Post-Game Talk: Put another touchdown on the board! .. Wait what sport is this? (Leafs win 7-4)

[Magic16Mitch]

The defense is garbage, but otherwise yes!

Dubas! Get on the line with Carolina and get us a top 4 defender to play with Rielly!!

None of Rielly, Dermott, Zaitsev, Gardiner is "garbage". Our defensive problem isn't just on individual level. It is very hard to have elite defenders when you are STACKED on offense anyway as we have a cap to consider. Lucky us though as offense is more important than defence i todays NHL.

 

[Raym11]

I think it's obvious if/when Nylander is back, Babcock is gonna make him run the gauntlet to get back on the top line. 4th line Willy will be almost a guarantee to start. I don't see him taking Kapanens spot until Kap struggles

 

[Notsince67]

So tomorrow... league leaders. . And yes... it's only 4 games and mostly all teams have played fewer games but

It'll basically be

1. Matthews 7 goals 3 assists
2. Reilly 2 goals 8 assists
3. Marner 2 goals 6 assists

Oh yeah and JT in the top 10 with 6 goals 0 assists..


Pretty crazy

If someone showed me this before the season, I would have guessed it was after game 15. I'd hate to see them go when they get warmed up into the season

 

[Mr Hockey]

i missed the game ... looks like we are going to do it like the Gretzky Oilers days lol

 

[Liminality]

I thought Hyman for sure deserved an assist on Marner's first goal, NHL.com shows it as unassisted.

Another dominant offensive performance. Also, Tavares could have had a hattrick if that Matthews tip went in off him (It was very close).

 

[BertCorbeau]

i missed the game ... looks like we are going to do it like the Gretzky Oilers days lol

I mean I would take those results in a heartbeat

 

[Canada4Gold]

Tavares has played 4 games. In those 4 games he's scored 0, 1, 2, and 3 goals. So...Thursday he's going to score 4?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Matthews and Tavares are exactly what we thought they would be

 

[Rob Brown]

I think it's obvious if/when Nylander is back, Babcock is gonna make him run the gauntlet to get back on the top line. 4th line Willy will be almost a guarantee to start. I don't see him taking Kapanens spot until Kap struggles

This.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Whatever we are today, will be even better with Nylander.

Yes, we would be even more lethal offensively, but we could arguably be a better team without Nylander and with another top 4 defenceman.

When things start to tighten up, having that extra reliable defenceman to log heavy minutes will be more valuable to this team as currently constructed.

 

[Raym11]

Kadri looks like he might be due for a bit of a come down production wise. Just not really in the role to be producing 5 on 5 on a regular basis.

he does this every season though and still ends up with 25+. Not worried in the slightest about Kadri. Once the lines are figured out and he finds his way he will be close to 30 again, that is unless the 1st PP unit scores every single time lol.

 

[ThewThew]

King Matthews !!!

And Hyman was really good tonight, he is proving me wrong.

 

[Notsince67]

-Zach Hyman's ****ing sucked this year (I don't care if he beat friggin Mark Methot for an assist today). His hands seem to have gotten worse and he's not skating as fast or winning board battles or hustling. I'd say even Tyler Ennis would be better on that 2nd line at the moment, at least Ennis has some hands and can make a pass or carry the puck even if his finishing isn't the best. If he keeps playing like this then he needs a 4th line demotion especially when Nylander comes back otherwise he'll end up making Kadri's line even worse.

-Our dmen are **** at covering rebounds but I really like how the Stars take shots from sharp angles to get those rebounds to begin with, wish we did that.

-Lindholm has been meh. I think he's too weak and falls a lot and isn't particularly good offensively. But we've had worse 4th liners, I'd be curious how he looks higher up the line-up though.

-3rd period neutral zone trapping was sexy to watch, they also did a much better job of blocking passes today.

You must be great at parties

 

[Cleetus]

I think it's obvious if/when Nylander is back, Babcock is gonna make him run the gauntlet to get back on the top line. 4th line Willy will be almost a guarantee to start. I don't see him taking Kapanens spot until Kap struggles

yup I agree and its the right thing to do, the other guys worked hard in camp and deserve to get the minutes

 

[Faltorvo]

I think it's obvious if/when Nylander is back, Babcock is gonna make him run the gauntlet to get back on the top line. 4th line Willy will be almost a guarantee to start. I don't see him taking Kapanens spot until Kap struggles

melander ain't never ever getting his slot back beside matty

it's over that boat has sailed, BOOK IT

 

[Havoc]

Yes, we would be even more lethal offensively, but we could arguably be a better team without Nylander and with another top 4 defenceman.

When things start to tighten up, having that extra reliable defenceman to log heavy minutes will be more valuable to this team as currently constructed.

Possibly but it's only been 4 games. Recall last two seasons Nylander alongside Matthews is a top 10 forward in the whole league when unchecked....then after 10 or so games teams do all their scientific calculations and strategies and zone him out.

We need to see how Kapanen responds to this before we can conclude he can replace Nylander on the top line. There's a storm coming for him he will have to get through.

 

[Magic16Mitch]

7 is too much. Stop it.

You will not like what we are going to have to pay Marner. You also need to study economics, 7 (a little lower maybe) for Nylander is an absolutely fair number. As the cap increase, players of the same level are going to sign contracts of increasing value every year. You could hope he sign a similar contract as Ehlers, Pastrnak but those contracts are absolute steals and signed earlier.

 

[Liminality]

King Matthews !!!

And Hyman was really good tonight, he is proving me wrong.

He's not always obvious in the ways he's disturbing the opponents play but tonight he was super apparent. He was everywhere and did a great job.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Help me understand why so many people want Nylander to play with Kadri when he comes back. I understand people wanting to get Nazem going, but why not give him two skilled players who can skate in Marleau and maybe Ennis, and let them simply be what they are... A highly competent 3rd line.

Toronto has the chance to ice possibly the best line in the NHL for a number of years in Kapanen / Matthews / Nylander… I don't see why you don't do it. If it means Kadri scores 22 goals this year instead of 30, but Matthews scores 50+ and both his linemates are 20+ with 70 and 60 points respectfully, who cares?

 

[mammothCacti]

Re-posting a little HF erotica from earlier in the day. Enjoy!

It was a frosty November afternoon. Kyle Dubas - too young and naïve for the position that he currently holds – sits in a rocking chair while sipping a cup of Earl Gray tea. Earl Gray is his favourite.

“What have I done?” says Kyle. “I told them that we can and we will!. Now the HFboards posters are dragging my beloved name through the mud.”

**phone rings**

“Hello?”

“Hello Kyle, it is Gary Bettman”.

Kyle puts his hand to his forehead. He knows this can only mean one thing.

“Kyle, as you know we have been reviewing your handling of the William Nylander contract situation here at the league offices. We find your tactics deplorable and we cannot understand why you are making this so difficult on this young player with incredible flow. Not only are we docking you a 1st round pick for the Joffrey Lupul failed physical fiasco from last training camp, but we are taking William Nylander and awarding him to the New York Islanders”.

Gary hangs up the phone. Kyle sobs in silence for a few minutes. The camera pans to above to the ceiling where silently, The Winter Soldier is hiding above the ceiling tiles dressed as Dwight Schrute, pleasuring himself.

- End Scene -

Damn sucks... Still got Cacti, Snakes and Skittles though so who can really lose here?

 

[Havoc]

Help me understand why so many people want Nylander to play with Kadri when he comes back. I understand people wanting to get Nazem going, but why not give him two skilled players who can skate in Marleau and maybe Ennis, and let them simply be what they are... A highly competent 3rd line.

Toronto has the chance to ice possibly the best line in the NHL for a number of years in Kapanen / Matthews / Nylander… I don't see why you don't do it. If it means Kadri scores 22 goals this year instead of 30, but Matthews scores 50+ and both his linemates are 20+ with 70 and 60 points respectfully, who cares?

Don't bother. Nylander is apparently a scrub relegated to dumping and chasing now lol.

 

[TMLeafer]

I think it's obvious if/when Nylander is back, Babcock is gonna make him run the gauntlet to get back on the top line. 4th line Willy will be almost a guarantee to start. I don't see him taking Kapanens spot until Kap struggles

Just for the heck of it, I want Dubas to say "Willie's a 4th liner on this team" during negotiations

 

[Notsince67]

This is how you win championships.
Fans can beat their chests all day about which star has more points and is better than your star but you need the complimentary players in there disrupting. Not on the perimeter. The non stars who forecheck, cycle, get leaned on, kill penalties.
And we still need to fix the D. Yes the offense is great fun but we are giving up far too many goals. That’s 18 in 4 games or 4.5 goals against/per game.

Not all the D's fault. The leafs just don't have goaltending until the month of December. If we can rack up a few wins until then, Andersen will get the motor warmed up and we will be fine

 

[Fogelhund]

Tavares has played 4 games. In those 4 games he's scored 0, 1, 2, and 3 goals. So...Thursday he's going to score 4?

Technically, he's scored 1, 0, 3, 2... I think if you follow the pattern, it should be 5 goals.... for 1, 0, 3, 2, 5, 4....

 

[FlareKnight]

What can you say? That Matthews-Tavares combo down the middle is terrifying. We're seeing what happens when these two are both going at the same time. They are having a personal competition for the Rocket Richard Trophy.

There are things they need to improve on, but will take the wins as they come. They managed to improve in terms of closing it out in regulation so I'll take that too.