Top 5 “can’t win with ‘em” players

[Cowumbus]

Which Skinner ? Jeff or Stuart ? Lol

Jeff, should have been more specific

 

[Vivaldi]

In honor of Mike Singletary’s epic rant, who are the top 5 guys you think you simply can’t win with in the playoffs?

It’s a bit different than worst contract or worst player- we’re looking for highly paid players in big roles who disappear.

For me:

1) Marner. Don’t believe in him come crunch time.
2) PLD. I wouldn’t trust him in big regular season games either.
3) Zibby/Panarin. 2 players.c 1 big disappointment.
4) Nurse. Dude is nervous and bad in playoffs. He’s lower because you can theoretically shelter him, whereas no one is gonna step up to fill offensive roles.
5) Petersson. Feels like he could turn around and be better.

Feels like I’m forgetting some forgettable performances, but lemme know what you think.

PS- and we shall not mention Jumbo. He didn’t fail the playoffs, the playoffs failed him.

Marner is almost PPG in the playoffs on top of being very good defensively. He plays with a group of centers that probably has the least playmaking acumen in the league (Matthews and Tavares make Ovechkin look like Backstrom when it comes to setting their linemates up) and a defense that is the 2020s version of 2010 Caps' Mike Green and "huh I guess this guy is in the NHL neat". No Shestyorkin in goal as well. Its hard to see how good or bad he is given that Toronto is just not built right aside from him. Not a Leafs fan btw.

I don't think there were any questions about PLD in the playoffs aside from this season. LA was getting him with a reputation for being a solid playoff guy. He hasn't been good this year but LA's system is shit, and he very much is a ~35-40 point ESP player who gets another 20-25 on the PP, and has been put with linemates that he can't get anything going with.

The rest are hard to disagree with, though Pettersson deserves another shot being "healthy"

The real answer is Tomas Tatar, Max Patio Ready, Jonathan Huberdeau, John Tavares (New York got 2 ECFs almost right after he left despite not replacing him with any new marquee players) and Freddie Anderson

 

[RandV]

I'd leave pettersson off the list. I thought he sucked this year, but nobody was complaining in the playoffs a few years ago when he put up 18 points in 17 games.

It's at least enough to make you want to wait and see before concluding on him

Also it's not like the playoffs started then he stopped scoring, the drought extends well into the end of the regular season where you could tell he wasn't at his best. I wasn't able to pay to close attention as I was on vacation over in Europe, but the messaging from the Canucks/Tocchet went from 'there are no injuries' while games were being played to a vague(?) 'he was playing through a knee injury' once the Canucks were eliminated.

 

[notdoneyet]

Or it could be the Lea$s front office has tied way too much of their cap into 4 players and that has handicapped them in trying to build a NHL level defense and quality goal tender room

Defense and goaltending haven’t kept us from winning a cup. Lack of scoring from the core four. We only averaged 2 goals a game again this year. 69 goal scorer disappears in every series.

 

[Derailed75]

Defense and goaltending haven’t kept us from winning a cup. Lack of scoring from the core four. We only averaged 2 goals a game again this year. 69 goal scorer disappears in every series.

Yes that is what happens when you have little depth, crap D and below average goaltending.

The Leafs have too much cap space tied up into 4 players.

News flash in the playoffs the opposing team will plan to shut down what you do best and because the Leafs are one dimensional its easy to do.

Every team that has won a series has won the games in that series in different ways. The Leafs are not capable of that because they don't have enough skill sans the "big 4".

Every series has had a game stolen by a goalie, has had a D shut the other team completely down, had goals from the 3rd and 4th line, ect.

That won't happen with the Leafs because the majority if the team should be in the A

 

[BayStBullies]

This thread will be laughed at for years when Edmonton wins with Nurse.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Jeff Skinner - 0 playoff games.

Taylor Hall - wins lotteries

PLD - serial team killer

Laine - loves Fortnite more than Chell

Gaudreau - because f*** that guy.

 

[Strangle]

In honor of Mike Singletary’s epic rant, who are the top 5 guys you think you simply can’t win with in the playoffs?

It’s a bit different than worst contract or worst player- we’re looking for highly paid players in big roles who disappear.

For me:

1) Marner. Don’t believe in him come crunch time.
2) PLD. I wouldn’t trust him in big regular season games either.
3) Zibby/Panarin. 2 players.c 1 big disappointment.
4) Nurse. Dude is nervous and bad in playoffs. He’s lower because you can theoretically shelter him, whereas no one is gonna step up to fill offensive roles.
5) Petersson. Feels like he could turn around and be better.

Feels like I’m forgetting some forgettable performances, but lemme know what you think.

PS- and we shall not mention Jumbo. He didn’t fail the playoffs, the playoffs failed him.

Pasta! You missed Pasternak

The entire Maple Leafs franchise.

This is hilarious …. Your location says San Jose lmfao

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

This thread will be laughed at for years when Edmonton wins with Nurse.

Haha I’d honestly welcome it- an early reply was like “3 of those guys could win this year!” Ya man, I know, and I’m saying they won’t due to these dudes- if I’m wrong I’ve timed it terribly, and crow must be consumed.

I do think Nurse could be sheltered, just not on this team. Bouchard has stepped up tremendously, one more guy doing that and I’d feel a lot better about Edmonton.

 

[ItWasJustified]

5) Petersson.

Who?

 

[notdoneyet]

Yes that is what happens when you have little depth, crap D and below average goaltending.

The Leafs have too much cap space tied up into 4 players.

News flash in the playoffs the opposing team will plan to shut down what you do best and because the Leafs are one dimensional its easy to do.

Every team that has won a series has won the games in that series in different ways. The Leafs are not capable of that because they don't have enough skill sans the "big 4".

Every series has had a game stolen by a goalie, has had a D shut the other team completely down, had goals from the 3rd and 4th line, ect.

That won't happen with the Leafs because the majority if the team should be in the A

A 69 goal generational scorer with the highest cap hit should be able to carry his team on his back. When posters are comparing him to the likes of mcdavid mackinnon crosby he should be capable of having success at their level

 

[WTG]

Pettersson concerns me because he was incredible in the 2021 bubble with no fans, and invisible in his first real playoff environment.

Of course, one "real" playoffs is a very small sample size which is why I said "concerns me" instead of "lol he sucks" or something. Too early to say yet. But he was embarrassing this postseason.

He was pretty bad for the entire season so it's not like he stopped scoring right when the playoff hits. My guess is he comes out next year and puts up close to 100 or 100+ and do well in the playoffs.

Outside of the playoffs, it's not like he's shied away from big moments.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Haha I’d honestly welcome it- an early reply was like “3 of those guys could win this year!” Ya man, I know, and I’m saying they won’t due to these dudes- if I’m wrong I’ve timed it terribly, and crow must be consumed.

I do think Nurse could be sheltered, just not on this team. Bouchard has stepped up tremendously, one more guy doing that and I’d feel a lot better about Edmonton.

It isn’t that Nurse is someone you can’t win with, it’s that he makes $9M and he’s a $5M D.

 

[Huokaus]

Laine - loves Fortnite more than Chell

I think this quite tacky considering the circumstances he's in - especially with the "witty" comment that's like 5 year old information. While it might objectively be true that a player with mental problems (so severe that he's not even playing in the regular season) probably isn't who you win with, it's still a shitty comment to say right now.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

I think this quite tacky considering the circumstances he's in - especially with the "witty" comment that's like 5 year old information. While it might objectively be true that a player with mental problems (so severe that he's not even playing in the regular season) probably isn't who you win with, it's still a shitty comment to say right now.

You know what I really think about Laine?

I don’t.

 

[Conbon]

In honor of Mike Singletary’s epic rant, who are the top 5 guys you think you simply can’t win with in the playoffs?

It’s a bit different than worst contract or worst player- we’re looking for highly paid players in big roles who disappear.

For me:

1) Marner. Don’t believe in him come crunch time.
2) PLD. I wouldn’t trust him in big regular season games either.
3) Zibby/Panarin. 2 players.c 1 big disappointment.
4) Nurse. Dude is nervous and bad in playoffs. He’s lower because you can theoretically shelter him, whereas no one is gonna step up to fill offensive roles.
5) Petersson. Feels like he could turn around and be better.

Feels like I’m forgetting some forgettable performances, but lemme know what you think.

PS- and we shall not mention Jumbo. He didn’t fail the playoffs, the playoffs failed him.

Gaudreau and Monahan deserve a spot in this list.

 

[Gillings]

Hoffman
Thornton
Marleau
Carey Price
Auston matthews

 

[SnapVirus]

Captain Joe Thornton

 

[SensontheRush]

Anyone saying Karlsson is just spouting some dumb, out-for-lunch nonsense of a take.

Guy cranks it up 1000% in the playoffs and carries teams on his own.

 

[Bizz]

Pasta! You missed Pasternak



This is hilarious …. Your location says San Jose lmfao

What's even more hilarious is that the Maple Laffs haven't even made the finals since we entered the league.

33 years ago.

Anyone saying Karlsson is just spouting some dumb, out-for-lunch nonsense of a take.

Guy cranks it up 1000% in the playoffs and carries teams on his own.

EK65 took us to the Conference Final in 2019 on one leg. Literally.

Captain Joe Thornton

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

BOOM GOT ‘EM!

Really hoping I’m wrong about Nurse/Oilers though.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Pacioretty is a good one.

In the meaningful part of his career he scored at a 34-goal pace in the regular season, then fell off to a 26-goal pace in the playoffs. Then throw in his continuous injury issues. It a big blow when a team is relying on a guy who fades in the spring and constantly deals with nagging injuries.

He played on some pretty good teams over the years and never went deeper than 10 wins in the playoffs.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

This is hilarious …. Your location says San Jose lmfao

You mean that team that has gone farther in the playoffs than any Leafs team since 2004 like 4 or 5 times?

 

[mr figgles]

Hoffman
Thornton
Marleau
Carey Price
Auston matthews

Most of them are 80 and retired. Are you going to list dead guys next?

 

[ORRFForever]

This thread will be laughed at for years when Edmonton wins with Nurse.

Hope you are right.