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Round 3: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Montreal Canadiens

OldTimeHockey said:
So, Habs fans are up in arms over a loss and blaming it on the refs. Any truth?
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They had a beef in the 3rd game with the high stick but last night it was bad for both sides. It didn't cost them the game though.
 
I mean, we all know how consistent and by-the-book NHL officials are . . .

It's the playoffs. Every team has had to battle through crappy officiating. By this point, if you can't push through it, you don't deserve to win.
 
https://twitter.com/j15emerson/status/1406068645168508929
https://twitter.com/renlavoietva/status/1406708779874463749
Moments later?
https://twitter.com/friedgehnic/status/1406737383631032327
 
I'm genuinely surprised we've just about gotten through the entire season and "coaches constantly taking off their mask when they want to talk to other people" has never been addressed by the league. Especially since they appear to have been pretty strict with all their other measures.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
I'm genuinely surprised we've just about gotten through the entire season and "coaches constantly taking off their mask when they want to talk to other people" has never been addressed by the league. Especially since they appear to have been pretty strict with all their other measures.
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Ducharme from the Habs was probably the worst I've seen. Every single time he's yelling or even talking, he pulls down the mask. I'm shocked that he's the only confirmed case on that team.
 
One thing I'll say about the Leafs. I like the way they don't dump the puck when changing. They keep possession. I'm finding it strange when Vegas dumps the puck in to do it.  Seems kind of weird be sure I'm used to the way the Leafs play.
 
Guilt Trip said:
One thing I'll say about the Leafs. I like the way they don't dump the puck when changing. They keep possession. I'm finding it strange when Vegas dumps the puck in to do it.  Seems kind of weird be sure I'm used to the way the Leafs play.
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I like having the puck too, but you kind of have to adjust and take what the opposition gives you: every defensive forecheck structure is weak to something and strong against another. The truly successful teams can adapt and play multiple ways so they don't get shut down by low skill counter-attack traps, especially in a 7-game series where there is only one opponent to prepare for.

The Leafs have a lot of good players that can really hold the puck, and not nearly enough players that are elite at going in and getting it. Babcock got the Leafs stuck playing one way: stretch and dump turnover tries until we could sneak one behind; Keefe got them stuck playing in another way: hold it until there were no more options.
 
herman said:
Babcock got the Leafs stuck playing one way: stretch and dump turnover tries until we could sneak one behind; Keefe got them stuck playing in another way: hold it until there were no more options.
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Yes, and a hybrid is certainly what is needed. Hyman is the only player that may actually be better with a dump and chase game. The Habs forced Toronto into a dump and chase game and they didn't know what to do. Also, that style will only work if you keep it away from the goalie. Especially a goalie that can handle the puck like Price.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/1407531724972646403

Well... at least it wasn't just us.
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I'm with you. I am actually starting to wonder if the whole thing is fixed.
 
It really is weird the knots some people will tie themselves into to avoid facing the pretty obvious reality that the Leafs are not uniquely mentally weak or failing in some intangible way and just that parity means teams are closer to each other than we think and the outcome of short serieses can be fairly random.
 
Nik said:
It really is weird the knots some people will tie themselves into to avoid facing the pretty obvious reality that the Leafs are not uniquely mentally weak or failing in some intangible way and just that parity means teams are closer to each other than we think and the outcome of short serieses can be fairly random.
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And teams can go hot or cold at the right or wrong time.
 
Nik said:
It really is weird the knots some people will tie themselves into to avoid facing the pretty obvious reality that the Leafs are not uniquely mentally weak or failing in some intangible way and just that parity means teams are closer to each other than we think and the outcome of short serieses can be fairly random.
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I'm mostly just jealous, and I don't want to have to live with the narratives that will come out of it.  The Leafs rebuilt the way that they were supposed to, and they were beaten by a team that constructed the team the way the Leafs used to build theirs through trades and signings, and there is a possibility that the Habs will win the cup using that process.  It's just one more drop in the hapless history of the Leafs bucket.

For the narrative, I can see the stories and the exclamations of how Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Caufield are better than Matthews, Marner, and Nylander because they show up in the playoffs and they have rings and they are sure to lead the Habs to a couple of more cups. 

The fact that they are local doesn't help.  I'm sure Bruins fans were ecstatic when they beat the Leafs, but we just didn't hear about it as much. 
 
Significantly Insignificant said:
I'm mostly just jealous, and I don't want to have to live with the narratives that will come out of it.  The Leafs rebuilt the way that they were supposed to, and they were beaten by a team that constructed the team the way the Leafs used to build theirs through trades and signings, and there is a possibility that the Habs will win the cup using that process.  It's just one more drop in the hapless history of the Leafs bucket.

For the narrative, I can see the stories and the exclamations of how Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Caufield are better than Matthews, Marner, and Nylander because they show up in the playoffs and they have rings and they are sure to lead the Habs to a couple of more cups. 

The fact that they are local doesn't help.  I'm sure Bruins fans were ecstatic when they beat the Leafs, but we just didn't hear about it as much.
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I have personal reasons why if the Habs were to win the cup, I'd be effectively fine with it(family members who are Habs fans, some who've had tough hurdles recently) but even beyond that the only thing I'd say is you really need to let that stuff go. You really don't need to take in media that delivers simplistic narratives like that.

Obviously being a Leafs fan has meant a lot of frustration but one of the things I've noticed in the last month or so is just how many other fanbases feel effectively the same. The Knicks this year won their first playoff game in 8 years and have gone almost 50 years without a title, The Detroit Lions have a hapless history without any real optimism in sight, The Pittsburgh Pirates have been consistently terrible for 25 years and so on.

I do get it but, really, if you don't like the narrative being presented by someone you don't have to give it much thought.
 
Well said Nik...
It can only bother you if you let it. I say it all the time. It's only hockey and when it comes down to it, the Leafs winning and losing has no effect on my life
It used to but I found it to be a real waste of energy.
 
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