GDT: Around the NHL - Playoff Edition

[SomeDude]

Toronto needs to trade us Knies for Rust, strip Matthews of the C, give it to Rust and stay out of his way.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

One shot away from going up 3-0 in the series, into a Sullivan-esque collapse and a summer that'll likely see two or more of the "core four" gone.

Hilarious.

 

[Turin]

Florida's moxy is the exact opposite of whatever the Pens has been since 2019. They just show up when their backs are against the wall every single time.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

No offense to my Canadian brethren, this just makes me think of Toronto.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

Since the 2005 lockout, the Leafs have two playoff series wins. The Sabres have four playoff series wins.

The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs in 14 years.

 

[Pancakes]

One shot away from going up 3-0 in the series, into a Sullivan-esque collapse and a summer that'll likely see two or more of the "core four" gone.

Hilarious.

What do you even do if you're the Leafs? It's not like they're a slam dunk playoff team and they're about to lose an 100 point scorer and possibly Tavares too.

They blow that team up and try to make radical changes they might not even make it next year. And I imagine MLSE still wants what little playoff revenue they get lol

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Another great pickup by Florida with Marchand, too. Perfect fit for their style, selfless enough to play down the lineup and 12pts in 12 playoff games.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

What do you even do if you're the Leafs? It's not like they're a slam dunk playoff team and they're about to lose an 100 point scorer and possibly Tavares too.

They blow that team up and try to make radical changes they might not even make it next year. And I imagine MLSE still wants what little playoff revenue they get lol

Yeah, man. I got no idea. How or why do you stick around if you're Nylander? Matthews?

 

[plaidchuck]

Rough year for Matthews. Time to switch something up for him whether it be mental or physical.

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah, man. I got no idea. How or why do you stick around if you're Nylander? Matthews?

It seems like just an impossible situation. How do you look your fanbase in the eye and re-sign/keep the same core that keeps failing?

On the other hand, if you try to blow it up or move out a Matthews or a Nylander - you aren't winning those trades in the short term. And you can't win in the playoffs if you don't even make them.

Like blowing up that team to change the culture could just lead to missing the playoffs and being an even worse team for the foreseeable future. You almost have to just gamble that that core can eventually get it done. It's not like that team improves by trading or losing any of those guys. I dunno

 

[AuroraBorealis]

How many come back?

 

[Turin]

View attachment 1038688

How many come back?

I forgot they signed Nylander to that.

Stupid franchise.

 

[edog37]

Watching Toronto implode yet again makes me smile. Losing is truly in their DNA.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

No idea how the Leafs navigate this summer. Everything seems like it's doomed to fail. You can't trade a ~70g guy and hope to improve, right? But Matthews with 4 goals in his last 23 playoff games is insane. You gotta let Marner and Tavares walk. How do you justify keeping Nylander after he seemingly decided he stopped caring in the final four games of this series?

Total shitshow. Hilarious though, as someone who can't stand the Leafs or their fanbase at large.

 

[66-30-33]

What do you even do if you're the Leafs? It's not like they're a slam dunk playoff team and they're about to lose an 100 point scorer and possibly Tavares too.

They blow that team up and try to make radical changes they might not even make it next year. And I imagine MLSE still wants what little playoff revenue they get lol

What do you do? you trade all your good players at 50% to the Pens for all our bad players.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Florida's moxy is the exact opposite of whatever the Pens has been since 2019. They just show up when their backs are against the wall every single time.

It's warrior mentality. We haven't had it in like 6 years, from anywhere close to enough guys.
Also the power of belief.

We lost too many important personalities. Flower, Hornqvist, Kunitz, Dupuis, Cullen, Sullivan (was a wolf, became a sheep), Tocchet...
Sid's a great leader, but you can't fundamentally change guys. Has to come from within.

 

[Turin]

The Toronto fans who think the team has gotten better under Treliving are so huffed up on copium it's insane. Leafs were a way scarier team in 22 and 23 they just didn't have Stolarz then.

 

[BHD]

Maybe the fans can stop the "Leafs aren't chokers" talk now.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

No goals for Matthew Tkachuk in the entire series either. Could've been even more ugly.

Wonder if he's still banged up from the 4 Nations.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What do you even do if you're the Leafs? It's not like they're a slam dunk playoff team and they're about to lose an 100 point scorer and possibly Tavares too.

They blow that team up and try to make radical changes they might not even make it next year. And I imagine MLSE still wants what little playoff revenue they get lol

If there's one organization that can tolerate lost playoff revenue, it's MLSE. Toronto will pack their arena even if they're perennially bad.

Said it before, but Matthews simply isn't someone you win with as your top guy. He's incapable of ever being dominant in the playoffs. He'd need to go to a team that's already got superstars and just kind of be that "extra weapon" that can maybe pot a goal here or there.

Matthews' drop from regular season to playoffs is astounding. Like, literally one of the bigger drops (relative to their regular season production) you'll find in recent memory.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeesh, man. Just awful stuff. Tavares is also 0-5 in game 7s with the Leafs with 1g, 0a, 1pt (0-1 with the Isles, 0pts). No idea why he seems to always escape the scathing but valid criticism.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Game 7 production has the same value for me as the rest of the games. It's just another stepping stone in the race to 4 wins. I think it's fine if stars disappear in G7, if they produced in the rest of the series. Hockey's a team sport, and you need help from your buddies sometimes, like we got from Talbot for example.

That being said, some core Leafs DID NOT produce in this series. Matthews had 3 points. Tavares had 2.
That's more damning than just the ending.

It was Pacioretty and Domi that kept the Leafs alive this long, with 6 and 5 points, respectively. Only 12 min TOI/G.

 

[Ulf5]

Watching the Leafs game, as a Canadian, how did you get Sid and we got Matthews? It's NOT fair/right.

We prayed at that altar harder than you. We be ballin.

 

[Zbynek]

I forgot they signed Nylander to that.

Stupid franchise.

It's so funny that Dubas signed all those terrible and expensive contracts for their core only for Brad Treliving to come in and one-up him by giving 11.5 x 8 to Nylander. Brutal stuff

 

[plaidchuck]

Matthews like Stamkos needs a Kucherov type guy to come in and take the pressure off I guess. Complicates things that he’s a center. But as someone noted, Tavares isn’t exactly a clutch guy either that can pick up the slack.

I think they’ll offer Marner the bag and let Tavares go.