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Playoffs Round 1: Battle of Ontario

Zee said:
I mean at this point I'm open to all suggestions. We keep rolling it back until these guys are ready to retire and still have never broken through, it's mind-numbing. Something has to give, and it has to be something big.
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Yep. Let’s just hope that this turns out a brief bout of nervous conversation between games 5 and 6 of the series. Something we may think was silly to have discussed prior to watching them play their best game of the playoffs tomorrow when nothing but rave reviews about Matthews, Marner and the Leafs are posted .
 
One down season where he clearly had something bothering him and still produced at a 40 goal, 95 point pace - totals which would have still had him inside the top 10 in the league this season - and we shouldn't build around Matthews? We're talking about the guy who scored the most goals in the league in 3 of the previous 4 years, while also being a 2-way force. The guy who, just last season, scored 69 goals and this season became the 6th fastest player in NHL history to hit 400 career goals? He's declined?

He's produced at basically the same rate as Marner in the playoffs, but he can't push the pace while Marner is able to play up his biggest skills? It wasn't that long ago that we were ragging on Marner for not being able to do that when things got tight in the playoffs - which, quite frankly, he still hasn't shown an ability to do (it's great that he put up point in games 1-4 again, but, early 1st round games are often looser, higher scoring affair - seriously, look at the scores around the league - until he shows he can produce later in the series when thing really tighten up, it will just be another year of him coming up small more often than not).

Let’s also not forget that Matthews plays the harder to fill position. There’s no one else in the organization who is close to a #1C, while we do have another #1 RW.

This is why we can't have nice things.
 
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If they lose this series, anything and everything should be on the table. Period. That includes the possibility of moving a Matthews or Nylander.

Problem is, we don't have the information at this point to really make that kind of call. Something is obviously wrong with Matthews, but what is it? Is it a physical problem that can be fixed surgically? Or is it something chronic that will impact him the rest of his career. Maybe it's something none of us are really thinking about - some kind of debilitating illness like long covid, or some auto-immune thing. Or...maybe the pressure of being captain in a big market is too much for him. Maybe a combination of things.

If he's never going to be as good a goal scorer as he was, then it points the team in one direction. If he can get back to that form, other options open up.

Of course, maybe they dig down and win this series, find a way to beat Florida, and we're having a completely different conversation.
 
Chris said:
If they lose this series, anything and everything should be on the table. Period. That includes the possibility of moving a Matthews or Nylander.

Problem is, we don't have the information at this point to really make that kind of call. Something is obviously wrong with Matthews, but what is it? Is it a physical problem that can be fixed surgically? Or is it something chronic that will impact him the rest of his career. Maybe it's something none of us are really thinking about - some kind of debilitating illness like long covid, or some auto-immune thing. Or...maybe the pressure of being captain in a big market is too much for him. Maybe a combination of things.

If he's never going to be as good a goal scorer as he was, then it points the team in one direction. If he can get back to that form, other options open up.

Of course, maybe they dig down and win this series, find a way to beat Florida, and we're having a completely different conversation.
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We can be pretty confident it’s something physical for Matthews since A) we know he saw a specialist for it and B) we can see the physical impact when it comes to his release, accuracy, etc. The impact is largely things that wouldn’t be affected by anything mental. He also hasn’t much decrease in his stamina or speed, which likely rules out long COVID or even an auto-immune disorder.

As to whether it’s chronic, repairable, etc., only time will tell.
 
bustaheims said:
We can be pretty confident it’s something physical for Matthews since A) we know he saw a specialist for it and B) we can see the physical impact when it comes to his release, accuracy, etc. The impact is largely things that wouldn’t be affected by anything mental. He also hasn’t much decrease in his stamina or speed, which likely rules out long COVID or even an auto-immune disorder.

As to whether it’s chronic, repairable, etc., only time will tell.
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His shooting accuracy and power are way off.
 
bustaheims said:
Yup. The zip on his shot has come back some, though. Accuracy still missing. Whatever it is that’s been ailing him feels like it’s getting better (or was before he hurt his wrist last night), but it’s still having a significant impact.
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It looked like he took a puck into the palm of his glove, which of course has no padding.
 
The NHL Edge visualiser of the Sens 2nd goal last night is truly horrific.

I love Willy, but it is completely unacceptable from him, obviously AM has the giveaway, but Willy should have easily covered Cozens.

It's an absolute series changing moment that all comes from lack of defensive effort.

I honestly don't know how you can look your teammates in the eye after that.
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
The NHL Edge visualiser of the Sens 2nd goal last night is truly horrific.

I love Willy, but it is completely unacceptable from him, obviously AM has the giveaway, but Willy should have easily covered Cozens.

It's an absolute series changing moment that all comes from lack of defensive effort.

I honestly don't know how you can look your teammates in the eye after that.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1917389764732543154

My most charitable read is that Cozens had already taken 3 hard strides north before Willy even recognized the turnover as he was looking to get open for a potential seam pass from Matthews. It would've been nice to at least see him make it look like he tried, but he's doesn't care about optics.

This high risk-low reward play makes everyone look bad. Except Knies.

I don't blame Marner, since that's not his full time position, but a better defenseman would not have drifted so far to the wall to cover Gaudette to take away more passing options. The goalie has a better chance handling a shot from the boards (or even a power drive from the wall) than a slot pass to a streaking shooter on his strong side.
 
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WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
The NHL Edge visualiser of the Sens 2nd goal last night is truly horrific.

I love Willy, but it is completely unacceptable from him, obviously AM has the giveaway, but Willy should have easily covered Cozens.

It's an absolute series changing moment that all comes from lack of defensive effort.

I honestly don't know how you can look your teammates in the eye after that.
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I opined on his flybys on the game previous that led to a goal.

This lack of effort on a clear 2 on 1 is just as terrible...and it's not like he's putting up goals to make up for it.

If Robertson did this, he'd be scratched the next game. I'm not sure why Nylander isn't taking more heat for this.
 
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