Post-Game Talk: Rielly is Rielly, Rielly Good. But Leafs Still Lose. 2-1 Shootout Loss

[Stats01]

Looks like I didn't miss much last night. Everyone should try a Room Escape, they're super fun and a lot more fun that I thought.

How did we look without Phaneuf?

The same..had chances but couldn't finish thankfully. Never seen a team so snakebitten than this one. No real big difference in play, good or bad.

 

[Caesium]

Maybe it's cause I'm old school but you guys all seem to really downplay the letters nowadays.

They're more important than you think. That's how you don't just build a team, you build a family. A legacy. Look at the Wings. Their letters were all dudes that played out most of their careers there. You wonder why nobody wants to come to TO? Cause it's a ship with no captain and every year it of course hits the rocks.

This city hasn't seen a true leader since Sundin. That's sad.

Just as shoving feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken, having a letter on your chest does not make you a captain.

 

[bobber]

Our LOSER Leafs say again: "We'll take it."

Horachek is such a loser, he NEVER wins as a maple leaf. He is the worst coach ever to coach the maple leafs. Doesn't understand this lineup and the way we should be playing with these players. Doesn't have the right game book.

Our team in general is horrible.

Time for Spott to take over now that the fire Horachek thing has started. Line up to be fired. Alright! It not the players it the coach who can't score.

 

[ULF_55]

Looks like I didn't miss much last night. Everyone should try a Room Escape, they're super fun and a lot more fun that I thought.

How did we look without Phaneuf?

He wasn't there?

Well, for the most part Phaneuf isn't a dominant player on the ice when he is in the line-up. Whether he is their best defender or not, he isn't dominant for the most part he's passive and let's the game come at him, he doesn't take it to the game.

He was adequately replaced by Granberg and Holzer.

 

[Deebo]

Win get 2 points (possible playoffs) lose get 0 points (insure a top pick). We can't even lose properly! It's typical MO for the Leafs.

They've won 3 out of 18 games, or earned 7 out of the last 36 points.

They aren't going to get 0 points.

 

[ULF_55]

Just as shoving feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken, having a letter on your chest does not make you a captain.

You know it is supposed to be the other way around, you give the letter to someone who is a leader.

Wilson had it backwards, he gave the letter thinking it would make Phaneuf a captain.

The alternates should exhibit some leadership ... I suppose on the Leafs that's a rare bird.

 

[Mess]

Record 3-14-1 in the last 18 games

Winning% (on points earned) 7 of 36 available = .194 win%

Leafs are 1-9-1 in 2015 which is 2nd only to Buffalo who are 0-10-0.

In order to make the playoffs Leafs will need to win ~ 22 of their remaining 33 games now or .670 hockey.

 

[Daisy Jane]

There ya go. Santa and Winnick deserve an A far more than Clarkson. The answer was that simple.

Which is why I question it. It just reeks of misdirection for the causal fan. Or maybe I'm just getting to defcon 5 level of leafs jadedness

You know it is supposed to be the other way around, you give the letter to someone who is a leader.

Wilson Burke had it backwards, he gave the letter thinking it would make Phaneuf a captain.

The alternates should exhibit some leadership ... I suppose on the Leafs that's a rare bird.

i think that's the one who made the decision.

 

[Raging Bull]

Morgan played 24:32 last night, almost a minute more than his season (career?) high. Gardiner played almost 27 minutes.

 

[ULF_55]

They've won 3 out of 18 games, or earned 7 out of the last 36 points.

They aren't going to get 0 points.

In PPG they are picking 8th., which is getting there.

Selling off the rentals is either going to help in the draft or surprise with call-ups who can actually play in the NHL.

Santorelli, Winnik, and Franson jettisoned might be the icing on the cake. With Kessel in the line up this team has drafted 2nd. overall, so he's not the difference maker.

Ideally, they'll provide entertainment in a losing way to solidify their efforts to rebuild via the draft.

If they can maintain the 7 out of 36 points pace, I could see them in the Hanifin area code. However, I suspect they'll play around .500 the rest of the way.

 

[Mess]

Selling off the rentals is either going to help in the draft or surprise with call-ups who can actually play in the NHL.

Santorelli, Winnik, and Franson jettisoned might be the icing on the cake. With Kessel in the line up this team has drafted 2nd. overall, so he's not the difference maker.

Those 3 pending UFAs are among Leafs better players in this game and others.

Shanny likely feels sorry for Horachek as those players despite their best efforts has only allowed Pete to win 1 of 9 games as coach. He knows that if he removed those 3 contributing players for futures it would make thinks even worse for his coach.

According to rumours however Leafs have received interest and offers for all 3 .. Santo (NYR), Winnik (Pitts) and Franson (DAL & ANA)

 

[ULF_55]

Those 3 pending UFAs are among Leafs better players in this game and others.

Shanny likely feels sorry for Horachek as those players despite their best efforts has only allowed Pete to win 1 of 9 games as coach. He knows that if he removed those 3 contributing players for futures it would make thinks even worse for his coach.

According to rumours however Leafs have received interest and offers for all 3 .. Santo (NYR), Winnik (Pitts) and Franson (DAL & ANA)

It would be nice to have 4-5 picks in the first 2 rounds. Dergachyov is the 14th. ranked Euro, and I'd be down for him. http://www.tsn.ca/mcdavid-tops-nhl-central-scouting-mid-term-rankings-1.187206

 

[thewave]

Those 3 pending UFAs are among Leafs better players in this game and others.

Shanny likely feels sorry for Horachek as those players despite their best efforts has only allowed Pete to win 1 of 9 games as coach. He knows that if he removed those 3 contributing players for futures it would make thinks even worse for his coach.

According to rumours however Leafs have received interest and offers for all 3 .. Santo (NYR), Winnik (Pitts) and Franson (DAL & ANA)

If it doesn't involve taking cap back you pretty much have to do all 3 of them tbh. Even if there is cap but it expires after this season.

 

[TML1]

We were VERY close for the 2010 Entry Draft, but, that BUFFOON Burke, had traded our pick to Boston!

But even if we held on to Seguin he likely would have been traded when he went through his early partying years. With that plus his early struggles as a rookie the leafs lack of patience would have surely shipped him out anyway. So I guess I don't regret the Kessel trade that much.

 

[ULF_55]

But even if we held on to Seguin he likely would have been traded when he went through his early partying years. With that plus his early struggles as a rookie the leafs lack of patience would have surely shipped him out anyway. So I guess I don't regret the Kessel trade that much.

You know I think being closer to his parents and home would have made a difference in his off ice activities. He was a kid, and very few 18 year olds are mature enough to live on the own and make the right decisions.

18 with money to burn in a new town meeting new influences of your own chosing?

 

[Mess]

It would be nice to have 4-5 picks in the first 2 rounds. Dergachyov is the 14th. ranked Euro, and I'd be down for him. http://www.tsn.ca/mcdavid-tops-nhl-central-scouting-mid-term-rankings-1.187206

You mean like the Buffalo Sabres who have 3x1sts +3X2nds + 1st pick of the 3rd round = 7 picks in the top 61 players available.

Leafs are already living on credit as their 2nd belongs to the Stanley Cup champ Kings for Bernier and as such Leafs have only 1 pick currently in the top 61 or 2 in the top 90 players.

Which team is better positioned for a draft rebuild and in better position for McDavid?

Even with Leafs losing now and falling out of the playoff race its still not much of a future unless Shanny and Co. react soon and start filling up the draft pick bucket.

 

[Hunter74]

I don't agree.

First of all, I think the system we played was flawed to the point that we wouldn't be able to get any success with it.

Secondly, our collection of players are showing an inability to play a two-way game. They were good offensively when they could cheat and rush, but now when they are expected to work as a unit in all zones they get tentative in the offensive zone.

It's a combination of factors:

1) We are in a slump.
2) We are a mentally weak team which compounds the problem.
3) We change system completely in the middle of a season, which means a transition period where things were always going to look bad.
4) A whole bunch of our players don't seem able to play in a system based on two-way games from all players.
5) The system itself is rather limiting.

We'd probably look better now with Carlyle. But at some point we had to make a change, and the coaching change allows management to move the spotlight to the players and their limitations.

A lot of posters here seem determined to make it all about the coach again though.

So why aren't they trading off some of these rush players? Instead they are going to trade Phaneuf a defenseman who does not excel at rush hockey but has a history that shows he is very effective offensively off of a cycle oriented game plan. Well Phaneuf is probably being traded because of locker room culture angle which imo is a scapegoat move.

Kessel, JVR, Bozak, Lupul, Kadri are the offensive core of this team. Something is not working there. Either compliment them properly or trade them for players that fit the style you want. It is sad because these guys have the skill to play any style but just not the desire to play the game the hard way.

I am just impatient and want to see what happens. grr How many weeks till deadline day? lol

 

[Al14]

But even if we held on to Seguin he likely would have been traded when he went through his early partying years. With that plus his early struggles as a rookie the leafs lack of patience would have surely shipped him out anyway. So I guess I don't regret the Kessel trade that much.

Being from Brampton, I think he would have had a little more responsible with the party stuff, having his parents and friends influencing him more at home.

Just a hunch that will never be proven!

 

[TML1]

You know I think being closer to his parents and home would have made a difference in his off ice activities. He was a kid, and very few 18 year olds are mature enough to live on the own and make the right decisions.

18 with money to burn in a new town meeting new influences of your own chosing?

I agree that it's understandable behaviour at that age in those conditions but the media would have been all over it. Probably would have gotten real ugly. I mean if the Bruins didn't have the patience with him would the Leafs have done the same?

 

[TML1]

But that being said I wish we held on to him. IMO he's in the same class as Toews, Stamkos, Crosby.

 

[hfdshdh]

Well Phaneuf is probably being traded because of locker room culture angle which imo is a scapegoat move.

He's being traded because he's overpaid, too old to be part of a rebuild and could likely land us a couple of decent futures.

 

[Jerkini]

If trading Phaneuf means Reily and Gardiner get 25+ minutes a game, that's something I can support.

 

[Bullseye]

If trading Phaneuf means Reily and Gardiner get 25+ minutes a game, that's something I can support.

Gardiner had better be traded or I'll launch a chair at the TV. No point already cancelled Leafs TV and cable. OK I'll throw my wife's laptop out the window.. wait a minute...

 

[Gary Batman]

You know you are tanking real hard when you lose to NJ in shootout!

 

[Jerkini]

Gardiner had better be traded or I'll launch a chair at the TV. No point already cancelled Leafs TV and cable. OK I'll throw my wife's laptop out the window.. wait a minute...

It's this knee jerk reaction that has resulted in nearly a decade of mediocrity.