Again, he didnt say they didnt do anything special and at the beginning of the quote he kind of compliments the leafs saying he wasnt surprised by their play....and earlier in the presser coopers gives the leafs credit for their PK.

On whether anything surprised him about the way the Leafs played:

"No, not really. I am not so sure the Maple Leafs had to play particularly well to beat us tonight. You have to win four. You don’t want to give teams any freebies. We probably gave them a bit of a freebie tonight. It was hard to judge either team tonight."

Its the playoffs, people are going to try to make big deals out of nothing comments.
- Fakepartofme

I don't necessarily think it was a nothing comment.. Cooper is a veteran guy, I'm sure he chose his words wisely. Calling it a 'freebie', it wasn't a compliment to the Leafs

Nothing comment.
Moving on.
- Fakepartofme

Again I disagree with you.

And that is totally okay fake.

He had it snuffed out...it was diffused until boosh pushed perry in the background.
- Fakepartofme

He didn't have it snuffed out at all, he left the situation supercharged. Boosh doesn't get to do anything to Perry if Simmonds handles it, because Perry is either in the box or KIA.

I hope Rielly's hand is ok..

Maroon is a douche, why is he going after Morgan Rielly?

What a punk Maroon is.
- PatC80

To be fair he was trying to get to someone else and Rielly wouldn’t let him….so he said okey dokie Morgan. 😕

Keefe on Clifford

“He made a poor decision in that instance. When I go back and look at our past 20 games, our fourth line is at its best - and I am talking about playing the game, skating, forechecking, defending - it is with Clifford in it. It’s really as simple as that.”

Liljegren is really turning into a solid player. Glad he is in the lineup instead of Holl
im glad Dubas didnt act on all my trade proposals on HB from 2019-2021
- senstroll

1. win
2. win
3. win
4. fight
5. win
- TheMussel

I usually suck a predictions but I got pretty close on this one

Keefe on Clifford

“He made a poor decision in that instance. When I go back and look at our past 20 games, our fourth line is at its best - and I am talking about playing the game, skating, forechecking, defending - it is with Clifford in it. It’s really as simple as that.”
- Canada Cup

Yep, Cliff seemed to have gained an extra step this year. I wonder if he lost a couple pounds and it helped his speed.

I usually suck a predictions but I got pretty close on this one
- TheMussel

If Dubas listened to HB we’d be the Habs right now

Let’s face it, he is much better at his job than any of us would be
- Santo_44

he has had his misfires, but i dont think any GM is batting 1000

It took a while but I like how he has reconstructed the D from what he was given in 2018. Cap constraints slowed the process no doubt. A lot of his own doing (big 4)

But Muzzin > Brodie > Lubskin > Gio.
Wont credit Lily to Dubas totally, but will say they were patient with him and its paying off

To be fair he was trying to get to someone else and Rielly wouldn’t let him….so he said okey dokie Morgan. 😕
- Garnie

Still, Maroon is a punk.. Rielly's gloves were still on

Yep, Cliff seemed to have gained an extra step this year. I wonder if he lost a couple pounds and it helped his speed.
- Garnie

He needs to be in the lineup, because Maroon and Perry aren't going away and that entire dressing room already knows what happens if they get Campbell out and Kallgren in net. Going to have to keep them in check every night.

Keefe on Clifford

“He made a poor decision in that instance. When I go back and look at our past 20 games, our fourth line is at its best - and I am talking about playing the game, skating, forechecking, defending - it is with Clifford in it. It’s really as simple as that.”
- Canada Cup

id put Cliffy right back in if he is available

Simmonds needs to drop the gloves there and we wouldn’t have had Boosh getting a left to the face and Rielly fighting and getting pounded.
- Garnie

I have to disagree here. You shoudlnt have to fight someone because you layed a good hit, that poop is stupid. He didnt want to give them any momentum, and had no reason to fight there.

Thats the kinda crap the NHL needs to get rid of.

I don't necessarily think it was a nothing comment.. Cooper is a veteran guy, I'm sure he chose his words wisely. Calling it a 'freebie', it wasn't a compliment to the Leafs
- PatC80

Ya like I said he did take a little poke at the leafs for sure after giving them little compliment while making it known his team didnt play well either.
Vet move.
But I dont think its bulletin board material that the media will talk about until game 2.
Its the playoffs, Coop knows what he is doing.
And hey, if for whatever reason this does spur the leafs to keep playing hard...then perfect.
But IMO it was no big deal. Gamesmanship

he has had his misfires, but i dont think any GM is batting 1000

It took a while but I like how he has reconstructed the D from what he was given in 2018. Cap constraints slowed the process no doubt. A lot of his own doing (big 4)

But Muzzin > Brodie > Lubskin > Gio.
Wont credit Lily to Dubas totally, but will say they were patient with him and its paying off
- senstroll

Lily played really well and held his own.. Made some really smart defensive plays.. All three d-pairings were solid.

To be fair he was trying to get to someone else and Rielly wouldn’t let him….so he said okey dokie Morgan. 😕
- Garnie

It was a coward move by Maroon. You dont punch someone like that when you clearly outmatch them. Sure give him a couple shots, but not what he did.

To me a lot of the toughness was Marner holding onto the puck knowing he’s about to get creamed so he can make the right pass, Mik and and Engvall throwing their bodies around, Willie blocking shots and maybe most importantly, the mental toughness not to make many mistakes in a game where a lot of things had to be in their heads.

Also Marner’s goal was a thing of beauty as was the play Cadbury chocolate creamy drew up for the Matthews goal.

I have to disagree here. You shoudlnt have to fight someone because you layed a good hit, that poop is stupid. He didnt want to give them any momentum, and had no reason to fight there.

Thats the kinda crap the NHL needs to get rid of.
- Archaic

I agree. Simmonds shouldn't have to fight for throwing a clean, hard hit.. However, Simmonds reaction though, smiling and laughing as Maroon and Perry are going at him probably made it worse.

With the DoPS who knows? I honestly didn't think it was that bad. I thought it was a 2 minute boarding penalty, but he doesn't charge him, he doesn't leave his feet . . he does hit him in the numbers, but Colton isn't facing the boards - he's facing the open ice, the hit turns him into the boards and it's an unfortunate result. You can hit a guy from behind into open ice. You can't hit them into the boards.
- Monkeypunk

With the guy running DOPS liking the Leafs about as much as Makita does (thanks Carol) I think Cliff gets at least a game maybe more, no big deal IMO. Rielly might get a game for Jon Cooper sending out Maroon and Perry to goon it up when the Leafs were up 5-0. No penalty, no fine, no suspension to Tampa IMO.

Cliff is looking at a suspension IMO.
- winsix

I honestly didn't think it was that bad.

IMHO, not worthy of five minutes.

Having said that, I have no problem with suspending him, as I don't want him in the lineup.

It was a coward move by Maroon. You dont punch someone like that when you clearly outmatch them. Sure give him a couple shots, but not what he did.
- Archaic

Line brawl going on, it’s gonna happen unfortunately. Hopefully someone feeds him his lunch by the end but I have my doubts.

He didn't have it snuffed out at all, he left the situation supercharged. Boosh doesn't get to do anything to Perry if Simmonds handles it, because Perry is either in the box or KIA.
- joel878

Disagree, it was dying out. Even the announcers were saying he was doing the right thing, then boosh shoves perry, and things get fired up again.
Once they got fired up again, Simmonds was right in there.

To me a lot of the toughness was Marner holding onto the puck knowing he’s about to get creamed so he can make the right pass, Mik and and Engvall throwing their bodies around, Willie blocking shots and maybe most importantly, the mental toughness not to make many mistakes in a game where a lot of things had to be in their heads.

Also Marner’s goal was a thing of beauty as was the play Cadbury chocolate creamy drew up for the Matthews goal.
- Canada Cup

Leafs played really tight except for maybe one or two turnovers in their own zone on the breakout. I predict a regression in that department in upcoming games.

I agree. Simmonds shouldn't have to fight for throwing a clean, hard hit.. However, Simmonds reaction though, smiling and laughing as Maroon and Perry are going at him probably made it worse.
- PatC80

Maybe, but who knows what they were saying to him at the time. Maybe they were trying to get under his skin, and he wasnt biting. Its hard to say. Either way, you dont get to punch someone in the face because they were smiling.