Leafs @ Canadiens - Oct. 26th, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[hockeyfan1]

Some stats to tell the (game) tale:

Click to view in full:
[tweet]1188274917588033538[/tweet]

 

[Guilt Trip]

So according to Babs only Shore, Goat and Timashov can start in the D zone out of our forwards 5 v 5. I'm not a fan because we're all kind of hoping that Matthews can become Bergeron like but he'll have a hard time learning if he doesn't play there and get experience starting in his own zone.

 

[azzurri63]

Dubas as much as I liked the hiring he's made some mistakes. Hopefully they rectify it soon otherwise going to be an epic fail.

Well a team that was supposed to be a cup favorite which I don?t think they are or were definitely don?t look like it.

You?re happy with mediocrity good on you.

I?m not going to go into the problems this team has because honestly I?m tired of repeating myself as most of you are of hearing it.

Said it the other day when Button blasted this team and it?s so called stars. Again tonight he?s bang on what I?ve been saying for a long time.

Something has to change with this team and with the ridiculous contract Dubas handed it only makes it harder to do so.

Team struggled last year and almost ended up a wild card spot.

Think it?s going to be the same or possibly not even make it due to coaching and lack of grit and effort.

Hope I?m wrong. Either way something needs to give.

Personally think Keefe would be better behind the bench.

 

[azzurri63]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/editorinleaf.com/2019/10/24/toronto-maple-leafs-babcock-fire/amp/

A good read.

 

[hockeyfan1]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/editorinleaf.com/2019/10/24/toronto-maple-leafs-babcock-fire/amp/

A good read.

Good article.  I can understand most of our frustrations with the way the Leafs are going about playing in each game but don?t think that firing Babcock at this point in time will achieve much.

We saw how in the Hans? fourth goal beginning from the face off circle Marner going the wrong way and Muzzin?s apparent sloppiness.  If Babcock is trying to turn Marner into a defensive forward then he?s failing badly.  This much can be said about that.

Also, the Leafs appear to have zero confidence with Hutchinson in net.  Babcock?s usage of the goaltending situation (re: back-to-back) is puzzling to say the least but maybe there?s a reason for it.

When you see guys like Andreas Johnsson getting off to very slow starts and others like Marner struggling to be what they don?t excel at, you know the team?s success is going to be shaky at best.

Personally, many of us had high expectations for this team.  Some say unreasonable?  Not really.  The true problem for the Leafs is that no matter what type of system Babcock?s  attempts to instill in the team, they just cannot play up to those levels.  The Leafs have never been traditionally strong on defence (both forwards & d-men) and may never be.  The best to hope for is for them to learn the little things that make up the bigger picture ? lines intact and better defence pairings. 

With Babcock at the helm, it?ll continue to be a slow process, for now.

Can hardly wait for Hyman, Dermott, and Tavares to return.  With Hyman back, the Tavares-Marner line will be rejuvenated, and having Dermott in the back end will stabilize the D somewhat.

 

[Bender]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/editorinleaf.com/2019/10/24/toronto-maple-leafs-babcock-fire/amp/

A good read.

Wasn't there a season where Stamkos went down for the year and Tampa missed the playoffs? Nothing you can do there. You lose key pieces and your team is a lot worse. We're missing 3 important guys on our roster, not some plugs. Let's see what happens when we get our full roster back, including our best centre.

 

[herman]

Name another team that has essentially lost its top line for the start of the season (consider Tavares and Marner?s starts) that has stayed afloat at .500. Add on being hammered by an arduous schedule, and this is actually a decent result. You?ll see a sea change come November when the schedule evens out and our roster regains full strength.

I?m looking forward to stacking the Nylander and Kerfoot lines up against 2nd and 3rd lines going forward. Practice times also add on fluency with our structure and schemes with more availability between games.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I'm not worried too much; it's been kind of interesting to see which center could step up and be capable of carrying the team with Tavares et al out, and it's pretty obvious the answer isn't hanging out with justin beiber at this stage in his career, anyway.

They've missed hyman more than most care to admit, and the defensive "upgrades" to this point have been a bit underwhelming. I was not a huge fan of the Barrie trade, especially as it seems they could have signed Gardiner to a super cheap extension, but that's with the benefit of hindsight, I suppose.

And Marner, despite all the complaining that he's somehow forgotten how to play hockey, is now tied for 6th in the league in points, a lot of that without Tavares, either being injured or off to a slow start - who a lot of people complained unrealistically elevated Marner's point totals.

I think after the injured guys get back in a shake off the rust, we'll see the real team, until then, over .500 hockey is realistic and will keep us in it, as long Freddie stays heathy and Matthews/Nylander start to play like they did two seasons ago.

 

[ZBBM]

I agree with the thrust of the previous three comments. The schedule this month has been ridiculous and that really has exacerbated the missing starters problem.

 

[Chris]

I'm not worried too much; it's been kind of interesting to see which center could step up and be capable of carrying the team with Tavares et al out, and it's pretty obvious the answer isn't hanging out with justin beiber at this stage in his career, anyway.

Yep, Kerfoot has stepped up and to me and is as good as Kadri was in my opinion, except for the physical aspect. But of course Kadri took himself out of the last 2 playoff series because of his lack of discipline. I call that a wash. Matthews...man he looks great when the other teams give him room and the puck luck is going his way. But most of the time, he looks very ordinary. Sure hope he snaps out of it or finds another gear or whatever, cause this team is never winning anything of note as long as he plays the way he has.

They've missed hyman more than most care to admit, and the defensive "upgrades" to this point have been a bit underwhelming. I was not a huge fan of the Barrie trade, especially as it seems they could have signed Gardiner to a super cheap extension, but that's with the benefit of hindsight, I suppose.

I have been very unimpressed with Barrie. Maybe the Leafs would be better off moving him and keeping Ceci.

I think after the injured guys get back in a shake off the rust, we'll see the real team, until then, over .500 hockey is realistic and will keep us in it, as long Freddie stays heathy and Matthews/Nylander start to play like they did two seasons ago.

Hope this is the case. I think Nylander has looked pretty good lately but am still waiting for Matthews to wake up.

 

[L K]

They won?t be in a playoff spot when games even out but the team isn?t a train wreck.  There are a lot of things to improve on but yeah I?m not really going to call for heads until at least mid season.

 

[Zee]

They won?t be in a playoff spot when games even out but the team isn?t a train wreck.  There are a lot of things to improve on but yeah I?m not really going to call for heads until at least mid season.

Habs fans must be loving this.  I checked the schedule, first 3 times we play the Habs this season Leafs are on a back to back and Habs rested.  Great schedule.

 

[Chris]

There must be some lines of code in the scheduling algorithms that are designed to make the Leafs schedule the worst in the league. I have a hard time believing that with the computer power available these days, the team schedules couldn't be set up to minimize the instances where a team has to play back-to-back with the second game against a rested opponent, especially in bunches like the Leafs have had to do this month. It's really quite ridiculous.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

There must be some lines of code in the scheduling algorithms that are designed to make the Leafs schedule the worst in the league. I have a hard time believing that with the computer power available these days, the team schedules couldn't be set up to minimize the instances where a team has to play back-to-back with the second game against a rested opponent, especially in bunches like the Leafs have had to do this month. It's really quite ridiculous.

I think the NHL schedule makers are high.  Who plays FOUR back to backs in the first month? TWO in one week? 

 

[hockeyfan1]

There must be some lines of code in the scheduling algorithms that are designed to make the Leafs schedule the worst in the league. I have a hard time believing that with the computer power available these days, the team schedules couldn't be set up to minimize the instances where a team has to play back-to-back with the second game against a rested opponent, especially in bunches like the Leafs have had to do this month. It's really quite ridiculous.

I think the NHL schedule makers are high.  Who plays FOUR back to backs in the first month? TWO in one week? 

Maybe the were thinking ?basketball?.