How can the culture be changed with Dubas still in charge?

[Gallagbi]

It's not 5 first round losses by the same team though - just the same logo. People are using losses (majority of which were to elite teams better than us) by the slimmest of margins by very different teams to suggest that the type of team we have built now, that we've never actually been able to see in the playoffs, doesn't work.

The majority of those losses came with a bad defense. The majority of those losses came with a completely different goalie. The majority of those losses came without Tavares - a massive part of our current forward group. They've never had the 3 positions, as currently constructed, in the playoffs.

I don't worry about the style of build, but I do worry about the heart of this core - specifically the 3 younger players. I'd add goaltending as well, which is always questionable.

Yes, we've faced good teams, but we're also supposed to be a good team with a good core. At some point "almost good enough" needs to be challenged.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Kyle called all the media members together to announce that he still believes.

That should make everyone feel much better.

Trumped only by his press conference to tell everyone Cody Ceci is really good at hockey.

 

[All Mod Cons]

It’s like starting a sentence with “no offence, but…”

100%. He doesn't give a f***. It's his way or nothing. No amount of playoff failures will deter him. He's the new wave hockey mind.

 

[ToneDog]

He should be signaling that changes are planned. He doesn't need to go into specifics.

Going into next season with the same roster sans Hyman is a recipe for a first round sweep.

Or worse, not making the playoffs at all.

 

[Stephen]

Also sounds like a parting speech...like the captain and the Titanic.

Jeez. That sounds about as inspiring as the Keefe attempt at a raw raw speech after the Game 6 loss.

 

[myleafs]

Well you all here complaining about the dumbest shit.. Im pretty sure the management don't give a shit what u clueless emo fans think.. This team was one of the best teams in the nhl last year and you still got ignorant fans like u tryin to call for a culture change lmao. You all literally make this fanbase a joke. Just leave

lol...making friends I see...To the bolded, and yet we got knocked out in the 1st round again, and in humiliating fashion to boot, but yea ok we are one of the best teams, no.... really.

 

[ToneDog]

100%. He doesn't give a f***. It's his way or nothing. No amount of playoff failures will deter him. He's the new wave hockey mind.

Didn't realize he was a stubborn/stupid as Babcock. I just hope Shinny's head rolls along with Dubas'.

 

[Stephen]

I don't worry about the style of build, but I do worry about the heart of this core - specifically the 3 younger players. I'd add goaltending as well, which is always questionable.

Yes, we've faced good teams, but we're also supposed to be a good team with a good core. At some point "almost good enough" needs to be challenged.

Yeah, you have to wonder when the Big 4 becomes someone else’s adversity instead of always running into speed bumps.

 

[myleafs]

No kidding.

One would hope Dubas and Shanny would be spending their time trying to put together a team that can win a playoff round.

Not reading Twitter and HFBoards.

Funny thing is I think they could learn a thing or two from a lot of the discussions in here.

 

[Aashir]

When game 1 comes;

matthews gives Marchand/Huberdeau a huge open ice hit 2 minutes into the game. Set the tone

Marner takes the puck and breaks his goal drought in the first period

Nylander gets into scuffles throughout the game, doesn’t back down, goes to the front of the net against Atlantic teams

Tavares also doesn’t back down

it comes down to the big 4. They are the guys, they are the ones who change how everything goes. We can bitch about salary, management, coaching, scouting, drafting… whatever. But as of now, we have 4 guys up front who need to be the top 6 producers from both teams in their series. We need Marner to play like he did against Boston, Matthews same. Tavares like he did against the panthers, nylander like he did against Montreal. These guys need to have a fire in their belly, they need to hate losing more than they like winning. They need to set the example instead of letting old man spezza and perennial choker Thornton try to do it instead.


Everything about this team starts, and ends with those 4. This is their last chance to win the fans and win a round

 

[Twine Tickler]

Saying he's a progressive hockey mind and ranting about why he's so good despite zero results just shows your desperate and have a personal bias towards him

He hasn't progressed our organization in terms of on ice strategy. Hiring different minded people does not make a successful manager.

Sticking with his guys hasn't led us to anywhere. Sticking with Nylander despite the strong production hasn't improved the team. We've sacrificed our offensive depth for a better top 4. Losing Kk, AJ, brown, Hyman, Kadri in favor of building the defense and adding JT hasn't proven to be a strong strategy

Kyle dubas hasn't demonstrated the ability to adapt and change directions and strategies. He's just as stubborn as any old-minded former GMs we had. He's repeatedly supported the core players who he bet on and they haven't delivered. He's going to be doing that again in the Atlantic and it isn't likely we are as dominant in that division as we were in the North.

Kyle dubas is all hypothetical and ifs and maybes. In our peak contention years we shouldn't have been betting on him to come and build a winner

Kyle has bet on his core 4. The core 4 players he bet on are word class players. Again, if you think this core 4 would not be bet on by any GM in the league you are mistaken. Kyle is taking a huge huge risk by circling back with this same group. He knows that status quo with the same results means he is done. It has the illusion of doing nothing. He believes in these 4 players, which we can debate is right or wrong to a nauseum.

this is really is an all in approach for the GM who has already fell on the sword for these f***ing idiots many times. If the core 4 don't show up once again, the egg is completely on KD's face. Rightfully so. He pushed all his chips to the middle despite the red flags and warning signs. But to think that he should have blown up this core any other year is ridiculous. And I hate to break it to you, but what exactly did Kk, AJ, brown, and Kadri do for their respective teams in the post season this year?? let me refresh you

KK- First round exit
AJ- bottom 5 team in league DNQ
Brown- bottom 5 team in league DNQ
Kadri- sussy'd.....again....causing his team to get kicked out....again.

He is doubling down on a stock that is at a low. It is a complete risk, one that KD will have to wear if it fails.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Funny thing, he'll go to a rival and then win the cup.

. He can't get passed the 1st round.

 

[myleafs]

That's the thing I don't get, I've seen what this team looks like with a bad culture and this isn't it. Being reactive and listening to fans is always a bad idea. Stick to the plan, look at what happened to Edmonton with "Fail for Nail". They chose the wrong player, because of the backlash if they picked a defender. There' s a reason some people get paid to make decision, and some post on twitter.

Nonis was one of those guys paid to make decisions at one point and a chair could have done better than him, sooooo.

 

[fahad203]

When the new version of Microsoft Office with Excel look comes out

 

[All Mod Cons]

I don't see what's wrong with this. Keeping the morale high for your current roster is management 101. What do people want him to say? This group sucks, I don't believe in them?

Be nice if he respected the paying fan (not myself) and stopped bullshitting them or treating them like they don't know anything about hockey. A lot to ask for, but hoped Kyle would be that guy.

 

[Lemontree]

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. “ – Mark Twain

 

[Pi]

Be nice if he respected the paying fan (not myself) and stopped bullshitting them or treating them like they don't know anything about hockey. A lot to ask for, but hoped Kyle would be that guy.

I don't see anything wrong with what Dubas said. He'll either be fired after next season or continue to be GM because the players did right by him.

Like I've said before, the Leafs improved in every single facet of the game last year and still choked after 3-1 series lead. It's not on Dubas if the team f***s up after putting up great offensive and defensive numbers. It's on those players who need to look in the mirror and play better in crunch time.

Tampa could have easily broken their core after getting swept embarrassingly to the Jackets but they continued with their core and made adjustments elsewhere and they won back to back.

 

[Dekes For Days]

It's ok, you don't understand the intent of what the posts were trying to convey.

Nobody seems to understand, because the statement repeatedly changed, and was never actually explained in the first place. The clear intent, based on your post and the discussion it was responding to, seemed to be that shots = effort. But you seem to have abandoned that once it was shown that both shot results and 1st period shot results contradicted your stance on Leaf effort. Why don't you share with all of us what the posts were trying to convey?

 

[showtime8]

Be nice if he respected the paying fan (not myself) and stopped bullshitting them or treating them like they don't know anything about hockey. A lot to ask for, but hoped Kyle would be that guy.

I'm not sure how you can do that now though. Anything he says is going to come out as disingenuous at this point. The time that he could have done that would have been shortly after being eliminated by the Habs. Show his frustration, guarantee that changes need to be made and more of a clear direction?

The message from last season was that they needed to get a better veteran presence within the line-up to help facilitate the younger players get better. Bring in Thornton to liven the mood, make a trade for Foligno at the deadline - at the time was a captain and bring Spezza back into the fold. Bring in Simmonds who has been around the league as well.

Problem is, none of these guys are in their prime and can make an impact to drag the core 4 into a battle.

 

[ToneDog]

. He can't get passed the 1st round.

The Avs will fire Sakic and hire Kid Kyle immediately after Kyle is fired by the Leafs. Kyle will stay the course and win the Cup and become a legend in Colorado. Hyman will write the story. Book it.

 

[Dreakmur]

100%. He doesn't give a f***. It's his way or nothing. No amount of playoff failures will deter him. He's the new wave hockey mind.

He’s the new wave of hockey posers.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I don't see anything wrong with what Dubas said. He'll either be fired after next season or continue to be GM because the players did right by him.

Like I've said before, the Leafs improved in every single facet of the game last year and still choked after 3-1 series lead. It's not on Dubas if the team f***s up after putting up great offensive and defensive numbers. It's on those players who need to look in the mirror and play better in crunch time.

Tampa could have easily broken their core after getting swept embarrassingly to the Jackets but they continued with their core and made adjustments elsewhere and they won back to back.

These TB comparisons..... TB actually won playoff rounds before the sweep.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Not even considering trading away ONE of the core 4 because the landscape has changed and you're too top heavy - that's not adapting

There's no evidence that we're too top heavy. In fact, we've built a very impressive team around the core 4, despite the unforeseen challenges we ran into, by adapting very well.

 

[Dreakmur]

The Avs will fire Sakic and hire Kid Kyle immediately after Kyle is fired by the Leafs. Kyle will stay the course and win the Cup and become a legend in Colorado. Hyman will write the story. Book it.

So he’ll go to a team with an appropriately paid core?

 

[PromisedLand]

Man I'm super excited for Connor Bedard. Next year a quick 1st round exit with these same losers coming back. Than a full tear down and hopefully some luck and a competent management team and we are on our way with rebuild 2.0

Kyle Dubas, I don't know what these 4 guys said to you or showed to you for you to be so stubborn about defending this group. They've proven they are certified chokers nothing more than that

Fall hard for Bedard?