Joe Thornton Discussion Thread

[Stephen]

Big Joe has been better than I expected. he's got that grandpa strength in the corners and along the wall and he's still got the great hands.

what a signing by Dubas thus far.

So much better, more impactful and youthful in play than Patty Marleau when he came here.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I don't know if he can hold up rest of the season + potentially long playoff run. So far so good, though, for a guy that's allegedly cooked

 

[Morbo]

So much better, more impactful and youthful in play than Patty Marleau when he came here.

yeah it's not even close honestly.

hell Spezza looks fast this year. it's weird.

old guy energy. these guys still have the dream.

 

[LeafsNation75]

So much better, more impactful and youthful in play than Patty Marleau when he came here.

In the 2018-19 Season when it was clearly obvious that Marleau did not have it anymore and was only playing to break Gordie Howe's all time games played record, you don't see that same type of attitude with Thornton because the only thing he wants to win is a Stanley Cup.

 

[zeke]

In the 2018-19 Season when it was clearly obvious that Marleau did not have it anymore and was only playing to break Gordie Howe's all time games played record, you don't see that same type of attitude with Thornton because the only thing he wants to win is a Stanley Cup.

Yup.

 

[michi510]

their motto for the playoffs this year should be #doitforjoe & #doitforspezza

 

[Beyonder91]

There is no better spot for Thornton to play than with Marner and Matthews.

I assumed he would be too slow but Marner and Matthews just always have possession of the puck and Thornton is still good enough that when he gets the puck he can protect it and still make the right play with a pass or shot. He 100% knows his role and isn't letting his ego get in the way. I LOVE IT.

All of this results in Thornton having to skate less as well which should help with his durability over the season/playoffs.

Far better fit than Hyman who tries to control the puck for far too long and can't pass effectively. It's amazing to me that Hyman still hasn't learned to just give the puck to Marner/Matthews ASAP.

 

[Le Cobra]

Joe was the best thing to happen so far this season besides Brodie and Simmonds. Need an elite goalie and defenseman and I would say we are playoff ready.

 

[IceColdBear]

The man is having fun out there, and it's infectious.

In my experience, that is so huge. When you want to get to the rink and be with the guys, everything just clicks and hockey is easy.

I love Matthews, but in the past he often seemed like he wasn't having fun on the ice - he was just doing a job that he's really good at. It looks like he's having all kinds of fun playing with Thornton.

He's a perfect compliment to Auston and Mitch. He's big and strong, and if there's an open passing lane, no one can feather it like Big Joe even though he's lost a step.

I love what he and Simmonds have added to this team.

 

[zeke]

their motto for the playoffs this year should be #doitforjoe & #doitforspezza

And #doitforgetzlaf

 

[TMLeafer]

Dudes just a truck along the boards. Always frees up the puck and then Marner and Matthews can wheel around the zone.

 

[Gabriel426]

I said it when Jumbo signed. I hoped Jumbo will have the same impact as Ibra with Milan. So far Jumbo is doing just that.

 

[zeke]

I said it when Jumbo signed. I hoped Jumbo will have the same impact as Ibra with Milan. So far Jumbo is doing just that.

Nice call.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Dubas/Keefe deserve a lot of credit for their vision of Thornton playing on the top line. It's worked perfectly so far, and most people didn't really expect him to be used there

 

[Pucker77]

In the 2018-19 Season when it was clearly obvious that Marleau did not have it anymore and was only playing to break Gordie Howe's all time games played record, you don't see that same type of attitude with Thornton because the only thing he wants to win is a Stanley Cup.

The turning point for me with Marleau was when a story was reported about how he was a stickler for his skates and how much he loved the Reebok skates he had. The bad part was that Reebok had been out of hockey for a few years so when Reebok switched to CCM Marleau bought a bunch of the same skate because he did not want to change. By the time the story came out it was said he only had a pair or two left and that he would normally use 4-5 pairs a season. When asked about it he laughed and said "I have to keep these last couple pairs as long as possible. So I try not to stress the boot as much as I used to."

It is such a subtle thing and it could have very easily been sarcasm that I misinterpreted, but after that any time I saw him take a wide turn rather than stop on a play I always thought he was prioritizing his skates more than the team.

After Marleau's meticulous personality, Thornton's "surfer boy" personality is a breath of fresh air.

 

[Pucker77]

I would be the first to say that Joe Thornton has been an incredible surprise so far this season. I would also say that even knowing how well he is playing, I would still be very careful with his minutes.

Just because he is skating like he is 30 again, does not mean he can recover like he is 30 again. Im sure as the season progresses if the Leafs create a substantial gap from the other teams in the division they will probably start to rest guys like Thornton, Spezza, and Simmonds on a bit of a regular basis, but even in game every now and then I would try to lower his minutes.

He has been an inspiration so far, but Thornton, like most of us, probably wants to keep that energy for when it really matters. In the playoffs.

 

[DitchMarner]

Thornton looked really good for a stretch but hasn't been that effective since returning from his latest injury. Keefe did the right thing taking him off the top line for the time being, but I really don't like having him and the other JT on one line.

 

[Dave92]

I wish Keefe would stop accommodating this guy as if the team owes him something, if he wanted to do us a favor or win in Toronto he could have come over with Marleau 3 years ago. His team falls apart and he gets put on the 4th line and suddenly he graces us with his presence.

He had an ok start that wasn't as good as his production suggested, but he's been awful lately (although he was ok tonight.) he doesn't belong anywhere near the top 6 and probably not in the top 9. He's completely useless in transition and he's not even good on the cycle in the O-zone when he's set up. How many time do they pass with to him and he just gets pinned on the boards or throws it away.

 

[Stephen]

Jumbo went from first year Marleau to second year playoff Marleau in a 2 week span.

 

[DarkKnight]

Moving forward, I just hope we react based on fit and play, rather than pedigree and showing him respect.

 

[ToneDog]

But I read on this board that Jumbo was on a 65 pt pace and that he was better value than some of the UFAs that we could not afford due to being up against the cap. Keefe needs to rest him, especially on b2b games or he will pretty much be done come playoff time.

 

[hotpaws]

Jumbo went from first year Marleau to second year playoff Marleau in a 2 week span.

and he'll be back to first year Marleau as soon as Mathews gets healthy

 

[NK94]

He’s 41, makes league minimum and has 12 points in 17 games. He’s been as advertised.

Thornton is one of many that will benefit from these upcoming 4 day breaks.

 

[NK94]

Jumbo went from first year Marleau to second year playoff Marleau in a 2 week span.

Good thing Thornton doesn’t make $6.25M a year.

 

[klmdg]

He is completely done

He sucked the life out of the 1st line, then the 2nd line, and now he is dragging PP1 and the 4th line to the depths of hell

He can't keep up with the play, can't win a puck battle, and can't even make passes at this point

Enough already