The "It's only been _ games" argument...

[TonsofPuppies]

There have been a number of people this season (not just on HF, but across social media in general) using this argument to justify and/or minimize the severity of the Leafs' current predicament. I believe, however, that this argument is completely nonsensical and rooted purely in ignorance and/or denial. Let's take a look at a timeline of some of this core's most embarrassing moments, many of which people pointed out in my previous thread yesterday and finally dispel the myth that the disturbing trends we've seen this season are anything but recent. Here are (some) of this core's biggest failures over the past 7 seasons, off the top of my head:

2016-2017 Season - This year's team demonstrated an uncanny ability to blow leads, most infamously blowing a 4-0 lead to WPG and allowing Patrik Laine the OT hat-trick winner.

2018 Playoffs - Pushed the Bruins to game 7 and had a 4-3 lead going into the 3rd, only to give up 4 unanswered goals and lose the game 7-4.

Feb. 28, 2019 - Newly minted Leafs captain John Tavares makes is return to Long Island, where he is mercilessly booed and jeered by the Isles faithful. Leafs do not fight for their captain in any capacity and instead get completely dominated and humiliated, losing the game 6-1.

2019 Playoffs - Again, played the Bruins in round one, this time having a 3-2 series lead, ultimately losing game 6 at home (despite opening the scoring) and then getting stomped 5-1 in game 7.

2019-2020 Season - Quit on Babcock because he was too tough on them, played well briefly under Keefe, then immediately went back to their old ways, ending the season with a whimper. If it wasn't for the COVID stoppage ending the season mid-freefall, the Leafs likely don't sniff anywhere close to the playoffs. They were BAD.

Nov. 16, 2019 - Kasimir Kaskisuo makes his first NHL start in PIT - the Leafs do not show up in any fashion to protect their rookie goalie, getting dominated 6-1 by the Pens.

Feb. 22, 2020 - Big game against the Hurricanes, a team they were tied with in the standings and fighting with for a wild-card spot. Despite the Leafs being rested, at home and playing a Hurricanes team that played the previous night, the Leafs completely failed to show up in this one, getting outshot by an approximate margin of 50-20. Oh and let's not forget losing to the Marlies' zamboni driver in the CAR net that night. Keefe puts an exclamation point on the lack of accountability within this organization by cancelling practice the following morning, as does Dubas when he describes that game as a "no win situation" for Toronto.

2020 play-in round vs. CBJ - Leafs late season free fall results in a play-in series against the very mediocre Columbus Blue Jackets, a series in which the Leafs routinely made both CBJ goalies look like mid-late 90s Dominik Hasek, come out completely lifeless in Game 5 and get shut out, despite entering the game with all the momentum in the world after their huge Game 4 comeback in the dying minutes. Andersen demonstrates his incredible ability to completely deflate his entire team, by giving up a brutally soft, backbreaking goal in a winner-take-all game situation to Liam Foudy, just as he did last year against the Bruins in game 7. Leafs technically miss the playoffs entirely.

2020-2021 Season - COVID results the Leafs being gifted a pushover division as well as the easiest path they'd likely ever get to reaching the cup final, including a first round match-up with a team that would not have made the playoffs (or came anywhere close) during a normal season - we know how this one ends.

Feb. 15, 2021 - Leafs play the lowly Ottawa Senators at home and manage to completely embarrass themselves and blow a 5-1 lead, losing the game 6-5 in OT.

Apr. 18 & 20, 2021 - Leafs manage to lose back-to-back games to the very mediocre Canucks, who hadn't played in literally weeks prior, as their team had been completely decimated by COVID.

2021 Playoffs - Leafs lose game 7, at home, to the bottom-feeder Canadiens, AFTER blowing a 3-1 series lead. Auston and Mitch get their lunch handed to them all series long by noted NHL megastar Phillip Danault. Jack Campbell gives up a truly heinous opening goal in game 7, doing his best Freddy Andersen impression.

2021-2022 Season - Despite finishing with 115 points, their best season in team history, Toronto still demonstrates an inability to beat (or even show up against) bottom-feeder opponents, lost points which ultimately cost them the division title, resulting a first-round match up with the two-time defending cup champs, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Oct. 23, 2021 - Leafs get dominated to the tune of 7-1 by the WBS Penguins (PIT were decimated with injuries and did not dress Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Rust, Carter, etc. that night).

2022 Playoffs - Leafs hold a 3-2 series lead against Tampa, only to let it slip away, as they did in 2019 against Boston, losing game 7 at home (again), with Matthews and Marner getting shown up by second-rate players like Nick Paul in a do-or-die situation.

Hopefully this summary will put the thoughts of the "doomer" fans into perspective for the crowd that still is naive enough to believe in this core, the coaching staff and/or the management. These trends, whether it be playing down to the opposition, falling short in big games, collapsing in high-pressure scenarios, blowing leads, unwillingness to stick up for each other (or themselves) or just flat out not willing to compete and give an honest effort each night, are absolutely nothing new. And the start of this season has shown that they will not change, not with this group of players, coaches, or management. The rot of entitlement and lack of accountability has permeated for too long, throughout this entire organization, from Shanny on down. Burn it to the ground yesterday.

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[Tufted Titmouse]

Without context, it's a good argument. A .500 team 10 games in is not something you worry too much about. However, the underlying numbers are bad, the opponents have been weak.

At some point, you have to start to consider that as each year ticks away, we move further and further towards the end of this core.

 

[Budz22]

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. We all know how it finished. So what’s the next excuse?

 

[Mugzy97]

Anyone who has watched the Leafs a lot over the past few years knows that this team is not playing well right now. They will bust out of this slump as our core is only entering their primes for the most part.

Kallgren is our 4th string goalie and should not be in an NHL net. This is inconvenient for any team.

When the team turns the corner and we have a consistent tandem of Murray/Samsonov, I believe we'll be just fine.

 

[DuklaNation]

We just went through an extended period of time that highlighted the proven fact most people never excelled at statistical analysis. This is far from an outrageous comment as its proven from everyone's scholastic careers. You have decent enough sample size, it generally can be used to form an opinion. Not 100%, but very close to it. Excuses will be made, but over time, the obvious conclusions are revealed.

 

[IPS]

Let the fanboys run with their silly logic.

This team's dreadful history is too hard to forget. The culture of entitlement is rearing its ugly head extra hard for this season.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

The level of failure is so hard to compute..it's almost impressive.

It's Buffalo Bills 4 in a row bad...but at the lowest levels, no redeeming factor of actually making it to the finals and having 'what if' scenarios

 

[Hellcat]

Without context, it's a good argument. A .500 team 10 games in is not something you worry too much about. However, the underlying numbers are bad, the opponents have been weak.

At some point, you have to start to consider that as each year ticks away, we move further and further towards the end of this core.

All valid points.

 

[IPS]

When the team turns the corner and we have a consistent tandem of Murray/Samsonov, I believe we'll be just fine.

A consistent tandem consisting of our new acquired goalie who got injured long-term after 1 game?

 

[MSZ]

The level of failure is so hard to compute..it's almost impressive.

It's Buffalo Bills 4 in a row bad...but at the lowest levels, no redeeming factor of actually making it to the finals and having 'what if' scenarios

The Leafs aren't anywhere close to Buffalo Bills when it comes to suckage. They are more like the Sacramento Kings.

 

[ACC1224]

Anyone who has watched the Leafs a lot over the past few years knows that this team is not playing well right now. They will bust out of this slump as our core is only entering their primes for the most part.

Kallgren is our 4th string goalie and should not be in an NHL net. This is inconvenient for any team.

When the team turns the corner and we have a consistent tandem of Murray/Samsonov, I believe we'll be just fine.

I think it's more likely Kallgren plays more games this year than Murray.
At a minimum they need a competent backup.

 

[Buds17]

I think the present picture is enough of a concern without also lumping the past into it. There's a logjam of a tie within the division while the other teams have games in hand, not to mention a negative goal differential to boot.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

This year looks and feels different. In the past slow starts meant minor adjustments. This season Keefe is trying everything at his disposal to make the team work.

It's not just that. We have significant injuries and the min. contract additions are looking quite bad.

There's no one on the Marlies that will make a splash and turn things around.

The big guns are flat and the pay structure of the team/team system relies so much on them being on.

I'm afraid this is the team. 5 or 10 more games will not matter.

They supposed to be contending for a cup. Scraping into the playoffs is not the goal.

 

[GoonieFace]

This year looks and feels different. In the past slow starts meant minor adjustments. This season Keefe is trying everything at his disposal to make the team work.

It's not just that. We have significant injuries and the min. contract additions are looking quite bad.

There's no one on the Marlies that will make a splash and turn things around.

The big guns are flat and the pay structure of the team/team system relies so much on them being on.

I'm afraid this is the team. 5 or 10 more games will not matter.

They supposed to be contending for a cup. Scraping into the playoffs is not the goal.

And this is where I cannot understand people on here. This is not a cup calibre team. Sure, they may win a round sometime (maybe), but highly doubtful anymore than that. The bar is low here

 

[SprDaVE]

Maybe this team just needs to enter as a wild card to win a playoff round... right? Right? RIGHT? Right... *sobs*

 

[DarkKnight]

It’s only been a few seasons.

 

[Nineteen67]

Well, after 10 games nothing has changed since training camp opened, there are still questions around

Goalies
Defence
2nd line
3rd line
4th line

 

[Beneven Stanciano]

Where is that 'DekesForDays' comedian to tell everyone they're wrong and everything is trending towards a xCup-Parade?

 

[Stephen]

They don’t have a clean slate. So you can’t absolve them based X number of games argument. If you still care.

 

[leafsfan5]

Sir it's only been 6 years of first round exits, 5 game 7 losses, one blown third period lead in game 7, 2 blown 3-2 leads, one blown 3-1 lead

Small sample size

 

[Knies iT]

Wait, so the softest, most pure skill team build of the Matthews era also happens to be the worst? I'm shocked.

Team doesn't have a heartbeat. (MOD)

 

[Holymakinaw]

It's only been..............55.5 years.

 

[Bomber0104]

Where is that 'DekesForDays' comedian to tell everyone they're wrong and everything is trending towards a xCup-Parade?

He's in another thread comparing the Leafs' struggles to recent Cup winning teams like Colorado, Tampa, Pittsburgh and St Louis...

 

[Menzinger]

In abstraction, being a .500 team with only around 10 games played isn't a bad record by the stretch. And sure if Matthews scores 3-5 more goals in that stretch the teams record would be even better

But obviously we're not talking about a random team. What's most frustrating, is that the leafs probably had one of the best playoff performances with this core against Tampa just a few months, and instead of building off of it, seems o have regressed. Most of the team just looks awful, flatfooted, poor decision making ect.

 

[Trapper]

In abstraction, being a .500 team with only around 10 games played isn't a bad record by the stretch. And sure if Matthews scores 3-5 more goals in that stretch the teams record would be even better

But obviously we're not talking about a random team. What's most frustrating, is that the leafs probably had one of the best playoff performances with this core against Tampa just a few months, and instead of building off of it, seems o have regressed. Most of the team just looks awful, flatfooted, poor decision making ect.

Add to the fact that we have already had call outs and finger pointing (which we didn’t last time) and you have to be more than a little concerned this time around.