BluPuk Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Well, here we go again. Sorry if I sound a little negative, but I have watched that vs. the Devils game-in-six several times over and I thought I had been sent back to the past somehow. Like 4 or 5 years. It was embarrassing. It was disgusting. A near total lack of effort. Complete lack of interest on the part of most of the team. We can't even say that the Devils outplayed us - we didn't play at all. It was a gift. The ghost of Claire Alexander ( the milkman) was on the ice ... remember him? Saturday night had better be a total turn-around or else!! OK, I feel a little better ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 I thought they were going 82-0... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leach27 Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Eventually they will win. At least they have a great coach!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 I watched that Devils-Leafs game pretty much from start to finish, and defense, for EITHER side, was no where to be found. This game was a track meet from the first puck drop and one would have thought the Leafs would easily outpace the Devils. Well, one would have been wrong. These new Devils showed they have the ability to run n gun with anyone..........well, anyone not willing to play defense that is... And I don't know how long NJ can keep up their pace, but I think notice has been served that they no longer are the crusty, trapping Devils of old. But back to the Leafs. Effort? I don't know if lack of it was the problem. Leafs were on pucks, they were fast, they were opportunistic...heck, I even saw guys at least TRYING to get back to cover. Problem was, from my perspective, that the Leafs simply looked like they had it set in their mind that they were just gonna outpower and plow through the Devils with pure offense. And that might have worked, had the Devils not had the SAME idea....and had a bit better defense, but especially GOALTENDING to bail them out when they screwed up. Cory Schneider outplayed Frederik Andersen by a several Canadian kilometres.... Which brings us back to one basic thing: If the Leafs REALLY want to get taken seriously as a contender, then they just can't be all about offense. That will absolutely net them quite a number of games....it may even help them get into the playoffs. But without some semblance of a competent defense (one that involves actual coverage rather than just the offense keeping the puck on the other side of the ice) AND good (not necessarily elite) solid goaltending, then at worst, the Leafs are an also ran...at best, a one n done playoff team. And I am not sold on thinking Andersen is the answer for these guys. So lots of work for Toronto still. Nice encouraging start, and fans SHOULD be excited about it, as they should be excited about the raw goal scoring ability of this club. But Stanley Cup plans best wait till they do a bit more 'growing up' in other areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobie Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 I'm totally encouraged by TO's start and I hope they can outscore their problems. They don't have to win every game just win enough to make the playoffs. Then who knows!!! TO might have a problem defending as any team that's scored upon but ultimately the team that scores the most, wins. The culprits for TO appearing to be so bad defensively are the usual suspects JVR, Bozak, Marner, Rielly and Bozak's line is together again, why, ask Babs. TO wins in spite of those guys and, why, because Matthews, Marleau, Nylander, Zaitsev and Gardiner can outscore TO's problems. Pitts lost 10-1, Wash lost 8-2 and I don't think anyone's willing to write them off just yet, not willing to consign them to being poor d teams and ultimately losers. TO lost to NJ even when outshooting them 50 to 31 and I also thought TO outplayed them with sustained chances while NJ's goals pretty well all came from deflections not sustained opportunities. TO faced the perfect storm and lost but not from lack of effort. Games are won by possession, both having it and wanting it and that's what TO is all about, wanting it all is logical but is being LA good defensively any kind of answer, I think not because they can't score enough to support their excellent d, outscoring the opposition is what it's all about and TO is very capable of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPuk Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 It can't be all bad if the Leafs can beat the Habs in their own rink. I can live with losing to anybody - except the hapless Habs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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