Auston Matthews is 53 goals from franchise history.

[Racer88]

Those teams were built significantly better than the leafs. They legit had depth scoring and balanced lines. The lack of success is two pronged. The core players haven’t gotten it done but the management of Toronto has failed as well. We’ve had no answer for a goalie, lack of depth scoring.

I agree that they were better built teams. We should have been built better but Dubas had this crazy vision to reinvent the wheel and Shanny let him run with it and here we are

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Which is fair, yet Matthews has only played in 8 out of the 58 years of failure. For the most part he has also done his job.

If Dubas was so horrible, Keefe was a moron, the core is butter soft and the goaltending and defense as putrid as a lot claim, how the hell were they ever going to win?

It becomes incredible they have made the playoffs for 8 straight years with such an embarassing regime

I mean Keefe is a moron, he simply gets carried by elite talent, then he gets to the playoffs and then the other coach proceeds to coach circles around Keefe.

Dubas is also pretty bad at his job, just look at how It's going in Pittsburgh

 

[Jojalu]

Nobody is arguing they have not been good in the regular season. It is the lack of playoff success in 8 years that has fans calling for a change to the core. I'd move all of them but we know that is not happening. You have to start somewhere and the reasons why Marner is the odd man out has been stated numerous times over the past few months.

When Pelley said we want to win, I do not think he was referring to making the playoffs and exiting quickly.

I also believe the core does not work together for whatever reason.

I truly believe all 4 of them could help any team win if they were to be moved, but there is enough evidence to say it will not work here collectively.

I am just as tired as the next guy with the Leafs decisions to constantly run it back, but I have witnessed far worse teams than this in Leafland and although I desire to see them win the Cup, I can still appreciate the minimal success they have had. Making the playoffs 8 straight years is hard in a cap era. Winning only 1 round seems equally as hard though..

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Lmao to win, what do you need to do? You have to out score your opponent.

Helps if you score in the playoffs and not just in the regular season.

 

[francis246]

Helps if you score in the playoffs and not just in the regular season.

For sure, but we aren’t talking about the playoffs right now. This is an acknowledgement of a guy breaking a team record. Not everything has to be hyper focused about the playoffs. You can acknowledge this and celebrate this without bringing the conversation to be about playoffs.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

He's close but I think he needs a championship for that.

I think that ship has sailed, I'd settle for a semifinal appearance at this point tbh.

For sure, but we aren’t talking about the playoffs right now. This is an acknowledgement of a guy breaking a team record. Not everything has to be hyper focused about the playoffs. You can acknowledge this and celebrate this without bringing the conversation to be about playoffs.

I've been celebrating regular season stats for 8 years now, it's nice, but after a while it's the team's success that ultimately matters.

 

[francis246]

I think that ship has sailed, I'd settle for a semifinal appearance at this point tbh.


I've been celebrating regular season stats for 8 years now, it's nice, but after a while it's the team's success that ultimately matters.

I still have a lot of faith they will get there. That’s what fandom is about, you ride with your guys, with your team. I know eventually the wait will be worth it. We will see them make a deep run.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I think that ship has sailed, I'd settle for a semifinal appearance at this point tbh.


I've been celebrating regular season stats for 8 years now, it's nice, but after a while it's the team's success that ultimately matters.

I posted it eariler in this thread but.

Yzerman was 31 when he won.

Ovechkin was 32

Stamkos was about 30

Madano was about 28

Matthews is 26 what are you talking about that ship has sailed?

 

[francis246]

I posted it eariler in this thread but.

Yzerman was 31 when he won.

Ovechkin was 32

Stamkos was about 30

Madano was about 28

Matthews is 26 what are you talking about that ship has sailed?

It’s cause they are comparing the leafs guys to Kane/Toews, Malkin/Crosby. And how young those four were when they won their cups. Those guys are outliers. Most players get one cup, hell most players get one SHOT at legitimately winning the cup.

 

[Bravid Nonahan]

I hope all the posters who negate all in-season accomplishments are at least consistent with their approach and don't watch the meaningless hockey of the regular season and clutter the board with their posts complaining about meaningless regular season games.

 

[Jojalu]

I posted it eariler in this thread but.

Yzerman was 31 when he won.

Ovechkin was 32

Stamkos was about 30

Madano was about 28

Matthews is 26 what are you talking about that ship has sailed?

Bourque and Selanne were even older.

A lot of greats never won a Cup.

Most made it out of the first round more than once, but Matthews probably has at least 10 years left. His story is far from being finished

 

[notbias]

Bourque and Selanne were even older.

A lot of greats never won a Cup.

Most made it out of the first round more than once, but Matthews probably has at least 10 years left. His story is far from being finished

The same people who say individual achievements don't count only cups do argue that McDavid gets a pass on the lack of cups because of his individual achievements.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

I hope all the posters who negate all in-season accomplishments are at least consistent with their approach and don't watch the meaningless hockey of the regular season and clutter the board with their posts complaining about meaningless regular season games.

I cannot believe we are complaining about a guy coming of a 69 goal, Selke nominated season in which he got hurt after his most dominant single game playoff performance as a Leaf, and was clearly not himself when he returned.

I'm excited to see him make history again this year. Literally complain about anybody else from this past season and I could at least see a rationale.

 

[Its not your fault]

Bruh all he’s doing is scoring goals. Is that not the main objective of hockey? Score more goals than your opponent?

Actually as you can tell it's even more rare to get both assists on a goal. So I would think that's the ultimate goal.

 

[Its not your fault]

I cannot believe we are complaining about a guy coming of a 69 goal, Selke nominated season in which he got hurt after his most dominant single game playoff performance as a Leaf, and was clearly not himself when he returned.

I'm excited to see him make history again this year. Literally complain about anybody else from this past season and I could at least see a rationale.

I think this is becoming more of a reflection of how the world's become a what you have and others don't than a this player is horrible ordeal. However due to people's hunger to become happy at others expenses. People should be extatic and celebrating ever day of their lives. Not once a year based on a prize that 99 percent try to achieve. That also actively go to be the best version of themselves everyday. So if the first round of the playoffs is not impressive anymore. Maybe they need to find a new reason to party there won't be a time we have this many top franchise scorers on the same team. But at the end of the day all you can do is post up and try to impress me. Then once you do that you'll be left wondering why you cared to begin with to wow us with your negativity and opinions. Not only can you now not enjoy achievements like the best player on the team. Are you going to Boo Sitler? Or Salming every time you here there name? Already know you would probably boo Sundin and Gilmour probably not Clark. Then Mogilnys name comes up he's the greatest ever with a 76 goal season. Loud cheer I'm sure.

Either way you'll know what you were the day before they ever do win a cup. If you mostly brought people down, enjoy the 24 hour party . The day after will happen regardless.

 

[myleafs]

Predictable whiners here.

This guy wants to be a Leaf, and is the best goal scorer in the league. Any negativity towards him is unwarranted.

1 goal in his last 10 playoff games....

 

[ULF_55]

what this shows me is he is 11 goals away from catching from catching Wendel who played 24 more games there. Bet he catches him in this department too to the chagrin of the numpties in this fansbase

It also shows Nylander is only 3 goals behind him in the playoffs, in 1 less game.

Too bad 6'3", 216 lb. Auston didn't have some of 5'11", 197 lb. Wendel's will to win. Or 6', 190 lb. Sittler's leadership.

It's time to separate himself from being the next Ovechkin, to being the next Leafs leader.

 

[notbias]

It also shows Nylander is only 3 goals behind him in the playoffs, in 1 less game.

Too bad 6'3", 216 lb. Auston didn't have some of 5'11", 197 lb. Wendel's will to win. Or 6', 190 lb. Sittler's leadership.

It's time to separate himself from being the next Ovechkin, being the next Leafs leader.

What good did Wendel's will to win or Sittler's leadership do?

Maybe if he was as small as Keon he would have won more.

 

[ULF_55]

What good did Wendel's will to win or Sittler's leadership do?

Maybe if he was as small as Keon he would have won more.

At this point you must say it took the team further in the playoffs.

No Cup, but made 3rd. round.

No surprise that Nylander is only 3 goals behind?

 

[Jojalu]

At this point you must say it took the team further in the playoffs.

No Cup, but made 3rd. round.

No surprise that Nylander is only 3 goals behind?

If winning is the only thing that matters, then who cares if you bow out in any of the 4 rounds?

I don't think anyone should be surprised that Willy is only 3 goals behind. He doesn't have an issue scoring. However, he has struggled with goal prevention unlike Matthews

 

[notbias]

At this point you must say it took the team further in the playoffs.

No Cup, but made 3rd. round.

No surprise that Nylander is only 3 goals behind?

We should be talking about how great of a goalscorer he is, but people decided to start whining about playoffs for some reason.

But since we are on the topic, we don't care about participation trophies, just winning the cup.

Not surprised, the more shocking part is that Matthews has 70 more shots and that is the difference, the guy just can't finish it seems.

He still has played better than Nylander in every series and contributes more in every aspect of the game.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I posted it eariler in this thread but.

Yzerman was 31 when he won.

Ovechkin was 32

Stamkos was about 30

Madano was about 28

Matthews is 26 what are you talking about that ship has sailed?

Check out the roster those players played with and compare it to our chickenshit roster. Not to mention the cap, suspect goaltending and a non 'NHL playoff' caliber D core.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It also shows Nylander is only 3 goals behind him in the playoffs, in 1 less game.

Too bad 6'3", 216 lb. Auston didn't have some of 5'11", 197 lb. Wendel's will to win. Or 6', 190 lb. Sittler's leadership.

It's time to separate himself from being the next Ovechkin, to being the next Leafs leader.

What did Wendel's will to win, or Sittler's leadership actually f***ing win?

They didn't win Jack f***ing shit.

You know the people that will be critical of the core 4 for not showing up in the playoffs will turn around and glorify Gilmour, or Clark or Sittler, or maybe the 2002 team because it was fun to watch, and it was, I love that team.

But remind me again how many championship banners are hanging from those eras?

f***ing 0, they don't exist.

We need to stop glorifying the past when the past didn't result in a championship, in fact you know what forget a championship none of those eras even resulted in a finals run.

For as overboard as the Oilers go on the nostalgia shit, and OH BOY do they ever at least those teams won.

What the f*** are we doing talking about "Will to Win" when the BEST we got was a conference finals.

Does this team have "the will to win?"

Who knows the Matthews era Isn't done.

I know the other teams didn't because they didn't win.

 

[hamzarocks]

Matthews probably finishes with 800 - 900 goals.

He'll be a top 3 goal scorer ever.

His lack of play making and offense generation for his wingers stop him from being top 20 all time but he should be in the 21 to 40 range all time when he retires as a player

Playoffs hes a dud but most goal scorers are.

OVs goal scoring fall off a cliff too come playoffs.

Sucks matthews cant quarter back a PP and isnt a good passer off the baords ajd half wall. His non existent playmaking + marners non existent shooting rielly & capabilities killls our PP come playoffs which is why we often lose

 

[Suntouchable13]

He is not even a likeable person. At least Mats Sundin was a humble, kind man from we have seen. Always gracious with his time, always smiling. I don't even want Mats record to fall. OH well. You want me to appreciate greatness? A lot of people didn't even appreciate Mats Sundin just because he was born in Sweden. But everyone is going goo goo gaga over Matthews. He is half the person Mats was and is. Sorry for the rant, but none of these guys playing for the Leafs are likeable at all.