Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose in a Shootout 4-3

[Nithoniniel]

Disagree, he cant score but can still skate, pass, cycle, forcheck etc. Playing a guy 30 seconds at a time each 4 shift cycle is not detrimental. We have 1 guy out of 12 that instead of score can prevent goals.. this is not a problem.

Like I said, everybody needs to do both. We honestly don't have a player on the team as bad defensively as Komarov is offensively.

As for what he can do. He is among the worst in the league at passing the puck out of our zone, at getting it out with control, at skating it out, at skating it into the opposition zone, at passing it in, at setting up linemates for shots etc. He rates like a bad fourth liner in these areas. He can play in the sense that everybody who reaches the league can play. He is fairly effective at dumping the puck in though.

 

[Al14]

how did thomas plekanec look? didn't watch saw somebody said he took bad penalties. Consensus or nonsense?

I'd be seeking a refund on Plekanec, if I based my decision on just this game! He needs to be better!

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Outside of his PP abilities he really doesnt impress me that much for a star player.

agreed, he's really not that amazing

 

[stickty111]

Boucher was 1 goal away from the Stanley Cup final with the Sens last season! 1 goal!

Too bad we'll never get to see what Boucher might have done with the lineup Babcock has right now!

If I had a choice between Babcock and Boucher, I'd take Babcock 100% of the time, every time!

Now, having said that, it sure to hell doesn't mean I can't criticize some of the dumb decisions he makes with player personnel! And, based on some of the other posters displeasure with his thinking, I'm not alone.

So, yeah, come on!

Boucher would have caused us to miss the playoffs. He ran on luck and Karlsson. He didnt do anything awesome last season. He just rode his luck to an Eastern Conference final game 7.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

The big concern with Z is many of these issues were present last year.

He's a brutal partner, rarely making himself an outlet and regularly throwing grenades to Gardiner/Rielly. Watch how often Gardiner (and previously Rielly) have to adjust to what should be a simple pass because he never puts it on their forehand. He's also terrible for dumping the puck off to his partner when they have no time or space to make a play.

He has a spot, he's exactly what we want Polak to be, but that spot's on the bottom pair carrying big PK minutes where his decision making is limited.

Well then that would make his contract beyond awful. Gotta hope that he takes some steps forward

 

[Nithoniniel]

Teams with talent win.
Teams without talent lose.

And the talent you mention is based on how these players perform on the ice, and that performance is intimately connected with Babcock's ability to coach.

Just by looking at some recent history around the league, bad coaching like people blame Babcock for can absolutely hamstring even great talent.

 

[leburn98]

I noticed that this garbage team is 4th in the league

If I would have told you after the 2015-16 season that in two years the Leafs would be 4th in the league, you all would have escorted me to the nearest asylum.

 

[GQS]

Lol yeah.. Holl who has played 2 career games is a better dman than Polak. There's a reason why no team has taken Holl seriously and why he will be playing in Europe in 2 years. It's because he is a scrub. Can't wait to hear you keep whining about Polak into the playoffs when his role gets even bigger LOL. Stick to Xbox and reading your charts.. Leave the talent evaluation to people who understand the game.

Serious question though, why would it be so bad to give Holl a few games in place of Polak and see what he can do? Its not like the Leafs are in any danger of missing the playoffs or something and we already know what we have in Polak. I wouldn't mind seeing what Holl could do for a few more games instead of just giving it to Polak and wasting time on him.

As for Zaitzev, I don't think he's as bad as some people think he is, but he is prone to making some bad plays and its why I want him to stop playing with Gardiner who's also mistake prone. I'd try these pairings and see what happens:

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Carrick/Holl/Polak
Zaitzev-Dermott

Give Zaitzev a more stable partner like Dermott and see if he doesn't improve because I really don't like him and Gardiner together taking turns making dumb mistakes and giving pucks away.

 

[frog]

Like I said, everybody needs to do both. We honestly don't have a player on the team as bad defensively as Komarov is offensively.

As for what he can do. He is among the worst in the league at passing the puck out of our zone, at getting it out with control, at skating it out, at skating it into the opposition zone, at passing it in, at setting up linemates for shots etc. He rates like a bad fourth liner. He can play in the sense that everybody who reaches the league can play. He is fairly effective at dumping the puck in though.

Yeah i dont know, offensively he's been bad but its a bit overdramatised. To be honest he has more skill than most 4th liners. He played in the Allstar game only a few seasons ago. and has had 19 goals in 1 season. I look at the Penguins cup winning team from last season and see plenty of players that sucked offensively worse than komarov on their 3rd and 4th lines.

 

[Al14]

Boucher would have caused us to miss the playoffs. He ran on luck and Karlsson. He didnt do anything awesome last season. He just rode his luck to an Eastern Conference final game 7.

All luck! Good one! No need to pay a coach $8M a season, just buy a can luck dust to sprinkle on the players!

 

[Nithoniniel]

Yeah i dont know, offensively he's been bad but its a bit overdramatised. To be honest he has more skill than most 4th liners. He played in the Allstar game only a few seasons ago. and has had 19 goals in 1 season. I look at the Penguins cup winning team from last season and see plenty of players that sucked offensively worse than komarov on their 3rd and 4th lines.

Pens have some of the best forward depth in the league. They had guys that would blow Komarov out of the water on their third and fourth line.

Komarov declined fast. It happens.

[mod]

 

[moon111]

Babcock could of been telling Lou Lamoriello all season to trade JVR. Babcock has bent over backwards for JVR. He's polished this turd who'll be an UFA, and in return... nothing happened.
Maybe he wanted JVR to be the fail. The points are meaningless, the Leafs are in.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Babcock could of been telling Lou Lamoriello all season to trade JVR. Babcock has bent over backwards for JVR. He's polished this turd who'll be an UFA, and in return... nothing happened.
Maybe he wanted JVR to be the fail. The points are meaningless, the Leafs are in.

what?

 

[frog]

Pens have some of the best forward depth in the league. They had guys that would blow Komarov out of the water on their third and fourth line.

Komarov declined fast. It happens.

Pens would love Komarov on their 3rd/4th line, we no longer appreciate what he does.

 

[SnizzNasty88]

You actually need speed for that move to work, the idea is to catch the goalie going the other way....frigging JVR, maybe he should ask the NHL if someone can shoot it from the point and he stands in front of the goalie during the shootout

What’s actually surprising is that my buddy told me that when he was at Maple Leaf Gardens when the Leafs were practicing there at the Ryerson rink that at the end of their practice when they were doin some shootout stuff, JVR tried that move and it worked every single time on the Leafs goalies and as soon as he was chosen to shoot my buddy predicted that he’d try the move hahaha

 

[Al14]

what?

I need a translation too.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Pens would love Komarov on their 3rd/4th line, we no longer appreciate what he does.

They have Carter Rowney to do exactly what he does, except he does it better. He's their 12th forward, and only draws in because they lack PK options otherwise.

 

[SnizzNasty88]

Seeing people complain about this game is a joke. Some of you Leaf fans are babies with unrealistic expectations man. We lost in a freaking shootout, who cares, Tampa wasn’t better than us tonight and that was a great hockey game, who cares about the shootout? Some Leaf fans man jeeez you people are sucks, give our Buds some credit and support for battling to the end with the best team in the league, then you guys call yourselves fans sure, praise them if they win in a shootout and rip them if they loose in a shootout. Never change, you select few of Leafs Nation (you know who you are).

 

[Brown Dog]

In all likelihood JVR will hit free agency and sign a ~6-year contract that will become an anchor halfway through.

But I'll miss him and wish we could keep him around for a couple more years without having to commit to a long-term deal. Guy is a niche player but what a niche!

 

[ULF_55]

Win at home tie on the road.

Never a bad option.

 

[Chandrashekhar Limit]

I didn't watch the 2nd half of the game, but going off of the comments I can conclude on the following:

- Babs gets an F for bad coaching (Leivo out on 5 on 3 WTF)
- Lou gets an F for not upgrading the bottom pair at the very least

Overall happy with a point doe.

 

[Discordia]

People saying we took them to a shootout, it was 50/50, we stuck with them, etc.

Have you looked at the corsi numbers? Every player on our team got dominated tonight.

 

[Havoc]

Just saw the highlights. Man, what is up with Marleau? Taking tips from Leo lately. Breakaway flick shot to the chest? Come on! lol. Either JVR it through the legs or shoot it fast and hard to a corner.

 

[Brown Dog]

People saying we took them to a shootout, it was 50/50, we stuck with them, etc.

Have you looked at the corsi numbers? Every player on our team got dominated tonight.

No, I just watched the game. And it was a great game.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Just saw the highlights. Man, what is up with Marleau? Taking tips from Leo lately. Breakaway flick shot to the chest? Come on! lol. Either JVR it through the legs or shoot it fast and hard to a corner.

It looked like he either tried to go 5 hole and the puck rolled a bit or tried to go under the blocker