Post-Game Talk: Leafs snap their losing streak 3:1 vs Ana

[ULF_55]

Didn't get to watch ...

How did

Marleau play 10:06 minutes even strength
Martin play 11:46 even strength
van Riemsdyk play 10:18 even strength
​

Marleau center the 4th. line?

Was it

Matthews 1st. - 15:03 ES
Kadri 2nd. - 12:57 ES
Bozak 3rd. - 12:03 ES
Marleau 4th. - 10:06 ES
​

Leafs had 8 minutes in penalties and Hainsey played 7:38 PK. Maybe the California / ocean air is good for him?

 

[Mickey Marner]

I really liked the lines last night. Hopefully Babcock sticks with them. Getting JVR away from Bozak was a long time coming.

 

[Koolboss]

Great game tonight. The line juggling worked well. Bozak had a great game, the Kadri-Komarov-Leivo line took a bit to get going, but man Leivo looks amazing on the PP.

Andersen was outstanding again for the second game in a row. October is over!

Only goal to get past him tonight legally came off his own d-man so he had 0 chance on that one.

Only time I noticed Leivo playing through out the whole game

 

[taurine330]

Didn't get to watch ...

How did

Marleau play 10:06 minutes even strength
Martin play 11:46 even strength
van Riemsdyk play 10:18 even strength
​

Marleau center the 4th. line?

Was it

Matthews 1st. - 15:03 ES
Kadri 2nd. - 12:57 ES
Bozak 3rd. - 12:03 ES
Marleau 4th. - 10:06 ES
​

Leafs had 8 minutes in penalties and Hainsey played 7:38 PK. Maybe the California / ocean air is good for him?

Bozak had 100% offensive zone starts... yikes.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Every team has a couple of Leivo's that are routinely healthy scratches, I wish people would stop hyping this guy to be something he will most likely never be.

Personally, I wish people would stop writing posts like these as if they were true. Every team does not have a couple of Leivo's. There is in fact not a single other player in the league that have performed at his level when drawing into the lineup, that hasn't had a long and hard look as a result. Other teams have fringe players that look like fringe players when they get to play, not guys that performs at clear-cut top line levels.

I find it pathetic that some, not necessarily you, seem to cheer that one of our players failed to grab his chance in the last game, just so they can score some point on a messaging board.

 

[taurine330]

Have you not watched this team the past 2 seasons?

I have. Irrelevant. I get your point but the radio host knows nothing about those struggles. My point was how much praise Komarov got for that one goal.

 

[ULF_55]

Personally, I wish people would stop writing posts like these as if they were true. Every team does not have a couple of Leivo's. There is in fact not a single other player in the league that have performed at his level when drawing into the lineup, that hasn't had a long and hard look as a result. Other teams have fringe players that look like fringe players when they get to play, not guys that performs at clear-cut top line levels.

I find it pathetic that some, not necessarily you, seem to cheer that one of our players failed to grab his chance in the last game, just so they can score some point on a messaging board.

If every team has players like Leivo, that they don't want to play regularly, the likelihood of him being picked off waivers would be extremely low.

That the Leafs protected him over some players who people were concerned about is a reflection of the people second guessing rather than the professionals who see these players every day, in games, practices, and off the ice.

So who are we going to believe our group of misfits or Shanahan and gang? It isn't like Babcock is the only voice in the franchise.

 

[Rogie]

I know they are stats and some think they get more credit than they merit, but, in his games last year, 5v5 adjusted, Leivo was #1 or #2 in Fenwicks, Corsi's, and Scoring Chances of ALL skaters - I think!

Oh yeah, and he CAN SCORE POINTS TOO!

 

[Mess]

Big Win .. Leafs needed this one against a team ravished by injuries to top players.

Marleau was the star in this one. As he scores the GWG and sets up 2 others including the EN goal by Komarov.

Perhaps the Marleau at C will extend a while longer after that result.

 

[Mess]

Didn't get to watch ...

How did

Marleau play 10:06 minutes even strength
Martin play 11:46 even strength
van Riemsdyk play 10:18 even strength
​

Marleau center the 4th. line?

Was it

Matthews 1st. - 15:03 ES
Kadri 2nd. - 12:57 ES
Bozak 3rd. - 12:03 ES
Marleau 4th. - 10:06 ES
​

Leafs had 8 minutes in penalties and Hainsey played 7:38 PK. Maybe the California / ocean air is good for him?

The easy answer with Marleau is that with Moore out last night Marleau and Brown were the #1PK pairing. He got 2:43 PK time + 2:18 PP time for a total 15:07 TOI/g.

So if Marleau was on the PK recently his ES line missed its shift on occasion.

 

[ULF_55]

Big Win .. Leafs needed this one against a team ravished by injuries to top players.

Marleau was the star in this one. As he scores the GWG and sets up 2 others including the EN goal by Komarov.

Perhaps the Marleau at C will extend a while longer after that result.

You have to wonder if Marleau said he didn't like playing center so there'd be no second guessing in San Jose over being shifted to wing. Of course maybe that would only be an issue where in Toronto losing his C and his position would cause the formation of a City Committee.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Didn't get to watch ...

How did

Marleau play 10:06 minutes even strength
Martin play 11:46 even strength
van Riemsdyk play 10:18 even strength
​

Marleau center the 4th. line?

Was it

Matthews 1st. - 15:03 ES
Kadri 2nd. - 12:57 ES
Bozak 3rd. - 12:03 ES
Marleau 4th. - 10:06 ES
​

Leafs had 8 minutes in penalties and Hainsey played 7:38 PK. Maybe the California / ocean air is good for him?

In addition to the PK I think it's just because Babcock loves to manage icetime, especially on a back to back.

 

[Mess]

You have to wonder if Marleau said he didn't like playing center so there'd be no second guessing in San Jose over being shifted to wing. Of course maybe that would only be an issue where in Toronto losing his C and his position would cause the formation of a City Committee.

At the beginning of this year Plan A seemed to be Matthews, Kadri and Nylander (eventually) as Leafs 1-3 Centres.

Now maybe Plan B might be Matthews, Kadri and Marleau at C.

However yesterday Babs was interview and said Marleau was not brought in as C but a winger and that this is a short term solution only while some other players are struggling. He claimed as C Marleau doesn't get the same goal scoring opportunities when is the playmaker in the middle, and takes on the finisher role as a winger.

 

[fahad203]

Those who say Leivo had a bad game does have a point. But mind you its one game. Even McDavid has bad games

Give him 25-30 games. That will give us a good understanding who he is and importantly who he's not. Is he another Jeremy Williams? who used to be call up and score one goal and then be sent down?

Give him good stretch of games. Play him with few different players see if any chemistry. He needs to be with a speedy winger, no doubt. Kadri didn't have a good game last night. I really want to see Kadri hold on to the puck a bit more. He's playing it too safe. He's not creating or dishing out the puck to his wingers

 

[thewave]

Those who say Leivo had a bad game does have a point. But mind you its one game. Even McDavid has bad games

Give him 25-30 games. That will give us a good understanding who he is and importantly who he's not. Is he another Jeremy Williams? who used to be call up and score one goal and then be sent down?

Give him good stretch of games. Play him with few different players see if any chemistry. He needs to be with a speedy winger, no doubt. Kadri didn't have a good game last night. I really want to see Kadri hold on to the puck a bit more. He's playing it too safe. He's not creating or dishing out the puck to his wingers

He doesn't have that luxury. He has to be top notch every night or else he can't break in. What he needed last night was a multi point game or something to distinguish himself. He laid an egg.

 

[dirty stanchion]

Take THAT screaming lady!

28 people in the crowd, and the mic is set up right under crazy lady's chin.

Welcome to the pond, mofos.

 

[thewave]

28 people in the crowd, and the mic is set up right under crazy lady's chin.

Welcome to the pond, mofos.

OooooooAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

...Too late at night for me.

 

[Trapper]

At the beginning of this year Plan A seemed to be Matthews, Kadri and Nylander (eventually) as Leafs 1-3 Centres.

Now maybe Plan B might be Matthews, Kadri and Marleau at C.

However yesterday Babs was interview and said Marleau was not brought in as C but a winger and that this is a short term solution only while some other players are struggling. He claimed as C Marleau doesn't get the same goal scoring opportunities when is the playmaker in the middle, and takes on the finisher role as a winger.

Yes it appears out of dire necessity, Marleau is playing center at the moment. As stated, that's not where Babs wants him long term. If that's the case and Nylander does not move to C, I maintain we should be addressing the 3C position long term. We need a defensive minded speedy center who is able to keep up with skill and provide some offense. If Bozak was stronger, obviously he and Marner would still be on the 3rd line position. Unfortunately neither can help the other out with this and when you add JVR, we get outscored badly. We need an Anisimov/Dubinsky/Hanzel type 3C. Not these guys due to salary but along that mindset. Even Tierney (if available) as some have suggested.

 

[member 262271]

Hey, a win! Cool.

 

[Brock Radunske]

I'm happy to stop the skid but the Leafs still didn't look very good.
They should have beat up on a severely depleted Ducks team. I doubt Babs is happy despite the two points.

 

[weems]

I'm happy to stop the skid but the Leafs still didn't look very good.
They should have beat up on a severely depleted Ducks team. I doubt Babs is happy despite the two points.

The most positive thing from last nights win was the entire team was moving its feet and were engaged the entire game.

This team needs to show up every night, skate and compete if they want to be a really good team because its a team built on speed/skill and its depth.

Tonight will be a much tougher test and if they dont come with the same effort as last night they will lose.

 

[MJ65]

Game in six minutes - Courtesy Leafs TV

 

[MJ65]

Mike Babcock post game comments - Courtesy Leafs TV

 

[Kiwi]

i get that you hate him and everything. but at least be fair in the fact that a good part of the problem is that he barely had a camp and everyone has what? 11+ games and he had like 3. I'm not saying had he had a full camp and the same amount of games he'd be fleet of foot and an amazing player but honestly a tiny bit of leeway needs to be deployed sometimes.

We shoe horned him onto the team, he was awful, the team played horrendously especially defensively and Polak's partner looked below replacement level about the same time Polak came back onto the team

I know your inclined towards managements view most of the time but for a coach who just said he picked his team on merit this is a joke and for a team that's trying to win games this is mind numbing

I have eyes, Polak was bad last season and he's worse now, that's some sort of bad

 

[Daisy Jane]

We shoe horned him onto the team, he was awful, the team played horrendously especially defensively and Polak's partner looked below replacement level about the same time Polak came back onto the team

I know your inclined towards managements view most of the time but for a coach who just said he picked his team on merit this is a joke and for a team that's trying to win games this is mind numbing

I have eyes, Polak was bad last season and he's worse now, that's some sort of bad

i'm not. i would have (have done, and will continue) to say this about the majority of players in this situation. if you had a bad injury, miss most of camp and most of the season you're going to look 'bad' if you're not an elite player or just incredibly lucky. Note, I didn't say you didn't have to like him or he's justified on being the team or anything like that - simply stated that a lot of people NOT named Polak would have the exact same issues and drag down the play due to having coming back to game speed. I didn't say you were wrong or you didn't have eyes. But flipping duh he's worse now. He MISSED. CAMP. AND SEVEN GAMES. and he's old and not fast anyway. All I said was a little leeway in that regard would be nice. Which - quite frankly a majority of people here tend not to do - regarding most anything. (probably me too, so again i'm not holding myself above anyone).

I have never met a coach that says the exact same thing - building a team based on merit - yet doesn't have some sort of pet, or that player that makes utterly no sense of why they are on the team, other than that's their pet, or they just trust him even though every metric says other wise. It's like complaining why the sky is blue and the sun rises in the east. It just is. And to say that then they shouldn't say it - well. that's a horse of a different colour and quite frankly I don't think it would change one thing or the other anyway.