Steve Dangle recaps and analyzes Game 27 of the Toronto Maple Leafs season against the Pittsburgh Penguins
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38 Comments
I'm worried the Leafs were benefitting too much from the easy schedule and when it all evens up we'll start getting a lot of losses.
You get funnier every year, man.
"Why do they suck with Matthews?"
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
need four pretty good lines. goals from bottom gets you goals from the top too. bye robertson reaves kampf get new guys same money. goalies ok defence better. we need the cup dont care if one or two get some records all will be gone and no cup is something to really hate
Maybe they are over rated.
10 years ago it was reverse: the Leafs were the worst 3rd period team with shaky goalies but still always beat the pens
This whole Mathews thing reminds me of Zito's comments about having a great triangle but you need a square. Mathews be the triangle when they need a few squares?
Like when I was a kid playing. We had this guy that was incredible good.
We (I) always felt pressure to feed him the puck, he was the one we looked for to have the final shot at goal after possession in the offensive zone.
If there was a 50/50 puck between him and someone on our teem we always let him pick it up. We were never a good team. He was too good, and we respected that too much until the point that we lost the ability to play as a team.
That's Matthews
My boyfriend and I went to the book signing in Ottawa and it was such a joy meeting you. When the Leafs lost, we looked at each other and went "Well, at least the day with Dangle was nice."
Thanks for coming to Ottawa Steve! It was great to meet you! Thanks again for your dedication and passion to this crazy game and team that we all love so much.
I think it speaks to what you said at the beginning: we're finally at a point of depth throughout the lineups but have yet to have like ALLL of the people and parts that make up said depth all at once and consistently enough to get into a game synergy. I really liked what you said using Reilly's less-than-optimal pairings for optimal overall awesomeness as an example, acknowledging the trickle-down effect of injuries/absences: the guys not being able to really lock into individual concrete roles and dial into their rhythm as a cohesive unit. Synchronicity, while bolstered by stand-alone-talents, is most definitely established with consistency and cemented over time.
#bleedblue
I'm waiting for Matthews to dominate one game. One Game
Steve: hey, while I'm in town, mind if I record a youtube video from your house?
Steve's friend: "hey honey, mind if steve records from the house?
Wife: absolutely not!
Steve's friend: "hey steve, how about you record from the garage… BUT.. I have to sneak you in at the cover of night ANDA no Leaf high pitched rants..AND if my mlwife walks in…RUN!
Steve: sure!
Should only be going to a Matthews Marner line in desperation.
Did not like Patches on top line over Knies nor Marner with Matthews.
Also Myers in top pair is also weird.
So I don’t like the lines but they’ve also been really injured a lot and are still fighting for first so cup half full.
I'm starting to really wonder if they should just play Matthews with Robertson and holmberg. Then keep Mariner with Tavares, and then Willie with knives
Hello … they lost…
Super funny
Teams whose best player is a goal scorer, rather than a playmaker often struggle to have team success commensurate with their skill.
refs missed so many calls last two games and this teams puck luck is just terrible
ThePassion™
I'm not a leafs fan, or even Canadian. But I enjoy your misery 😅
Your friend must be rich. Using a signed hockey stick as a shelf…sheesh
Title fight mentioned in the title let’s go
My take: The Leafs are Leafing. New coach, new vibe, new surge brings new expectations. And then eh, sorry we're the Leafs, we don't meet expectations. Will they get it back? I think it's the biggest test for Berube. Is he really good enough to change the Leafs? Or are the Leafs gonna Leaf?
Penguins fan with years of experience with injured stars here: I think it's the line shuffling. Not sure how much that's happened with us, but when one of the best players on the team are out, lines get consolidated together around the other guys. For us, Sid's out? Malkin gets Kunitz. Once he's back, Kunitz goes back with Sid and two lines' chemistry has some adjusting to do. I think that's why there's some losing when a really good player comes back.
Those back to back losses means we need to beat jersey Tuesday and that won’t be easy.
We need mcmann and domi back we need to get some depth scoring . Dewar ,holmberg, reeves, kampf have a combined 1 goal … that needs to change especially come playoffs when the big 4 has some nights where they can’t score because the games tighten up good goalies and tight D
pens fan here.
leafs just ran into a team that's picking it up.
since tomasino deal, team is 5-1.
power play has been progressively been getting better.
ppg paints arena is known for having pucks bounce lively off the boards.
goaltending has been great since, again, the tomasino deal.
both teams lost the previous night and the penguins lines were juggled around which led to the pp being split.
kick sledge snow better
Leafs suck with Matthews in the lineup.
Trade him and get some depth.
I had the pleasure of meeting you again at pinecrest indigo, and you signed the book (for me at first, until we realized I needed it signed for my friend haha). I got so happy I drove to my friends place right after and gifted it to him. From both me and himself, thank you very much Steve!
"that's a nice amount of goals." Took you long enough Steve
At this point is there some kind of problem with Matthews' locker room presence? His personality? Like the "trade matthews" cry is objectively nuts but the way the leafs just Are psychologically is also nuts…..
Why no comment on Wilson losing his helmet in final minute of Washington game and didn’t leave the ice. We should have had 6 v 4 at end of that game.
You should’ve seen the pens play the panthers. 5 goals on 11 shots with a lot of puck luck.
Chaos is a ladder, Leafs.
always a concern. When the Captain comes back with a thud, there is always concern.
I need to know what this video sounds like from like 5 feet outside that shed 😂
Being a Bruins fan, feel your pain. Pacioretty is our Zadorov.
Hot take one liner on the Matthews topic:
Despite Matthews being a beast and a driver of the game (in his metrics, his line, his talent, etc.), is it time to suggest that he isn't the actual driver of this team but in fact Mitch is?
Supporting lines: Because Matthews gets the shine and spotlight ahead of Mitch, maybe Mitch feels he needs to take a backseat to Matthews when he's in the lineup, with respect to how to play and drive the team, you know, due to fan and media sentiment? But if behind the scenes the team runs better when Mitch is driving it, does that make him more the face of it? Should we allow Mitch to be the driver, does that even make sense? Would that unlock Matthews more? Now imagine the chaos of this fanbase and the media if that hot take actually took place haha.
Personal thought: I always looked at Matthews & Marner as the comparable of Toews & Kane. The difference was that Matthews was probably a better natural talent scoring than Toews, and Marner was a better two-way player than Kane; basically you got more balance between the two players with Matthews & Marner. But the point of the reference is that Chicago wasn't built on the identity of Toews, they were built on the identity of Kane. When Kane went, Chicago went. If Toews was out, they missed him but they played harder and they did better. Ironically enough, Chicago was motivated by the attitude, the flare of Toews (insert famous Seabrook & Toews in box moment), not his talent.
And I think the same thing happens with Matthews. What are the memorable moments with him? When he's showing personality that he doesn't normally. When he's sticking it to the refs (the good goal cele), or when he's fed up and feeding stick to other players (Dahlin hate anyone?). That's when this team rises to play with Matthews, when his energy level is fire because he's mad about something.
Marner is the heart, Matthews is the emotion. When we see the reverse, Matthews being the heart, the engine, and Marner being the emotion, getting worked up and angry: it feels like Matthews is the only one trying but unable to accomplish enough, and the media or fans head hunt Marner because he's off his game, he's not delivering and not showing up in the hardest moments.
So back to my question: should we allow Mitch to be the driver of this team instead of Matthews? Interesting thought.