TheGreenTBer
"Everyone is gay for Moleman" -ThrowDemTongs
- Apr 30, 2021
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Is that true? Not calling you a liar, I definitely believe you, I'm just playing devil's advocate.The problems run deep. Too much to say. But the continuing problem that never gets solved is what I call "the Top 6 / Bottom 6 metaphor" problem. Once you accept that distinction, you are blind to many other problems that follow. That term implies that the the third line is quasi equivalent to the 4th line, which is useless. The 3rd line should be a gentle drop-off from the 2nd line, not a proxy of the 4th line. We need a Top 9.
We know what happened: there isn't enough money to have a strong third line centre. Going back to when Kadri was there -- think about the 3 centres down the middle they had. But they need wingers who can score reliably. It IS the missing piece of the puzzle. Why is this the problem? Because in the playoffs it is too easy to concentrate your defensive play on the first two lines only, because no one else is a threat.
They won't win with Matthews and Marner. Ryan O'Rielly, apparently a straight up guy, said "there are two guys on the Leafs who will never win the cup." It was a major comment. It could be Marner and Matthews or Marner and Nylander. but I think it is Marner and Matthews. Matthews is not a leader, not a captain. He is distant, he doesn't communicate. He may be injured but the accuracy of his shot, his trademark, is gone. Marner is not primarily a goal scorer.
I would much rather have 6 guys making 7 million each than 4 making over 10,000, or whatever they make...
Matthews is very obviously one of those guys if the quote is true.