2021-22 Maple Leafs Thread

[smuddan]

The Leafs played a stinker game defensively but having had a great run and on the second leg of a back to back, it’s excusable from my perspective. I actually like the response the Leafs had after seeing your star player got rag dolled and a dirty knee to knee hit. Spezza was on the bench and first one to react by yelling at Pionk. The ref missed both calls and that led to the following mayhem. Spezza may be suspended but I give him thumbs up for responding to a dirty hit (at least dirty from his view point ). Dubois chickened out and didn’t accept Richie’s challenge.

I’m a also bit disappointed in Matthews’ reaction when being attacked by Dubois. He’s a big guy himself and should’ve got up and confronted Dubois and no other Leafs on ice jumped on Dubois right away.

 

[John Wick]

Pionk gets two games suspension which will cost him $58,750 of his $5.8M annual salary. In contrast, Sandin will likely miss 2-3 weeks as he recovers.

 

[saxon]

Marner out 3-4 weeks with a shoulder injury after a collision with Muzzin in practice last week.

 

[John Wick]

Weird win last night...Toronto looked to be in total control, including two goals in seven seconds to make it 5-1, then their engine seemed to cut out and they almost needed an emergency landing on the freeway to pull out a save.

 

[GameBoy27]

Maple Leafs’ Jason Spezza suspended six games for kneeing Jets’ Neal Pionk

Next up, the Bolts. Let's see how the the Leafs play missing Spezza, Marner, Dermott and Sandin. Tampa's missing Kucherov and Point. Should be a good game.

 

[GameBoy27]

Weird win last night...Toronto looked to be in total control, including two goals in seven seconds to make it 5-1, then their engine seemed to cut out and they almost needed an emergency landing on the freeway to pull out a save.

Yeah, they almost let that one slip away. We'll take the win though.

 

[John Wick]

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Chad Krys from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Kurtis Gabriel.

I don't understand this one. Chicago absolutely sucks this year. As a prospect, if he's not even good enough to win a spot in the crappy Blackhawks lineup now, why would the Leafs want him?

 

[Fun For All]

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Chad Krys from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Kurtis Gabriel.

I don't understand this one. Chicago absolutely sucks this year. As a prospect, if he's not even good enough to win a spot in the crappy Blackhawks lineup now, why would the Leafs want him?

It's an AHL trade...not a big deal.

 

[mellowjello]

It's an AHL trade...not a big deal.

But are they AHL players?...lol

 

[John Wick]

It's an AHL trade...not a big deal.

I never said it was a big deal. I said I don't get why Toronto traded for him. The Marlies are their development league club team. The hope is usually that players brought in there have potential to develop into NHL calibre players for the big club. This guy is a tiny, injury prone d-man, zero NHL experience, virtually zero impact player over a few AHL seasons, and coming off a major shoulder injury and surgical repair.

Is this really the type of player the Leafs need to be developing and grooming for their NHL roster? Even as a full-time AHL guy for the Marlies, not sure I get it.

 

[seagerbuzz]

I never said it was a big deal. I said I don't get why Toronto traded for him. The Marlies are their development league club team. The hope is usually that players brought in there have potential to develop into NHL calibre players for the big club. This guy is a tiny, injury prone d-man, zero NHL experience, virtually zero impact player over a few AHL seasons, and coming off a major shoulder injury and surgical repair.

Is this really the type of player the Leafs need to be developing and grooming for their NHL roster? Even as a full-time AHL guy for the Marlies, not sure I get it.

Maybe they need to fill a spot on the farm if they need or want to bring up one of their defencemen

 

[GameBoy27]

A couple brain-fart giveaways last night and the Bolts capitalized on them. Muzzin and Holl were the worst offenders. In fact, all 4 goals were on turnovers. All things considered, they didn't play a bad game.

 

[John Wick]

Game last night was way closer than it ever should have been. But for a really fluky bounce, they were into overtime and maybe shootout. CHI definitely had the momentum. To drop a 3 goal lead against a bottom feeding team playing their backup goalie is ridiculous. Nice they got the win, but an earlier comment about bad habits creeping bad seems even more astute at this point. Beginning to wonder if a bigger part of this problem can be attributed to Keefe and not just the players.

 

[GameBoy27]

Game last night was way closer than it ever should have been. But for a really fluky bounce, they were into overtime and maybe shootout. CHI definitely had the momentum. To drop a 3 goal lead against a bottom feeding team playing their backup goalie is ridiculous. Nice they got the win, but an earlier comment about bad habits creeping bad seems even more astute at this point. Beginning to wonder if a bigger part of this problem can be attributed to Keefe and not just the players.

I have an easy fix for their recent bad habits. It's called Marner, Dermott and Sandin.

 

[John Wick]

I have an easy fix for their recent bad habits. It's called Marner, Dermott and Sandin.

Saying that is the easy out. Unfortunately, not entirely accurate. The difference between the number 3 team beating the number 26 team shouldn't be a lucky bounce and Marner, Dermott and Sandin in the lineup.

 

[John Wick]

Leafs sent Kristians Rubins back to the Marlies after his weak 3 game audition, which actually saw him benched against the Hawks. Now they've called up big D-man Carl Dahlstrom and tiny forward Brett Seney, apparently looking for some new grit on the back end, and perhaps for some new depth scoring from Seney who is currently leading all Marlies forwards in pts.

 

[GameBoy27]

Saying that is the easy out. Unfortunately, not entirely accurate. The difference between the number 3 team beating the number 26 team shouldn't be a lucky bounce and Marner, Dermott and Sandin in the lineup.

You can say the difference shouldn't be a lucky bounce, but fact remains, crappy teams often beat much better ones. The Blackhawks have also won games against the Predators, Blues and Capitals this year. Believe it or not, missing those three makes a difference. It was also Mrazek's first game in a while coming off injury. Take the 2 points and move on.

 

[John Wick]

You can say the difference shouldn't be a lucky bounce, but fact remains, crappy teams often beat much better ones. The Blackhawks have also won games against the Predators, Blues and Capitals this year. Believe it or not, missing those three makes a difference. It was also Mrazek's first game in a while coming off injury. Take the 2 points and move on.

The reality is that injuries and bounces aside, this game should never have been this close. Even Keefe admitted the game was won on special teams and a lucky bounce, but that the Leafs were badly outplayed 5x5.

If the Leafs expect to be a serious contender in the playoffs, they can't continue having these lapses in the regular season.

Glad they got the two points, but ignoring the obvious is what has sunk the Leafs many times in the past.

 

[chuckertmg]

I have an easy fix for their recent bad habits. It's called Marner, Dermott and Sandin.

Every team deals with injuries. Playoff contenders have the depth to deal with it, they just plug'n'play the next in line.

The Blues have 10 players off their active roster right now and have won 3 out of the last 4, last night losing in overtime with a 5th string goaltender.
Playoff contenders don't sink or swim based on an injury to a player like Dermott or Sandin.

Can you even imagine what the Leafs would look like if they were down 10 players?

 

[shack]

Every team deals with injuries. Playoff contenders have the depth to deal with it, they just plug'n'play the next in line.

But they don't win 'em all.

Leafs are 7-2-1 in their last 10.