Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 6-2 | Happy St. Patrick's Day I guess

[Lynk]

Need a new option for titling post game threads where we lose.

Might I suggest "PGCT" Post Game Contract Thread.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

So what is the truth then?

I started typing a response and lost it by hitting a wrong button and now I don't have the energy to re-type. Meh, I agree it's mostly (but not all) on the players. There were just some funny statements like Nylander was ushered right back onto the first line when he was actually buried on the third line until 3 games ago. Either way, have fun.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The backtracking is hilarious.

He is one of the worst home coaches in the league throughout his entire career. Its not one year, its a decade long pattern. Babcock makes the team worse with strict line matching.

You are the one with no facts and all opinion.

Yep, it's hilarious that he accidentally took a stance against Babcock by misreading it, and then flip flopped completely when he realized what was actually going on. Very telling

 

[Bomber0104]

The backtracking is hilarious.

He is one of the worst home coaches in the league throughout his entire career. Its not one year, its a decade long pattern. Babcock makes the team worse with strict line matching.

You are the one with no facts and all opinion.

Right, so his lines perform better when the other coach gets to pick who to play against them.

Do I have this correct?

 

[hockeyes]

When decisions have to be made split-second, you actually believe a hockey player is going to hearken back to what the coach told them at practice on Friday and then make his move?

Have you ever played hockey?

I am not sure what you are talking about but coaches definitely tell players how they want them to react in different situations, that's kind of the entire point.

 

[RLF]

I started typing a response and lost it by hitting a wrong button and now I don't have the energy to re-type. Meh, I agree it's mostly (but not all) on the players. There were just some funny statements like Nylander was ushered right back onto the first line when he was actually buried on the third line until 3 games ago. Either way, have fun.

He was put on the first line with Matthews his first game back and Babcock said he made a mistake with that. He also tried the Matthews/Nylander/Hyman line to get things going for a game as well a little farther in. I am not blaming Nylander for it all, but his commitment/effort/selective compete is the most glaring symbolization of what is wrong with this team. imo

 

[leafsfan5]

Zaitsev didn’t play this way before he came to the NHL. He doesn’t play this way in international games. What he the coaching staff done to him? You can see the same thing starting to happen with Muzzin.

The leafs coaching staff are experts in teaching the strategy of "f*** it throw it up the boards every time and hope it comes out" it was on full display there and the 5th goal (when Holl threw it up the boards after skating into duclair for some reason).

 

[sxvnert]

Nylander is trade bait on a trade bait contract. July 1st his contract looks better.

I dont want to sell low on him though.

And his crappy 5 goals this year puts him at low value.

William Nylander Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

I expect him to stick around for another season on Matthews line to re-boost his value. Then he'll move him.

 

[56 Years No Cup]

The backtracking is hilarious.

He is one of the worst home coaches in the league throughout his entire career. Its not one year, its a decade long pattern. Babcock makes the team worse with strict line matching.

You are the one with no facts and all opinion.

. Exactly. I love when a poster is confronted with facts that prove them wrong, they just double down on the denial.

 

[Al14]

When you win say little, when you lose, say less!

Just embarrassed to call myself a Leafs fan today!

 

[Nineteen67]

It is, but it presents two very disturbing scenarios:
1) lack of IQ. Our players simply aren't smart enough or poised enough to handle these situations. Or at least very few of them.
2) lack of respect. They simply do not believe in or respect our coaching staff and refuse to play their systems. Or any really.
Neither of those speaks very highly of our players and both paint a very troubling picture of our future.

The problem I have with both is that we've seen this team compete with the best. We've seen them play 'playoff' hockey this year. They can and they do it well.
Right now they look lost, listless and quite frankly a little scared. Like they know it's Boston. Again. They look like they are playing out the string.
I think it will be telling over the last few weeks if someone truly steps up and takes this team by the horns. Makes it theirs. Puts an end to the lazy uninterested play where quite frankly we are beat to every puck every time, we are throwing passes out blindly and quite honestly have forgotten that it is nearly impossible to pass the puck into the net to score. I honestly don't think Auston is that guy. JT may be, Morgan seems like he might have it, Naz has the personality for it. Garret should not be the only one saying these things.

And for God's sake someone here needs to call out the Zebras. Start the narrative. Have the NHL on its toes going into the playoffs. They need to call it properly both ways or not at all. If you're going to call chincy interferences, call em both ways. Glove taps? Both ways. Lazy hooks? Both ways. If we start to set the narrative now then maybe we don't see a first round where we are on the receiving end of nearly 70% of all calls. What are they gonna do? Fine the team? Call less?

Anyway, sorry for the long list of whining but this team is NOT this bad but they are running out of time to fix it.

Agree with most of this, but the Leafs get away with a lot of things.

 

[coupe93]

Is there a video of this somewhere? I'd like to see it.

Hope this link works. This was a portion of what he said, he later went on to talk about the team needing to play angry with an edge and to start finishing checks etc. Nothing that most people haven't recognize as being an issue.

Hrudey’s Take: Defensively Maple Leafs aren't in the game - Sportsnet.ca

 

[56 Years No Cup]

Hope this link works. This was a portion of what he said, he later went on to talk about the team needing to play angry with an edge and to start finishing checks etc. Nothing that most people haven't recognize as being an issue.

Hrudey’s Take: Defensively Maple Leafs aren't in the game - Sportsnet.ca

Thanks man!

EDIT: Wow that was very telling. Lazy lazy D.

Babcocks system exposed.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Didn't read this thread too much, but I'd guess we are in melt down mode after the humbling loss to the Senators.

We have 10 more games to straighten things out, and we have enough of a cushion over Carolina & CBJ, so that's something at least.

Conversely, playoff hockey though is more of a battle as time and space get reduced. Hopefully our players will rise to the occasion and elevate their game and their compete level.

 

[DylanSensFan]

Babcock hasn’t been the best coach in the league for a while, he got schooled last spring by the Bruins coach, Cooper and Trotz IMO are better.

Look when you have had crap anything looks better but make no mistake about it Babcock has his shortcomings.

He got schooled by teams with far more playoff experience. Toronto is still young. How many seasons was Ovi in the league before he had a cup? It has been a while. Boston has a core of players from a 2011 cup, including what could be considered the best utility centre in the league.

Toronto has work to do. As Babcock said, they need to work as a team. As Tavares said, their team defense needs to be better. On paper your team is fantastic, but as Ottawa has learned through the years, it doesn't matter what your team looks like on paper. It matters how your team plays on the ice. Toronto taught us this lesson with many first round exits.

You can give Babcock a little bit of the blame. But last night Ottawa proved that a younger hungrier team with less skill can take the piss out of a fragile team that has potential, but needs to gel going into the playoffs.

 

[MyBudJT]

He is a below average coach by almost all metrics

Ohhhb, please tell what metrics you're referring to!

 

[DylanSensFan]

I am not letting Babcock off the hook here. But,he constantly says we aren't making the right reads or in good position. We do lose a lot of 1 on 1 battles in our own end. Any system is only as good as how the players execute it and if they have the desire. We have a team that is not commited to team defense. Maybe a new voice could get them to commit, but it isn't a given.

I think trading Nylander might have sent a message. Instead it seems it is okay to be a Nylander and you'll still get a contract. Being a Senators fan, it seems like Yashin tactic and we all know what happened with Yashin. He did dick all for the Senators.

 

[Taluss]

Go back to your own board boy. Real leafs fans know how sparks chokes under the slighest pressure ZZzzz

I'm good here, cheers tho "boy" Dont really give a shit what you want me to do But no Sparks didn't play his best. But neither did the full team. Probably came to Ott expecting it to be easy since we are last in the leauge and well shit happens. One of the best teams in the NHL should be able to score more than 2 goals on practically an AHL team with their best defender out. It's not all sparks fault. But stay classy "boy"

Anyways onto a different point. I think a lot of fans here are almost underating their team against Boston this year. By no means at all do I think they will blow you out in the slightest. I noticed yesterday you guys did a damn good job at stopping our breakouts, Nyl also was looking better. In the defensive end was where there was struggles, and taking a few needless penalties. Having the depth produce goals as well would be huge. Leafs took Bruins to 7 last year, and have Tavares this year who I think will step up even more in playoffs. Plus I think Leafs are going to really want this one. Whatever mental block there is can be pushed away this year. Yeah there is some stuff to fix but honestly I think the series would be much closer than you all think. Been saying it for a while now, I think the winner of that series would go to finals.

Thats just how I see it, may be more stuff may be less. Every team slumps, Leafs are just having a small one rn and will probably figure it back out before playoffs

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

He was put on the first line with Matthews his first game back and Babcock said he made a mistake with that. He also tried the Matthews/Nylander/Hyman line to get things going for a game as well a little farther in. I am not blaming Nylander for it all, but his commitment/effort/selective compete is the most glaring symbolization of what is wrong with this team. imo

Look at a replay of Matthews' first goal against Philly the other night and tell me Nylander lacks compete.

 

[MyBudJT]

Look at a replay of Matthews' first goal against Philly the other night and tell me Nylander lacks compete.

That was a great shift where he created his own luck... but the game is 60 minutes long...

He really should save the 'buddy buddy' stuff for after the game.

 

[RLF]

Look at a replay of Matthews' first goal against Philly the other night and tell me Nylander lacks compete.

I already gave him credit on here for that play. Where has it been since or prior?
I could show you other guys that compete that hard multiple times a game. I also am quite certain there is more times that could be shown where Willy chose not to compete that hard compared to how may time he has.
It is sad that people turn to the one time he showed us what he is really capable of and want to celebrate it instead of asking "where the heck is that compete every game?" If you're happy with that compete showing up on blue moon nights, that is your prerogative. I would like to see a Cup, so I expect to see it on most nights from our players, not once every 30 games or so.

 

[yubbers]

Look at a replay of Matthews' first goal against Philly the other night and tell me Nylander lacks compete.

literally the only time he's done it all season. Nobody would argue that wasn't his best game back. But it tool 40 f***ing games to get that and last night he was right back to sucking.

 

[frizzer1]

I wouldn't trade Nylander yet.
I'd like to see what this team,including Nylander, would do with a new coach in place,.

Then you decide who to trade if necessary.

 

[Cynical]

Why is everyone getting pissed off about what Sparks said? He's saying exactly what most of us think about this team, regardless of whether he's the best goalie in the league or the worst. He's getting paid what you expect someone of his calibre to get paid. The rest of these overpaid players need to step up and actually show up. Sparks just sucks.

My question is, why is the backup goaltender the only one who seems to have the guts to actually speak up about this team?

 

[Sweet Leaf]

I think trading Nylander might have sent a message. Instead it seems it is okay to be a Nylander and you'll still get a contract. Being a Senators fan, it seems like Yashin tactic and we all know what happened with Yashin. He did dick all for the Senators.

Comparing Yashin to Nylander is selling Yashin very short. Production wise, Yashin was a legit first line center who I am pretty sure finished top 10 in points at least once.

Nylander is a 60 point winger with fantasies of him being more than that one day.