Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose - Lacking "effort"

[Once]

- Were missing Nylander. Nice to see JT step up but the offence is much less dynamic without WN.

- PP is atrocious, Rielly is horrible at the point. Not a threat to score, can only shift left on his strong side -- crumbles under pressure on his offhand. Similar to what we saw against the Flames I believe. I'd put Brodie/Muzzin there. Maybe give Sandin a look before Hutton comes in. Just get Rielly away from the PP.

- Kerfoot looks really good in my opinion. He hustles and plays with tremendous pace in our bottom 6. Kerfoot >> Engvall.

- Thornton is done. Its unfortunate but besides his nice one-touch passes in the neutral zone, he is virtually useless. Don't know what he was thinking on that no-look pass in his own end? Not the first time I've seen that from this group (Barabanov, Engvall do it often too). Must be a coaching problem.

- Speaking of coaching, why are you pulling the net minder without possession? Very Babcock-esque.

- Campbell still makes the big save when we need it. He looked tiny on that Anderson shot...not sure what that was about? Lack of confidence perhaps? Guy needs to be easier on himself though -- the team looked bad in front of him (Especially Morgan Rielly).

- This team is not a contender without AM34.

Can't win them all, but we better come prepared next time we play the Habs as it looks like they will be our first opponent in the post-season.

 

[crump]

Didn’t “start on time”. Habs came to play, left us little space and caused many turnovers. I’ll have to search out those giveaway stats, my suspicion is it was one of our worst games that way this season.

Our PP tried more traditional zone entries and were pretty successfully, but once in, gave the puck away...not patient enough.

Oh well, they get to get back on the horse tonight. Do we see Rittich tonight?

 

[Clark4Ever]

Got what we deserved. We were due for a stinker.

On to the next one.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Benched — For anyone trying to read the tea leaves with respect to who comes out of the lineup next week when William Nylander and Nick Foligno join the fold, I think Pierre Engvall‘s one shift in the second period speaks volumes.
I can understand Keefe’s frustration; Engvall had tunnel vision tonight when he was carrying the puck, failing to find his open linemates in transition. The fact that he delivered a hit in his first shift back in the third period suggests to me that Keefe wants Engvall to use his size more often to win pucks back. At 6’5 and 214lbs, I’d agree with him there.

It’s also worth noting that Nick Robertson only played three shifts in the second period. He made a few high-skill plays with the puck to get himself out of trouble in the DZ and NZ when he was skating up the ice, but he seemed to be turning pucks over far too often along the boards.
I love Robertson’s upside; his puck-skills and shot are NHL-ready today, but if he’s going to play big minutes at 5v5, he needs to add some more strength so he isn’t getting pushed around as often. The good news is that he isn’t afraid; he took a (successful) run at Shea Weber in the corner, winning the puck back on the forecheck.

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2021...eal-suffer-first-regulation-loss-in-10-games/

 

[justloveleafs]

Yeah, it's almost concerning the way he beats himself up.

Possibly, the trade deadline is a tough time of the year for a sensitive guy like him. He seems to have gotten close to Hutchison, and even though he set a Leaf and NHL record, his confidence is still probably fragile.

It started against Ottawa, he let in quite a few marginal goals, so his play against Montreal, was for him, most likely, a continuation of poor play.

Goaltending requires a lot of confidence. The velocity of NHL players shots, from wristers is laser like, pretty easy to get beat by them. If the goalie is off keel.

Hope he springs back with a top end game in his next start. Poor guy probably needs some rest. He has been under the spotlight for a while now.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Don’t want Campbell to fail, but there is a big difference between being a starter and playing every 5th or 6th game. All these fans that ragged on Freddy may yet see what Campbell is truly made of. Andersen was not good, maybe the injury had something to do with that, but the grass isn’t always greener.

I've been saying for some time now that as long as our goaltending is a big question mark (which it obviously is), spending futures on rentals is completely pointless. Now I'm giving Dubas credit for being smart enough to understand this so I can only assume that he's confident that Campbell can do the job. At the same time, how confident can you possibly be in a guy with so little experience?

Huge gamble for Dubas. Obviously we're all hoping the gamble pays off, we were favoured to get out of our division anyway so if these moves help us get to the final, I don't think anyone will be complaining. If however our goaltending lets us down and we fall in the 1st or 2nd round after spending all these futures, then Dubas will have a lot to answer for.

 

[ACC1224]

The PP is the only concern. Games like that will happen and going in the Leafs were always the bad bet.

 

[fahad203]

Probably not but seems he does when it comes to Engval *ba-dum-tish*

I think he does and he will. He's giving him every opportunity to contribute

A player like Joe must be very hard on him. Not too long ago he was a star in this league

Lets be honest if you are going to try new stuff these are the games.

 

[paulhiggins]

All the stupid f***ing cute plays; blind passes to no one; defensive zone giveaways

AND

Leafs' kryptonite: Opposition clogging up the neutral zone forcing them to dump the puck

=

Loss

What an absolutely PATHETIC EFFORT

I went from high of the trade deadline to low in a snap.

f*** THIS SHIT

Missed the game but could see problems in the Ottawa game. Too many would rather do the physical work with a lazy fly-by stick check instead of playing the body. This is not a no contact league. This will not work in the playoffs. Get nasty or get off the ice!

 

[RoadWarrior]

Thornton played way too much.

The PP coaching is just awful. Simmonds Thornton and only one minute for Matthews and Marner. Like how can you be that dumb.

Also for the next time someone suggests trading Willy, I hope you enjoyed extra attacker Thornton/Spezza today.

It’s obvious after a game like this what the limitations are for older players. After 10 minutes of ice time their game just falls off.

I think the coaching staff was rewarding Thornton before Foligno arrives and replaces him. Same with Robertson.

Joe is good for about 7 minutes at even strength and 3 minutes on the PP per game. That’s it.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

HELLO...HELloo...Hellooo...helloooo...
The echo chamber effect here is wonderful.
I'm angrier than you are, no your not, I'm angrier.

The number of people here bitching on Joe Thornton, JUMBO, calling him a bum, WTF!!! One of the best players of this century, a future HOFer, 6th all time in assists, comes here , with strong desire to do anything to help the team, to help them win a Cup, to...and you rubes have the ignorance to call him a waste of space. SHOW THE MAN SOME RESPECT! He's earned it!

Bitching and moaning about how we never get good things, Jesus H. Christ, Joe Thornton is a good thing, a good man, a legend in this game and you keyboard warriors dump on him? You're the reason we don't deserve good things. You bandwagon jumpers!

Winning teams aren't just built on skill up and down the line-up, or on physicality, they're built on loyalty, camaraderie, brotherhood, the desire to fight for one another when they're down. The undying belief that they can and they will, and Joe f***ing Thornton has been a large part of helping this team develop that understanding of itself.

Do you honestly believe that Joe isn't aware of his dwindling effectiveness, that he's not busting his butt trying to fight Father Time? Could it be that Keefe and the team are giving Joe the chance to work out whatever it is that is holding him back because this man has earned that right?

Joe Thornton started out in the NHL during the 97/98 season and earned 925,000 dollars. 24 years later, after a storied career, having represented his country in World Cups and Olympic Games, having fought through 15 years of playoff hockey, having earned more than I can count, he came to the Leaf organization and said pay me the minimum, I want a Cup. And there are fans on this board who spit on him.

There are times when I thoroughly hate this place, it's venomous.

SHOW SOME RESPECT, DAMN IT! HE'S EARNED IT!

It's possible to respect what he's accomplished in his career and also see that he's been really bad lately.

Like worst player on the ice bad. I'm pretty sure all Leaf fans thoroughly respect him and what he's accomplished, but he's also objectively terrible this season since after the first 5 games. He's old, it should have been anticipated and I'm just hoping he doesn't pull a Marleau and effectively refuse to sit for even a game because I'm sure he'd be much better with load management. He's playing too much and too often.

 

[3blizzard4]

No rhyme or rhythm to this one. Zero flow. Hardly has offensive zone pressure or puck control.

A stinker.

Haters can rejoice on this one.

 

[NK94]

Don’t want Campbell to fail, but there is a big difference between being a starter and playing every 5th or 6th game. All these fans that ragged on Freddy may yet see what Campbell is truly made of. Andersen was not good, maybe the injury had something to do with that, but the grass isn’t always greener.

We can’t use Andersen’s current injury as an excuse when he has a .903 SV% since March of 2019. Unless he’s been injured for two years...

 

[kk87]

people need to chill - 9-0-1 in our last 10 and then we lose a game that was close until the end and people act like the sky is falling? Jesus

 

[Vaive50]

The PP is the only concern. Games like that will happen and going in the Leafs were always the bad bet.

Yep, the special teams is what cost the Leafs 2 points, it was the exact same in those 6 losses out of 7 games. I mean just look at it, the Leafs didn't score on their PP and they let the Habs score one on the PP. If it was the other way around, the Leafs would have had the 3-2 lead and the Habs would have had to pull their goalie.

But on the bright side for the Leafs is that Carolina lost to Detroit (for the second straight time), Jets lost to Ottawa. Oh and lets not forget the Bruins getting spanked 8-1 by the Caps on Sunday and the Avs getting spanked 8-3 by Minnesota.

 

[Morguee]

Campbell worries me a little. Not because of the loss or a "soft" goal or whatever but because of the way he reacts to them. I am starting to think he may be the perfect pandemic goalie when there is no crowd and little pressure right now. I do worry what happens when(and if) they starting playing in front of crowds again and there is a lot more pressure. I appreciate that he is a great guy and emotional but to me that can be a negative for a goalie. I wonder what happens when he lets in an early soft one and the opposing crowd starts giving him the bronx cheer.

He seems to have a the physical tools but lets hope he has the most important thing that makes a truly great goalie - the ability to forget what happened 2 minutes ago.

 

[Team First]

I am not typically as analytical as some of the keen eyed folks on here, however for some time the oppostion has been finishing their checks hard every shift. Against Ottawa the other night I noticed Engval ( in particular) have several opportunities to return the favour, but did not. Coach Keefe likely noticed too. Hence the benching during the Habs game.
Montreal has been gifted a playoff spot, so they were jacked to play the Leafs. The Leafs have been trying to stay "up" playing in empty arenas, during covid duress. Already looking forward to an infusion of Foligno!

 

[PromisedLand]

Missed the game but could see problems in the Ottawa game. Too many would rather do the physical work with a lazy fly-by stick check instead of playing the body. This is not a no contact league. This will not work in the playoffs. Get nasty or get off the ice!

I am hoping once Foligno gets in the line up that should help.

The only people that actually play body well (although not nasty) except may be Simmonds are Matthews, Hyman, Mikheyev, Tavares (when he is on) and to a certain extent Nylander especially when he has the puck.

We gotta be willing to do that without the puck too.

Not to harp on Matthews because he is my fav Leaf but just to give an example




We as a team need to get used to this and find ways to improve on it

 

[Gallagbi]

I've been saying for some time now that as long as our goaltending is a big question mark (which it obviously is), spending futures on rentals is completely pointless. Now I'm giving Dubas credit for being smart enough to understand this so I can only assume that he's confident that Campbell can do the job. At the same time, how confident can you possibly be in a guy with so little experience?

Huge gamble for Dubas. Obviously we're all hoping the gamble pays off, we were favoured to get out of our division anyway so if these moves help us get to the final, I don't think anyone will be complaining. If however our goaltending lets us down and we fall in the 1st or 2nd round after spending all these futures, then Dubas will have a lot to answer for.

The nice thing is we have 3 G options going into playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how short any of their leashes are though

 

[PromisedLand]

The recipe for beating that kind of defense is usually funnelling the puck and bodies into an area with speed and support, chip and chase and heavy forecheck. We actually have the personnel to do this but I don’t know if that goes against the game plan. You’ll notice guys like Bogosian and Simmonds have really lightened their hitting.

Well we have to learn to do that because that is playoff hockey. Fancy moves, blind passes and cute plays work against you in the playoffs.

There is a reason we added Foligno for a 1st round pick. I hope the "game plan" isn't to wuss around in the playoffs because the opposition would certainly not do that especially when they clog the neutral zone and force you to dump the puck.

If we did not learn this from the CBJ series then we will never learn

 

[PromisedLand]

Please don't tell me our last three games of the regular season are against the Habs...

wouldn't be surprised if they try to cross check the big 4 right out of the playoffs.

I still remember petry crosschecking Matthews like crazy in front of the ref and nothing was called earlier this season

 

[Morbo]

They're going to play a bad game once in a while. PP is just an enormous monkey on their back right now though.

I am not typically as analytical as some of the keen eyed folks on here, however for some time the oppostion has been finishing their checks hard every shift. Against Ottawa the other night I noticed Engval ( in particular) have several opportunities to return the favour, but did not. Coach Keefe likely noticed too. Hence the benching during the Habs game.
Montreal has been gifted a playoff spot, so they were jacked to play the Leafs. The Leafs have been trying to stay "up" playing in empty arenas, during covid duress. Already looking forward to an infusion of Foligno!

....again...

people need to chill - 9-0-1 in our last 10 and then we lose a game that was close until the end and people act like the sky is falling? Jesus

also have taken 4 of 6 vs. the habs as well.

 

[PromisedLand]

HELLO...HELloo...Hellooo...helloooo...
The echo chamber effect here is wonderful.
I'm angrier than you are, no your not, I'm angrier.

The number of people here bitching on Joe Thornton, JUMBO, calling him a bum, WTF!!! One of the best players of this century, a future HOFer, 6th all time in assists, comes here , with strong desire to do anything to help the team, to help them win a Cup, to...and you rubes have the ignorance to call him a waste of space. SHOW THE MAN SOME RESPECT! He's earned it!

Bitching and moaning about how we never get good things, Jesus H. Christ, Joe Thornton is a good thing, a good man, a legend in this game and you keyboard warriors dump on him? You're the reason we don't deserve good things. You bandwagon jumpers!

Winning teams aren't just built on skill up and down the line-up, or on physicality, they're built on loyalty, camaraderie, brotherhood, the desire to fight for one another when they're down. The undying belief that they can and they will, and Joe f***ing Thornton has been a large part of helping this team develop that understanding of itself.

Do you honestly believe that Joe isn't aware of his dwindling effectiveness, that he's not busting his butt trying to fight Father Time? Could it be that Keefe and the team are giving Joe the chance to work out whatever it is that is holding him back because this man has earned that right?

Joe Thornton started out in the NHL during the 97/98 season and earned 925,000 dollars. 24 years later, after a storied career, having represented his country in World Cups and Olympic Games, having fought through 15 years of playoff hockey, having earned more than I can count, he came to the Leaf organization and said pay me the minimum, I want a Cup. And there are fans on this board who spit on him.

There are times when I thoroughly hate this place, it's venomous.

SHOW SOME RESPECT, DAMN IT! HE'S EARNED IT!

Your point well taken. But with all due respect: Logo on the front means a lot more than the name on the back.

If Thornton is not helping the team on ice; not sure we can justify him playing and taking that spot from someone who can contribute.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The nice thing is we have 3 G options going into playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how short any of their leashes are though

If Andersen is healthy again then yes, 3 options, I wish I knew what was going on with him. Interesting indeed, pretty much everything related to our goaltending situation is ... interesting.

Would be awesome if Freddie came back healthy and played great.

 

[Stephen]

Well we have to learn to do that because that is playoff hockey. Fancy moves, blind passes and cute plays work against you in the playoffs.

There is a reason we added Foligno for a 1st round pick. I hope the "game plan" isn't to wuss around in the playoffs because the opposition would certainly not do that especially when they clog the neutral zone and force you to dump the puck.

If we did not learn this from the CBJ series then we will never learn

Hopefully Foligno brings about a late season culture shock and we can get to a stronger meaner playoff mentality. The way you could see guys like Romanov using the physicality against Matthews we just need a very strong push back. You can’t bring the skill and let the other team poo poo it as a viable game plan.