Leafs @ Bruins - Oct. 22nd, 7:00pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

The defensive effort may be lacking but I think the game plan is terrible. These guys aren't stupid so maybe the system is terrible. Hasn't improved since Babs took over....just saying.

Fixed it for you. "Just saying" is a pet peeve of mine and probably the least useful phrase of all time.

Is this just your opinion? Because you didn't write "in my opinion".

 

[Bullfrog]

Well, it is, but it isn't my honest opinion, so I didn't want to confuse anyone.

 

[Guilt Trip]

The defensive effort may be lacking but I think the game plan is terrible. These guys aren't stupid so maybe the system is terrible. Hasn't improved since Babs took over....just saying.

Fixed it for you. "Just saying" is a pet peeve of mine and probably the least useful phrase of all time.

You certainly didn't fix anything for me. I don't have the issue with just saying. Curious though, why would you name your pet Peeve or is it Just Saying? Not very creative, IMO.

 

[Bullfrog]

His name is Just Saying.

"Just Saying, get over here!"

 

[Guilt Trip]

His name is Just Saying.

"Just Saying, get over here!"

Haha, that's much better then Peeve...thanks for the clarification.

 

[Chris]

I don't know why people add "just saying" to what they just said. I mean, it's obvious that anything I'm saying is what I said, and if I just said it I'm "just saying". So at the least, it's redundant.

Just saying.

 

[Stebro]

One of the major concerns is the lack of intensity from Matthews, Marner, Nylander. They show sings of working hard at times, but sometimes I feel as if they're just doing the "Hey admire me while I skate", or "Watch me as it looks as if I give 100% in the back checking, when im only giving 80%". My point is that they can't get away with cheating. Bergeron, Marchand etc knows this. Matthews, Marner and Nylander still needs to do this at 100% every game.

 

[Chris]

One of the major concerns is the lack of intensity from Matthews, Marner, Nylander. They show sings of working hard at times, but sometimes I feel as if they're just doing the "Hey admire me while I skate", or "Watch me as it looks as if I give 100% in the back checking, when im only giving 80%". My point is that they can't get away with cheating. Bergeron, Marchand etc knows this. Matthews, Marner and Nylander still needs to do this at 100% every game.

I think they've gotten by on raw talent for so long, they're not used to having to work for it. I suppose many of the top players are that way, so hopefully it clicks for the big 3. As I said, when Matthews gets an open look he can often pick a corner and score goals even when he/his line isn't playing well. They'll be buried in the dzone for long stretches, then get one shot in the offensive zone and...goal. But when those shots aren't going in, the flaws are magnified.

They need to play with more effort but also smarter. Seems like a lot of dumping the puck in a corner but no one is ready to go after it. Or all 3 players go after one guy, do the fly by, which leads to an easy zone exit for the other team. Or skate around the offensive zone but no one else moves to an open area to receive a pass (see recent power plays and that long shift at the end of the Columbus? (not sure which) game where they controlled the play in the offensive zone forever but got no shots (when Babcock got criticized because Matthews wasn't out there).

It's frustrating to watch as there should be enough talent to control play for long stretches but it doesn't happen.

 

[Bullfrog]

One of the major concerns is the lack of intensity from Matthews, Marner, Nylander. They show sings of working hard at times, but sometimes I feel as if they're just doing the "Hey admire me while I skate", or "Watch me as it looks as if I give 100% in the back checking, when im only giving 80%". My point is that they can't get away with cheating. Bergeron, Marchand etc knows this. Matthews, Marner and Nylander still needs to do this at 100% every game.

I think you're right with the consistent effort being the issue. They're definitely working hard, but need to be more consistent with the effort.

People talk about Matthews being soft, but I watched him in front of the net being abused by Chara, who could barely move Matthews. He stood his ground. He also had a great defensive effort back-checking and knocking the Bruin (can't remember who) off the puck.

It reminds me of criticism of Sundin not using his size and strength, which was complete and utter nonsense.

 

[herman]

I too only remember what I wanted to see to begin with.

 

[Highlander]

I don't know why people add "just saying" to what they just said. I mean, it's obvious that anything I'm saying is what I said, and if I just said it I'm "just saying". So at the least, it's redundant.

Just saying.

What is the matter with redundancy, elevators have 4 or 5 redundant safety features...just saying

 

[ZBBM]

The way I understand "Just saying" is as a shorthand for "I haven't really thought this through thoroughly so don't hold me to anything I've just said."  Nothing wrong with that, IMO, on a board like this. 

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Team needs a complete overhaul. Down 2 goals and no one wants to shoot the puck. 30 million for Nylander, Matthews and Marner for what? Never seen a softer team in my life.

A complete overhaul!?! hahahah

THIS is what's wrong with letting everyone have computers to type on.

 

[Guilt Trip]

The way I understand "Just saying" is as a shorthand for "I haven't really thought this through thoroughly so don't hold me to anything I've just said."  Nothing wrong with that, IMO, on a board like this. 

Nothing...just saying

 

[Guilt Trip]

One of the major concerns is the lack of intensity from Matthews, Marner, Nylander. They show sings of working hard at times, but sometimes I feel as if they're just doing the "Hey admire me while I skate", or "Watch me as it looks as if I give 100% in the back checking, when im only giving 80%". My point is that they can't get away with cheating. Bergeron, Marchand etc knows this. Matthews, Marner and Nylander still needs to do this at 100% every game.

I think you're right with the consistent effort being the issue. They're definitely working hard, but need to be more consistent with the effort.

People talk about Matthews being soft, but I watched him in front of the net being abused by Chara, who could barely move Matthews. He stood his ground. He also had a great defensive effort back-checking and knocking the Bruin (can't remember who) off the puck.

It reminds me of criticism of Sundin not using his size and strength, which was complete and utter nonsense.

Totally agree with this.

 

[Chris]

One of the major concerns is the lack of intensity from Matthews, Marner, Nylander. They show sings of working hard at times, but sometimes I feel as if they're just doing the "Hey admire me while I skate", or "Watch me as it looks as if I give 100% in the back checking, when im only giving 80%". My point is that they can't get away with cheating. Bergeron, Marchand etc knows this. Matthews, Marner and Nylander still needs to do this at 100% every game.

I think you're right with the consistent effort being the issue. They're definitely working hard, but need to be more consistent with the effort.

People talk about Matthews being soft, but I watched him in front of the net being abused by Chara, who could barely move Matthews. He stood his ground. He also had a great defensive effort back-checking and knocking the Bruin (can't remember who) off the puck.

It reminds me of criticism of Sundin not using his size and strength, which was complete and utter nonsense.

Totally agree with this.

I don't know - if it's so easy to remember the time Matthews played good defense, that kind of supports the argument that he doesn't do it nearly often enough. It shouldn't be noteworthy when he does it, it should be just...what he does.

 

[herman]

Matthews, Marner, and Nylander?s transition defense is fine to good (takeaway artists). They (and basically most of the Leafs) are bad at defense once the cycle is set up. The Leafs haven?t had good cycle breaking forwards since Komarov and... Winnik. Hyman is okay, Kapanen has the tools to be great but maybe not there yet in thinking the game, Gauthier can think it but can?t always get there (especially not against top-3), Moore is getting there.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

What made me most upset was watching them award Boston with the Stanley Cup after the game..

Oh wait, it's October? They don't give it out in October? Oh ok, I'll go back to watching hockey and actually enjoying it.

 

[Guilt Trip]

What made me most upset was watching them award Boston with the Stanley Cup after the game..

Oh wait, it's October? They don't give it out in October? Oh ok, I'll go back to watching hockey and actually enjoying it.

That's what I do. I don't get so emotionally invested anymore. It makes it more enjoyable.

 

[Highlander]

What made me most upset was watching them award Boston with the Stanley Cup after the game..

Oh wait, it's October? They don't give it out in October? Oh ok, I'll go back to watching hockey and actually enjoying it.

That's what I do. I don't get so emotionally invested anymore. It makes it more enjoyable.

Makes sense for sure, you wait a lifetime for them to assemble this much talent and then its frustrating. When I lived out of the country for 14 years before the Internet advent, I didn't watch hockey at all and life was great.  I think I am going to take a backseat for a while.  Sort of like the Raptors, watch the playoffs and hope they win..