Post-Game Talk: Leafs win a Barn Burner complete the COMEBACK

[BertCorbeau]

Freddy has been posting a .750 sv% range over the last 3 games.

The way he was playing the puck in this game it looked like rookie nerves as his confidence is real low at present.

With such few games remaining in the season, I'm a little concerned.

 

[Mess]

With such few games remaining in the season, I'm a little concerned.

Freddy is going to need to be our best player in the playoffs for Leafs to have any hope of a longer run.

 

[baudib1]

Also think it's funny you are all down on Babcock. Try 6 years of Berube/Hakstol/Gordon where no one thinks you should really try to possess the puck.

Again, good luck, really cannot stand the Bruins and love A LOT of your players.

 

[stickty111]

Let's discuss that when he scores 32 goals two years in a row.

Do you really want to compare Kadri at 18-22 vs Nylander at 18-22?
Nylander completely crushes him, as he is right now.

 

[zeke]

Freddy is going to need to be our best player in the playoffs for Leafs to have any hope of a longer run.

a lesser leafs team came this close to upsetting the bruins last year with Freddy stinking up the joint.

 

[BayStreetBully]

I miss seeing JVR in a Leafs uniform. No regrets with letting him go in a cap world, but I’m thrilled he’s still playing well in Philly.

 

[zeke]

Also think it's funny you are all down on Babcock. Try 6 years of Berube/Hakstol/Gordon where no one thinks you should really try to possess the puck.

Again, good luck, really cannot stand the Bruins and love A LOT of your players.

hakstol was an underrated coach sabotaged by horrific goaltending and overrated dmen.

 

[Blufreezy]

Also think it's funny you are all down on Babcock. Try 6 years of Berube/Hakstol/Gordon where no one thinks you should really try to possess the puck.

Again, good luck, really cannot stand the Bruins and love A LOT of your players.

Every coach makes questionable decisions.. People around tend to forget where we came from. A lot of people (HF in general, re: main boards) also can't form their own opinion/reasoning so they relay others as their own. Last night someone literally ripped into Babcock for not playing Matthews in the last 1:40. Matthews was on the ice during that time and lost a face off for the second time that night which directly resulted in the Flyer's 6th goal.
But yeah, it's Babcock's fault for not playing him.

 

[ULF_55]

Complete opposite. In fact Nylander has been the most consistent Skilled Leaf forward in the compete department since the allstar break... Tendencies is that both Nylander and Matthews start to coast and play more of skilled thinking game when together that's why they had Hyman with them for 2 years but people still don't get or listen to Babcock in what he says. There's a method to his madness and we are so lucky to have him as a head coach to grow these top end young talent into complete players.

Was with you until this point.

I'm not saying Babcock is a bad coach.

However, Babcock's reputation IMO is overblown due to being on a couple very good teams, both of whom won the Cup without him.
He won other championships on loaded teams.
Mike Babcock Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Of course it isn't his fault the GM's built great teams he coached.

Probably quite a few coaches would do a good job with the talent on this Leafs team.

Darned if he does and darned if he doesn't ... I know.

 

[ULF_55]

Willy works so much better with Matthews then Kapanen does. Its not even close.

Kapanen is really a north-south player. He's an asset you really want to hold onto.

Nylander is north-south-east-west, with a preference to set up someone other than himself, and yet he has a very good shot. He still needs to get more confidence in that shot and should at that point elevate his results.

 

[Zybalto]

STATS
Plus/Minus Rating Leaders - All Players

#1 . Ron Hainsey @ +33

2018-19 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders - Points - National Hockey League - ESPN

Ron Hainsey is tied for the best +/- in the entire NHL this year... 33 more goals have gone in the opposition net than Leaf own when Hainsey is on the ice at ES.

These are the kinds of players a coach turns to when preventing goals against is the objective.

While fully aware of the limitations of +/-, Hainsey has actually turned his season around in my eyes after a very tough stretch at the end of 2018.

Looking at things since the Muzzin trade, hes been a solid defensive player against some of the toughest comp and it's a no brainer to have him on the ice at the end.

As for his partner at the end, all the analytics say to play Zaitsev who pulls off the crazy trick of being by far the least sheltered dman on the team at the same time as giving up the fewest high danger chances/60 and is now one of the best shot blocking dmen in the league.

The dman who gives up the most chances on the team?

Morgan Rielly.

Not a slam on him but peeps around here do tend to play favorites....and I'd much rather see Zaitsev/Hainsey out there at the end eating rubber than Rielly anyways and not just because they are better at it.

It's pretty hfboards Leafs to be complaining about something they are actually good at too. Zaitsev/Hainsey spearhead the best end of game shutdown team in the league and people are crying about it?

Whatever....

 

[Menzinger]

With such few games remaining in the season, I'm a little concerned.

If he’s going to have a bit of a funk, I’d rather he try and get it out of his system now.

 

[ULF_55]

While fully aware of the limitations of +/-, Hainsey has actually turned his season around in my eyes after a very tough stretch at the end of 2018.

Looking at things since the Muzzin trade, hes been a solid defensive player against some of the toughest comp and it's a no brainer to have him on the ice at the end.

As for his partner at the end, all the analytics say to play Zaitsev who pulls off the crazy trick of being by far the least sheltered dman on the team at the same time as giving up the fewest high danger chances/60 and is now one of the best shot blocking dmen in the league.

The dman who gives up the most chances on the team?

Morgan Rielly.

Not a slam on him but peeps around here do tend to play favorites....and I'd much rather see Zaitsev/Hainsey out there at the end eating rubber than Rielly anyways and not just because they are better at it.

It's pretty hfboards Leafs to be complaining about something they are actually good at too. Zaitsev/Hainsey spearhead the best end of game shutdown team in the league and people are crying about it?

Whatever....

I'm holding high expectations that Sandin is going to be the real deal out of all their defensemen.

 

[Koolboss]

Do you really want to compare Kadri at 18-22 vs Nylander at 18-22?
Nylander completely crushes him, as he is right now.

Lets not compare Matt Frattin to Austin Matthews as a line mate

 

[Dale Gribble]

Yes, the dork happened to be 100% correct! However, what makes him a dork, is waiting so long to put Nylander back with Matthews!

And if Kapanen was healthy, the wait probably would've been even longer.

 

[uncleben]

WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!

The M's on this team really showed up. Marleau, Muzzin, Marincin, and Matthews all had fantastic games.

If only Mandersen was in net!

 

[AreBe]

Do you really want to compare Kadri at 18-22 vs Nylander at 18-22?
Nylander completely crushes him, as he is right now.

All of this skill the Leafs have assembled has the anti-intellectual members of Leafs Nation verklempt

Nylander clearly superior! Nylander? Wowlander! A thinking man's player, has fans knitting thier brow

Dinanours just have to lump it- it's a skills game now. Trying to score from the penalty box no longer a winning strategy and thinking so must be met with contempt

Too much Wowlander, Johnsson, Matthews , Kappanen? No way! No how!

 

[Throw More Waffles]

That was maybe the most fun roller coaster ride of a game all season.
Sure... it was also frustrating at times. But was fun as hell.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

I said in our GDT that if you added four fights and 3 misconducts you'd have a game from the 1980s, especially a Toronto game.

Well Sanheim and Johnsson got slashing penalties, so by Leaf standards that was rough game.

No, Hextall/Potvin end of game fight, no fan in the penalty box with Domi. Things have changed.

 

[Mess]

While fully aware of the limitations of +/-, Hainsey has actually turned his season around in my eyes after a very tough stretch at the end of 2018.

It's pretty hfboards Leafs to be complaining about something they are actually good at too. Zaitsev/Hainsey spearhead the best end of game shutdown team in the league and people are crying about it?

Whatever....

Its pretty odd is'n't it?

The guy that leads the NHL in +/- is being criticized for his play and icetime when he his helping not hurting Leafs cause for success.

 

[Trapper]

Its pretty odd is'n't it?

The guy that leads the NHL in +/- is being criticized for his play and icetime when he his helping not hurting Leafs cause for success.

The extra problem with our D around Rielly is that they are either unproven or not long term solutions.
And at some point you have to overhaul the D and sink some money into it.

 

[BertCorbeau]

The extra problem with our D around Rielly is that they are either unproven or not long term solutions.
And at some point you have to overhaul the D and sink some money into it.

The future Leafs d-core will almost entirely depend on the development of Dermott, Sandin, and Lily .. They have other intriguing names but those are the 3 big ones that they're counting on becoming solid top 4 contributors.

All three are tracking quite well in their development so I do not believe the Leafs need to make any rash moves that would harm them cap-wise and block those guys from getting chances in the NHL. Trades are still possible but also very hard to predict.

The only money I'd look to heavily invest in at this point would be an extension of Muzzin. I would also try to lock Dermott up for the long term at a bargain value this off-season as well, but that is probably less likely to happen.

They need to start by unloading Zaitsev before July 1st. They then need to have Dermott in the top 4 next season (IMO) and find a stop gap top 4 d-man in the interim for 1-2 years to see how Sandin/Lily develop.

 

[PromisedLand]

Yeah, the only super-robot we have is Ronald J. Hainsey, apparently.

Last 3 minutes of the game:

Hainsey: 57:21-1:00 (2:39)
Rielly: 57:21-58:26 (1:05) - Zaitsev: 58:26-1:00 (1:34)
Muzzin: 0:00

right with a 2 goal lead with 2 mins to go on a first game with a back to back we should clearly overplay the D-man who have already clocked in almost 26 mins (Rielly) or should have plaed the third pair of marincin and holl

LOL

your posts are out of context and are a hilariously funny. what a freakin' JOKE

 

[Kiwi]

Lets not compare Matt Frattin to Austin Matthews as a line mate

Let's not forget who's putting the puck on Matthews stick in high danger areas either

Since Nylander joined that line it's been unbelievably good, that's not a coincidence

 

[zeke]

right with a 2 goal lead with 2 mins to go on a first game with a back to back we should clearly overplay the D-man who have already clocked in almost 26 mins (Rielly) or should have plaed the third pair of marincin and holl

LOL

your posts are out of context and are a hilariously funny. what a freakin' JOKE

right with a 2 goal lead with 2 mins to go on a first game with a back to back we should clearly overplay the D-man who have already clocked in almost 26 mins (Rielly) or should have plaed the third pair of marincin and holl

LOL

your posts are out of context and are a hilariously funny. what a freakin' JOKE

heh you are adorbs.

"nobody can play 2-3 minute shifts you
dummy!"

"but hainsey playing a 2-3 minute shift is exactly what I'm talking about"

"lol u r joke!!"