Leafs Positive Safe Space

[colchar]

I'm not a Leaf fan. I take yearly pleasure from their meltdowns.

But, in all honesty...

Blowing up a team that finished top-4 in the league and had shown marked improvement because they lost in seven games to the defending Stanley Cup champs seems incredibly stupid. I understand (and enjoy) the history of failure and heartache but that shouldn't objectively taint fans and management's evaluation of a team that had an extremely good season.

There's only cup winner per year and it's always going require a large dose of luck and a good roll of the dice, but as they are they are starting with more dice than most teams in the league.

See my comment above, this is about how they lost (and not for the first time).

 

[Jozay]

Shanahan finally gone, big positive

 

[weems]

Jake McCabe didn't have the greatest playoffs but he was very very good in the regular season.
Tanev got most of the accolades but McCabe for me was almost every bit just as good.
I remember looking at some advanced stats during the season and he was always ranking very high league wide.
He can skate, move the puck, plays withs tons of edge.
4.5 million a season going forward is going to look like a crazy bargain.

 

[Superstar]

No safer space than the golf course, where there's alot of room to keep distance...

 

[Ianturnedbull]

The issue isn't that they lost, it is how they lost. And nothing positive can be drawn from that.

Why is that an issue?

I mean Detroit could have won against Toronto in 1993, but they didn't. Ottawa could have beat TOR in 5 of those 5 series, but they didn't. Do DET/OTT fans talk about how they lost?

 

[HockeyVirus]

Why is that an issue?

I mean Detroit could have won against Toronto in 1993, but they didn't. Ottawa could have beat TOR in 5 of those 5 series, but they didn't. Do DET/OTT fans talk about how they lost?

Yes. Ottawa fans were coping hard about how they could have won the series due to all the close OT games

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Yes. Ottawa fans were coping hard about how they could have won the series due to all the close OT games

aaand yet they still sing songs of glory:

 

[Daisy Jane]

Safe space?!

lol. Maple Leaf fans have turned into daisies.

Excuse me, what's wrong with being a Daisy!?

 

[Mess]

I thought players like Nylander and Knies really came to play in the playoffs.

Patches also in 11 games contributing 3-5-8 points was also strong.

 

[dougieg93]

I just think back to the Caps before they won in 2018 after winning several president's trophies, how everyone was calling for them to blow it up after losing to the pens and look what happened. I don't think we're that far off - but I wouldn't mind a little more heart and soul type of players ala Hyman, Tucker, Kadri, etc..

 

[New User Name]

Ask yourself if Tampa, Florida or Vegas would put up with what we did with this core? The answer is no

That’s why they win. They are aggressive and take risks to build the team that has a real chance to win. They expect to win.

But their fans wouldn't boo them like the Horrible Nasty, jerks in Toronto would they? Of course not, because their f***ing arenas would be EMPTY!

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I thought players like Nylander and Knies really came to play in the playoffs.

Patches also in 11 games contributing 3-5-8 points was also strong.

Knies did.

Nylander did when he felt like it.

 

[Mess]

Knies did.

Nylander did when he felt like it.

Matthew Knies is the most important signing that GM Treliving has on his calendar this offseason.

He is an RFA, but still higher priority to retain then Leafs UFAs.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

I just think back to the Caps before they won in 2018 after winning several president's trophies, how everyone was calling for them to blow it up after losing to the pens and look what happened. I don't think we're that far off - but I wouldn't mind a little more heart and soul type of players ala Hyman, Tucker, Kadri, etc..

I read that Ovie and those Caps have been out of the 2nd rd just 1x...the year they won it. I would think that betting you might win in 20 tries is a tad optimistic even for the rose colored glasses crowd. Maybe if they actually stripped the team a lot earlier it would have been more successful. It's not a team I would be looking at for hope.

 

[SoVi3t]

I didn't like the loss to FLA, but I don't see all the doom and gloom. They will be back next year. Their defence is too deep to not be at the top of the Atlantic again. Their goaltending will be fine. The coaching is good. The PP was good. This team will not come apart because Marner moves on.

Taking FLA to 7 games is ok and not a indictment.

Some positivity would be appreciated here.

On one hand, I totally understand that we're going to keep losing to the no sales tax teams in Vegas, Florida, and Texas until the league properly addresses that. We made it to game 7 against the defending champs. More people do need to step back and acknowledge that.

I kinda saw the writing on the wall and just never had any hope in this team in the first place, so while it sucked that they lost, I'm not doom and gloom and demanding heads on a platter. Excited to see us break up this core and move in a new direction after this decade long experiment.

 

[stealth1]

Almost 30 million in cap space and that's without any trades

30 million dollars and bad crop of free agents. The bottom 6 isn't the problem. The dummies that are supposed to lead this team are the problem. Matthews never drives the play and plays the regular season hockey come playoff time. This team is never going to win with this core when it matters.

 

[Nineteen67]

They’ll be fine next year and they’ll even ice a team that may even make the playoffs. However the playoffs are physically too hard and too demanding for a bunch of passengers with no bus drivers.

 

[HofT]

I'm not a Leaf fan. I take yearly pleasure from their meltdowns.

But, in all honesty...

Blowing up a team that finished top-4 in the league and had shown marked improvement because they lost in seven games to the defending Stanley Cup champs seems incredibly stupid. I understand (and enjoy) the history of failure and heartache but that shouldn't objectively taint fans and management's evaluation of a team that had an extremely good season.

There's only cup winner per year and it's always going require a large dose of luck and a good roll of the dice, but as they are they are starting with more dice than most teams in the league.

There's no logic in Leaf land. They're masochists

 

[HofT]

30 million dollars and bad crop of free agents. The bottom 6 isn't the problem. The dummies that are supposed to lead this team are the problem. Matthews never drives the play and plays the regular season hockey come playoff time. This team is never going to win with this core when it matters.

Florida's bottom 6 was the reason why they won. That was the difference.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

30 million dollars and bad crop of free agents. The bottom 6 isn't the problem. The dummies that are supposed to lead this team are the problem. Matthews never drives the play and plays the regular season hockey come playoff time. This team is never going to win with this core when it matters.

Well I mean this core is being changed because Marner is all but gone.

To say the bottom 6 is not a problem simply isn't true.

McMann, Jarnkrok, Lorentz, Laughton Domi and Holmberg combined for 3 goals.

They all came from Domi, the others gave them NOTHING in terms of goals.

And that's especially bad in Holmberg's case because he actually spent time in the top 6 too.

Now I want, Laughton,Domi and Lorentz back, especially Domi because he can play on any line.

But yes the bottom is a problem

 

[stealth1]

Florida's bottom 6 was the reason why they won. That was the difference.

While true, the Leafs have changed their bottom 6 multiple times as well as changed coaches. The results are the same. When the pressure is on they told. The common denominator is Matthews Marner and Nylander. Also due to the cap they take up, it's hard to get better bottom 6 guys that are want more than league minimum

 

[dougieg93]

I read that Ovie and those Caps have been out of the 2nd rd just 1x...the year they won it. I would think that betting you might win in 20 tries is a tad optimistic even for the rose colored glasses crowd. Maybe if they actually stripped the team a lot earlier it would have been more successful. It's not a team I would be looking at for hope.

It wasn't in comparing the team, but just providing the lesson that some teams bounce back from this kind of adversity. We could have dismantled earlier but here we are and what can be done moving forward. I don't think getting back to Jeff Finger is the answer at this time, and I like to think that even small pieces can make a big difference and there could be surprising developments. But rose colored indeed.

 

[stealth1]

It wasn't in comparing the team, but just providing the lesson that some teams bounce back from this kind of adversity. We could have dismantled earlier but here we are and what can be done moving forward. I don't think getting back to Jeff Finger is the answer at this time, and I like to think that even small pieces can make a big difference and there could be surprising developments. But rose colored indeed.

That also means that Matthews will change his colours and actually be that superstar player that carries his team to wins in the playoffs

 

[dougieg93]

That also means that Matthews will change his colours and actually be that superstar player that carries his team to wins in the playoffs

I wouldn't put it past him - he is that good of a C, and has lot of room left to mature. Just needs to find the playoffs gear. Sundin was 28 when we first started clicking in the playoffs in 99.

 

[stealth1]

I wouldn't put it past him - he is that good of a C, and has lot of room left to mature. Just needs to find the playoffs gear. Sundin was 28 when we first started clicking in the playoffs in 99.

It's possible but not likely. His whole personality and the vibes he gives off doesn't give me much hope.