Yep now lets see if it continues game 7

As idk if were gonna catch BOS with its pants down a third time. They gonna come out swinging

IMO were gonna need our PP going to close this series out and for this team to once again score 3 goals. But most importantly start on time

If the Leafs are going to play like they did in front of Sammy the first couple of games, it won't matter whose in net. Have to pay attention to the details in your own zone.

Also I already said this but Willy cannot close the door on how he played the other night. He has to bring that same fire to every game if the Leafs are going to have a chance at winning anything.

Yep thats why I said if they played like they did game 4 for game 5 and 6 they were ****ED even with a goalie switch

They avoided the elimination bullet but 1 more is in that chamber good luck

Good news no Wes game 7

When Blue Jays won the World Series they had Jack Morris, with ERA of 5 - with most wins on team. Juan Guzman and Jimmy Key had ERA 3 and were well back in wins.
I hated it at the time - Morris was a fake. But somehow the team played better with him on the mound and it was real - he was the starter that gave them the best chance to win.

So Biz went on Pat McAfee and said rumour mill was Matthews got an MCL sprain or food poisonning+concussions or a mixture...

Makes a lot more sense for the timing of being out now...

He either got hurt after McAvoy slammed him or he ate some rotten seafood thats my guess

Well regardless, we should string up every chef in the country just to be safe

Blue Jays knew the formula to win and basically forced MLB to make some bull**** new rules and had a strike so we couldnt make a dynasty. Guaranteed would have won another

Such bull**** lul

The Jays back then also had one of the most clutch batting lineups in all of MLB. Easier to win when your guys come up clutch often.

My own theory is a combination of the 2

The reality of playoff hockey is you are going to need to make that happen once or twice. And Sammy in the playoffs is too much of a loose cannon to win those games. Woll is so poised and calm in net. Makes defending in front of him easier.

Come on. You guys are ridiculous here. Woll is 100% a solution to the goaltending problem this team clearly had.

That in no way takes away from the other issues on this team but it certainly isn't a bandaid. Sammy isn't good enough and Woll is.

Woll is a contributor to that though. Sammy is chaos in the crease. He's flying around moving constantly. And that is harder to defend in front of. A calm and poised goalie (Woll) makes defending easier. Be in your position and do your job you don't have to worry about where your goalie is flying around. Also playing with the confidence that you are going to get the next save is a huge mental advantage. With Sammy you are playing scared, is he going to let in the next one?

Woll should have been the starter from game 2 onward at least.

He's a big game player, he'll elevate further tonight.

Matthews taking morning skate today normally. Looking better than he was recently.

HES BACKKKK

Even though he's skating as said before rather have Matthews sit game 7 then come back and we see the Leafs go back to what they were game 1-4

As got to admit since he left end of game 4 and from what we saw game 5 and 6 team was playing significantly better all around as if they went oh **** we need to step it up. Marner, Willy, Knies, Domi, Bertuzzi, etc all have just looked completely different from what we saw earlier


Well besides on the PP that is lul


Its a risky gamble but considering just how much better they have played and we dont know how healthy he's gonna be rather save him for FLA

Comparing Baseball to Hockey is completely off base. It's the most individual sports in the world vs one of the most dynamic team sports. What I mean by that is a pitcher faces off against a batter and doesn't much interact with anyone else on the field beyond the back catcher first baseman.

A goalie is on the ice for 60 minutes with a collection of 5 man units. They all interact constantly. Yes the leafs have played better with Woll in net but he is better than Sammy. He doesn't let in bad goals like Sammy does. He is calm and collected in net, that's a mental asset for the defence. He makes hard saves look easy which allows the team to focus on their play instead of trying to find the puck with a goalie flopping all over the place.

A calm and poised goalie, helps calm down a defence. We are seeing this clear as day and to deny this is just disrespectful to Woll. Which I just don't get how so many on here are still pointing to all sorts of irrelevant things to take heat away from Sammy. The defence is too blame, or the PP, or the forwards or anything else. Matthews being out is some fans favorite thing to cling to as to why they are playing better.

But it's somehow not at all Woll, or the team in general just finally turning that corner. Understanding what it takes to win in the playoffs. The unflinching attention to defensive play, battling through everything and giving up nothing. This is how you win a cup. TO was never going to outscore their issues to a cup win. They need to score for sure and hopefully it comes around but they also need to keep the puck out of their net and having a goalie who provides a calm presence helps the defence in major ways. Like we are seeing.

Listen to yesterday's Real Kyper and Bourne. Your takes are off base.

Your really listening to Kyper and Bourne takes



Those guys are maybe on the ball 1/1000 takes.

@oneX and @Random2152 and @Messier99 be more on the ball with what we are seeing.

Its a team sport and the leafs game 5 and 6 are playing exponentially better than game 1 to second period of game 4. Matthews being out woke them up and has caused this teams other players to step up.

PP still sucks along with the inability to score more than 2 12/13 but the bandaid has covered it up. Will it hold for game 7 idk lets see cause IMO for this team to win this crucial game PP will need to get going and were gonna need at least 3 goals or more

More on the ball with your opinion. And you have legitimately referenced Dangle many times as a source of your info. A super fan with no hockey background knows more than a former NHL player and a AHL championship winning assistant coach.

Internet personalities are not experts. They are flashy and fun and have little experience in the topics they discuss. Holding them up like they know what they are talking about while denouncing actual experts in the field is nothing more than confirmation bias.

Yeah I don't always agree with Kyper and Bourne but they are certainly far more knowledgeable than you or I. To say they are wrong because they blow up your argument and then pointing to 3 other dudes who you don't even know their real names is ridiculous.

Just listen to them. Listen to Valincourt talk about goalies. There is a link to his segment in this thread. Listen to yesterday's show.

If Matthews is ready, you play him. He's better than anyone else on the team. Keeping him out to somehow spur on the rest of the team is just dumb. It's almost as dumb as saying, "okay let's put Sammy in because we want to make sure we can keep our focus". It's insane. Literally insane.

And if we look at your takes specifically, Woll wouldn't have seen this series and the leafs would be done. You need to get some flexibility into your thinking. Listen to experts and trust their years of experience in the field offers a lot more than a super fan knowledge base.

Look, I won't say that everything you say is wrong. It isn't. Often you are not wrong.

For example, yeah the special teams has been a huge problem. Is it the only problem? Absolutely not, and that's where you get lost. You hyper focus on 1 or 2 things and ignore or downright refuse to accept anything else.

Is Matthews missing time forcing the team to up their game? Sure, is that the only reason they are doing so? Or even the biggest part? Highly unlikely. If playing without Matthews is a bigger motivator than not being eliminated this team has no chance and I don't believe for a second that it's even 10% of the motivation.

Pro hockey players want to win the cup, it's the dream and some figure out what it takes to make it happen. The sacrifice that is required, the level of battle you need, the knowledge that it's going to hurt but nothing matters but winning. JT isn't changing his mindset due to whoever is playing or not playing. Neither is Willy, Rielly or most others on the team. Marner may change his mindset but that's a Marner problem that still needs to be sorted out. The rest of the team though better be playing this way for 1 simple reason. You have to.

This is the playoffs, and this is how you win in the playoffs. And you need a goalie that makes the saves when you need them the most. Something we are now getting.

Moving forward, I should be more careful in answer absolutely to a statement that isn't absolutely wrong or correct. There is a lot of nuance in communication.

Again no point continuing this as @oneX and @Random2152 and @Messier99 are on the ball with the recent assessments and so will defer to them and their posts especially oneX as that one has bullseye the assessment home

Could write an essay further explaining why but no need as its just a waste of time and they hit the marks anyway

And with that will leave the convo be and wait to see what we get game 7 Up to TOR especially the big boyz now thats all there is to it.

Yep even the Leafs current meal planner and chef are not off limits

What’s this about possibly No Woll in net tonight?!?!

Where are you seeing this?