I get tired of all the mean-spirited banter for and against Dubas and Shanahan and this player or that, and kind of glaze over and tune that out.
I just felt the Leafs didn't play with the sense of urgency they need shift-in and shift-out in the playoffs, and really all the time to be a championship team. I thought they showed in in Game 2, and a few players such as Matthews did in Game 3, but overall as a team they just aren't there yet.
I'm also glad they signed Tavares, because I think he's been full value whether he scores or not. He's been one of he players consistently winning puck battles, and without his goal in Game 2 (which I think was very highly skilled) who knows if the series would have ended last night instead of tonight or on Sunday?
I think they do need to keep honing the roster if this group can't get even this much done.
I'm the biggest Fred Gauthier fan in the stands, but I think he's done -- he'll never get it.
I'm not sold on Fred Andersen either. It's not like you can point to one goal or another and say he should have had that, nor can you say that he didn't make some exceptional saves. Among other aspects of their play, that Game 3 was winnable with exceptional goaltending and that just didn't happen.
Kerfoot is a pleasant surprise and might even be better than Kadri.
Barrie is a goner.
There are many other moveable pieces that will be play soon if, as many of us expect, this season is over soon.
However, it's not over till it's over.