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When You Can’t Defend And The NHL Knows It



#nhl #hockey #torontomapleleafs

Despite an Auston Matthews Hat-trick, we break down the Toronto Maple Leafs and their recent struggles in the defensive zone.

Sportsnet Article by Justin Bourne: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/systems-analyst-how-one-oilers-goal-highlighted-maple-leafs-biggest-issues/?sn-amp

43 Comments

  1. Leafs goals against ranking since 2020: 25, 8, 19, 7, 19. The team's forwards are much slower than years past, aren't as strong on the puck in the cycle, and in transition, aren't able to leverage reads because of medicore-to-poor foot speed. They may not have been core pieces, but getting rid of guys like Engvall, Hyman, Kapanen, and Mikheyev while replacing them with… Gregor, Bertuzzi, and Jarnkrok is garbage team building. Then there's also the regression of key guys like Tavares and Kampf that can be felt directly by the garbage PK unit they're running this year.

  2. As a Leafs fan, the cup parade will never be on until we're 1 second away from a 4th win in a cup final series. But it is a good joke. But seriously, thank you for covering how vulnerable the Leafs are to counter attacks and why.

  3. Great video breakdown, as usual. But Jason Bourne? Oof.

    Well, broken clocks are right twice a day.

    As for defense. Are we going to have breakdowns about Colorado's D? Or the Isles? Devils?

    The way people talk about Toronto's D, you'd think they have given up the most goals this season? Nope, not close. Or have the worst GAA? Nope.

  4. (Pays the top 4 over half the cap leaving the other 90% of your team with less than half a cap so it is impossible to sign depth higher than junior contracts unless you wanna take away a roster spot and can't figure why no depth or defense when forwards make make 3 quarters of your cap) how does no one understand this? Lmfao šŸ˜‚

  5. Being a Toronto native… I totally understand but if we look @ the whole season… The Leafs have only blown leads this & last week… The rest of the season they've been very solid at holding them. City already has tons of pressure and expectation… With all the negativity must be tough. I get it, it's a what have you done for me lately sport but jeeez. Remember how the Oilers were looking at the start & here we are now. I have faith in the boys in blue.

  6. The Gretzky Oilers didnā€™t care if the opposing team scores 5 goals on them, because they would just score 8 goals, big difference in offensive skill and goaltending.

  7. This was Edmontons problem they werenā€™t patient with their play and tried to force a lot of plays. Since Knobs arrived heā€™s got them playing a more patient game.

  8. The ironic thing is the leafs really donā€™t need to play this way too generate offense. Most teams who manage offense collectively donā€™t have the best offensively skilled players, but I think Toronto lives and dies by this up and down style of play.

  9. Just SELL the TEAM Toronto deserves BETTER this TEAM hasnā€™t won the the Stanley cup in 50+ YEARS get rid of them they are an embarrassment to Toronto and Canada SELL SELL SELL.

  10. Take a video about this , The world is now ruled by one community of people, the world Satanic elite, you can also call them the committee to meet the Antichrist and prevent the 2nd coming of Jesus, Trump called them the deep state, at the moment it consists of about 10,000 people, the main ones there are Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Windsors, Baruchs, they, their ancestors, descendants and other people who enter there have the mark of Lucifer, which, if they bring the antichrist and do not allow the 2nd coming, they will receive eternal life after the x hour, and the rest of humanity, for all the time that they have lived, they won't get anything, so all people should know about the existence of a world government (Jesus who was a The Prophet of God, not God.God will send Jesus as a reward to humanity, if humanity deserves it, for this it is necessary to fight Lucifer and his elite)

  11. Youā€™re so far from where you want to be.
    The leafs are one of 32 teams. If you canā€™t get to that line of thinking you will never succeed at what youā€™re trying to do.

  12. It was all Justin Holl's fault and they are so much better now remember? I remember everyone saying that. I remember tons and tons of Leafs fans saying all they needed to do is get rid of Holl. But lets see what Justin Holl did well. He had the majority of his starts in the defensive zone. Where are they having trouble, the defensive zone. What was Holl good at. Retrieving the puck and getting it to the forwards. What can't they do, get the puck and get it to the forwards. I never said Holl was an all star. What I said was that if you want to get rid of Holl it has to be an upgrade. You all said I was crazy. Now all the things Holl did that kept him in the top of the line-up we can't do. You guys got your wish. Great job GM. This is what happens when you let fans GM a hockey team.

  13. Keefe will be fired before or at the end of this season, especially if they go out early or don't make the playoffs. The Leafs can't play defense and while Jones has been okay as their current goalie,he is an emergency measure, and wasn't even supposed to be in the NHL this year.Matthews could get 70 hoals this year but that won't matter if Toronto can't play defense.

  14. I think Dubas sold this teams soul in hopes of one last chance at winning a cup before leaving for Pittsburgh. Now that hes gone, Toronto's on the hook for the bill. I dont think a rebuild is in order, but definitely a shakeup/restoration.

  15. Think of how fortunate they are that none of Nylander, Matthews, Marner, Tavares or Reilly have missed any significant games to injury. They only have THREE players with more than 13 goalsā€¦only 5 with 10 or more. Thereā€™s zero secondary scoring, and the later it gets into the season, the more fatigued theyā€™ll get. Once the playoffs come around, unless that top line gets split up, theyā€™re screwed. The opposing team will just smother the top line with their 2nd and 3rd line checkers and itā€™ll be game, set & match.

  16. The Leafs plan is to outscore the opposition. If they manage to win the cup with this philosophy then they may be the first ever. The Lightning tried it and got swept in the first round by Columbus. The Leafs are not playing playoff calibre hockey. I expect an early exit. In addition, they aren't winning many games in regulation. This reminds me of the Panthers winning the President's trophy while winning a lot of their games in O/T and shootouts. That resulted in a first round sweep as well. Obviously, with the offensive talent the Leafs have, they will dominate in 3 on 3 overtime but that goes away in the playoffs. In the end every opponent playing Toronto in the playoffs, if there even is one or if there is even more than one, will concentrate on shutting down Matthews, AGAIN, and Leafs lose, AGAIN.

  17. That stat chart raises questions. They're upper middle on offense. So my question is, who is top three, and how do they defend and support leads? I'm guessing a lot better.

  18. As a non Leafs fan beating a not so good Flames team doesn't make me think oh they'll be fine. Really Leafs fans I'm sorry but the 2nd round is the deepest playoff run they'll make with this system. The 80's Oilers could play this style not these guys. They have some really nice players on offense & defense they are going nowhere.

  19. Your still saying Come April be competitive. I just looking will they even be playing. They on the verge of blowing it. I'd consider replacing Keefe only for that reason and while there is time to get a new coach and a new system that might save this season

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