Post-Game Talk: What else is there to say... Leafs lose 5-2

[Xanner]

Some people just don't get it, do they?

Some folks screaming, "where are the big acquisitions"?

my answer to that is simple

"With what cap space"?

Big players = big cap hits

we already had to fill the bottom of the roster with 1/1.5m reclamation projects because we had no cap space.

This core is way over paid and under producing.

Where's our cap space? its being spent on average players, Dion should have taken a pay cut not a raise from his 6.5 per, he is clearly not a number 1 and clearly needs help, instead of allowing the leafs some flexibility on the cap to sign better players he chose to ask for a raise, and the leafs stupidly just gave it to him.

Spending 5.2 on Clarkson is just an embarrassment, he was never even close to being worth that kind of money on a 7 year term just poor management all around. The sad part is that our "big players" would be support players on other teams who actually have "big players".

Shanny and Co are gonna have to tear this down at some point, this core won't be able to get it done.

 

[IBLEAF]

I have a feeling Reimer is going to put on an absolute clinic tonight.

Man i hope ur right, bernie has been sub-par to say the least

 

[Trapper]

It could be worse. We could be Colorado who haven't even scored a goal yet in 2 games

This is what bothers me about the draft as well. Colorado has a crap year and adds McDavid to Duchene/MacKinnon while we finish 10th and add Joe Friday.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

For the record, we have played our 2 games against 2 teams that are a combined 5-0.

Let's chill with the whole panic mode.

The Pens and Habs are likely 2 of the East's top 3 teams this season. No need for us to freak out at this point.

 

[theTTC]

Are people still expecting different results from the same core?
Now we are not going to play this bad all season. Skilled players will get hot and we will run into lousy teams in 82 games. But the core can't get it done. The past is a great predictor of future behaviour.
You are seeing the same team leaders.
There were positives from game 1 so win or lose game 2 you should have expected a team that was fighting for a home ice win. What you saw was the same 2-12 bad team from last year. They just don't have it as a group.
The coach should NOT have to raise your compete level for game 2 on home ice in the season. Maybe game 64 but not motivate you for game 2.
Until this core is changed we are not winning.

^^Bingo

Now we'll really see if Shanahan has the cajones Lieweke thought Shanny had when he hired him. Through different coaches, management, and bottom six players, the only constant has been that core. Try to trade for equal skill value but different mindset. And if you can't do that then, for the love of God, trade for first round picks and tank so we get a franchise stud or two. This friends-zone crap is intolerable.

 

[AuGsY]

You're always going to have a hard time winning when you allow the opposition 40+ shots while only scoring 2 goals yourself; not at all surprised we lost this one.

 

[LaCarriere]

Spending 5.2 on Clarkson is just an embarrassment, he was never even close to being worth that kind of money on a 7 year term just poor management all around. The sad part is that our "big players" would be support players on other teams who actually have "big players".

People are going to look back at the Clarkson signing as one of the biggest gaffs of this era. It's about a step behind the DiPietro deal. I can't think of another player who had been average at best in his career to get locked up for 7 years at nearly 37M dollars. 1 30 goal season (6 years into his NHL career - on a contract year) and Clarkson got paid. Locked up for 7 years / AAV 5.25. Leafs took the contract year performance bait on that one.

Stastny, a guy who's proven to be a 60-70 point guy on a team that was terrible (except last year) was only able to get 4 years, and he's younger. Look at that as a reference point.

 

[Faltorvo]

^^Bingo

Now we'll really see if Shanahan has the cajones Lieweke thought Shanny had when he hired him. Through different coaches, management, and bottom six players, the only constant has been that core. Try to trade for equal skill value but different mindset. And if you can't do that then, for the love of God, trade for first round picks and tank so we get a franchise stud or two. This friends-zone crap is intolerable.

Well DN/MLSE/Shanny has to dump this

"just make the playoffs" mentality.

Look at some of the things DN said about trade offers he got

basically he is looking for players to help NOW and in the future.

That's the kind of "cake and eat it to" that has been plaguing this franchise since the
cap came in.

Ownerships demands it's playoffs NOW, for the variety of benefits it brings

second fiddle is, leaving every avenue open to try and build a cup contender.

 

[Mess]

You're always going to have a hard time winning when you allow the opposition 40+ shots while only scoring 2 goals yourself; not at all surprised we lost this one.

Outworked, outplayed and outshot generally and regularly leads to losses as the odds are against you.

That is Corsi 101 right there.

 

[ssmtl1]

You guys lost 2 games to conference contenders, relax. If you pull that against Philly or NYI then you can start to panic..

Only watched the highlights for this game, for my pool's sake I hope Kessel & JVR pick it up..

 

[Atomos2]

9 goals in the past two games

So...can someone put up a new Bernier vs Reimer Goaltending thread?

 

[Johny Drama]

Some people just don't get it, do they?

Some folks screaming, "where are the big acquisitions"?

my answer to that is simple

"With what cap space"?

Big players = big cap hits

we already had to fill the bottom of the roster with 1/1.5m reclamation projects because we had no cap space.

This core is way over paid and under producing.

Agreed. The moves made this year were like shuffling the deck chairs around the titanic. I can't see...and hope ,there is no panic from Shanahan. This is a chance to sit back and assess what players and staff should be kept moving forward.

For all this talk about analytics, systems of play and adding more depth to the 3rd and 4th lines, one basic element of the game has been missing vs Montreal and Pitt....hard work. Our top players have been continually outworked by the opponents. Obviously that has a negative impact on the game, but more importantly, that is not the type of role model you want for your younger, emerging core players.

 

[Trapper]

You guys lost 2 games to conference contenders, relax. If you pull that against Philly or NYI then you can start to panic..

Only watched the highlights for this game, for my poll's sake I hope Kessel & JVR pick it up..

Once again it's not the loss. It's the way we lost. It's how a team follows up to a previous loss. They roll over and are mentally weak.

 

[thewave]

Once again it's not the loss. It's the way we lost. It's how a team follows up to a previous loss. They roll over and are mentally weak.

Exactly.

 

[bunjay]

For the record, we have played our 2 games against 2 teams that are a combined 5-0.

Let's chill with the whole panic mode.

The Pens and Habs are likely 2 of the East's top 3 teams this season. No need for us to freak out at this point.

So we shouldn't hope to look at least somewhat competitive against good teams? We should be alright with looking like a good AHL team?

 

[Trapper]

Exactly.

Now win or lose game 3, this team should be going balls to the wall vs. NY.

 

[ssmtl1]

So we shouldn't hope to look at least somewhat competitive against good teams? We should be alright with looking like a good AHL team?

You were competitive for most of game 1. Your first line did not show up, but otherwise I thought your new guys looked really good for the most part. How did Kozun and Percy do last night (outside of the stats sheet)?

 

[Leaf_Crazy]

"More of these gentleman looking comfortable in these chairs" - Strombo. I just found that funny, it didn't sound nearly as bad as it reads, but it sums up the post game coverage going on with Strombo/Cox/Kypreos/Friedman. Cox and Kipper are doing all talking which is sad because Friedman is the smartest hockey guy of the 4, and Strombo is clearly better than this and his intelligence is being wasted playing host to the majority of these hockey "experts".

I'll take Kippers hockey "Opinion" over Freids. A guy who looks like he plays world of warcraft all day vs someone who actually played the game at a high level. Relatively easy choice.

 

[bunjay]

You were competitive for most of game 1. Your first line did not show up, but otherwise I thought your new guys looked really good for the most part. How did Kozun and Percy do last night (outside of the stats sheet)?

Percy was incredible. Easily our best defenseman. He made nothing but tape-to-tape passes under pressure including a no-look backhander off the boards for Bozak's goal. He had not a single bad shift.

Kozun was all over the place with his speed but couldn't do anything with it.

I don't think we were competitive for most of game 1. We were competitive for the second period and were utterly dominated in the third. The score didn't really tell the story, and the Leafs should get no credit for trading fluke-goals late in the game. And again last night we had 1 competitive period out of three, and the rest of the time it looked like the Pens were just toying with us.

 

[p.l.f.]

I'm guessing I didn't miss much
How did Panik look ?

 

[Liminality]

You were competitive for most of game 1. Your first line did not show up, but otherwise I thought your new guys looked really good for the most part. How did Kozun and Percy do last night (outside of the stats sheet)?

Percy was once again one of the better Leaf defenders and I thought Kozun was kind of underwhelming and didn't initiate as much as he did in the first game.

 

[Liminality]

I'm guessing I didn't miss much
How did Panik look ?

Panik was annoying Letang but other than that he didn't have the best showing. He was on a line with Holland and I think Holland had a pretty bad game so it was kind of hard to tell.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

So we shouldn't hope to look at least somewhat competitive against good teams? We should be alright with looking like a good AHL team?

The game against the Habs was uneven, and it probably ended like it should have. A one goal game. We got dominated last night, but that was much different than game 1.

However, if we play terrible again tonight, there will be no excuse.

 

[bunjay]

I'm guessing I didn't miss much
How did Panik look ?

Like an excellent bottom 6 player. Threw his weight around, can skate and handle the puck. Guys like him, Santorelli, Winnik, those are guys you need on your 3rd and 4th lines to be a competitive team.

 

[Kelly]

2 games in.. safe to say our season isn't over just yet... let's get a win tonight boys.