Post-Game Talk: Woll/Devils 5 plus EN, Leafs 3

[Torontonian]

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I have said this before, this team is very poorly coached, the teams system and PK are solely on the coaching staff. This team would be a lot more of a contender with a legitimate coach at the helm that can implement a good system and help the PK.

It's one thing when ur star players are hurt and you're losing game, but if you have a good system, people filling in for our depth players shouldn't be a issue.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I saw a couple of Oilers fans say Saturday was our Stanley Cup. Was good to know because I see lots of other teams "Stanley Cups" when they beat us and was wondering when ours was

If you figure it out, let know. I've been waiting a long time to enjoy winning the cup, a very long time!

 

[ACC1224]

I saw a couple of Oilers fans say Saturday was our Stanley Cup. Was good to know because I see lots of other teams "Stanley Cups" when they beat us and was wondering when ours was

That wasn't it.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Things will look interesting if Tampa wins tonight, but then the moment they go on the road they turn into a different team. Their home and road records are light years apart, but I'm not sure why.

Maybe that will continue, and maybe it won't. Can never be sure of things like this so it's definitely premature to say that we're finishing ahead of TB.

 

[Beaumaris]

Leafs barely .500 in March, cooling down at the wrong time

Were they ever hot?

 

[All Mod Cons]

It's not that far off if you actually go and look at it. The only thing saving Colorado at the moment is the fact that Landeskog is on LTIR which means they were able to spend a little bit more on defense. But most of their cap is tied up in their top forwards as well and then Makar makes 9 million.

our situation is similar most of our cap is tied into our forwards then Rielly at 7 million. the rest of the money spent on defense is comparable to ours but they have obviously made better investments in terms of the players.

2023/24 TOP 4 Forward Cost
TOR - 33.543 million
COL - 34.975 million (that's including Landeskog)
FLA - 30.425 million (they need to resign Sam Reinhart)
VAN - 26.950 million


so yes all these teams are spending around the same this season on their forwards. This idea that Toronto is the only team to operate this way is false. The only difference is COL has benefitted from LTIR and same with Vegas, additionally their star players have out performed ours in the playoffs which is a factor that cannot be denied or ignored. If our star players play like they are paid, this formula can win you a stanley cup.



yes they are I just posted the numbers. going on to cap friendly and looking is free.

Are you counting Bobby McMann as a top 4 forward for us?

So real numbers from capfriendly tell a different story...where did you get your numbers cause they aint even close?

top 4 forwards this season

tor 40+m-------- (in 24-25 45m+)
col 32 --------- 32m)
fla 30 m -------- 34ish m
van 27m --------- 29

so no, all these teams are not spending the same on the top 4 forwards.

Those teams are built absolutely nothing like the Leafs

 

[theTTC]

That was... by far the best Keefe postgame I've ever heard.

Called out our captain. Directly by name.

Called out our stars. Directly by name.

Called out how crap they've been defensively over the years in big moments.

Beautiful!

Yes. It has been noted by media and fans alike. Since Dubas left, Sheldon has found his voice. No more looking over his shoulder worrying about contradicting woke MLSE/Dubas narratives, or annoying the Core 4 pretty boys, through his actions or words. Just bein' an NHL coach now.

 

[Sypher04]

Not absolving the players of the shoddy performance last night defensively whatsoever, but I think people sometimes underestimate the psychological impact of market on the players. When you’re going on 3-4 years now of the fans and media telling you incessantly that your regular seasons no longer matter and it’s all about the playoffs, I can see how that mess with the psyche of a team to some extent.

Either way they need to figure it out, and are paid to play at a certain level, but I’m far from convinced that the collective mindset of hockey in this city (even if it’s earned) doesn’t have some role to play in the inconsistency we see in the team.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

test

 

[Blanche Blanche]

The leafs are like spoiled pretty boy rich kids born and raised in privilege, who are taking life for granted. They are so casual in their approach to play games. They exclusively rely on their talent to win. They are average at best on defense with no Norris caliber blueliner. Last time the Leafs had a experienced, reliable, durable and clutch goaltender was Eddie belfour for two seasons back in the early 2000s, just before MySpace/Facebook/YouTube became ubiquitous worldwide. They don’t see the value of hard work and commitment to a game plan or system. Their team defense from game to game is inconsistent.

they excel best in run and gun, low intensity, low physical games with open space for them to manœuver offensively and make fancy high skilled plays . Imagine if they played with high end speed, poise, clutchiness, determination, controlled aggression, energy, tenacity and purpose like Colorado, Florida and Tampa bay. The core cashed in early with life changing money and don’t feel to do more than necessary, they are going through the motions and coasting. I find Tavares lack of fire and intensity as a player off putting as well.

Keefe should have been fired a long time ago. He doesn’t prepare the team to win. The leafs are the wealthiest, most influential and most powerful franchise in the nhl and they can’t even hire a decent head coach?

It all started with Doofus. Or Dubit*h…
That soy boy used We can and we will on all 3 top player negotiations as a tactic lmao

So much soy and estrogen last 5 years of our team.

They’re only getting called out now cause Tre is smacking Keefe around behind the doors.

Dubas was playing dress up with Keefe

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Not absolving the players of the shoddy performance last night defensively whatsoever, but I think people sometimes underestimate the psychological impact of market on the players. When you’re going on 3-4 years now of the fans and media telling you incessantly that your regular seasons no longer matter and it’s all about the playoffs, I can see how that mess with the psyche of a team to some extent.

Either way they need to figure it out, and are paid to play at a certain level, but I’m far from convinced that the collective mindset of hockey in this city (even if it’s earned) doesn’t have some role to play in the inconsistency we see in the team.

These players demanded, and received, millions upon millions of dollars to be the highest paid players in the world.

Including Rielly the core will have earned over $500 million dollars in their careers when all is said and done. A half billion dollars They were paid this money on the expectation, which they put upon themselves by demanding those contracts, that they would win a cup.

If that pressure is too much for them to handle they have only themselves to blame.

 

[Stephen]

Not absolving the players of the shoddy performance last night defensively whatsoever, but I think people sometimes underestimate the psychological impact of market on the players. When you’re going on 3-4 years now of the fans and media telling you incessantly that your regular seasons no longer matter and it’s all about the playoffs, I can see how that mess with the psyche of a team to some extent.

Either way they need to figure it out, and are paid to play at a certain level, but I’m far from convinced that the collective mindset of hockey in this city (even if it’s earned) doesn’t have some role to play in the inconsistency we see in the team.

Bullshit, this market.

There’s something fundamentally wrong with a core group that relies on external validation whether they should play hard for something or not.

They suck in the playoffs so take the regular season off? Can’t win a division or conference title so it’s meaningless? If they can’t find their own reasons to just compete and be at their best, maybe they are just an immature group with no hope.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

It's not just the shots against, but the high quality shots given up. The odd man rushes, the breakaways... the lost players in the D zone, the sloppy passes... it's the attention to detail. We even give up odd man rushes regularly on the PP.

PP easily loses us games in the playoffs.
Boston, Tampa and Florida score at will.
We overpass or try too much.

After all these years the core 4 either is meh at the PP in tough games or our coaching is meh

 

[Stephen]

These players demanded, and received, millions upon millions of dollars to be the highest paid players in the world.

Including Rielly the core will have earned over $500 million dollars in their careers when all is said and done. A half billion dollars They were paid this money on the expectation, which they put upon themselves by demanding those contracts, that they would win a cup.

If that pressure is too much for them to handle they have only themselves to blame.

I’m pretty sure the market is not eating them up alive. What’s more likely is they realize they can paper over bullshit efforts on a regular basis with a party game and everyone gives them their flowers easy. It just shows a lack of commitment at work and quality control…

The only time it really bites them is when they want to flip the playoff switch but realize they haven’t put in the work and come up lame. Mix in a little flawed team construction and this is who they’ve always been and probably always will be. Not serious.

 

[notDatsyuk]

......European Captain was also a good one.

"Why should I put a bunch of Cadillacs on the ice, when I can sell out with a bunch of volkswagens?" Harold Ballard.

Wasn't it also Ballard who said "nobody is going to pay a hockey player a million dollars"?

 

[PromisedLand]

In a full 7 game series, I budget for the Leafs playing the style of complete playoff style game you mentioned 1-2 times.

They will have about 1 party win, domination game where they run up the score and look like Harlem Globetrotters, no details necessary.

They will have a no-show humiliated game, possibly after the party win and look like the Washington Generals.

And probably 3 games were everything will grind down to a halt. Complete slog fest, OT affair, special teams breakdown and grip the sticks. Etc.

Unfortunately that has been my observation to thus far. I holding out on hope for the upcoming playoffs

This "Killer Instinct" is more evasive than the fricking Avatar

it's evaded us for what 8 years now? Might not get to 100, but still this excuse is running out of their mouths....lol at this point it has to be fool's gold for these guys

and Tavares losing his shit? You did see him try to go 1 on 2 like 5 times right, that's 2019 JT right there, thinking he's better than he is. It was spezza's last hurrah, it was simmonds last hurrah, it was mfing jumbo joe's last hurrah and they couldn't pull it off. These guys don't get up for "sentimental" reasons.

Maybe if you tie the play to their paycheck then they'll have some sparks going

I am all of having a compliance buyout made available to teams every off season where they can buyout one player. But NHLPA would throw a hissy fit LMAO

 

[arso40]

That or because he plays better than most of the other sad sack defensemen on the team.

He hasn't been good as a PPQB this month but neither was Rielly. I'm not sure what you found egregious about his game tonight anyway. He could have played the 2-on-1 better but that play only happened because McCabe (who has jam but no brains) made one of his signature nonsensical pinches and just bailed on the backcheck. The other GA was mostly lost coverage by the Kampf "shutdown" line that had a brief stretch of passable play but is now regressing to being garbage again, like they have been for most of the season.

Holmberg makes the kampf line go without him good lucc

 

[arso40]

We play like last night and we are all in for a 4 game straight 1st round defeat .. yes there was a terrible goal against for sure by Woll .. but our compete level defensively was like a regular season pre XMAS game .. when your best D last night is Brodie then you are in deep sh*t .. Lily and Timmer folks they were awful .. bottom line not playoff worthy in slightest .. McCabe had a bad game .. Benoit too .. and backcheck was non-existent .. we were an easy beat .. very disappointed in that effort level and defensive play .. as i keep telling you guys offence dries up in late regular season hockey and games get won on D .. 3 goals for against Devils is enough .. but not with that defensive approach and effort

Lily isn't playoff worthy but Benoit had a bad game? can't make this shit up I love me some Benoit believe me I do but he's he's had a rough go for a while now though I'd still resign him he is by no means a locc over lily no matter what bottom.hand holds their sticcs

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Many of our defensive woes start with average goaltending, move onto rather untalented defence, inconsistent defensive effort from our core 4 and end with a rather perplexing 4th line. What do they offer? Gregor was invisible, Dewar has been underwhelming, and Kampf who has no offensive instincts and has sucked at defensive responsibilities (-4 on the season).

 

[PromisedLand]

When was the last time we were out in 5 games in the 1st rd

CBJ series







(Disclaimer: yea i know not the 1st round.... LOL)

 

[ACC1224]

Many of our defensive woes start with average goaltending, move onto rather untalented defence, inconsistent defensive effort from our core 4 and end with a rather perplexing 4th line. What do they offer? Gregor was invisible, Dewar has been underwhelming, and Kampf who has no offensive instincts and has sucked at defensive responsibilities (-4 on the season).

Core 4 wasn't available last night.

 

[PromisedLand]

Oh goodie, I feel better already. Will that be our Stanley Cup?

I just want the Devils fans to be angry again and start throwing trash on ice LMAO

that was entertaining LOL

 

[LeafsFan89]

I just want the Devils fans to be angry again and start throwing trash on ice LMAO

that was entertaining LOL

I kind of miss the waffles and jersey's on the ice by our fans lol.

It's going to get to that point if we keep getting knocked out in the first round year after year.

 

[Ports]

Horton? Salming? Brush up on your history lad!!

I saw them all play live and in person and don’t need a history lesson. I guess you missed the context of the discussion. Too busy reading through your Toronto Maples Leaf programs from sixty years ago.

 

[Hellcat]

Bullshit, this market.

There’s something fundamentally wrong with a core group that relies on external validation whether they should play hard for something or not.

They suck in the playoffs so take the regular season off? Can’t win a division or conference title so it’s meaningless? If they can’t find their own reasons to just compete and be at their best, maybe they are just an immature group with no hope.

I was thinking a way to describe the Leafs game, I came up with the thought that it was immature, went to bed and when I get up I read a tweet quote from AM that described yesterdays game as immature. Crazy that we would both have the same thought, I doubt we are the only two that think that way.

It comes down to structure and execution, we've seen those talentless Lindy Ruff Sabres teams over accomplish because they all bought into the concept that everyone has a role, you execute on that role no matter if you play 4 min a night or 30 min a night. We can all debate why the Leafs have an immature approach, but I think in all honesty can't debate that immature is a good way to describe this team.