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News Article: Leafs are now identifiable.

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Sypher04 said:
And we don't know they can beat us. Works both ways. There is no evidence we aren't a real contender.

But yeah, sure, this team will ultimately be evaluated by what they accomplish in the playoffs. All contenders are. We all agree on that.

Either way, the point being made was about season records. Tampa and Boston benefit just as much from not playing us as we do not playing them.
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Tampa (minus Kucherov, Shattenkirk, Bogosian) and Boston (minus Chara, Krug) are both significantly worse than last year.
 
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As the Leafs keep running roughshod over the North, the bar success will keep getting moved, and the proverbial can of opportunity will keep getting kicked down the road. The next test for the Leafs is Winnipeg as a team who can challenge them for first place in the North, but if the Leafs show well against them the only thing we'll hear is "but the playoffs!"

Which isn't totally unfair. At this point the Leafs have to be the favourites to come out of the North and finally win rounds in the playoffs (barring extremely unfortunate circumstances like injuries). Nothing less will be accepted by the fan base, let alone outsiders who want us to fail. However, what I take exception to is the constant criticisms of yesteryear that have nothing to do with this current iteration for the Leafs, and serves only as a crutch to crap on the team. And when the "the North is weak" excuse comes out so essentially anything the Leafs do is meaningless, that just says to me that the doubters are in denial.
 
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zeke said:
Oh dear God no.
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It’s so hilarious reading the Canadian division is run and gun. Weak defensively,don’t have to play this team or that team etc etc and if we are in the most offensive division, it’s even more standout defense we are playing ranking 3rd best GA in the league and best GF. Best pts %. Most regulation wins. I doubt we can shut down the most dynamic player in the world three times in a row but we just did twice. In doing so shut down the most potent offense in the league.
I think some team in other divisions are as glad they don’t play us as much as we are glad we don’t p,ay them :)
 
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Jimmy Firecracker said:
As the Leafs keep running roughshod over the North, the bar success will keep getting moved, and the proverbial can of opportunity will keep getting kicked down the road. The next test for the Leafs is Winnipeg as a team who can challenge them for first place in the North, but if the Leafs show well against them the only thing we'll hear is "but the playoffs!"

Which isn't unfair. At this point the Leafs have to be the favourites to come out of the North and finally win rounds in the playoffs. Nothing less will be accepted by the fan base, let alone outsiders who want us to fail. However, what I take exception to is the constant criticisms of yesteryear that have nothing to do with this current iteration for the Leafs, and serves only as a crutch to criticize the team. And when the "the North is weak" excuse comes out so essentially anything the Leafs do is meaningless, that just says to me that the doubters are in denial.
Click to expand...
Yeah and denial is a river in Egypt to them ha
 
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Jimmy Firecracker said:
As the Leafs keep running roughshod over the North, the bar success will keep getting moved, and the proverbial can of opportunity will keep getting kicked down the road. The next test for the Leafs is Winnipeg as a team who can challenge them for first place in the North, but if the Leafs show well against them the only thing we'll hear is "but the playoffs!"

Which isn't unfair. At this point the Leafs have to be the favourites to come out of the North and finally win rounds in the playoffs. Nothing less will be accepted by the fan base, let alone outsiders who want us to fail. However, what I take exception to is the constant criticisms of yesteryear that have nothing to do with this current iteration for the Leafs, and serves only as a crutch to criticize the team. And when the "the North is weak" excuse comes out so essentially anything the Leafs do is meaningless, that just says to me that the doubters are in denial.
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Oh and when they win the cup, it'll be an asterisk season.
 
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Wafflewhipper said:
Connor Mcovid shut down,Droughtsaitl shut down. A top offense in the league. Second best offense in our divisin now, shut down. We can shut down anybody.Boston just got smoked bad for 13 goals in two games against the Rangers. The Rangers. Boston ain’t good Son. They are on their way down. Go criticize the other teams. You don’t make any sense here.
Click to expand...

You said the same thing in 3 different ways :) you shut down two players on the Oil and you shut down their offence. Boston still has the perfection line, don't count them out.
 
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Wafflewhipper said:
It’s so hilarious reading the Canadian division is run and gun. Weak defensively,don’t have to play this team or that team etc etc and if we are in the most offensive division, it’s even more standout defense we are playing ranking 3rd best GA in the league and best GF. Best pts %. Most regulation wins. I doubt we can shut down the most dynamic player in the world three times in a row but we just did twice. In doing so shut down the most potent offense in the league.
I think some team in other divisions are as glad they don’t play us as much as we are glad we don’t p,ay them :)
Click to expand...

The bolded part could be worded a different way, we are in the division with the least defensive team structure and the worst starting goaltending.

I think the lack of defensive structure in the North is not surprising considering how many inexperienced coaches there are in this division, Maurice has never been considered a defensive guru.

Games CoachedWinsLossTiesOTL
Sheldon KeefeToronto70441907
Paul MauriceWinnipeg162274665499123
Dave TippettEdmonton120960444828129
Dominique DucharmeMontreal3111
Geoff WardCalgary6534265
Travis GreenVancouver25911111830
DJ SmithNHL96335013
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
 
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Yeah totally agree with those who say, no way we aren't better defensively.

Both addition & subtraction, Brodie & yes even Bogosian on 3rd pairing.

Ceci & Barrie gone defensively & Marincin sitting! :) Backup goalie depth!

Holl & Dermott seem improved - picking their shots when to rush & not be out of control.

& yeah for sure playing more like a team all over the ice is major too.

It'd be cool to play leading US based teams to test ourselves, but hey we're lucky there's hockey
& a much improved team to watch. :thumbu:
 
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It's interesting that while teams like Buffalo, Anaheim, New Jersey and Detroit are bad, partly because of their inability to score, and the North teams are also bad BECAUSE they can score.

The leafs some how are not only not getting credit for beating teams that can score a lot, it is being used against them. Also, the fact that we have the #1 GA/GP in the division and #4 GA/GP in the league counts for nothing.

Tampa who have to contend with power houses Dallas .471% PTS% and (-1) goal diff, Detroit .340% (-30), Nashville .450 (-17), Columbus .479% (-12) is awesome because they are winning the division.
Boston who got smashed and humiliated last week and plays against: Buffalo .375% (-14), New Jersey .444% (-8), NY Rangers .475% (-1) are THIRD in the division, are awesome too because ...

But the Leafs, they suck because their division sucks because they have Ottawa .340% , Vancouver .375%, and Calgary .478%. So they suck.
 
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Bluelines said:
The bolded part could be worded a different way, we are in the division with the least defensive team structure and the worst starting goaltending.

I think the lack of defensive structure in the North is not surprising considering how many inexperienced coaches there are in this division, Maurice has never been considered a defensive guru.

Games CoachedWinsLossTiesOTL
Sheldon KeefeToronto70441907
Paul MauriceWinnipeg162274665499123
Dave TippettEdmonton120960444828129
Dominique DucharmeMontreal3111
Geoff WardCalgary6534265
Travis GreenVancouver25911111830
DJ SmithNHL96335013
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Click to expand...

Not only were the North teams overall "mediocre" not "bad" last year...but they were universally considered to all have improved significantly this offseason, other than Vancouver.
 
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willmma said:
It's interesting that while teams like Buffalo, Anaheim, New Jersey and Detroit are bad, partly because of their inability to score, and the North teams are also bad BECAUSE they can score.

The leafs some how are not only not getting credit for beating teams that can score a lot, it is being used against them. Also, the fact that we have the #1 GA/GP in the division and #4 GA/GP in the league counts for nothing.

Tampa who have to contend with power houses Dallas .471% PTS% and (-1) goal diff, Detroit .340% (-30), Nashville .450 (-17), Columbus .479% (-12) is awesome because they are winning the division.
Boston who got smashed and humiliated last week and plays against: Buffalo .375% (-14), New Jersey .444% (-8), NY Rangers .475% (-1) are THIRD in the division, are awesome too because ...

But the Leafs, they suck because their division sucks because they have Ottawa .340% , Vancouver .375%, and Calgary .478%. So they suck.
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Stuff doesn’t have to make sense when it’s Leafs.I don’t really give a flyin f what they are rambling about. I know this is a good team just like i knew last years wasn’t good enough in grit and most importantly defense.
I hope they all just keep underestimating the Leafs :)
Good post .We see the difference. I’m thinking maybe i will just go along with the we are only good because we are in the Canadian run&gun division ploy.
 
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Bluelines said:
The bolded part could be worded a different way, we are in the division with the least defensive team structure and the worst starting goaltending.

I think the lack of defensive structure in the North is not surprising considering how many inexperienced coaches there are in this division, Maurice has never been considered a defensive guru.

Games CoachedWinsLossTiesOTL
Sheldon KeefeToronto70441907
Paul MauriceWinnipeg162274665499123
Dave TippettEdmonton120960444828129
Dominique DucharmeMontreal3111
Geoff WardCalgary6534265
Travis GreenVancouver25911111830
DJ SmithNHL96335013
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Click to expand...
Keefe is a good defensive coach and Montreal just fired a defensive coach with one tousand years. :)
The narrative of our division being weakest is no different than the other divisions with weak teams. I’ll go along with the narrative from now on. Yep we are a weak team. No good. Just stop watching now the other contenders ate just superior. Well I’m glad we had a 23 game season anyways. Sh!t hockey is over already
 
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Wafflewhipper said:
Keefe is a good defensive coach and Montreal just fired a defensive coach with one tousand years. :)
The narrative of our division being weakest is no different than the other divisions with weak teams. I’ll go along with the narrative from now on. Yep we are a weak team. No good. Just stop watching now the other contenders ate just superior. Well I’m glad we had a 23 game season anyways. Sh!t hockey is over already
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LOL, I think some people have interpreted my response to our success as me denigrating the Leafs accomplishments or that they have not improved defense statically. Its not my belief at all. The numbers don't lie this team has better defensive numbers but against teams that are poorer competition than we played last year. Yes we played Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Anaheim last year but we also played Vegas, Tampa , Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh, Flyers, Carolina a crap tonne, there are no teams in our division at that level of competition. We have played something like 40% of our games vs Vancouver and Ottawa, I don't think we played 40% of our game against shitty teams last year.

All I'm saying is enjoy the ride and don't be surprised when we don't dominate when we get out of our division.
 
Bluelines said:
LOL, I think some people have interpreted my response to our success as me denigrating the Leafs accomplishments or that they have not improved defense statically. Its not my belief at all. The numbers don't lie this team has better defensive numbers but against teams that are poorer competition than we played last year. Yes we played Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Anaheim last year but we also played Vegas, Tampa , Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh, Flyers, Carolina a crap tonne, there are no teams in our division at that level of competition. We have played something like 40% of our games vs Vancouver and Ottawa, I don't think we played 40% of our game against shitty teams last year.

All I'm saying is enjoy the ride and don't be surprised when we don't dominate when we get out of our division.
Click to expand...

Noone should be surprised by anything in hockey. The puck bounces funny. Shit happens.
 
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willmma said:
The leafs some how are not only not getting credit for beating teams that can score a lot, it is being used against them. Also, the fact that we have the #1 GA/GP in the division and #4 GA/GP in the league counts for nothing.
Click to expand...
It only counts for nothing for insecure Leaf haters. For the rest of us, we can clearly see the incredible improvements the Leafs have made in the defensive zone. The 3rd periods the last couple games against Edmonton were clinical.
 
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