Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign Simmonds to a 2 year extension (900k AAV)

[saltming]

Matthews led the team with 25 hits in the 7 game series. MacKinnon had 15 hits in 10 games.

I'm not talking about hits. Mackinnon would take the puck to the net and not much was stopping him. Hence the freight train reference, unstoppable force

 

[Leaf Fans]

To me, it says rag doll me all you like, I won’t resist, no push back here. Oh, and the Leafs power play was suppose to be the push back, how’d that work out for the Leafs?

You do know that we lost the series.

 

[tronoleaf]

He stopped pushing him around. Worked out well.

When that happened my first thought was why are you smiling this is the f****** playoffs man up and push back

 

[saltming]

It’s not wise to be a sheep in the land of wolves.

The alpha wolf sets the path

 

[ToneDog]

When that happened my first thought was why are you smiling this is the f****** playoffs man up and push back

I thought the laugh was because Matty thinks he is so much better than everybody else. Looking at the back of Sabrouin's jersey for his name was similar. Good to be confident in yourself but you look like a fool when you do not back it up.

 

[Leaf Fans]

I thought the laugh was because Matty thinks he is so much better than everybody else. Looking at the back of Sabrouin's jersey for his name was similar. Good to be confident in yourself but you look like a fool when you do not back it up.

Hopefully we will re-sign Scotty Sabs!

 

[saltming]

Well, the best player ever knew if you stood your ground the opposition would look elsewhere for trouble. How ironic is it that AM won the Rocket Richard trophy………the Rocket didn’t stand for it either………

Ya first that's a different era second that Gretzky kid had one fight in his career, so is that a bad player? I don't recall him being a great shot blocker either

 

[ToneDog]

Hopefully we will re-sign Scotty Sabs!

Not sure how good he is but he should be good enough spell Simmonds on back to back games (minimum).

 

[rumman]

Ya first that's a different era second that Gretzky kid had one fight in his career, so is that a bad player? I don't recall him being a great shot blocker either

That’s why Orr was the best there ever was, will ever be.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Not sure how good he is but he should be good enough spell Simmonds on back to back games (minimum).

Thing is, it doesn't seem like they'd healthy scratch him

 

[saltming]

That’s why Orr was the best there ever was, will ever be.

While there is an argument for that statement I the the guy they call the GOAT and the great one might win out in a vote.
I grew up in that era of hockey and I loved it, but I now love the speed and skill of the game.
Evolution is a good thing. I mean the best players in the game today do not fight at all, Crosby mcdavid point etc

 

[TDotMassive]

lets not change the top 4 - lets not change the supporting cast. Then what the f*** are you going to do? Run it back with these heartless f***s?

Let's be real though... had they not kneed JT out of the series in period 1 of game 1, that series would have been blown out. Im ok with running it back... also, an experience like this tends to harden a team.

Tampa got humiliated in 4 straight after posting the greatest season in NHL history... only to go win the cup (likely 2 cups) right after. Washington another example... teams usually need to be hardened before they become champions. Our core is young... run it back!

 

[ShaneFalco]

Can we stop using TB as an example. They were never considered heartless, gutless f***s like this team even when swept

 

[ShaneFalco]

Can we stop using TB as an example. They were never considered heartless, gutless f***s like this team even when swept

People still buying this thru have to learn how to win bs - please

 

[myleafs]

Ya first that's a different era second that Gretzky kid had one fight in his career, so is that a bad player? I don't recall him being a great shot blocker either

There you go, even Gretzky fought back. Gretzky didn't block shots is your argument? How many goals and points did he get compared to Matthews? How about Crosby, Ovie, Mackinnon, Marchand etc... Era really doesn't have anything to do with standing up for yourself and each other as every single playoff series since that era shows us that. Matthews didn't even have to fight, he just needed to hold his ground and show he wasn't going to be a pushover. He is the leader and is leading by example and the rest of the team followed.

 

[saltming]

There you go, even Gretzky fought back. Gretzky didn't block shots is your argument? How many goals and points did he get compared to Matthews? How about Crosby, Ovie, Mackinnon, Marchand etc... Era really doesn't have anything to do with standing up for yourself and each other as every single playoff series since that era shows us that. Matthews didn't even have to fight, he just needed to hold his ground and show he wasn't going to be a pushover. He is the leader and is leading by example and the rest of the team followed.

Gretz had 1 fight in his whole career. That's my point to op I replied to and in fact I was saying fighting back doesn't mean fighting.
Fighting back can happen in many ways. Matthews had 25 hits that series. Marchand started as a disturbed and became a goal scorer later in his career. Sid is not a fighter, Malkin is not, Mackinnon is not. They fight back differently.
Of your list on Marchand is close to a fighter and he doesn't even fight. He just causes poop.
Also if you read the post I replied to and watched the video in it you would know it was Don cherry explaining what he called a real hockey player, hence the assumption is that it reflects the op's opinion, so my reply was to that.
If you jump in to a conversation half informed you cannot understand the whole train of though involved

 

[keonsbitterness]

Can we stop using TB as an example. They were never considered heartless, gutless f***s like this team even when swept

TB got a fair bit of criticism after the Columbus series, but the example they provide is how they responded to such a shocking result -- damn well!

Our guys? So far, not so well.

 

[Racer88]

Actually him smiling says he is not intimidated at all. If says the other players attempt to rough him up is like a fly land on his shore

Now in the real world of men playing hockey it say coward and laughing covers his embarrassment.
If he had actually gone out and won us the series after that maybe it would have said something different

 

[Racer88]

Grinning at someone trying to bully or irk you seems completely appropriate. Having no reaction is even better. Having no reaction then next shift blasting the guy into the boards with a legal hit is the best reaction.

I would have preferred no reaction rather then the embarrassing laughing

 

[Stonehands1990]

Can we stop using TB as an example. They were never considered heartless, gutless f***s like this team even when swept

Tampa went to the finals and had multiple round wins before the Columbus incident. It’s a terrible example

 

[myleafs]

Gretz had 1 fight in his whole career. That's my point to op I replied to and in fact I was saying fighting back doesn't mean fighting.
Fighting back can happen in many ways. Matthews had 25 hits that series. Marchand started as a disturbed and became a goal scorer later in his career. Sid is not a fighter, Malkin is not, Mackinnon is not. They fight back differently.
Of your list on Marchand is close to a fighter and he doesn't even fight. He just causes poop.
Also if you read the post I replied to and watched the video in it you would know it was Don cherry explaining what he called a real hockey player, hence the assumption is that it reflects the op's opinion, so my reply was to that.
If you jump in to a conversation half informed you cannot understand the whole train of though involved

I was replying to your specific post. Sid , Mackinnon and Malkin have all fought at one time or another and they definitely push back when its warranted...thats the point isnt it? They dont allow themselves to be ragdolled weirdly smiling about it. I can't see anyone of those guys responding the same way Matthews did. Marchand is not a fighter but he never takes shit from anyone. Even Kessel stood up for himself if he needed to. Some see what Matthews did like he was the bigger man for not stooping to caveman tactics whereas I saw it as sending the message that the leafs are open to be pushed around with no response. The Jackets did it and the Habs just followed it up with more of the same. And I fully expect whoever plays the leafs in the playoffs next year if they make them to follow suit. The true contenders are playing for keeps, its not fun and games out there.

 

[ER89]

Let's be real though... had they not kneed JT out of the series in period 1 of game 1, that series would have been blown out. Im ok with running it back... also, an experience like this tends to harden a team.

Tampa got humiliated in 4 straight after posting the greatest season in NHL history... only to go win the cup (likely 2 cups) right after. Washington another example... teams usually need to be hardened before they become champions. Our core is young... run it back!

Yrah but tampa had reached the finals before. This team is full of mental midgets

 

[myleafs]

While there is an argument for that statement I the the guy they call the GOAT and the great one might win out in a vote.
I grew up in that era of hockey and I loved it, but I now love the speed and skill of the game.
Evolution is a good thing. I mean the best players in the game today do not fight at all, Crosby mcdavid point etc

I agree to a certain extent...I enjoy the more fluid parts of the game as well and the rules for fighting have changed so much that it makes it kind of dumb to get into one. Helmets have to stay on means more broken hands so I don't want to see Matthews break his hand but standing firm, holding your ground and letting it be known you won't take crap from anyone is a must in my books. Its the problem I have with the whole team philosophy. Leafs rarely stand up for themselves and even less for each other while all the true contenders do.

 

[Stephen]

While there is an argument for that statement I the the guy they call the GOAT and the great one might win out in a vote.
I grew up in that era of hockey and I loved it, but I now love the speed and skill of the game.
Evolution is a good thing. I mean the best players in the game today do not fight at all, Crosby mcdavid point etc

The reality is guys like Crosby, Point and Mackinnon do fight. The game is a lot more sanitized than it used to be, but idea that the game has evolved into a non contact skills show lacking any kind of emotional engagement or fiery competition is sort of a strange Leaf Land myth. The way some of our skill guys no show for these moments is atypical even of stars. I'm not saying this is what I demand to see on the ice, but our guys are on the extreme end of a pacifist spectrum and it hurts them from a competition POV:

 

[Stephen]

I agree to a certain extent...I enjoy the more fluid parts of the game as well and the rules for fighting have changed so much that it makes it kind of dumb to get into one. Helmets have to stay on means more broken hands so I don't want to see Matthews break his hand but standing firm, holding your ground and letting it be known you won't take crap from anyone is a must in my books. Its the problem I have with the whole team philosophy. Leafs rarely stand up for themselves and even less for each other while all the true contenders do.

I think if a player is going into these moments weighing the cost benefit analysis of breaking their hand vs helping a teammate who has been cross checked to the ice and has an opponent standing over them (like Thornton skating away after Hyman was cross checked onto the ice by Jeff Petry) your head is already in the wrong place and not in the right frame of mind to compete.

With that mentality, the smart play will always be for self preservation so you can 'live to fight another day.' So stop up on a 50/50 battle for the puck, to peel back on a forecheck or just wilt from the battle, don't block the shot, etc.