Ianturnedbull
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Speculation: My Dude. It's early.
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BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
Maple Leafs’ struggling offence has coach Craig Berube mulling changes to the Core Four
The Maple Leafs finally got a statement game from Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Then, overtime happened.
www.thestar.com
Ianturnedbull
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Pay wall.Maple Leafs’ struggling offence has coach Craig Berube mulling changes to the Core Four
The Maple Leafs finally got a statement game from Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Then, overtime happened.
Wall pay.
BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
a new coach usually takes at least 30 games to have the guys fully understand his system in my view .... we will have a much better idea come closer to the holidays ...
DarkKnight
Professional Amateur
- Jan 17, 2017
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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.
The over the top takes here aren't reality, chill imo.
Larcos_Unal
Excuses are for losers
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:
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.
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.
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rumman
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- Sep 10, 2008
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Commander Clueless
Apathy of the Leaf
- Sep 10, 2008
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My dude, you're right. It's early.
...but also, we've watched this one before.
Maybe Berube can change the channel. Maybe not. Time will tell.
...but also, we've watched this one before.
Maybe Berube can change the channel. Maybe not. Time will tell.
GoonieFace
Registered User
20 game mark should give a better idea…but we have seen this group before and they haven’t been able to do get over the hump…not sure this year will be any different
Evilhomer
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- Oct 10, 2019
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I think 40-50 games is more appropriate. Think of Maurice in Florida. It takes time.
Ianturnedbull
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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.
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.
HockeyVirus
Woll stan.
- Nov 15, 2020
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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
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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.
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.
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
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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
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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.
Stephen
Moderator
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It's not a meltdown. It's ongoing disapproval.
Gary Nylund
Registered User
- Oct 10, 2013
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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.
Jmo89
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- Mar 21, 2010
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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.
Statement game from Marner?Maple Leafs’ struggling offence has coach Craig Berube mulling changes to the Core Four
The Maple Leafs finally got a statement game from Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Then, overtime happened.
- 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.
How do you guys erase your memories every year? It’s pretty astonishing.
Ianturnedbull
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HockeyVirus
Woll stan.
- Nov 15, 2020
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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.
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
