WordsOfWisdom Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 16 hours ago, hobie said: I'm expecting TO to finish 11th in the East and 19th overall which would give them the 11th pick. Lou has said they're going to be evaluating the players to go forward with and I expect JVR and Bozak won't pass. Neither JVR or Bozak are worth a top 2 d-man so I'm expecting TO to change the d, whether or not the changes will result in a better d will be interesting. I know I said this before but... hard to believe Bozak used to be the #1 center on this team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 22 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said: Mar. 2: TOR vs LAK Marner, Boyle, Zaitsev Kadri, Rielly (Shootout.) Final score: 3-2(SO) LAK. Another day, another shootout loss for the Leafs. 1: Penalty by Marner. Not sure what Boyle is doing here but he looks lost. Tough break for Zaitsev as the puck caroms in off him. 2: Bad pass by Kadri and/or bad pass reception by Rielly results in a turnover. I agree with your 2nd goal evaluation, the media seemed to be blaming it on Marchenko. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 9 hours ago, hobie said: I agree with your 2nd goal evaluation, the media seemed to be blaming it on Marchenko. Yeah exactly. The breakdown was the play behind the net where Kadri and Rielly fail to connect. That resulted in the turnover and the goal. So you figure an 11th place finish eh? The month of February was such a disappointment. The Leafs really played themselves into a tricky position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 If you can't hold a lead how can you win? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPuk Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 You can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 Mar. 3: TOR vs ANA Gardiner Marner Brown, Hunwick Marner (Empty net.) Final score: 5-2 ANA. 1: Bad pinch by Gardiner. 2: Terrible pass by Marner is easily intercepted. 3: Brown turns it over and Hunwick is caught cheating here. 4: Bad game by Marner. He stands there watching the play as his guy smashes the puck into the net. It was an interesting season, but the wheels have clearly fallen off now. Next stop: bottom of the ravine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 12 hours ago, hobie said: If you can't hold a lead how can you win? It's over now for this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPuk Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Sadly, I think you're right WOW. I'm not seeing any push-back from a lot of players and everyone has to pull in the same direction or the cart doesn't move. And it's the same old softies as before.... This group has no character - loads of talent and not enough character. We are getting pushed around. You can't get pushed around in hockey - you have to be capable of imposing your will on the other team and we don't seem to be able to do that as a team. Sorry about the rant, but I have had enough of this lack of character..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 7, 2017 Author Share Posted March 7, 2017 On 3/5/2017 at 7:44 AM, BluPuk said: Sadly, I think you're right WOW. I'm not seeing any push-back from a lot of players and everyone has to pull in the same direction or the cart doesn't move. And it's the same old softies as before.... This group has no character - loads of talent and not enough character. We are getting pushed around. You can't get pushed around in hockey - you have to be capable of imposing your will on the other team and we don't seem to be able to do that as a team. Sorry about the rant, but I have had enough of this lack of character..... What irks me the most (although technically it's a good thing) is that the rookies came in here and became the #1 line within the first month of the season. It wasn't even a challenge. The team had so little talent that a group of rookies just showed up and carried the entire team on their shoulders. If you're a "veteran" player on the Leafs, you have to be embarrassed by the fact that a group of kids with no NHL experience have basically schooled you on how to play hockey. Take Bozak for example: He's a guy with several years of NHL experience. He probably has a "leadership" role on the team. You sure as hell wouldn't know it by the way the kids have surpassed him so effortlessly. I'd be embarrassed. There has to be some pride that established players have a "spot" on the team and are trying to keep the rookies from taking it, but no. They just rolled over. I imagine some of the problems right now are due to team chemistry. There has been a complete and total changing of the guard so to speak. Players like Matthews and Marner probably defecate on anything that Bozak or others say. It's like: "yeah, score some goals and then we'll listen to you..." I imagine there's a group of vets that know they've been replaced and are gone after the season ends, and they've basically mailed it in. The kids may be out of steam from carrying all the dead weight. It just reaffirms how much the core group of the Leafs sucked prior to this season and how we can keep showing the door to all these leftovers from the previous management group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 You might be a tad hard on the vets, Crosby, Ove and many other such quality rookies pretty well immediately assumed prominent roles on their teams so it's a testament to Matthews, etc that they were able to displace the vets. That's what we and management wanted and the rookies delivered. After being on a losing teams for so long it's possible some/all vets may need to be taught how to win again and the rookies who've come from successful backgrounds may be the ones to teach, odd but possible. I think that if a team has the right core then winning will surely follow. TO didn't have a FLC or a true #1 d-man for quite some time so with Matthews 1/2 of what we've needed is now in place. It wasn't Bozak's or JVR's fault that TO didn't have the right building blocks and expecting them to be adequate substitutes was unrealistic. On a properly constructed team Bozak, JVR, Leo, etc. should also strive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 Mar. 7: TOR vs DET Matthews, Rielly, Zaitsev Brown, Zaitsev, Hyman Final score: 3-2 TOR. 1: Giveaway by Matthews. Lost coverage by Rielly and Zaitsev. 2: Giveaway by Brown. Zaitsev is out of position here. Hyman doesn't pick up his guy. The losing streak is snapped, but the Leafs would need to rhyme off a nice little winning streak to turn things around. Sidenote: Zaitsev has really struggled lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 We like to blame the d for a lot of goals against but I think it was on the 1st goal Brown was leisurely skating down the ice watching the puck and a Detroit player passed the puck to his team mate right beside Brown resulting in a goal. The guy was standing right beside Brown but it looked like Brown was totally surprised he was there. The GAs is a team stat, I'm not picking on Brown just using him as an example. I think Nylander has turned over a new Leaf, pun intended, he's doing just about everything TO needs from him yet Babs keeps dropping him from the Matthews line late in tight games, I think that's dumb. Nylander is TO's best possession player and it's because of this valuable talent TO could play keep away rather than d late in games. Nylander's compete is far better now than earlier in the year so I think Babs is living in the past with this decision. Nyquist's 2nd goal looked like TO was doing it's usual but it held on, good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 9, 2017 Author Share Posted March 9, 2017 20 hours ago, hobie said: We like to blame the d for a lot of goals against but I think it was on the 1st goal Brown was leisurely skating down the ice watching the puck and a Detroit player passed the puck to his team mate right beside Brown resulting in a goal. The guy was standing right beside Brown but it looked like Brown was totally surprised he was there. The GAs is a team stat, I'm not picking on Brown just using him as an example. If I had the video handy I'd take another look. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. 20 hours ago, hobie said: I think Nylander has turned over a new Leaf, pun intended, he's doing just about everything TO needs from him yet Babs keeps dropping him from the Matthews line late in tight games, I think that's dumb. Nylander is TO's best possession player and it's because of this valuable talent TO could play keep away rather than d late in games. Nylander's compete is far better now than earlier in the year so I think Babs is living in the past with this decision. I'd be the playing the kids in all situations. They're the future here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 7 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said: If I had the video handy I'd take another look. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. I'd be the playing the kids in all situations. They're the future here. Another thing I have issues with, why not use Matthews, Nylander, Marner on the PK, good players are good players and I would think they can be good in all situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Mar. 9: TOR vs PHI Marner Kadri, Boyle, Komarov Final score: 4-2 TOR. 1: Penalty by Marner. 2: Forwards are way too passive here, backing in, no pressure. Leafs keep their slim playoff hopes alive with another win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 11, 2017 Author Share Posted March 11, 2017 One last look at the numbers before end of season totals are posted: The race to 30 errors is on between Kadri and Rielly. Who will get there first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 11, 2017 Author Share Posted March 11, 2017 TOP 5's TOP 5 FORWARDS Matthews (+40) Nylander (+37) Marner (+35) JVR (+32) Bozak (+24) TOP 5 DEFENCEMEN Gardiner (+12) Zaitsev (+4) Hunwick (+2) Polak (-3) Rielly (-5) TOP 3 DEFENSIVE FORWARDS Soshnikov (.994) Martin (.991) Komarov (.991) TOP 3 DEFENSIVE DEFENCEMEN Polak (.992) Hunwick (.988) Gardiner (.985) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Mar. 11: TOR vs CAR Andersen Zaitsev Final score: 3-2 TOR. 1: Soft, bad angle goal. 2: Penalty. Great game winner by Rielly. Good timing for the Leafs with this winning streak. They're back in the playoff picture again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPuk Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Right on WOW. The tough part is they have to keep it up..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 15, 2017 Author Share Posted March 15, 2017 Mar. 14: TOR vs FLA Rielly, Kadri Zaitsev Bozak, Andersen Van Riemsdyk, Zaitsev, Rielly Hunwick, Kadri, Bozak Soshnikov, Marincin, Komarov Brown Final score: 7-2 FLA. The noose tightens with another epic collapse. (The Tampa Bay Lightning must be salivating right about now.) Of note, Kadri and Rielly both set new Leafs records with 30 errors in a season. Zaitsev's stock continues to fall. All of the Leafs usual weak defensive suspects were up to their old tricks again. I think my favourite goal on the night was the double Leafs slide past the goal line. The "defending while on belly with pants down" move. On some nights this team looks like they've never played hockey before in their life. This was a flush and forget type of game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPuk Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Agree 100% WOW. there is NO excuse for a performance like that. This "team" is not a team at all - they are just a bunch of individuals on a ship with no bow. There has to be a serious locker room issue here and Shanahan needs to sweep out the dirt - whoever it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 15, 2017 Author Share Posted March 15, 2017 2 hours ago, BluPuk said: Agree 100% WOW. there is NO excuse for a performance like that. This "team" is not a team at all - they are just a bunch of individuals on a ship with no bow. There has to be a serious locker room issue here and Shanahan needs to sweep out the dirt - whoever it is. I'd like to see the team trade away Bozak and Rielly. I think they're too broken or too stupid to be fixed. I'd put Kadri and Zaitsev on notice that they need to learn how to defend or they won't be playing in Toronto for the long haul. They've allowed more goals than anyone else in the Eastern Conference. They're not a playoff team. They don't deserve to be in the top 8 with the way they're playing, and now the Islanders and Lightning have taken care of that. This was the Leafs last chance this season (whether they realize it or not), and they blew it. The Lightning are not going to collapse, and they'll never relinquish that playoff spot from here on in. The Leafs are done. It's been too much wasted opportunity lately. I counted about 15 points that the Leafs pissed away in February. Now they get creamed by the Panthers and they're probably going to get creamed by the Lightning this week as well. They're heading for a down home Mississippi ass whipping against Tampa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 We were all shocked by the results but I felt we had Andersen at his best and TB's goalies had a bad game. I'll take it and I hope that TO doesn't need to lose by 4 or more goals before it's next victory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 17, 2017 Author Share Posted March 17, 2017 Mar. 16: TOR vs TBL (Shutout.) Final score: 5-0 TOR. A stunning win for the Leafs! I'm shocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 Mar. 18: TOR vs CHI Rielly Matthews, Brown Final score: 2-1(OT) CHI. Tight game against a tough opponent, but Andersen was the hero here tonight. Leafs have more OT/SO losses than any other team. Grrr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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