Post-Game Talk: Leafs win 2-1 in OT

[Lauro]

Ian Tulluch on the coaching staff in this game.

It boggles my mind that a team as talented as Toronto can play in such boring games. I understand the desire to tighten things up defensively, but that doesn’t need to come at the expense of leaning into your strengths (playing with pace, activating your D off the breakout, counter-attacking off the rush). We didn’t see any of that from Toronto in this game (until Matthews decided to singlehandedly take over every shift in the third). Watching how Barrie has been used this year, the team’s current style of play doesn’t seem like a way to get the most out of a roster predicated on speed and skill.
Another quick thing: Dermott plays incredibly in his last game, and his reward? Eight minutes and forty-five seconds of ice time. I’m not sure what the issue is here, but someone needs to give this guy more minutes.

The frustrating part is the coaching staff seems to be pulling them in the other direction (trying to tighten things up defensively, but it’s been coming at the expense of offence). Now, I completely understand the desire to address the Leafs’ defensive issues, but if you’re neutering your team’s offence to accomplish it, that’s not exactly fixing things.
The Leafs need to find a way to extract the most value out of their roster, and they’re not going to achieve that by playing like the Minnesota Wild. This is a team built on speed and skill. If the coaching staff can’t find a way to lean into those strengths (like they did in March and April last season), they might not be around much longer.

He's right. Looking to improve defensively is nice, but we are not winning with this style in the playoffs. This roster just isn't suited for it.

We are at the beginning of November though and it's a good time to tighten things up defensively, concentrate on this part of the game. They'll unleash the offence soon enough, but based on better defense.
He's right on the Dermott part.

 

[Hustlr]

You demand it hey? LOL cute, guess what, you can demand it all you want, you wont get it. Thats not how it works.

You people never learn. I call out Kapanen game 1, takes you all 5 games. I call out Barrie game 1, took you long enough. Here we are... Tavares needs to pick his **** up and OT was a good start. Point is, my eyes work fine and I know hockey just as well as the next person. You might not appreciate my brash tone but if you read my posts I think you’ll find honesty and logic for the most part.

 

[Warden of the North]

Ian Tulluch on the coaching staff in this game.

It boggles my mind that a team as talented as Toronto can play in such boring games. I understand the desire to tighten things up defensively, but that doesn’t need to come at the expense of leaning into your strengths (playing with pace, activating your D off the breakout, counter-attacking off the rush). We didn’t see any of that from Toronto in this game (until Matthews decided to singlehandedly take over every shift in the third). Watching how Barrie has been used this year, the team’s current style of play doesn’t seem like a way to get the most out of a roster predicated on speed and skill.
Another quick thing: Dermott plays incredibly in his last game, and his reward? Eight minutes and forty-five seconds of ice time. I’m not sure what the issue is here, but someone needs to give this guy more minutes.

The frustrating part is the coaching staff seems to be pulling them in the other direction (trying to tighten things up defensively, but it’s been coming at the expense of offence). Now, I completely understand the desire to address the Leafs’ defensive issues, but if you’re neutering your team’s offence to accomplish it, that’s not exactly fixing things.
The Leafs need to find a way to extract the most value out of their roster, and they’re not going to achieve that by playing like the Minnesota Wild. This is a team built on speed and skill. If the coaching staff can’t find a way to lean into those strengths (like they did in March and April last season), they might not be around much longer.

He's right. Looking to improve defensively is nice, but we are not winning with this style in the playoffs. This roster just isn't suited for it.

Mike Babcock turned the Canadian Olympic team into a 2-1 lockdown team.

Dont you remember the thrilling defensive gems against Latvia or wherever? 2-1

 

[sparxx87]

Mike Babcock turned the Canadian Olympic team into a 2-1 lockdown team.

Dont you remember the thrilling defensive gems against Latvia or wherever? 2-1

It was beautiful to watch.


Also, watched this video for the first time. Didn’t realize Freddy Mercury sung the goal song.

 

[Terrible GM]

Mike Babcock turned the Canadian Olympic team into a 2-1 lockdown team.

Dont you remember the thrilling defensive gems against Latvia or wherever? 2-1

I remember those Sochi games and was amazed how great that team played as a whole. Low scoring, but man they were like a well oiled machine defensively. If the Leafs could play half as well as Team Canada did I would be a happy man. I'm obviously ignoring 3rd/4th line depth, just speaking of buy in to the system with positional perfect forwards ready for an outlet pass from the D man out of the D zone, push the O zone, and back quickly to cover the neutral zone and d zone entry. Low scoring, low event... but just memorizing to watch IMO.

 

[horner]

Anderson stole the game.
As long as Anderson plays lights out goaltending we have a chance to win.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

It was beautiful to watch.


Also, watched this video for the first time. Didn’t realize Freddy Mercury sung the goal song.

 

[hoglund]

Andersen was great, I wouldn't say that he stole the game because the shots on net were pretty even (37-35). Andersen played well and so did Subban. The Leafs need to cut down on shots allowed, it's nice to see some games where the goaltending is good, they lost a couple in October because it wasn't.

 

[Nineteen67]

GMs don't get to pick the schedule. The Leafs have shown a preference for Tues/Thurs/Sat night @7pm my entire life and are majority owned by Bell & Rogers. Blaming Dubas for the schedule is a thanks Obama meme.

That’s not what the former GM said on the NHL network last night. I’m not blaming I’m asking what concession the Leafs got

 

[Gary Nylund]

Three wins in a row is always good, Andersen is great and Matthews is showing signs of playing the way we need him to play.

The big picture still isn't pretty, the PP is an embarrassment and we still haven't beat a good team in regulation this season. It'll happen one of these days I guess.

 

[Nineteen67]

You people never learn. I call out Kapanen game 1, takes you all 5 games. I call out Barrie game 1, took you long enough. Here we are... Tavares needs to pick his **** up and OT was a good start. Point is, my eyes work fine and I know hockey just as well as the next person. You might not appreciate my brash tone but if you read my posts I think you’ll find honesty and logic for the most part.

Tavares wasn’t very noticeable on offence most of the game. I watched the VGK broadcast and I didn’t hear his name very often even with all the PP the Leafs had.

 

[Swedish Gretzky]

I hope you actually saw that play. He flailed his stick at the puck and Matthews came down and scooped it up, skated back up, then proceeded to score. Not even sure if he touched it tbh.

And an 11M dollar player showing up looks a lot more like Matthews tonight.

Someone dig me up a clip of JT doing something in the first 60, please.

Why are you criticizing Tavares of all players? He's a franchise centreman.

He isn't playing his best hockey and he won't be for the next at least couple of weeks. He has a broken index finger yet scored the game winner

Name me 20 other current centres you would rather have and why. Ill wait and Ill laugh at your response

 

[saltming]

Interesting though
Big Mike B just said in his presser that he said for everyone to start having fun on the Pp and then this paraphrasing “ doing the things we are supposed to do “
Doesn’t sound like they did the things they were supposed to do ? According to AM
Very interesting , both saying two different things ?
They’ve had it with this structured approach that doesn’t match their talent and skill and free flowing style

I took it the other way
Coaches set up the play, ie. Where everyone starts on the pp, then the coaches say from there have fun, do what's natural. You guys are too tight on out there.
Players are getting it

 

[Nineteen67]

Three wins in a row is always good, Andersen is great and Matthews is showing signs of playing the way we need him to play.

The big picture still isn't pretty, the PP is an embarrassment and we still haven't beat a good team in regulation this season. It'll happen one of these days I guess.

Winning ugly and getting points is all they have to do to get to the playoffs. However, if that was a playoff game they’d be hard pressed to win that game.
Thankfully, Vegas and their cycle provided some entertainment but they’ve recently lost a step in their game.

 

[Nineteen67]

Why are you criticizing Tavares of all players? He's a franchise centreman.

He isn't playing his best hockey and he won't be for the next at least couple of weeks. He has a broken index finger yet scored the game winner

Name me 20 other current centres you would rather have and why. Ill wait and Ill laugh at your response

Twenty?

 

[The Podium]

Why do you and the gals you work with think they approved the three games against Montreal? Why did Minny approve their schedule? Do y’all think they made some other concessions?

I’m pretty sure the GM has very little say in scheduling at all, especially in Toronto where there has been a standard Tuesday Thursday Saturday format for almost my entire life. If someone had a say, it would likely be the president (Shanny) not Dubas. Also if you want concessions, the Leafs have a very easy schedule to end the year and it’s better to play Montreal on the back half than, for example, Boston

 

[Faltorvo]

Mike Babcock turned the Canadian Olympic team into a 2-1 lockdown team.

Dont you remember the thrilling defensive gems against Latvia or wherever? 2-1

and they won gold

 

[DarkKnight]

It’s common logic that if your PK and PP percentage don’t add up to 100, then you have a problem. I suppose the good news, we are still on a plus one hundred point pace and our’s adds up to a lowly 94.6.

The PK looks to be coming around, Reilly has helped of late. Also, I like Marner and Mikheyev together, seem to make a good tandem.

Our PP has to get better, too much talent to stay this maddening. Bodes well for future propsects, that we’re still winning despite the special teams.

 

[Riellyfan04]

I think 3 games win streak is a wakeup call for our team and now. Hyman is back, we have our full roster. Anderson has been lights out aswell in last 2 or 3 games.... Lets hope we play to our standards from now on!

 

[Nineteen67]

I’m pretty sure the GM has very little say in scheduling at all, especially in Toronto where there has been a standard Tuesday Thursday Saturday format for almost my entire life. If someone had a say, it would likely be the president (Shanny) not Dubas. Also if you want concessions, the Leafs have a very easy schedule to end the year and it’s better to play Montreal on the back half than, for example, Boston

Again that’s not what the former GM Brian Lawton said last night which lines up with what I’ve heard in the past.

I get the Tues Thurs Sat deal but for some reason the Leafs still play Montreal on the back end of B2B three times, which seems like it’s a disadvantage to the Leafs. Maybe they were presented with a schedule where they played Boston on the back end of B2B , we don’t know.
They seem to have a lighter or more balanced schedule in the second half of the season and that may bode well for making the playoffs and being properly rested. .

 

[GoonieFace]

I took it the other way
Coaches set up the play, ie. Where everyone starts on the pp, then the coaches say from there have fun, do what's natural. You guys are too tight on out there.
Players are getting it

Not sure why people dont get this. The basic structure is there, similar to basketball. You need to improvise though when things are not working. Thats on the players to make that adjustment on the ice, they need to read and react, not rocket science.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Our PP has to get better, too much talent to stay this maddening. Bodes well for future propsects, that we’re still winning despite the special teams.

One hand, maybe it does bode well - get our special teams going and that will help a ton. On the other hand, our PP was just so bad last year and in the playoffs our PK was a joke so I'm not sure how confident we can be that they will get it figured out.

 

[saltming]

Not sure why people dont get this. The basic structure is there, similar to basketball. You need to improvise though when things are not working. Thats on the players to make that adjustment on the ice, they need to read and react, not rocket science.

I think it's the conformation bias. People see what they want to see, but as you said, in sports there is a structure to start with, then you need to free flow.

 

[saltming]

One hand, maybe it does bode well - get our special teams going and that will help a ton. On the other hand, our PP was just so bad last year and in the playoffs our PK was a joke so I'm not sure how confident we can be that they will get it figured out.

Most importantly the team needs to get hot "at the right time"

 

[rumman]

Three wins in a row is always good, Andersen is great and Matthews is showing signs of playing the way we need him to play.

The big picture still isn't pretty, the PP is an embarrassment and we still haven't beat a good team in regulation this season. It'll happen one of these days I guess.

good assessment of how things stand.