Lack of Killer Instinct

[Lightsol]

Pat Burns’ players had intensity.

What happened to it after 95?

 

[Leaf Fans]

My take on killer instinct is that you either have it by this point or you never will.
These guys have been playing hockey at high levels since they were 6 years old.
If they haven’t learned to start on time and have a killer instinct they probably won’t ever get it

No, if they win a round or two we have found it.

 

[Gabriel426]

Killer instinct all started with the basics, hard work.
You just need to watch the Last Dance to see the meaning of Killer instinct.
Look at what the NC coach said about the time when MJ asked him how to become the best and how that switched MJ mentality from I work as hard as everybody on the team to I will be the hardest working player the coach had ever since.
Or how Rodman practiced with his buds even in the middle of the night or how he watched tapes after tapes.
Or How Kerr had to do everything and anything just to have a slim chance to be in the league.
If any of the core can have MJ mentality and the rest of the core have Rodman’s mentality. Then all the rest think and act like Kerr. This team will be better than TB.

 

[Dreakmur]

What happened to it after 95?

The roster was dismantled.

 

[tronoleaf]

No, in this case I think he was talking about the players' motors, intensity, effort, mental toughness.

As I write that out just makes you want to slap the players in the face eh

 

[egd27]

No, if they win a round or two we have found it.

Oh great, another IF to add to the collection.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Rielly one of the leaders of this team - April 2020
"It's important that we use this downtime to really take a look in the mirror. As players, we all have to be better," he told TSN on Thursday.
He added: "When hockey does resume, I think we know that we have to be better and we have to be more consistent. And I think that this time is important for the players to really think about that and know what's at stake."

Rielly after this year's debacle:
"If you could go back and change things, we all would. But when we were talking to each other before games, I truly thought that we were up to the challenge. Maybe it's a good opportunity for us to look at ourselves in the mirror, ask if that was really the case"

Nothing changes. Muzzin has called the team out a few times too

 

[bodechek]

Boston trades anyone who doesn’t fit their mindset or identity. Even high end players. Leafs need to wake up

It is unfortunate that the Leafs GM is a stats/analytics guy. Stats won't tell you how many times a player is willing to take a hit to get the puck to a team mate for a scoring opportunity. Or how a player will fire up his team on the bench or in the dressing room. There are no stats that will show up on paper and that is what Dubas understands.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

It's not even a lack of killer instinct, it's just that they will only compete in spurts or go full no intensity mode. Two coaches now can't get them to put in a full effort

That was part of my reasoning for getting rid of Babcock...we had to do the triage to determine if it was the coach or the players.

I think we know now.

 

[ShaneFalco]

The other interesting thing Keefe mentioned was about how quiet the bench was before Wayne and Joe. I found that odd yet not surprising

 

[rumman]

Oh great, another IF to add to the collection.

IF’s and BUT’s, that’s all Team Dubas gots……

 

[rumman]

Rielly one of the leaders of this team - April 2020
"It's important that we use this downtime to really take a look in the mirror. As players, we all have to be better," he told TSN on Thursday.
He added: "When hockey does resume, I think we know that we have to be better and we have to be more consistent. And I think that this time is important for the players to really think about that and know what's at stake."

Rielly after this year's debacle:
"If you could go back and change things, we all would. But when we were talking to each other before games, I truly thought that we were up to the challenge. Maybe it's a good opportunity for us to look at ourselves in the mirror, ask if that was really the case"

Nothing changes. Muzzin has called the team out a few times too

Muzzin knows…….he’s been there, done that, but doesn’t fit the narrative. Someone actually stated that AM was the most physical Leaf this past playoffs. If that’s not delusional I don’t know what is……….

 

[Pengu]

This is what happnes when you pay the core before they've done jack **** as if they'd won the cup.
What message does that send? Doesn't take a genious to figure that one out...

 

[rumman]

The other interesting thing Keefe mentioned was about how quiet the bench was before Wayne and Joe. I found that odd yet not surprising

Probably because they’re trying to remember Hall and Oats lyrics?

 

[kevsh]

I've argued that Toronto's best playoff performance over the past 5 seasons was the first one, and they've gotten progressively worse since then.

In fairness though, consider that for the first 3 of those seasons they didn't have salary cap issues as M&M were both on entry level deals. Once they signed those guys - and even if they agreed to team-friendly deals - it made it that much more difficult to fill out the roster and stay competitive.

They had Freddie, Reilly and Kadri already at $4M+ each. Signed Tavares, Willie got his $6.9M and had RFAs like Johnsson and Kapanen due. The Tavares deal obviously was the most impactful one and I still believe that the fallout from that signing has made a tough job exponentially tougher for Dubas.

But the almost overlooked fallout was Tavares being named captain. I like John, really liked how he changed his game this season and I'm not looking to insult the man, but he has the personality of cardboard. Everything he's ever said publicly sounds like it's scripted by a PR team. If he carries that into the dressing room and on the bench, then he's about the last guy you'd want leading a team that were mocked last year for being comatose on the bench in the Blue Jackets series.

Since we can't bring back Doug Gilmour, a fairly easy remedy to is to bring in a true leader and slap the C on his jersey. I know Leafs fans will laugh at the idea of Dustin Brown (and his contract) but as a long-time Kings fan, he's almost exactly the leader this team needs, and given his contract he's not going to be as expensive as a (healthy) Toews or someone else similar.

Odds of it happening are about zero, but killer instinct starts with leadership and right now none of the Leafs' leadership team - JT, Mitch (almost crying in the penalty box), Matthews (ragdolled by the Habs with a big grin on his face), Reilly (a slightly less flatline personality than JT) - are not bringing any of it.

 

[HarryLime]

If Illmatic taught me anything it's that It Ain't Hard to Tell

Our captain is the big mute. he has the personality of unflavored sunflower seeds. He has some skills but isn't a Crosby or even a Bergeron/Toews/Kopitar. He's not even the level below them. Just a good player that is very boring and doesn't lead the team much.

Our 3 best forwards are talented but kinda brats. When the going gets tough they disappear and pass the buck.

Our GM is a disgrace. I won't delve into him because I'd get banned again.

Our coach enables the bratty core tbh. He is just a coach they know won't challenge them like Babs did. Keefe is a puppet and he tricked a lot of you.

The only players to me that I won't criticize too much are Rielly (even though he makes mistakes), Spezza, Campbell. Maybe there are others but nobody is jumping out at me. It's just a house where the kids run wild and aren't disciplined. The coach/captain garner 0 respect and the youngins do as they please. It's no surprise to see them lose to hard working teams who play team hockey and respect one another. If this was the NBA, Toronto would be ok but in hockey/football/baseball you can't play as individuals.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Shoulda signed Mr Game 7 inatead of perennial loser Marleau

Agreed, that would have been the much better move but Babs has a hard on for Marleau and pushed Lou to sign him to that stupid deal. In an alternate universe we come back from a 3-1 deficit to beat Boston the first series and go on to win multiple cups...instead we got what we got...

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

You fire the GM.
You stop trying to build the backstreet boys and establish the identity the Maple Leafs should always be.
Blue and White.
Blue collar skill in the days of Gilmour and Clark. Add an anchor on D and solid goalie and build around that level of compete.

And you keep drafting and trading until you establish that. It’s not easy but it starts with mindset and identity.

If you look at Boston...you know what their identity is. Same with St.Louis and even Montreal. What is ours besides losing important must win games?

We don't really even have a style per se. Puck possession is a style now? What does that mean? How many other teams don't want the puck and prefer to give it to the other team all night? It's the equivalent of saying your team plays hockey and that is their identity.

See where I am going with this?

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Rielly one of the leaders of this team - April 2020
"It's important that we use this downtime to really take a look in the mirror. As players, we all have to be better," he told TSN on Thursday.
He added: "When hockey does resume, I think we know that we have to be better and we have to be more consistent. And I think that this time is important for the players to really think about that and know what's at stake."

Rielly after this year's debacle:
"If you could go back and change things, we all would. But when we were talking to each other before games, I truly thought that we were up to the challenge. Maybe it's a good opportunity for us to look at ourselves in the mirror, ask if that was really the case"

Nothing changes. Muzzin has called the team out a few times too

Lots of mirror looking and not enough 'seeing' of that person in the mirror. I thought Reilly played well this playoff and I also thought he looked like he could care less that we got booted. At least AM and MM looked upset...Reilly did not look overly upset and just spewed nonsense about looking in the mirror.

 

[Mickey Marner]

The other interesting thing Keefe mentioned was about how quiet the bench was before Wayne and Joe. I found that odd yet not surprising

A quiet bench is like a silent restaurant. It needs to be a lively place.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Probably because they’re trying to remember Hall and Oats lyrics?

We have the stupidest goal song that sounds like a teenager picked it...and we stick with it because?

 

[Trapper]

If you look at Boston...you know what their identity is. Same with St.Louis and even Montreal. What is ours besides losing important must win games?

We don't really even have a style per se. Puck possession is a style now? What does that mean? How many other teams don't want the puck and prefer to give it to the other team all night? It's the equivalent of saying your team plays hockey and that is their identity.

See where I am going with this?

Boston made their choice.
Bergeron was their identity not Thornton.
They moved him and used his cap to sign Chara. Identity piece no. 2.

We don’t have that lynchpin core player.
We have skilled individuals but no identity.

 

[Captain Crunch]

You fire the GM.
You stop trying to build the backstreet boys and establish the identity the Maple Leafs should always be.
Blue and White.
Blue collar skill in the days of Gilmour and Clark. Add an anchor on D and solid goalie and build around that level of compete.

And you keep drafting and trading until you establish that. It’s not easy but it starts with mindset and identity.

This has always baffled me. Shanahan was that type of player, you would think that’s the identity that he would want the team to be built with, but it’s the exact opposite.

 

[rumman]

We have the stupidest goal song that sounds like a teenager picked it...and we stick with it because?

Fits the team perfectly

 

[Stephen]

Muzzin knows…….he’s been there, done that, but doesn’t fit the narrative. Someone actually stated that AM was the most physical Leaf this past playoffs. If that’s not delusional I don’t know what is……….

I think Matthews was quite physical in the games we were winning in but faded away more and more as the collapse became apparent. But if any one is still watching Tampa Bay, each and every one of their forwards was laying a big hit on Montreal after they got a 3-1 lead yesterday. Meaning the problem isn't how much hitting we get from Matthews, but hitting needs to be mandatory from everyone if you hope to really beat up on an opponent and strangle the momentum. No killer instinct.