• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

R1, G1: Lightning @ Leafs - May 2nd, 7:30pm - CBC, Fan 590

What. A. Game. Auston 2 goals, Marner 3 points. Campbell: on it. The Leafs can hang with the best.
Stood up for ourselves. Go Leafs Go!
 
disco said:
Prediction Time:
I have two, either Tampa in 5 (where we show we can't hang with that offence and their defence stifles us) or Leafs in 7 (where we show we CAN hang with that offence and we break through their D. Special teams are going to play a big part of the series. Let's hope the refs call it well.

It has to be fall Campbell playing for us to have a shot. And it will nice to see the return of bodychecks. Which are an investment now like they aren't in the regular season. I've seen guys get taken out of the lineup with clean body checks. Lyubushkin, Muzzin, Simmonds and Clifford can hit. Even Kerfoot.
Click to expand...
Looks like my second prediction is in effect.
 
Zee said:
Tampa had 5 PP and only managed 24 (not overly dangerous) shots. What a game
Click to expand...
To be fair, they looked nervous. They bobbled the puck all night and had a good number of whiffed shots. The Leafs played a great game and kept them to the outside all game long and had excellent breakouts but I really don't see this happening as easily again.
 
Bender said:
Zee said:
Tampa had 5 PP and only managed 24 (not overly dangerous) shots. What a game
Click to expand...
To be fair, they looked nervous. They bobbled the puck all night and had a good number of whiffed shots. The Leafs played a great game and kept them to the outside all game long and had excellent breakouts but I really don't see this happening as easily again.
Click to expand...

I doubt they were nervous, but yeah it won't be that's easy again.
 
Bender said:
Zee said:
Tampa had 5 PP and only managed 24 (not overly dangerous) shots. What a game
Click to expand...
To be fair, they looked nervous. They bobbled the puck all night and had a good number of whiffed shots. The Leafs played a great game and kept them to the outside all game long and had excellent breakouts but I really don't see this happening as easily again.
Click to expand...

The way the Leafs took it to them on the 5 minute PK looks like it might have shaken them a little/put some doubt in their minds. They never really got their game going after that.
 
It's wild that due to all the specialty teams play Marner only got 5:31 of ice-time at 5-on-5. 2nd lowest on the team with Simmonds just 16 seconds behind him (and Clifford but yeah). Matthews was next lowest at 7:46. Kampf actually led all forwards in total ice-time with 19:28 with Marner right behind him at 19:18. What a strange game.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
It's wild that due to all the specialty teams play Marner only got 5:31 of ice-time at 5-on-5. 2nd lowest on the team with Simmonds just 16 seconds behind him (and Clifford but yeah). Matthews was next lowest at 7:46. Kampf actually led all forwards in total ice-time with 19:28 with Marner right behind him at 19:18. What a strange game.
Click to expand...
And Engvall next at 19:13. If you told me before the game that Kampf and Engvall would play more than Matthews, Tavares and Nylander and basically playing as much as or more than Marner, I would have thought that was as likely as the Leafs winning 5-0.
 
Heroic Shrimp said:
CarltonTheBear said:
It's wild that due to all the specialty teams play Marner only got 5:31 of ice-time at 5-on-5. 2nd lowest on the team with Simmonds just 16 seconds behind him (and Clifford but yeah). Matthews was next lowest at 7:46. Kampf actually led all forwards in total ice-time with 19:28 with Marner right behind him at 19:18. What a strange game.
Click to expand...
And Engvall next at 19:13. If you told me before the game that Kampf and Engvall would play more than Matthews, Tavares and Nylander and basically playing as much as or more than Marner, I would have thought that was as likely as the Leafs winning 5-0.
Click to expand...

Or that Babcock was coaching again.
 
https://twitter.com/JhanHky/status/1521278897626693633
https://twitter.com/MikeKellyNHL/status/1521284140175437826
https://twitter.com/MikeKellyNHL/status/1521297961170391041

Those early PKs went straight to the team's legs and discombobulated any Tampa notion of attacking the net the way they wanted to. Huge shoutout to Dean Chynoweth for instilling an aggressive 'power-kill' approach. Marner, Kerfoot, Kampf, Mikheyev, Engvall, and Blackwell were absolute menaces on the carrier and in the lanes. They knew where Tampa liked to go in their entry routes and just steered it into the trap every time.
 
That was such a good game. The Leafs' penalty kill was scary good. It's great because it keeps the Lightning's power play on edge.

One thing I really noticed last night was how quick the Leafs are. Sure, they've got a lot of speed, but it was the quickness in transitions. Turnover: boom, immediately backchecking. Turnover the other way: immediately on the attack. No hesitations.
 
Bullfrog said:
One thing I really noticed last night was how quick the Leafs are. Sure, they've got a lot of speed, but it was the quickness in transitions. Turnover: boom, immediately backchecking. Turnover the other way: immediately on the attack. No hesitations.
Click to expand...

Great observation.

This is what has been driving Florida and Calgary's recent success. They work hard, but that work is made effective by being very, very quick to recognize and take action. Coupled with some skill, they just take plays into the OZ more frequently.
 
https://theathletic.com/3290493/2022/05/03/maple-leafs-stun-lightning-game-1/
The transformation of both special teams has been stark in terms of systems. The penalty kill is now hyper-aggressive, as opposed to the somewhat more passive and cautious play of a year ago under the departed Dave Hakstol.

(I texted the coach of another team during the game, asking why the Leafs looked so much better when down a man, and he replied, simply: ?Better coach.?)
Click to expand...

dead
 
I wonder if the Leafs would have moved on from Hakstol if he wasn't hired by the Kraken. Regardless the team did a fantastic job upgrading their assistants/specialty team coaches in the offseason.
 
louisstamos said:
NSFW, but I enjoyed the Iron Sheik's take on Corey Perry on Twitter. ;D
Click to expand...

Did you see Dany Heatley's tweet on Jon Cooper? I laughed for way too long
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

About Us

This website is NOT associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs or the NHL.


It is operated by Rick Couchman and Jeff Lewis.
Back
Top