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Brobust said:
What a bunch of idiots for not wanting to swap Marner with a 35 year old Giroux.



You posted a Marner trade for a 0.904 goalie and the 28th overall pick?
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Giroux, Terry, and Nylander.

Learn How to read DA
 
Dreakmur said:
I’m explaining how they can improve.
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No just telling they were soft, something completly false.

Being soft is staying on the outside of faceoff circle to avoid contact on the traffic, its making a pass 1 second sooner because you dont want to be hit hard, its not being ready to jump in front of every shot to block shot, its not being ready to give everything you have to battle every inches of the ice. Thats whats it is being soft and Toronto was not soft, not even close!!!

If you talking about being bigger or more physical, thats completly different!!!! Yes they can be bigger or more physical but in an other way i dont think its a necessary to win a cup... # pittsburgh penguins...

The way leafs played against tampa despite the loss, are they enough good to be confident to pretend seing leafs win a stanley cup in the futur? The answer is yes for the first time since 2004 we can say yes they was enough good despite the result. If you cant see the change of how this team played this season, i cant do anything for you . Im from QC, so i heard a lot of thing outside just by hockey fan and majority of people saw the difference except leafs fan!!!! You saw NHL player like Gallagher who played against leafs saying that toronto was at an other level this season than the team he was playing a year ago
 
So here's a question:

I think we can all agree that the Leafs have a much better team this year than the Islanders did last year, and also that Tampa was a better team last year than this year.

So how come the Islanders had at least as good a series against Tampa last year as we did this year? Team structure? Coaching? Goaltending? Bottom six?
 
Of all the takes over the past few days my two that I get behind most are:
1. Luke Wilson on Overdrive saying we have no leader that drags the team to victory.
2. Friedman saying that they need a big pain in the ass player that is talented enough to play top 6 minutes.

I agree with both these which are one and the same basically. A Nylander for JT Miller example type of move.
Beyond this core type of move cycling out some of the other emotionless dribble from the bottom of the lineup.
 
thusk said:
No just telling they were soft, something completly false.

Being soft is staying on the outside of faceoff circle to avoid contact on the traffic, its making a pass 1 second sooner because you dont want to be hit hard, its not being ready to jump in front of every shot to block shot, its not being ready to give everything you have to battle every inches of the ice. Thats whats it is being soft and Toronto was not soft, not even close!!!

If you talking about being bigger or more physical, thats completly different!!!! Yes they can be bigger or more physical but in an other way i dont think its a necessary to win a cup... # pittsburgh penguins...

The way leafs played against tampa despite the loss, are they enough good to be confident to pretend seing leafs win a stanley cup in the futur? The answer is yes for the first time since 2004 we can say yes they was enough good despite the result. If you cant see the change of how this team played this season, i cant do anything for you . Im from QC, so i heard a lot of thing outside just by hockey fan and majority of people saw the difference except leafs fan!!!! You saw NHL player like Gallagher who played against leafs saying that toronto was at an other level this season than the team he was playing a year ago
Click to expand...

They tried to play tougher but they just couldn’t.

Jamason said:
Mikheyev and Engvall were #2 and #3 among forwards (#4 and #5 overall) in hits.
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Don’t remember a single one from either of them. Getting credit for a statistical hit is a pretty low bar.
 
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Jamason said:
So here's a question:

I think we can all agree that the Leafs have a much better team this year than the Islanders did last year, and also that Tampa was a better team last year than this year.

So how come the Islanders had at least as good a series against Tampa last year as we did this year? Team structure? Coaching? Goaltending? Bottom six?
Click to expand...

Structure is one. Coaching is another. Discipline is another. Mediocre blueline is another. Too easy to play against is another.
 
killer1980 said:
Mikheyev will be another in the long list of Leafs that Dubas didn't keep who went on to succeed That you can take to the bank.
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I don't know about that. Now he has all the tools (speed, size, strength, skill) except scoring touch and is a difficult player to play against, but I'm beginning to think he's one of those players who plays a 'playoff style' all season but then when the playoffs actually start and everyone raises their game he no longer stands out. Hyman was like that for us o an extent as well, though that might have been injuries as much as anything.
 
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Dreakmur said:
They tried to play tougher but they just couldn’t.



Don’t remember a single one from either of them. Getting credit for a statistical hit is a pretty low bar.
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They did, they was tougher... they rush the net everytime they can, they battle for every puck... you can play tougher without being the most physical team... pittsburgh won 3 at least 2 cup that way. They was really tough to beat but was not particuly tough physicaly. If you expecting to see leafs being a hard physical team, they are not build that way. They are build more like pittsburgh model and its how they can win, not by trying to be what they dont.
 
thusk said:
They did, they was tougher... they rush the net everytime they can, they battle for every puck... you can play tougher without being the most physical team... pittsburgh won 3 at least 2 cup that way. They was really tough to beat but was not particuly tough physicaly. If you expecting to see leafs being a hard physical team, they are not build that way. They are build more like pittsburgh model and its how they can win, not by trying to be what they dont.
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You’re damn right they aren’t built that way, and that’s the problem.
 
killer1980 said:
Mikheyev will be another in the long list of Leafs that Dubas didn't keep who went on to succeed That you can take to the bank.
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When you take away his 2 empty net goals, against an actual goalie hes got 2 assists in 19 playoff games. Him and Engvall are good regular season players but, at least imo, are not post season players. Maybe keep 1 as 4LW. I've been complaining about him and Engvalls playoff performances for years and 1 good game (with 2 empty netters) isn't enough to wanna keep them in all honesty.

Speaking of which Kampf should be put as 4C, he's a good player to have for PK and defending leads, but 3C isn't his ideal place on a healthy roster.

It felt like our Top 6 was decent but our bottom 6 was like 2 4th lines this playoff and sure Mikhy-Kampf-Engvall can hold their own defensively, you need them to contribute more as we know the difference for winning a cup sometimes comes down to a effective 3rd line.
 
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All for it. Less Tavares, more Mathews, extreme Cage!
love-tool.gif
 
One tiny non-personnel change that could do wonders for this team's attitude once they're in big games: no more over the top goal celebrations for each and every goal that isn't a garbage time goal. Big goal celebrations are acting out self over team goals in real time. They elevate the scoring of a goal far and above the prevention of a goal when in terms of the objectives of a team those acts are equal in impact to the final score.

Think about it. When a defender lifts an opponent's stick at the last moment to prevent a sure goal or a goalie makes a great goal saving save, no one fist pumps or leaps against the glass even though it's just as impactful as a goal. Why? Because they're performing their role on the team.
 
killer1980 said:
Mikheyev will be another in the long list of Leafs that Dubas didn't keep who went on to succeed That you can take to the bank.
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If only he showed up in the playoffs, he was absolutely horrendous and provided nothing of value other than a few empty net goals. It’s great that he made strides to improve his regular season performances, but he was awful when the games actually mattered.
 
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Dreakmur said:
They overcame it with mostly speed and lots of scoring depth.
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Oh you look closer of what the real problem was...like pittsburgh overcame physicality with speed but lack if production from bottom 6... bottom scored only 2 goal at 5v5 vs 8 for tampa bottom 6...

So the real problem is not a problem of being soft but a lack of scoring depht
 
thusk said:
No just telling they were soft, something completly false.

Being soft is staying on the outside of faceoff circle to avoid contact on the traffic, its making a pass 1 second sooner because you dont want to be hit hard, its not being ready to jump in front of every shot to block shot, its not being ready to give everything you have to battle every inches of the ice. Thats whats it is being soft and Toronto was not soft, not even close!!!

If you talking about being bigger or more physical, thats completly different!!!! Yes they can be bigger or more physical but in an other way i dont think its a necessary to win a cup... # pittsburgh penguins...

The way leafs played against tampa despite the loss, are they enough good to be confident to pretend seing leafs win a stanley cup in the futur? The answer is yes for the first time since 2004 we can say yes they was enough good despite the result. If you cant see the change of how this team played this season, i cant do anything for you . Im from QC, so i heard a lot of thing outside just by hockey fan and majority of people saw the difference except leafs fan!!!! You saw NHL player like Gallagher who played against leafs saying that toronto was at an other level this season than the team he was playing a year ago
Click to expand...
The Leafs are soft
 
1. The defense that got assembled for the playoffs WAS good enough to win multiple playoff rounds. Plus it had legitimate depth with both Sandin and Liljegren waiting to play. Giordano is slowing down considerably however and the team can't invest big money or a guarantee of a full season of games with the team. If the 38 year old is willing to return as a 6th/7th at under $2M then there's room for him on the roster otherwise move on. Bush is an ideal 3rd pairing RHD but I believe he'll get priced out of the Leafs' range (around $3M). Also Sandin and Liljegren will get paid. Someone would have to move to accommodate spending any more on the defense. Maybe Holl is dealt away and Giordano convinced to take a couple of years for under $2M.

2. IMO it was the forwards who once again let the team down. There was just not enough fighting through traffic in the big games again. At no point would I suggest lack of effort on any individual but again there was a contentment to keep the play on the perimeter for the most part in the big games. There is going to be significant turnover in the forwards this off-season in my opinion. I think Engvall, Kerfoot and Mikheyev won't return. Engvall will be able to demand too much for his role, same with Mikheyev. I think it's time to move on from Kerfoot. Engvall and Kerfoot can be trade chips towards making room for solutions elsewhere (in goal). Kase I don't know. His season production would equal a significant raise in arbitration. Is it possible that he isn't qualified?

3. It seems we're entering a higher scoring era again based on the 2021-22 season (over 6 goals per game for the 1st time since 2005/06). Goaltending numbers are starting to look uglier across the league. It may be able to find a hidden gem on the market hiding behind bad goalie stats. Also as the league transforms into a scoring league again, the valuations on goalies may be out of whack for a few seasons underpaying good performers on bad defensive teams. I'd be willing to give Mrazek type of money to Campbell if Mrazek can be moved.
 
Dreakmur said:
They tried to play tougher but they just couldn’t.



Don’t remember a single one from either of them. Getting credit for a statistical hit is a pretty low bar.
Click to expand...

So to be fair, getting a hit has always been suspect.
Just like getting a shot.
Ovechkin gets off a great shot: 1
Rielly gets off a floater from the point: 1
Lucic plasters someone into the ends: 1
marner initiates contact along the boards: 1

I think they've probably improved the standards over the years but we remember Robert Svehla in Florida used to be undisputed in Florida for hits.
 
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