Who do you blame for the series loss to the Habs?

[Cams]

Other - meaning the team as a whole. PP needed to be changed up - what happened to having Simmons and/or Hyman providing the screen, among other things. This was the best constructed team of the Dubas era, and he added guys on great contacts like Spezza and Bogosian, who I hope comes back. Foligno was a good add - unfortunately was hurt, same as Riley Nash - but he didn't work out, but would have been nice to get him in more than he was (was his injury 100% healed....nobody knows (including the HF Boards medical experts)). Marner was a disappointment big time - you have to find a way, and I feel if he did get one, then the flood gates would have opened for him. Matthews wanted it (despite his lack of goals, he had a lot of chances and was covered excellently), Nylander wanted it, Kerfoot was excellent again. I was really impressed with Brodie and Muzzin, and I don't blame Campbell at all. Yes he let a bad one in, but his team failed to finish off the opponent the previous two games.

 

[Racer88]

Shanny for hiring Dubas. Dubas for getting Tavares, being unable to negotiate and stupid trade this year (Foligno) and choosing Keefe. Keefe for not changing things up when it was obviou that M and Mwere was not working and finally Matthews and Marner for not living up to the contracts they signed yet another year.

 

[Gilles Meloche]

Keefe is my vote. He looked like an AHL Coach against Montreal not shuffling lines when they weren’t working and his line matching was beyond ridiculous. Starting Matthews against the Danault line to start the third period in game seven is a perfect example. If he was shutting Matthews down for six games and two periods then odds are he will shut him down for the third.

Just asinine!!

 

[Sypher04]

People are going to point to individuals who made mistakes throughout the course of this series and say that's the problem. They are going to look at a couple of soft goals and say that's the problem. They are going to look at Keefe's refusal to take Thornton out of the lineup and say no, that's the problem. Some will blame Dubas despite the general agreement that this was the deepest and most talented Leafs team in decades.

Throw it all out.

Every single one of those things were easily within our ability to overcome.

We got largely great goaltending.
We got depth scoring.
We both scored more and allowed less goals against than our competition.

THE problem is that our 2 biggest stars, the ones we backed up the brinks truck for and handed the future of this franchise, couldn't be bothered to muster the effort or give a damn required to win this series.

Period.

They show up in even 2 games of this series and we are off to the 2nd round.

Montreal didn't steal this series. We happily gave it away.

 

[wingman75]

I selected Marner, but its more than just him.

The team as constructed was more than good enough to beat the Habs...

Failure to execute in a high pressure situation by the key players. Period.

 

[Mr Papagoergyo]

Players and coaches. There was no reason to give up a 3-1 advantage. They never adjusted when MTL did not sure if thats players not listening, or coaching staff not seeing what needed to change to succeed.

Having someone with playoff experience behind the bench seems like a need at this point added to this group or replacing.

 

[Blowfish]

In the end it falls on Dubas. He got his players, his coach, he negotiated the contracts, no one left to blame. Lou is gone, Babcock is gone.
Marner comes a close 2nd for being completely useless.....

This ... his team his vision his players (lack of character).

 

[BlueForever75]

Marner needs to go.

He is the issue with this team. Horrible.

 

[DuklaNation]

The players are the players guys. Its Dubas, Shanny is close 2nd. Dubas was 26, got hired by Soo Greyhounds. Hired the current Leafs coach Keefe. Stayed 3? years only. Then is hired by Shanny as Leafs GM at 29? LOL. You couldn't make this shit up. I guarantee there are fantasy hockey league GMs that would be better.

 

[AvroArrow]

100% Marner and Campbell. One cant score or make a play to save his life. The other lets in the SOFTEST of goals.

The dumbest take of them all. Anyone blaming Campbell needs to get their head out of their ass. We scored ONE goal at the very last minute. Campbell is the only reason game 5, wasn't 5-0 in the first 10 minutes.

 

[Coachcorner]

I selected Marner, but its more than just him.

The team as constructed was more than good enough to beat the Habs...

Failure to execute in a high pressure situation by the key players. Period.

Ich couldn't vote neither milord.

There's so many thangs wrong here. Matthews and marner should played better and scissord more. Not each other, but score in general.

Tavares injury was something, but not deciding of course. Muzzin out for the final game, not a reason neither. Joe was playing on the first pp unit for a long time... Even sharks didn't play him there during his last 1.5 years. Wonder why? There's a reason to that, of course there is. Keefe and malhotra, the fools and wrongs they are, just didn't realize it. They fools for life. FIRED. I'm surprised it hasn't already happened. Maybe tonight. Keefe and malhotra and hakstol should all be fired. Maybe dubass too. What a dumb noob. Putting 40 mil on 4 playaaz and playettez. f***in dork. LEAVE TORONTO. FOR LIFE

Lou Lamoriello knows ice hockey. Still winning, still in the playoffs. WITH HIS LEO AND MARTIN. WITH THEM. FOR LIFE: LEARN BOUT THAT THERE SONNY. CHIBA.
LOU HAS THE RINGS; CUPS. DUBASS HAS THAT FIRED STAMP. TERENCE.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Under the circumstances, I honestly think Keefe was the primary reason we blew the series lead. Despite the bad luck, injuries, and poor performances of some players, he refused to make the necessary adjustments when it was obvious that some of his lineup decisions were not working early in the series.

It's even more perplexing because he was not afraid to shake things up during the regular season. I think he's a good young coach that deserves another chance, but that was frustrating to watch. If he does stay, hopefully he learned a valuable lesson.

 

[Clark4Ever]

100% Marner and Campbell. One cant score or make a play to save his life. The other lets in the SOFTEST of goals.

Campbell is the last guy to blame. It shouldn't have come down to one goal. He posted a better save percentage than Carey freaking Price and was let down by his teammates.

 

[justashadowof]

Although he's the team's best talent and a top 10 talent in the league, Matthews scored 1 goal in 7 games. 4 goals in 7 games would have been a series win.

 

[Jozay]

I blame Doug Ford

 

[40BayStreet]

Matthews and Marner. You want that money, you have to own it when you don’t produce.

 

[NightTrain1]

I picked Keefe for this because he has the most control and ability to affect the entire lineup. His inability to fix glaring and consistent problems with the team should not go unnoticed with the PP being the biggest red flag ever.

On the ice it was Marner for sure that stands out but it ends up being a combo of many things. A combination of Hyman not being effective any playoff series to date because talentwise he is playing on a line far above his level. He feeds off of what Marner does a great deal, so when Mitch disappears he takes Hyman with him. When your second, third and 4th line are all scoring goals and its constantly your top line failing the blame goes to the highest paid, highest preforming regular season player with the least results. Matthews played good overall but couldnt find the netting, which also means Marners stats dont get inflated.

 

[BTP]

Not a single player.

Just lack of killer instinct as a group.

 

[JohnnyBerts]

I picked Keefe for this because he has the most control and ability to affect the entire lineup. His inability to fix glaring and consistent problems with the team should not go unnoticed with the PP being the biggest red flag ever.

On the ice it was Marner for sure that stands out but it ends up being a combo of many things. A combination of Hyman not being effective any playoff series to date because talentwise he is playing on a line far above his level. He feeds off of what Marner does a great deal, so when Mitch disappears he takes Hyman with him. When your second, third and 4th line are all scoring goals and its constantly your top line failing the blame goes to the highest paid, highest preforming regular season player with the least results. Matthews played good overall but couldnt find the netting, which also means Marners stats dont get inflated.

100% agree. The power play had been suffering for months. The inability to address such a critical aspect of the team shows the incompetence. I also didn’t see Toronto adjust well in games 6 and 7 which would be very concerning to me.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Marner + Keefe + Malhotra. Thornton and Simmonds too.

All of them embarrassed themselves in the playoffs.

You can add Matthews in there but I think his linemates and coach (failing to change the lines) neutered him completely. The guy was absolutely dominant early in the series. He's clearly not a generational player so you can't just put him with anyone and hope he dominates.

 

[Mentat]

Matthews played good overall but couldnt find the netting

Maybe, just maybe, if we can pair AM with 1/2 wingers that can actually score, wingers that make the opponent´s defence think thrice on clogging Auston, he would perform a lot better in the PO´s?
Until we see that happen, it´s anyone´s guess. But i´d wager giving AM the "right" wingers would be a huge boon for him and us., come PO time.

 

[Plat87]

Everyone except for a select few...but mainly Money Mitch

 

[ottomaddox]

I voted Keefe. I was not impressed with his ability during the play-in series (vs. CBJ). He was a question mark going into the playoffs this year and he failed (more like crash and burn). Toronto will not do anything with him behind the bench. He shouldn't be surprised when his ass gets fired.

 

[DiglettDangles]

External point-of-view from Montreal:

Absurd coaching after Tavares' injury - not adjusting to becoming a single threat offense (slightly exaggerated).
Matthews wasn't a factor because Montreal recognized that if they shut down Marner, Matthews gets the puck significantly less on his own. Killing two birds with one stone. That was made easier by both players being underwhelming to start with. Meanwhile Nylander is on literal fire and the coach leaves him to do everything on his own instead of using him to light up MM and/or AM.
Also, if you're a top heavy team and both PPs don't work, why not put all your eggs in one basket once in a while and get a relief goal? I believe that had Nylander been put on PP1 this series ends in 5.
With the quotes that came out after games 2 and 3, it really sounded like Keefe had no interest in adjusting to his opponent, because "champions play their own game and pretenders have to adjust" or something of this stubbornness level.
Last point: no circulation in front of Price - how else do you plan on beating a hot goalie?

 

[ottomaddox]

Keefe is my vote. He looked like an AHL Coach against Montreal not shuffling lines when they weren’t working and his line matching was beyond ridiculous. Starting Matthews against the Danault line to start the third period in game seven is a perfect example. If he was shutting Matthews down for six games and two periods then odds are he will shut him down for the third.

Just asinine!!

This is true, but his shortcomings are even more extensive.