Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 4-2

[therealkoho]

Can't score on the PP, can't kill on the PK, can't get a game stealing save, and give up the go ahead goal 18 seconds after tying.

Your Toronto Maple Leafs.

No other way to put it, they need to win 3 out of the next 4.

I want believe they can, I want to believe that they feel they owe the fans the wins in exchange for those big fat paycheques. Sadly what I actually believe is that they only care about personal glory and those fat paycheques that they have not come close to earning.

I know it's not over and that they have a chance to come back, no matter how slim the odds, but as much as I try to stay positive, I just can't do it anymore.

Tear it down and start over.

No one should get paid until they win. Thanks for f***ing that up Dubas.

 

[fahad203]

Well, the PP is at 9.1%... the PK at 50%. Both are very poor, and typically a coaching issue. Typically you need to win the Special Teams game in the playoffs, and we are getting destroyed at both ends.

The Special teams... both of them, are essentially why we've lost both games. I thought we were the better team 5v5 last night. When you have Five power plays, you need to execute on at least one. Particularly when you have "elite" offensive players, as we do. These guys have some of the highest pays in the league, for producing offense at an elite level. Our PP needs to be elite, because that is how the team has been structured. It's not.... and our PK has been pathetic.

Sure, we could have hoped for more goals 5v5, but to win in a sustainable fashion, you have to take advantage of your special team chances, as well as shutting down the other teams. When you are at above 100% in the PP + PK, you are going to win most of the time. Rarely does that work when you are below 100%, and certainly not when you are below 60%.

To me it's inexusable when you have a 70 goal scorer and your PP still sucks. That's definitely on the structure of PP
What's more inexusable is that we kept the same formation, same personnel hoping it's just going to click one fine morning

 

[m1ker]

I don’t have much energy to complain about our goaltending after going 0/5 on the PP. We don’t score enough in the playoffs, same story all the time. The team was never going to have amazing goaltending. But they were the 2nd highest scoring team in the league, yet can’t score when it matters.

The same thing every year, in a few months everyone will forget we can’t score, pull out some advanced stats that show we lost by a puck bounce, and then want absolutely no changes to this team next year

 

[Fogelhund]

No one should get paid until they win.

I get the feeling, but we all know that's not how it actually works.

 

[hockeynorth]

Bert - Matthews - Nylander
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Knies - Domi - Jarnkrok
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves

Bert
Nylander Domi Matthews
Liljegren

Knies
Marner Tavares McMann
Rielly

 

[Fogelhund]

To me it's inexusable when you have a 70 goal scorer and your PP still sucks. That's definitely on the structure of PP
What's more inexusable is that we kept the same formation, same personnel hoping it's just going to click one fine morning

..and why isn't Robertson on one of the PP units? One of the best shooters on the team... it's kind of crazy.

 

[TMLegend]

Yes, we've faced superior goaltending for how many years now?

Save for the play in round vs Columbus, it's an easy argument to make that Leafs on paper have been at a significant goaltending disadvantage in every series in the Matthews era.

Just food for thought.

 

[fahad203]

..and why isn't Robertson on one of the PP units? One of the best shooters on the team... it's kind of crazy.

I don't think outside shooters are the problem
Every team in the league collapses front of the net, knowing we don't have a point shot

Hedman creates a lot of space for Stamkos and Kuch because they have to respect his shot

Nobody respects Reilly's shot. We don't have anyone in the team that can really shoot from the point

 

[Fogelhund]

Save for the play in round vs Columbus, it's an easy argument to make that Leafs on paper have been at a significant goaltending disadvantage in every series in the Matthews era.

Just food for thought.

After all of these games, it just comes down to us making other goalies look good. We theoretically have the talent to overcome good goalies. But, when it counts, we don't score... it's happened in the playoffs, and we've seen it often in the regular season too. I don't buy that it's simply that their goalies are better... we just don't execute when it counts.... and it's been that way for years, playoffs and regular season.

I don't think outside shooters are the problem
Every team in the league collapses front of the net, knowing we don't have a point shot

Hedman creates a lot of space for Stamkos and Kuch because they have to respect his shot

Nobody respects Reilly's shot. We don't have anyone in the team that can really shoot from the point

Ah... yes, the point shot, that has what... a less than 2% success rate across the league... that's the problem.

But when we were at 50% in Feb, or that we've been top 3 in the league for years... it wasn't a problem?

It's not like we've had a bad PP for years, it's been an elite PP.. it just isn't working NOW. When we need it most. I mean, it hasn't been working for a few months, but we've had the same D man on an elite PP for years, so it isn't the Point shot, and hasn't been an issue for years. I mean, Matty had a great game two.... but we need more than one great game, from "one of the best in the league"

It's that our guys aren't executing, or what they are being told isn't working. When games really count, our guys aren't at their best, can't raise their games.... it's been that way for years.

 

[m1ker]

The PP barely passes to Matthews, for some reason they run it through Marner, even when Matthews and Marner were both evenly open, it went to Marner every single time

 

[m1ker]

Bertuzzi - Matthews - Domi
Jarnkrok - Kampf - Marner
Robertson - Tavares - Dewar
Knies - Holmberg - Reaves

 

[TMLegend]

After all of these games, it just comes down to us making other goalies look good. We theoretically have the talent to overcome good goalies. But, when it counts, we don't score... it's happened in the playoffs, and we've seen it often in the regular season too. I don't buy that it's simply that their goalies are better... we just don't execute when it counts.... and it's been that way for years, playoffs and regular season.

I'm not arguing one way or the other, it's just something I've been thinking about because it intrigues me so much. Are the Leafs players actually bad in the playoffs? Or is it in every series they play they're going up against one of the best goaltenders in the league and that's why they're inconsistent offensively? Holtby, Rask x2, Korpisalo/Merzlinkens, Price, Vasilevsky x2, Bobrovsky, and now Swayman/Ullmark is certainly a very tough crop of goaltenders.

 

[The Management]

..and why isn't Robertson on one of the PP units? One of the best shooters on the team... it's kind of crazy.

I've been asking myself this very same question. Robertson has his flaws, but he can rip the puck. Instead, I see Jarnkrok out there. I get that he's a handy swiss army knife for Sheldon Keefe, but a consistent pitfall for this team in the post-season is goal scoring.

 

[skagittarius]

Swayman vs Samsonov sv%.

Swayman has faced 66 Leafs shots after 2 games averaging 33 shots a game and let in 3 goals against, which leads the NHL playoffs with a .955 SV% and leads the NHL in GAA also with 1.51 GA/g.

View attachment 859389

As a neutral but passionate fan of this series, goaltending has been the most obvious factor. That first boston goal last night is something your typical top beer league goalie stops and was the difference in the game. Swayman stops that easily. If you guys get better goaltending I think the leafs win this series. The second most obvious thing (aside from PP) is the D has to play better in their zone. Way too soft. Liljegren plays like Gostisbehere with the puck behind his goal line.

 

[leafs in five]

The PP barely passes to Matthews, for some reason they run it through Marner, even when Matthews and Marner were both evenly open, it went to Marner every single time

he needs to start moving more and actually demanding the puck

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm not arguing one way or the other, it's just something I've been thinking about because it intrigues me so much. Are the Leafs players actually bad in the playoffs? Or is it in every series they play they're going up against one of the best goaltenders in the league and that's why they're inconsistent offensively? Holtby, Rask x2, Korpisalo/Merzlinkens, Price, Vasilevsky x2, Bobrovsky, and now Swayman/Ullmark is certainly a very tough crop of goaltenders.

One playoff series win in what... 8, 9 years now? Great players learn how to win.... Winners win...

 

[JKG33]

Save for the play in round vs Columbus, it's an easy argument to make that Leafs on paper have been at a significant goaltending disadvantage in every series in the Matthews era.

Just food for thought.

They 100% have. But that's what happens when you spend roughly half your cap on 4 players. Sacrifices elsewhere have to be made. So it's not as simple as putting a Rask/Price/Bob/Vasi on the Leafs when all those are big dollar players. Can't have it all, and Dubas made the Leafs bed with the roster construction

 

[FerrisRox]

Interesting that 99% of the Toronto media is rushing to Marner's defense.

And despite that - and that fact that he's largely got a free ride form the press for repeated playoff failures - there are *still* people in this very thread that think the issue might be that Marner can't handle the pressure of this market.

This is a great market to be a "star player"; the media is owned by the team and most of them are bordrer line cheerleaders and apologists.

Marner's issues have nothing to do with the market or the media or pressure. His issue is he is buttery soft and believes his level of talent somehow precludes him from some of the more undesirable elements of the game, namely the physical play and paying a price to go to the highly contested areas on the ice.

He simply won't do it, and when the playoffs roll around, that isn't optional. You either pay the toll, or you go home early.

 

[Tak7]

You’re right, but either way they have to find a way to score goals. People disagree, but I feel like this has been the biggest issue for the Leafs in playoffs past.

2 or less goals in 8 of their last 9 playoff games - I'm not sure there's many people disagreeing with you.

 

[Fogelhund]

Understand, we all should have seen this coming... many of us did. The Special teams were horrid down the stretch, we knew that had to be addressed, and it hasn't. It's why we didn't finish second, or even first in the division... dropped too many games down the stretch to special teams.

yes, we could have better goaltending, and more depth and.... but when your Special teams are this horrid, it's probably not going to matter.

Bottom line, our coaching staff hasn't adequately prepared this team to succeed. When you have the tools we do, you need to succeed there. We can probably blame both the coaching, and the players who consistently, for years haven't executed enough when it counts.

 

[Mess]

Evilhomer thinks otherwise, I knos if my goalie gets the win he’s starting yhe next game, I don’t know what the Bruin’s coach was thinking, a stunt like that can get you fired in beantown…….

Why would anyone switch out their goalie who has recorded 2 wins in a series and leads the playoffs in SV% and GA/g?

In fact Swayman has won his last 5 straight games against Leafs and not surrendered more than 2 goals against in any game.

This seams like a no brainer the Leafs will need to beat Swayman for their next win. IMO

 

[Evilhomer]

Why would anyone switch out their goalie who has recorded 2 wins in a series and leads the playoffs in SV% and GA/g?

In fact Swayman has won his last 5 straight games against Leafs and not surrendered more than 2 goals against in any game.

This seams like a no brainer the Leafs will need to beat Swayman for their next win. IMO

Monty seems to be committed to his rotation. Starting Swayman on Saturday and losing means that he goes back to Ullmark for an important game 5, with Ullmark having already lost to the Leafs. I think he will go back to Ullmark for game 4, and then Swayman for game 5.

 

[mclaren55]

Monty seems to be committed to his rotation. Starting Swayman on Saturday and losing means that he goes back to Ullmark for an important game 5, with Ullmark having already lost to the Leafs. I think he will go back to Ullmark for game 4, and then Swayman for game 5.

I know they have been alternating most of the season, but I would be riding the goalie that gives me the best chance. I don't think that is Ullmark.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Need a new team with a solid goalie samsung played well until that loose goal blocker side backbreaking in a tight playoff contest

 

[Mess]

2 or less goals in 8 of their last 9 playoff games - I'm not sure there's many people disagreeing with you.

Now factor into that Leafs Cap structure and having 1/2 your spending on only 4 forwards and how much that impacts your teams winning chances if you score 2 or few goals in 8 of your last 9 playoff games with a lineup full of $11 mil players?

That forces you to win games 2-1 or less almost forcing your Goalie to give up 1 or less goals and so its also not surprising with Leafs goaltending that they have lost 6 of those 9 games.

When your goalie give you < .900 sv% and your skaters provide 2 or less goals per game offense how realistic is it to expect a long playoff run and why 1 and done is the most likely outcome each year.