Post-Game Talk: End of the Shanascam? | Leafs Blown Out at Home Again

[ChurchOfMatthews]

Why do you think I am lurking here?

Misery is all I know

You know what they say about it... it loves company

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Wings are a "second favourite" team of mine. I know the club as well as Toronto.

Detroit would weep after the first Marner playoffs experience and if I was given the opportunity to trade Matthews to Detroit I would take it. Not because Larkin entices me, but at half of what Matthews makes, the depth on Toronto increases.

I know many in Hockeytown have lost faith in the "Yzerplan", but let me assure you, it's not the "Shanaplan" and because Yzerman has taken the long view approach, Detroit has little in the way of anchors, and a cap structure that will give the Wings a chance at contention with depth.

Marner and Matthews will destroy that the instant they arrive. And trust me, they're not Maple Leafs in the mold of the 90s and 00s, which makes them lightyears apart from Detroit's standard of contender.

Agreed on Nylander but you can't have him, lol.

I'm completely shocked you guys don't want Matthews anymore. That guy is a f***ing beast. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery. I would absolutely never trade him if I was Toronto. Yzerman had so many playoff failures before he started winning cups...

 

[Alexei Yashvalev]

I'm completely shocked you guys don't want Matthews anymore. That guy is a f***ing beast. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery. I would absolutely never trade him if I was Toronto. Yzerman had so many playoff failures before he started winning cups...

If they're going to sell on him now is the time to do it while he still has value.

 

[WillNy29]

Nothing really changed in that regard when it came to setting picks or not. Woll helped a bit but also put the d in bad spots with bad passes. The main thing in game 6 was that we completely shut down the slot and probably played 1 of their best defensive games ever from top to bottom. Game 7 Florida just went all out and put everything at the net and won every puck battle since Woll did kick out a lot of rebounds. Floridas forwards weren't even the ones setting the picks half the time in game 7, it was the other d man. Only adjustment Florida had to make was to eliminate the rush chances against ad that's what they did.

no florida absolutely stopped the hard rim around and started to lob soft chips into the off corner they played some weird form of left wing lock they absolutely made adjustments and the leafs didnt counter adjust within the game

 

[Superstar]

I think Tavares is gone for sure. I'm just saying dynamic goal scorers and play makers don't grow on trees. Detroit as an example hasn't had a 40 goal scorer since 2009! The grass isn't always greener with new players... giving up a first for Laughton was a bad move imo

I agree...a 1st for Laughton was too much.

 

[Stephen]

I'm completely shocked you guys don't want Matthews anymore. That guy is a f***ing beast. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery. I would absolutely never trade him if I was Toronto. Yzerman had so many playoff failures before he started winning cups...

I wouldn't say trading Auston Matthews in a fit of frustration is the first and best thing to do, because that's obviously the nuclear option. That sets the franchise back a half decade if you don't get the proper haul to restart the franchise, and the point of such a dramatic change wouldn't be to take a hatchet to the team.

But the 2024-25 experience is showing us he isn't the player you think he is right now, or anymore. He hasn't shown a lot leadership growing into the captaincy, didn't take care of his health to get right for the playoffs, his injury status is shrouded in secrecy and whole game and big game ability seems to be tanking in a crisis of confidence and apathy.

 

[Tak7]

how does it make any sense to decide to trade a player (team doesn't want player), can't trade him so you sign the player your trying to trade............

Simple: they gauged the market interest, realized they didnt like the offers on the table, and then elected to extend him instead of losing him for nothing.

Very common. We see it very regularly across the league.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Let's be honest, this is what ownership wanted. Dubas apparently finally saw the light and was going to make the big moves and he was promptly fired. Brad comes in and thinks "oh look at these shiny objects" because he is interested in the simple success of making the playoffs assuming with the right way to play and some additions, they will get through.

He didn't understand the situation. He is brought in with very little time to understand and within a month or so Marners No Trade kicked it. Precisely what ownership wanted I have to presume.

This team requires new ownership before it requires anything else. If owners can't see the process through and be patient, even as they print money in the meantime just not as much money; they are the reason for the failure.

Many of us would love to have the ear of Brad. If this were my team four years ago, this team would look very different today.

 

[Leafsfan74]

I wouldn't say trading Auston Matthews in a fit of frustration is the first and best thing to do, because that's obviously the nuclear option. That sets the franchise back a half decade if you don't get the proper haul to restart the franchise, and the point of such a dramatic change wouldn't be to take a hatchet to the team.

But the 2024-25 experience is showing us he isn't the player you think he is right now, or anymore. He hasn't shown a lot leadership growing into the captaincy, didn't take care of his health to get right for the playoffs, his injury status is shrouded in secrecy and whole game and big game ability seems to be tanking in a crisis of confidence and apathy.

He needs to be healthy though. If he's just shielding this because he knows it will cost him money down the road, it's not going to work.

He doesn't have his snap shot the way he used to, it's that simple.

Now, with the cap increase and the shedding of Marner and JT. If they are really wise, the buyout of Reillys contract. They could EASILY with this defense in place for the next two years, build much better playoff team ready for a Cup run in two years.

 

[Stephen]

He needs to be healthy though. If he's just shielding this because he knows it will cost him money down the road, it's not going to work.

He doesn't have his snap shot the way he used to, it's that simple.

Now, with the cap increase and the shedding of Marner and JT. If they are really wise, the buyout of Reillys contract. They could EASILY with this defense in place for the next two years, build much better playoff team ready for a Cup run in two years.

With that cap space I feel like you almost have to throw money at Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand. Not because they are the be all, end all, but because you can use money and cap space to downgrade Florida and try to benefit on that delta.

 

[Leafs98]

Passengers and Chairs ...sure are alot of titanic references around this organizarion

 

[Gabriel426]

Just break up the core, bc they can’t win together.

There will be at least 15 teams that would overpaid to trade for AM. Esp an American market where they need fans and buzz.

NJ would literally trade both Hughes and 1st rounder for AM.
Then Quinn will come via Reilly going the other way.
Same with Rangers.

Like I said earlier, if Game 6 and 7 were legacy game for Core 5, this offseason is legacy summer for Tre.

 

[Leafsfan74]

With that cap space I feel like you almost have to throw money at Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand. Not because they are the be all, end all, but because you can use money and cap space to downgrade Florida and try to benefit on that delta.

I suggested that I would have been ok with paying a 1st or 2nd for Marchard this deadline, that is how much I respect his game. Even at his age he is relentless. A poor mans Crosby.

I wanted Bennett since his time in Calgary but Leafs once again didn't make the big move. After that shot on Stolarz, it left a bad taste. I like hard play but not dirty stuff. No doubt he would be a winner though. It's not about points in the regular season, it's about big plays and determination when it matters most.

Knies will be a year older. Perhaps the Leafs ask McMann if he would be interested in getting a weight program going, work on getting his forecheck improved. We all expected big things from McMann this playoff but he was eerily uninvolved.

You then add the best players you can and some grit for the 3rd or 4th Line. Maybe Cowan gets a shot to see what he can do? Get him on a weight program also, even 3-4 pounds of added muscle is a big deal.

This is the one shot they have to get it right with the cap increase and some of the core coming off of the books. Make it a 2 year plan and if you get better than expected results, it might only take one.

 

[LaPlante94]

no florida absolutely stopped the hard rim around and started to lob soft chips into the off corner they played some weird form of left wing lock they absolutely made adjustments and the leafs didnt counter adjust within the game

because those soft flips in the corner doesn't allow the goalie to stop the rim around. they still did hard rim arounds but they mixed them in so Woll would stay in his net expecting a soft dump in. These are all things Florida has done for years so they aren't exactly adjustments. They just won every puck battle even when we had more players on the puck. They also stayed extremely aggressive along the boards in the o zone to prevent the wingers any space on the breakout if we did win a puck battle down low.

 

[Brown Dog]

It's not just losing to Florida, former Cup champs, it's how we lost to them. We were up 2-0 and in the middle of the third game we stopped competing. Then, Games 5 and 7 at home, they were beaten both games 6-1, historically pathetic result from a home team. The lack of compete and effort were puzzling to the coach and the fans.

Don't forget about Game 4--it was a no-show performance too. Easy shutout for Bobrovsky and a respectable 2-0 score only because Woll played well.

So three good performances (Games 1, 2 and 6), three horrible performances (4, 5, 7), and one wild game that could have gone either way (3).

The Jekyll and Hyde nature of this team is what is so concerning. We all know the historic inability to perform in the clutch, and their penchant for completely disappearing in key moments is the stuff of legend.

Berube said in his presser that Florida was the more desperate team. How could that be?? How could this team, with their history and all that was at stake, go into that Game 7 at anything less than max desperation?? Unless max desperation for this team means wilting completely. I think that must be it. It’s not that they didn't want it. They just can't rise to the occasion. They're incapable.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

I'm serious. Not even trying to troll. The score was horrible but you guys are getting closer. Almost beat the defending champs. Every player you guys are trying to dump every other team would love to have. Why is that? I'm a Wings fan we would love to have any of Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Tavares Knies, Reilly etc. You guys need a few pieces not a complete blow up...

They weren't close, they got blown out in their last 2 losses, in the most important games of the season they didn't even show up.

 

[Daisy Jane]

With that cap space I feel like you almost have to throw money at Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand. Not because they are the be all, end all, but because you can use money and cap space to downgrade Florida and try to benefit on that delta.

are they all free this year?
maybe that explains the whole Florida "the Leafs ain't that bad leave them allone" tour.

 

[WillNy29]

With that cap space I feel like you almost have to throw money at Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand. Not because they are the be all, end all, but because you can use money and cap space to downgrade Florida and try to benefit on that delta.

Ekblad is going to be seamlessly replaced by Seth Jones. in hindsight I wish we took that chance

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Yea, no doubt but to say that the team plays differently in front of Woll is an indictment of the rest of the team not Woll. Woll deserves blame, but he wasn't THE reason.

The Leafs stopped playing hockey from the moment they scored the 3rd goal in game 3 until the start of game 6. After losing game 3, they were a complete no show in game 4. Woll wasn't good in game 3 but at least he bounced back for game 4. And then another no show from the team in game 5.

Woll wasn't good overall, but the team in front of him was worse

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

They weren't close, they got blown out in their last 2 losses, in the most important games of the season they didn't even show up.

Those count as two wins. They went to game 7. Thats not close?

 

[OneSharpMarble]

Those count as two wins. They went to game 7. Thats not close?

No it isn't, if you can't close out a series against a contender you're not close. If you fall apart and play your worst hockey at the most important time you're not in the same league as Florida.

 

[BallardEra]

 

[TheGreenTBer]

He's trolling. To be honest I respect it.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Those count as two wins. They went to game 7. Thats not close?

We've lost how many straight game 7's with this group?

 

[LeafEgo]

how does it make any sense to decide to trade a player (team doesn't want player), can't trade him so you sign the player your trying to trade............

Tre's rep is always working the phones. He was about to sign a player to an eight year extension with full NMC.

So he made some calls first, we never even heard a name or a team out of it. Seems like it was mostly nothing.