Blackhawks @ Leafs - Mar. 13th, 7:00pm - SNO, TSN 1050

[azzurri63]

Reading that article and I am tired of listening to the same BS with this team.
In the morning skate they were working on defensive zone coverage.
It's f'n March and we still haven't figured that out?
It's been horrid since Babcock arrived and really has not changed.

Team most nights is flat out of the gate not ready to play and that's on Babcock.
The injuries on D are hurting us for sure but that's no excuse.
We've been lucky over the past 2-3 years as far as injuries.
Rest need to pick it up and play a full 60 minutes.

Said before how this team isn't built for the playoffs and I'll stick to that.
Skill can take you far but without that compete level, grit etc I don't like what I see with this team.

 

[Highlander]

I would have had Sparks start from the get go.  Who knows if Chicago would have built up the lead they had.  Sparks played well.

The Leafs looked disorganized, listless, and confused in the first two periods of play.  Don?t know what got into them to start the third period with a flurry.  The effort was well appreciated.

Still, the playoffs are just around the corner,  and if these last two losses are any indication, they need to start getting ready now to be ready for the big show.

Sparks should get more starts (so that they can tighten up defensively since Sparks is no Freddy), begin winning again (perhaps a small streak to inject some positivity enroute to the post-season), fine-tune their play, strategize (this one is for you, coach), flexibility (with line combos & preparedness), and get ready to face B-O-S-T-O-N and compete!

I agree with everything but the Leafs were not to bad in the 2nd, it was the first that sunk the ship

 

[Highlander]

Reading that article and I am tired of listening to the same BS with this team.
In the morning skate they were working on defensive zone coverage.
It's f'n March and we still haven't figured that out?
It's been horrid since Babcock arrived and really has not changed.

Team most nights is flat out of the gate not ready to play and that's on Babcock.
The injuries on D are hurting us for sure but that's no excuse.
We've been lucky over the past 2-3 years as far as injuries.
Rest need to pick it up and play a full 60 minutes.

Said before how this team isn't built for the playoffs and I'll stick to that.
Skill can take you far but without that compete level, grit etc I don't like what I see with this team.

So what was the third period, all I saw was compete level.  Doesn't make up for a terrible first period with some very shaky goaltending. Sparks came in the 2nd and they played a decent 2nd period and an unbelievable third. With some proper officiating on their Goalie in the last minute we may have had a penalty shot. and tied the game.

 

[Zee]

Reading that article and I am tired of listening to the same BS with this team.
In the morning skate they were working on defensive zone coverage.
It's f'n March and we still haven't figured that out?
It's been horrid since Babcock arrived and really has not changed.

Team most nights is flat out of the gate not ready to play and that's on Babcock.
The injuries on D are hurting us for sure but that's no excuse.
We've been lucky over the past 2-3 years as far as injuries.
Rest need to pick it up and play a full 60 minutes.

Said before how this team isn't built for the playoffs and I'll stick to that.
Skill can take you far but without that compete level, grit etc I don't like what I see with this team.

So what was the third period, all I saw was compete level.  Doesn't make up for a terrible first period with some very shaky goaltending. Sparks came in the 2nd and they played a decent 2nd period and an unbelievable third. With some proper officiating on their Goalie in the last minute we may have had a penalty shot. and tied the game.

Compete level sure but Chicago started the period with a 5-1 lead and were sitting back as any team might. Then things snowballed for them

 

[Bullfrog]

Just watching the game-in-six now. What in the hell was Hainsey doing on the 4th goal? (Saad) That was horrendous defense. The 1st goal was tipped by a Maple Leaf and the 2nd and 3rd were pretty good shots (stoppable though.)

 

[azzurri63]

Reading that article and I am tired of listening to the same BS with this team.
In the morning skate they were working on defensive zone coverage.
It's f'n March and we still haven't figured that out?
It's been horrid since Babcock arrived and really has not changed.

Team most nights is flat out of the gate not ready to play and that's on Babcock.
The injuries on D are hurting us for sure but that's no excuse.
We've been lucky over the past 2-3 years as far as injuries.
Rest need to pick it up and play a full 60 minutes.

Said before how this team isn't built for the playoffs and I'll stick to that.
Skill can take you far but without that compete level, grit etc I don't like what I see with this team.

So what was the third period, all I saw was compete level.  Doesn't make up for a terrible first period with some very shaky goaltending. Sparks came in the 2nd and they played a decent 2nd period and an unbelievable third. With some proper officiating on their Goalie in the last minute we may have had a penalty shot. and tied the game.

Highlander I expect that on a more consistent basis and not for 20 minutes.
Mentioned it before but if you want to be an elite player or good player in this league you have to bring it most nights.
You watch a player like McDavid kid barely takes a shift off let alone a game.
We have too many that don't do that.
Most get paid good money to play a sport and fans pay a lot of money to watch. Least they can do is play hard and for 60 minutes.
I understand they are human. Have good days, bad days and times when they aren't 100% but far too often the effort is not there for a full game.

 

[Highlander]

Azzurri63, totally agreed, we should be out of the gate like Secretariat every game with this team.  What we are, is lacking in D confidence. We desperately need two new D Men that can play the game.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Azzurri63, totally agreed, we should be out of the gate like Secretariat every game with this team.  What we are, is lacking in D confidence. We desperately need two new D Men that can play the game.

The absence of Dermott and Gardiner for the Leafs is palpable.  Dermott provides good support and Gardiner good quarterbacking the offence.  Both are puck movers, sorely lacking now.  Every little bit counts and as we?ve seen, the Leafs D already rather porous, is being made even more so without these two.

Babcock was desperate for a call up ? Calle Rosen, but he?s injured. 

Dubas, in not having made any trade deadline moves (Petan/Lindholm trade), in not trading away assets & pieces, and in not wanting to usurp the roster, believes the Leafs have enough depth to get the job done come Spring.

Inconsistencies & inefficiencies at a time of when the team should be strengthening and fine tuning itself (regardless of injuries) is, in the words of Auston Matthews, ?unacceptable?.  They can and need to do better, as they?ve demonstrated all throughout the season, by finishing the year flourishing rather than floundering.

 

[Bullfrog]

Don't forget Dubas traded away two good prospects, Durzi and Grundstrom, and a 1st round pick. So, it's not accurate to say he didn't trade anything away.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Don't forget Dubas traded away two good prospects, Durzi and Grundstrom, and a 1st round pick. So, it's not accurate to say he didn't trade anything away.

Dubas was confident for the trade that got them Muzzin, and so let it be.

My point was that he did not need to trade any roster players (such as Kapanen or Johnsson),  nor any high assets or prospects/picks (such as Rasmussen or Lillegren, or whomever).
The trading of Durzi & Grundstrom was not earth shattering to the Leafs.  The only thing I would be a little concerned about is having given up the first round pick.