Florida has a better team, not much can be done.
It is what it is.

- alex.TML

The issue is also this: Florida was short 3 of their top players, while the Leafs were at full strength. Do you not think that Tkachuk, Marchand and Ekblad would have made it even tougher to beat them? The Leafs vaunted forwards did nothing tonight. Invisible Matthews, Marner and Nylander. This is a sneak preview of things to come. Get ready for the Hindenberg 2025 Leafs. Crash and burn. Leafs wasted all of that draft capital just to repeat the same insanity.

The issue is also this: Florida was short 3 of their top players, while the Leafs were at full strength. Do you not think that Tkachuk, Marchand and Ekblad would have made it even tougher to beat them? The Leafs vaunted forwards did nothing tonight. Invisible Matthews, Marner and Nylander. This is a sneak preview of things to come. Get ready for the Hindenberg 2025 Leafs. Crash and burn. Leafs wasted all of that draft capital just to repeat the same insanity.
- PrinceLH

Yep. Probably

Florida has a better team, not much can be done.
It is what it is.

- alex.TML

They are, but they should not be.

Marner and Benoit the only guys playing like they want to win tonight.

Domi too, I guess.. but didn’t impress for the full 60 mins.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Random observations I had . . . Domi was the best player tonight, I thought. Benoit missed his man in coverage at least 3 different times. He is often out of position and slow to react.

Not a great game for Tavares or Matthews in particular. JT may have scored but he fought the puck all game long.

I thought OEL looked good and while they didn't really look great, both Carlo and Laughton had some better moments than their poor showing in their first two games. Similarly, and you don't see it this way, Marner had his moments, but his game wasn't really 60 minutes either.

Florida has a better team, not much can be done.
It is what it is.

- alex.TML

Think they have a better coach too.

Berube does not have enough of what he needs to suit his style. And these guys aren't going to change enough to make up the difference.

The way matthews is playing is what I expected when he was drafted

The way matthews is playing is what I expected when he was drafted
- Santo_44

Did you expect multiple Rocket Richard trophies and an MVP when he was drafted?

He's absolutely getting fired in the off-season. I think it's easy enough to predict that he'll never work as a PP coach at this level again.
- Monkeypunk

You can have Sacco. Oh wait ... Bruins promoted him to Head Coach.

Florida missing three stars is a real problem. Florida at full strength is nightmare fuel, and quite possibly unbeatable by any team in a 7 game series.

Did you expect multiple Rocket Richard trophies and an MVP when he was drafted?
- PrinceLH

He’s far exceeded my expectations.

Just finished watching the game.

I wonder if Nate MacKinnon is ever invisible in an Avalanche game.

Every time I watch a Colorado game, he is always noticeable throughout the game, usually with multiple "wow" moments.

That must be franking nice!

The issue is also this: Florida was short 3 of their top players, while the Leafs were at full strength. Do you not think that Tkachuk, Marchand and Ekblad would have made it even tougher to beat them? The Leafs vaunted forwards did nothing tonight. Invisible Matthews, Marner and Nylander. This is a sneak preview of things to come. Get ready for the Hindenberg 2025 Leafs. Crash and burn. Leafs wasted all of that draft capital just to repeat the same insanity.
- PrinceLH

Agree 100%. And paying too much money to a few forwards does not allow to have balanced roster. If these guys can't score when it matters, we are doomed, bottom 6 will not come to save them.

Think they have a better coach too.

Berube does not have enough of what he needs to suit his style. And these guys aren't going to change enough to make up the difference.
- Rare_Jewel

We had this coach some time ago. Yes, coach have to have team, which fits his hockey vision, but I don't think any coach can make Leafs roster good enough to compete against the best.

Florida missing three stars is a real problem. Florida at full strength is nightmare fuel, and quite possibly unbeatable by any team in a 7 game series.
- Whipper

Probably it will be between Florida and Washington to represent East in Cup Final.

Leafs cant score at 5v5.
seems bad for a team that has 4 forwards 10+ mil

Doom and gloom and gloom and doom

Doom and gloom and gloom and doom
- gravyface

Go(lf) Leafs Go(lf)

Doom and gloom and gloom and doom
- gravyface

They lost a close game - we must talk about blowing it up now.
This is the way.

Florida is good. It pains me to say it, but they have one of the deepest teams in the east. Losing a close game to them, even with half their team hurt, is nothing to get bent out of shape over. However, you gotta wonder when/if this team is capable of flipping the switch and becoming SCARY in the playoffs. I don't remember the last time the Leafs were scary to other teams. Florida is a little scary right now.

I think the team looks tired. That was a really long road stretch, it's mid March, 3 of the 4 core have played a lot of extra, super intense hockey thanks to the Four Nations...

... we need a home stint to get some practices in with the new players.

Ride it out, let's get to the playoffs already.

They lost a close game - we must talk about blowing it up now.
This is the way.
- Cush29

Not blowing it of course, that will cause much more pain than we have now.
They still a good team, just not as good as some best teams in the league.
It is just reality.

We had this coach some time ago. Yes, coach have to have team, which fits his hockey vision, but I don't think any coach can make Leafs roster good enough to compete against the best.
- alex.TML

It's weird though (and annoying AF as a fan) because in some cases on some teams (hell on this team early on) you saw players adapting to the new coach's style and playing differently. I'm hoping this last stretch of m'eh play is a hic cup and not a full revert back to the style this CORE group of players seems to have as a default setting full time.

If they aren't willing to play a different style (the one the current coach wants them to play) they will very likely fail again and that SHOULD prompt a fairly large shake up of the core because I can't see MLSE blaming yet another non-player (this time the coach).

That being said never say never, if the flop I could see MLSE axing Shanny and blaming him for it all vs a big time core player change.

Tre and Berube are too young in their time here to be held that accountable if the bad thing was to happen (again) IMO.

Last night I felt like some of them showed they can play differently but they didn't have everyone rowing in that same direction.

Marner playing the body behind the net hard and stealing the puck was a new thing and refreshing - if he does that consistently look out! That being said he wasn't great the rest of the game.

Willy with an elite pass to Domi in the 1st but Nylader also didn't sustain the good play the rest of the game.

Matthews looks very off - hurt or whatever his timing is off, his aim is off and that's no bueno.

Domi was amazing last night start to finish their best player.

Laughton looked better? The fact they moved him to the wing was weird and likely not helpful for a guy still trying to figure out new systems and teammates but I guess Berube wanted to se him on the wing?

Carlo I thought looked much better last night and seems to be getting more comfortable.

McCabe was good as was Tanev - quiet and efficient (although Tanev seemed to fall a lot - bad ice I guess?)

Reilly looked to me last night - he seemed to fall a lot too.

Benoit was like Jekyll and Hyde - drew an offensive penalty, great hit or 2 but defensively not great - especially on that PK when he had 2 options, take away the back door play (that wasn't' there yet) or the most dangerous guy right out front. He chose wrong and they got scored on.

Stollie looked average last night - I know he didn't like the one goal he gave up (2nd one I think)? I didn't see any super softies but he also didn't really have many game saving / 10 bell saves.

I think the team looks tired. That was a really long road stretch, it's mid March, 3 of the 4 core have played a lot of extra, super intense hockey thanks to the Four Nations...

... we need a home stint to get some practices in with the new players.

Ride it out, let's get to the playoffs already.
- gravyface

Great point learning on the fly, in games mostly on the road HAS to be super hard.

They lost a close game - we must talk about blowing it up now.
This is the way.
- Cush29

they just played 3 good teams Col, Vegas and Florida, got beat pretty easily by them.
They underlying stats are not good.

they still managed to get wins, but this is not screaming to me a team thats ready to do damage in the playoffs.

Nick DeSouza
TOR at 5v5 from Oct 9th to Dec 31st (23-13-2):
xGF%: 50.48% (14th)
GF%: 55.80% (5th)
HDCF%: 53.19 (6th)
SH%: 9.25% (11th)
SV%: 92.71% (4th)

TOR from Jan 1st to now (16-10-1):
xGF%: 45.94% (29th)
GF%: 50.47% (15th)
HDCF%: 47.05 (22nd)
SH%: 9.02% (11th)
SV%: 91.23% (17th)

Key notes:
- Goaltending has come down to earth
- The high danger shot attempt differential is a scary drop. They are worse at preventing HD shot attempts than the first half but still ok (15th). The problem is they are now bottom five in generating high danger shot attempts.

they just played 3 good teams Col, Vegas and Florida, got beat pretty easily by them.
They underlying stats are not good.

they still managed to get wins, but this is not screaming to me a team thats ready to do damage in the playoffs.
- senstroll

I'm not surprised the lost in Vegas after the schedule they had playing Fir/Sun on the road, a home game Monday and then in Vegas for a Wed game.

It's also not playoffs and they aren't "Battling" for a playoff birth so maybe they compete level isn't where it should be (considering they should want to win the division).

I'm not too worried yet, still 5 weeks of hockey left but I will agree if they play like they did vs those 3 teams they won't go far in the playoffs. I'm hoping there is another gear to see.