Post-Game Talk: Season Over | Get the Golf Balls out

[mikebel111*]

Kadri a no show again. 2 brutal efforts on goals. Nice to see he got benched. But still didnt wake up
Guy hasnt done anything lately.
Cant defend him more
Joke of an effort and player. Big time regression

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Kadri a no show again. 2 brutal efforts on goals. Nice to see he got benched. But still didnt wake up
Guy hasnt done anything lately.
Cant defend him more
Joke of an effort and player. Big time regression

y
u
type
like
dis ?

 

[LeafsandSharksfan]

The forwards offer minimal backpressure.
Dont win many board battles in the defensive zone/neutral zone.
Dont manage the puck well and are easily stripped.
Give you almost no constant offensive zone time.
Cycle game is basically non existant.

This x a million,you're not going to get anywhere when you're scoring 90% of your goals through individual efforts.

 

[Diatomic]

This team is garbage. Were BOTTOM 5 IN GOALS AGAINST (GA). HOLY ****, this team can't defend for ****!!!!

We've allowed more goals scored on us this season than BUFFALO! BUFFALO! BUFFAAAALLLLLLLLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMYGOSH

 

[Leafs at Knight]

This team is garbage. Were BOTTOM 5 IN GOALS AGAINST (GA). HOLY ****, this team can't defend for ****!!!!

We've allowed more goals scored on us this season than BUFFALO! BUFFALO! BUFFAAAALLLLLLLLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMYGOSH

 

[Diatomic]

From the earthquake reaction classic

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

They have never played together. Not last season, not this season. They've played a handful of games where they play a tight, cohesive game but the majority of the time when the D gets the puck the forwards skate to the offensive blueline and stand there instead of actually giving the D an option. And as quick as the puck is tipped in, it leaves the zone because they can't/don't forecheck. Either they are slow or soft on the forecheck or they go for a change because they've been hemmed in for two shifts worth of time. How many times do the forwards finish a check?

How come other teams leave their zone so easily while ours is always making bad plays (while being hounded by the forecheck... what a coincidence...)? A lot of team's D in this league make bad plays when they are under pressure, very few exceptions. Even the Bruins resort to pushing the puck along the wall like the Leafs. The difference is that their forwards win the battle on the wall and at the line. Leafs NEVER do. Once they're hemmed in the zone they get tired, and the cycle repeats until a goal.

JVR - Bozak - Kessel you can forgive because they actually score and carry the PP. The other lines do nothing at all. Last year Kadri and Lupul scored too so you could forgive their shortcomings. Kadri played smarter in general last year.

 

[SpeedyPotato]

Wow... As a habs fan, I am supposed to be ecstatic about all this, but I'm not.. the league is so much fun when the big rivalry teams are all in the playoffs doing good. I really hoped the leafs would make it so I'd have a chance to hate them some more in what would've been an amazing series between our two cities.. I really feel for you guys

 

[legendinblue]

We gave up only 28 shots... got to work harder to get that record.

 

[Byron Bitz]

the saddest part about this is even if they do well for the first half of next season it wont mean anything to me. Iv seen that before and it never ends well. I wont be happy until I see these guys close out a good season. I won't get to watch meaningful hockey until next march.

 

[tamle]

Elliot said something interesting that opposing teams are talking about how little this forward group is bringing defensively to the table.

Its easy to blame the goalies and D when you have such a horrific defensive team but this forward group is becoming a bigtime issue defensively.

Reminds me of that one tweet about "1 Dimensional" win from... who was it again? He must be laughing along with everyone else in the league now, at the Leafs collapse. "not surprised."

 

[Diatomic]

Reminds me of that one tweet about "1 Dimensional" win from... who was it again? He must be laughing along with everyone else in the league now, at the Leafs collapse. "not surprised."

Doughty, and I don't think he tweeted that some leafs fan tweeted him that

 

[Lauro]

Sad. But we all saw them play this season thinking they don't deserve it, game in and game out. Bye Randy.

 

[mikebel111*]

y
u
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like
dis ?

I am on my phone. I think thats what happens sometimes

 

[weems]

They have never played together. Not last season, not this season. They've played a handful of games where they play a tight, cohesive game but the majority of the time when the D gets the puck the forwards skate to the offensive blueline and stand there instead of actually giving the D an option. And as quick as the puck is tipped in, it leaves the zone because they can't/don't forecheck. Either they are slow or soft on the forecheck or they go for a change because they've been hemmed in for two shifts worth of time. How many times do the forwards finish a check?

How come other teams leave their zone so easily while ours is always making bad plays (while being hounded by the forecheck... what a coincidence...)? A lot of team's D in this league make bad plays when they are under pressure, very few exceptions. Even the Bruins resort to pushing the puck along the wall like the Leafs. The difference is that their forwards win the battle on the wall and at the line. Leafs NEVER do. Once they're hemmed in the zone they get tired, and the cycle repeats until a goal.

JVR - Bozak - Kessel you can forgive because they actually score and carry the PP. The other lines do nothing at all. Last year Kadri and Lupul scored too so you could forgive their shortcomings. Kadri played smarter in general last year.

Mostly because this team doesnt support the puck.
You have forwards basically leaving the zone prematurely because they want to catch some long pass and start the rush. They dont give the D a quality option to outlet the puck and what happens is we see tons of long low % pass's...many right into the danger area of the ice.

Puck support is one of the most important things to being a strong defensive unit. This team is straight up laughable when it comes to this underrated team skill.

 

[MuchoMacho]

This defines Leafs fans for me. Back when Muskoka 5 was around everyone was saying we need to trade the vets and get some young guys in. Let them grow together etc. Now Toronto has a young team that is putting it all together and what does everyone want to do?

Trade Gardiner! (23 y/o)
Trade Kadri! (23 y/o)
Trade Franson! (26 y/o)

JVR(24)/Bozak(28)/Kessel(26) are inconsistent and don't play defense! Tell me, when you think of young players who are naturally gifted offensively what do you think of? Inconsistent? Lack defensive prowess? Yup.

Phaneuf is a + player with the toughest minutes in the NHL and playing over 22 mins a game night in and night out with Holzer, Kostka, Gunnarsson, etc and when things don't go his way, do Leafs fans cut him slack? Nope. Trade him!

Jeeezus people, take a chill pill. You can have a civil conversation about a management change, coaching change or player discussions but running around like a bunch of chickens with your heads cut off for 20+ pages is ridiculous.

 

[080]

This defines Leafs fans for me. Back when Muskoka 5 was around everyone was saying we need to trade the vets and get some young guys in. Let them grow together etc. Now Toronto has a young team that is putting it all together and what does everyone want to do?

Trade Gardiner! (23 y/o)
Trade Kadri! (23 y/o)
Trade Franson! (26 y/o)

JVR(24)/Bozak(28)/Kessel(26) are inconsistent and don't play defense! Tell me, when you think of young players who are naturally gifted offensively what do you think of? Inconsistent? Lack defensive prowess? Yup.

Phaneuf is a + player with the toughest minutes in the NHL and playing over 22 mins a game night in and night out with Holzer, Kostka, Gunnarsson, etc and when things don't go his way, do Leafs fans cut him slack? Nope. Trade him!

Jeeezus people, take a chill pill. You can have a civil conversation about a management change, coaching change or player discussions but running around like a bunch of chickens with your heads cut off for 20+ pages is ridiculous.

Obviously people overreact. How could you not after the utter debacle that has been the last 8 games?

No one wants to trade everyone -- at least no one that's rational anyway.

But there are a number of valid points. We need players who can cycle the puck and win board battles. You don't need to trade everyone but some guys should go. We can't win with forwards who can't complete for pucks. Guys like Raymond and Lupul need to go as far as I'm concerned. They just don't win battles and they give the puck away far too often.

Kessel is terrible along the boards (probably worst in the league) but he's a PPG player. That gives him a bit of leeway in terms of what he does and doesn't do. But we need to get bigger up front and less Pejorative Slured on D.

 

[duffy9748]

Can't say nobody tried to tell you guys this was bound to happen. Team simply isn't good enough and they're in a tough spot moving forward.

 

[sommervr]

Can't say nobody tried to tell you guys this was bound to happen. Team simply isn't good enough and they're in a tough spot moving forward.

I remember coming in here posting Grabo/Mac/Bozak stats until I was blue in the face. Didn't do a damn thing and here we are. Now we are locked in with this core and I have no idea what the leafs can do.

 

[Confucius]

We gave up only 28 shots... got to work harder to get that record.

The baffling thing is shots on goal seems to not matter with this team. We get outshot and win. We get more shots than the opposition we lose. Lmao. Over the last 8 games only st. Louis outshot us. The other 7 games we outshot the opposition or played fairly even, within a 2 shot differential.

 

[paulhiggins]

JVR(24)/Bozak(28)/Kessel(26) are inconsistent and don't play defense! Tell me, when you think of young players who are naturally gifted offensively what do you think of? Inconsistent? Lack defensive prowess? Yup.

Add Kadri to that list of youngsters. These guys have all been in the league a while and I have seen first year players play with better defence not to mention commitment and heart.

 

[paulhiggins]

The baffling thing is shots on goal seems to not matter with this team. We get outshot and win. We get more shots than the opposition we lose. Lmao. Over the last 8 games only st. Louis outshot us. The other 7 games we outshot the opposition or played fairly even, within a 2 shot differential.

We can outshoot any team in the league but our team defence will suffer and we will lose the game. Also, outshooting requires some work and this group gets tired when they have to do that. Ever seen Kessel wheezing on the bench?

 

[Ash35]

Can't wait to see what Clarkson and Bolland do in the Playoffs......Losers

 

[bunjay]

I guess all those geniuses in the 'But it's not sustainable!' thread will be shutting up for a while.

There aren't a whole lot of fulltime NHL players I'd keep at this point were I to somehow be in charge of that decision.

Kessel, JVR, Kadri, Kulemin, Lupul, Gunnarsson, Reilly, Gardiner.

I'd keep Lupul because why repeat the mistake we already made with Grabovski? Dump one of our more talented players after a poor season, a poor season in this case still being about 25g/25a. Pretty good playing with a revolving cast of underachievers.

Lupul's not the problem with this team. Guys like Raymond and Kadri are likewise not the problem. The problem is too many Phaneufs, Fransons, and Clarksons. They can't skate, they aren't smart, they make very little happen, yet they expect to be paid star money. You look at the cap structure of this team and it's ****ing awesome until you see the Phaneuf and Clarkson contracts, and we're stuck with them because no GM in their right mind is going anywhere near them. They're crippling. Here's to another 6 years of low effort, brain-dead captaincy and a whole lot of falling down.

 

[achtungbaby]

Got some tough choices to make. Same core is signed next year, they're just more expensive. How much internal improvement can we expect? If we don't think it's enough we should think about a rebuild over spinning our wheels for the next 4 years.

I guess it comes down to whether or not you see this core as a Stanley cup contending group or not.