Woll should start game 6.

HellasLEAF

'93 to Infinity
Sep 14, 2006
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Samsonov just won 2 games in TB and you want to sit him???
Yes. And the reason for that is because, in the most important game of the series (which was last night) he was the 2nd best goalie on the ice.

Seeing as how the Leafs can't score in these big knockout games, they will need to have the best goalie on the ice for once. I don't know if it's Woll, but it's not looking like it's Samsanov. Is it a gamble? Sure it is. But this isn't a time to play it safe and be timid imo.

They won't do it so it's all moot but they should.
 
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JT AM da real deal

Registered User
Oct 4, 2018
12,219
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Woll is still essentially a complete question mark for post season play, and seems like a bad idea to put extra pressure on Samsonov when they don't need to.
Sammy struggles every game with his mental health .. i am told he tunes out everything in a series .. no TV .. no internet .. tries to get to Zen like state before every game .. people with mental health disabilities really struggle .. if you don't have it you will never understand it .. my daughter has same anxiety/depression issues and some days she can't function as an actuary .. it is simply impossible .. da drugs help but not a savior
 

Griffin76

Registered User
May 17, 2014
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I wanted Woll for game 5. It wasn't a mistake playing Sammy, but I thought Woll had a better chance of winning. Sammy didnt play well in game 5.

Sammy isn't some special playoff performer and to make a cup run, you need 2 goalies.

NOT TO MENTION, Sammy is playing poorly - easily sub .900 over 5 games. If Vasi was even 1/2 his usual self, Tampa would have us on the ropes.

RELYING on Samsonov, despite 4 games of mediocre hockey, is typical Keefe. Play to not lose.


View attachment 698346

Woll just posted a .938 against Tampa.

Sammy hasn't matched that in 5 games.

Keefe doesnt have the balls to play Woll.

If you play Woll, wait to see how the team rallies for him and plays hard defensively to protect him.

Why doesn't the team just do the same with Samsonov? It's the playoffs. Just play a full game.
 

HamiltonNHL

Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
Jan 4, 2012
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Sammy is tanking.

It's desperation time.
 

hamzarocks

Registered User
Jul 22, 2012
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Pickering, Ontario
The time to play Woll was game 5

You have 3 shots at advancing you give 1 to Woll

If he flops you have your guy Samsonov for the next 2 chances with his confidence still being good

If you take him out now after the game 5L where he was subpar and Woll comes in amd loses game 6

Then your asking Samsonov to be a savoour and do what no goalie has been able to do for the leafs since 2017. He will have intense pressure and choke in that case.

Give Samsonov the net game 6, hes got 2 chances to win, he is good enough to get 1W and honestly the leafs are an elite team while Tampa is a good team.

We win game 6 if we come out ready to start and don't worry about extending the game long. Come out and look to capitalize in tampa's defensive breakdowns, take the game to them and convert chances via heavy bet front presence where vasilvesky has been shit this series
 

centipede2233

Registered User
Sep 13, 2010
4,228
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My unpopular opinion...

I personally don't think this series is at all on Samsonov. He was a primary reason we were still in game 5 despite the poor second goal. He made 34 saves, You're not gonna win a game when get heavily outplayed. I also think he was good in game 3-4 despite what the sv% indicates. We got vastly outplayed in both games, and if it weren't for him the score could of been a lot worse.
Samsonov has the 2nd worse GSAE (goals saved above expected) out of 23 goalies who have played any time in this years playoffs with a -3.4. only fleury has a worse GSAE with a -3.9….
 
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Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
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I know the idea may be a little crazy to some but I really believe you have to look at it as what can give us the edge in game 7 and Samsonov back in on four days rest might be the difference. And who knows, Woll has played well and could get us the win.

Anyone else think we should hedge our bets and try to get an edge for game 7?

(Not the only changes I'd make to the lineup either.)
Who should be our coach, captain, and GM for game 6?

;)
 

JT AM da real deal

Registered User
Oct 4, 2018
12,219
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The idea that Woll is a risk and Sammy is safe .... isnt supported by numbers.

Sub .900 goaltending PEOPLE ... OVER 5 games ....

The ONLY reason we haven't been eliminated is that Vasi has played VERY poorly.
Hockey much like life .. most folks just work to live and get through days/weeks/months/etc .. some people take large risks and most of those fail miserably .. but you only need to be right about 2 times out of 10 on large risks to make your mark .. i don't see keefer and/or dubie as guys who take large risks to gain huge results .. we need a masai type running team .. hopefully that will occur this summer
 

centipede2233

Registered User
Sep 13, 2010
4,228
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The idea that Woll is a risk and Sammy is safe .... isnt supported by numbers.

Sub .900 goaltending PEOPLE ... OVER 5 games ....

The ONLY reason we haven't been eliminated is that Vasi has played VERY poorly.
You know I’m going to laugh my behind off when the leafs lose to Tampa, dubas doesn’t get renewed and the guy that could have saved dubas’s job was right underneath his nose, Justin woll. Woll is the key to winning this series and likely further…can they realize this in time….
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
22,329
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Toronto
The safer bet even if Samsonov has a rough game 6 is still him to start game 7 than Woll. Woll has literally played (not started) in 13 career NHL games.
And how many regular season games did Murray play before he won a Cup in Pittsburgh? Coincidently 13…

Edit to add: Ken Dryden played in 6 but went on to win the Cup.
 
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HamiltonNHL

Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
Jan 4, 2012
21,286
11,873
well the bar isnt exactly high here, so why not

The idea that Woll can't outdo Sammy is fiction.

It's clear Sammy doesn't have it.

It's clear we need a change.

Lots of chances to get Sammy ready to go for next series.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
79,268
54,653
Agree with the others. Just win game 6 and not worry about 7.

IMO, they'll win game 6

I think so too. It’s the Raptors vs GSW series.

They need to just come out and play track meet hockey and force a lot of traffic, shots and bodies on Vasilevskiy. Nothing insightful but why was a team built on unique high end offensive skill trying to out balance and out defend a tired old championship team? Isn’t the whole premise to out run and out gun?
 
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Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
41,336
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St. Paul, MN
And how many regular season games did Murray play before he won a Cup in Pittsburgh? Coincidently 13…

Edit to add: Ken Dryden played in 6 but went on to win the Cup.

That's fair, but Sammy has also been the better goalie in 3/5 games this series so far. And I'd probably only go out of my way to blame 1 of the 2 losses on his play (last game)
 

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