... even worse.
Kadri looks dumbfounded or something. Weird.

I'm still not blaming Kadri at that point. Of course he could have made a difference then, but his weak flyby skating didn't lead to the goal at that point.

see for yourself go here, FF to 4:44

JVR is finishing the check on a guy that isn't his job.
His instinct should have been "crap, my responsibility just got the puck ... must get him". You don't finish the check there.

Kadri doesnt know where the puck is ... his back is to the puck carrier. He is the closet guy to Chara with a chance to obstruct his shot. But he doesnt know where the puck is ... can't rotate if you dont know you need to because you aren't looking.

For a D to be that open ... you need a cascade of errors. Especially on a 5v5 situation. Terrible really.

I put the blame on JVR for not having the right instinct.
When I play winger .... and a winger passes the puck to my guy .... I'd stop everything and realize that *MY GUY* has the puck .... nevermind someonelse's guy.

 

[burpsalot]

Kadri doesnt know where the puck is ... his back is to the puck carrier. He is the closet guy to Chara with a chance to obstruct his shot. But he doesnt know where the puck is ... can't rotate if you dont know you need to because you aren't looking.

For a D to be that open ... you need a cascade of errors. Especially on a 5v5 situation. Terrible really.

It's Kadri's job to know where the puck is. We used to frequently try to piss off defenders to the point that they would pay too much attention to us & then we would suck them away from where they should be. Kadri should have been attacking Chara on the rotation, but he got consumed with covering Eriksson.

I put the blame on JVR for not having the right instinct.
When I play winger .... and a winger passes the puck to my guy .... I'd stop everything and realize that *MY GUY* has the puck .... nevermind someonelse's guy.

But if your team is coached to do a rotation, Komarov takes your D, Kadri goes after Chara & JVR rotates to cover Eriksson, which is actually what JVR did (but too slowly). The only person that missed the rotation was Kadri & as a end result you had 2 people standing beside Eriksson as Chara scored.

It's a mistake, happens, but the person that deserves least blame is Komarov.