His hockey IQ is off the franking charts. He's just always in the right position.

I know I say this every week, but the guy makes everything look so franking easy.

Think about his three goals last night - just got the puck and shot it in the net. Nothing wild, just collected it and shot it in the net. Tying goal needed incredible patience, but he just calmly pushed to the left to get around the goalie and shot it in an open net.

Compared to what Marner does, Matthews is kinda boring to watch. I'm honestly not sure if I'm joking here or not.
- Atomic Wedgie

You're right in that regard. He has that same calmness that Lemieux had. I'm not comparing them, per se - but there was a quiet and almost lazy aspect to their game that resulted in greatness.

I think I'm less objecting to Matthews on the PK - because he really is in the same sphere as Stone with his intelligence, stickwork and hands - and more objecting to our PK approach, which is very passive.

Loving Matthews on the PK. It shows his growth and rounding out of his game. Im ok if Marner isnt always on PP1. Spread it out more. Teams will have a much harder time when we can overwhelm their 2nd PK.

Interesting was Keefe running Minten and Knies out there as he did. And they did well getting good pressure and getting the puck out.

The defence is rather the big issue I think. Klingberg is Kaberle but long as he gives us more than he costs us ok. McCabe with him wasnt bad despite that one flub. Gio i sulates Lilly whi wasnt bad save his flub. The big concern is Brodie. Im not sure he just isnt done. Had the same issues last year and through preseason. Not sure we dont need to make a move there.

His hockey IQ is off the franking charts. He's just always in the right position.

I know I say this every week, but the guy makes everything look so franking easy.

Think about his three goals last night - just got the puck and shot it in the net. Nothing wild, just collected it and shot it in the net. Tying goal needed incredible patience, but he just calmly pushed to the left to get around the goalie and shot it in an open net.

Compared to what Marner does, Matthews is kinda boring to watch. I'm honestly not sure if I'm joking here or not.
- Atomic Wedgie

Consistency like Crosby/OV/Matthews is much better than insane skill and inconsistency like Kovalev/Heatley/Vanek/Nash

Habs hold the first wildcard.
- Atomic Wedgie

hope the playoffs are soon, this season is dragging on

Habs hold the first wildcard.
- Atomic Wedgie

Hey Wedge, did you see the additional context on Mary Lou Retton?


https://twitter.com/kenda...&t=zXygQ9RZlVYvHUlIXsYVmg

hope the playoffs are soon, this season is dragging on
- senstroll

Regular season means nothing. Watching Leafs find exciting new ways to (frank) up n playoffs is where the action is

Hey Wedge, did you see the additional context on Mary Lou Retton?


https://twitter.com/kenda...&t=zXygQ9RZlVYvHUlIXsYVmg
- Canada Cup

Yup.

And yes, I'm laughing.

Loving Matthews on the PK. It shows his growth and rounding out of his game. Im ok if Marner isnt always on PP1. Spread it out more. Teams will have a much harder time when we can overwhelm their 2nd PK.

Interesting was Keefe running Minten and Knies out there as he did. And they did well getting good pressure and getting the puck out.

The defence is rather the big issue I think. Klingberg is Kaberle but long as he gives us more than he costs us ok. McCabe with him wasnt bad despite that one flub. Gio i sulates Lilly whi wasnt bad save his flub. The big concern is Brodie. Im not sure he just isnt done. Had the same issues last year and through preseason. Not sure we dont need to make a move there.
- Roadrunner75

He's starting down a bad path. Saw glimpses against The Panthers in the PO's. Hoping Tre is looking to add there

Not sure how Klingberg can be Kaberle when he SHOOTS, unlike the real Kaberle aka Rielly who has been here for a decade doing Kaberle stuff.

Not sure how Klingberg can be Kaberle when he SHOOTS, unlike the real Kaberle aka Rielly who has been here for a decade doing Kaberle stuff.
- AdamFrench

Liljegren, Rielly, Brodie and Giordano all have literally twice as many shots as Klingberg this year.

Twice as many, Frenchie.

Moreno and Gurriel advancing to the next round.

That trade will hurt for a while, unless varsho can learn to hit consistently

Moreno and Gurriel advancing to the next round.

That trade will hurt for a while, unless varsho can learn to hit consistently
- Fakepartofme

I think a new hitting coach will help the team as a whole, but especially Varsho.

Moron Martínez had him go through 3 different batting stances during the season. That's (frank)ing insane.

- 21peter

Have they explained why they have 6 different Alternate Captains?

Liljegren, Rielly, Brodie and Giordano all have literally twice as many shots as Klingberg this year.

Twice as many, Frenchie.
- Atomic Wedgie

Yet Klingberg has at least twice as many points, glad they brought the shooter in lol

His hockey IQ is off the franking charts. He's just always in the right position.

I know I say this every week, but the guy makes everything look so franking easy.

Think about his three goals last night - just got the puck and shot it in the net. Nothing wild, just collected it and shot it in the net. Tying goal needed incredible patience, but he just calmly pushed to the left to get around the goalie and shot it in an open net.

Compared to what Marner does, Matthews is kinda boring to watch. I'm honestly not sure if I'm joking here or not.
- Atomic Wedgie

Loose pucks also just stick to Matthews like flies on fly tape.

He's another giveth and taketh away player. I liked a lot of what he did with the puck as well and I didn't actually see any grievous giveaways or errors _with_ the puck. His play off the puck was poor. He was too far from the puck on most occasions and even on that partial 2 on 1, played it with the poise and grace of Morgan Rielly trying not to scuff his stick. It looked like a flamingo doing a poke check. Don Cherry was probably redder than his suit - which I simply presume he wears in his living room while watching hockey and yelling at things. I am not judging. This sounds like a good life to me.

But I digress.

My point is that Klingberg can't play defense. He might be better at offense than Tyson Barrie was, but he is not really any better (and might be worse) than Barrie was and when you already have guys like Rielly and Liljegren and Timmins, who are great WITH the puck, but are not so great without it, the inclusion of a Klingberg is completely unnecessary - in my humble opinion.
- Monkeypunk

Except they had no defensemen who could do anything on the PP.

The only time I noticed him was when he dove and the Refs bought it and gave Newhook a penalty.

Which helped the Leafs since they (frank)ing scored.

- Scabeh

True.

I also noticed him with the horrible play in his own end directly leading to the Habs 5th goal.

Except they had no defensemen who could do anything on the PP.
- Aetherial

Sure. I mean between 2020 - 2022 Morgan Rielly had 4 goals and 48 assists on the power play, which is 13th best in the league. John Klingberg had 5 goals and 42 assists, which if you can math is worse. He did play 8 fewer games while collecting those 5 fewer points, but the math is still in Rielly's favour. Yeah, Klingberg did play a half season in Anaheim, but he did choose to go there.

So because Klingberg got a couple of power play assists last night, I don't think he has done anything different than what Morgan Rielly has done. He has a nice accurate wrist shot, but I don't think he necessarily has an ungodly bomb from the point either. Your real differentiator is that Rielly carries a 4.25% shooting percentage over the past three seasons and Klingberg carries a 6.4%.

I'll publicly stay on record as hating the signing of John Klingberg until he proves me wrong, but we already had Rielly on the power play who plays a lot like Klingberg does on the power play. The thing everyone wanted - a massive shot - another weapon - that's not there. You have a guy who shoots a little less, actually, but is a bit more accurate when he does shoot.

After about a dozen years, I'm not coaching this year.

And I haven't played on a team in about five years.

So I'm now dying to get back on skates - even if it is just for shinny.

Hell, I might just start showing up at my local outdoor municipal rink for shinny on weeknights - I'll be the oldest guy there by at least 20 years.
- Atomic Wedgie

Yeah, but you are smaller than most of them and likely in better shape, so they will think you are younger!

I think a new hitting coach will help the team as a whole, but especially Varsho.

Moron Martínez had him go through 3 different batting stances during the season. That's (frank)ing insane.
- GreatGigInTheSky

Still, the trade was bad.
You traded stud catcher whos gonna hit well for years.
Plus Gurriel hit what, 24 hrs this year?

Sure. I mean between 2020 - 2022 Morgan Rielly had 4 goals and 48 assists on the power play, which is 13th best in the league. John Klingberg had 5 goals and 42 assists, which if you can math is worse. He did play 8 fewer games while collecting those 5 fewer points, but the math is still in Rielly's favour. Yeah, Klingberg did play a half season in Anaheim

So because Klingberg got a couple of power play assists last night, I don't think he has done anything different than what Morgan Rielly has done. He has a nice accurate wrist shot, but I don't think he necessarily has an ungodly bomb from the point either. Your real differentiator is that Rielly carries a 4.25% shooting percentage over the past three seasons and Klingberg carries a 6.4%.

I'll publicly stay on record as hating the signing of John Klingberg until he proves me wrong, but we already had Rielly on the power play who plays a lot like Klingberg does on the power play. The thing everyone wanted - a massive shot - another weapon - that's not there. You have a guy who shoots a little less, actually, but is a bit more accurate when he does shoot.
- Monkeypunk

Rielly's numbers are better than I thought. I just remember the constant muffins coming from the point. I assume Klingberg is better in that regard.

Sure. I mean between 2020 - 2022 Morgan Rielly had 4 goals and 48 assists on the power play, which is 13th best in the league. John Klingberg had 5 goals and 42 assists, which if you can math is worse. He did play 8 fewer games while collecting those 5 fewer points, but the math is still in Rielly's favour. Yeah, Klingberg did play a half season in Anaheim, but he did choose to go there.

So because Klingberg got a couple of power play assists last night, I don't think he has done anything different than what Morgan Rielly has done. He has a nice accurate wrist shot, but I don't think he necessarily has an ungodly bomb from the point either. Your real differentiator is that Rielly carries a 4.25% shooting percentage over the past three seasons and Klingberg carries a 6.4%.

I'll publicly stay on record as hating the signing of John Klingberg until he proves me wrong, but we already had Rielly on the power play who plays a lot like Klingberg does on the power play. The thing everyone wanted - a massive shot - another weapon - that's not there. You have a guy who shoots a little less, actually, but is a bit more accurate when he does shoot.
- Monkeypunk

Klingberg can actually walk the blue line.

Rielly is pretty bad at it, he’s very stationary and his only skill is being able to distribute the puck to Marner and Matthews extremely well which is good but makes the pp very predictable. AMs one timer is good but it’s not Ovi’s where it’s going in eventually even if you do keep him to the outside. They are not remotely the same on the PP…the only similarity is they both are capable of being PP1. Completely different when you watch the game.

Also Klingberg catching that puck when that MTL player shot it out…god damn all year long we watched rielly bobble those. It was nice to see.

Klingberg doesn’t do that and the regular bums are in here calling for the core to be traded because they lose. So at least thank him for that.

Rielly's numbers are better than I thought. I just remember the constant muffins coming from the point. I assume Klingberg is better in that regard.
- Aetherial

Yeah playing with AM, Marner, Nylander and JT Will do that

I’m willing to bet the PP is better this year with Klingberg as long as everyone stays relatively healthy.

Still, the trade was bad.
You traded stud catcher whos gonna hit well for years.
Plus Gurriel hit what, 24 hrs this year?
- Fakepartofme

odd trade so far

at the time of the trade, Varsho had 27 hr in 2022 and Gurriel had 5 (moreno 1)