I think that's what going on with Matthews. Ever since the hit that took out his shoulder and him out of the line up for a while.
- zazzle

Exactly. That's his (possibly justifiable) reason for playing soft and not making s#!t happen imo.
Gardiner, Oz, Goat, Willy "fly by" Nylander, Painsey are WAY to tentative and have zero excuse for playing so soft.
The team deserves more from Oz, Willy (don't mess up my hair), and Gards.

Exactly. That's his (possibly justifiable) reason for playing soft and not making s#!t happen imo.
Gardiner, Oz, Goat, Willy "fly by" Nylander, Painsey are WAY to tentative and have zero excuse for playing so soft.
The team deserves more from Oz, Willy (don't mess up my hair), and Gards.
- LakesideBlues

you can't ask more from some players (Oz and Gardiner) - basically since you get what they are.. there is no more. makes no sense to demand more.
Nylander is the only player that in principle shoudl be better. I'm not convinced he wants to play different though...

Under .500 the past 20 games.
Could be more than just a "slump"
Maybe
- Fakepartofme

oh also the goaltending has slipped ..so thats another big factor.

oh also the goaltending has slipped ..so thats another big factor.
- senstroll

Going to your 3rd string goalie because Andersen and Sparks were injured is all Zaitsev's fault.. Can you believe that guy? Dude, gets away with everything

I think his rant is a bit of an over-reaction to a slump by a good team.

Pucks arnt going in, several key players at the same time have went cold. the leafs at 5v5 are getting the better of things overall, which is good.

the PPs have dried up along with the PP also going cold.

it wont take long for the Leafs to swing back the other way and this will be forgotten
- senstroll

It does make a good case for why few penalties are called during Leafs games. This team is not gritty and, as such, it turns into a bit of a shinny contest where the refs - in their infinite "game management" wisdom - let calls go against the Leafs to keep the PP parity in check.

The Leafs much vaunted speed and skating hasn't seemed quite so impressive recently either. Not that the Leafs have slowed down but I wonder if other teams have dialed up their pace. Which may explain why penalties are down as well -- obstruction calls are less likely when a team can keep up with you.

I don't know - maybe there's other explanations for why the Leafs are dead last in penalties for and against. I think PrinceLH may have hit the nail on the proverbial head when it comes to special teams.

Quote from Dubas from a Friedman interview

“As analysis has grown deeper and deeper in hockey and improved, now you’re starting to measure the quality of every shot and what it can do to your expected goals. So if you have a shot from a certain spot on the ice, what’s the percentage that that goes in? What are the other factors that are going into that? Then, how does that impact the expected goals that your team can expect to score that night? So there are all these various different things, but until we can get into a level where that sort of stuff is verified, having more of a sample size over time, and better verified.”

so he pays attention to expected goals.

you can't ask more from some players (Oz and Gardiner) - basically since you get what they are.. there is no more. makes no sense to demand more.
Nylander is the only player that in principle shoudl be better. I'm not convinced he wants to play different though...
- plantheparade

Consider Oz is 6'2 - 207 lbs. & Gards is 6'2 & 200 lbs, and they are both defencemen, yet Mitch fricken Marner plays a heavier game......

Quote from Dubas from a Friedman interview



so he pays attention to expected goals.
- senstroll

Did Freidman then say: "But actual goals should have more value then expected goals, right?"

Did Freidman then say: "But actual goals should have more value then expected goals, right?"
- PatC80

He doesnt need to say that

Meh, dont worry about trolling, its a message board, if people cant handle trolling then leave, ya know.

He hasn't been on his complete game for a while. The effort is there the goals arent, but i think he has 13 apples in the past 13 games or something like thar.
- Fakepartofme

The funniest is Cptmjl the Isles fan posting on here, the reporting back to his forum thinking he's doing a good job trolling

Thats some weak ass poop.... They talk more about the Leafs, and Toronto in that thread then they do the Islanders. Apparently we are spiraling out of control in here

https://www.hockeybuzz.co...thread_id=146644&page=978

Consider Oz is 6'2 - 207 lbs. & Gards is 6'2 & 200 lbs, and they are both defencemen, yet Mitch fricken Marner plays a heavier game......

- LakesideBlues

The goat is 6'5, 235lbs.. Yet, Andreas Johnsson plays a heavier game then he does

The goat is 6'5, 235lbs.. Yet, Andreas Johnsson plays a heavier game then he does
- PatC80

Yeah I dont get that. He's a big dude, why not throw it around a bit. He's the Cory Cross of forwards.

The goat is 6'5, 235lbs.. Yet, Andreas Johnsson plays a heavier game then he does
- PatC80

Johnsson gets tossed around by most defenders - wouldn't define that as 'heavy'.

Johnsson gets tossed around by most defenders - wouldn't define that as 'heavy'.
- plantheparade

Point is, he tries to play more physical than the goat does.

"WE LIKE OUR TEAM"

Point is, he tries to play more physical than the goat does.
- PatC80

The Leafs problem is definitely not the 4th line.
They have 5-6 players who have done really well this year (and not even including Leivo):

- Gauthier
- Lindholm
- Moore
- Brown
- Ennis
- Johnsson

In fact, Leafs depth chart is really looking good and the team has a bright future.
need a 2nd line winger to play with Matthews.
need 2 right hand d-men.
and need a backup goalie.

Dubas has until Oct 2019 to address those issues to make Leafs a cup favorite for next season.

Point is, he tries to play more physical than the goat does.
- PatC80

.....and now he is concussed

The rest of the NHL GM's should vote Chiarelli off the island next time they get together...SOB screws up the contract structure for the rest of the league every time he signs a player to a new deal.

The rest of the NHL GM's should vote Chiarelli off the island next time they get together...SOB screws up the contract structure for the rest of the league every time he signs a player to a new deal.
- Deeps27

Agreed, the guy is a complete moron.

The rest of the NHL GM's should vote Chiarelli off the island next time they get together...SOB screws up the contract structure for the rest of the league every time he signs a player to a new deal.
- Deeps27

NO! You want the Oilers to get better?

wonder if Dubas will wait closer to the TDL to aquire D. Hamilton or act faster

NO! You want the Oilers to get better?
- Archaic

Of course not, but I also don't want to pay an RFA who hasn't topped 70 points yet in his career more than $12.5M "just because" as a result of a "comparable contract" + inflation. If Koskinen (who?) is worth $4.5M, what's Freddy want on his next deal?

Agreed, the guy is a complete moron.
- LeafGuy89

How long can you live off fleecing Brian Burke on one good deal? I guess that helped him get his Cup, which is big currency in a front office...he should have been fired for the Hall trade alone and they let them keep re-signing guys? Give me a break...

Of course not, but I also don't want to pay an RFA who hasn't topped 70 points yet in his career more than $12.5M "just because" either as a result of a "comparable contract" + inflation. If Koskinen (who?) is worth $4.5M, what's Freddy want on his next deal?
- Deeps27

Too late for that....the damage has been done. The only enjoyment we can get is just see what bad trades he might make next.

Bouchard for Zaitsev?
RNH(50%) for Freddy the Goat?
Nurse for Justin Holl, and Freddy the Goat?