The Leafs have scored more than 2 goals only once in their last 10 playoff games. And that was the win against Boston on Monday.
- Leaffrog

Thats garnage.

Its the players. Great reg season players

Gotta win Saturday
Lets (frank)ing go

if only the Leafs had the best goal scorer
- drexel

Best reg season scorer

I saw Samsonov save 2 or 3 breakaways last game and make a save in the first period early that most goalies don't get to so if we are using that logic Boston should have had what 6 or 7 goals.

Boston is riding super hot goaltending but not every team who is winning has that and it's pretty unpredictable what goalie is going to go on that heater - look at even BOB last year. Stunk to high hell in round one and then went full god mode in round 2.

I'd love to have the goaltending Boston is getting right now but the reality is it's lighting in a bottle and if your team is built right and guys who are paid to score do so you shouldn't need that level of goaltending to win in the playoffs - at least that's what I'm seeing from teams who are winning games.

Jets win and Hellybuck gives up 6.

Kings beat the Oilers last night and Talbot gives up 4 and they were not all good goals.

Rangers give up 3 and win vs Caps.

Good to great teams overcome the odd soft goal - I'm not sure why Leafs nation thinks that our team shouldn't be able to do the same, especially when it's mixed in with a whole bunch of great saves / stops on often sure goals.

I guess blaming the goalie or pining for the other goalie is just the easy path to explain a loss.

I guarantee you none of the Leaf players blame Sammy for that loss last night and I sure as poop hope he doesn't blame himself.

BTW in his last 2 games he was better than 'average' with a .931 and a .909 save %.

Let's say he doesn't give up the softie last night but gets beat on the early great save and 1 or 2 of the breakaways. Is the end result not worse?
- Cush29

Let's simply go with - the Leafs systems are bad. I hate the coach and I hate his approach to hockey. The more I watch what he has the team doing, the more I understand their failures. He wants guys to attack the puck carrier and limit time and space, but he deploys them in such a way that the wrong people are often doing it in the wrong places of the ice. His man-to-man d-zone coverage is a disaster. His offensive cycle leads to at least 5 or more odd-man rushes per game. We all see this.

So yes, Samsonov has had to make his share of difficult saves. Fortunately it's not always Pastrnak who's getting those chances. It's not like Swayman didn't have to stop a few himself, for the record - but I will completely concede that the Leafs have a tendency of giving up better chances than they get.

As for the part about screening and going to the dirty areas . . maybe I'm missing it, but I see a few Leafs doing just that - but Swayman does fight through screens. In fact he does it so well you'd think he wasn't screened at all even when he has several bodies in front of him. I see a lot less fight from Samsonov when he's screened. Again the Leafs do get fewer pucks through because of Boston's excellent defensive pressure and poor offensive puck support by some guys.

I don't want to poop on Sammy for the record. The guy I am absolutely done with is Tavares. But Sammy simply can't let that Frederic goal in. You make the big saves you elevate your team; you let in a stinker and you deflate them - especially when you consider how hard the Leafs have to work to get those chances on the Bruins. So if he lets in a goal earlier on a breakaway and stops the Frederic shot, is it better? To me, yeah, it is. The team feels responsible for a breakaway goal - but that Frederic goal is soul crushing. I'd, quite honestly, expect better from my house league goalie.

Thats garnage.

Its the players. Great reg season players

Gotta win Saturday
Lets (frank)ing go
- Fakepartofme

All their opposition needs to do with the leafs is check hard and reduce the timing the leafs get to handle the puck without physical play down to next to nothing.

Once that happens their core’s talent disappears.

All their opposition needs to do with the leafs is check hard and reduce the timing the leafs get to handle the puck without physical play down to next to nothing.

Once that happens their core’s talent disappears.
- Dozzer

Agreed.
Take away the time and space and the core 3 fall apart. Its been this way for several playoffs, Tampa missed out on it last year.

All their opposition needs to do with the leafs is check hard and reduce the timing the leafs get to handle the puck without physical play down to next to nothing.

Once that happens their core’s talent disappears.
- Dozzer

Round 1 has a lot of these typically.

So far in this year's playoffs the teams who are effectively playing D and quickly eliminating time and space are Boston, the Rangers, Dallas, Vegas, Florida, Tampa and typically Carolina with the exception of the first period in their last game.

There are still a lot of teams who are very loose in their coverage - LA, Edmonton, Nashville, Vancouver, Washington, Winnipeg and Colorado . . . I didn't mention the Islanders because they are sporadic. Sometimes the gaps are getting closed and sometimes they are way too passive. I picked Carolina for the final-4, so I'm fine with it, but their D-zone coverage has been as inconsistent as ours has.

Granted LA/Edmonton, Vancouver/Nashville and Winnipeg/Colorado have almost all seemingly agreed that there's a minute left in the fight and let's meet in the middle of the ring and just tee off each other and f'n go!

As stated previously

Woll

Giordano Brodie in
Edmundson Lilly out
- mr.sir

Why the frick would you want Eddy out?!?!? You need to smoke less (salmon)

Agreed.
Take away the time and space and the core 3 fall apart. Its been this way for several playoffs, Tampa missed out on it last year.
- Fakepartofme

Yup precisely. And it’s JT, Marner, and Nylander who can’t take on the lack of space. Matthews can of course but the problem he faces is because of the other 3 he’s constantly facing the most talented checking from the opposition.

And I know I make dumbass jokes about Marner but he is talented as hell, til this happens. So he needs to be let go because Nylander was signed. Keeping both those two is foolish since they need some talented physical forwards. Back down on Marner’s overall talent but replace him with a couple Bertuzzi types who are in their prime. The difference their offence would show would be notable.

And to be clear if they can figure out how to move Nylander because they’d rather keep Marner then go for it… however I don’t see it happening. I’m a tad afraid they’ll stick to this core and in 2-3 years the team will begin to to fade yet again.

Why the frick would you want Eddy out?!?!? You need to smoke less (salmon)
- Whipper

Giordano is the all time NHL leader in blocked shots and he can’t break this incredible D core

What a joke

Round 1 has a lot of these typically.

So far in this year's playoffs the teams who are effectively playing D and quickly eliminating time and space are Boston, the Rangers, Dallas, Vegas, Florida, Tampa and typically Carolina with the exception of the first period in their last game.

There are still a lot of teams who are very loose in their coverage - LA, Edmonton, Nashville, Vancouver, Washington, Winnipeg and Colorado . . . I didn't mention the Islanders because they are sporadic. Sometimes the gaps are getting closed and sometimes they are way too passive. I picked Carolina for the final-4, so I'm fine with it, but their D-zone coverage has been as inconsistent as ours has.

Granted LA/Edmonton, Vancouver/Nashville and Winnipeg/Colorado have almost all seemingly agreed that there's a minute left in the fight and let's meet in the middle of the ring and just tee off each other and f'n go!
- Monkeypunk

Yeah… that’s what Keefe needs to be drilling into their core’s head right now… stop expecting space, embrace playing without it, take the soreness and bruises on as a f’n gift, and use your talent in that kind of game.

If their core continues to look for space I’m guessing this round won’t last long for the leafs sadly.

It does bring up a question as well tho… would a different coach be all the core needs? One who tells them to stop this fancy assed poop or be sat? I sincerely don’t know.

Giordano is the all time NHL leader in blocked shots and he can’t break this incredible D core

What a joke
- mr.sir

He’s 40 now not 30 so the reason is pretty damn clear… the guy can’t even make it through a game anymore without losing his energy.

As for Woll I’m just assuming you’re related to him at this point.

Yup precisely. And it’s JT, Marner, and Nylander who can’t take on the lack of space. Matthews can of course but the problem he faces is because of the other 3 he’s constantly facing the most talented checking from the opposition.

And I know I make dumbass jokes about Marner but he is talented as hell, til this happens. So he needs to be let go because Nylander was signed. Keeping both those two is foolish since they need some talented physical forwards. Back down on Marner’s overall talent but replace him with a couple Bertuzzi types who are in their prime. The difference their offence would show would be notable.

And to be clear if they can figure out how to move Nylander because they’d rather keep Marner then go for it… however I don’t see it happening. I’m a tad afraid they’ll stick to this core and in 2-3 years the team will begin to to fade yet again.
- Dozzer

It's going to suck in the short term when Mitch goes, but it has to happen. You can get a 6 and $7M dman for what Paul is going to want, so instead of winning games 7-5 we can win them 4-2. You simply can't keep trying this core forever, I think at some point the suits at MLSE will figure this out.

Is now a good time to double down on my prediction of:

NYI vs Leafs
And….Dallas for the 🏆

Is now a good time to double down on my prediction of:

NYI vs Leafs
And….Dallas for the 🏆
- mr.sir

Yes....go ALL in, throw the house in there also

Giordano is the all time NHL leader in blocked shots and he can’t break this incredible D core

What a joke
- mr.sir

I mean, Eddy had 5 blocked shots last night, including an almost certain goal.

All their opposition needs to do with the leafs is check hard and reduce the timing the leafs get to handle the puck without physical play down to next to nothing.

Once that happens their core’s talent disappears.
- Dozzer

This is pretty accurate - they aren't built to score greasy goals or don't have to do it enough during the regular season and don't seem to have enough guys who can score them.

Domi/Bert are 2 who can (Domi got one the other night) but they need the skilled guys (looking at you JT, Marner, and even Matthews) to start to score type of goals too.

Some / more secondary scoring is also needed.

They also miss Willy.

I mean, Eddy had 5 blocked shots last night, including an almost certain goal.
- Whipper

On the GWG

Looked like Edmundson and Domi to me

All in all, I'm not overly worried about this team. We've outplayed them 5v5 all series and we're doing it without Willy. The PP HAS to get it figured out at some point, and they took less dumb penalties last night. Easy win Saturday, steal game 5 in their barn, and finish it up in 6.

We can, and we will*

*may take 7.

It's going to suck in the short term when Mitch goes, but it has to happen. You can get a 6 and $7M dman for what Paul is going to want, so instead of winning games 7-5 we can win them 4-2. You simply can't keep trying this core forever, I think at some point the suits at MLSE will figure this out.
- Whipper

Yeah and I know I make dumbass jokes about Mitch but I’ll be honest today and say he’s talented as hell.

Problem is will be his cost on the next contract… he’s already at $10.9 so he’ll be looking for $12.5+

And I’m sorry a non physical winger, no matter how talented, isn’t worth that. Working the boards is kind of a crucial necessity for wingers, especially playoff time.

I can loosely hold on that it may be just him playing Keefe’s game… but I don’t think it is since he wasn’t much different in London or under Babcock.

I can hope he proves me wrong tho so I will.

All in all, I'm not overly worried about this team. We've outplayed them 5v5 all series and we're doing it without Willy. The PP HAS to get it figured out at some point, and they took less dumb penalties last night. Easy win Saturday, steal game 5 in their barn, and finish it up in 6.

We can, and we will*

*may take 7.
- Whipper

I am hoping for a reverse "but it was 3-1 in the series"...

Leafs lose the next game then wake up and win the next 3

Yeah and I know I make dumbass jokes about Mitch but I’ll be honest today and say he’s talented as hell.

Problem is will be his cost on the next contract… he’s already at $10.9 so he’ll be looking for $12.5+

And I’m sorry a non physical winger, no matter how talented, isn’t worth that. Working the boards is kind of a crucial necessity for wingers, especially playoff time.

I can loosely hold on that it may be just him playing Keefe’s game… but I don’t think it is since he wasn’t much different in London or under Babcock.

I can hope he proves me wrong tho so I will.
- Dozzer

Do you honeslty think teams will line up to give him 12M/yr with his track record?

I am hoping for a reverse "but it was 3-1 in the series"...

Leafs lose the next game then wake up and win the next 3
- Symba007

As long as they're up 4-1 in the third.

Yeah and I know I make dumbass jokes about Mitch but I’ll be honest today and say he’s talented as hell.

Problem is will be his cost on the next contract… he’s already at $10.9 so he’ll be looking for $12.5+

And I’m sorry a non physical winger, no matter how talented, isn’t worth that. Working the boards is kind of a crucial necessity for wingers, especially playoff time.

I can loosely hold on that it may be just him playing Keefe’s game… but I don’t think it is since he wasn’t much different in London or under Babcock.

I can hope he proves me wrong tho so I will.
- Dozzer

I thought we were leaving cap space for 97

Do you honeslty think teams will line up to give him 12M/yr with his track record?
- Symba007

Absolutely.

I thought we were leaving cap space for 97
- mr.sir

Don't need it when he signs for league minimum on the greatest home team discount in history.