Post-Game Talk: Leafs winn 4-2

[Mugzy97]

Wasn't really directed at you. My opinion doesn't change based on a game or two, we seem to swing back and forth too quick, rather look at a body of work. He was 1-6, about time he got a W is the way I look at.

That's true, he's still 8-7-1 on the year. Not bad considering he's a rookie backup playing the back half of back-to-backs all of the time and having a slumping team for the last while. There's definitely room for improvement, I just don't think that people taking shots at him in the GDT is deserved.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

- Sparks put up a solid game after calling out team
- The big guns came to play
- The effort was great all game

Oz and Holl each got under 10 minutes. The rest of the blueline had 23+ minutes.

Marner led forwards with 22 minutes

Babcock read this forum

 

[Blanche Blanche]

Sparks

2 points

Sparks needs to be photoshopped in that

 

[Bluelines]

It's not a surprise that you cherry pick Mcelhinney's best season of all time to go with your agenda. Mac's career average is .910 and Sparks is playing at a .903... Not much of a difference there, except age.

I didn't cherry pick anything, I took both goalies most recent seasons with the Leafs. For most reasonable people that would be the most common sense approach, because this years Leafs team is the closest comparable to last years team. Similar rosters, similar systems. I can compare their stats from this season if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

Sparks is a terrible goalie and he is the reason we wont have home ice this year.

 

[Mugzy97]

Sparks is a terrible goalie and he is the reason we wont have home ice this year.

Simply not true.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Simply not true.

Yeah I'd rather blame not playing the first 10 minutes or so of about 55-60 games this year and not our goalies

 

[horner]

Nylander was our best player. He is so ****ing good.
Sparks delivered. It was great to see.

Are you f***ing kidding
Nylander the best .
You must have missed Mathews ????

 

[horner]

Omg, Matthews says hi.

I agree.

Nylander was get on the perimeter.

 

[ShaneFalco]

That's the team I want to see more of!!

 

[The90]

Are you ****ing kidding
Nylander the best .
You must have missed Mathews ????

Lol. What a good argument to have. Tavares was flying last night too. If the top 2 lines continue to drive the play as they have, they’ll be a tough team to beat

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Lol. What a good argument to have. Tavares was flying last night too. If the top 2 lines continue to drive the play as they have, they’ll be a tough team to beat

Honestly!
Nights like this are the reason why we were so excited at the start of the season.

 

[ACC1224]

Whaddya know, this team is capable of playing well even without adding some more depth Dmen, good to know.

Keep it up Auston, if you play like that every night this team could go places!

 

[Gary Nylund]

The playoffs will be the big test.
I understand that in an 82 game season there are going to be no shows.
I would expect about 60 games of excellence from each of the 4.

But the playoffs, whoever doesn’t play like we just played Buffalo (aggressive, speed, behind the D, 50/50 puck battles, physically engaged) can get out.

No doubt about it, at least as far as I'm concerned. Nylander, Andersen, Matthews, Kadri and the whole gang, every single player will be judged by how they do in the playoffs, period. I think we can all agree that barring a slew of injuries, we'll be in the playoffs every year for many years to come. It also goes without saying that getting there is not enough, we need playoff success and we need it sooner as opposed to later. I also don't GAF who our opponents are, it's time to start putting together some wins resulting in series wins in the playoffs, that's what it's all about. And if we keep failing there, no amount of regular season success be it team or individual success will be enough to make up for it.

I hope our guys are ready to leave it all out there in April, nothing less will be acceptable!

 

[GoonieFace]

Lets see this effort against a real NHL team before the warm and fuzzy feelings come back

 

[ShaneFalco]

THAT was Austin Matthews last night
He plays like that and ignites everyone around him
It gives me hope....

 

[Romkey]

I find hes usually pretty invisible. Then he takes a few shots and scores. He doesnt usually take games over from what I've seen.

I was at the game and some Sabre fan was chanting "Eichel's better" then Matthews scored and I didn't hear another peep from him

 

[ShaneFalco]

Brown didn't see much ice time but played well and physical. Good on him

 

[rumman]

I'm not a big fan of pitting Leafs players against each other but I've heard lots of stuff lately about how Marner may be better than Matthews and I can understand where it comes from, but when the version of Matthews we've seen the last 2 games shows up, he is honestly a cut above Marner. Extremely few players around the league can match a 100% Matthews, he is seriously special.

so far in their NHL careers I'd say Marner is far more consistent in his "work ethic" than Mathews is, however when Mathews works hard it's difficult to say he isn't the better player. Mathews needs to find that effort game in, game out then he'd be truly be a force to reckon with.

 

[Bluelines]

Simply not true.

Same amount of games played, Mc had 6 more points, we are 6 points back of Boston with the tiebreaker in our back pocket. Seems like a pretty easy conclusion for most people to make.

 

[rumman]

Nylander was our best player. He is so ****ing good.
Sparks delivered. It was great to see.

I don't know what game you were watching, but Mathews was by far the most dominant player on the ice last game.

 

[I Believe]

Happy with the effort on the back to back. We usually aren't very good in the 2nd game.

Matthews looking real good the last few games.

 

[Bluelines]

I don't know what game you were watching, but Mathews was by far the most dominant player on the ice last game.

Feels like Willie and Matthews have something going, they have both played much better the last few games.

 

[DarkKnight]

Kap had a really good game, the Kadri line lived in their zone.

 

[rumman]

Willie should be a point per game player to earn his contract, particularly playing with Matthews. Every play doesn't equate to a "bargain" discussion, in fact it merely means "earning his keep". Why exaggerate, he's getting a big ticket, he's supposed to produce, when he does no need to over hype it. Every single time Willie gets a point there is a barrage of bargain posts, maybe it counters the hatefest, but it's just as irrelevant to reality. People way too polarized it seems. He has 6 assists his last 7 games, playing with a man possessed, fine.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Same amount of games played, Mc had 6 more points, we are 6 points back of Boston with the tiebreaker in our back pocket. Seems like a pretty easy conclusion for most people to make.

Sparks got the loss for that Blackhawks game for giving up 1 goal when we lost 5-4. Sparks has been fine and he's not the first, second, or third reason why we're behind Boston in the standings.

 

[Trapper]

No doubt about it, at least as far as I'm concerned. Nylander, Andersen, Matthews, Kadri and the whole gang, every single player will be judged by how they do in the playoffs, period. I think we can all agree that barring a slew of injuries, we'll be in the playoffs every year for many years to come. It also goes without saying that getting there is not enough, we need playoff success and we need it sooner as opposed to later. I also don't GAF who our opponents are, it's time to start putting together some wins resulting in series wins in the playoffs, that's what it's all about. And if we keep failing there, no amount of regular season success be it team or individual success will be enough to make up for it.

I hope our guys are ready to leave it all out there in April, nothing less will be acceptable!

I think we can put to rest what the new age definition of physical is by watching last nights game. There is no reason not to maintain an aggressive pace, finish the check on the man (doesn’t need to put them through the boards) and use your body in addition to your stick to 50/50 battle.

Now it was only Buffalo so we need to maintain this style of play as we move up to better competition.

None of us want to lose but we can accept losing to a team that is further along at this time if that style of play and effort is present.

Last night is the team I want.