Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 5-4 in OT

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Freddie was really good.

No he wasn't he blew a 4-0 lead

 

[LeafingTheWay]

Bozak had success with Phil, who liked to have the puck on his stick. Marner is similar in that respect. Bozak and JVR have had success in the past. Bozak is a very good faceoff man. So you can see his value on a line that is expected to score. The issue that line has is keeping the puck out of the net.

Marner with Kadri on a checking line seems like a poor use of Marner's skills. Plus both guys liketo carry the puck. Better would be a guy like Soshnikov to eventually replace Michalek.

It shouldn't be considered a checking line. It's only considered a checking line right now because of the wingers on that line. If Marner was on that line, everyone would consider it our regular #1 line.

The thing with Komarov-Kadri is that they know how to play in the offensive zone to keep possession. Their cycling and shots game is really good. Marner could significantly benefit from that. I've noticed that Marner has had way too many times been forced to do the zone exits because their C, Bozak, is weak in that regard. Just because Marner's been doing the significant load in carrying the puck for that line doesn't mean he shouldn't be put on a line with another guy like that. Having TWO guys to do zone exits and gain offensive time is extremely valuable (I have to say that Kadri nor Marner are 'puck hogs' in the offensive zone, they like to pass).

Here's my best attempt to get you convinced maybe: Bergeron-Marchand
In NO way am I comparing Kadri-Marner to those two, but Bergeron-Marchand BOTH are elite in zone exits and zone entries. Kadri and Marner thus far into the season have both been extremely high-end in that regard too. Bergeron-Marchand is Boston's top-line and shut-down line. The same can go for Kadri-Marner. I know Marner's a rookie, but he can handle it IMO. Last night Matthews faced the easy competition, while Marner and Kadri's line had the harder matchups.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Either promote Polak instead of Hunwick or else trade for a veteran blue liner because we need a different option for experience on the back end.

Unfortunately there aren't really any good options of pending UFAs that would be good adds.

Shattenkirk is the best one but costs way too much, IMO. Maybe as the season progresses and the Leafs, if they're still in a playoff hunt, could make a play for him at the deadline. Babs obviously knows him.

Then they could re-up him for 2 years and have a solid vet that anchors the backend.

LOL

Seriously?

The dude is getting a 7-8 year deal (if he stays with the Blues) no matter what.

2 years? Are you naïve to the contracts that the top end UFAs get each summer?

 

[bobermay]

No he wasn't he blew a 4-0 lead

One player didn't blow the 4-0 lead last night. The whole team put their foot off the gas pedal

 

[BayStreetBully]

One player didn't blow the 4-0 lead last night. The whole team put their foot off the gas pedal

Seriously. The Leafs had no business winning the game last night when they couldn't control the play the entire game. The right team won.

 

[Trapper]

One player didn't blow the 4-0 lead last night. The whole team put their foot off the gas pedal

Exactly. Andersen no more lost the game than the Jets goalie miracle Price performance won it.

Team.

 

[Mitchy]

Probably Babs' weakest coached game as a Leaf. We're supposed to be a good possession team and we were dominated in that regard all night. I understand score effects, but a good team doesn't conform to them and just sit back and do the "protect the lead" crap.

 

[6ix]

Probably Babs' weakest coached game as a Leaf. We're supposed to be a good possession team and we were dominated in that regard all night. I understand score effects, but a good team doesn't conform to them and just sit back and do the "protect the lead" crap.

I agree, for a guy who's supposed to be the best coach in the league how does he not get his player's to get their head's out of their ***** and finish the game strong. Should of called a timeout after the second goal against. Im just still bitter about blowing a 4-0 lead I guess.

 

[Trapper]

I agree, for a guy who's supposed to be the best coach in the league how does he not get his player's to get their head's out of their ***** and finish the game strong. Should of called a timeout after the second goal against. Im just still bitter about blowing a 4-0 lead I guess.

It is much easier to get role playing vets to grasp the system and stay within that (they only take what they get) than highly skilled kids used to creating and being the best. It will come but they have to learn the system while creating and learn to do both.

 

[The Apologist]

I agree that the lines look like they fit in their roles. I just find people look at lines as 1, 2, 3 - where you think of the 3rd line as your checking line. In reality teams generally have three lines that carve up the minutes. The line that will likely see the most ice is your shutdown line (Kadri) and then you're two scoring lines (Bozak and Matthews). How you rank those lines in terms of 1-2-3 is largely irrelevant.

The ideal scenario is your checking line can not only prevent goals, but also have offensive power to play in the other end and keep the other team from getting chances. Kadri can do that. But his role had limited his ability to put up points. Hence him getting rewarded with the big contact.

Very well said. People need to step away from the labels and watch the actual usage.

 

[The Apologist]

One player didn't blow the 4-0 lead last night. The whole team put their foot off the gas pedal

Its like Reimer all over again. Losing is a team thing.

 

[Bullseye]

It doesn't matter who's in net. If the team can't protect a lead it's not a goalie problem.

6 goalies later I think maybe we'd be getting the message.

 

[Pi]

Hey man I worked at 5 am yesterday, tough day of work, grabbed some beers for the Jays and Leafs game, passed out just before the end of the second period couldn't keep my eyes open, and woke up and checked the final score this morning

Haha. I had the same sort of night. I fell asleep because I woke up yesterday at 5 am to drop a friend off to the airport from Kitchener. Woke up at 7 AM today and saw the notifications. I just and said that so Leafy and went back to sleep.

Watched the highlights and I can't say I'm too disappointed. There was a lot of bad luck. Marner blocks a shot, goes right back to the Jets, Carrick tries to get it out of the zone, goes right on Ehlers stick etc.

Laine had a good game! But hey even players like Richard Panik can score hat tricks. Let me know when he has a 4 goal game .

 

[trellaine201]

Very shaky in our own end and some suspect goaltending cost us. But it's early.

 

[Gorbo]

You'll loose every game both defenceman pinch on every play. Whoever decided that's the way to play is to blame for the loss

 

[happyaccident]

I agree, for a guy who's supposed to be the best coach in the league how does he not get his player's to get their head's out of their ***** and finish the game strong. Should of called a timeout after the second goal against. Im just still bitter about blowing a 4-0 lead I guess.

He's only 3 games into the season and he has a lineful full of rookies on the one hand and Bozaks on the other. He'll clean things up, probably sooner than later. As much as it can be cleaned up with this defense and veteran underachievers.
If you just looked at the standings now, you'd even think Carlylol was a poor coach. Oh wait, bad example.

 

[Torontonian]

No he wasn't he blew a 4-0 lead

Going to assume you don't actually watch the games

 

[cupcrazyman]

i had a gut feeling after the Jets scored their first goal that the Leafs would lose the game.

 

[Unhealthy Scratch]

I agree, for a guy who's supposed to be the best coach in the league how does he not get his player's to get their head's out of their ***** and finish the game strong. Should of called a timeout after the second goal against. Im just still bitter about blowing a 4-0 lead I guess.

We blew out the Blackhawks a couple of years ago with a godawful roster and head coach. It doesn't mean the Blackhawks aren't a good team, or that Quenneville isn't a good coach.

It was a disappointing, avoidable loss (and a particularly annoying one in that it only served to reinforce this goofy make-believe "rivalry" between Matthews and Laine), but sometimes teams also just come out flat. That's hockey. We can't draw conclusions strictly from last night's game any more than we could have concluded from our first game against Ottawa that Matthews would score over 300 goals this season.

I mean.... the Jets won the game, but they also left a lot to be desired defensively and allowed four goals against, which will lose you a majority of games in the NHL. Would we really have had any reason to feel that much better about our team's performance had, say, Bozak buried one in OT, or had the refs not penalized Rielly with a minute left to go and allowed us to close out the game and win 4-3? It'd have hushed Jets fans somewhat, which is always a welcome outcome, and earned us an extra point in the standings, but that's about it. Babcock wasn't going to be overly pleased either way, and I doubt Maurice was either.