[Matthew Tkachuk] Leafs would be unbelievable if the team wasn't in Toronto

[Erik Alfredsson]

its the same behaviour. Are you punishing the act or the fact its the leafs fans doing it?

Vancouver didnt riot because of the other team, they rioted because they were going to riot win or lose. because they wanted to.

Throwing a boston jersey on the ice of a boston game is because of the other team?

You'll justify anything in your hate of Toronto and its fan wont you?

If you don't see the difference between fans throwing shit on the ice out of general frustration and fans throwing beer at their own team's bench, and booing their own player every time he touches the puck then there's really nothing I can do to help you see that. One is frustration, the other is hate directed at their own player.

The only other time I've heard of a fanbase booing their own star player every time they touched the puck was Ottawa with Yashin after he held out for an entire f***ing season when he already had a contract signed with them.

 

[Hull2Roenick2Kane]

whats with Philly throwing snow balls at santa...

there were batteries in the snowballs

 

[nbwingsfan]

How do you know this? I really doubt you're old enough to have seen anyone win in Toronto.

A five game winning streak is enough to have the fans shouting your names from the rooftops, begging you to have their children. I couldn’t imagine what a an actual Cup run would do.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Here is Corry Perry dodging Nachos thrown on the ice in Edmonton.




only happens in Toronto!

Again, not thrown at their own bench...

 

[DueDiligence]

This rests on the assumption that any North American fanbase/media is as bad as the Toronto Maple Leafs. None of them are. As I said in an earlier post, you can draw similarities between the Canadiens, Lakers, Yankees, and Knicks, but Toronto is the worst.

Bullcrap. Try playing in Philly or Chicago. Way worse than Toronto.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I have a pretty big issue with your list lol. Kessel and Phaneuf weren't "run out of town" the team was ass so they got traded...which is an entirely normal thing to do in the NHL. Lupul didn't get run out of town, he was LTIR'd and relatively popular when he was healthy. Including #6 defensemen(at best) like Zaitsev and Holl is moronic. Kadri was not run out of town by the fans. The guy is still popular in Toronto to this day. The only player that might be getting run out of town on that list due to the fans is Marner.

and even then, its hard to say a player leaving in UFA is being run out of town.

 

[JS19]

This is actually so stupid. Kudos to the Panthers for digging the knife in and playing mind games with the team and its fans/media.

When you break the game down, it’s pure X’s and O’s that led to the Leafs being humiliated in Game 7.

What did Florida do?
- initiated board battles with an extra winger playing at the high slot as a supporting man.

- stifled the neutral zone to make it impossible for the leafs to have any level of build-up.

- played a high pressing forecheck because they exploited the leafs’ inability to break out into the offensive zone (thanks to the Babcock era of overvaluing puck possession as opposed to implementing North-South dynamics into their skating/breakouts).

What did Toronto do?
- reverted back to desperation plays because Florida took away passing lanes. So many times, Toronto treated the puck like a hot potato.
- instead of making reads and playing calm, Toronto players are acting on their own with no awareness of the ice and structure of their lines. You constantly see so many Toronto skaters out of position, leading to Florida wingers in prime opportunities to break out into odd man rushes.

These are all symptoms of the wrong lessons that the Leafs learned up to this point. It has nothing to do with pressure or fanbase. By this logic, is it the fans fault that Edmonton lost Game 7 of last years finals? No, they simply got outplayed after a heroic effort to come back down 3-0. Like Bérubé said, this is a team that won Game 6 while facing elimination and took the defending Stanley cup champs to 7.
The problem is the Leafs get in their own ways, instead of trusting in Bérubé’s tactics, they reverted back to bad habits they built up over the years. It’s actually surprising how easy it is to manipulate the Leafs into playing bad hockey. It reminds me of when I had to watch Raptors Head Coach Dwane f***ing Casey throw away motion offense habits that they built up in the 2017-18 regular season, and went back to the same stupid isolation plays that lost playoff series for the Raptors. He gets fired, Kawhi comes to Toronto, and now they’re having a successful playoff run.

This is a sign that the team doesn’t believe in themselves and each other. That’s why you saw Marner raging at the team, that’s why you see Matthews calling the team passengers. You can’t overcome that doubt without doing a massive shakeup and infusing fresh blood into the lineup.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

A five game winning streak is enough to have the fans shouting your names from the rooftops, begging you to have their children. I couldn’t imagine what a an actual Cup run would do.

Do you think players like that fans are so rabid that they treat them like gods after a 5 game win streak?

I don't understand why you think the bipolar nature of the Leafs fanbase would be an appealing thing for most players lol.

 

[Hull2Roenick2Kane]

This is a sad and pathetic comment

and accurate

 

[Oilslick941611]

A five game winning streak is enough to have the fans shouting your names from the rooftops, begging you to have their children. I couldn’t imagine what a an actual Cup run would do.

2015 blue jay had a good run and gave it their all and they are beloved.
2018 raptors won something and they are heroes in Toronto.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Bullcrap. Try playing in Philly or Chicago. Way worse than Toronto.

No chance. Toronto has the worst fanbase and mefia in the league. Philly fans are nuts but their hate is towards the other team usually. Toronto fans and media hate their own team, it's bizarre.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Do you think players like that fans are so rabid that they treat them like gods after a 5 game win streak?

I don't understand why you think the bipolar nature of the Leafs fanbase would be an appealing thing for most players lol.

For players who want to win, sure that would be appealing. You’ll literally be remembered as a legend to that city if you ever won a Cup for them.

They unfortunately keep giving big contracts to guys who prefer concerts than winning

 

[Dirtyclapper]

Wow.

How are hockey players developing to be tough enough to fight bloody physical battles, Matt Tkachuk played through a broken sternum, and yet a passionate fanbase is what gets their panties in a bunch?

Absolutely unreal that our team can shit its pants, yet again, and we're the ones who get blamed for it. Hockey is a game played on ice by people with sticks. Blaming wins and losses on people in the stands, the people who fund the players paychecks, is just outrageous narcissistic behavior.

You think it's alright to throw drinks at your team while theyre on the bench or throw a jersey on the ice after every loss at home then maybe you should not go to the games and you likely have something very wrong in your head

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

2015 blue jay had a good run and gave it their all and they are beloved.
2018 raptors won something and they are heroes in Toronto.

Do you honestly think this is exclusive to Toronto? Do you not think Crosby is beloved in Pittsburgh? You think nobody in Boston knows who Bobby Orr is?

 

[CornKicker]

the reality is if players are successful and can win in toronto they will be regarded as legends for hockey eternity. it takes a special type of player mentally to handle that and if it isnt obvious yet it should be, those players arent the core 4

 

[SavBigMoneyAtBedards]

None of those teams have a storied history and culture of losing that has created a fanbase that has massive resentment towards their own team.

The Chicago Cubs (and White Sox)
Both won titles in 2005-2015

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

For players who want to win, sure that would be appealing. You’ll literally be remembered as a legend to that city if you ever won a Cup for them.

They unfortunately keep giving big contracts to guys who prefer concerts than winning

Lol the Leaf fan bubble is real if they think that Toronto is the only city you'll be treated as a legend for winning.

 

[JS19]

Lol the Leaf fan bubble is real if they think that Toronto is the only city you'll be treated as a legend for winning.

Well no, there is a clear difference between how Toronto talks about their guys vs. The rest of the league talk about their guys. Clark and Gilmour are beloved despite the fact that they made it to the conference finals. Sundin is beloved for his playoff runs. The moment someone steps up and wins for Toronto, he will be a god to that city.

 

[Ratsreign]

feels like a player from a sunbelt no fan team gaslighting passionate fanbases
tkachuk is a next level troll

That’s a “6 fan team”....get it right, please.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Lol the Leaf fan bubble is real if they think that Toronto is the only city you'll be treated as a legend for winning.

Do you think it’s even remotely on the same level as winning in Columbus? Or Vegas?

 

[Oilslick941611]

If you don't see the difference between fans throwing shit on the ice out of general frustration and fans throwing beer at their own team's bench, and booing their own player every time he touches the puck then there's really nothing I can do to help you see that. One is frustration, the other is hate directed at their own player.

The only other time I've heard of a fanbase booing their own star player every time they touched the puck was Ottawa with Yashin after he held out for an entire f***ing season when he already had a contract signed with them.

so you only have an issue with it when its leaf fans?

you are excusing the other instances?

I think both are stupid.

Fan boo thier own players ALL the time

Buffalo Sabres fans boo their own player during jumbotron tribute

Buffalo Sabres honored Mattias Samuelsson's accomplishment on the jumbotron, but no one could have predicted the fans' reaction.

www.thehockeybeast.com

this is during a tribute, are buffalo fans problematic as well?

I've seen teams throwing drinks and shit at thier own team, remember they used to have those retractable tents on wheels that covered the the area from the benches to the locker rooms? The behaviour is the same, and either you call it out for all or none. You lose credibility otherwise.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Do you honestly think this is exclusive to Toronto? Do you not think Crosby is beloved in Pittsburgh? You think nobody in Boston knows who Bobby Orr is?

you are the one arguing that Toronto hates its players, not me.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Well no, there is a clear difference between how Toronto talks about their guys vs. The rest of the league talk about their guys. Clark and Gilmour are beloved despite the fact that they made it to the conference finals. Sundin is beloved for his playoff runs. The moment someone steps up and wins for Toronto, he will be a god to that city.

You mean like how Alfredsson still has his name changed at Sens games despite retiring 10 years ago? Like how Vancouver does some acknowledgement for a team that lost in the SCF seemingly every year? Like how Carey Price is brought out to drop pucks and announce draft picks to get a guaranteed standing ovation from Habs fans?

 

[The Management]

Give me a break.

You'll still find guys sitting in their woodshed, cracking open a beer, and toasting hard-nosed players like Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker. Put your heart on the line in Toronto and you will be immortalized in the memories of fans for a lifetime. Fans that show up in droves, pay exorbitant ticket prices, travel on the road, all to support a team that has continuously underperformed relative to their potential. It sucks. But it is what it is.

I've been a fan of this team my entire life. That's not going to change. Maybe they never win anything. But to pin the lack of success on the people who support the franchise with their hard earned money and their equally hard earned free time is a joke. If these millionaires want polite applause or a participation ribbon after getting absolutely torched on home ice in an uninspiring effort, they can look elsewhere.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Do you think it’s even remotely on the same level as winning in Columbus? Or Vegas?

I don't think most players care where they win, and I'd imagine winning in Vegas would be pretty damn fun, I doubt they were complain that they weren't adored enough.