Once again, skidding into the playoffs...

[Fogelhund]

Goals %: 8th
xGoals %: 16th
Corsi %: 24th
Goal differential: 8th
Expected GF: 21st
Expected GA: 9th
Expected Goal differential: 1th
PDO: 7th
PP: 7th
PK: 16th

And so on. Not a picture of a bad team, but nothing there screams contender either.

Which is kind of troubling considering they brought in Tanev, OEL and a significant upgrade in net with Stolarz.

The problem is more a lack of scoring for the most part.

 

[BlueForever75]

I think people need to relax. Their D is much improved then in previous seasons at this time. Their playing style has been adjusted which means scoring would come down. But it the defensive side which in playoffs wins games that will be the difference. They havent strayed from this style. Have had some very good stretches with it throughout the year. Come playoffs they will be ready. I believe their chances in getting to Conference Finals this season are better then years past. Bookmark this.

 

[Fogelhund]

I think people need to relax.

Ah...but this is the Leafs fan base... where every game is a referendum on the season.

 

[BlueForever75]

Ah...but this is the Leafs fan base... where every game is a referendum on the season.

Your absolutely correct with that. But I personally think this D core is the best we had since the Pat Burns days. They are playing the same style as well.

Some may find it nerve racking and boring. But in the end it wins games in the playoffs.

 

[Fogelhund]

Your absolutely correct with that. But I personally think this D core is the best we had since the Pat Burns days. They are playing the same style as well.

Some may find it nerve racking and boring. But in the end it wins games in the playoffs.

The team is built better, but we will still need the Core to rise to the occasion, which has never happened.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Last season with Keefe: skid marking into the playoffs.

 

[notbias]

I think our leadership core has too many conflict avoidant personalities that don’t really perform well when they have someone in their face in a head to head series or high pressure situations when competition and heightened emotional states are at play but require control, perseverance and execution.

In hockey let’s call it the “Sedin Syndrome” as in if someone is actively punching you in the head it, your instinct isn’t to fight back but you make a bunch of risk assessment excuses and walk away, dignity and morale lost.

I also think they’re also coddled and don’t have any internal motivation to inherently succeed. You have San Jose and Nashville on the ropes and you can crush them but decide to fade away as a group. Why don’t you want to crush them and cruise control to a division title?

This sounds more like fan fiction than reality... The team looks terribly coached and propped up by some good goaltending.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Your absolutely correct with that. But I personally think this D core is the best we had since the Pat Burns days. They are playing the same style as well.

Some may find it nerve racking and boring. But in the end it wins games in the playoffs.

I hope it's actually built for the playoffs because they have allowed 208 goals so far. That's 2nd worst among teams currently in playoff position.

 

[BlueForever75]

The team is built better, but we will still need the Core to rise to the occasion, which has never happened.

Definitely built better on the backend. For team to succeed I will tell you it will have to be others outside of the core 4 to produce to take pressure off of them. If Knies, McMann, Domi, Robertson, Laughton, Jarnkrok can chip in and play physical. And the 4th line can be trusted??? The core 4 will produce. But it cannot be just them. Thats the issue.

In the Burns era, it wasn't just Gilmore, Andrychuk and Clark scoring. You had Anderson, Berg, Osborne, Zezel, Manderville, Pearson and others chipping in. Contributing. The other 3 would come through dont get me wrong, but it was a team effort.

This team has better secondary scoring that Pat Burns ever had with the same defense first philosophy. But you need a team effort.

 

[notbias]

Your absolutely correct with that. But I personally think this D core is the best we had since the Pat Burns days. They are playing the same style as well.

Some may find it nerve racking and boring. But in the end it wins games in the playoffs.

It doesn't...

Which of the last 3 teams won on defensive play?

The best playoff team in recent memory was all offense, no defense.

Toronto has good defensive numbers in the playoffs too, it doesn't seem to be working.

 

[BlueForever75]

It doesn't...

Which of the last 3 teams won on defensive play?

The best playoff team in recent memory was all offense, no defense.

Toronto has good defensive numbers in the playoffs too, it doesn't seem to be working.

Seriously?

Florida, Vegas both D first teams!!!! Trap teams that counter attacked with grit and dump and chase styles

Colorado was a hybrid team.

 

[Evilhomer]

Is there actually any proven correlation between your record the last 10-15-20 games, and your success in the playoffs?

Edmonton was 4-4-2 last year, and almost won the cup.
2022 Colorado won the cup, and was 4-5-1 going into the playoffs.
2021 Montreal was 4-4-2 and made the finals
2020 Tampa was 3-6-1 down the stretch and won the cup.
2020 Dallas was 3-5-2 in their last ten and made the finals.

It's completely meaningless.

 

[notbias]

Seriously?

Florida, Vegas both D first teams!!!! Trap teams that counter attacked with grit and dump and chase styles

Colorado was a hybrid team.

Florida and Vegas were not trap teams...

Colorado was all offense...

Want to address how Toronto plays a more defensive game in the playoffs and somehow still loses?

 

[Fogelhund]

I hope it's actually built for the playoffs because they have allowed 208 goals so far. That's 2nd worst among teams currently in playoff position.

You really need to dig deeper on that one.

5v5 we have 123 goals against. That's 6th best in the league.

If we have a weakness, it's getting scored against, when the other team has the goalie pulled. That's the only GA stat that really stands out compared to other teams.

 

[Suntouchable13]

You really need to dig deeper on that one.

5v5 we have 123 goals against. That's 6th best in the league.

If we have a weakness, it's getting scored against, when the other team has the goalie pulled. That's the only GA stat that really stands out compared to other teams.

Ok, that's fine. But why do other teams have less than 200GA still? There's always an explantion, but as far as I remember they have always had one of the worst raw GA numbers among playoff teams in this era.

 

[DarkKnight]

Meh, none of the top three in our division are juggernauts right now. We’re fine. Best D we’ve had, best goaltending, I’m not getting down on their group until there’s good reason, there is still lots to like. I’d add, to your title, the PP usually falters late, this year it’s hitting its stride.

Everyone needs to relax, playoffs will determine everything.

 

[Evilhomer]

Ah...but this is the Leafs fan base... where every game is a referendum on the season.

Game? More like shift.

 

[notbias]

You really need to dig deeper on that one.

5v5 we have 123 goals against. That's 6th best in the league.

If we have a weakness, it's getting scored against, when the other team has the goalie pulled. That's the only GA stat that really stands out compared to other teams.

7th if you factor in games played.

Our goal scoring at 5v5 is pretty terrible (2nd worst of playoff teams I believe)

I'd be more concerned with our absolutely terrible record vs playoff teams, we seem to do better against terrible teams now at least.

 

[BlueForever75]

Florida and Vegas were not trap teams...

Colorado was all offense...

Want to address how Toronto plays a more defensive game in the playoffs and somehow still loses?

I dont know what hockey you were watching in the playoffs but:

Florida scored 18 goals in finals last season against the worst defensive team (Edmonton) in a 7 game series. That's an average of 2.5 goals a game. Does that scream a team that is offensive????

Florida scored 12 goals in 5 games against Vegas the year prior for less of an average.

 

[notbias]

I dont know what hockey you were watching in the playoffs but:

Florida scored 18 goals in finals last season against the worst defensive team (Edmonton) in a 7 game series. That's an average of 2.5 goals a game. Does that scream a team that is offensive????

Florida scored 12 goals in 5 games against Vegas the year prior for less of an average.

I watch all the series and not just the finals...

You can pick a single series if you want, I will choose to reference the entirety of the run of some teams.

All the most recent teams ranked higher in GF than GA.

Our issue is always scoring, not defending. It doesn't work for us, but we have doubled down on it again.

 

[ULF_55]

Seriously?

Florida, Vegas both D first teams!!!! Trap teams that counter attacked with grit and dump and chase styles

Colorado was a hybrid team.

Really doesn't look like defence has been the problem.

Minimum 30 games played:

 

[al secord]

I guess I'm in the minority. I'm expecting us to win the cup.

 

[GoonieFace]

I think people need to relax. Their D is much improved then in previous seasons at this time. Their playing style has been adjusted which means scoring would come down. But it the defensive side which in playoffs wins games that will be the difference. They havent strayed from this style. Have had some very good stretches with it throughout the year. Come playoffs they will be ready. I believe their chances in getting to Conference Finals this season are better then years past. Bookmark this.

I’m not sure they even have a style. The only reason to believe they have a chance at the Conference finals, is because the rest of the East isn’t great. They better hope they get Tampa in Round 1, much better than playing Ottawa IMO.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Wouldn't mind a break from this routine:
Game 1 - Terrible
Game 2 - Nail biting win
Game 3/4 - Ho hum losses
Game 5/6- Gutsy grinding wins with great goaltending
Game 7 - Lose 2-1

 

[al secord]

Last season with Keefe: skid marking into the playoffs.

That's why I rarely wear my away whites.