Islanders @ Leafs - Oct. 17th, 7:00pm - SN
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
L K
Well-known member
The only thing i'll say is that everyone looked bad tonight. So maybe this was just one of those games.
The problem is the coach made baffling decisions in the previous game to help throw away 2 points and we aren't a good enough team to piss away wins.
This isn't a good defensive team but giving up 3 goals on 20 shots is more on Bob than their defense. 2 of the three goals were stoppable and even on the 2nd goal Bob came out of the net really weird to come across the crease.
The problem is the coach made baffling decisions in the previous game to help throw away 2 points and we aren't a good enough team to piss away wins.
This isn't a good defensive team but giving up 3 goals on 20 shots is more on Bob than their defense. 2 of the three goals were stoppable and even on the 2nd goal Bob came out of the net really weird to come across the crease.
I'm trying not to really care, I know this team just isn't very good and most likely not making the playoffs. But I'm sitting here watching this slog of a game, and except for a few minutes after their goal, the Leafs have basically sleepwalked through yet another game. I don't understand. I hear all these players talk about how great it is to play in Toronto, especially those from the area. Yet it appears so many of them mostly are just going through the motions. There's no passion, no energy. How about throwing some big hits...how about knocking some guys down in front of your net. How about looking mad.
I get it - guys like Matthews, Tavares, Nylander are what they are - but how about all these imported players who talk about how it has always been their dream to play in Toronto. It sure doesn't look like it much of the time.
Why am I still watching this team.
I get it - guys like Matthews, Tavares, Nylander are what they are - but how about all these imported players who talk about how it has always been their dream to play in Toronto. It sure doesn't look like it much of the time.
Why am I still watching this team.
I don't fault Bobrovsky on any of those goals.
rjd
Well-known member
No it hasn't. Still a lot of hockey to be played, but there is a lot of work to be done here and I don't think they have the horses. The defence is just really bad.
dekedastardly
Member
Bums. They should be filling the nets. Willy has been shit the past couple games. Trade him for a #1 d-man.
ZBBM
Well-known member
The D is not good enough. They super-miss Tanev. He really is the linchpin for the whole squad.
4EVRLEAFAN
Active member
If he wasn't getting paid 7 mill a year I'd cut him some slack, but he's getting paid to be a difference maker, a goalie that can steal games when his team isn't playing their best and so far he hasn't.
dekedastardly
Member
34 and 88 get paid a lot. One shot on goal each tonight. Superstars find a way.
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Not to me it didn't.
I went through this last year.
The two shots had to travel about 19 feet to get past him.
NHL wrist shots are 70-90 mph
So a 70 mph wrist shot gets past him in 0.185 seconds.
Goalie reaction time is .1 to .15 seconds (before they start to move). At 38 yrs old, he's not at .1 - he's closer to .15 - lets say .125 in the best case.
So he has ~.06 seconds to move to stop the puck - a 20th of a second to make the movement. Can't move a glove or a pad very far in a 20th of a second.
Shots requiring much movement- like to a side or corner, he has no chance to stop them. Largely, shots from that area of the ice, they either hit him or they don't.
His positioning and where he was in the blue paint seemed ok to me.
I cannot recall any soft goals by Bobrovsky this season. Maybe some that were stoppable but not a lot. I was never keen on the signing. Much preferred Hildeby as a better bang for their buck. But I haven't found a lot of fault with the goaltending Bobrosky has provided. Can't say the same for Stolarz. But as they were last season, the skaters are significantly worse defensively than their goalies. I think we basically knew that when the season started. It is not a shock to me.
Matthews, Tanev & Groulx are the only plus players
At even strength, Leafs may be the worst in the league
19 GF 26GA -7
if not, they'd be close to it
If the PP 26.7% and PK 96.1% were not good, the Leafs would be in real trouble.
They have to find a way to play better defensively. Only 1 game with less than 3 goals allowed.
At even strength, Leafs may be the worst in the league
19 GF 26GA -7
if not, they'd be close to it
If the PP 26.7% and PK 96.1% were not good, the Leafs would be in real trouble.
They have to find a way to play better defensively. Only 1 game with less than 3 goals allowed.
Frank E
Well-known member
Matthews was .273 in the dot. Nylander had 1 shot on net, and a -3 on 20:34 of ice time.
Andy07
Well-known member
Awful, they really seem to have trouble winning battles in their own end
Side note- perhaps we can try playing and developing a young goalie? Bob hasn't been awful or anything, but 7M x 3 for a 38 year old G doesn't seem any less risky than, say, giving Hildeby or Akhtyamov a chance to win a starting job.
Side note- perhaps we can try playing and developing a young goalie? Bob hasn't been awful or anything, but 7M x 3 for a 38 year old G doesn't seem any less risky than, say, giving Hildeby or Akhtyamov a chance to win a starting job.
Bender
Well-known member
I don't get why we needed to be so aggressive with shipping out both Hildeby and Woll with only AA left. Hildeby was the only bright spot last year and he was traded because Gruden favoured AA in the Calder Cup run? Seems kind of ridiculous to me.
And now Woll has a .916 on the crappy Flyers and Hildeby has a .920 after two games. I don't understand how they could over fixate on bottom six forward depth and do nothing on defense and move backward on goaltending. It really is angering.
They had problems winning battles in their own end defensively last season.
There wasn't a lot on the UFA market to help them defensively.
The only Leafs roster players not under contract next season are Groulx, Blankenburg & Rifai. The cap limits for next season make it tougher to get help this season. Ask Andrae.
They're in a tough spot.
20 yr old Danford is their call-up hope?
Akhtyamov hasn't recovered his Calder Cup form yet
Better defense can be coached. We're going to find out how good of a coach Hiller is in the next few weeks.
Situations like this can lead to some desperate GM decisions/mistakes.
The elephant ahead in the room is re-signing Matthews. Tough sell right now. The longer they flounder, the greater the pressure.
They're not good enough to get out of a deep hole. This has to get fixed soon.
They put a lot of lipstick on this pig but the defensive mascara seems to be starting to run.
Hope they can turn it around soon.
One of the three (Stolarz, Woll & Hildeby) had to go as one would be lost on waivers.
"Auston, wanna hang around for some Cup runs with our $7M/yr 39-40 year old goalie?"
That is a tough sell to me. Statistically, goalies tend to decline long before age 39.
Woll was understandable to move because of his health history. I was not keen on Andrae.
Hildeby might turn into something and in the interim is probably serviceable.
I have enjoyed getting to see Bobrovsky up close. Seems like a good, dedicated pro. But I would never have done that deal. I would have used that money to land a younger defensive right handed dman. I also would have traded OEL while his value was high at the deadline
Then a younger D and set of goalies could be presented to Matthews to help entice re-signing him. It is like they put all their efforts into fixing the roster to try to get back to the playoffs with not much of a little longer view on what they would present to Matthews to entice him to stay. Of course, if they don't make the playoffs, he's probably gone ...
It does seem that way. But you know what...if they do miss the playoffs this year (highly likely IMO), getting assets for Matthews might be the best way to go. I've heard speculation about his next contract and the numbers are in the $20 million range. I guess if he returns to the consistent 50-60 goal play driver that he was, that's ok. But even then - they'll still have no defense and questionable goaltending, no true second line center and other problems including lack of prospects and draft capital. It will be years of decline and stagnation with a few high end offensive players in the mix for the occasional highlight. Then again, maybe McDavid really wants to play in his home town...
I don't know if there is any way out other than a full rebuild starting next year. Maybe the only possible course if they really want to have a chance at the playoffs in the next couple of years would be to trade McKenna for a true #1 defender, if that's even possible (especially if they think McDavid wants to come here). Let's face it, McKennas best years will be after Matthews and Nylander are either in decline or gone. He could be the building block for the next iteration of the Leafs, but maybe he wouldn't even want to stick around for a multi-year bottoming out rebuild.
I should probably stop posting as I'm really down on this team right now.
herman
Well-known member
Hard to be more succinct than this. The skater groups need to support one another.
I appreciate that Stecher is playing well above his station, but the guy has no peripheral vision or something. Chances to bump back safely turned into forcing it into a closed wall at the line (at Rielly’s behest lol), chances up the ice to skilled forwards turned into dump ins with no speed.
At the same time there are skill lines that keep trying to wheedle into the OZ and hope the puck pops loose in good ice instead of doing the spadework to earn that ice. I think they’ll find their balance and chemistry in due time as the abbreviated preseason did them no favours.
I appreciate that Stecher is playing well above his station, but the guy has no peripheral vision or something. Chances to bump back safely turned into forcing it into a closed wall at the line (at Rielly’s behest lol), chances up the ice to skilled forwards turned into dump ins with no speed.
At the same time there are skill lines that keep trying to wheedle into the OZ and hope the puck pops loose in good ice instead of doing the spadework to earn that ice. I think they’ll find their balance and chemistry in due time as the abbreviated preseason did them no favours.
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