Comedy Platinum out of Toronto - "Canada's Team" quest for the Cup

[BGDave]

Gawd, watching this young team is aging me. Buh-bye Hyman.

I cannot remember a Leaf with as much pure, God-given skill as Matthews. Impressive that he has 30 goals playing alongside rookies, but what he can do with the puck is unbelievable. Now if he will work on his breakaways in the off-season. . . (then again #99 wasn't the greatest at them either).

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Gawd, watching this young team is aging me. Buh-bye Hyman.

I cannot remember a Leaf with as much pure, God-given skill as Matthews. Impressive that he has 30 goals playing alongside rookies, but what he can do with the puck is unbelievable. Now if he will work on his breakaways in the off-season. . . (then again #99 wasn't the greatest at them either).

I blame Babcock for putting together some truly weird pairings in 3-on-3. Komarov and Kadri? Hyman and JVR?

Instead of having two lines centered by Ben Smith and the Goat when Bozak gets hurt why not play Nylander at C? This game is probably won before OT if we're only forced to use one of Smith or Goat.

WTF was Andersen doing on that OT goal?

 

[DragonfromTO]

I blame Babcock for putting together some truly weird pairings in 3-on-3. Komarov and Kadri? Hyman and JVR?

Instead of having two lines centered by Ben Smith and the Goat when Bozak gets hurt why not play Nylander at C? This game is probably won before OT if we're only forced to use one of Smith or Goat.

WTF was Andersen doing on that OT goal?

He's been putting Komarov out 3-on-3 all season and it drives me crazy. Every missed attempt to "finish a check" becomes a dangerous chance the other way in that situation, it seems like the worst time for Komarov.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

He's been putting Komarov out 3-on-3 all season and it drives me crazy. Every missed attempt to "finish a check" becomes a dangerous chance the other way in that situation, it seems like the worst time for Komarov.

It also seems like he's out there for the opening faceoff every OT and it winds up giving the oppo a chance or two guaranteed in the first 30 seconds.

 

[BGDave]

WTF was Andersen doing on that OT goal?

The best I can come up with was "We suck at shoot outs, so it really doesn't matter. I am gonna roll the dice and hope I can make the pokecheck". And he crapped out.

Agreed with the 3 on 3 comments.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Mirtle Mailbag: So how on earth do the Maple Leafs fix their...

Q. Do you think that the org’s history burying trade acquisitions to make space for youth will continue to affect players’ desire to come? (@cwmacdon)

Yes. Milan Michalek in particular felt like he was owed more of a chance than the five games he got to play at the start of the year, on the top line, in tough situations. He waived a no-trade clause to move from Ottawa to the Leafs last season; what veteran on the downswing in their right mind would do so again?

Valtteri Filppula would have known about Joffrey Lupul, Stephane Robidas, Michalek, Brooks Laich, Colin Greening… am I forgetting anyone?

Open question: Would just one of those players be on an active NHL roster right now, and have been on an active roster without any send-downs and call-ups for the duration of the season, if they were making the league minimum?

 

[BGDave]

Mirtle Mailbag: So how on earth do the Maple Leafs fix their...

Q. Do you think that the org’s history burying trade acquisitions to make space for youth will continue to affect players’ desire to come? (@cwmacdon)

Yes. Milan Michalek in particular felt like he was owed more of a chance than the five games he got to play at the start of the year, on the top line, in tough situations. He waived a no-trade clause to move from Ottawa to the Leafs last season; what veteran on the downswing in their right mind would do so again?

Valtteri Filppula would have known about Joffrey Lupul, Stephane Robidas, Michalek, Brooks Laich, Colin Greening… am I forgetting anyone?

Open question: Would just one of those players be on an active NHL roster right now, and have been on an active roster without any send-downs and call-ups for the duration of the season, if they were making the league minimum?

Good questions, was wondering the same myself.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Good questions, was wondering the same myself.

It's just dumb rationale. Maybe Laich would be a minimum-wage 4th liner somewhere, the rest would be exactly where they are now.

Filppula rejected a trade to the Habs too, is he upset at how a team that trades young controllable players for aging vets on expensive eternity contracts treats their veterans as well?

It's nonsense and media of all walks here need to stop pushing it.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Oh Christ now you have to do it Babs.

 

[BGDave]

Defensively, this team looks lost out there. When Hunwick and Polak are the closest you have to shutdown D, it is pretty obvious where the offseason priorities will be.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Defensively, this team looks lost out there. When Hunwick and Polak are the closest you have to shutdown D, it is pretty obvious where the offseason priorities will be.

I went to bed at 3-0 and expected them to lose lol.

I want to make the playoffs, I truly do, but this team is going to get creamed by whoever they wind up playing against.

If I even see a story about either member of Hunlak being re-signed I'll scream.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

One thing I believe warrants discussion: Is Babcock just coaching the team poorly in the third period? There are games where they have undeserved leads after the first or second but more often than not it's been outplay the opposition in the first two and get totally solved in the third+. It just makes no sense, he hasn't been able to come up with a way to outcoach these guys? When you make more than any player on your team this shit should've been solved after the second or third blown lead, not the 12th.

 

[BGDave]

One thing I believe warrants discussion: Is Babcock just coaching the team poorly in the third period? There are games where they have undeserved leads after the first or second but more often than not it's been outplay the opposition in the first two and get totally solved in the third+. It just makes no sense, he hasn't been able to come up with a way to outcoach these guys? When you make more than any player on your team this shit should've been solved after the second or third blown lead, not the 12th.

Interesting question. This team, with youngsters up front and a middling D corps, is not going to protect leads. This team does well when they attack and hustle back. But for some reason, they stop this approach after getting a lead. Is that a coaching thing, or, are the players doing it themselves?

Sure seems like most of the game-changing goals come from D zone breakdowns, usually involving a failure to clear the zone. And when they do clear the zone in the 3rd, it is usually a dump out that is easily retrieved by the other team and brought right back in. Most of the time, I wonder where the forwards are in the third period. They aren't back supporting the zone clear, and the sure aren't advancing the puck into the opponent's end. The young kids, with the exception of Matthews, seem to disappear in the third. I am chalking it up to youngsters not having learned (yet) their responsibilities.

Another way take on it. At the start of the game, the opponents are wary of the Leafs offensive skills, so they play cautiously. Once behind, they have to open it up, and that is when the Leafs break down. When that pushback comes, the Leafs look like a totally lost team. They need a lot of work on responding to the pushback (and they are getting lots of practice).

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Interesting question. This team, with youngsters up front and a middling D corps, is not going to protect leads. This team does well when they attack and hustle back. But for some reason, they stop this approach after getting a lead. Is that a coaching thing, or, are the players doing it themselves?

Sure seems like most of the game-changing goals come from D zone breakdowns, usually involving a failure to clear the zone. And when they do clear the zone in the 3rd, it is usually a dump out that is easily retrieved by the other team and brought right back in. Most of the time, I wonder where the forwards are in the third period. They aren't back supporting the zone clear, and the sure aren't advancing the puck into the opponent's end. The young kids, with the exception of Matthews, seem to disappear in the third. I am chalking it up to youngsters not having learned (yet) their responsibilities.

Another way take on it. At the start of the game, the opponents are wary of the Leafs offensive skills, so they play cautiously. Once behind, they have to open it up, and that is when the Leafs break down. When that pushback comes, the Leafs look like a totally lost team. They need a lot of work on responding to the pushback (and they are getting lots of practice).

I wonder if there's an ice time breakdown by period available somewhere. Babcock plays the kids way too little, that's certain (Matthews averages 17:49/gm, Marner 16:47. That's way too low) and I'm wondering if he's playing them more in the first two frames and then relying on his bottom 6 in the third.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Just taking a gander at the near-term schedules of the Bruins and Isles. It's going to be really, really tough for the Leafs to keep up with them if they handle their business, especially with a Florida trip next week followed by a game vs. the Hawks who are playing their best hockey right now and a playoff atmosphere match at home to the Bruins followed by a trip to Lumbus.

 

[BGDave]

Just taking a gander at the near-term schedules of the Bruins and Isles. It's going to be really, really tough for the Leafs to keep up with them if they handle their business, especially with a Florida trip next week followed by a game vs. the Hawks who are playing their best hockey right now and a playoff atmosphere match at home to the Bruins followed by a trip to Lumbus.

I am hoping this is a good time to go to Florida. Luongo is out for the Panthers, leaving Optimus Reim to carry the load, and TB lost like all their centers/centres to injury.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I am hoping this is a good time to go to Florida. Luongo is out for the Panthers, leaving Optimus Reim to carry the load, and TB lost like all their centers/centres to injury.

Yeah. Reimer didn't do so well vs. the Leafs last time out. Who knows.

 

[BGDave]

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I mean, I'm not gonna stop now.

But it would suck for a few bad weeks to undo what's been a damn fine season.

 

[BGDave]

I wonder if there's an ice time breakdown by period available somewhere. Babcock plays the kids way too little, that's certain (Matthews averages 17:49/gm, Marner 16:47. That's way too low) and I'm wondering if he's playing them more in the first two frames and then relying on his bottom 6 in the third.

I paid particular attention to this last night against Philly. Once Marner scored, it looked like Kadri and Boyle centred the two lines out there the rest of the way. I would be interested to see how much ice time Matthews got in the 3rd, I sure didnt see him out there.