I'm Just Not Feeling It This Year

[darrylsittler27]

I'm to the point I don't really care about reg. season anymore. Bettman and Dubas have taken the fun out of this build and I don't see this team winning the cup this year. I just have a feeling Dubas gets fired and this was all wasted time.

 

[mikeyz]

We currently have two of the best players to EVER wear a Leafs jersey just entering their physical prime surrounded by a very solid supporting cast. The team is high scoring and plays an exciting style of hockey...no nothing interesting to watch here...

This is a stretch my dude. Lol.

I thought this was a Blue Jays discussion thread.

Me too. I am not going to lie. LMFAO

 

[CabanaBoy5]

One thing to add to the dour mood of this thread is last night's preseason game. That was the showcase of the team's up and coming (and depth) talent. I know some will disagree but there's a noticeable gap between all of them and actual NHL players at this moment. The players who most looked to be NHLers last night were the NHLers: Sandin, Samsonov, Simmonds and Clifford. That doesn't mean some of the youngest don't eventually develop into NHL level talent but I'm not super confident that any major impact to the 2022-23 roster is coming from within.

The best prospects weren't even on display, although I consider Robertson our best. I think Knies, Amirov, Niemala, and Hirvonen would have greatly enhanced your outlook if they had played last night.

We have a legitimate Stanley Cup Contender who are favoured to win their division by most. I feel blessed to be watching this team especially having had the displeasure of watching the 80's Leafs and Ballard's shenanigans. This team plays an entertaining brand of hockey, and have one of the top two players in the world on it along with a top 5 winger in the league. Sure we get frustrated with the lack of success in the playoffs, but at least they entertain us for 7-8 months a year. I am most excited at the beginning of the year with the anticipation that this could be the year. Enjoy the ride.

 

[shortfuze]

Normally I'm excited for the start of every year but this year it's just meh. There is just so little to look forward too. They've done everything

-Team set it's points records.
-Auston won the individual awards now and set the Leaf Records.
-Marner is B2B 1st team All Star, nothing left to prove.
-Rielly signed long term, no UFA drama
-Nylander had his best year it will only go down
-Tavares will regress, and we will continue to complain about his cap hit
-Robertson is the only prospect that could even make the team and might still end up in the minors
-Goalies are new but it's pretty much lateral changes at best.
-All the new skaters players are bottom 6 wingers

They'll score a lot of goals, they'll give up a lot of goals, they'll win a lot of games, make the playoffs and play someone from Florida. There is no cap space to make a big TDL deal so this is it. Can we just fast forward to April.

I thought last year was an 82 game preseason but for the individuals it really meant something so that was fun to watch..... Now that they've accomplished basically everything possible in the regular season it really is an 82 game preseason and I just DGAF. Never thought I'd say that.

Anyone else feel like this?

How about getting excited watching them try to win a cup?

 

[sxvnert]

Having been feeling it since the Habs disaster. Player awards/achievements are nice but a cup appearance is all I care about.

 

[Sypher04]

I gotta say, the whole losing in the first round is getting old

Hot take

 

[Seras]

Core aged in a good way, they gained more xp last year.

I'm pumped as always, go leafs go! Make the playoffs and win the cup

 

[Mess]

Normally I'm excited for the start of every year but this year it's just meh. There is just so little to look forward too. They've done everything

I thought last year was an 82 game preseason but for the individuals it really meant something so that was fun to watch..... Now that they've accomplished basically everything possible in the regular season it really is an 82 game preseason and I just DGAF. Never thought I'd say that.

Anyone else feel like this?

The NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL teams that have not won championships in the 21st century​

Getting out of a championship losing streak is not as easy as it seems, while the losers try to get out of that hole, the other teams already know how to win for the upcoming season. The NFL and NBA are the two league with most teams without championships in the 21st century.

One of the saddest stories among the four big leagues is the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), they were highly dominant in the 20th century but they haven't won a Stanley Cup in over 55 years.

Sadly when you hold the distinction of the NHL franchise with the longest playoff winning drought 2004 and the longest Cup winning drought 1667 then as a fan it really does come down to the playoff results and the regular season only a warm-up and somewhat meaningless time as long as you qualify for the playoffs.

When the crest on the front is the priority not the name on the back then its about team wins and not individual player achievements. With each passing year it all comes down to the playoff results even more.

 

[TMLAM34]

What is this opening post?! LETS f***ING GOOOOOO!!!!!

 

[Holymakinaw]

How about getting excited watching them try to win a cup?

Watching a bunch of soft millionaires play pond hockey all year long, and then get knocked out every single 1st round they make it into since 2004, is nothing to get excited about.

No, until they shake the stink of failure off them, and start playing with real heart and winning in the playoffs........MEH.

 

[deprw]

How it isn't interesting, it is basicly make or break season for our team and front office. It also seems that we have acknowledged it and made changes based on it. There is also more parity in the league, since rise of the prime Tampa Bay. There isn't any team that you can say for sure getting into finals, like we had for few seasons. Lightning failed their first chance and Avalanche too, but now there is few potential teams, but not one single or two candidates like we had for four years.

Last season was boring for me, because it was same as 2019-2020, where you anticipated playoffs and all that meant was first round. For me this is season have more meaning and I think is more drastic to our future. I don't think being first round hand shake line champion has any meaning this year, if the season ends up to first round. I hope our players have matured and we get at least middle of the pack goaltending.

 

[Trapper]

The NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL teams that have not won championships in the 21st century​

Getting out of a championship losing streak is not as easy as it seems, while the losers try to get out of that hole, the other teams already know how to win for the upcoming season. The NFL and NBA are the two league with most teams without championships in the 21st century.

One of the saddest stories among the four big leagues is the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), they were highly dominant in the 20th century but they haven't won a Stanley Cup in over 55 years.

Sadly when you hold the distinction of the NHL franchise with the longest playoff winning drought 2004 and the longest Cup winning drought 1667 then as a fan it really does come down to the playoff results and the regular season only a warm-up and somewhat meaningless time as long as you qualify for the playoffs.

When the crest on the front is the priority not the name on the back then its about team wins and not individual player achievements. With each passing year it all comes down to the playoff results even more.

Damn that is a long drought. No wonder this team frustrates me.

 

[makbeer]

I guess it’s all a matter of mindset. I watch hockey for the pure enjoyment of the sports, and we’re as good as we have ever been. Like we are literally watching franchise history unfolding with Matthews and Marner every game.

But if storylines are what you need to get into it, here are some:

- Matthews and Marner to reach Leafs top 10 in all-time points?
- Marner first time reaching 100 points?
- Can Matthews be the first 60 goal scorer to repeat in the cap era?
- Can a healthy Matthews flirt with 70 goals?
- Division title? Presidents trophy?
- Can the Leafs set the franchise record again?
- Does Robertson make an impact this year?
- Does Knies join the team for a playoff run?
- Can Sandin and Liljegren take a step and cement themselves as top 4 defensemen?
- Will Murray and Samsonov be the answer in goal?
- Can Rielly pass Turnbull for 4th in all-time points among Leafs defensemen
- Can Matthews repeat as Hart and Ted Lindsay winner?
- Could Keefe win the Jack Adams?
- Will a Leaf challenge for the Art Ross or the Selke this year?
- Will the Leafs depth adds pan out?
- Can Matthews score 50 in 50?

The thing keeping me interested right now is the goalie situation. I went from hating it and feeling like the season was over to somehow convincing myself that these goalies could be difference makers.

But i feel you as well, I am way less excited by this season than any season for a long time.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Last season, I watched 15 minutes of game time once in a while. I watched maybe 3 games in full, I wasn't feeling it. I think it took a full year to get over the Habs series loss.

I was very pissed off after the Tampa series, some interesting story lines this year for me to follow. That being said, my actual hopes of seeing a series win or a cup run? Low. It is a group of losers until they aren't.

I'm just going to watch this season, not live or die by every regular season game...hope they upgrade at RD and forward and see where it goes.

Hopefully goaltending holds up.

If you're not feeling it this year though, don't worry, it's okay to step away.

 

[Mess]

Damn that is a long drought. No wonder this team frustrates me.

This is year 19 since the Leafs won a playoff series and year 56 since they won a Stanley Cup.
If you're one of the unlucky ones that has spent nearly 2 decades waiting for a single series win, compounded by 5 decades of ones life supporting the Blue and White without a Cup then each passing regular season only becomes more disappointing by the end results.

Watching and cheering on 82 regular season games just to get to watch 7 or less playoff games, becomes like Leaf Nation fans are serving a life sentence like being tossed in hockey prison, with no chance of parole.

Once a Leaf fan always a Leaf fan since birth, so now the only way out is the Leafs winning their way of this what seems more like punishment more then enjoyment annually.

With each passing year and decade the regular season results become less and less meaningful. Its almost like you wished the regular season had a Fast Forward button to push to advance the calendar by 6 months so you can focus on the only results that really matter now the playoff ones.

Well maybe this is the year Leaf fans actually make parole.

 

[MAB1]

Assuming by your post your a bandwagon fan who started following in 2017? Only assuming so because if you watched the absolute shit show we had before this, you'd appreciate that while it has been frustrating to not win rounds, the team is elite, we have superstars including the best goal scorer in the league on our roster, and we are a yearly playoff team.

This will likely never happen again having this high quality of talent on the same roster so enjoy the ride. Plenty of time to not watch when they age out or a new GM blows it up and we're drafting 7th OA every year again.

Was gonna say, has it really been that long since the days of Bozak and Grabovski being this team's top 6 centers?

 

[notbias]

Not a lot of hockey fans on this board I see.

This team is a lot of fun to watch, the hockey they play is amazing.

 

[leafsfan5]

I mean yeah, obviously all that matters in terms of progress is the playoff result. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the process

We have a pretty damn good team led by the best goal scorer in the world and a top 3 winger. Watching them for 82 games is a treat

After a long day of being in the lab I look forward to watching the game and posting here, it's a fun time.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Normally I'm excited for the start of every year but this year it's just meh. There is just so little to look forward too. They've done everything

-Team set it's points records.
-Auston won the individual awards now and set the Leaf Records.
-Marner is B2B 1st team All Star, nothing left to prove.
-Rielly signed long term, no UFA drama
-Nylander had his best year it will only go down
-Tavares will regress, and we will continue to complain about his cap hit
-Robertson is the only prospect that could even make the team and might still end up in the minors
-Goalies are new but it's pretty much lateral changes at best.
-All the new skaters players are bottom 6 wingers

They'll score a lot of goals, they'll give up a lot of goals, they'll win a lot of games, make the playoffs and play someone from Florida. There is no cap space to make a big TDL deal so this is it. Can we just fast forward to April.

I thought last year was an 82 game preseason but for the individuals it really meant something so that was fun to watch..... Now that they've accomplished basically everything possible in the regular season it really is an 82 game preseason and I just DGAF. Never thought I'd say that.

Anyone else feel like this?

I watched some (I shut it off after the game 2 reffing fiasco) of a horribly reffed Leafs/TB series last year, the distaste is an almost neurotic feeling of "the jokes on you for watching this and pretending it's on the level", so I won't do so nearly as much if at all this year. Got rid of the sports package to ensure this.

It's no longer a question for me "does this team have it come playoffs?", it's now a statement being posed "this team simply doesn't have it. When they do, the league insults the viewer, prove me wrong". They were robbed against T.B IMO and it's not fair to fans of the sport. I dare anyone to objectively rewatch the series.

Hardcore Leafs fan will probably be more diehard but fewer in numbers. The NHL and it's peculiar post season reffing is killing the passion.

For me it will be a long season of "playoff watch". I will hibernate until then.

 

[Duffman955]

I don't get it man.

Are fans of 31 teams supposed to be depressed year round because they didn't win the cup?

I watch cause leafs is my hometown team and I bleed blue.

Let's f***ing get it. Win or lose

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Normally I'm excited for the start of every year but this year it's just meh. There is just so little to look forward too. They've done everything

-Team set it's points records.
-Auston won the individual awards now and set the Leaf Records.
-Marner is B2B 1st team All Star, nothing left to prove.
-Rielly signed long term, no UFA drama
-Nylander had his best year it will only go down
-Tavares will regress, and we will continue to complain about his cap hit
-Robertson is the only prospect that could even make the team and might still end up in the minors
-Goalies are new but it's pretty much lateral changes at best.
-All the new skaters players are bottom 6 wingers

They'll score a lot of goals, they'll give up a lot of goals, they'll win a lot of games, make the playoffs and play someone from Florida. There is no cap space to make a big TDL deal so this is it. Can we just fast forward to April.

I thought last year was an 82 game preseason but for the individuals it really meant something so that was fun to watch..... Now that they've accomplished basically everything possible in the regular season it really is an 82 game preseason and I just DGAF. Never thought I'd say that.

Anyone else feel like this?

Maybe a little.

You got something better to do/watch?

You put this out there, so tell the rest of us what you'll be doing instead of watching as many regular season Leafs games as you can.

That's your answer. But also, help the rest of us out here. Give us some insight on what's a more enjoyable waste of time than watching Leafs games?

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

I watched some (I shut it off after the game 2 reffing fiasco) of a horribly reffed Leafs/TB series last year, the distaste is an almost neurotic feeling of "the jokes on you for watching this and pretending it's on the level", so I won't do so nearly as much if at all this year. Got rid of the sports package to ensure this.

It's no longer a question for me "does this team have it come playoffs?", it's now a statement being posed "this team simply doesn't have it. When they do, the league insults the viewer, prove me wrong". They were robbed against T.B IMO and it's not fair to fans of the sport. I dare anyone to objectively rewatch the series.

Hardcore Leafs fan will probably be more diehard but fewer in numbers. The NHL and it's peculiar post season reffing is killing the passion.

For me it will be a long season of "playoff watch". I will hibernate until then.

I do seem to remember Tampa getting like a 5 on 3 or the Leafs on a 5 minute major or something and that was the series right there, and it was total bullshit.

BUT, we ALL should know at this point, if you are a Canadian based team you will not only have to beat your opponent, you will also have to beat the referees, and that's just the way it is. That's it. And I'm not even complaining here just pointing out the obvious, you better have a team sooooo good that even the refs cannot deny you the win.

Maybe the Leafs do it this season.

 

[saffronleaf]

Same. Just not into it this year.

It was the same last year, too, after the devastating loss to Montreal. But Matthews' epic campaign, arguably the greatest in Leafs history, reeled me back in.

Maybe something epic like that will happen again and I'll be tuning back in. But second season in a row where I'm just not all that interested going into it. Seems like a team that's slightly worse in every way, facing competition that's slightly better in every way. Destined for another game 7 first round loss.

 

[PromisedLand]

Same. Just not into it this year.

It was the same last year, too, after the devastating loss to Montreal. But Matthews' epic campaign, arguably the greatest in Leafs history, reeled me back in.

Maybe something epic like that will happen again and I'll be tuning back in. But second season in a row where I'm just not all that interested going into it. Seems like a team that's slightly worse in every way, facing competition that's slightly better in every way. Destined for another game 7 first round loss.

Dubas and Shanahan's press conference last season after the abysmal results in the habs series has turned a lot of folks off (including me). Dubas' decisions to protect Holl (who cost Leafs Game 6 and Game 7); Keefes insistance of playing Holl; similar playoff results since Matthews was drafted and dubas was named GM. Dubas boasted that he will bet his career on his vision so lets see if he holds true to his own words.

Then you have recent signings around the league where most of the young players signed a long term deal (7 to 8 years) at a reasonable cap hit. Leafs are cap strapped with both Matthews/Willy being pending UFAs after this season; goalie situation being a hail mary and defense too not so great.

Keefe has been outcoached in every playoff series he has coached. Moron has no counter when teams figure his system out in the post season.

One of two things are (hopefully) gonna happen:
1) Leafs go on a run and everybody gets sucked in (low probability)
or
2) Dubas is finally fired!; and may be some folks get back in to see what the new vision looks like (high probability)

To be seen....

 

[saffronleaf]

People get very excited over the offseason player movement and pre-season storylines, but from what I can tell, having an quality team making small boring moves in the summer and trying to do more of the same is really the sign of an elite team in the midst of a window of contention.

or more accurately, it's the sign of a team's management thinking that they are an elite team in the midst of a window of contention.

it's worth noting that the team's management's thinking is in stark contrast to the team's results, which have stayed the same for many years.