Locker Clean-out Day

[Superstar]

It's flat out humiliating that he got more goals than Matthews and more points than Marner.

Completely and utterly unacceptable from the top to bottom. Then to have Marner sit there all smugly looking annoyed that he has to answer questions. Matthews looking apathetic.

It's really really hard to not literally hate these people.

The amount of money they got and the way they negotiated their contracts to enter UFA sooner make it obvious that it's just business to them...everything else about how much they love the Leafs is a lie, or it's lower in priority before the mighty dollar. Those contracts are completely lopsided in their favour.

 

[myleafs]

This is the thing I don't get.
I never reach the pro-athlete status but came pretty close when I was young playing Rugby.
All the players watch the game and try to learn what others are doing all the time, from set plays all the way down to individual stuff. And we can see why some players are just better and some teams are better....
I don't see why these Leafs(coaches and players) don't go, Avs PP is great, maybe we should try that in practices and in games and see if we can do that or he is doing well by just doing the little things, maybe I can try that or I know I can't skate like McDavid but maybe I can learn how to shield the puck like him....

Maybe I am old school, but I remembered pro-athletes often say stuff like I am learning from that player through watching how he played the games.....

Exactly, like can't the leafs look at bruins avs and lightening pp and just copy and paste? seems like a no brainer but noooo lets just keep doing the same lame ass shit over and over and trust us it will improve. And look at the intensity of those top teams in the playoffs, don't the gm players and coaches of the leafs look at that and think why arent we doing that. It seems on purpose and was the same under babcock so I am starting to think this is the directive from Dubas. Remember....our pp will be the equalizer as the reason for non contact hockey. Hows that working out?

 

[Duffman955]

I feel like Spezza is Captain material

 

[Azail]

Exactly, like can't the leafs look at bruins avs and lightening pp and just copy and paste? seems like a no brainer but noooo lets just keep doing the same lame ass shit over and over and trust us it will improve. And look at the intensity of those top teams in the playoffs, don't the gm players and coaches of the leafs look at that and think why arent we doing that. It seems on purpose and was the same under babcock so I am starting to think this is the directive from Dubas. Remember....our pp will be the equalizer as the reason for non contact hockey. Hows that working out?

Sorry did you just say you think its Dubas that is telling the players/coach to not play hard and with intensity?

I think some people really are trying to hard to let off blaming the players here. This team was built fine, if the star players (Matthews and Marner) show up, they win. There is no conspiracy from management to actively sewer there own team. LOL come on. I really think people don't think before they speak sometimes.

 

[Captain14]

I am not denying the Leafs is not hitting. What I am saying is that they could not score when it matters and the two guys that should be leading them just vanished.
They could be hitting like any teams left but if the top two guys combined for 1 goal in 7 games, the chances are the team won't go far.

Yes, this is true.
However, when you are on the puck hard, and finish your checks, it impacts how your opponents will go back for loose pucks, causing hurried decisions and turnovers.
Montreal was able to break out of their zone easier than any team ever!
They had clear sailing and that definitely aids in their maintaining puck possession.

 

[wingman75]

I feel like Spezza is Captain material

Can confirm.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

The amount of money they got and the way they negotiated their contracts to enter UFA sooner makes it obvious that it's just business to them...everything else about how much they love the Leafs is a lie, or it's lower in priority before the mighty dollar. Those contracts are completely lopsided in their favour.

You can't blame a poor family for trying to get MAX $$$ especially after they struggled mightily financially as a family to get their kid to da show .. you will see it is a completely different situation for a wealthy family like Hyman's .. and then people will say oh well da Leaf GM did a great job getting a guy signed to a long term fair AAV deal .. when reality was it is a completely different situation

 

[myleafs]

Sorry did you just say you think its Dubas that is telling the players/coach to not play hard and with intensity?

I think some people really are trying to hard to let off blaming the players here. This team was built fine, if the star players (Matthews and Marner) show up, they win. There is no conspiracy from management to actively sewer there own team. LOL come on. I really think people don't think before they speak sometimes.

What I am saying is this is two coaches in a row under Dubas who have teams who don't hit or play with much intensity and have played their last couple of playoffs like they are in a preseason game. I don't see any other team do this. Dubas is the architect of this team so.....
For the record I have been a Dubas supporter up to this point and depending on how he handles this offseason will continue to do so, or not.
Last bolded part....f*** you very much.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Ya I just can't imagine how a guy like Spezz feels about it. Like there's a guy who brings it every night. Who is playing for nothing and is counting on Auston and Mitch to be Auston and Mitch in the playoffs. Every passing year is so valuable to him. And to see these guys just shrug off their shortcomings, and refute the idea that major changes may be necessary is truly infuriating as a fan. I can't imagine what it'd be like for a guy like him. Like why would he want to waste the precious remains of his amazing career on guys who fail to rise to the occasion. This team goes absolutely no where unless these guys show up when it counts. And they never do. I want so much for Spezz to lift that cup as a Leaf, but to be honest I hope he goes to an actual contender. He deserves way more than this shit

the same. i will own my words - i remember like years ago, i think it was when Spezza was first traded to Dallas, and before that he was like he didn't want to be in a Canadian city or something to that because it was just too much pressure, so I was like go kick a rock - i don't have any time for people like that. But he's here, he's busting his butt every night,, he's in front of the camera answering hard questions, he clearly wants to be here, and you know he's going to work hard this summer. He is clearly taking less money to be here...

i am heart broken for guys like him.

and I've also said before. irregardless of all my issues with Kessel -
A: him wanting to be here, and
B: knowing that he'd show up and be our best player when it counted was never in question. i had issues with how he did things and how he answered questions too but i new when it came to the playoffs, Phil knew when it was go-time.

like i honestly just can not anymore.
I will be more surprised if Shanahan actually sounded pissed off (ala 2013/2014), vs. "we believe in them." same with Dubas. Like i said in the other thread - people are pooping on these guys - sure they could have gotten "Hall" instead of whomever. but let's just state facts. Say we got "better players" than Foligno and Nash. If that player got injured (like Folingo did). - Matthews and Marner still sucked. Dubas literally got sucked punched in the face in regards to how these two performed after basically doing everything to ensure they had everything they needed to succeed. Well, I'll blame Kefee too. some of the crap that comes out of his mouth blows my mind. (so we can blame Dubas on that one)

 

[Gabriel426]

Yes, this is true.
However, when you are on the puck hard, and finish your checks, it impacts how your opponents will go back for loose pucks, causing hurried decisions and turnovers.
Montreal was able to break out of their zone easier than any team ever!
They had clear sailing and that definitely aids in their maintaining puck possession.

Not denying that at all.
One observation I noticed after Game 4 was that only Willie’s goal in Game 1 was a garbage goal in front of the net with bodies all around the net. The other goals are all quite pretty. The boys were not causing havoc in front of Price.

 

[Apex Predator]

What I am saying is this is two coaches in a row under Dubas who have teams who don't hit or play with much intensity and have played their last couple of playoffs like they are in a preseason game. I don't see any other team do this. Dubas is the architect of this team so.....
For the record I have been a Dubas supporter up to this point and depending on how he handles this offseason will continue to do so, or not.
Last bolded part....f*** you very much.

With all our recent struggles there are two remaining factors. The Big 4 and Dubas. Both can go hand and hand with each other but if I’m Dubas I’m breaking up the big 4 either wise this is your last off season. How much more to we have to baby them. Seems like Nylander is the only one owning up to the failure by admitting they were playing scared.

This is the second straight year we are having the same discussion. Do we really want to be here next year having the exact same conversation. At some point the writing is on the wall. They’re not kids anymore.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Have to say I expected nothing from these press availabilities and I'm still disappointed. Zero ownership or accountability from either Matthews or Mitch for underperforming. Sorry boys, the team gave you money, grit, toughness and each-other to work with and you blew it. At this point trade Mitch and put the fear of god into the rest of the core. This is ridiculous.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Take the A off Marner and Matthews and give it to this beaut.

Seriously. Both should lose their A's to Spezza and Willy.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Matthews and Marner still sucked. Dubas literally got sucked punched in the face in regards to how these two performed after basically doing everything to ensure they had everything they needed to succeed.

That gets lost in a lot of things.

If any of the remaining teams had their top 3 players not show up, or get injured, it matters squat all what happens with the rest of the roster. We could have the best depth in the league. Depth is important, but ultimately it does not make up for your stars being completely invisible, or even worse in Marner's case given that he made two mistakes that were large in costing us 2 games.

And when it comes down to it, Keefe trusted his stars. It is not like he was running Thornton out there for 20 minutes a night (he was getting 11 minutes on average). He was counting on his core guys to perform and did not happen... And let's be honest, any good coach and GM who would have been in charge would have done the exact same thing in his spot. Keefe could have done other things better, and maybe Dubas could have done things differently, but in the end we either squeak through by the skin of our teeth and get killed later on or we have the same result unless Marner and Matthews both play significantly better. Their issues almost 100% on them and them alone.

 

[Gabriel426]

You can't blame a poor family for trying to get MAX $$$ especially after they struggled mightily financially as a family to get their kid to da show .. you will see it is a completely different situation for a wealthy family like Hyman's .. and then people will say oh well da Leaf GM did a great job getting a guy signed to a long term fair AAV deal .. when reality was it is a completely different situation

I don’t have an issue of getting the best deal bc that’s life. I do have an issue of not living up to the contract.
I am not even talking about hitting that extra gear in playoffs, Marner and to certain extent AM could not even maintain their regular season level. If anything, they went backwards. At least AM didn’t make any fatal mistake but Marner was literally mistake after mistake.
It is ridiculous how their level just dropped. For all the crap people says about Soup and Engvall can’t score….Marner and AM scored 1 goal more than them and Soup and Engvall are making a combine of 3mil.

 

[rumman]

Sounds like Spezza and Hyman were the only players whose statements were credible, the rest of them sound like K Tel sound bite greatest hits. I’m expecting more of the same from the three stooges BS/KD/SK.......

 

[Superstar]

You can't blame a poor family for trying to get MAX $$$ especially after they struggled mightily financially as a family to get their kid to da show .. you will see it is a completely different situation for a wealthy family like Hyman's .. and then people will say oh well da Leaf GM did a great job getting a guy signed to a long term fair AAV deal .. when reality was it is a completely different situation

Yeah, but we're not talking about a tug-of-war on league minimum wage here...it's a dissection of superstar money to ensure maximum extraction of dollar and term from the Leafs organization...it's a complete business on their part...we're not even talking about giving any hometown discounts here, because there were none...they got premium dollar and term, not even fair market value.

 

[All Mod Cons]

The more I think about it I wonder why would qny UFA want to come to Toronto

The pressure will be insanely high, the reward isn't worth it with the high taxes and the fact this team is unable to win


Coleman, Schwartz, Palmeri etc they all have better options available to them on teams with a realistic shot of winning a round.

If I were a ufa I'd stay away from Toronto at this point. They're just not a organization you can trust to take the steps needed to become a winner

Fortunately we give draft picks out like candy as well. So what we got left? Trades and kidnap.

 

[Communal Blood]

Same canned responses from the likes of Marner, etc. I'm more interested in what Dubas and Shanahan have to say.

 

[Drew311]

Same canned responses from the likes of Marner, etc. I'm more interested in what Dubas and Shanahan have to say.

When are the Dubas/Shanny pressers?

 

[Superstar]

When are the Dubas/Shanny pressers?

I believe at 4pm.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Not denying that at all.
One observation I noticed after Game 4 was that only Willie’s goal in Game 1 was a garbage goal in front of the net with bodies all around the net. The other goals are all quite pretty. The boys were not causing havoc in front of Price.

Now contrast that with how Boston’s big 3 battles in front of the net and it becomes very clear why the Leafs struggle in elimination games.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I don’t have an issue of getting the best deal bc that’s life. I do have an issue of not living up to the contract.
I am not even talking about hitting that extra gear in playoffs, Marner and to certain extent AM could not even maintain their regular season level. If anything, they went backwards. At least AM didn’t make any fatal mistake but Marner was literally mistake after mistake.
It is ridiculous how their level just dropped. For all the crap people says about Soup and Engvall can’t score….Marner and AM scored 1 goal more than them and Soup and Engvall are making a combine of 3mil.

Da last 10 or so games of regular season guys ramp up for playoff hockey so it starts to look better before playoffs as making it matters .. da issue is Matty and Mitch are going all out every game .. vet guys like Bergeron are not going flat out until playoffs start .. these 2 have no other top gear to turn to especially Mitch because of his stride

 

[3blizzard4]

What were you watching?

trash.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Now contrast that with how Boston’s big 3 battles in front of the net and it becomes very clear why the Leafs struggle in elimination games.

They don't turn on top gear until playoffs start .. vet move .. they do MIN of what it takes to make playoffs and then turn on top gear when it counts