If there was ever a game that proves the results aren't what a hockey team should be focused on, that was it. Ottawa probably had a 9% chance of winning that game, they were brutal.
- James_Tanner

I don't disagree at all

Marincin sucked...Gardiner as usual getting out muscled in front of his own net. Have all the possession you want...but if you let the other team score that easily then you won't win squat. I do think they will improve...but lets not be tooting the horns of our D when none of them played that well. Weren't the Leafs a positive possession team last year too?
- Garnie

I don't even know what to say to this comment.

I was not only impressed by his 4 goals (obviously) but also by how humble he was after the game and took blame for the final goal.
- waitforawhistle

For sure.

I don't even know what to say to this comment.
- James_Tanner

You don't need to say anything...

Oh I know...
He is a great player.
Just the immediate anointment of him as the second coming of McJesus may be a tad premature is what I was trying to say.
Brunstrom came into the league as a HUGELY touted and sought after undrafted rookie, stormed into the league with a hat trick.... and then fizzled away to nothing.
Am I saying Matthews is going to do the same. No.
I am just trying to get Leafs fans to temper their expectations after one game (that they lost despite a 4 goal performance by Matthews).
- mlindsay

Vesesy = brunsrtom

There. I said it.

No one is commenting that he thinks the Leafs will be a contender this year, let alone make the playoffs?

No one is commenting that he thinks the Leafs will be a contender this year, let alone make the playoffs?
- rune_74

They're on an 82 point pace.


Seems about right.

I do not believe you watched the game. Kadri was invisible? His line was the most dominant on the ice and had like an 80% corsi.

Not dominant scoring wise, but they just took the play right to the Ottawa end every single time they were out. Also, they were used as a checking line basically and they were superb.

As for knocking their D, I get there was a few obvious mistakes, but mistakes do not equal a bad player or even a bad game......they just stand out.

I thought the D, especially Gardiner and Carrick were spectacular. Maricin was playing his wrong side and got screwed on one play by his partner, I forget who it was, but basically no Toronto player had a bad game.

Other than Andersen, but I'll give him a pass, he can't possibly be that bad.
- James_Tanner

I didnt say mistakes = bad player, but I'm not sure what game you were watching to think the D played well.

Also I don't think it was Marincin's partner that let him down on that 1 play...I think it was Michalek having his afternoon nap way too high along the boards. ( Turris 1st goal )

Agreed. However, while the Leafs won't play such a bad team every night, they do have surprisingly good depth. Holland and Brown on the 4th line is better than most teams. And most teams don't have a Marincin as their 5th best D.

If Anderson is just slightly above average, they're gonna be a tough team to beat, they're just so fast.
- James_Tanner

Eh. Not that surprising really. Everyone knew that if Nylander and Marner were ready by this year then you'd have talent up and down the roster. Issue is that these kids are still kids and are still developing their game. While the Leafs have approached the rebuild correctly and hit a home run with Matthews, its important to temper expectations. Nylander and Marner, hell even Auston Matthews, will have their growing pains and it may lead to losses. Experience is a completely overrated attribute, but these guys aren't finished products yet.

Depth looks good, future looks bright, but I wouldn't count on this being the Leafs year already.

I was not only impressed by his 4 goals (obviously) but also by how humble he was after the game and took blame for the final goal.
- waitforawhistle

Humble might be an understatement. He actually looked embarrassed after the 4th goal

Eh. Not that surprising really. Everyone knew that if Nylander and Marner were ready by this year then you'd have talent up and down the roster. Issue is that these kids are still kids and are still developing their game. While the Leafs have approached the rebuild correctly and hit a home run with Matthews, its important to temper expectations. Nylander and Marner, hell even Auston Matthews, will have their growing pains and it may lead to losses. Experience is a completely overrated attribute, but these guys aren't finished products yet.

Depth looks good, future looks bright, but I wouldn't count on this being the Leafs year already.
- Victoro311

exactly. as good as mathews was, the sens dominated the only shift in OT and scored on his mistake.

Never before has a player born in a hot-weather city made a significant impact in the league.
-James Tanner

Tell that to Brian Leetch.

Eh. Not that surprising really. Everyone knew that if Nylander and Marner were ready by this year then you'd have talent up and down the roster. Issue is that these kids are still kids and are still developing their game. While the Leafs have approached the rebuild correctly and hit a home run with Matthews, its important to temper expectations. Nylander and Marner, hell even Auston Matthews, will have their growing pains and it may lead to losses. Experience is a completely overrated attribute, but these guys aren't finished products yet.

Depth looks good, future looks bright, but I wouldn't count on this being the Leafs year already.
- Victoro311

I can agree with this.

Never before has a player born in a hot-weather city made a significant impact in the league.
-James Tanner

Tell that to Brian Leetch.
- Tonybere

If I did he'd probably say that he moved to Connecticut before he could even remember. He was born in Texas, not raised there. Big difference. (For the record, I wiki'd this, I am not that much of a Pierre McGuire to know this for real).

So James, your a fan of the Coyotes, the Oilers AND the Leafs?!! Cheering for 2 teams is considered sacrilegious, but 3!?! . Man the hockey Gods must just hate you lol...

I do not believe you watched the game. Kadri was invisible? His line was the most dominant on the ice and had like an 80% corsi.

Not dominant scoring wise, but they just took the play right to the Ottawa end every single time they were out. Also, they were used as a checking line basically and they were superb.

As for knocking their D, I get there was a few obvious mistakes, but mistakes do not equal a bad player or even a bad game......they just stand out.

I thought the D, especially Gardiner and Carrick were spectacular. Maricin was playing his wrong side and got screwed on one play by his partner, I forget who it was, but basically no Toronto player had a bad game.

Other than Andersen, but I'll give him a pass, he can't possibly be that bad.
- James_Tanner

You are unbelievable. I watched the entire game and Kadri's line WAS invisible, except for being on the ice for a goal against.
You're touting this team as being so great. They lost the game. Who gives a crap about possession and Corsi and all your other bull-s41t? If you can't hold your crap together to pull out a win, all the elements of your game mean nothing. You DO realize that the object of the game is to beat the opponent, right?

There will never be another mario.

So James, your a fan of the Coyotes, the Oilers AND the Leafs?!! Cheering for 2 teams is considered sacrilegious, but 3!?! . Man the hockey Gods must just hate you lol...
- Flamin_Irishmin

He hates the canucks though, he literally froths at the mouth for them.

So James, your a fan of the Coyotes, the Oilers AND the Leafs?!! Cheering for 2 teams is considered sacrilegious, but 3!?! . Man the hockey Gods must just hate you lol...
- Flamin_Irishmin

Well, I'm a Leafs fan first, then just a general fan of hockey, but Edmonton was always my second favorite team because of Gretzky, and then when I got this job it didn't take long of watching every game to start to actually care about the Coyotes.

It's like my kids. Obviously the girl is my favorite, but the other two are OK, y'know?

Marincin sucked...Gardiner as usual getting out muscled in front of his own net. Have all the possession you want...but if you let the other team score that easily then you won't win squat. I do think they will improve...but lets not be tooting the horns of our D when none of them played that well. Weren't the Leafs a positive possession team last year too?
- Garnie

Buddy, I think you're stuck in 2000 where you could win a Cup by scoring 1 lucky goal and playing trap the rest of the game. If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners, each one was in the top 5 in possession and shot attempts %. The only negative possession team was the 09 Pens. Clearly an outlier. Bottom line, if you wanna be successful in the NHL these days, you need to control possession and shot attempts. Gardiner was on the ice for 27 scoring chances for, only 12 against. Same with Marincin, 24 for, 16 against. Clearly the Sens were lucky with their shots and the goalie gave up some bad goals. Giving up so few chances like that and having such a wide margin means your a good dman.

You are unbelievable. I watched the entire game and Kadri's line WAS invisible, except for being on the ice for a goal against.
You're touting this team as being so great. They lost the game. Who gives a crap about possession and Corsi and all your other bull-s41t? If you can't hold your crap together to pull out a win, all the elements of your game mean nothing. You DO realize that the object of the game is to beat the opponent, right?
- Tonybere

You should check out the site Leafs Hub. You're like a Poison fan in 1992 "this rap and alternative stuff will never last, now where's my cape and my spandex"?

If that joke was too esoteric for y'all, all I'm saying is there's more than one way to skin cat, but after the invention of knives using your teeth just seemed whacky.

It's all good though my man, we can all believe whatever we want. It honestly doesn't bug me if you think I'm an idiot.

Buddy, I think you're stuck in 2000 where you could win a Cup by scoring 1 lucky goal and playing trap the rest of the game. If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners, each one was in the top 5 in possession and shot attempts %. The only negative possession team was the 09 Pens. Clearly an outlier. Bottom line, if you wanna be successful in the NHL these days, you need to control possession and shot attempts. Gardiner was on the ice for 27 scoring chances for, only 12 against. Same with Marincin, 24 for, 16 against. Clearly the Sens were lucky with their shots and the goalie gave up some bad goals. Giving up so few chances like that and having such a wide margin means your a good dman.
- SpeedBlue91

Can I get an AMEN?

Buddy, I think you're stuck in 2000 where you could win a Cup by scoring 1 lucky goal and playing trap the rest of the game. If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners, each one was in the top 5 in possession and shot attempts %. The only negative possession team was the 09 Pens. Clearly an outlier. Bottom line, if you wanna be successful in the NHL these days, you need to control possession and shot attempts. Gardiner was on the ice for 27 scoring chances for, only 12 against. Same with Marincin, 24 for, 16 against. Clearly the Sens were lucky with their shots and the goalie gave up some bad goals. Giving up so few chances like that and having such a wide margin means your a good dman.
- SpeedBlue91

And even the Pens had a turnaround in their underlying numbers after Bylsma stepped in and Therrien got canned. Their poor aggregate possession for the season had a lot to do with Therrien's bad system for the first half.

Remember when Fabian Brunnstrom scored a hat trick in his NHL debut with the Stars...
- mlindsay

You reek of fear and jealousy.

I look forward to watching Matthews be a Habs killer for years to come.