Parayko just signed a sweetheart 8 year deal with St. Louis. He is not going anywhere.
- mjones242

unfortunately I believe you are correct... but allow me to imagine it for a little bit

Missed the game

Please recap
- mr.sir

A very fresh Leafs team played uninspired hockey against a team playing the 2nd of back-to-back games.

Apparently, it's all Hutch's fault.

It's early days yet but I remain super unimpressed with this team's ability to consistently compete.

Sound like a tired, tropey critique? Yeah, but it's hard to argue against it, amirite/amirov?
- mjones242

Yeah sounds like the same team. I remain in the faithful that thinks they work it out. There's a lot of talent there and a lot of desire to win. Marner had a couple of great chances tonight, and made a couple of good passes - he also had a couple of lazy and really momentum killing passes by making slow or lazy passes in the offensive zone when we had them tired or out of position. He'll bury a couple of find his way back to playing well.

I mean there are a number of things in the first 5 games that you can't ignore: Muzzin has sucked, Holl has sucked, Kerfoot has sucked, Brodie has sucked, Ritchie and Marner have sucked. Tavares has been below average - not as bad as the others, but not himself. Obviously tonight Hutchinson sucked.

Averaging that out - Campbell, Nylander, Spezza, Sandin, Dermott, Engvall, Bunting, Kampf and often Simmonds have all surprised with better than expected play.

unfortunately I believe you are correct... but allow me to imagine it for a little bit

- BorjeFan4Ever

Oh, I love the idea of a trade that sees Marner and his absurd contract jettisoned, but Parayko is pretty much untouchable at this point.

three team trade...

Eichel goes to St Louis - apparently they currently have the greatest interest

Marner & Tarasenko & STL 1st Pick go to Buffalo


Paryako and Kyrou BUF 2nd 22 and 2nd 23 to Toronto

Buffalo solves their Eichel problem without sending him to New York or New Jersey
St. Louis gets "their guy" in Eichel and solves their Tarasenko problem
Leafs get out from under Marner's boat anchor contract gives themselves a bit of CAP space
- BorjeFan4Ever

I like it.

J
@Account4hockey

Barring any drastic changes in the last 5 minutes of the game, Marner will be the worst player in the league by
@EvolvingHockey’s WAR this season by the time the stats update overnight.

8:26 PM · Oct 22, 2021
- Steven_Seagull

They must’ve excluded Duck players then… there’s simply no way that he’s worse than Derek Grant…

Yeah sounds like the same team. I remain in the faithful that thinks they work it out. There's a lot of talent there and a lot of desire to win. Marner had a couple of great chances tonight, and made a couple of good passes - he also had a couple of lazy and really momentum killing passes by making slow or lazy passes in the offensive zone when we had them tired or out of position. He'll bury a couple of find his way back to playing well.

I mean there are a number of things in the first 5 games that you can't ignore: Muzzin has sucked, Holl has sucked, Kerfoot has sucked, Brodie has sucked, Ritchie and Marner have sucked. Tavares has been below average - not as bad as the others, but not himself. Obviously tonight Hutchinson sucked.

Averaging that out - Campbell, Nylander, Spezza, Sandin, Dermott, Engvall, Bunting, Kampf and often Simmonds have all surprised with better than expected play.
- Monkeypunk

This is precisely (well, from my bullpoop, reductive analysis anyway) where the problem resides: the team lacks the ability to put together a consistent, 3 period effort. They may "want" to win but are they putting in a consistent effort to do so?

When this team decides to turn up the jets they tilt the ice significantly. But when do they do this? Usually in the 3rd period when they're down a couple of goals and "it's oh poop!" time and they need to claw their way back.

Why does this team consistently take forever to get their engine revving?!

Yeah, Hutch didn't have his best game but this team should be dominating and superstars should be firing on all cylinders from Game 1 on. I look at EDM and I see a team that is firing on all cylinders with their best players absolutely crushing it.

Sure, it's been only 5 games, but I'll be damned if this team still looks like they know they're elite but can't be bothered to put in a 100% effort night in and night out.

You forgot the part about the Leafs getting outworked by a team playing a back to back, and third game in four nights.
- fifty__missions

Did I? 'Cos you pointed out that we had the puck more than them. We controlled the play. We had more chances. Both teams had an even number of high danger chances.

Should we have outplayed them? I think so, but credit to San Jose - they didn't play tired at all. If they had, the advantage would have been noticeable. The Leafs didn't look like they weren't working. They failed to execute - the goalie allowed 3 goals that were very weak, including 1 that no NHL goalie should ever allow. The forwards failed to pop in some great chances. poop happens.

We lost and that blows. But look at the game objectively. The Leafs made some bone-headed plays (like when Matthews decides to go in 1 on 4 with the empty net behind him; like when Marner tries to centre a pass through 3 guys with a very soft pass; like Nylander whiffing on a beautiful high slot opportunity; like Holl or Muzzin not taking their man; like Spezza and Brodie not covering their guy in front) - but you're going to get a few of those every game.

It doesn't help that right now there are a number of guys who are not playing up to their abilities.

The tell on whether this team is any better is if that stuff goes away or if it's still prevalent in a month.

I think the back to back thing is overblown. These guys are way more conditioned than before and I think it takes less of a toll.

I like it.
- Steven_Seagull

this is what happens when the Leafs game starts at 6pm on a Friday night... and I have too much time on my hands after the game.

I think we are going to find out how much control Keefe actually has over this team by tomorrow night.

If they roll out the same stale 1st powerplay unit again they are simply put "idiots"
If Marner starts the game with Matthews AGAIN... they are "delusional"

I know at lot of people grew tired of Babcock's schtick on here.. and rightfully so often... but I would love to have heard him post game tonight... that would have been "vintage Saski"

This is precisely (well, from my bullpoop, reductive analysis anyway) where the problem resides: the team lacks the ability to put together a consistent, 3 period effort. They may "want" to win but are they putting in a consistent effort to do so?

When this team decides to turn up the jets they tilt the ice significantly. But when do they do this? Usually in the 3rd period when they're down a couple of goals and "it's oh poop!" time and they need to claw their way back.

Why does this team consistently take forever to get their engine revving?!

Yeah, Hutch didn't have his best game but this team should be dominating and superstars should be firing on all cylinders from Game 1 on. I look at EDM and I see a team that is firing on all cylinders with their best players absolutely crushing it.

Sure, it's been only 5 games, but I'll be damned if this team still looks like they know they're elite but can't be bothered to put in a 100% effort night in and night out.
- mjones242

Let's see how Edmonton fares tonight. They've played Vancouver, Calgary, Anaheim and Arizona so far. If they were anything less than 3-1 it would be disappointing. Vegas is off to a poor start. Tampa's off to a poor start. Buffalo is undefeated.

It's a process and you take it game by game. Overreacting to anything at this stage of the season - including for the Habs - is getting emotional instead of being rational.

We know, for instance, that the Leafs have problems. All teams do. It's how them build on them that tells the story.

I think the back to back thing is overblown. These guys are way more conditioned than before and I think it takes less of a toll.
- Aaron_85

I'd like to know what team records are per the back end of back to back games.

I think the back to back thing is overblown. These guys are way more conditioned than before and I think it takes less of a toll.
- Aaron_85

The Leafs seem to lose most of their B2B. But then again, they’re a bunch of lazy bums.

Let's see how Edmonton fares tonight. They've played Vancouver, Calgary, Anaheim and Arizona so far. If they were anything less than 3-1 it would be disappointing. Vegas is off to a poor start. Tampa's off to a poor start. Buffalo is undefeated.

It's a process and you take it game by game. Overreacting to anything at this stage of the season - including for the Habs - is getting emotional instead of being rational.

We know, for instance, that the Leafs have problems. All teams do. It's how them build on them that tells the story.
- Monkeypunk

I get your point about patience... but the issue for these Leafs is that behaviors and results from - for example the powerplay look an awful lot like the garbage they were pitching the entire 2nd half of last season... so it isn't just the "new season" sample size.

not picking only on Marner - 'cause he certainly isn't the singular issue - but he was pretty invisible during the playoffs and he looks like the same lost scared puppy out there.

the Leafs are getting second scoring, with the exception of tonight they have had VERY good goaltending- still not dominating and actually nothing close to it.

Let's see how Edmonton fares tonight. They've played Vancouver, Calgary, Anaheim and Arizona so far. If they were anything less than 3-1 it would be disappointing. Vegas is off to a poor start. Tampa's off to a poor start. Buffalo is undefeated.

It's a process and you take it game by game. Overreacting to anything at this stage of the season - including for the Habs - is getting emotional instead of being rational.

We know, for instance, that the Leafs have problems. All teams do. It's how them build on them that tells the story.
- Monkeypunk

Am I overreacting?

I'd like to know what team records are per the back end of back to back games.
- mjones242

It still favours the rested team. It's not radical - but a couple of years ago I looked at that, and it was around 65% in favour of the rested team.

The Leafs seem to lose most of their B2B. But then again, they’re a bunch of lazy bums.
- Steven_Seagull

We have to wait at least 73 games into the season to be sure of that assessment, Gull.

Missed the game

Please recap
- mr.sir

Goaltending was the difference, Leafs were the better team. Most of the megadowner takes on here are the expected hysterical hyperbole over the 5th game of the season.

It still favours the rested team. It's not radical - but a couple of years ago I looked at that, and it was around 65% in favour of the rested team.
- Monkeypunk

2/3 is not insignificant.

We have to wait at least 73 games into the season to be sure of that assessment, Gull.
- mjones242

Am I overreacting?
- mjones242

I think a lot of us are frustrated with this team's lack of consistency - so being a .500 after 5 games where they have played the winless Habs, the lotttery-Senators twice, a tired Sharks team and the non-playoff Rangers is disappointing for sure. This team could be 5-0, and certainly should be 3-2 at the least.

They've yet to play a full game - so the frustration that we ALL feel is there.

It's leading to - maybe not from you, but from a lot of people - some more radical suggestions that are just wildly unrealistic.

2/3 is not insignificant.
- mjones242

In case you think I'm arguing - no, it should have given us an additional advantage (on top of being at home and being the better team). As I said, I think we had the better chances, but we didn't dominate. Even when we had the chance to put the Sharks down, we'd lose possession at critical times, we'd make poor passes - so there's a lack of finish too. I think the Leafs are feeling the pressure from their own lack of success.

Goaltending was the difference, Leafs were the better team. Most of the megadowner takes on here are the expected hysterical hyperbole over the 5th game of the season.
- Zezel

It's simple.

Matthews should be captain. At the end of the day Matthews would take this team to the Cup, not JT. He's a (frank)ing mook. Bland. Boring. Quiet leader bullpoop ain't cutting it.

Marner or JT should be traded. I prefer JT but I'm fine with Marner too.

Fix the D and G.

Grab a couple more no quit wingers who want to work for their money, not I "gots mines" types. Those types will go the (frank) to work.

Then this team would be unstoppable.

Too many chefs in the kitchen...meaning too much "elite" talent with "elite" egos.

PP1 doesn't work because of this exact problem. Put a few bangers on PP1 and a bit of talent on PP2. A perfect microcosm of this teams issues is staring you all in face with the power play woes.

Goaltending was the difference, Leafs were the better team. Most of the megadowner takes on here are the expected hysterical hyperbole over the 5th game of the season.
- Zezel

Your optimism sucks, still.