Speculation: My Dude. It's early.

Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
5,960
5,361
The Leafs have only played 9 games. 4-4-1 is not terrible.

Berube is still figuring out this team. There's still tinkering going on. Certain players haven't even played yet. The Bottom 6 Defense has not been decided on. Woll is in no way 100%. He only played 3 periods of hockey in preseason.


Many media analysts felt that TOR would take some time with a new coach/new system.

There's a lot of hockey left. TORONTO has to finish strong.

Just be cool.

Judge who they are at game 20 and not game 9.
 

DarkKnight

Professional Amateur
Jan 17, 2017
33,343
52,555
I felt a slowish start was going to happen. And like I say every year, it's freaking October relax, people won't even remember these games in March. We're in the hunt, I like this team on paper, I think the style he wants is winning hockey, particularly in our division.

The over the top takes here aren't reality, chill imo.
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
23,206
7,776
Toronto
It is early but 10% of the season gone already, have to be at least 41 and 32 the rest of the way. So we do have to be better
 

NVious

Registered User
Dec 20, 2022
1,501
3,331
It's 9 years of this, I mean shouldn't they get SOME kind of a bump at some point:

New coaches
New GMs
New captains
New forwards
New D
New goalies
New contracts
New systems

None of it has any effect because the core itself is rotten. I know people hold out hope because of the Caps, but they finished:

4th/1st/2nd/15th/9th/17th/10th/1st/1st/7th (year they won the cup), unlike the Leafs who NEVER dominated the league in 9 years

And they also got rid of Semin/Green/Varlamov which was their previous core.

These dudes just don't have it, I'm not even sure if Matthews could lead a team. I have no doubt all of them would be excellent complimentary pieces (outside of Tavares who is a 3rd/4th liner now), but they just don't have the psychological makeup (Matthews/Marner) or the talent (Nylander/Rielly) to be THE guy and all of them are just not THAT good (outside of Matthews).

Personally I'm at the point where I am totally fine with moving on from any/all of them. When you compare them to McDrai or Crosby/Malkin or any other great core, they don't compare at all when it comes to the playoffs. All of them are paid like the best players in the league, but in reality they are more complimentary 1st liners than they are some superstar that can carry a team to a cup.
 
Last edited:

Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
5,960
5,361
Last year a lot of you (yes you!!) were enamored by cookies, and then round one of the playoffs came. The next thing you know everything came crashing down.

What's the big deal? They've lost 3 games. Are you concerned for the cookies? The President's Trophy is at stake? 1 bad giveaway in OT is the season?

The 2024-2025 Maple Leafs can't be feeling guilty for the problems in 2019.

Be cool. The season isn't over.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Fun

HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
19,133
29,252
These games mean literally nothing. So many examples of cup winners having rough starts to season from the first 10 games to nearly the first half with the Blues. What matters is how they are playing in April
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
31,041
24,414
I felt a slowish start was going to happen. And like I say every year, it's freaking October relax, people won't even remember these games in March. We're in the hunt, I like this team on paper, I think the style he wants is winning hockey, particularly in our division.

The over the top takes here aren't reality, chill imo.
But unlike you, we remember the games we've played in April during the last 8 years with this core.

Yeah sure, we're "in the hunt". Good one.
These games mean literally nothing. So many examples of cup winners having rough starts to season from the first 10 games to nearly the first half with the Blues. What matters is how they are playing in April
But when we were playing well at the beginning of the season, you were singing a different tune weren't you? ;)

But if you really want to sing that "these games don't matter" song, sing it to the people paying hundreds of dollars for tickets, I'm sure you'll find a receptive audience. :laugh::laugh:
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
81,109
58,546
Last year a lot of you (yes you!!) were enamored by cookies, and then round one of the playoffs came. The next thing you know everything came crashing down.

What's the big deal? They've lost 3 games. Are you concerned for the cookies? The President's Trophy is at stake? 1 bad giveaway in OT is the season?

The 2024-2025 Maple Leafs can't be feeling guilty for the problems in 2019.

Be cool. The season isn't over.

There's some kind of misconception going on that if our big stars suddenly scored less and the Leafs were more life and death to make the playoffs it will make them stronger in big moments. Crashing and burning isn't the precursor to success later.

The more reasonable thing to want is just a better process: more direct hockey and better pace leads to a stronger regular season mentality and that serves as the springboard to a more dialed in playoff approach.

Writing off mediocre results from AM, MM, WN, JT and MR so they can save a little something extra for later just isn't the way. It's hard to let them off the hook because they're a let down machine from game one of preseason to the first round of the playoffs.
 

Ianturnedbull

Registered User
Jun 11, 2022
5,960
5,361
There's some kind of misconception going on that if our big stars suddenly scored less and the Leafs were more life and death to make the playoffs it will make them stronger in big moments. Crashing and burning isn't the precursor to success later.

The more reasonable thing to want is just a better process: more direct hockey and better pace leads to a stronger regular season mentality and that serves as the springboard to a more dialed in playoff approach.

Writing off mediocre results from AM, MM, WN, JT and MR so they can save a little something extra for later just isn't the way. It's hard to let them off the hook because they're a let down machine from game one of preseason to the first round of the playoffs.
I don't know what the magic formula is. Come playoff time I will not put my money on TOR. Until they win in the playoffs, I never expect them to win in the playoffs.

For now I think it's a tad early to have a fan meltdown.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DragoGrizzly

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
31,041
24,414
I don't know what the magic formula is. Come playoff time I will not put my money on TOR. Until they win in the playoffs, I never expect them to win in the playoffs.

For now I think it's a tad early to have a fan meltdown.
LOL. Calling out the people spewing the "games don't matter" BS isn't a meltdown. Calling out BS is just calling out BS, nothing more and nothing less.

I've always said that the playoffs matter more than the regular season but every game matters, and this team will be judged every game they play. That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it should be. This is the 9th season with this core, the team is 99% healthy, there is zero reason for letting anyone off the hook when they play like garbage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 57 Years No Cup

Jmo89

Registered User
Mar 21, 2010
4,579
4,219
Nobody is freaking out cause it's game 9, people are freaking out cause it's 7/8 years of the core being a disappointment. Hayes called it a long time ago:



This is an appropriate answer. I think most of the frustration is regarding the core and their issues over the past several years.

That said - and I say this as someone who has really soured on the team the last few years - I am willing to give them time. I had this year marked for a drop off as the last year of JT's contract. I was pleasantly surprised that the roster filled out the way it did and the Atlantic looks a little weaker this year.

I'm also willing to give them time because if they're truly changing to a new system it'll take time to adjust and I'd prefer they work out those kinks early. It's better for the players to adjust to something new now than later. That doesn't mean it'll be any more effective come playoffs but we will see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Larcos_Unal

Antropovsky

Registered User
Jun 2, 2007
15,214
6,910
Statement game from Marner?

- Nobody knows where he got the first assist on Knies goal.

- 2 assists from the blueline.
- One assist 4v4
- One assist goalie pulled and 56 million dollar line on.

Can this guy produce 5v5 on a regular line?
Looks like hes doubling down on playing the perimeter..playoffs will be no difference for this guy.
 

HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
19,133
29,252
But when we were playing well at the beginning of the season, you were singing a different tune weren't you? ;)

But if you really want to sing that "these games don't matter" song, sing it to the people paying hundreds of dollars for tickets, I'm sure you'll find a receptive audience. :laugh::laugh:

I was happy to see us playing well but knew the result didn't mean much with how early it was. You can't also just change what I mean. The context is clearly it doesn't matter in terms of cup odds
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad