Well for starters, take the A off Marner and just keep Matthews as the permanent A.
A tougher coaching staff that'll hold guys accountable for shitty effort.
A tougher coaching staff that'll hold guys accountable for shitty effort.
Attitude adjustment?
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ITM
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine...
- Jan 26, 2012
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I don't know about taking the A off of him, but taking him off the power play might be a good start. Matthews and Marner definitely have to step it up, return to form, whatever, but I think dividing on-ice responsibility can be done differently other than simple letters.
We need guys in the bottom six who are viewed as leaders by example. Get the right guys there who will call out phoned in efforts and who are seen as having a right to do so, then it's not unlike other activities where if the esprit de corps is affected from the bottom, it'll force the top to pull in kind.
It's funny in one way, it was on a kill that Marner flipped the puck over, wasn't it? Almost like doing away with the dump and chase, you've got little skilled Marner out there (who is willing) blocking shots and killing penalties while shooting blanks on the PP.
But less is more for Marner, there's something in that, I agree.
ACC1224
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Golden_Jet
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I don't see how anyone can watch his effort that series and honestly feel happy with his effort. Teammates/coaching staff/front office. At least I hope..if not, we're in even deeper shit than I thought.
cannucky
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It's sad and pathetic that all the people who screamed so loud last year for Marner and Mathews to be on the same line are now calling for his head . That's how millennial Xbox athletes think, you grow up with participation trophies and have no clue about what it is to be an Alpha Male . This team has three 11 million dollar players , think about that 11 million isn't a "play with" supporting role salary , 11 million is a drive the bus leadership salary and you can't understand how an Alpha Male of that magnitude fails when forced into a Beta role ? This team needs to build three lines with each of these guys driving their own bus and then we'll see who is worth their paycheck . For the record it was Marner who made himself 4th all time single season assists and tied for 10th all time single season points for this team while playing on all 4 lines in the 18/19 season , that's driving the bus , using him to try and drive Mathews goal stat up is stupid tunnel vision learn from the mistake this year and adapt .
cannucky
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Oh and as a PS Mathews and JT are tied for 7th in single season goals all time but they both did it playing with Marner , figure that out .
ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
If Marner wouldn't switch positions with Willie on the PP, what makes you think he would be OK on the 3rd line? IMO the goal is to load up your top two lines and have a bottom 6 that can crash and bang and hold their own.
Having said that I put Marner back with JT in order to get JT back to being a 40 goal scorer.
Peak despondency and a complete loss of objectivity here. Looks just like just before Washington, St Louis, and even Tampa (the first time) won.
It would make a lot more sense to feel and act out this week if the Leafs hadn't played well against Montreal -- but they did.
It's even possible that we end up like SJS -- a very long window of strong contention, but never able to completely close the deal. A few bounces, and SJS's story is much different.
This was the best TML team most of us have ever seen. Great offensively, sure -- that's a hallmark of the Leafs for the past 20 years, even when they've been bad. But also very good defensively. The idea that this past iteration hadn't made substantial strides is laughable. This is the first complete team in decades. And odds are we'll get a few more cracks at it, too.
Hockey is a game of bounces, at the end of the day... playoffs are a stochastic process where the sample is too short to manifest the regularities with any reliability. Dubas knows this intimately, and is working on maximising the window length and depth. We're probably less than halfway through that window.
It would make a lot more sense to feel and act out this week if the Leafs hadn't played well against Montreal -- but they did.
It's even possible that we end up like SJS -- a very long window of strong contention, but never able to completely close the deal. A few bounces, and SJS's story is much different.
This was the best TML team most of us have ever seen. Great offensively, sure -- that's a hallmark of the Leafs for the past 20 years, even when they've been bad. But also very good defensively. The idea that this past iteration hadn't made substantial strides is laughable. This is the first complete team in decades. And odds are we'll get a few more cracks at it, too.
Hockey is a game of bounces, at the end of the day... playoffs are a stochastic process where the sample is too short to manifest the regularities with any reliability. Dubas knows this intimately, and is working on maximising the window length and depth. We're probably less than halfway through that window.
Trapper
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- Nov 21, 2013
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That’s another issue with this team.
Zero accountability.
Remember when Babcock moved Nylander off the line and put Brown there with Matthews.
There’s no pushing, no fear, no accountability. Marner should have been moved off the first but I don’t think the coach or the GM would do something like that. Oh, no, that’s not holding your hand.
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Stonehands1990
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Babcock used to put Hyman-Matthews-Brown together on the road because opposing coach had the last change. Nylander could run some offence on his own. Had nothing to do with benching Nylander
Overall though i do agree with your point, under Keefe it seems like there's no accountability
I think people put too much emphasis on naming which is the 1st line or 3rd line.
To me just explain to the players, we are splitting AM, JT and Marner into three lines and will insert players with them accordingly. There will no longer be 1st line, 2nd line and 3rd line. Each of those lines will start the game with 15mins, the line performing their best on any given day will get more play time….
Doesn’t matter who they play with it is their own play that will determine who plays more. Maybe JT playing with Hyman and Soup might not produce as much as AM and Marner line but they are the shut down line and will end up playing more mins.
Maybe Spezza, Marner and Gally are scoring and generating, that line will get more minutes.
I think people are too fixed on that’s a 1st line or that’s a 3rd line or 1A, 1B….let’s row with THREE 1st line lead by THREE 10mil plus players
Racer88
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If they are not unhappy with his effort then they better watch the game tapes again or they should be fired on the spot
rumman
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How ironic, half way through a “window” the idiot GM made shorter with the term of AM’s deal. If he built a team like he builds problems the Leafs would be much further along the road to being a competitive team……
Jimmy Firecracker
Backcheck, Forecheck, Paycheque.
I would maim someone to have the Leafs do what the Sharks did from 05-06 to 18-19, would upgrade that to kill to ensure they get a Cup in that timespan.
Regardless of hypothetical bargains with the Devil I'd do to see my favourite hockey team have any on ice success, the fact of the matter is that there is no past NHL team comparable to the current Leafs. Not the early 90's Red Wings, not the Lightning, not the Capitals, not the Blues, none. There is no team that has lost five straight opening round playoff series, losing four straight deciding games along the way, and gone on to win the Cup.
Saying hockey is a game of bounces is both obvious and does nothing but absolve this weak willed core of their lack of killer instinct when the stakes are at their highest. You know what'd help get the bounces to go our way? Starting f***ing playoff games on time, not being careless with the puck in overtime situations, not being intimidated or afraid of physical contact. There's a lot of things this team could do to try and get lady luck to smile upon us once in a while, but these Leafs refuse to do any of these things.
"Played well against Montreal" who gives a f***? They LOST! AGAIN! Point to as many "advanced" stats as you want, the end result was the f***ing same, and our two egregiously overpaid "stars" were once again non-f***ing-factors.
justashadowof
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What is he going to do? Teach them how to make a grovelling apology to the Chinese government after making a perfectly valid statement about that government's mistreatment of an ethnic minority.
justashadowof
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There is no one who can do this. The big 4 have foff money and can laugh right in the face of anyone trying tough love on them. I think the next thing to hope for is the realization by Matthews and Marner especially that their next contract will be worth more if they achieve some success in the playoffs.
100% sure Marner and AM will get it in their late 20s playing on another team. But don’t worry bc if that happens, McDavid would have bring home the Cup for the Leafs.
Leafsfan74
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- Jul 2, 2018
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Hockey is just a sport, but, it's a physically demanding sport. All sports at the pro ranks require strong mental fortitude, even moreso when the games means more and you anticipate a higher tempo, physical battle..
In short, a mans fortitude is challenged in the playoffs. Some men fight and face the fire, sacrificing everything to come on top of their opponent, they are proud and dare their opponent to defeat them. Other men shrivel up, shy away or run away from the challenge. More talent or skill but capitulating to their opponents will.
This many First Round failures doesn't lend one to suggest that the Leafs have enough men in the former camp.
justashadowof
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<Mercenary warrior>: "Look guys when we won that Cup, we went through the wall. Every single player on the team was battered and bruised. We took no shifts off and we took chances out there putting ourselves in harm's way all of the time. Let's go boys!"
Leafs' young stars: "Cool story bro. I want to look good in shorts this summer. The cheques stopped last week."
Leafs' young stars: "Cool story bro. I want to look good in shorts this summer. The cheques stopped last week."
Racer88
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Yup. This is what happens when you cash in before you have accomplished anything
Kazparov
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rumman
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