I have serious concerns for next year (2023-24)

[darrylsittler27]

Why?

Like it or not you dont just gamble and hope to win a cup. It is almost always the team with a strong backend that wins those tough series. It is rarely the high flying scoring team that wins because in the playoffs goals dry up and become much harder to get as everyone clamps down and stops being lazy. The current compostion is more of an offense first defense. Gio and Brodie are older now. Reilly, Lily, Timmins and Klingberg are more offensive Dmen. So, who does the dirty work and make opponents pay the price? As far as Samsonov goes his playoff record speaks volumes. Are we better than the team that entered the playoffs against TB. Minus O`Reilly, Accari,Schenn. So ,my expectation is this team wont do any better next year in the playoffs.

That's scary - 16 seasons without a decent captain. And 20 seasons without a good GM.

The leafs have a formula that never works and just keeps rehashing the hopium.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Like it or not you dont just gamble and hope to win a cup. It is almost always the team with a strong backend that wins those tough series. It is rarely the high flying scoring team that wins because in the playoffs goals dry up and become much harder to get as everyone clamps down and stops being lazy. The current compostion is more of an offense first defense. Gio and Brodie are older now. Reilly, Lily, Timmins and Klingberg are more offensive Dmen. So, who does the dirty work and make opponents pay the price? As far as Samsonov goes his playoff record speaks volumes. Are we better than the team that entered the playoffs against TB. Minus O`Reilly, Accari,Schenn. So ,my expectation is this team wont do any better next year in the playoffs.


The leafs have a formula that never works and just keeps rehashing the hopium.

How are you making these determinations in August?

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Like it or not you dont just gamble and hope to win a cup. It is almost always the team with a strong backend that wins those tough series. It is rarely the high flying scoring team that wins because in the playoffs goals dry up and become much harder to get as everyone clamps down and stops being lazy. The current compostion is more of an offense first defense. Gio and Brodie are older now. Reilly, Lily, Timmins and Klingberg are more offensive Dmen. So, who does the dirty work and make opponents pay the price? As far as Samsonov goes his playoff record speaks volumes. Are we better than the team that entered the playoffs against TB. Minus O`Reilly, Accari,Schenn. So ,my expectation is this team wont do any better next year in the playoffs.


The leafs have a formula that never works and just keeps rehashing the hopium.

The formula has most assuredly changed going into this season at least. Instead of the forward group running it's offense exclusively through the Core Four like in years past, Tree has added legitimate scoring options in Bertuzzi and Domi, plus Knies will be here for a full season with the Leafs and he was the only other player besides the Core Four who was able to create offense.

 

[danny90]

The formula has most assuredly changed going into this season at least. Instead of the forward group running it's offense exclusively through the Core Four like in years past, Tree has added legitimate scoring options in Bertuzzi and Domi, plus Knies will be here for a full season with the Leafs and he was the only other player besides the Core Four who was able to create offense.

IMHO bertuzzi and domi are minor upgrades if at all over kerfoot and bunting. Here’s hoping Knies can be a difference maker.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

IMHO bertuzzi and domi are minor upgrades if at all over kerfoot and bunting. Here’s hoping Knies can be a difference maker.

I for one am going to miss Alex Kerfoot chasing after his stick outside the blue line on the penalty kill.

 

[saffronleaf]

very serious

 

[Twowingcantfly]

I for one, would like to see a change to the first PP unit. Every team knows how to shut it down come playoff time. Add Willie to first unit. Drop JT to 2nd unit. Let's see if they can stop us now....

 

[Fogelhund]

I for one, would like to see a change to the first PP unit. Every team knows how to shut it down come playoff time. Add Willie to first unit. Drop JT to 2nd unit. Let's see if they can stop us now....

Why do you think it is, teams choose to shut down the PP in the playoffs, but then switch back to just letting it be effective in the regular season?

 

[Twowingcantfly]

Have to try something new. See if it works

 

[Fogelhund]

@Twowingcantfly"We have had the same PP unit every year. They click in the regular season. Then they can't score come playoff time. Columbus, Montreal, TB, Boston, Florida, all shut down this same unit in the playoffs. The book is out on this team. Time to change it up."

The book is out on this team.... but then that book suddenly disappears completely in the regular season, and we magically burn teams all season long. I mean, how ridiculous does that sound? That the whole league shuts down the same unit in the playoffs, has a book on them, but then purposefully puts themselves at a disadvantage in the regular season, and chooses to lose?

You really believe that teams know how to shut down our PP, but choose not to in the regular season? The rest of the NHL, chooses, to lose games in the regular season?

You've got to figure out how to use the quote function too... you are making it look like your words are mine... which clearly they aren't.

 

[Twowingcantfly]

We have had the same PP unit every year. They click in the regular season. Then they can't score come playoff time. Columbus, Montreal, TB, Boston, Florida, all shut down this same unit in the playoffs. The book is out on this team. Time to change it up.

 

[notdoneyet]

IMHO bertuzzi and domi are minor upgrades if at all over kerfoot and bunting. Here’s hoping Knies can be a difference maker.

Kerfoot was an offensive black hole. Absolutely no loss there
Domi is much better
Bunting scored 23 on the top line
Bertuzzi is grittier and will score 35 with matthews/marner

Both the new additions are major upgrades compared to the two we lost

 

[Twowingcantfly]

@Twowingcantfly

The book is out on this team.... but then that book suddenly disappears completely in the regular season, and we magically burn teams all season long. I mean, how ridiculous does that sound? That the whole league shuts down the same unit in the playoffs, has a book on them, but then purposefully puts themselves at a disadvantage in the regular season, and chooses to lose?

You really believe that teams know how to shut down our PP, but choose not to in the regular season? The rest of the NHL, chooses, to lose games in the regular season?

Those are your words, and probably true. However, the fact remains. Our PP gets shut down by every opponent come playoff time, despite having a really good PP in the regular season. The last time we had a working PP in the playoffs, Kadri was Here. So logic suggests a more mobile skater on the first PP unit.

 

[Fogelhund]

Those are your words, and probably true. However, the fact remains. Our PP gets shut down by every opponent come playoff time, despite having a really good PP in the regular season. The last time we had a working PP in the playoffs, Kadri was Here. So logic suggests a more mobile skater on the first PP unit.

You do realize our PP had a 25% success rate during the most recent playoffs?

A higher rate of success than the Stanley Cup Champions?

 

[Gary Nylund]

You really believe that teams know how to shut down our PP, but choose not to in the regular season? The rest of the NHL, chooses, to lose games in the regular season?

Good point, that makes no sense at all.

 

[Twowingcantfly]

You do realize our PP had a 25% success rate during the most recent playoffs?

A higher rate of success than the Stanley Cup Champions?

Good joke

 

[Fogelhund]

Good joke

I'm sorry that reality and stats derailed your narrative.

 

[LeafEgo]

Why do you think it is, teams choose to shut down the PP in the playoffs, but then switch back to just letting it be effective in the regular season?

Why do teams choose to beat us in the playoffs, but then switch to just letting us win all regular season long?

There's also two parties to the equation.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Why do teams choose to beat us in the playoffs, but then switch to just letting us win all regular season long?

There's also two parties to the equation.

Well one theory is that the team is simply not built for playoff hockey, which is a definite possibility as regular season hockey and playoff hockey are different. I'm not sure those differences have much of an impact on special teams though.

 

[LeafEgo]

Well one theory is that the team is simply not built for playoff hockey, which is a definite possibility as regular season hockey and playoff hockey are different. I'm not sure those differences have much of an impact on special teams though.

Maybe it doesn't here but similar reasons could apply - other teams sacrificing the body more and how pressure is affecting players on both sides.

Seemed like an honest discussion point though.

 

[Fogelhund]

Why do teams choose to beat us in the playoffs, but then switch to just letting us win all regular season long?

There's also two parties to the equation.

Given this question was specifically about the PP... and it's been since noted that our PP didn't in fact suffer badly last year in the playoffs.... I'm not sure where we are in this conversation.

If anything, we had a 5v5 breakdown in scoring in the second round. We had what... one goal from our top four guys 5v5 against Florida. To me... the main issue was Matthews lack of scoring, and what appears to be a wrist issue. Matthews got his shots (26), but they didn't go in, zero goals. Our team top four, got it's shots... but they didn't go in. They did against Tampa, but not against Florida. Our top four guys scored 2 5v5 goals in 5 games against Florida. Our depth scored 7 goals 5v5. Our top four score at their normal rate.. 5v5, and we are through. More than anything, it's about the top guys showing up when they are needed most... and so far, they haven't learned to do that... and Matthews injury issues..

 

[LeafEgo]

Given this question was specifically about the PP... and it's been since noted that our PP didn't in fact suffer badly last year in the playoffs.... I'm not sure where we are in this conversation.

If anything, we had a 5v5 breakdown in scoring in the second round. We had what... one goal from our top four guys 5v5 against Florida. To me... the main issue was Matthews lack of scoring, and what appears to be a wrist issue. Matthews got his shots (26), but they didn't go in, zero goals. Our team top four, got it's shots... but they didn't go in. They did against Tampa, but not against Florida. Our top four guys scored 2 5v5 goals in 5 games against Florida. Our depth scored 7 goals 5v5. Our top four score at their normal rate.. 5v5, and we are through. More than anything, it's about the top guys showing up when they are needed most... and so far, they haven't learned to do that... and Matthews injury issues..

Makes sense, although I'm wondering how much is star players themselves and how much is deployment or other factors that affect them.

You mentioned it worked against Tampa but not against Florida, but tbh I thought most times out of ten we lose the TB series and perhaps there was something wrong in both rounds.

 

[Notsince67]

Why do teams choose to beat us in the playoffs, but then switch to just letting us win all regular season long?

There's also two parties to the equation.

Regular season chokers?

 

[Fogelhund]

Regular season chokers?

I'd say more like they just haven't learned how to raise their games to the next intensity level. If they have it in them. I think we've seen a little... and I mean just a very little bit of that ability to raise their levels, but it's not been very consistent, and not at the most critical time.

 

[Mess]

I'm of the belief that the Leafs Cap Management is among the worst in the NHL and with Leafs Core 4 forwards eating 1/2 a teams cap is very difficult to win as we have seen.

Not until the Leafs get out of Cap Hell and once JT contract expires and we have only 2 double digit player in the roster will I believe we can build a successful Cup contending team.

Until then we're really only Cinderella contenders forced to have to believe in fairly tales, that everything will come together but usually by the first round the Chariot is already turning into a pumpkin.

I'm certainly not alone as a recent poll shows both fan and public response to the ShanaPlan is failing miserably and confidence in Cap management and team building all failing grades accross the boards at the draft and trades.

Survey shows fan confidence in Leafs front office.​