Does Toronto's Hockey Mecca status hurt the leafs regular season record?
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ACC1224
Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
- Aug 19, 2002
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Reading all those excuses almost makes you miss Zeke......almost.
The Hanging Jowl
Registered User
- Apr 2, 2017
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100%. Half the league either is from Toronto or grew up hating the Leafs. Every team plays their best game against the Leafs (or at least 90% of the time). The Leafs never get a night off.
Gary Nylund
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- Oct 10, 2013
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We've been doing just fine during the regular season, playoffs is where we've been failing miserably. And in the playoffs, I would think everyone should be sufficiently motivated to play their best so the fact that the opposition "gets up for us" is no excuse.
Enough with the excuses already. Win!
Enough with the excuses already. Win!
Larcos_Unal
Registered Nurse
Suntouchable13
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leafsfan2point0
Registered User
- Jun 8, 2011
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Leaf games are circled in the calendar for everyone else in the league.
You either grew up loving them and want to impress family/friends or you grew up hating them and want to impress family/friends.
We have some refs that are secretly fans and want to help us out and we have some refs that screw us at the worst time. Unfortunately for us, Bettman/Parros are also definitely not going to help us in any way.
You either grew up loving them and want to impress family/friends or you grew up hating them and want to impress family/friends.
We have some refs that are secretly fans and want to help us out and we have some refs that screw us at the worst time. Unfortunately for us, Bettman/Parros are also definitely not going to help us in any way.
Ianturnedbull
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Enga Olly
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- May 26, 2021
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I feel this is essentially true
Stupid Josh Anderson "I got a lot of buddies that are Leaf fans" I think that whole thing goes for a lot of players
I would like to also see Leafs not getting burned by refs at just those key moments in a series
Racer88
Registered User
- Sep 29, 2020
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Teeder Keon
Defeat does not rest lightly on their shoulders
It shouldn’t at all , just like every player gets up for these games and the media and fans are lunatics lol and it is the Mecca of hockey , playing in this incredible fortunate environment should be enough motivation for our players as well and everyone in the organization especially making the money that they make .
GLG
GLG
I don't think it is a huge deal, but it might matter a bit on the fringes.
I lived near Boston for a few years, and in Boston the attention, and crticism Red Sox players get is similar to what happens with the Leafs and the players in Toronto. Listening to sports radio, reading the articles, hearing what players said AFTER they left Boston, this is the conclusion I came to:
-Pay players enough money, and they will play for the Red Sox. BUT, you aren't getting any more players to go there or players any cheaper becasue they are good team or in a 'baseball crazed city'.
-There are some players who will not play in a city like that. They won't publicize that, but some guys, when their agent gets a call about an offer from a team with a crazed fanbase..those players often say 'lets see what else is out there first'
So what do I think that means for the Leafs? Overall not TOO much. They get the advantage of some guys later in their career coming here for less money for bottom 6 roles because they might want to play a year or two 'back home'.....but the negative is they likely have SOME guys (not too many) but SOME guys that quietly tell their agents they would rather go to 'worse' hockey markets where they and their family can go out to eat or the supermarket without all the attention rather than Toronto (or Montreal for that matter).
On Buffalo sports radio, Craig Rivet was a host for a few years and he described his time in Monteal. He said there were great things about it, but with all the attention it 'just wasn't for some players'. Same probably applies to Toronto.
I lived near Boston for a few years, and in Boston the attention, and crticism Red Sox players get is similar to what happens with the Leafs and the players in Toronto. Listening to sports radio, reading the articles, hearing what players said AFTER they left Boston, this is the conclusion I came to:
-Pay players enough money, and they will play for the Red Sox. BUT, you aren't getting any more players to go there or players any cheaper becasue they are good team or in a 'baseball crazed city'.
-There are some players who will not play in a city like that. They won't publicize that, but some guys, when their agent gets a call about an offer from a team with a crazed fanbase..those players often say 'lets see what else is out there first'
So what do I think that means for the Leafs? Overall not TOO much. They get the advantage of some guys later in their career coming here for less money for bottom 6 roles because they might want to play a year or two 'back home'.....but the negative is they likely have SOME guys (not too many) but SOME guys that quietly tell their agents they would rather go to 'worse' hockey markets where they and their family can go out to eat or the supermarket without all the attention rather than Toronto (or Montreal for that matter).
On Buffalo sports radio, Craig Rivet was a host for a few years and he described his time in Monteal. He said there were great things about it, but with all the attention it 'just wasn't for some players'. Same probably applies to Toronto.
banks
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HellasLEAF
'93 to Infinity
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Safe to say over 82 games there will be ups and downs in effort from opposing teams. You can't tell me some kid from Ontario plays the same way even subconsciously in Carolina or Anaheim vs Toronto. Family in the stands, money on the board, all that stuff. It's a game noticed on their calendar.
That doesn't speak to Leafs effort level, mind you. Just opposing players coming into town.
That doesn't speak to Leafs effort level, mind you. Just opposing players coming into town.
Brobust
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- Sep 29, 2017
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It's been a recurring joke for people to bet against the leafs when they they're heavily favored.
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
200 feet of ice
two nets
skates
hockey stick
puck
ability to shoot
ability to skate
ability to play defense
ability to win puck battles
ability to win board battles
ability to win races to the puck
ability to manage the puck
ability to PK
ability to make PP work
etc...
if any of the above changes because of hockey mecca or what not then sure you may have the case OP; if not then no the hockey mecca/media/etc... its just noise; it doesn't have any direct impact
two nets
skates
hockey stick
puck
ability to shoot
ability to skate
ability to play defense
ability to win puck battles
ability to win board battles
ability to win races to the puck
ability to manage the puck
ability to PK
ability to make PP work
etc...
if any of the above changes because of hockey mecca or what not then sure you may have the case OP; if not then no the hockey mecca/media/etc... its just noise; it doesn't have any direct impact
TMLBlueandWhite
Go Leafs Go
- Feb 2, 2023
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Toronto's status as the centre of the hockey universe does nothing to tarnish the Leafs regular season success. Losing first round of the playoffs every year does.
Does it hurt our record? Slightly. Does it matter? Not really. Facing a top 5 team in the league in round one was written in stone before the season started, and I think we'll still secure home ice advantage.
As a viewer it's kind of annoying that we need to be locked in on every tuesday night game against a bottom feeder while other top teams generally get to sleepwalk through those matchups.
Our players also don't get to pad their stats against them because Joe Guy the backup goalie decides to compile his entire career youtube highlight reel in a single night while every third pairing AHL defencemen would apparently rather take puck to the teeth than watch Matthews score his third goal of the game in the middle of January.
So yeah. Annoying, but mostly insignificant. Please God lets just add some scoring depth for the playoffs.
As a viewer it's kind of annoying that we need to be locked in on every tuesday night game against a bottom feeder while other top teams generally get to sleepwalk through those matchups.
Our players also don't get to pad their stats against them because Joe Guy the backup goalie decides to compile his entire career youtube highlight reel in a single night while every third pairing AHL defencemen would apparently rather take puck to the teeth than watch Matthews score his third goal of the game in the middle of January.
So yeah. Annoying, but mostly insignificant. Please God lets just add some scoring depth for the playoffs.
HamiltonNHL
Resigning Marner == Running it back
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Why are we mecca.
We lose
We have quiet crowds with all the suits
We pay a fortune for a dog ABC beer
We listen to same music every game
Team is rich because of 6,000,000 people inside 20 miles
Toronto kids want to come and play to get rich on endorsements and sign autographs
We have a ton of sports guys who convince us this is mecca to keep their jobs
Definition of mecca is wrong
We lose
We have quiet crowds with all the suits
We pay a fortune for a dog ABC beer
We listen to same music every game
Team is rich because of 6,000,000 people inside 20 miles
Toronto kids want to come and play to get rich on endorsements and sign autographs
We have a ton of sports guys who convince us this is mecca to keep their jobs
Definition of mecca is wrong
