Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign F Tyler Bertuzzi (1 year, $5.5M)

[thewave]

This is what we need more of on this roster, and Domi and Reaves will be the same way. Some prick on the opposition is running around acting like a jackass? f*** him, mess with him back. Let him know you're there for Christ's sake. Too often the Leafs turn the other cheek to their detriment.

There is a problem with NHL officiating. They absolutely have at times in key PO games targeted us for standing up for ourselves. This happens to other teams as well.

 

[TimeZone]

Italics.

 

[BayStBullies]

I'm so hyped for seeing a quality player finally finishing that top line. This also pushes Knies to a better position to succeed with his bunker mate Tavares and the crafty Nylander. It is hard to tell if Domi will bump Knies down further or if Keefe gets dumb with lineups, like usual.

This is what we need more of on this roster, and Domi and Reaves will be the same way. Some prick on the opposition is running around acting like a jackass? f*** him, mess with him back. Let him know you're there for Christ's sake. Too often the Leafs turn the other cheek to their detriment.

Because the Leafs are held to a different rulebook.

 

[Metal God]

I'm stoked about Bertuzzi being a Leaf. Always hoped somehow he would end up here every time I watched him play. He's a player!

I forgot what "insider" said the same about a month or so about the Leafs and he extending in the New Year. Maybe it was Kyper or someone on his show?

 

[Stephen]

Because the Leafs are held to a different rulebook.

I don’t think there’s the different rule book for the Leafs more so that the current culture of the team doesn’t understand how to be greasy and get away with it. I think the team has to bring a bit of that “snot” on a consistent basis and be chippy as a default. So it doesn’t stand out as bad behaviour on the rare occasion someone plays with an edge.

 

[IPS]

There's a different set of rules for Leafs players. If you can't see it there's no helping you.

Nikita Kucherov - one of the most despicable and dirty rats in the league - has been suspended for a grand total of 1 game in his entire career. 1 game. Any honest Leafs fan has watched him enough to know how incredibly dirty he is. Somehow it all just flies under the radar though. The media never says anything about it and your average low-IQ fan cannot and will never piece it together. I could go over countless examples with other players.

Auston Matthews has been suspended for more games in his career than Kucherov has. Really think about that for a second.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

There's a different set of rules for Leafs players. If you can't see it there's no helping you.

Nikita Kucherov - one of the most despicable and dirty rats in the league - has been suspended for a grand total of 1 game in his entire career. 1 game. Any honest Leafs fan has watched him enough to know how incredibly dirty he is. Somehow it all just flies under the radar though. The media never says anything about it and your average low-IQ fan cannot and will never piece it together. I could go over countless examples with other players.

Auston Matthews has been suspended for more games in his career than Kucherov has. Really think about that for a second.

For the record: I don’t think Kucherov will be running around like he’s the most dangerous player on the ice when he plays the leafs next season. It’s one thing to do it sneaky but he has acted like the toughest guy in the league when he’s played the leafs the last two seasons.
He and Stamkos might want to keep their heads up next season.

 

[IPS]

For the record: I don’t think Kucherov will be running around like he’s the most dangerous player on the ice when he plays the leafs next season. It’s one thing to do it sneaky but he has acted like the toughest guy in the league when he’s played the leafs the last two seasons.
He and Stamkos might want to keep their heads up next season.

You have no idea how badly I've wanted to watch Leafs players openly take liberties on that little prick. Unforgivable how it hasn't happened yet.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

You have no idea how badly I've wanted to watch Leafs players openly take liberties on that little prick. Unforgivable how it hasn't happened yet.

Well, at least we have three years ahead of the league’s most devastating puncher and head hunter taking runs at him. It’s only a matter of time.

 

[LeafEgo]

There's a different set of rules for Leafs players. If you can't see it there's no helping you.

Nikita Kucherov - one of the most despicable and dirty rats in the league - has been suspended for a grand total of 1 game in his entire career. 1 game. Any honest Leafs fan has watched him enough to know how incredibly dirty he is. Somehow it all just flies under the radar though. The media never says anything about it and your average low-IQ fan cannot and will never piece it together. I could go over countless examples with other players.

Auston Matthews has been suspended for more games in his career than Kucherov has. Really think about that for a second.

As opposed to a league wide Kucherov conspiracy, probably he's just talented at navigating good 'ol hockey. If you splice Mattys on ice demeanor with his Dahlin incident, he's not quite as slick.

As Veseys said we may see it calibrated somewhat next year, although Tampa has always been able to respond or execute a dirty game smoothly when profitable.

Crying about the refs as a Leafs fan these last few years is a bad look. Let's just get back to playing the game the way its always been played.

 

[notbias]

I don’t think there’s the different rule book for the Leafs more so that the current culture of the team doesn’t understand how to be greasy and get away with it. I think the team has to bring a bit of that “snot” on a consistent basis and be chippy as a default. So it doesn’t stand out as bad behaviour on the rare occasion someone plays with an edge.

So they get called different because they are not consistently dirty...

I agree with you to an extent, but sounds like a different rule book for some teams.

 

[thewave]

I don’t think there’s the different rule book for the Leafs more so that the current culture of the team doesn’t understand how to be greasy and get away with it. I think the team has to bring a bit of that “snot” on a consistent basis and be chippy as a default. So it doesn’t stand out as bad behaviour on the rare occasion someone plays with an edge.

You haven't seen the PO games where every single time we try to give it back to the opposing team we're on the pk?

Its happened a lot to us since around Bet99man took over the league.

 

[Burnie97]

There's a different set of rules for Leafs players. If you can't see it there's no helping you.

Nikita Kucherov - one of the most despicable and dirty rats in the league - has been suspended for a grand total of 1 game in his entire career. 1 game. Any honest Leafs fan has watched him enough to know how incredibly dirty he is. Somehow it all just flies under the radar though. The media never says anything about it and your average low-IQ fan cannot and will never piece it together. I could go over countless examples with other players.

Auston Matthews has been suspended for more games in his career than Kucherov has. Really think about that for a second.

100 % agree.

Kucherov is brutal. Every game he does sneaky little dirty slew foots etc. Pretty sure he did a bad one to Marner and he's lucky he wasn't injured and I forget if he even got a penalty but the league seems to love letting certain players do whatever they want.

I hope Reaves or someone comes out the first game against Tampa this year and f***ing drives him through the boards.

 

[Stephen]

You haven't seen the PO games where every single time we try to give it back to the opposing team we're on the pk?

Its happened a lot to us since around Bet99man took over the league.

The idea of "giving it back" is the problem because you're describing retaliation... and that is often penalized. You're also meeting the opposition on the mismatches they've dictated.

It isn't about hanging on when the other team decides to run you through the boards. Leafs need to build a team and have the ability to dial up and down the physicality, agitation, attrition game based on what they want to achieve, who they want to target and make less effective.

If we use the Florida series as an example, we should be crease crashing and making life tough on Bobrovsky to stay in the game mentally. Wear him out physically with little bumps here and there, heavy traffic, after the whistle play. He's a guy who has dehydration issues. Why are you not making life hard on him? Make it a chore for him to reset after every whistle. From a forechecking POV, we should be running Ekblad, Forsling through the end boards on every puck retrieval, not hacking and slashing back once Gudas has already put a licking on you. By mid series they should be feeling something to make life a little easier. Barkov should be harassed with every puck possession, etc. little slash here and there as he's cutting in, put the body on etc.

 

[Gallagbi]

The idea of "giving it back" is the problem because you're describing retaliation... and that is often penalized. You're also meeting the opposition on the mismatches they've dictated.

It isn't about hanging on when the other team decides to run you through the boards. Leafs need to build a team and have the ability to dial up and down the physicality, agitation, attrition game based on what they want to achieve, who they want to target and make less effective.

If we use the Florida series as an example, we should be crease crashing and making life tough on Bobrovsky to stay in the game mentally. Wear him out physically with little bumps here and there, heavy traffic, after the whistle play. He's a guy who has dehydration issues. Why are you not making life hard on him? Make it a chore for him to reset after every whistle. From a forechecking POV, we should be running Ekblad, Forsling through the end boards on every puck retrieval, not hacking and slashing back once Gudas has already put a licking on you. By mid series they should be feeling something to make life a little easier. Barkov should be harassed with every puck possession, etc. little slash here and there as he's cutting in, put the body on etc.

We could initiate like Clifford did in Game 1 last year or Hyman on McAvoy.

I dont mind adding more physical play, but we do nedd to understand theres more eyes on the Leafs and more people excited when a call goes against them, which leads to the calls weve seen over the past 5-10 years, especially suspensions

 

[Stephen]

We could initiate like Clifford did in Game 1 last year or Hyman on McAvoy.

I dont mind adding more physical play, but we do nedd to understand theres more eyes on the Leafs and more people excited when a call goes against them, which leads to the calls weve seen over the past 5-10 years, especially suspensions

We might partially be describing the same phenomenon but arriving at different conclusions when it comes to eyes on the Leafs.

The issue with having guys like Clifford, Simmonds as window dressing, designated tough guys is it's easier to isolate and watch them for doing x, y, z from an official's standpoint. Leafs get pushed around, and a couple of designated guys will have the role of responding. There's a spotlight following them around. Kadri got into a lot of trouble because he had limited backup from his own team and was completely out of control emotionally.

When you have a program that is 12 F 6 D and committed to a baseline level of finishing hits, initiating physicality (towards an game plan) and grey area stuff, you have a better feel for what will be called and what won't be, you'll be initiating and not retaliating and you frankly get away with more because they're not calling 50 penalties on you. Every team that plays us is in the aggressor role. I think it's just smarter to be proactive.

Also helps if your coach doesn't telegraph his intentions to goon it up in a series.

 

[Gallagbi]

We might partially be describing the same phenomenon but arriving at different conclusions when it comes to eyes on the Leafs.

The issue with having guys like Clifford, Simmonds as window dressing, designated tough guys is it's easier to isolate and watch them for doing x, y, z from an official's standpoint. Leafs get pushed around, and a couple of designated guys will have the role of responding. There's a spotlight following them around. Kadri got into a lot of trouble because he had limited backup from his own team and was completely out of control emotionally.

When you have a program that is 12 F 6 D and committed to a baseline level of finishing hits, initiating physicality (towards an game plan) and grey area stuff, you have a better feel for what will be called and what won't be, you'll be initiating and not retaliating and you frankly get away with more because they're not calling 50 penalties on you. Every team that plays us is in the aggressor role. I think it's just smarter to be proactive.

Also helps if your coach doesn't telegraph his intentions to goon it up in a series.

Honestly its a bullshit narrative to excuse bad officiating and you see it in all aspects.

Theyre not a team full of goons, but some of those suspensions came on a tougher group with Martin, Leo, Kadri, Polak, etc. Even last years team had grit overall

We've watched guys like Simmonds take a cross check to the face by a largely undersized Habs team while Matthews gets suspended for similar. Hyman gets suspended for a late hit on McAvoy, Clifford gets a game for a hit from behind after a 5 min major. Combine those and you get similar logic for an unsuspended Maroon last year.

The incidents themselves dont stick out, the inconsistency of how the rules are applied certainly do.

 

[Stephen]

Honestly its a bullshit narrative to excuse bad officiating and you see it in all aspects.

Theyre not a team full of goons, but some of those suspensions came on a tougher group with Martin, Leo, Kadri, Polak, etc. Even last years team had grit overall

We've watched guys like Simmonds take a cross check to the face by a largely undersized Habs team while Matthews gets suspended for similar. Hyman gets suspended for a late hit on McAvoy, Clifford gets a game for a hit from behind after a 5 min major. Combine those and you get similar logic for an unsuspended Maroon last year.

The incidents themselves dont stick out, the inconsistency of how the rules are applied certainly do.

If Shanahan, Treliving and Keefe want to put pressure on the league and highlight inconsistent and biased officiating that’s one thing they can do off the ice. That’s one part of the equation.

On the ice, I think we should take more of a bully’s stance and make toughness work for us and not be the reactive party. Toughness and intimidation are just tools and there’s no white hat reason why we should leave it in the drawer. I think the team is thinking the same thing and one reason why we have Tyler Bertuzzi.

And just to add. Toughness isn’t even what brings me to the sport in the first place. Goaltending and the high flying skill has always been far more compelling to me, but you need to find the right mix of everything.

 

[Gallagbi]

If Shanahan, Treliving and Keefe want to put pressure on the league and highlight inconsistent and biased officiating that’s one thing they can do off the ice. That’s one part of the equation.

On the ice, I think we should take more of a bully’s stance and make toughness work for us and not be the reactive party. Toughness and intimidation are just tools and there’s no white hat reason why we should leave it in the drawer. I think the team is thinking the same thing and one reason why we have Tyler Bertuzzi.

And just to add. Toughness isn’t even what brings me to the sport in the first place. Goaltending and the high flying skill has always been far more compelling to me, but you need to find the right mix of everything.

And thats fine, but expect more of what we've seen and some of the issues that come along with it.

Expect the suspensions, penalties, etc

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Bertuzzi and Knies locking down the left side with size, is something really needed.

K-M-M
B-T-R
D-H-J
R-K-L

Is a solid forward group. I think Robertson comes into camp with a burr under his saddle (atleast I hope). He needs to get some top6 trust from Keefe and co. For him to shine.

Letting this forward (and D) group soak until the deadline will be interesting to see what Tre does to improve it.

 

[notbias]

We might partially be describing the same phenomenon but arriving at different conclusions when it comes to eyes on the Leafs.

The issue with having guys like Clifford, Simmonds as window dressing, designated tough guys is it's easier to isolate and watch them for doing x, y, z from an official's standpoint. Leafs get pushed around, and a couple of designated guys will have the role of responding. There's a spotlight following them around. Kadri got into a lot of trouble because he had limited backup from his own team and was completely out of control emotionally.

When you have a program that is 12 F 6 D and committed to a baseline level of finishing hits, initiating physicality (towards an game plan) and grey area stuff, you have a better feel for what will be called and what won't be, you'll be initiating and not retaliating and you frankly get away with more because they're not calling 50 penalties on you. Every team that plays us is in the aggressor role. I think it's just smarter to be proactive.

Also helps if your coach doesn't telegraph his intentions to goon it up in a series.

You're literally describing how rules are not applied evenly amongst teams depending on how they are constructed while saying there is not a separate set of rules for certain teams.

Refs tend to try to call things even, not fair.

 

[Stand Witness]

There isn’t a different standard for Leafs players….

BUT it is a fact that the refs can’t call everything. Be greasy, be dirty, etc.. because the refs manage the game and keep the penalties consistent. Thats literally what the Bruins did for years. Got away with murder because the refs love to even it up. Play by those rules.

 

[kb]

There isn’t a different standard for Leafs players….

BUT it is a fact that the refs can’t call everything. Be greasy, be dirty, etc.. because the refs manage the game and keep the penalties consistent. Thats literally what the Bruins did for years. Got away with murder because the refs love to even it up. Play by those rules.

Reputation is not mentioned anywhere in the rulebook.

At some point we have to acknowledge what is happening.

 

[Avilaj07]

Recently it's been rumored that Bertuzzi wanted a long term contract with the Leafs but the Leafs insisted on it only being 1 year. I'm going to assume that they chose this path only because of the uncertainty of the Nylander situation. If Nylander is indeed dealt this off season, I can definitely see Bertuzzi signing an extension in season baring he remains healthy.

 

[BayStBullies]

Recently it's been rumored that Bertuzzi wanted a long term contract with the Leafs but the Leafs insisted on it only being 1 year. I'm going to assume that they chose this path only because of the uncertainty of the Nylander situation. If Nylander is indeed dealt this off season, I can definitely see Bertuzzi signing an extension in season baring he remains healthy.

Source?