Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 4-2

[TheBigThree]

Hard to argue. Siakam just won a championship with the Raps, gets a huge Elite player contract... Comes out and 34pts along with Fred with a matching 34 and basically show the NBA they are real. These guys get big contracts and it's like, I don't even know what. They don't even look like they want to be here out there, they look like whatever Muskoka.

Last season people said they were the least likeable Leafs team we can remember and this year the impression is no different, maybe worse because the team is supposed to be even better.

The raps have an amazing gm, president, coach and everyone is buying in after the championship.

 

[Rielly4]

Our best players just arent dominating enough...Its really that simple. Marner doesnt have his confidence yet and Matthews doesnt work hard enough. Tavares looked really slow and lazy when he was playing.

 

[Gabriel426]

The raps have an amazing gm, president, coach and everyone is buying in after the championship.

The diff is that NBA GMs/Presidents tend to gamble more due to the fact that their Superstar players might just leave in the off season bc another SuperStar player asked him to join them.
While Hockey players rarely change teams. Imagine a hockey player pulling a Paul George? He will never hear the end of it. Or McDavid pulls a Decision when his contract is up? Or Someone pulls a Kawhi-winning for the team and bolt for free agency right away and recruit someone like Paul George.

 

[Trapper]

Bozak and Kessel won the cup since being traded away. This year, there is a good chance Kadri and Gardiner will meet in the finals.

That right. Because they went to teams where the top level guys didn’t all play the same way. You had top level guys that in addition to skill had the 200 foot game, engine to drive, skill + the ability to sustain a forecheck, more physical etc. It wasn’t a team of all electricians when you needed a plumber.

 

[TheBigThree]

That’s true, the last igniter we had was Kadri, even Matthews said multiple times last year Kadri would hype him up during a game with heavy hits. Guess Lou wasn’t wrong with guys like Martin which were useless other than throwing a big hit or playing tough. We pretty much have a bunch of pansies other than a few.

 

[Trapper]

Yet some fans think they have no 'heart' or 'desire to win'

No it’s because all their stars don’t play the same way. Bozak isn’t O’Reilly who isn’t Schenn and Crosby isn’t Kessel who is Malkin.

But our guys are all the same. Same complaints on each one.
The different types of stars on each team all have additional talents. Can forecheck, guys up for Selke, winning league MVP, Rocket, etc.

Not to mention these guys with no "heart" were added to teams that had the top players in place.
But we couldn't add a Kessel etc. No money when you are paying half the Cap to these guys.

 

[Merrrlin]

The raps have an amazing gm, president, coach and everyone is buying in after the championship.

That amazing GM has also gone through a bunch of 1st round dissapointments, has he not? They were talking about Toronto on the Ringer and how Masai at one time looked like a GM that just couldn't get past that 1st round or couldn't hang with the elite teams. It took a championship to change that.

Masai became GM in 2013, and took 6 years to win a ship. Dubas became GM in 2018. Maybe Leaf fans should give him a few years to prove himself? I would argue that he has drafted some good players and made some good trades, the only blights I see are coaching, contracts and possibly pro team building. Some of those things were the same problems that Masai faced it seems like.

 

[Coatsy79]

Keefe clearly would get the first crack at the interim gig. They would then probably search "officially" in the offseason.

See this would be a perfect scenario fire Babcock, let Keefe interim, if the team picks up and performs you keep him, if not, then you look for someone else in the off season

 

[rumman]

See this would be a perfect scenario fire Babcock, let Keefe interim, if the team picks up and performs you keep him, if not, then you look for someone else in the off season

 

[MyBudJT]

Keefe clearly would get the first crack at the interim gig. They would then probably search "officially" in the offseason.

No chance at all Keefe is coach of the Leafs this season...

I think the Leafs value our prospects development with the Marlies to make that shift mid-season.

 

[Notsince67]

Why is this Dubas fault? He didn’t trade for these entitled players, these players were drafted by the Leafs.
Should he traded Willie and Marner the moment they want to drag on their contract negotiations?
The Big 4(Reilly, AM, JT and MM) needs to step up and stand up for one another game in and game out bc that’s they are the leaders of the Leafs. Sofar, they have not done that and I really think they are having a tough time adjusting. Even JT as he is the second oldest regular player on the team, something he is not accustomed to.
They need some vets who can still play the game the hard way(doing all the little things), to show these kids what it takes to be in the league.
If this continues, I think one of the Big 4 I mentioned will be traded and it might hurt in the long run but it will be good for the team in the short run(possible Cup win). Like Kopitar for Marner. Their contract is pretty much the same(AAV and years). Kopitar will help the Leafs in the next 2-3yrs, while Marner will be putting up crazy numbers in LA for the next 6yrs.
Matthews-JT-Willie
Moore-Kopitar-Hyman
Soup-Kerfoot-Kap
Tima-Goat-Shore

that’s still a very good and talented forward group.

The problem with the team is that the forwards are not covering up how bad the defense is anymore. This dcore is all on Dubas. Ceci and Scarrie are busts. Lets not conflate issues here. The forward group is talented. The dcore never wins us games

 

[thewave]

No chance at all Keefe is coach of the Leafs this season...

I think the Leafs value our prospects development with the Marlies to make that shift mid-season.

Hacksaw will command the tank.

 

[MyBudJT]

Hacksaw will command the tank.

With no first round picks! Great!

 

[LeafingTheWay]

No it’s because all their stars don’t play the same way. Bozak isn’t O’Reilly who isn’t Schenn and Crosby isn’t Kessel who is Malkin.

But our guys are all the same. Same complaints on each one.
The different types of stars on each team all have additional talents. Can forecheck, guys up for Selke, winning league MVP, Rocket, etc.

Not to mention these guys with no "heart" were added to teams that had the top players in place.
But we couldn't add a Kessel etc. No money when you are paying half the Cap to these guys.

Tavares is different from Matthews who's different from Marner/Nylander. We already have elite talent, we don't need to add a Kessel or O'Rielly. We just added Tavares.

IMO, you'll see we're more than fine in in a few months. We started off slow, but all signs point to a hot 2nd half of the season.

 

[Trapper]

Tavares is different from Matthews who's different from Marner/Nylander. We already have elite talent, we don't need to add a Kessel or O'Rielly. We just added Tavares.

IMO, you'll see we're more than fine in in a few months. We started off slow, but all signs point to a hot 2nd half of the season.

I'll take it but we have a major problem and (serious decisions need to be made) if not.

 

[Twowingcantfly]

I'm not sure if the players aren't doing what they are told ...or ...are not able to do what they are told.
*In today's game a defender will overlap while a forward rotates out of a spot said defender intends to go. (call it high cycle). On this Q the other 3 players will also rotate, to draw a defender with them, thus creating space and still being available for a pass to continue the cycle. No matter how prepared defending team is, they will break down if properly executed. If your centerpiece is ill equipped to execute this maneuver the entire attack fails.
Perhaps Babs is asking the players to do something they can't...maybe his strategy is lousy (personally,I think it is,because he keeps doing the same thing and not getting results).

As far as blaming Dubas? Apparently they communicate every day ,so I would think Babs has some input on the player selection.

* The system above is what Babs started when he arrived here. If Babs has SOME INPUT into who Dubas sighs, it is obviously not enough. Why would Babs agree to sign players who are ill equipped to play his system?

The game has evolved beyond the understanding of the casual fan.

 

[Twowingcantfly]

I'm not sure if the players aren't doing what they are told ...or ...are not able to do what they are told.
*In today's game a defender will overlap while a forward rotates out of a spot said defender intends to go. (call it high cycle). On this Q the other 3 players will also rotate, to draw a defender with them, thus creating space and still being available for a pass to continue the cycle. No matter how prepared defending team is, they will break down if properly executed. If your centerpiece is ill equipped to execute this maneuver the entire attack fails.
Perhaps Babs is asking the players to do something they can't...maybe his strategy is lousy (personally,I think it is,because he keeps doing the same thing and not getting results).

As far as blaming Dubas? Apparently they communicate every day ,so I would think Babs has some input on the player selection.​

* The system above is what Babs started when he arrived here. If Babs has SOME INPUT into who Dubas sighs, it is obviously not enough. Why would Babs agree to sign players who are ill equipped to play his system?

The game has evolved beyond the understanding of the casual fan.

 

[Twowingcantfly]

I am ill equipped to execute above entries. LOL