Toronto Maple Leafs - Playoffs 2022
- Thread starter GameBoy27
- Start date
You got me there. I have no comeback for you.That is why he's The Great Shat and Shack is not.
McAllah and the Oilers can't go down 0-2 at home.
The Kings are hungry, they want to bring joy to LA after LBJ and Kawhi couldn't.
The Kings are hungry, they want to bring joy to LA after LBJ and Kawhi couldn't.
That game 1 was probably the best game I've seen the Leafs play in years. They played physical, full of energy, disrupted TB passing game they couldn't generate a damn thing. It was master class and I believe a tremendous confidence booster. They could have won that game 8 or 9 nothing.
I don't expect game 2 to nearly go as well. TB will adjust and they will come out hard to get the early lead. Vasilevskiy will be much better. How we react and adjust will go a long way in determining our chances in this series.
I don't expect game 2 to nearly go as well. TB will adjust and they will come out hard to get the early lead. Vasilevskiy will be much better. How we react and adjust will go a long way in determining our chances in this series.
Very true. That said, when you say core I assume you're including Nylander in that group. I'm really hoping to see him play a more significant and impactful role on both offence and defence in this series. I think Marner, Matthews, Tavares, and Reilly are clearly stepping up their games. Very much expecting he will match them in production at both ends of the ice, as well as level of effort/intensity.
Nylander is also more mature. Not that it made any difference in how he played in game 1. He had a couple of chances but otherwise had little impact.
The guy is mercurial. He'll be invisible for a game or 2 and then score 3 points in the next one.
Nylander had 4 shots on goal. Second only to Matthews. Drew a penalty by using his tremendous skating and driving to the net. Zero goals against while he's on the ice. On the 5 on 3 that play is set up for either Matthews or Nylander on both sides. Aside from his skating Nylander is their best shooter after Matthews. He was also their best player in last year's playoffs and coming off food poisening last game.
He's being bashed after a good game.
Wayne Simmonds gets bashed for lack of skill so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
He's being bashed after a good game.
Wayne Simmonds gets bashed for lack of skill so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
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No one is bashing Nylander. I said I want to see him become a more visible, impactful presence in the game for the Leafs. He's largely invisible. I'd like to be talking about his stepped up performance morning after a game. He's not generating that kind of positive vibe/noise from anyone, anywhere. Show me any publication that talked about his outstanding performance after last game. I heard a lot about Matthews, Marner, and Campbell though. Even Tavares got a nod. Willy? Nada.Nylander had 4 shots on goal. Second only to Matthews. Drew a penalty by using his tremendous skating and driving to the net. Zero goals against while he's on the ice. On the 5 on 3 that play is set up for either Matthews or Nylander on both sides. Aside from his skating Nylander is their best shooter after Matthews. He was also their best player in last year's playoffs and coming off food poisening last game.
He's being bashed after a good game.
Wayne Simmonds gets bashed for lack of skill so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
Shots on goal also don't really tell an accurate story. I can flip a puck from my own end and have it hit the goalie and it will probably count as a sog. I'm more interested in how many solid scoring chances did he have or generate for others? How many key defensive plays did he make to prevent opposition scoring chances? You have in the past also argued that plus/minus stats are meaningless, so kind of ironic you're trotting that out as a stat to support his value on the ice now.
Btw - Being Toronto's best player last year is also hardly a benchmark metric given how shitty the whole Leafs team performed last playoffs. Pretty low bar.
Simmonds is a cement head, stone hands player. JMO. His value on this team in the playoffs is extremely limited. He's hardly an impact player like say Ryan Reaves is for the Rangers even though they are supposed to be playing essentially the same role for their respectively teams.
I thought Nylander played a very good game, he fought for territory, was on the puck carrier forcing plays, skating back much harder. To superstar's point, he drew a penalty with a tremendous effort cutting to the net, he totally fought for that one.
He didn't get any points but they'll come if he keeps this up.
He didn't get any points but they'll come if he keeps this up.
Nylander had food poisoning and was literally puking his guts out right up until game-time. Considering that and how dehydrated he must've been, he didn't play a bad game. Good on him for making the effort.
Hyman is playing great. He's coming off his best career season offensively, and it seems to be continuing in the playoffs. Looks like he was exactly what EDM was expecting when they got him. IMO it was a big loss for TOR although Bunting has been a very pleasant surprise too.
Great play from Simmonds last night. 4:30mins TOI. No points. Took two bad penalties, one a really bad penalty for absolutely no good reason that cost the Leafs a critical goal. Can't wait to see what new magic he spins up next. Maybe he's tutoring Clifford on how to be a key asset to your team in the playoffs. Way to go Wayne!
Still no signs of life from Nylander, other than watching him turn over the puck time after time after time creating endless odd-man rushes for TB, fumbling around on the blueline on power plays where he seems incapable of keeping the puck in the offensive zone, or entering the penalty box. Sorry, but getting kind of peeved with this stuff. Everyone expects much more. No excuses.
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