Leafs need to get more physical and not just fighting

[NewZealandMike]

Go get a physical big D come playoff time with no Muzzin its going to become a big issue when ref's put whistles away. Secondly top 6 and bottom 6 additions of size and ability to play. Hopefully Knies fills one of those spots

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[fancy lad]

Umm yeah no kidding. It’s arguably why they keep getting bounced in the first round and why they are not a true contender. They’re a great team, but totally not built for playoff success.

people will say that hits is not a good stat or whatever and fine, but i Can’t believe that other teams in the league actually feel threatened by the leafs as a matchup. ask yourself this, when do the leafs look like the “tougher” team in any game? And the answer is never.

 

[ACC1224]

Isn’t Ground Hog Day in February?

 

[stickty111]

Ah yes more false narratives that Leafs haven't won a round because they aren't physical enough. Do we really need a thread every week about something that isn't true?

 

[stickty111]

Go get a physical big D come playoff time with no Muzzin its going to become a big issue when ref's put whistles away. Secondly top 6 and bottom 6 additions of size and ability to play. Hopefully Knies fills one of those spots

We got Lyb last year and he was absolutely awful. Trust your younger players. The best teams who play their best hockey in right moments are who win regardless if they play physically or not. Colorado isn't a physical team. They play fast with talent throughout their lineup when healthy.
What the Leafs need is an addition or two up front. If they are physical great, but thats not the primary objective.
Leafs outhit a great team in Boston yesterday and lost.

Umm yeah no kidding. It’s arguably why they keep getting bounced in the first round and why they are not a true contender. They’re a great team, but totally not built for playoff success.

people will say that hits is not a good stat or whatever and fine, but i Can’t believe that other teams in the league actually feel threatened by the leafs as a matchup. ask yourself this, when do the leafs look like the “tougher” team in any game? And the answer is never.

Incorrect.

 

[francis246]

There has to be a balance, your physical players have to be able to be offensively gifted. I look at Boston and McAvoy, Marchand, Pastrnak, Coyle, DeBrusk, Bergeron, Hall can all score, but they'll punch you in the face in between the whistles. Our guys don't play on the edge. You kinda have to, to have success.

 

[Leafs87]

After last night I feel like anyone can see this team has what it takes. Just needs a few tiny tweeks. Like you mentioned, I’d agree 1 top six winger with size, 1 bottom six and D man would be amazing. Even more amazing if Knies was one of those

 

[NewZealandMike]

After last night I feel like anyone can see this team has what it takes. Just needs a few tiny tweeks. Like you mentioned, I’d agree 1 top six winger with size, 1 bottom six and D man would be amazing. Even more amazing if Knies was one of those

Last night vs Notre Dame

 

[HockeyVirus]

Ah yes more false narratives that Leafs haven't won a round because they aren't physical enough. Do we really need a thread every week about something that isn't true?

Yes. This is HFboards in a nutshell now.

"Leafs keep losing because Keefe wears a blue tie instead of red. Red would trigger a more primal reaction from the team"

* Leafs lose a game *

"SEE! If he just wore a red tie..."

Over and over. Whatever crap people dream up, they think they are right because reason. The worst of course being if the Leafs had dominated the Bruins physically and on the score board, these same folks would hand wave it as being a Jan game where it doesn't matter because the Bruins weren't going all out or some nonsense.

This season it's basically discredit any accomplishments as regular season noise and any stumbles is proof the team sucks.

 

[PromisedLand]

IMHO the issue is lack of physicality, and being soft -> YES

But I don't think getting any physical players is going to solve any issues.

Why?

When I look around the league especially the teams that have had success:
Their core guys actually play physical (or dirty sometimes); they are not boy scouts always looking at the refs. They can dish as much as they can take.

examples:
Tampa: Point, Kucherov, Stamkos, Hedman, Sargechev etc.
Avs: mack, Rantanen, Makar, Landy, etc.
Bruins: Bergeron (not dirty but finishes checks and takes hit to make plays); Marchand, Pasta, MacAvoy, Lindholm, etc.
Canes: Aho, Svechnikov, Pesce, Slavin, etc...
etc...

you get the point.

For the Leafs I only see Matthews mixing it a bit; everyone else plays like boyscouts (marner, nylnader, tavares). Its gotta come from within the core; core has gotta get more physical; getting someone else is not gonna help IMO

Also, opposition has way to easy of a time when they stand in front of Leafs goalies; when leafs do that they get punished/boxed out. In the playoffs thats also gonna make the difference

 

[Peace Frog]

There is absolutely NO DOUBT the Leafs need to become a more physical team in order to have success in the playoffs.

When I speak of being more physical, I’m referring to finishing checks, fighting through checks, and sticking up for teammates; making sure the other team knows that there’s going to be consequences for taking liberties with our players.

Bringing in a couple of players that play a heavy game, but can keep up with the play, would definitely help.

But the real improvement has to come from the guys we already have!! The boys need to bring more intensity to their game in the playoffs. Guys who don’t normally block shots or hit or “push back” in scrums, need to find that in their game come playoff time.

Lol… PromisedLand and I seem to be on the same page. Hahahaha

 

[ACC1224]

There is absolutely NO DOUBT the Leafs need to become a more physical team in order to have success in the playoffs.

When I speak of being more physical, I’m referring to finishing checks, fighting through checks, and sticking up for teammates; making sure the other team knows that there’s going to be consequences for taking liberties with our players.

Bringing in a couple of players that play a heavy game, but can keep up with the play, would definitely help.

But the real improvement has to come from the guys we already have!! The boys need to bring more intensity to their game in the playoffs. Guys who don’t normally block shots or hit or “push back” in scrums, need to find that in their game come playoff time.

Lol… PromisedLand and I seem to be on the same page. Hahahaha

This guy gets it.
Some of you others, not so much.

 

[Smif]

I feel like it's more on our defense. They're small and none of them are punishing in front of our net. It's gotta be the most gentle D's in the league.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

There is absolutely NO DOUBT the Leafs need to become a more physical team in order to have success in the playoffs.

When I speak of being more physical, I’m referring to finishing checks, fighting through checks, and sticking up for teammates; making sure the other team knows that there’s going to be consequences for taking liberties with our players.

Bringing in a couple of players that play a heavy game, but can keep up with the play, would definitely help.

But the real improvement has to come from the guys we already have!! The boys need to bring more intensity to their game in the playoffs. Guys who don’t normally block shots or hit or “push back” in scrums, need to find that in their game come playoff time.

Lol… PromisedLand and I seem to be on the same page. Hahahaha

Players don't change their play styles overnight, I don't see our core players suddenly flipping a switch and becoming more physical. You either have it or you don't. It's like drafting Freddie Gauthier cause he's 6'5 240lbs and expecting him to become Wayne Primeau/Brian Boyle, it's not in his character...same with Engvall, you either have the balls to drive to the net or you buttonhook your way back to Europe leagues.

Dubas has hedged his entire playbook on not requiring physicality in the top 6 cause it'll grow organically within the players that he already has. Do you guys really think Nylander is gonna change his game as a 26 year old? You think Tavares is gonna start retaliating to when opposing players take liberties with him at 32 years old?

not likely...let's enjoy this skilled team and hope to god they don't shit the bed again.

I feel like it's more on our defense. They're small and none of them are punishing in front of our net. It's gotta be the most gentle D's in the league.

Very true, last night's game was a perfect example. Anytime we got close to their net it was very nasty stuff going on. Our players are nowhere near that level of nasty.

 

[Stephen]

If you can’t beat them in the alley you can’t beat them on the ice... Words from the founder…

To win a championship you need to be in control the type of game that is played either by your choosing or theirs. Teams like Tampa and Boston can’t have the option of escalating things physically to build momentum at the time of their choosing without facing severe consequences.

We just carry too many guys who want to play between the whistles. If Wayne Simmonds is so important that you need him vs Boston, why aren’t guys like Hunt, ZAR similarly physical? Never mind lost causes like Kerfoot.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

Fighting is the most useless display of grit in today's game. Agreed.

 

[NewZealandMike]

This is not about Fighting. Its about bigger players with heart willing to battle in front of other teams net. Look at last night, B's D were physical and taking liberties when we got near net with no response.

 

[BayStBullies]

Go get a physical big D come playoff time with no Muzzin its going to become a big issue when ref's put whistles away. Secondly top 6 and bottom 6 additions of size and ability to play. Hopefully Knies fills one of those spots

The problem is that the refs call penalties against the Leafs.

 

[Knies iT]

Ah yes more false narratives that Leafs haven't won a round because they aren't physical enough. Do we really need a thread every week about something that isn't true?

You still don’t get it? Wild.

 

[IPS]

I'm torn with it.

On one side you can easily see the Leafs are an easily intimidated team. Whenever their opponent ramps up the physicality, the Leafs cower. I can never forget JT's first game back on the Island. The Isles made it abundantly clear from the start they were bringing a playoff like intensity but the whole team just resigned to losing from the first couple minutes in. Games like that have been a recurring trend with this core.

On the other side: there seems to be this ridiculous bias that the league and refs take against the Leafs whenever they do decide to step up and respond physically. Kadri took 2 suspensions against Boston in the playoffs when he didn't even make the dirtiest plays of those respective games, Matthews gets some bullshit suspension for retaliating with a crosscheck when he was clearly getting hacked to start, and the series against Tampa last year resulted in Clifford taking an immediate match penalty and suspension (along with Simmonds) and they weren't even brought back the rest of the series because Keefe probably knew the refs were going to have a hair trigger with calling anything against them as the series went on.

I honestly might just be some biased homer regarding the 2nd point - but I constantly look at the shit that other teams get away with and can't believe it. I really wonder if Dubas is aware of this and takes into consideration that the Leafs are under a different set of rules then other teams.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

They definitely need to get harder to play against. Whether that means being more physical or just not giving the other team free goals through incredibly bad decision making, I don't really care. Ideally it should be a combination of both

 

[123offtheglass]

Leafs need someone who can dish out Nannie’s cookies

 

[Eye Test]

Team is just not intimidating as usual.

not much faith in our D for the Playoffs - sandin gets pushed around and cycled on. Holl I have no faith at all even though he has been playing okay so far. Timmins slightly more faith than holl, Gio has been great but can he keep it up at that level or Does he revert to 3rd pair?

We need a legit top 4 to replace Muzzin and his physicality but I honestly don’t know if I would make a big move this year. Let Dubas ride it out, trade minimal pieces and if we lose in the first round then time to move on and change the dynamic of our team and how we play.

And yes obviously we need some physicality for these 7 game series with tampa or Boston. Besides bunting who is great at getting the boys up and momentum up, we have no one playable (simmonds) who can match buntings energy/other physical teams energy and we then play intimidated. It’s embarrassing.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Ah yes more false narratives that Leafs haven't won a round because they aren't physical enough. Do we really need a thread every week about something that isn't true?

When the Leafs lost to the Bruins in 2019, didn't they ended up having more total hits in the whole series?

 

[Menzinger]

On one hand it's always useful to add that sort of trait to the team. But on the other, the team didn't lose last playoffs because of a lack of that either...

I think the younger core guys have positively undergone a mental toughness shift after the 2021 playoffs in particular. We saw more of that last playoffs