Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-3; team defense lets down AGAIN

[PromisedLand]

Wouldnt be a post from promisedland if in the very first sentence he wasnt ripping in Rielly for no reason.

the hell are you talking about? I love Mo; just wasnt impressed - and his game has been IMO not that great (team defense definitely has a lot to do with it)

Gardiner on the ther hand has been worthy inspite of team defense. he needs to up his game

 

[cookie]

I’m so confused by the amount of shorthanded toi for Polak. It looks like Babs (at least tonight) is still relying on just two guys to do his penalty killing.

Are the times similar in the other games Polak has played? If so I’m even more befuddled as to why the Leafs felt it impertinent to re-sign him.

1st 2 games back = 0 min on PK
game 3 1:02
game 4 2:47
game 5 0:51

Whether or not you agree with his lineup choices, Babcock is loyal to his veterans. Babcock is slowing easing Polak into the line-up, as any good coach would. It needs to be considered that this was only Polak's 5th game after suffering and coming back from such a major injury. He wasn't too good before, and he hasn't gotten back to his subpar self yet.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

Wow some people need to call the suicide hotline after this loss. I’d just like to point out that Reilly is having the best season of his career and has been everything we wanted him to be since we drafted him.

Gardiner has been a disappointment and zaitsev doesn’t look as sharp... kadri had some brutal moments.

The team just can’t get everyone pulling in the same direction right now but with, Andy finding his game, I’m confident we will pull out of this spin.

 

[Brown Dog]

So we took a hit on the California road trip. Big whoop. This is always the toughest trip of the year. Good things coming again next week.

 

[IPS]

Wow some people need to call the suicide hotline after this loss. I’d just like to point out that Reilly is having the best season of his career and has been everything we wanted him to be since we drafted him.

Gardiner has been a disappointment and zaitsev doesn’t look as sharp... kadri had some brutal moments.

The team just can’t get everyone pulling in the same direction right now but with, Andy finding his game, I’m confident we will pull out of this spin.

Agreed 100%. I'm really starting to wonder if Rielly has finally put it all together.

I don't think Zaitsev has looked that bad. Gardiner has been in full headless-chicken mode lately and is a horrible liability every time he steps onto the ice defensively. And our bottom pairing is just plain bad (I like Borgman and his upside, but it seems like players around the league are figuring out real quickly how to beat him, and please keep Polak out of this lineup).

 

[saffronleaf]

Perhaps if you watched the game and didn't just read the boxscore, you would have realized he played quite well.

How long are we going to be satisfied with moral victories? At some point, you've gotta deliver. 14 games and loads of PP time should be enough, but what do I know.

 

[Nithoniniel]

How long are we going to be satisfied with moral victories? At some point, you've gotta deliver. 14 games and loads of PP time should be enough, but what do I know.

At this point, the most important piece of information for us is what the player can do going forward. It's of more interest and value to discuss what should be done for games that can still be affected, rather than what has happened. Their play can tell us more about that than points.

 

[NarcoPolo]

the hell are you talking about? I love Mo; just wasnt impressed - and his game has been IMO not that great (team defense definitely has a lot to do with it)

Gardiner on the ther hand has been worthy inspite of team defense. he needs to up his game

Do you read what you post in the GDTs, or better yet your OP in this thread? Perhaps you need to lower your expectations. He's not drew doughty, nor is he Erik Karlsson. Yet the guy has 11 points in 14 games and you still feel the need to rip on him. He has been solid so far this season but you definitely wouldn't know that based on what you post about him.

 

[Fogelhund]

They were a better team than LA, for the second and third periods. Shame they stunk the joint out in the first. But, they can learn from how they had success in the last two periods, and carry that to the next game. Some players are underperforming and need to step it up though... Gardiner, whom I like overall hasn't been as good as he can be, so far this year.

 

[cookie]

Best part about the losing streak is that it's against western opponents. If we were back in the east and losing, then that would really mess up our playoff plans. At least we're not handing easy points to teams that can kick us out of the race.

 

[Suntouchable13]

What really hurts is losing these games in regulation time. 5 out of 6 and none of those losses came in OT? That hurts. It's a pretty bad slump 1-5-0. A win in St. Louis would be just what the doctor ordered right now.

 

[PromisedLand]

Do you read what you post in the GDTs, or better yet your OP in this thread? Perhaps you need to lower your expectations. He's not drew doughty, nor is he Erik Karlsson. Yet the guy has 11 points in 14 games and you still feel the need to rip on him. He has been solid so far this season but you definitely wouldn't know that based on what you post about him.

just because I don't have the same "expectations" as you of Rielly; doesn't mean I "wouldn't know" what i am talking about.

whatever.....

 

[PuckMagi]

Are you guys actually worried about this season?

We're still going to easily make the playoffs this year. Tampa, Ottawa, and the Leafs are for sure finishing top 3 in our division.

Our offense is insane. We'll start winning games again soon and this little losing stretch will be long forgotten.

We're still a top 5 team in the league and we'll be cup contenders come playoff time. I'm not too concerned about what happens between now and playoff time... as long as we're in good shape for the playoffs, that's all that matters. We've got a whole season to figure out what works for the team. I just hope that Babcock finds a way to make this team the best that they can be. We're certainly not playing well right now, but that can and will change very quickly. When this team gets firing on all cylinders, we'll be a real powerhouse.

 

[Polaris1010]

We're still a top 5 team in the league and we'll be cup contenders come playoff time.

The Leafs have top 5 talent, but right now they are not a top 5 team, nowhere close to that.

Problem is they're just trying to put 3 lines together. When they can do that, then they can go forward again.

The JVR-Bozak-Marner line to start the season, two thirds may be out of the league by December. If things don't improve for those guys, hard to see them being carried by the team. Babcock is giving them every chance possible. They must deliver. It must be more than a few energy shifts.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Are you guys actually worried about this season?

We're still going to easily make the playoffs this year. Tampa, Ottawa, and the Leafs are for sure finishing top 3 in our division.

Our offense is insane. We'll start winning games again soon and this little losing stretch will be long forgotten.

We're still a top 5 team in the league and we'll be cup contenders come playoff time. I'm not too concerned about what happens between now and playoff time... as long as we're in good shape for the playoffs, that's all that matters. We've got a whole season to figure out what works for the team. I just hope that Babcock finds a way to make this team the best that they can be. We're certainly not playing well right now, but that can and will change very quickly. When this team gets firing on all cylinders, we'll be a real powerhouse.

This team has not played like a top 5 team all season long, in my opinion. But the fact that they played like shit most of the season and are still 8-6-0 is promising.

 

[Discordia]

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Marner-Brown
Leivo-Kadri-JvR
Komo-Bozak-???

Done.

 

[NarcoPolo]

just because I don't have the same "expectations" as you of Rielly; doesn't mean I "wouldn't know" what i am talking about.

whatever.....

I have high expectations for him like most people on here but the only logical explanation I can arrive to with your constant negativity with anything about Morgan is that you expect him to be our karlsson or doughty and that's not realistic at all. Also I never said you didn't know what you're talking about.

 

[PuckMagi]

This team has not played like a top 5 team all season long, in my opinion.

We obviously haven't played like that over the last few games. We're 10th in the league right now based on points... but we've played pretty horribly over the last 5 or 6 games or whatever it was.

So even with our sub-par performance this year overall, we're still 10th in the league. I expect us to be playing much better soon. So I would still rank us in the top 5 in the league if you're trying to make realistic rankings. I'm not too concerned about short term results. Over an 82 game season, this roster will be top 5 in the league IMO.

 

[Suntouchable13]

We obviously haven't played like that over the last few games. We're 10th in the league right now based on points... but we've played pretty horribly over the last 5 or 6 games or whatever it was.

So even with our sub-par performance this year overall, we're still 10th in the league. I expect us to be playing much better soon. So I would still rank us in the top 5 in the league if you're trying to make realistic rankings. I'm not too concerned about short term results. Over an 82 game season, this roster will be top 5 in the league IMO.

3.5 GA per game will have to come down, obviously, if they to finish top 5 in the league.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Don't forget this team has already lost against St Louis. We have the sophmore slump mixed with a badly built defense. We have way too much of one thing and not nearly enough of what we need. I think Gardiner is the guy to move on. Reilly and Hainsey have been good and Zaitsev ok. But after that ? This team can't afford the luxury of Reilly, Gardiner and Carrick. It will soon be time for Lou to pull the trigger. Missing the playoffs now will be not only a disaster but a serious step back when you sign Marleau and Hainsey at their age, then miss. Say what you want but this team could be out of the playoffs soon and the pressure to make a trade will intensify. There are players on this team we need to move on from.

 

[Polaris1010]

We obviously haven't played like that over the last few games. We're 10th in the league right now based on points... but we've played pretty horribly over the last 5 or 6 games or whatever it was.

Look at it in another way.

Lately, the refs are anti-Leafs, and gives most of the penalties to Toronto and the other team gets all the power plays.

After the initial outburst of penalties, the refs quietly call less, means less power plays for the #2 PP unit from last season.

The Leafs have not been scoring power play goals lately and that is costing them games. Brown got 1 power play goal yesterday, and before that the team had none, because they weren't even on the PP.

So, they have to tighten up defensively, and not rely on the power play, and do more 5 on 5.

The way the season is going, the Leafs will need more offense from the wingers, especially the younger ones. Matthews, Kadri. Marleau, JVR. Mostly vetrans leading the scoring from the center position and the wing. The younger wingers must step up now, like Hyman and Brown. Leivo maybe, Kapenan.

 

[Hogan86]

Rielly SUCKS - cannot make a simple pass or put puck on the net (yea I know he scored a goal; am talking about missing the net wide most of the time)

Gardiner SUCKS - he is playing Carlyle era hockey

Borgman SUCKS - takes stupid shots; cannot defend well

JVR SUCKS - I think was benched in the 3rd period; doesn't hustle at all

Polak SUPER SUCKS - this guy is not an NHL d-man; he should be providing his "pro" wisdom down in the minors.

Kadri needs to up his game big time.

Rielly doesn't suck. If you think so, you obviously don't watch the Leafs play. Quit being such a negative nancy. Every team has ups and downs during the season, so it's time for everyone's to calm down and let our young team continue to learn and grow.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't know how you could watch that game and think our defense shouldn't get blame.

I am done blaming the D it's time for the goalies to make some f***ing saves until they turn it around it's their fault

 

[Trapper]

We obviously haven't played like that over the last few games. We're 10th in the league right now based on points... but we've played pretty horribly over the last 5 or 6 games or whatever it was.

So even with our sub-par performance this year overall, we're still 10th in the league. I expect us to be playing much better soon. So I would still rank us in the top 5 in the league if you're trying to make realistic rankings. I'm not too concerned about short term results. Over an 82 game season, this roster will be top 5 in the league IMO.

We'll see. Not going to label them a top 5 team at this point. For now I'd say we are a playoff team but lack things to be a contender. To win 4 rounds in the playoffs. To beat Ottawa/Tampa/Pittsburgh/LA/Chicago/whoever for 16 games total. We still lack personnel that can consistently maintain structure.

 

[frizzer1]

Don't get the criticism of reilly.....he has been solid both ways all year.....super skater....handles the puck extremely well...works well on the boards...
He doesn't have the huge shot that could make him an all star imo.....but he does everything else very well..
And 23 year old defencemen are not even close to their potential , as a rule..