Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign defenceman Jani Hakanpää (1 year, $1.47M) (official)

[notbias]

Sure, Domi, Knies, Bert were decent, but they need help from the high priced players, if they want to win.

They've all had down series but are PPG over a large stretch, and their goal differential is great. How much better do they need to be?

Domie and Bert were hyped as playoff studs and produced like 3rd liners.

 

[Racer88]

You wouldn’t think scoring should have been a problem with 4 -11 million dollar forwards

 

[rumman]

You wouldn’t think scoring should have been a problem with 4 -11 million dollar forwards

Isn’t it ironic……don’t cha think……..

 

[Nineteen67]

They've all had down series but are PPG over a large stretch, and their goal differential is great. How much better do they need to be?

Domie and Bert were hyped as playoff studs and produced like 3rd liners.

They are third liners and would be fine on a good team. Domi almost carried the Leafs past Boston last year, but you can’t expect him do that on his own.

 

[The Shrike]

You wouldn’t think scoring should have been a problem with 4 -11 million dollar forwards

If they have a coach who is willing to let highly skilled offensive players play to their strengths in the playoffs, it wouldn't be a problem. Keefe wasn't that guy.

 

[rumman]

They are third liners and would be fine on a good team. Domi almost carried the Leafs past Boston last year, but you can’t expect him do that on his own.

There’s a big problem when a 3 million dollar player carries a team of multiple 11 million dollar players……..

 

[rumman]

If they have a coach who is willing to let highly skilled offensive players play to their strengths in the playoffs, it wouldn't be a problem. Keefe wasn't that guy.

Every coach makes his team tighten up in the playoffs, if you expect success with run and gun playoff hockey your going to be sadly disappointed. They need to play a well rounded game and score some goals something they can’t do post season…….

 

[Nineteen67]

There’s a big problem when a 3 million dollar player carries a team of multiple 11 million dollar players……..

I don’t think it’s a problem, it’s just what they are.

 

[Lightsol]

Every coach makes his team tighten up in the playoffs, if you expect success with run and gun playoff hockey your going to be sadly disappointed. They need to play a well rounded game and score some goals something they can’t do post season…….

If Keefe was just trying to make the team "tighten up", there wouldn't be a problem. He wasn't.

He was trying to get the team to play a radically different playing style in the playoffs (Reg. Season - Possession, Playoffs - Dump&Chase), AND it happens to be a style the team's stars aren't well suited to play. You can't alter the team's entire playing style in Game 1 of the playoffs and expect to succeed, especially against teams that have been playing the same way from the start of the regular season.

 

[Nineteen67]

Every coach makes his team tighten up in the playoffs, if you expect success with run and gun playoff hockey you’re going to be sadly disappointed. They need to play a well rounded game and score some goals something they can’t do post season…….

If they fix the PP they may not need to depend on the core to take charge. We know they’re not the type that steps up in the playoffs, it’s just not who and what they prioritize.

 

[Nineteen67]

If Keefe was just trying to make the team "tighten up", there wouldn't be a problem. He wasn't.

He was trying to get the team to play a radically different playing style in the playoffs (Reg. Season - Possession, Playoffs - Dump&Chase), AND it happens to be a style the team's stars aren't well suited to play. You can't alter the team's entire playing style in Game 1 of the playoffs and expect to succeed, especially against teams that have been playing the same way from the start of the regular season.

When tried the dumb and chase in game 5 they were much better and infinitely more entertaining to watch.

 

[rumman]

If Keefe was just trying to make the team "tighten up", there wouldn't be a problem. He wasn't.

He was trying to get the team to play a radically different playing style in the playoffs (Reg. Season - Possession, Playoffs - Dump&Chase), AND it happens to be a style the team's stars aren't well suited to play. You can't alter the team's entire playing style in Game 1 of the playoffs and expect to succeed, especially against teams that have been playing the same way from the start of the regular season.

If the Leafs playing a defensively responsible brand of hockey isn’t to your liking I really think your going to hate Berube…….

 

[The Shrike]

Every coach makes his team tighten up in the playoffs, if you expect success with run and gun playoff hockey your going to be sadly disappointed. They need to play a well rounded game and score some goals something they can’t do post season…….

Should Colorado give back their last cup then.

 

[The Shrike]

If the Leafs playing a defensively responsible brand of hockey isn’t to your liking I really think your going to hate Berube…….

Berube didn't have the offensive firepower available to him in St. Louis that he'll have here, so it will be interesting to see if he has the coaching versatility to utilize it.

 

[notbias]

There’s a big problem when a 3 million dollar player carries a team of multiple 11 million dollar players……..

That never happened...

 

[rumman]

Should Colorado give back their last cup then.

I don’t know, do you ghink they were defensively inept?

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

If Keefe was just trying to make the team "tighten up", there wouldn't be a problem. He wasn't.

He was trying to get the team to play a radically different playing style in the playoffs (Reg. Season - Possession, Playoffs - Dump&Chase), AND it happens to be a style the team's stars aren't well suited to play. You can't alter the team's entire playing style in Game 1 of the playoffs and expect to succeed, especially against teams that have been playing the same way from the start of the regular season.

That's exactly correct IMO. You can't just turn on the defensive play in March right before the playoffs and expect them to do everything naturally. He had 5 chances to start the season with a good structure that would enable automatic good habits all the way through to the playoffs but eschewed them in favor of stylish goals during the season. I really think Berube is going to get much more out of them than Keefe. Question is...will it be enough to do some damage or just not die in RD 1?

 

[Racer88]

If they have a coach who is willing to let highly skilled offensive players play to their strengths in the playoffs, it wouldn't be a problem. Keefe wasn't that guy.

I guess we will find that out this year

 

[The Shrike]

I don’t know, do you ghink they were defensively inept?

No, nor were they defensively obsessed which would have hindered their chances to win the cup.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

You might well see him running Leafs #1PP unit as the PP QB, replacing Rielly.

PP2 = Marner, JT, Rielly.

If they have a coach who is willing to let highly skilled offensive players play to their strengths in the playoffs, it wouldn't be a problem. Keefe wasn't that guy.

If you think Keefe is the source of lack of playoff success .... you're dreaming.

We need change.

Ditch Mitch.

 

[Lightsol]

If the Leafs playing a defensively responsible brand of hockey isn’t to your liking I really think your going to hate Berube…….

I see nothing in my comment that even remotely looks like this. My point is that if you're going to play a defensive style, DO IT FROM GAME 1 OF THE REGULAR SEASON. Not Game 1 of the playoffs.