I never thought I would say this because at the time I was one of his biggest haters...

[Stonehands1990]

Campbell has been just as good as Price.

Campbell .944
Price .919

 

[Gallagbi]

Price has made more difficult saves. He's faced harder shots on a more regular basis vs. better shooters


That's not to say Campbell has been bad. Price has just been better

 

[ruaware41]

I believe you guys will win game 7. However I have never seen a fanbase that over rates their teams more than TML fans. This team is far from winning a Stanley cup...

I actually agree with you. I think Leafs fans are the reason for the curse. We are some of the most immature and most lacking in long term thinking. Any time we see a little hype we go over the top and start making ridiculous exaggerated claims like Matthews > McDavid, Marner > Eichel by a mile, Matthews best player in the world, Leafs got unlucky last time and this is the year, consistently drinking the koolaid every year based on the regular season, etc.

What this does if nothing else is put an extraordinary amount of pressure on the players and seriously inflates their ego unreasonably and unjustifiably and they screw over the team with massive contracts they sit out for while the rest of the young players sign reasonable deals. If there is a curse, it's because of Ballard and at this point it's because of the fans. I wish I had the energy to find all these posts and bump them and laugh at everyone acting like the past 5 years did not exist. These people act condescending toward other fans who want to be sceptical, cherry pick statistics to suit their arguments, and think their viewpoints are the end all be all.

That said Detroit is a terrible city so there's that at least.

 

[therealkoho]

Price has turned back the clock, showing why he's one of the best in the league.

He's looked like Halak this series

 

[Ciao]

^^ @ruaware41 -- The Leafs just have the biggest fanbase, thats all. They aren't any more this, that or the other thing than any other fans -- there's just a whole lot more of them to take notice of.

Also, the fans don't run the team. They have absolutely no effect on what the team does. The players don't really give a shit about what the fans think, and frankly neither does the management and ownership. One way or another, they're there to keep their jobs and make money. No more, no less.

 

[Pete2000]

I actually agree with you. I think Leafs fans are the reason for the curse. We are some of the most immature and most lacking in long term thinking. Any time we see a little hype we go over the top and start making ridiculous exaggerated claims like Matthews > McDavid, Marner > Eichel by a mile, Matthews best player in the world, Leafs got unlucky last time and this is the year, consistently drinking the koolaid every year based on the regular season, etc.

What this does if nothing else is put an extraordinary amount of pressure on the players and seriously inflates their ego unreasonably and unjustifiably and they screw over the team with massive contracts they sit out for while the rest of the young players sign reasonable deals. If there is a curse, it's because of Ballard and at this point it's because of the fans. I wish I had the energy to find all these posts and bump them and laugh at everyone acting like the past 5 years did not exist. These people act condescending toward other fans who want to be sceptical, cherry pick statistics to suit their arguments, and think their viewpoints are the end all be all.

That said Detroit is a terrible city so there's that at least.

dude just stop. We're not in philosophy class

 

[81Leafs50]

And we cant even blame the goaltender because hes been excellent.

Excuse me?

Game 1 - Paul Byron on his knees go top corner
Game 2 - Swimming cant find rebound
Game 3 - Suzuki wrists one on the blocker side, easy save WIFF
Game 4 - great game
Game 5 - Swimming cant cant put glove on rebounds leads to 2 goals
Game 6 - swimming cant find rebound on 1st goal, SOFT goal on Toffoli 5 ft in front of him

Campbell has NOT been GOOD at ALL!

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Excuse me?

Game 1 - Paul Byron on his knees go top corner
Game 2 - Swimming cant find rebound
Game 3 - Suzuki wrists one on the blocker side, easy save WIFF
Game 4 - great game
Game 5 - Swimming cant cant put glove on rebounds leads to 2 goals
Game 6 - swimming cant find rebound on 1st goal, SOFT goal on Toffoli 5 ft in front of him

Campbell has NOT been GOOD at ALL!

Campbell has been good, Price just has been better - and a bigger game changer.

This is the best playoff goaltending we’ve had in a long time.

 

[Gabriel426]

My point is Babcock was a problem, but in hindsight I think the young core might be a problem too. Keefe is just pressing different buttons.

No doubt Babs was a problem. But there are other problems too.
When Babs was here, we complained about stretch pass, not loading up one line like Boston...yet after he left, it seems like we need stretch pass and needed depth scoring. No doubt Babs used Marleau and Leo way too much but was his message to the team wrong? He wanted the team to play hard, play with passion and should not care about individual stats. I don't think anyone on Team Canada under his coaching ever led the Olympics in Goals or Points scored but they won GOLD.
Now, I am not saying Babs is a great person bc I really think what he did with Spezza on opening night was just horrible. While guys like Martin, Polak, Leo and to some extend Carrick all looked like they could barely keep up in the league playing under him but somehow become solid players on other teams. Look at Martin, he was not even our 13th forward and yet he has been playing a solid role for the Islanders(a better team than the Leafs) ever since he got traded.

I think Babs is a coach who knows how the team should play to win, but doesn't know how to teach and guide players to play his way while also doesn't or won't play to the players' strengths. Keefe knows how to play to his players strengths and is willing to adapt but at least to me, he lacks authority over the players.

 

[Dreakmur]

Excuse me?

Game 1 - Paul Byron on his knees go top corner
Game 2 - Swimming cant find rebound
Game 3 - Suzuki wrists one on the blocker side, easy save WIFF
Game 4 - great game
Game 5 - Swimming cant cant put glove on rebounds leads to 2 goals
Game 6 - swimming cant find rebound on 1st goal, SOFT goal on Toffoli 5 ft in front of him

Campbell has NOT been GOOD at ALL!

The last two games would have been 5-0 Montreal leads if Campbell doesn’t make multiple huge saves.

 

[Pete2000]

I actually agree with you. I think Leafs fans are the reason for the curse. We are some of the most immature and most lacking in long term thinking. Any time we see a little hype we go over the top and start making ridiculous exaggerated claims like Matthews > McDavid, Marner > Eichel by a mile, Matthews best player in the world, Leafs got unlucky last time and this is the year, consistently drinking the koolaid every year based on the regular season, etc.

What this does if nothing else is put an extraordinary amount of pressure on the players and seriously inflates their ego unreasonably and unjustifiably and they screw over the team with massive contracts they sit out for while the rest of the young players sign reasonable deals. If there is a curse, it's because of Ballard and at this point it's because of the fans. I wish I had the energy to find all these posts and bump them and laugh at everyone acting like the past 5 years did not exist. These people act condescending toward other fans who want to be sceptical, cherry pick statistics to suit their arguments, and think their viewpoints are the end all be all.

That said Detroit is a terrible city so there's that at least.

Well, that was rather long winded.
You had me at “I actually agree with you.” and lost me at “I think the Leaf fans are the reason for the curse”

 

[81Leafs50]

THIS ALL COMES DOWN TO MARNER.

Matthews is getting mauled out there. Hes got 2 guys on him. Hes getting knocked down FAR from the puck. I dont know how people expect him to get into the play.

Tavares is out. Foligno is hurt. Muzzin is out.

Nylander has stepped up. Engvall has stepped up. Spezza has stepped up. Reilly has stepped up. TJ Brodie has stepped up, Bogosian has stepped up. Kerfoot has stepped up.

MARNER HAS DONE JACK SHIT. Even on a simple play to clear the puck the loser tossed the puck out of play. He's not built for the playoffs. HE CANNOT MAKE A PLAY ON THE PP TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

Leafs fans overhyped this guy as an elite playmaker. OVER 100 PP opportunities and he cant make ONE pass over to Matthews for a one-timer?

Marner cant make plays. He definitely cant score. He's not a winner.

I BLAME THE FANS OF THIS TOWN FOR THE MARNER OVERPAYMENT. I BLAME ALL OF THE NYLANDER IS NOT BETTER THAN MARNER COOCOO's. That debate has been settled once and for all. Nylander is the guy. Better contract. Better performance when it matters. Better stats when it matters.

Marner's stats are all fluff.Lots of open ice and bad teams to take advantage of during the regular season. Can anyone name the last time Marner scored a goal? Thats not Dubas, Shanahan, or the coach.

Dont blame the coach, or the GM, or the President. YOU FANS put the pressure on them to over pay Marner and give him responsibility and power he does not deserve.

Matthews scored 21 goals (40) less than Marner scored pts (61) in their rookie seasons. Matthews just came off a 41 goals in 52 games. AND Marner makes only $737,250 less than Matthews?

JUST BLAME THE DUMB FANS. NO ONE ELSE.

CAN you fathom that at one time Matthews vs Marner was even a debate in this town? on the tv, on the radio, etc etc

ALL YOU so called educated hockey fans should be ashamed of yourselves.

 

[Cobra777]

If Montreal wins this, everyone, and I do mean everyone from shanahan to dubas and to Keefe should be fired. They are all culpable, shanahan the most culpable as he is the president. The marner and matthews contracts are brutal, and I thought that before COVID came along forcing a flat cap ....

Literally I can't argue with this statement from ELC to this much money with no proven playoff performance

 

[Cobra777]

Leafs could win Game 7 and smoke WPG. In fact Leafs could have easily won the first game, if not for some flukey plays. Leafs could have won both these OT games as well. MTL is being dominated and Price is keeping them in it. There is nothing special about the Habs. Like a fighter losing on points getting dummied, but manages to throw a punch as the other fighter trips, and knocks him out.

The Habs have always had horseshoes and rabbits feet up their azz, every thing they touch always seems to go in at crucial times, as a young boy I witnessed countless amount of times them tying a game with one or a half second left in a game then winning in ot. 93 with an average team but great goaltender in Roy they won something like 10 or 11 ot. games that playoff run that even vegas odds could not duplicate. They always seem to get the bounces as if they paid a kings ransom to fate. I remember my father always pissed saying if you wanna beat this team you got to be ahead by 3 goals with a minute to go sarcastically because he witnessed so many stinking tying goals with seconds to go, like a puck off sticks and shin pads deflections had eyes. I remember different teams playing at the forum if you checked or touch one of their players the fans booed for eternity. This is why I hate that team always seems like lady luck is riding shotgun at everything they do come playoff time.

Last season they had no business and would not have even made post season if not for the covid bubble and beat the Penguins 1st round.

 

[makbeer]

Campbell has been good, Price just has been better - and a bigger game changer.

This is the best playoff goaltending we’ve had in a long time.

Andersen was equally good last season vs CLB (.936) and he was better in the second Boston series where he posted a .926, that was a WAY higher level of difficulty than this crappy montreal team.

 

[makbeer]

Marner is a problem - he gives the puck away too easily, is soft on the puck, makes careless plays, hesitates too much.

Most of this series has been Marner carrying the puck and dumping it in, then Matthews working his tail off to retrieve pucks and then getting it to Marner in scoring areas and Marner losing it or shooting it into the goalies' chest.

I'm not sure why Marner is acting as the puck carrier and Matthews as the puck retriever it makes no sense.

 

[Raym11]

He wasnt the full problem ever, a team of losers is a team of losers.

 

[81Leafs50]

The last two games would have been 5-0 Montreal leads if Campbell doesn’t make multiple huge saves.

BUT the Toffoli goal is still a weak goal. The one weak goal everyone complains that Freddy lets in that kills the team? ......... RIGHT?

 

[Dreakmur]

BUT the Toffoli goal is still a weak goal. The one weak goal everyone complains that Freddy lets in that kills the team? ......... RIGHT?

Yeah, every goalie lets in the odd bad goal.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

The problem is that the Leafs hired a guy with NO front office experience to run a team. Shanahan is absolutely clueless. He then hired a guy who no other team would’ve hired to be their GM... and then he hired his buddy, which no other team would’ve hired.

The problem is that the Leafs have 3 people running this team, who should not be running an NHL organization.

Dave...you're not getting hired back as the Asst. GM or GM...stick with your TV analyst gig...it's still better than what Mark Hunter has going on right now.

 

[Stephen]

Actually your original point was the Thornton situation being Babcock-esque. And even with their questions, I still take Matthews on the ice over the Thornton/Marleau's of the world. I think the question now is whether they can step up. Before it was why we weren't even letting them try while weaker options were failing

No that’s a sub point of the idea that Babcock was a problem but so are the Leafs young core mix. Keefe’s favouritism is just an example of how we aren’t exactly in the clear and live in a complete meritocracy.

 

[Stephen]

I prefer a tough coach for young players.

I think the horse is out of the stable on that one to some extent. You want a young core at their age to have internalized standards for competition by now and a coach to be a partner in realizing that. Love Babcock or hate Babcock, whatever value was in his message should have been internalized. The stupid cliches of Gud Pro and starting on time are basics. Not sure you can have a strict disciplinarian come in and start lighting fires like they’re problem children at this stage with the celebrity and job security that has been built up. Anybody who comes in and acts tough is just going to be a goofy gym teacher if they don’t want to be serious.

 

[m1ker]

For a spark we didn't have. To get back on rotation we slide in that extra forward or go right to line 3 to get back on track. It really wasn't a problem at all last night

The spark was Brodie scoring to tie the game. Stacking the first line during the first minute means to start the OT we were rolling with lines that haven’t ever played together. Keefe needs to stop trying to over coach. It’s too late to juggle new lines especially when we aren’t losing. Nylander has never played with Matthews and Marner it should never be an option unless the period is ending or we are losing the game.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

If Montreal wins this, everyone, and I do mean everyone from shanahan to dubas and to Keefe should be fired. They are all culpable, shanahan the most culpable as he is the president. The marner and matthews contracts are brutal, and I thought that before COVID came along forcing a flat cap ....

But based on your reasoning, shouldn't they all be fired already? Or will you change your mind if they win?

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

But maybe Babcock wasn't the problem with this team.

It took me a while to come to grips with it. [MOD]

Babcock was part of the issue for sure. But what I know for sure is Babcock's a jerk and I don't miss him so it's moot.