He only had to kill 9 minutes and let in a short-side goal. It wasn't a hard shot. It was poor positioning. On the winner, he could have came out and played the puck. He lost his concentration and it cost us a series. Yes, Marner was the number 1 culprit for letting his check get by him, but the comedy of errors cost the Leafs a playoff round.
- PrinceLH

We were 1/20 on the powerplay. If we scored just 5 pp goals, we win this series in 6 games. 5/20 is not exactly killing it. 1/20 is death. There's your cause of death.

How is it for team canada? Your childish comment will really help the leafs.
- LFS

Heard Chicago is just waiting for Quenneville to be reinstated before they trade for the rights to all those players that were charged.

Lilly as our 6D playing with Benoit will be fine. Need a puck mover to play with Benoit, and big physical puck-movers are not cheap.
- gravyface

I just watche Lilly either turn it over or lob a hand grenade in panic to Edmundston for 5 out of 6 gamers. I was a big fan but i think it is time for him to go.

Sammy was solid last night
Leafs cant score.
Great reg season players.
Outside of willie....he can score
- Fakepartofme

Pretty much the MO pattern during this window. Tre did upgrade the D nicely & added F depth.

It all comes back to the core 4 no matter how the post mortem unfolds. Shanny & Dubas built this roster essentially. AM turned the franchise around. Willy & Marner were great adds along the way. The offence was set for years.

The D & in goal suffered once JT was signed & Kadri was sent packing. This was the crux point of false hope as it has turned out. 11m gamble spent left far too little to go around covid cap issues or not to build a playoff roster. The patch work D that followed & goalie merry go round cost valuable years of AM & others. Trading high picks & also drafting offensive small players was costly & compounded it all. Knies has been imo the only stand out drafted in years. The kid is a warrior. Gonna be a real good player for years to come. No JT signed there was cap space for at least 1-2 key pieces & the cap was better weaponized in hindsight. There was no reason to jump the gun speeding up the rebuild that already was doing great. The future was bright as it was then the optics of adding JT looked like a great 1-2 punch down the middle but he had never won anything & handed the C which I never understood. It wasn’t his team & never was.

I am not a Leaf fan although I did for awhile like & support them in the days of Sittler but Ballard popped that balloon. Back then that was a big setback & now JT in the cap era is another in a different way. It’s not on him it’s on Dubas.

Hindsight says adding 1 very good RHD would’ve altered the course in a big way giving better odds then & now. Offence is fun & great entertainment but has been proven D is always the staple for any team to go on deep runs. Dubas started well but his analytics blinded him when it mattered most. Shanny has to go supporting Dubas on his image of roster building. Change & a fresh outlook is overdue. Tre had more hits than misses & earns more time.

Something big has to happen up top so on the ice can bigger stuff happens. Ya sure only 1 more year of JT is left but that is 1 valuable year after already spending a few. He alone has made others in the core 4 a target to trade simply cuz of his UFA signing.

I just watche Lilly either turn it over or lob a hand grenade in panic to Edmundston for 5 out of 6 gamers. I was a big fan but i think it is time for him to go.
- jribout

trade for Sandin. Straight up

he made 120 saves
- drexel

60 of them were probably due to a terrible rebound

He sucked

He stunk

He’s a below average goalie that is worse than Jack Campbell mentally

60 of them were probably due to a terrible rebound

He sucked

He stunk

He’s a below average goalie that is worse than Jack Campbell mentally
- Santo_44

I cant believe he couldnt post a shutout. What a hack

This is a ridiculous take. Was Sammy good? No. Could our boys maybe ONCE strap it on and perform in an elimination game? No.

To lay the blame entirely on the goalie because he didn't pitch an overtime game 7 shutout is ridiculous.

The team CAN'T SCORE in the playoffs.
- fifty__missions

I don't disagree but I gotta put some context into that.

At 5v5 they were pretty normal ...better than Dallas, Vegas, TB, Canucks, Preds and a bunch of others.

But they were by far the most putrid PP team in the playoffs ...and this isn't the first time. That this team can't figure out how to excel on the PP is the biggest what-the-(frank) ever. They've been built to excel on the PP ...they've brought in numerous coaches to fix it. Somebody should be fired immediately but it's a personel issue for me.

The problem is that 44 and 16 are not threats so it's too easy to defend. More than anything this team needs a threat (or two) from the point.

It'll make the PP more difficult to defend and it'll make our rushes more dangerous because our fwds love to carry-in then look for the late guys.

More/better defense ...by any means necessary.

He was $867,500 this year. He filled a need for the Leafs this year but not sure he was good enough to get a raise.
- jribout

that was with double retention

I don't disagree but I gotta put some context into that.

At 5v5 they were pretty normal ...better than Dallas, Vegas, TB, Canucks, Preds and a bunch of others.

But they were by far the most putrid PP team in the playoffs ...and this isn't the first time. That this team can't figure out how to excel on the PP is the biggest what-the-(frank) ever. They've been built to excel on the PP ...they've brought in numerous coaches to fix it. Somebody should be fired immediately but it's a personel issue for me.

The problem is that 44 and 16 are not threats so it's too easy to defend. More than anything this team needs a threat (or two) from the point.

It'll make the PP more difficult to defend and it'll make our rushes more dangerous because our fwds love to carry-in then look for the late guys.

More/better defense ...by any means necessary.
- The Law

KLingberg was the answer

This is a ridiculous take. Was Sammy good? No. Could our boys maybe ONCE strap it on and perform in an elimination game? No.

To lay the blame entirely on the goalie because he didn't pitch an overtime game 7 shutout is ridiculous.

The team CAN'T SCORE in the playoffs.
- fifty__missions

Low hanging fruit over these last few years. You are totally correct.

AM & Willy & all of the others not named JT & Marner played well & up to their contracts. On Reilly yes he wasn’t up to fans standards but he is forced into top pairing D when he would perfectly good as a #3D. That isn’t on him especially after Tre built a deeper better D that the Leafs haven’t had in years. The B’s struggled to score & Pastrnak was effectively shut down. Sure he won game 7 but that on 1 bad decision on Sammy not to play the puck.

Coming back down 1-3 was impressive & showed at least there was more battle & desperation. It was must see PO hockey & just didn’t get over the finish line. Round 2 was going to be the biggest test no matter who won. The B’s will get squashed but the Panthers are glad it’s them not the Leafs. I truly believe that. Too bad it’s not happening as I was actually siding with the Leafs. Yes ppl think or say I’m trolling but I hate the B’s & all the league has ignored over the years when they get favoured treatment. All I wanted was the best team to win & they didn’t. Best on best is riveting PO must see watching.

I cant believe he couldnt post a shutout. What a hack
- drexel

Let it go man

It’s okay, you believed in Sammy at one point

Take your dignity and realize that posting under a .899 SV% in 4 of your 5 playoff runs is terrible

Heard Chicago is just waiting for Quenneville to be reinstated before they trade for the rights to all those players that were charged.
- jribout

Yep… we’re going all Epstein Island in this hizzy…

Huh? Why not?

Salt Lake City is a great city.

The new franchise is exciting.

Team won’t be afraid to spend, Marner will like that.

What’s not to like?
- Santo_44

Players in Marners position don't want to play for an expansion team. He'll get money either way so why would he want to play on a team that's gonna lose more than win?

Rielly was poor on the GWG. Just go back and watch the play. He very clearly didn't give maximal effort to accelerate back on that so as the Dman in position to make a play on that puck, I would blame him by far the most.
- jfkst1

It was a designed long dump in to his off side. It was a break down by others that made it look worse & made him stand out. Resulted in a clear break away that left him on an island. 7 games into a series he could’ve been tired & banged up. It was bad team D overall. Probably any other player not Pastrnak & it’s a different story.

We were 1/20 on the powerplay. If we scored just 5 pp goals, we win this series in 6 games. 5/20 is not exactly killing it. 1/20 is death. There's your cause of death.
- fifty__missions

Where was JT?

I just watche Lilly either turn it over or lob a hand grenade in panic to Edmundston for 5 out of 6 gamers. I was a big fan but i think it is time for him to go.
- jribout

I'm not sure he fits anyway b/c he's going to be too expensive for the Leafs 3rd pairing ($2.5M++ in arbitration) and I can't see Tree being ok with him in the top 4.

I wonder how they feel about Benny/McCabe as a pair. Good enough to pencil them in and just find a good partner for Rielly and a depth guy(s)? Or is Benny on the 3rd pair and you have to find 2 top 4 guys?

Either way ...I think Lilly is gonzo.

Wonder if AA challenged the Cartel to a fight or is trying to console BM. Whole new level of dumb to be at all surprised they would show the world title boxing match between 2 Mexicans including Canelo vs a first round playoff game.

KLingberg was the answer
- drexel

The 2015-2020 version would have been.

Players in Marners position don't want to play for an expansion team. He'll get money either way so why would he want to play on a team that's gonna lose more than win?
- Nasty_Duck

Correct, he'll get paid by someone, just not likely to be the Leafs. His dad will be very upset when the Leafs offer him less than Nylander got.

Where was JT?
- Nighthawk

in front of the net the few times they actually got it into the zone. Missing WIlly for 3 was huge

Correct, he'll get paid by someone, just not likely to be the Leafs. His dad will be very upset when the Leafs offer him less than Nylander got.
- winsix

To Boston for Mccevoy it is

To Boston for Mccevoy it is

- jribout

Take that back!

Players in Marners position don't want to play for an expansion team. He'll get money either way so why would he want to play on a team that's gonna lose more than win?
- Nasty_Duck

He's probably not going anywhere but if he did the formula has to include

- him being interested in another spot this summer;
- that new team being ready to pay him what he wants on a new 8 yr extension; and
- the Leafs being ok with whatever fraction of value they'll get for him and being ok with whatever $$ they likely need to take back.

Another variable ....would MM agree to leave town this summer after laying an egg ..knowing that his home town legacy would be pretty much poop. I'm thinking his ego says no and he bets on himself to do better next year.

Tree has his work cut out for him if he wants to shake up the core.

in front of the net the few times they actually got it into the zone. Missing WIlly for 3 was huge
- drexel

Willy is better than Marner imo. Missing him really hurt. Marner didn’t step up in any noticeable way to justify his contract. Willy ca. shoot & score & that’s more valuable in tight checking PO hockey. Playmakers are nice but easier checked down especially when soft & don’t hit or avoid hits. PO hockey is black & blue time not dancing. Patrick Kane is a similar player in his prime & he owned the puck & drove play & was a big leader in cup wins. Panarin is another comparable but he has yet to be Kane & more like Marner til the Rags go deep. The Rags have a deep D afforded by better cap allocation & an elite goalie.

I’ve the Panthers squashing the B’s
Rags/Canes Rags in 6. Canes scoring does them in again.

Panthers over the Rags in 5 or 6. They had a great season last year & PO run & are ready for another big push.

Av’s out west unless another team is lights out. MacKinnon is that good & only Georgiev is a question mark.

Panthers win the cup