Is this leafs team likeable?

[Erndog]

I'm 35 and have been watching this team religiously for about 20 yrs. Like... virtually every game, every season. Even if I'm busy I pvr them and watch them after.

This incarnation has been easily, EASILY, one of my most hated Leaf teams ever. Not disputing the talent, but the effort level... the compete level... the greed of some of the players... the comments post game... it's just all too much. Death by 1000 cuts for me. I've grown to really hate these guys and this team and frankly wish I never invested so much time and effort on this club.

 

[c9777666]

So apparently having skill makes you soft?

 

[c9777666]

You want to see a likable team? Watch the Raptors. While the Leafs are getting beat by zamboni drivers, Raptors just beat a good team by 46 points. They're not the most skilled team on every night, but everyone on that team plays unselfish, and gives it their all defensively. They leave everything on the floor, and the coach supports them by never letting the refs get away with a bad call.

The same Raptors team everyone wanted to run out of the city after their LeBron debacles?

 

[c9777666]

It is why Character/Heart/Toughness etc... is imperative in this City.

And yet...... those Pat Burns/Pat Quinn Leaf teams that basically did not have a ton of skill and were loaded with toughness didn't come through all the time themselves in big spots. But those teams were so beloved despite their playoff shortcomings.

 

[c9777666]

It's like their defining feature.

Toronto breeds this problem.

This team will never have more than a 5% chance of winning any year in a cap league.

I hope the NHLPA breaks the cap.

This core will be fine when Boston's core ages out (and Tampa's core in that same division has had their own playoff bugaboos). Don't blow it up. I would preach patience, not panic.

This isn't 2003 when you can basically win a Cup with zero skill like the Devils did.

The team that has led the league in toughness and grit and heart this year- Columbus- is on a 7-game losing streak.

Skill still matters to a degree IMHO

 

[Dave92]

I won't be mad if Eichle manages to lead his team past the Leafs and into the playoffs. The guy is playing with a ton of heart and deserves better than he's gotten to this point.

How anybody who grew up playing or watching hockey and is over the age of 12 could enjoy watching these over paid wimps is beyond me.

I don't remember ever hating a Leafs team or player before 2014 and i've been watching since the 90's so i've seen a lot of shit teams. It would always be disappointing but never anger towards the players. I legitimately hate some of the players and management on the Leafs right now.

 

[Erdinger]

And yet...... those Pat Burns/Pat Quinn Leaf teams that basically had zero skill and all toughness didn't come through all the time themselves in big spots. But those teams were so beloved despite their playoff shortcomings.

Zero skill? Gilmour would have won the Hart in 92-93 except for a mind boggling Mario Lemieux year

 

[c9777666]

I won't be mad if Eichle manages to lead his team past the Leafs and into the playoffs. The guy is playing with a ton of heart and deserves better than he's gotten to this point.

Eichel has had three good games this week after a bad month. Let's not put him in the playoffs yet.

 

[Kurtz]

The same Raptors team everyone wanted to run out of the city after their LeBron debacles?

Nope.

First of all, calling them "debacles" is a little off - Raptors were underdogs in every series against Lebron. There's a reason he got to finals every year in the East...

But although those teams did play fairly hard for Casey and were much more likeble than this Leafs team- the culture change happened when Nurse took over 2 years ago. That's the attitude to admire and emulate.

They don't deserve to hold that Raptors championship basketball.

 

[FraumBallard]

And yet...... those Pat Burns/Pat Quinn Leaf teams that basically had zero skill and all toughness didn't come through all the time themselves in big spots. But those teams were so beloved despite their playoff shortcomings.

Everyone loves a Wendel Clark/Tie Domi/Darcy Tucker/Gary Robert's etc... on your team.
Sundin/Mogilny/Andreychuck/Nieuwendyke/Gilmour/Clark etc...
Plenty of everything.
They never won the Cup but they
cared.
Intangibles matter.
A lot.
As we are seeing right now.
Pretty good skill too.
No?

 

[Erdinger]

Nope.

First of all, calling them "debacles" is a little off - Raptors were underdogs in every series against Lebron. There's a reason he got to finals every year in the East...

But although those teams did play fairly hard for Casey and were much more likeble than this Leafs team- the culture change happened when Nurse took over 2 years ago. That's the attitude to admire and emulate.

They don't deserve to hold that Raptors championship basketball.

A Jays baseball would be more fitting

 

[Stephen]

And yet...... those Pat Burns/Pat Quinn Leaf teams that basically did not have a ton of skill and were loaded with toughness didn't come through all the time themselves in big spots. But those teams were so beloved despite their playoff shortcomings.

Those Burns teams are a little overrated in some ways because we never saw a team get to the finals after them, but at the same time, how can you bad mouth a team that was tight knit, played hard and actually went on long playoff runs?

 

[FraumBallard]

I'm waiting for Sandin, Liljegren, Korshkov and Robertson.

Why?

 

[koyvoo]

And yet...... those Pat Burns/Pat Quinn Leaf teams that basically did not have a ton of skill and were loaded with toughness didn't come through all the time themselves in big spots. But those teams were so beloved despite their playoff shortcomings.

Both the Burns and Quinn era teams made two conference finals each. That’s literally more than anything else since 1967. If they don’t deserve to be beloved by the fanbase then exactly who does?

 

[Erdinger]

Both the Burns and Quinn era teams made two conference finals each. That’s literally more than anything else since 1967. If they don’t deserve to be beloved by the fanbase then exactly who does?

Quinn teams never stood a chance because they would have been facing the Avs or Wings. The problem was although the ownership finally was spending money they would never do what the Avs and Wings were doing and adding true superstars to round out their teams. Leafs were handing out money to washed up guys like Leetch and Francis instead. Now finally after drafting well and not being afraid to spend this team totally screwed up the cap starting with signing Tavares. Not against the signing but I wish it could have happened a year later

 

[Captain14]

Both the Burns and Quinn era teams made two conference finals each. That’s literally more than anything else since 1967. If they don’t deserve to be beloved by the fanbase then exactly who does?

Exactly! Plus, with those playoff teams, I always felt good about our chances to win any playoff series we were in.
This squad...I have never felt that way

 

[FraumBallard]

So apparently having skill makes you soft?

If you think Kapanen/Johnsson/Kerfoot/Engvall and the rest of the non contact guys ( elite talent excepted ) are skilled , then yeah.
Those guys are all soft.

 

[Cotton]

If you think Kapanen/Johnsson/Kerfoot/Engvall and the rest of the non contact guys ( elite talent excepted ) are skilled , then yeah.
Those guys are all soft.

Kappy isn't soft, he's just inconsistent in effort.

 

[FraumBallard]

Kappy isn't soft, he's just inconsistent in effort.

I agree and I think that makes it worse.
Ya gotta want to play a certain way.
They are all smart and strong enough to play any way that is needed.
When they don't.
That makes them expendable.
Just my take.

 

[FraumBallard]

Not sure a team can be likeable with certain coach's face out there all the time..."Its all about Mike"

How about now?

 

[FraumBallard]

You're wrong Mezinger. Don't you know a lot of Leaf fans like to watch losing teams instead of winning teams? It's more fun watching that

Yeah.
Winning.
Like Saturday?
Lazy take.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Ferraro brought up again today on Overdrive about how the Leafs don't talk at all when they're on the bench. No words of encouragement, no "let's go boys," it's as quiet as a morgue (my words). It's like queuing for the bus in England; go for your shift, come back, shuffle down, rinse, repeat. Now I never played at a high level but our benches in hockey always had noise going on, especially during our playoffs, and I'd reckon everyone else that's played hockey would say the same. I don't know, maybe that's just how it is around the league now and we just focus on the Leafs too much, but at this point I'd even take a high pitched "somebody f***ing go" at this point.

 

[nsleaf]

I love the Leafs.
If I was using a scale of 1-10, I usually enjoy watching them at around a 9.5.... until this season. This group is different, and in a bad way.
We are soft as butter.
Our coach is an arrogant prick.
Our stars are soft, entitled and they seem extremely selfish (not Tavares or Reilly).
Our gm disregards what makes teams successful in the playoffs and has no clue how to negotiate a contract.
The team always seems scared when the chips are down and never stand up for each other.
I know people will tell me “if you don’t like it, stop watching” but I don’t want to stop. I have loved the Leafs my entire life. I just want a more likeable team. This team is getting harder and harder to cheer for.
What change can be made before Christmas to change the character of this team?
Will firing Babcock help?
Will trading Marner net is what we need?
Do we ride this out knowing this team doesn’t have a heartbeat?
How long until fans start booing this team off the ice?

Does it matter?

 

[Joey Hoser]

I'm 35 and have been watching this team religiously for about 20 yrs. Like... virtually every game, every season. Even if I'm busy I pvr them and watch them after.

This incarnation has been easily, EASILY, one of my most hated Leaf teams ever. Not disputing the talent, but the effort level... the compete level... the greed of some of the players... the comments post game... it's just all too much. Death by 1000 cuts for me. I've grown to really hate these guys and this team and frankly wish I never invested so much time and effort on this club.

I'm basically of the exact same timeframe, and I couldn't think more the opposite.

It was basically 15 years of hating the team and waiting for the inevitable rebuild, and now it's come and been done far greater and faster than I ever imagined in all that time. We have a bunch of young, legit superstars on the team and the future is bright.

Yeah this year has been tough. Babcock sucked, Andersen has played poorly, and our best defencemen have been injured to much/all of the year. Boo hoo.

 

[TheProspector]

Like this team? I love this team!