Brad Treliving is doing a great job.

[DarkKnight]

Still need the results, but I've never seen a Leafs D corp so effective out front and on the wall. Love it!

 

[notDatsyuk]

Exactly lol. It means exactly what I said whether you can read or not. Cheers.

"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less. ... The question is which is to be master - that's all. ... They've a temper, some of them - particularly verbs, they're the proudest - adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs - however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That's what I say."

Humpty Dumpty - Through the Looking Glass

 

[Dekes For Days]

Carlyle system sucked in part because that team didn't have the personnel for it.

One could easily argue that this is not the best system for our personnel either. The bigger point though, is that cups are won in many different ways, and it's not automatically attributable to some infallible system. It doesn't automatically mean that your system is amazing, or best for every team. The idea that we can't question concerning systemic results because the guy fluked into a cup 6 years ago is ridiculous. Nobody had any trouble criticizing the systems of Carlyle and Babcock.

Natural Stat Trick has Carlyle's Leafs as being more terrible possession-wise than this version of the team.

The 2013 team was definitely worse, but that's not very reassuring. That team wasn't supposed to be good. This team is supposed to be good. I think most people feel that we upgraded our skater personnel relative to last year, so our skater results dropping off doesn't reflect great on the system.

I'd also point out that the Leafs also were trending downwards to end the 2013 regular season, while Berube's Leafs ended the season on a 5 game win streak and as one of the hottest teams in the NHL since the trade deadline.

That is true, but that was primarily a result of goaltending, not our system. We had the best goaltending in the league over the final 10 games.

The Blues underlyings improved once from the regular season to the postseason under Berube, that was 2019-20.

According to Moneypuck, their overall xGF% dropped from 50.01% In the regular season to 43.28% in the playoffs in 2020. Even 5v5, it went from 50.42% to 48.95%. Not sure what you looked at, but heads up that NaturalStatTrick is missing data from one of their games.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

According to Moneypuck, their overall xGF% dropped from 50.01% In the regular season to 43.28% in the playoffs in 2020. Even 5v5, it went from 50.42% to 48.95%. Not sure what you looked at, but heads up that NaturalStatTrick is missing data from one of their games.

And

 

[Dekes For Days]

View attachment 1024968
View attachment 1024969

As I noted, NaturalStatTrick is missing the data from one of their games that year. They played 9 games, not 8. Moneypuck has all 9 and has them at 48.95% at 5v5. Both sites have them in the negatives overall. I wouldn't exactly call that encouraging.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

One could easily argue that this is not the best system for our personnel either. The bigger point though, is that cups are won in many different ways, and it's not automatically attributable to some infallible system. It doesn't automatically mean that your system is amazing, or best for every team. The idea that we can't question concerning systemic results because the guy fluked into a cup 6 years ago is ridiculous. Nobody had any trouble criticizing the systems of Carlyle and Babcock.

The 2013 team was definitely worse, but that's not very reassuring. That team wasn't supposed to be good. This team is supposed to be good. I think most people feel that we upgraded our skater personnel relative to last year, so our skater results dropping off doesn't reflect great on the system.

That is true, but that was primarily a result of goaltending, not our system. We had the best goaltending in the league over the final 10 games.

According to Moneypuck, their overall xGF% dropped from 50.01% In the regular season to 43.28% in the playoffs in 2020. Even 5v5, it went from 50.42% to 48.95%. Not sure what you looked at, but heads up that NaturalStatTrick is missing data from one of their games.

It's not just goaltending that had us finishing so well. Part of it is the defensive system and part the changes Treliving has done to the defence. Treliving has assembled the best d-core of the Matthews era. Stolarz and Woll will tell you that the defence does a great job blocking shots and clearing the front of the net. Former players and coaches have commented how much the defence has improved and how much more difficult is to get to the net.

Just for shits and giggles, I typed into google "what makies the Toronto Maple Leafs defence so difficult to play against". This is the AI overview generated:

The Toronto Maple Leafs' defense is difficult to play against due to a combination of factors, including a more mature defensive system, a strong emphasis on structure and discipline, and a reduced risk of turnovers and scrambling, making it harder for opponents to launch counterattacks.

Here's a more detailed look:

• Maturity and Discipline:
  The Leafs' defensive system now emphasizes calmness under pressure, avoiding overreactions and collapsing inward to cut off high-danger lanes. This prevents opponents from exploiting turnovers and counterattacking.
• Strong Structure:
  The Leafs' defensive structure, starting with the coaching staff, ensures that top defensemen take short shifts, make efficient clears, and receive support from forwards who are actively backchecking.
• Reduced Risk:
  The team's defensive approach reduces the risk of turnovers, making it harder for opposing teams to set up counterattacks that have been effective against previous Leafs teams.
• Depth and Talent:
  The Leafs have added key defensive players like Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Brandon Carlo, adding depth and talent to the lineup.
  
  Take this for what it's worth (AI Overview is experimental) but it details almost everything that we Treliving supporters have been saying.