Softest Leaf Forward Group Since 2000?

[Daddy]

Toughness:

Doing all you can to make sure you get to pucks first
Doing your absolute best to win every puck battle by engaging physically if that's what is needed
Take a hit to make a play
Be willing to risk getting hurt if it will make a difference between winning and losing
Standing up for your teammates even though you may take a shot or two

Those are the basics

How about making it through an 82 game season?
How about tolerating the Toronto media?
How about not folding under pressure and still giving it all of your energy the best way you know how?
How about getting the support when you need it?

People look at the physicality component of being tough, but people tend to forget the mental components of it too.

We go into a season where people say the players aren’t tough and seem to forget the coaching structure around their game. Maybe it’s not the players but the style of play they’re asked to perform night in and night out.

People have these ideas of who they want to see, and yet when we bring in these players, they don’t play that style. Wonder what happened to Simmonds and his “toughness”.

I think the word people should be looking for is the word “grit”.

 

[ShaneFalco]

People have these ideas of who they want to see, and yet when we bring in these players, they don’t play that style. Wonder what happened to Simmonds and his “toughness”.

Bringing in aging vets who shouldn't be in the lineup isn't addressing toughness
Playoffs are a war. The Leafs haven't been willing to go to war. They arguably at least tried against TB, but still won't do what it takes to win. Just watch TB - if anyone gets pushed others are right there. Block shots, go to the dirty areas, battle....
But it comes from a GM who thinks only speed and skill wins playoff rounds. And a future legen coach who can't adapt when teams clog up center.

 

[paulhiggins]

We could start by drafting such players instead of acquiring them in the twilight of their careers.

 

[notbias]

Some just don't understand the difference between regular season and playoff hockey. Even when players, the coach, and Shanny have called the team out for being too easy to play against, lacking killer instinct, not standing up for eachother etc.

What is the difference? Our series didn't feel different, refs were less lenient than in the regular season.

I think playoff hockey exists but it is very overexaggerated how much it changes.

 

[ShaneFalco]

It should be fairly entertaining come playoff time to watch Leafs new 4th line of Adam Gaudette -- Denis Malgin and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel play against Patrick Maroon -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Corey Perry.

It's just sad we have a rookie GM who can't/won't adapt in the years this team looks to be super talented on paper. I guess Petan wasn't available. Shit even Leivo would have addressed a need

 

[notbias]

People have these ideas of who they want to see, and yet when we bring in these players, they don’t play that style. Wonder what happened to Simmonds and his “toughness”.

Isn't Simmonds hitting more than he usually does with us? He fights when needed.. lack of fights probably has to do with fewer fighters too.

It should be fairly entertaining come playoff time to watch Leafs new 4th line of Adam Gaudette -- Denis Malgin and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel play against Patrick Maroon -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Corey Perry.

Is that the 4th line? mind sharing where they said that? Or this is your wishful thinking?

 

[Mess]

Is that the 4th line? mind sharing where they said that? Or this is your wishful thinking?

Somebody has to play on the 4th line. My wishfully thinking is those are all hopefully Marlies and not Leafs next year.

 

[notbias]

Somebody has to play on the 4th line. My wishfully thinking is those are all hopefully Marlies and not Leafs next year.

Clifford and Simmonds are also signed next year, as well as 5 players pushing for spots, just curious why you chose those players and not a mix of any others.

 

[ShaneFalco]

What is the difference? Our series didn't feel different, refs were less lenient than in the regular season.

I think playoff hockey exists but it is very overexaggerated how much it changes.

I guess that's why the Leafs are great in the regular season and go out every year in the first round

 

[saffronleaf]

maybe instead of molgin coming here the team should go to the Swiss league

 

[Mess]

Clifford and Simmonds are also signed next year, as well as 5 players pushing for spots, just curious why you chose those players and not a mix of any others.

Clifford played in game #1 of the playoffs and then was banished to the pressbox. Wayne Simmonds played in games #1 & # 2 and then also gone and never seen again.

Tampa Bay's 4th line ran all over the Leafs thereafter and Leafs lost 3 of the last 4 games of the series and were eliminated. In a game #4 during that 7-3 beat down, all 3 of TB 4th liners found the net and scoresheet.

Just curious with all the new additions, makes you think its the former players from last that were banished, that are in the Leafs plans, and not the new guys?

However in a thread about Leafs toughness, one can't help but reminded about the Denis Malgin for Mason Marchment trade, with Denis being brought back into the fold to remind everyone, how the organization feels about toughness exemplified by that trade.

 

[zeke]

Clifford played in game #1 of the playoffs and then was banished to the pressbox. Wayne Simmonds played in games #1 & # 2 and then also gone and never seen again.

Tampa Bay's 4th line ran all over the Leafs thereafter and Leafs lost 3 of the last 4 games of the series and were eliminated. In a game #4 during that 7-3 beat down, all 3 of TB 4th liners found the net and scoresheet.

Just curious with all the new additions, makes you think its the former players from last that were banished, that are in the Leafs plans, and not the new guys?

However in a thread about Leafs toughness, one can't help but reminded about the Denis Malgin for Mason Marchment trade, with Denis being brought back into the fold to remind everyone, how the organization feels about toughness exemplified by that trade.

Wait a sec Mess - you created a whole thread crying about losing Spezza Kase and Blackwell and telling us how irreplaceable they are.

Now suddenly you think they sucked and were the reason we lost in the playoffs?


What happened? Which one is it?

 

[ShaneFalco]

maybe instead of molgin coming here the team should go to the Swiss league

Totally what theyre built for

 

[All Mod Cons]

Isn't Simmonds hitting more than he usually does with us? He fights when needed.. lack of fights probably has to do with fewer fighters too.


Is that the 4th line? mind sharing where they said that? Or this is your wishful thinking?

I don't think anyone wishful thinks for that 4th line. Yuck.

 

[Racer88]

Is everyone ignoring the refs trying to remove any toughness? Everyone talks playoff hockey and our series was basically a regular season game.

We had a tougher team in game 1, and the refs did not like that, so many penalties.

It was nice that the series changed in the last 2 games and they stopped calling everything unless it was on us and impacted the game.

The reffing of that series was a joke, even just for the fact they reffed half the series completely different.



The Zamboni driver isn't even that embarrassing if you actually watched the game. We scored on 25% of our shots, Carolina just dominated us. People should have talked more about the accountant shutting out the Jets, but everyone hates the Leafs.

He was a freakin Zamboni driver…… we should have scored on all our shots

 

[Dekes For Days]

He was a freakin Zamboni driver…… we should have scored on all our shots

Actually, he was a building operator who had played goalie in lower levels, and had filled in as AHL backup and a practice goalie for both the Marlies and Leafs. And no, scoring on every single shot is wildly unrealistic regardless of who it was.

 

[Tak7]

or maybe they get beat every year because they’re not willing to do what it takes. See Nylander last 4 minutes of game 7 as a prime example. The loss wasn’t accident, it was a decision.

They "decided" to lose? K.

 

[crump]

Save for a few good decisions and an unlucky bounce we might be talking about the "least skilled lineup since 2000."

Imagine a team with Hannifin instead of Marner, Ritchie instead of Nylander, Griffin Reinhart instead of Morgan Rielly and with a bad bounce in the lottery ball machine, PLD or Laine instead of Matthews.

I am pretty happy to be discussing complimentary players and toughness than pining for superstars and lucky bounces.

We have had bad luck with Goaltenders and playoffs, but we are still in a good position to win.

My "glass is half full" post of the day.

 

[Dekes For Days]

They "decided" to lose? K.

Good thing we had a commercial break where we got to tell the refs to take over the series and be blind, because we were mere minutes away from messing up that decision!

 

[ACC1224]

Save for a few good decisions and an unlucky bounce we might be talking about the "least skilled lineup since 2000."

Imagine a team with Hannifin instead of Marner, Ritchie instead of Nylander, Griffin Reinhart instead of Morgan Rielly and with a bad bounce in the lottery ball machine, PLD or Laine instead of Matthews.

I am pretty happy to be discussing complimentary players and toughness than pining for superstars and lucky bounces.

We have had bad luck with Goaltenders and playoffs, but we are still in a good position to win.

My "glass is half full" post of the day.

Amen to that

 

[notbias]

Clifford played in game #1 of the playoffs and then was banished to the pressbox. Wayne Simmonds played in games #1 & # 2 and then also gone and never seen again.

Tampa Bay's 4th line ran all over the Leafs thereafter and Leafs lost 3 of the last 4 games of the series and were eliminated. In a game #4 during that 7-3 beat down, all 3 of TB 4th liners found the net and scoresheet.

Just curious with all the new additions, makes you think its the former players from last that were banished, that are in the Leafs plans, and not the new guys?

However in a thread about Leafs toughness, one can't help but reminded about the Denis Malgin for Mason Marchment trade, with Denis being brought back into the fold to remind everyone, how the organization feels about toughness exemplified by that trade.

Why were they banished? Cause the refs decided to call the tightest series I've ever seen, almost disputing this "playoff hockey" you always bring up.

New additions at the league min do not mean they are guaranteed a spot.

You made the softest 4th line you could and declared it the 4th line to push your narrative, not much more to say.

 

[Jozay]

Trade for Matthew Tkachuk

 

[notbias]

He was a freakin Zamboni driver…… we should have scored on all our shots

Doesn't he also help out the Leafs in practice sometimes when they need another goalie? You're pushing the narrative that he is some beer league goaltender...

I don't think anyone wishful thinks for that 4th line. Yuck.

When you hate the Leafs like Mess does, you probably are.

 

[Nineteen67]

No, I don't know what random instance you've isolated and represented inaccurately this time, but it's really not relevant anyway. Matthews wasn't "pushed around" either time, and laughing in somebody's face as they take a penalty after desperately trying and failing to provoke is not "soft".

Maroon tried to rag-doll him and AM turned around and whacked him. But you knew that. That growth in his game is not random, it’s critical.

FYI, he also took a suspension last season. I’d suggest you google it to see how beautiful it was.

 

[Nineteen67]

They "decided" to lose? K.

The decision was to not put in the effort, the result was the loss.