R1, G4: Bruins @ Maple Leafs - Apr. 27th, 8:00pm - SN, 680 News

[Guilt Trip]

https://twitter.com/jonassiegel/status/1784960540185378896

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1784960670082928866

Well...the team has often elevated its game when Matthews is out of the lineup. Of course, that is usually during the regular season.

I will be watching just to see how the rest of the group responds. Time to prove something.

He'll play. For how long is a different question.

 

[cw]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1784984463459393920

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1784994640468299818

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1784981538712514797

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1784980199685169535

 

[bustaheims]

Sammy evidently peaked too early.  He was lights out the last two months of the season, but the last two weeks into the playoffs, he's reverted to early season Sammy.

While Samsonov hasn't exactly been great, he's also definitely not the reason the Leafs are down 3-1 in this series. Outside of game 1, he's given them a chance to win every game. He hasn't been good, but, in this series, he's mostly been good enough. Can't expect to win when you average less than 2 goals for a night, though.

 

[Joe S.]

This was not a Stanley cup contending team day 1 of the season and it wasn?t by game 82. This is a good team with some big flaws.

This is how I'm choosing to look at it too - I think where I let myself get caught up is I've seen flawed teams go on some long cup runs despite their deficiencies, and my hope was the Leafs could do the same.

Sammy evidently peaked too early.  He was lights out the last two months of the season, but the last two weeks into the playoffs, he's reverted to early season Sammy.

Yeah completely agree - hot goaltending could have carried them. But the goaltending this season has been pretty much awful and has gone south right before the playoffs.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Sammy evidently peaked too early.  He was lights out the last two months of the season, but the last two weeks into the playoffs, he's reverted to early season Sammy.

While Samsonov hasn't exactly been great, he's also definitely not the reason the Leafs are down 3-1 in this series. Outside of game 1, he's given them a chance to win every game. He hasn't been good, but, in this series, he's mostly been good enough. Can't expect to win when you average less than 2 goals for a night, though.

Sammy is part of the reason they're losing. GM3 he crapped the bed. 2 softies. GM4 despite the Reaves turnover he looked terrible on the JVR goal. He was also caught out of position on the Marchand goal.
Even going back to GM1, his inability to look around a 1 man screen has been very costly.
Bottom line is he hasn't been good enough. You can't allow soft goals in the playoffs, you just can't. I think the Leafs made a huge mistake not giving Woll more starts when he got back from injury. Before the injury Woll was the guy, no question.
Either way Sammy is gone after this year. Love the guy personally, just not as the Leafs goalie.

 

[cabber24]

We either win or we get a change, both wins in my book.

 

[bustaheims]

Sammy is part of the reason they're losing. GM3 he crapped the bed. 2 softies. GM4 despite the Reaves turnover he looked terrible on the JVR goal. He was also caught out of position on the Marchand goal.
Even going back to GM1, his inability to look around a 1 man screen has been very costly.
Bottom line is he hasn't been good enough. You can't allow soft goals in the playoffs, you just can't. I think the Leafs made a huge mistake not giving Woll more starts when he got back from injury. Before the injury Woll was the guy, no question.
Either way Sammy is gone after this year. Love the guy personally, just not as the Leafs goalie.

If you need your goalie to pitch a shutout every night because you can?t beat the other guy, he?s not the reason you?re losing. He?s not even a significant part of why you?re losing. It?s not like they?re getting blown out because he?s letting in so many. He?s given them a chance in each of the last 3 games. That?s all you can ask of him. He?s doing his part. The rest of the team is not.


While I agree he hasn?t played as well as he could be (or, really, how they unfortunately need him to be), in terms of reasons why they?re trailing in the series, he?d be right near the bottom of my list.

 

[Chris]

Sammy is part of the reason they're losing. GM3 he crapped the bed. 2 softies. GM4 despite the Reaves turnover he looked terrible on the JVR goal. He was also caught out of position on the Marchand goal.
Even going back to GM1, his inability to look around a 1 man screen has been very costly.
Bottom line is he hasn't been good enough. You can't allow soft goals in the playoffs, you just can't. I think the Leafs made a huge mistake not giving Woll more starts when he got back from injury. Before the injury Woll was the guy, no question.
Either way Sammy is gone after this year. Love the guy personally, just not as the Leafs goalie.

If you need your goalie to pitch a shutout every night because you can?t beat the other guy, he?s not the reason you?re losing. He?s not even a significant part of why you?re losing. It?s not like they?re getting blown out because he?s letting in so many. He?s given them a chance in each of the last 3 games. That?s all you can ask of him. He?s doing his part. The rest of the team is not.


While I agree he hasn?t played as well as he could be (or, really, how they unfortunately need him to be), in terms of reasons why they?re trailing in the series, he?d be right near the bottom of my list.

What is it now, 2 or fewer goals scored in 11 of the last 12 playoff games? 1 for 14 on the pp? That plus a bad goal or two against per game isn't going to win many playoff series. It all comes back to the flawed Shana/Dubaplan - too much money tied up in 4 or 5 offensive players who don't provide the offense when it is really needed. And which leaves insufficient $ to fill out the rest of the roster, including defense and goal. Same old same old.

 

[cw]

Sammy is part of the reason they're losing. GM3 he crapped the bed. 2 softies. GM4 despite the Reaves turnover he looked terrible on the JVR goal. He was also caught out of position on the Marchand goal.
Even going back to GM1, his inability to look around a 1 man screen has been very costly.
Bottom line is he hasn't been good enough. You can't allow soft goals in the playoffs, you just can't. I think the Leafs made a huge mistake not giving Woll more starts when he got back from injury. Before the injury Woll was the guy, no question.
Either way Sammy is gone after this year. Love the guy personally, just not as the Leafs goalie.

If you need your goalie to pitch a shutout every night because you can?t beat the other guy, he?s not the reason you?re losing. He?s not even a significant part of why you?re losing. It?s not like they?re getting blown out because he?s letting in so many. He?s given them a chance in each of the last 3 games. That?s all you can ask of him. He?s doing his part. The rest of the team is not.


While I agree he hasn?t played as well as he could be (or, really, how they unfortunately need him to be), in terms of reasons why they?re trailing in the series, he?d be right near the bottom of my list.

I'm not as settled on this.

When the Leafs had Cujo for example, they could open it up and there was a fair chance Cujo could help keep them in the game. I can understand why they would not feel as comfortable doing so with Sammy. They have the offensive horses but they have to rein them in more with the weaker goaltending (and D to some extent). It's not a perfect comparison as the game as changed. But I think it is a significant factor.

On the other side: the skaters have not been as good defensively this year as they were last. They had a hand in rattling Samsonov's confidence earlier this season.

If the Leafs had a top 10 goalie, I think we'd be looking at this team differently, they would be scoring more and they probably wouldn't be in as deep a hole against the Bruins.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I'm not ready to point solely at the goaltending but he needs to be better than his counterpart at the other end of the ice. That's the bottom line. Find your direct competition on the ice. Perform better than that person. Samsonov has not.

But with that said, none of the Leafs have been better than their direct competition. Whether that's the goal scorers, the offense creators, the agitators or the defense, the Leafs are worse than the Bruins on all fronts.

 

[bustaheims]

I'm not as settled on this.

When the Leafs had Cujo for example, they could open it up and there was a fair chance Cujo could help keep them in the game. I can understand why they would not feel as comfortable doing so with Sammy. They have the offensive horses but they have to rein them in more with the weaker goaltending (and D to some extent). It's not a perfect comparison as the game as changed. But I think it is a significant factor.

On the other side: the skaters have not been as good defensively this year as they were last. They had a hand in rattling Samsonov's confidence earlier this season.

If the Leafs had a top 10 goalie, I think we'd be looking at this team differently, they would be scoring more and they probably wouldn't be in as deep a hole against the Bruins.

I'm not convinced about this. Outside of game 4, creating offence hasn't been the problem - they've created lots of chances, had solid puck possession time, etc. In fact, for the first 3 games, at 5-on-5, they handily out chanced the Bruins. They're just not able to convert. Swayman has shut down their standard tactics and they haven't been able to find enough other ways to beat him.

I don't feel like they've had to rein things in, at all. Until they came out already basically defeated for game 4, they were still playing a similar style to how they played in the regular season. It just wasn't getting the results. That has nothing to do with the goaltending or defence behind them. That's entirely on an offence that hasn't adapted, a powerplay that has looked completely out of sync and severely lacking in confidence, and some of their biggest weapons misfiring, playing at well below 100%, or missing time while the depth scoring hasn't stepped up.

 

[Guilt Trip]

How did everyone feel when Woll was the starter this year? With me I knew he'd be calm in the net. I had more confidence in him just by the way he played. I still feel that way when he's the starter. I don't have that feeling with Sammy.

 

[Highlander]

How did everyone feel when Woll was the starter this year? With me I knew he'd be calm in the net. I had more confidence in him just by the way he played. I still feel that way when he's the starter. I don't have that feeling with Sammy.

Ditto, the team also seems more settled when Woll is in the net, like they believe he can make the big stop

 

[azzurri63]

How did everyone feel when Woll was the starter this year? With me I knew he'd be calm in the net. I had more confidence in him just by the way he played. I still feel that way when he's the starter. I don't have that feeling with Sammy.

That's how I've felt and been saying since he became a Leaf. He's all over the ice and it's the reason why Caps let him go. Out of position way too often and I'll say it again more lucky than good. Think we've seen the last of him in a Leaf uniform and no loss.

 

[Guilt Trip]

How did everyone feel when Woll was the starter this year? With me I knew he'd be calm in the net. I had more confidence in him just by the way he played. I still feel that way when he's the starter. I don't have that feeling with Sammy.

That's how I've felt and been saying since he became a Leaf. He's all over the ice and it's the reason why Caps let him go. Out of position way too often and I'll say it again more lucky than good. Think we've seen the last of him in a Leaf uniform and no loss.

Barring a miraculous comeback or Woll getting hurt or shelled, he won't be back in the net for the Leafs again. Great guy like Campbell, but just not good enough.

 

[Bender]

How did everyone feel when Woll was the starter this year? With me I knew he'd be calm in the net. I had more confidence in him just by the way he played. I still feel that way when he's the starter. I don't have that feeling with Sammy.

I'd agree if he weren't so injury prone.

 

[bustaheims]

How did everyone feel when Woll was the starter this year? With me I knew he'd be calm in the net. I had more confidence in him just by the way he played. I still feel that way when he's the starter. I don't have that feeling with Sammy.

There were stretches where I felt confident. There were other stretches where I felt the Leafs were going to need an upgrade in net this season - both before and after his injury. He'd be very good for a few games and then look overmatched for a few. If you look at his gamelog/splits, he was very good through his four few starts, not so good for most of the next 5, then reasonably good again for most of the next 6. After his injury, he had three starts where he looked good and a couple others where he was okay, but I felt he was pretty shaky/didn't have his timing down the rest of the way.