Canadiens @ Leafs - May 31st, 7:00pm - CBC, Fan 590

[4EVRLEAFAN]

The JVR/Bozak moves definitely still reverberate.  But my God, this team should have won this series no matter what.

This. Montreal was a team we had to beat period, I don't have any answers but changes must be made, we are not a playoff team.

 

[Strangelove]

Just dropped by to say that this series was about as Leafy as it gets. I genuinely didn't think it was possible for them to lose this series but I should have known better. You know things aren't going well when Marner seems to be spending the better part of each game fighting back tears in the middle of the play.

Have a good summer, everyone.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

The 180 I have taken on this team is pretty hairpin.    I thought this core was awesome.  I want it broken up.  The effort is just absolutely garbage in a Game 7. 

Injuries, sure.  This team isn?t good.  They can?t win important games.  I genuinely dislike this team.  But hey at least we can have one of the most expensive cores without a playoff series win

For what it's worth.....

Don't forget the Tampa experience from 2019. Absolutely ran away with the President's Trophy. Core with Hart winner Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, Vasilevskiy. Three 40 goal scorers.

Forget losing the last 3 of 7, they were swept in 4. Not a single player scored more than once. Kucherov and Stamkos had 2 points each, Point had 1.

The reactions to their sweep are pretty brutal, and justifiably so:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/tampa-bay-lightning-swept-nhl-playoffs-roasted-by-fans

And they won the Cup the next year.

 

[ZBBM]

The problem is that psychologically this has crept into the team.  I think you may have to go big at this point.  What did the Red Wings do back in the day?  Is that even possible in a cap system?

Maybe we can re-hire Babcock?  Who BTW is probably got a world-beating smirk on his face right about now.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Eh, I'm disappointed like always but there's always the mystery of what they need to do to finally get past this crap.

Dubas:
* Got a decent b/u who turned out to be a starter when he had to be
* Added two veteran d-men who made our defense much, much better
* Added what looked like valuable grit/stability with Foligno

I've been a Dubas critic in the past but this past season I can't fault his moves.  What we can fault him on are some of the contracts, and no I'm not talking about Nylander who earned his dough this series.

I guess all that's left is to try to change the core.

I actually think they won't change the core. I think it's time for the young guys to fill in. Spezza will probably be the only old guy back. Don't see Thornton or Simmonds coming back.
This isn't on Dubas. This team should have done better.
Leafs need a goalie because Jack isn't good enough.

 

[Bender]

Yup.

 

[Chris]

The other issue is goaltending.  I have no idea in the world what to do about that.  They are very good and putting guys in there who are pretty decent but end up outplayed by literally every other goalie they face.

We don't have the cap space to go out and get a top notch goalie unless you move Marner. I think Campbell can be the primary guy next year. We didn't lose this because of Campbell/Price, we lost because we didn't show up (until too late) in games 5 and 6.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/Aportzline/status/1399541319098306564

Not that I care about the difference between a 6th and a 7th but... lmao

 

[Derk]

As for changes ... What are we gonna do?  Matthews is a superstar.  I do regret buying a Marner jersey this year that's all I can say

Can't move JT (no move clause, right)? Not gonna move Matthews. Nylander is probably the best contract. So that leaves one if they want to go that route.

I think you have to solicit offers and if it makes sense you do it. Replace $11 mil with 2 $5.5 mil players, balance out the offense, replace the aging/slow/non contributors and see what happens.

I'm just going to drop this tidbit posted by Carlton earlier in the thread right here:

"After he gets paid his $9,608,000 signing bonus on July 1st Marner will have just $24.8mil left on his contract spread over 4 seasons.

You know, if anybody was wondering."

 

[bustaheims]

Marner needed to be better. Matthews needed to be better. Everyone other than like Nylander and Spezza needed to be better.

I'm actually not sour on Matthews. Hyman and Marner are a different story. Losing Tavares and not getting the goaltending they needed in game 5 was killer. Such a game of inches. Price was the difference

I?m not ready to run Matthews out of town or anything, but he needs to step up when the games get tighter.

Marner? He?s a great talent, but if he?s might be the guy that needs to move. I?d let Hyman walk this summer - he doesn?t bring enough when it matters. I?d look to move Rielly - maybe as part of a swap for Jones, if Columbus would do that.

Really, other than Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Brodie, Sandin, and Campbell, I?d be open to moving everyone on the roster right now. Something ain?t right, and the team needs a shock to the system.

 

[rdowdall]

So try and remember the highs.  In 2001, the Leafs finished with 90 points and the Sens finished with 109 points.  The Leafs didn't make the playoffs till the second last game of the season. 

The Leafs swept the Sens. 

This is why I don't like when people start calling teams terrible and horrible.  The Leafs have been on the other side of that, and if you don't respect your opponent in the NHL, you will lose.

 

[Bender]

On the plus side, you have to like how being a Leafs fan has a certain consistency to it.

I was wondering when we were going to hear your witty quips!

 

[BermudaBudsFan]

Does it really matter?  I will be long dead the next time they advance to the second round.  Move the franchise to North Dakota.

 

[L K]

As much as we can blame Malholtra for the special teams Keefe is ultimately responsible for letting this go on for half the season and not stepping in.  Very little adjustment.

This series was a great example as the PP just continued to do the same thing with Rielly and Marner getting the only shot opportunities because they didn?t have a second shooting threat on the ice if a young and rattled Sandin wasn?t on the ice.

Hyman was the only one getting opportunities while Nylander and Spezza were getting chances....and yet no changes to the lines that were ineffective.

To me Hyman was downright bad in this series.  I?m sure he?s hurt but none of his forechecking was generating opportunities for his life mates  He just kept
Trying to do those wide turns with the puck until he turned it over or fired a low quality shot on net.  I know his scoring pace in the regular season but he has 13 points in 33 playoff games.  I think I?d be very leery paying him more than 3.5.

 

[Captain Canuck]

Same old, same old...although yeah very disheartening losing to the Habs and wasting a golden chance. COVID handed Canada an automatic into the Conference Finals and we just blew that opportunity badly. We were the best team in the country all year, should have been there!

Team needs a shake-up for sure...probably let most of the UFAs walk. Can we get another goalie to compete with Campbell that?s better than Freddie?
Do with dare think about trading one of the 4, if it improves some of the other holes this team has?

 

[Guilt Trip]

The 180 I have taken on this team is pretty hairpin.    I thought this core was awesome.  I want it broken up.  The effort is just absolutely garbage in a Game 7. 

Injuries, sure.  This team isn?t good.  They can?t win important games.  I genuinely dislike this team.  But hey at least we can have one of the most expensive cores without a playoff series win

For what it's worth.....

Don't forget the Tampa experience from 2019. Absolutely ran away with the President's Trophy. Core with Hart winner Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, Vasilevskiy. Three 40 goal scorers.

Forget losing the last 3 of 7, they were swept in 4. Not a single player scored more than once. Kucherov and Stamkos had 2 points each, Point had 1.

The reactions to their sweep are pretty brutal, and justifiably so:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/tampa-bay-lightning-swept-nhl-playoffs-roasted-by-fans

And they won the Cup the next year.

Stuff happens. This is a good team..they're just not there yet. Losing 2 in OT to get it to game 7..game of inches.

 

[Kin]

I think maybe we should be careful about saying a team can't win just because they haven't. I think the history of the NHL is fairly littered with guys who couldn't win until they did.

And likewise, as insignificant as it may seem now, I think we need to remember that the only reason this team is in a position to lose so painfully is because they have shown they can play well in important situations. Just not enough or with enough frequency. I do think those things improve with time.

 

[BermudaBudsFan]

The 180 I have taken on this team is pretty hairpin.    I thought this core was awesome.  I want it broken up.  The effort is just absolutely garbage in a Game 7. 

Injuries, sure.  This team isn?t good.  They can?t win important games.  I genuinely dislike this team.  But hey at least we can have one of the most expensive cores without a playoff series win

For what it's worth.....

Don't forget the Tampa experience from 2019. Absolutely ran away with the President's Trophy. Core with Hart winner Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, Vasilevskiy. Three 40 goal scorers.

Forget losing the last 3 of 7, they were swept in 4. Not a single player scored more than once. Kucherov and Stamkos had 2 points each, Point had 1.

The reactions to their sweep are pretty brutal, and justifiably so:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/tampa-bay-lightning-swept-nhl-playoffs-roasted-by-fans

And they won the Cup the next year.

And unicorns fly out of my chimney....

 

[Bender]

https://twitter.com/Aportzline/status/1399541319098306564

Not that I care about the difference between a 6th and a 7th but... lmao

Why put a percent on it and not on games played?

 

[ZBBM]

So try and remember the highs.  In 2001, the Leafs finished with 90 points and the Sens finished with 109 points.  The Leafs didn't make the playoffs till the second last game of the season. 

The Leafs swept the Sens. 

This is why I don't like when people start calling teams terrible and horrible.  The Leafs have been on the other side of that, and if you don't respect your opponent in the NHL, you will lose.

I think they respected MTL plenty.  They just don't have what it takes mentally to win.  They have now blown series in just about every possible way.