Bad game. Just sloppy an brutal.
- Roadrunner75

Specially, surprising after the Cbus game.

Thought they would’ve come out with a ton of focus, energy and determination, especially as it’s the blues… but no.

Leafs will get their poop together sometime in the first half of November, and they won’t look back.
- Woderwick

We all know the Berube project will be judged on the post season sucsess or lack thereof. The high salary guys is near impossible to move or swap with their NMC contracts.

Leafs will get their poop together sometime in the first half of November, and they won’t look back.
- Woderwick

And first in the division could be out of reach by then.

I’ll give them 3 more weeks to right the Bluenose.
- Woderwick

Too bad that doesn’t match their contract details… they should catch, we’ll see tho

And first in the division could be out of reach by then.
- Fakepartofme

I’m not too hung up on where they finish.

The only saving grace is Woll made it out without re- injuring himself -

Starting to wonder if Berube will start to truly mix up his pairings each line is based from.

Leafs will get their poop together sometime in the first half of November, and they won’t look back.
- Woderwick

They've firmly outplayed the opposition in 3 out of 4 losses. Thats encouraging, if the bounces go the right way it's a pretty dominant record through 8.

But also, do something other than march that PP out and act like it will just suddenly work if you scribble on the whiteboard more furiously.

Probably get Holmberg out of the lineup too, he's contributing absolutely nothing nightly.

The only saving grace is Woll made it out without re- injuring himself -
- dozerD10

He sucked balls so theres that...

Road trips fix everything.

The only saving grace is Woll made it out without re- injuring himself -
- dozerD10

True.
But he was pretty bad.

Only the 1st game back though

I’m not too hung up on where they finish.
- Woderwick

It would be nice to have to have an easier first round match up.

Leafs look like they were reading and believing the headlines after the Tampa game.

Woll looked soft and it zapped the teams confidence.

PP is aweful… 3 for 27. Same issue from end of last season.

Split up M + M.

Keep calm and wait for the playoffs!!

And first in the division could be out of reach by then.
- Fakepartofme

Realistically first would be nice - but the more I watch this game, the more I see a few things that are perhaps . . . encouraging?

When (insert GM) would hand Keefe a grinding 4th line player, that guy would invariably fail because Keefe didn't deploy a system that used him effectively.

As much as this statement triggers Wedgie, Reaves has been moderately okay under Berube in his limited role. The 4th line has not been awful. Lorentz has actually flourished here while many other guys - known for "grit" - like Simmonds, Amadio, Blackwell, Ritchie, Hunt, Aston-Reese, Aube-Kubel - hell even Acciari - did not. You could argue some of those guys were washed, but it was not Keefe's style.

Now you have a coach that utilizes that style - but he needs to teach the guys who have refused to play that way, to start playing that way - and the thing is that we all know that until Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander and Rielly all learn to consistently _compete_ hard, they are not going to win when it counts.

Tonight was a prime example - especially in Captain Matthews. He lost a lot of key battles that I was surprised to not see more compete in him.

Leafs look like they were reading and believing the headlines after the Tampa game.

Woll looked soft and it zapped the teams confidence.

PP is aweful… 3 for 27. Same issue from end of last season.

Split up M + M.

Keep calm and wait for the playoffs!!
- Hockey_Reverend

Guesses:

Woll is not a proven starter…. Yet

Break those PPs up and stop making the top one with stars with no physical play

Toss Richardson on the top line and see if having true offensive linemates makes the necessary difference in his game, drop Marner to McMann’s spot and put McMann in Robertson’s spot?

I repeat.. guesses, ones accented by a ?

Go Jets Go

Me saying something like this is a jinx right?

Too bad the only trait the leafs top players have taken from Berube so far is his shooting accuracy

It's game 8 and October.

2023-24 they were 5-3-1 in October
2022-23 they were 4-4-2 in October
2021-22 they were 4-4-1 in October
2020 doesn't count (but they were 7-2-1 in the first month in the Canadian division)
2019-20 they were 6-5-3 in October

I say this to note that we do have a few slow starters, we also have a few guys who have to get used to one another a little more - but it's nice to see how quickly Lorentz and OEL have jumped in and made an immediate impact. We also have a team that needs to get used to Berube.

What I am concerned about, as I said a few minutes ago, is that the Power Play is not cohesive at all. You can't shoot from that far back - especially with no one in front - or the occasional time there is someone there, it has to be someone who's going to win a battle for the puck. No screens, no tips, no battle in front.
- Monkeypunk

Thanks, I know this and made explicit reference to that notion with the "it's early days yet" bit. I also mentioned very similar sentiments to the Leafs needing to get used to gelling with Berube.

Having said that, I'm not entirely sure how the Leafs October records over the past few seasons necessarily challenge my position though. Oddly enough, it seems to support (at least on the surface) what I've observed - this team doesn't seem to have progressed much. They're the same club every year that doesn't seem to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders.

I'm hoping this year's version of the mediocre start tradition can be equated to the new coach and new(?) system implemented and some new key (OEL?) pieces.

The PP does really, really stink so far. But early days yet... no?

Playing down to their opponents, dropping points to non-playoff teams...again.

Started flat at home after getting beat bad. Allowed the first goal. And the second. Did nothing with the PPs.

Woll had "bad stats" but made some huge saves on very dangerous chances. Rest of the team in front of him didn't want to play until they were already way behind.

Berube still has a lot of work to do.

Realistically first would be nice - but the more I watch this game, the more I see a few things that are perhaps . . . encouraging?

When (insert GM) would hand Keefe a grinding 4th line player, that guy would invariably fail because Keefe didn't deploy a system that used him effectively.

As much as this statement triggers Wedgie, Reaves has been moderately okay under Berube in his limited role. The 4th line has not been awful. Lorentz has actually flourished here while many other guys - known for "grit" - like Simmonds, Amadio, Blackwell, Ritchie, Hunt, Aston-Reese, Aube-Kubel - hell even Acciari - did not. You could argue some of those guys were washed, but it was not Keefe's style.

Now you have a coach that utilizes that style - but he needs to teach the guys who have refused to play that way, to start playing that way - and the thing is that we all know that until Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander and Rielly all learn to consistently _compete_ hard, they are not going to win when it counts.

Tonight was a prime example - especially in Captain Matthews. He lost a lot of key battles that I was surprised to not see more compete in him.
- Monkeypunk

I get what you're saying about the 4th line and it makes sense but if the Leafs are going to roll like that, they need to bring in a guy like Clutterbuck because he can actually play hockey. Reaves has been finished for years. Berube's style might help him 10% but he's still not the best player for that role.

Woof. Glad I missed this one tonight.

Wow saw this … as everyone seems to be commenting about PP -

Since 2-4-24
PP - 13 of 122 - 4th worst … shocking -