Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 3-2 in OT

[56 Years No Cup]

As a Habs fan, I was impressed by the Leafs at the start of the season, your defensemen were moving the puck well and the whole team was playing with alot speed and pace, you got scored against, but still were outscoring your opponents on most nights... Leafs were pretty fun to watch since your transition helped your skilled fowards to generate alot of offense... I think Babcock shouldnt try to play a structured mistake free type of game like it seems to be the case lately since its no secret that most of your defensemen are at risks, I think it would be smarter to come back at the playing style of the begin of the season and playing on your strengths rather than trying to work on your flaws... Just my 2 cents...

Exactly this. We need a coach that tailors his system to the players he actually has, not the players he WISHES he had.

 

[Gallagbi]

As a Habs fan, I was impressed by the Leafs at the start of the season, your defensemen were moving the puck well and the whole team was playing with alot speed and pace, you got scored against, but still were outscoring your opponents on most nights... Leafs were pretty fun to watch since your transition helped your skilled fowards to generate alot of offense... I think Babcock shouldnt try to play a structured mistake free type of game like it seems to be the case lately since its no secret that most of your defensemen are at risks, I think it would be smarter to come back at the playing style of the begin of the season and playing on your strengths rather than trying to work on your flaws... Just my 2 cents...

They haven't really changed the way they play to be honest, but they have had options taken away.

This is a team that should have the puck a lot more than it does IMO. We create too many battles that we try and won with speed rather than keeping possession.

 

[56 Years No Cup]

Better blame the coach and not the soft, squeamish, cowardly group of players on the ice that aren't capable of playing contact hockey.

Or you could blame both. It's not an either/or proposition.

 

[Dragao6]

What's incredibly pathetic is that this team that has played sooo bad and to be serious contenders still need a few moves are 7th overall...

 

[crump]

That was a discombobulated effort.That's the only way to describe it. Only Andersen was back in the groove. a long layoff will do that, add a new key player and things get a little disorganized as well. Not worried though. Should see a better result tonight. wouldn't mind seeing...

Nylander. Matthews. Kapanen
Hyman. Tavares. Marner
Marleau. Kadri. Johnson
Lindholm Goat. Brown.

 

[Mess]

That was one sloppy game by both teams and really uninspired effort by most.

Leafs had 6 shots half way through the game, which included 3 PP by then and no shots in the first 12 minutes.

Hopefully this is simply rust coming out of a break and not these new line combos at the root of this.

 

[kevsh]

The Leafs have looked out of sync lately but last night it was rust + line shuffling + I'm still on vacation in my head.

Amazing they actually managed to get it to overtime, which should be a sign than if/when this team plays at 100% they will be very scary again.

Side note: Like to see Muzzin added to the top PP with Reilly, Marner, Tavares, Matthews. Gives them another option with his point shot as right now, defenders know there are only two guys to watch out there and there's never a point shot coming.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Ugly game. The whole team was content to just skate somewhat in position in the defensive zone. Detroit had time to make plays all night. And I don't think I've ever seen Marner, Nylander, and Kapanen have such trouble passing. Nylander couldn't get a puck past a defender in the first, Marner hit the skates with a ton of passes, and Kapanen had a bunch of passes to no one.

It's easy to say that it's been so long since they played, but wasn't Detroit in the same situation? There was one team that used their legs to get into the game, and another that waited until the game would come to them. Even so, this should be a temporary issue and I expect a big game tonight.

On a more positive note, Matthews was beastly. Dominant. There are not a lot of players in the league better than him when he's healthy.

There is no other fan base in hockey that is as volatile, reactive, unpatient, ungrateful as Toronto's.

I follow a whole bunch of teams in more than a few sports, including some that are considered perpetual loser teams with very bitter fanbases. None of them come close to being as eager to be miserable as Leafs fans.

 

[Jozay]

He can't. Reilly has never been known for his slap shot. just started getting a known wrister this year.

When was the last time you seen Reilly onetime a puck?

I know, but if he just tries it every now and then, it'll give the pp a new look.

 

[Gallagbi]

He can't. Reilly has never been known for his slap shot. just started getting a known wrister this year.

When was the last time you seen Reilly onetime a puck?

Last night he had a onetimer

 

[Fonzieleaf]

Couldn’t catch the game last night. Maybe this was already asked but how did Muzzin play in his debut?

 

[TheGroceryStick]

We looked as good as the wings tonight.

That's the problem.

Wasn't many times where our skill showed.
Zero crisp-ness to any plays.

The PP is like watching a team full of unfamiliar players trying to force a play they've been taught yesterday

We should be able to snap passes around the way Winnipeg does it...to gain the zone/open ice. The way the jets do it ,is an art....

we have the skill to be a possession team.... especially with the man up.

It's gotta be our system and coaching.... love Babs and DJ. But wow...

 

[PaulD]

Playing against a bottom feeder, rejuvenated by a trade for a defenceman, play absolutely flat all freaking game.

This team is trash and has been for two months.

Babs talks a great game though dont he...........in the after noon

 

[PaulD]

Or you could blame both. It's not an either/or proposition.

But at least the coach has won before with players that are not exactly. Their is a winning past there.

The collection of players on this club have never won a damn thing to a man whe the going gets tough (play offs) Other than Muzzin and Marleau.

 

[socko]

What's incredibly pathetic is that this team that has played sooo bad and to be serious contenders still need a few moves are 7th overall...

What's the record since Nylander came back?

 

[Gary Nylund]

On a more positive note, Matthews was beastly. Dominant. There are not a lot of players in the league better than him when he's healthy.

An equally positive note for me was Andersen, IMO he was phenomenal. He's our most important player by far so that's something anyway and if he plays like that in the playoffs, we could go far. Assuming the rest of them wake up by then of course.

I follow a whole bunch of teams in more than a few sports, including some that are considered perpetual loser teams with very bitter fanbases. None of them come close to being as eager to be miserable as Leafs fans.

Heh, why am I not surprised. I gotta admit I'm somewhat miserable too after that horrible performance and if we don't play much better tonight, I don't even want to think about how miserable I may become.

On another note, I just glanced at a few posts ITT and I just don't understand. Almost the entire team is half heartedly meandering around the ice like turtles on valium and people want Babcock fired because of line combos. I don't get it.

 

[Bluelines]

Tavares is a perfect guy for that lead role. He does all the little things right, works his ass off every night, elevates his game against the best and battles.

Rest of the stars just seem disinterested most nights.

That is a good point, he should be that type of guy, maybe he's not that type of leader. Seems like the people we have been targeting in trades and UFA's have some sort of leadership qualities, Tavares, Muzzin, Marleau along with their obvious skills, they are all known as experienced leaders (well respected) in their previous locker rooms.

The more I think about it the more I think our management team has identified a leadership gap and are purposely targeting people with reputations as leaders. I fully expect the next guy they target has a similar reputation as a leader.

 

[Clark4Ever]

These lines aren't working well enough. Matthews and Marner haven't meshed that well and should be split up.

I would like to try:

Marleau-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Kadri-Kapanen
Moore-Lindholm-Brown

 

[LeafFever]

Zaitsev was a disaster. Why was he playing so much? Especially given the trade we just made.

 

[Carltons Cup]

People when you play that bad and get one point on the road, call it a blessing and forget about it.

I've been trying to figure out what is missing the last 20 games and i couldn't quite put my finger on it. People are saying we lack grit, we lack power forwards, we lack push back but IMO there was something more and after watching the game it dawned on me.

What does every great team have? An on ice leader, a guy who sets the tone and everyone follows. Messier was that guy, Crosby is that guy, Bergeron is that guy, Yzerman is that guy. It felt to me the Leafs are looking for someone to set the tone on the ice. I think more than just a brusing PF, we need someone who garners the respect of all the players. Someone who will make our stars say yeh I'm going to jump out of this foxhole and follow you into battle. I just don't see that , I'm going to have my brothers back mentality, the team feels too mechanical and not enough heart. Too much system and not enough family.

I totally agree with everything you just said.

However, and I've been saying it for a while now, the leafs are 10-9-3 with willie back. SOMEHOW, his return has totally changed the chemistry in the locker room...

 

[biotk]

I was about an hour late starting to watch the game last night (because I watched the Sabres game first) but I was almost caught up by the time the game ended.

The Sabres played hockey last night - just poorly.

The Leafs...I don't know what they were doing. For most of the game it looked like they teenagers being forced by their parents to do something that they really didn't want to, when there was a really cool party they were missing. They still made it to OT, but that is in part be Freddie played well and Detroit played poorly.

It could just be blamed as a one off - coming off a week off - new addition made things confusing etc. But there have been other games that looked similar. There have been other games where a team with this much offensive potential had essentially no shots on net the first period or first half. Where no one showed up. The Islanders game for instance. I don't know what the problem is, and maybe it has multiple causes, but I think that there definitely is one.

 

[biotk]

What does every great team have? An on ice leader, a guy who sets the tone and everyone follows. Messier was that guy, Crosby is that guy, Bergeron is that guy, Yzerman is that guy. It felt to me the Leafs are looking for someone to set the tone on the ice.

Maybe Leivo was that guy. Their point pace when they had him was easily second in the league. Without him it is lottery pick pace.

 

[LeafFever]

Maybe Leivo was that guy. Their point pace when they had him was easily second in the league. Without him it is lottery pick pace.

That's on the coach. His possession numbers were greeat. That 4th line hasn't been the same since.

 

[Matthews4Calder]

2nd in Eastern
7th overall
5th in goals scored
5th in goals against

Quick, fire the coach! Trade the player I don't like!

Some people don't actually want success.

It's not as easy as clicking a finger, this isn't Xbox and success isn't as easy at writing names on paper.

The record is good we see that but I think alot of us are frustrated because the record should be better. Said it a million times on this site and others Andersen is this teams MVP. Without him sorry team sucks.
What most complain about and myself included is that it is a talented bunch with some weaknesses but Babcock is not getting the most out of them.
Personally I think he is the problem.
Other teams are right on our heels. Teams that weren't even supposed to make the playoffs with less talent than us.
So although the record is good we are underperforming and close to being out of the playoffs which is a good probability.
Concerning for a team that was top 5 to win the whole thing.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

Gramps here. Should be a good tilt tonight. Can't wait to go down. Finally a warmer day.
No point worrying about first game back after long break. Only thing that bothered me is other teams are running our guys and everyone looks up to sky. Not liking team chemistry when a guy runs your goalie and nothing happens. They got 3 guys on 4th line who are doing nothing on the ice for quite some time now. There is no good reason to me why Clarkie and Marchment and Moore are not up. I don't even care if they are not as good. A few guys can get a little injury Lindh, Goat and Johnnson and take a little break. At least when someone pulls crap like that Marchment or Clakie can step up and set things straight.
It would also help if we got 1 more defender who can step up.
But again no one had their legs last night except Marleau. It clearly helped him a lot the rest. He looked more like he looked last year. I know he has his iron man streak but clearly rest is critical for him. When his back is loose and refreshed he looks like a guy who can impact the game. At minimum he needs a week break before playoffs start.
Go Leafs Go!