Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 6-3

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

Lol at people wanting to promote Dermott/OZ to a more prominent role. Dermotts not there yet, OZ probably never will be.

Imagine Jake playing Dermotts sheltered minutes. My God.

derms been very bad last few weeks.

 

[Leafsdude7]

WTF..... I didn't see this game tonight, but 6-3?

2 empty netters, but it was still pretty flattering.

 

[DanM]

Mitch needs to STFU. Fans pay top f***ing dollar to watch this team, the players are LUCKY they get to play in such a market, and if fans want to boo, they damn well deserve to without a shadow of a doubt, and the players can shove it. They have the life they do, and are paid millions of dollars because of the fans.

Sure this market can be brutal, but you also need to compete as a team.

P.S. I was just watching the highlights.... brutal.

 

[AreBe]

It's also been Andersen's first game in a long time. He'll likely need another 2 or 3 to hit his stride again.

We have to put it in perspective, and indeed, he is coming back from hopefully not a reoccurring injury
I get how the losses pile up and it turns into a pain
The mid season February blahs have come early, resulting in be witchery
and the Leafs are kind of playing with Seasonal Affective Disorder, which in Toronto is not insane

 

[ITM]

Any "hot takes" on how schizophrenic our fanbase looks during adversity during the club's most successful spell in decades?

It's January. The dog days of the game are a real thing. And to a young club, it's even more pronounced.

We're not in a do or die, franchise survival stage. We're unlikely to win the Cup for any number of reasons that regular season performances seldom indicate. In fact the opposite is true. Another first or second round exit - which we can reasonably expect - will amplify necessary changes. Mindful that other teams will be going through the same process. Processes which we may benefit from as pieces that no longer fit in one organization might be precisely the right fit in ours.

For those insisting the process speed up to match their accustomed "information cycle" rates of consumption, please, don't post anymore. It distorts enjoyment for those of us who actually remember what it's like...to wait for something to take the time it needs to get to where it's going. The club is no different and wishing so isn't going to make it so.

Side note:

Booing Gardiner...Anyone remember when Gardiner was basically our best player during that Boston series we imploded in in the third period when Kessel was still here? Because he absolutely was our best player that series and but for Bergeron's heroics maybe the best player on either side. Ok. Different player now. Maybe completely spent after last season's gaffe. He's never going to recover the kind of assets we might want if our fanbase leans into his already fragile psyche and he reacts accordingly as one might when one wants to do better but can't for fear of failure.

The club has done enough the last couple of seasons to warrant a little good faith and vocal support and charity to spell this dry spell.

 

[FraumBallard]

Simply out worked tonight. Booing Jake is disgusting and unforgivable. Hot takes are incoming. Peace out!

 

[stuart5035]

Mitch needs to ****. Fans pay top ****ing dollar to watch this team, the players are LUCKY they get to play in such a market, and if fans want to boo, they damn well deserve to without a shadow of a doubt, and the players can shove it. They have the life they do, and are paid millions of dollars because of the fans.

Sure this market can be brutal, but you also need to compete as a team.

P.S. I was just watching the highlights.... brutal.

Our talented precocious young team can usually counter speed (which Colorado certainly has in spades) with speed.

But here was speed combined with muscle. We were plastered against the boards at every turn, manhandled, overpowered.

Soft, not willing to pay the price

 

[FraumBallard]

Cool
Hot takes = disagreement
Intellectually lazy argument

 

[ItalianLeaf]

its called a SLUMP

you know, a slump, that every team in the NHL goes through over the course of a season???

and during this "slump" they're still playing .500 hockey in their last 10


some of you guys really need to find a hobby or something ffs

The Ducks fans also said to chill and relax when the first few losses started. Its called a SLUMP! They said... that slump is now at 11 games...

 

[Sniper99]

Lmao this clown is more predictable than the sun rising in the morning. No wonder the team is tuning this bum out.

You have no clue what the players are thinking/doing Just stop.

 

[Kiwi]

Dude see this is why I don't agree with most of what is said by "stat folks"; because "context" is always missing

Oz looks good because he plays sheltered role; if Oz took tougher match-ups he would not look as good.

Dermott clearly has the potential of being a top4; he just isn't there yet IMO based on his play; and I think he is going to take top4 duties starting next season


Oz Zaitsev are RHDs and one of them has to play on the left side; that is going to be a pain in the ass even if they are sheltered

Ozhiganov is going to sit his ass on the 3rd pairing babysitting Zaitsev, Zaitsev can play on the left since he can't pass the puck anyway

Zaitsev is a boat anchor and Dermott needs to replace him, it's as simple as that

 

[Coachcorner]

My dawg Tavvy played his worst game as a leaf tonight mayne. He was like -4 or something like that and din't do mucho deniro tonight in this thang. Even the awful mackinnon was better than him tonight sires. But we was aaight, we had chances in the dirty first. Nylander, The man had like two chances in the dirty first and almost nothing after that. He was like git the dirt outta here mayne. He ain't like earning his moneys right now world. We not like having all that type of deniro all of us. Give me the money and I'll double quadrupble that dirt nylander. He's like a spoiled golden spoon brat right now. Play better and be better. Or else.

Our fool team will be better again next game, we that great. We have the money, the power and the personality. Now let's hit some, or trade some. We have to be better come playoff time and explode on them faces.

 

[FraumBallard]

Hard to get to pissed off

If the team doesn't care and mailed in their effort I'm struggling to see why i should get emotional about it

The funniest thing about this is that the Avs goalie was brutal and we still lost 6-3 somehow, that's how bad We were

The players sucked, the coaches sucked, the effort sucked, showing zero emotion sucked, the defense sucks, the team defense sucks

We were pretty much the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked tonight

 

[FraumBallard]

Don't struggle.
It's the Sweater not the players.
Have Faith.
Be a real fan.

 

[FraumBallard]

He gets so easily destroyed on puck battles these days. He has a very short stick. He bends over and starts poking for the puck looking like T-Rex or something. Leaves his whole shoulder and back vulnerable for an easy big hit.

 

[FraumBallard]

True.
But.
There is no hitting.
Lotsa Fancy Stats.
No hitting/heart/pride/courage.
You get it.
Sad.

 

[Richardbro]

Besides some hot-takes this is probably the low point of the season for us. Let's hope it doesnt get lower then this in the upcoming weeks.

Its a long ass season. There is going to be a point like this in the season where things look bad.

I still believe we will make some loud noise come playoff time. Let's hope everyone stays healthy and let's get Andy some playing time again.

EDIT: I do think we need 1 or 2 guys that bring some sand-paper. A Tom Wilson or Nick Ritchie type player to inject even a little bit of fear into the opposition.

 

[Lauro]

Any "hot takes" on how schizophrenic our fanbase looks during adversity during the club's most successful spell in decades?

It's January. The dog days of the game are a real thing. And to a young club, it's even more pronounced.

We're not in a do or die, franchise survival stage. We're unlikely to win the Cup for any number of reasons that regular season performances seldom indicate. In fact the opposite is true. Another first or second round exit - which we can reasonably expect - will amplify necessary changes. Mindful that other teams will be going through the same process. Processes which we may benefit from as pieces that no longer fit in one organization might be precisely the right fit in ours.

For those insisting the process speed up to match their accustomed "information cycle" rates of consumption, please, don't post anymore. It distorts enjoyment for those of us who actually remember what it's like...to wait for something to take the time it needs to get to where it's going. The club is no different and wishing so isn't going to make it so.

Wise words.

 

[ElbowLander]

Jets fan coming tomorrow in peace.

I know a loss like this can feel disheartening but as an outsider I can say that your lineup is unbelievably ridiculously skilled and talented from top to bottom.

You will be a scary team to face in the playoffs and are a contender for many, many years. A loss like this is just an off night which happens to all teams in the world’s best league.

Its been more than one game tho, Leafs have been bad for awhile. Whole defense needs to be looked at. At this rate we will be lucky we dont get put out 4 straight.

 

[Leafling]

Haven't been following the games of late but this is what I generally felt. When u have Tavares and Marner playing on one line and Matthews is getting both AJ n kapanen on his wings, then the scoring responsibility would ideally be on those two lines. And this has thankfully been the case for the first half of the season. Secondly, the third line really needs to get a role soon, I feel right now it's just a make shift line with players being placed on it to get going n will be moved up or down the line when they do. Put kap/AJ or hyman on it n make it an official shutdown line again.
Defence needs an upgrade as well n i don't know why we are waiting so much on it. No it's not a hyperbole, just something we have seen/known over the past few seasons. Also, i agrees that Gardiner is not a problem on this D, we need to add not subtract from this core.

In any case i think the team should be able to rally back and string together a nice win streak soon on the back of Anderson. GLG.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Y’all do realize Marleau is 39 years old, right? Really not the dude I’d be picking on.

 

[HC7]

I don't understand why we're not allowed to criticize/boo Jake.

95% of Leaf stans on Twitter made some kind of remark about the Gardiner goal, but when the crowd does the same thing those same people on Twitter start acting high and mighty about not criticizing him.

If a garbageman that always shows up to work, is also one of the best and quickest in the company occasionally forgets to put his f***ing truck in park then he's going to f***ing hear about it. Why the f*** is Jake exempt from criticism?

I've been an absolutely massive Jake supporter since we traded for him, idiotic mistakes and all. Boston series was bad, but I still supported Jake because it's a small sample. The issue is that when the pressure is on, Jake folds. He's a veteran, if he hasn't learned now then he never will. Mistakes like he made tonight happen once in house league and never again. He still makes those on a semi consistent basis in the NHL.

It's become pathetic. Dubas needs to take a page out of Ujiri's book. Insanity is doing the same thing over, and over, but expecting different results. Going into the playoffs with Jake again is insanity.

 

[RoadWarrior]

This is why Tavares should be captain. Morgan with an A.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I thought I read somewhere that Nylander holdout may have caused a bit of friction in the dressing room

In retrospect trading Willy would have been the better move.

I was an advocate of that from the start of the holdout.

 

[RoadWarrior]

booing him was bad enough, but lying to oneself and others that it was because of a lack of effort is pretty weird. players have given up and screwed up on plays all year, but this doesn't happen to them. people have a weird dislike for Gardiner though

That “weird dislike” might have something to do with his game 7 meltdown against the B’s.

Let’s be honest. Jake Gardiner is a winger masquerading as a d man. I said before the season he should be moved to the wing.