Post-Game Talk: When in Doubt, Shootout: Sabres 3 Leafs 4

[ACC1224]

Missed most of the game, asides from half of the third and OT/shootout ... Leafs looked solid overall just couldn't pot a winner in regulation or overtime

After a big win the night before in Boston, this had trap game written all over it ... Glad the boys didn't mail it in and picked up a crucial 2 points despite it going to OT/SO

Getting ROW's would be nice but the Leafs are getting behind other teams in the hunt - at least 4 ROW's behind most of them .. The only team that they're ahead of is Washington, who has 14 ROW's .. At this point I'll take the points over regulation wins however some regulation wins would inspire some more confidence in me with this team

How did Gleason look in this one??

Myself, I think he's looking better with every game. He is exactly the type of defender this Team needed.

How long is he signed for?

 

[Raging Bull]

Myself, I think he's looking better with every game. He is exactly the type of defender this Team needed.

How long is he signed for?

I think he's signed through next season. Looks to be a solid top 4 option. Still need someone to play with Dion though IMO.

 

[ACC1224]

I think he's signed through next season. Looks to be a solid top 4 option. Still need someone to play with Dion though IMO.

Agreed. Looks like we will be waiting for Reilly to develop into that guy at this point.

 

[ConnorTO]

rematch with Boston wooooooo !

 

[Green Snow Storm]

Agreed. Looks like we will be waiting for Reilly to develop into that guy at this point.

Yup. I don't think we'll be blue in the face waiting either.

 

[ACC1224]

Yup. I don't think we'll be blue in the face waiting either.

Start of next season?

 

[Joey Hoser]

Gleason is under contract until the summer of '16.

 

[topched]

I think he's signed through next season. Looks to be a solid top 4 option. Still need someone to play with Dion though IMO.

Yep tbh the way things are playing out... Franson would be the guy who is the odd man out come the offseason.

I think ideally you've got Dion on your top pairing and a combo of Gleason, Rielly, Gards and Gunnar in the bottom pairings.

Will be a good test for Nonis to see if he can go out and get that #2 dman in the offseason.

 

[bunjay]

I'm convinced the Leafs are the worst team in the league with a third period lead,I just don't know of any sites that let you sort that particular statistic.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

I'm convinced the Leafs are the worst team in the league with a third period lead,I just don't know of any sites that let you sort that particular statistic.

17th in the league in points gained, when going into 3rd with a lead.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20142ALLSAAAll&sort=winPctAfterLead2P&viewName=summary

 

[Clark4Ever]

I'm convinced the Leafs are the worst team in the league with a third period lead,I just don't know of any sites that let you sort that particular statistic.

It does seem that way, but the bottom line is that the team still has a surprisingly great record under those circumstances. I believe it's 17-1-2.

 

[Pi]

It does seem that way, but the bottom line is that the team still has a surprisingly great record under those circumstances. I believe it's 17-1-2.

That's probably due to our shoot out record.

Even though the Leafs blow their lead, they manage to win in the shoot out.

To be honest, the team didn't play so bad in the third last night. Fluke goal gave the Sabres a tie...

 

[ACC1224]

I'm convinced the Leafs are the worst team in the league with a third period lead,I just don't know of any sites that let you sort that particular statistic.

I would think NHL.com would have some way of tracking that.

I'm guessing it's not as bad as it seems.

 

[bunjay]

It does seem that way, but the bottom line is that the team still has a surprisingly great record under those circumstances. I believe it's 17-1-2.

That statistic includes 8 shootout wins. And that's when leading after 2 periods, which is not really what I'm talking about.

I think the Leafs allow the most goals in the league with the lead in the third period. So that includes games in which the game is tied or the Leafs are actually losing going into the third period, then take the lead, and inevitably give it up again.

They've allowed 19 more third period goals than they've scored, which supports this, but I wish I could see how many times they've given up goals with the lead IN the third period without going through every boxscore myself.

Last night Buffalo tied it in the third. Four games ago against Washington we went ahead in the third and then allowed two goals for the regulation loss. We went into the third tied against the Islanders and allowed 3 goals for the 5-3 loss. Went ahead by a goal in the third in the Winter Classic and allowed the goal for Detroit to tie it.

And that's just in the past 8 games. It's really amazingly bad.

 

[bunjay]

I would think NHL.com would have some way of tracking that.

I'm guessing it's not as bad as it seems.

It's exactly as bad as it seems, and all you can look up on NHL.com is record leading after 1st/2nd, and goals by period.

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

I would think NHL.com would have some way of tracking that.

I'm guessing it's not as bad as it seems.

They kinda have it on NHL.com, under Team Stats: Leading/Trailing. Obviously that won't account for the times we gained a lead in the third, then blew it, but IIRC we're about middle of the pack when it comes to winning percentage when leading after two periods. We're one of the worst in the league when trailing after two, however.

 

[bunjay]

The Leafs record leading after two is inflated by NINE shootout wins now. This means that the Leafs are essentially 8 wins, 1 loss, and 11 ties when they start the third period with a lead.

Which is actually an awful record. And does reflect their inability to hold a lead. And that doesn't count games in which they took the lead in the third period and then gave it up, which is hinted at by our 3rd period goal differential (38 GF, 57 GA).

 

[ACC1224]

It's exactly as bad as it seems, and all you can look up on NHL.com is record leading after 1st/2nd, and goals by period.

Interesting, something they'll need to work on.

 

[Pi]

The Leafs record leading after two is inflated by NINE shootout wins now. This means that the Leafs are essentially 8 wins, 1 loss, and 11 ties when they start the third period with a lead.

Which is actually an awful record. And does reflect their inability to hold a lead. And that doesn't count games in which they took the lead in the third period and then gave it up, which is hinted at by our 3rd period goal differential (38 GF, 57 GA).

This team needs improvement in a lot of areas.

I'd start by trying to find a replacement for Franson. A better 4th line that you can actually ice for more than 3 minutes, more scoring from the 2nd and 3rd lines.

If we can manage that, no reason why this Leafs team cannot make the playoffs by getting one of those divisional spots.

Third period woes are just horrific. They have the chance to stick it to the other team and kill their confidence but they go out and kill all their momentum and eventually win a shoot out game after losing the lead.

We've been lucky this year but we can't expect more of that. Need to start playing with more conviction.

 

[Primary Assist]

we should petition the league to add shootouts to the playoffs. In fact, we should just petition so that instead of games we just do shootouts. And for that matter, we should petition that every overtime loss/tie we've ever had in history be converted to a shootout win and the cumulative points acquired from those be added to our current total. They should listen right?

 

[bunjay]

No shootouts in the playoffs, just overtimes in which the other team is pumped up because they scored a big comeback goal or two.

Or three.

There are three possible explanations: they are coached with a terrible strategy for holding leads and/or they are psychologically weak and lose focus and/or they have team-wide fitness issues.

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

still find it strange to hear the term "wild card" used in NHL standings.

I hate it. I hate hate hate it.

 

[I Am The Stig]

No shootouts in the playoffs, just overtimes in which the other team is pumped up because they scored a big comeback goal or two.

Or three.

There are three possible explanations: they are coached with a terrible strategy for holding leads and/or they are psychologically weak and lose focus and/or they have team-wide fitness issues.

I think it might be a fitness issue. There's no way that 23 players forget how to play hockey in the last ten mins of the third period. And Carlyle himself has even said he doesn't know why the players are like that so I don't think its a coaching issue.

Then again he has the same problem in Anaheim so idk what to believe.

 

[ConnorTO]

the Leafs are so ****en gOOD
WOoooooooooooooooo

 

[bunjay]

I think the team turtles and Carlyle's strategy when the Leafs are under pressure is to have all five players collapse into the slot. Then teams just have to get the puck back along the boards and their defensemen have days to shoot into traffic or make a play. You can see teams taking advantage of this, using all that space we give them above the faceoff dots and the high boards.

The Leafs also have an awful PK so if they take penalties they have a very good chance of coughing up their lead, aif they play not to take penalties the other team gets even more room.

Both of these are coaching issues.