Toronto is in big trouble... Matthews's injury is still there. Surgery incoming?

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BruinLVGA

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Dec 15, 2013
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The games he missed in the playoffs last year, we actually played our best hockey and would finished the Bruins in 5 if we played like that. I can’t say we’re better without him, it’s ridiculous to say we’re better without a near 70 goal scorer in the line up. Other players do seem to step up though without him in the line up and tend to appear playing more loose.
Please, haven‘t you learned anything in the past 20 years?
 

HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
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Yes, literally 2 games though.
He hasn't played a whole series at any point HV.
Stop thinking I'm attacking the player.

Fair enough. I was only trying to point out it is unfair to say we have no idea what he looks like. I concede a small sample size, but was the best goalie on the ice in all of the minutes he played so far.

And is having a hell of a season again now. So I am quite high on the player.
 

AvroArrow

Registered User
Jun 10, 2011
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The games he missed in the playoffs last year, we actually played our best hockey and would finished the Bruins in 5 if we played like that. I can’t say we’re better without him, it’s ridiculous to say we’re better without a near 70 goal scorer in the line up. Other players do seem to step up though without him in the line up and tend to appear playing more loose.
The team plays completely different without him. There's a huge sense of desperation knowing the 60 goal scorer isn't there and guys are going to have to step up without him. The team plays a very tight checking low scoring game when he's out, everyone just seems to loosen up and play relaxed hockey when he's in the lineup, cause they know he's gonna get them at least 1.

It's frustrating because if they played that same brand of hockey when he's in the lineup, this team could go far.
 

TheBeastCoast

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Mar 23, 2011
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The team plays completely different without him. There's a huge sense of desperation knowing the 60 goal scorer isn't there and guys are going to have to step up without him. The team plays a very tight checking low scoring game when he's out, everyone just seems to loosen up and play relaxed hockey when he's in the lineup, cause they know he's gonna get them at least 1.

It's frustrating because if they played that same brand of hockey when he's in the lineup, this team could go far.
I mean him playing injured all season probably has something to do with it too. The guy scored 69 goals last season….so people are going to defer to him meanwhile he just has not been that guy at any point this season.
 

Strangle

Leafs Smol PP
May 4, 2009
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Don't care about that. Care about being 1st in the division/conference because it means instead of getting the Boston/Tampa(who at least they can beat but still elite)/Panthers round 1 they might get the Senators or another weaker team which is massive.

This is where you get the lame chirps about Habs when the core was 23 years old. This is a team that is built to go deep, has experience in every position, has a coaching staff who have won before. This is unironically their year.

I used to think this way too, but the sad reality is that the leafs drawing Montreal and Columbus didn’t change any results either.

This team won’t win many series until they figure out how to do it. They haven’t figured that out yet.

Until they do, even a senators first round match up is just as scary to me as Boston or Florida or Tampa has been for years.
 
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nturn06

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Nov 9, 2017
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The games he missed in the playoffs last year, we actually played our best hockey and would finished the Bruins in 5 if we played like that. I can’t say we’re better without him, it’s ridiculous to say we’re better without a near 70 goal scorer in the line up. Other players do seem to step up though without him in the line up and tend to appear playing more loose.
Sometimes with him in the lineup the TML seem more concerned with getting him a goal than to win.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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Fair enough. I was only trying to point out it is unfair to say we have no idea what he looks like. I concede a small sample size, but was the best goalie on the ice in all of the minutes he played so far.

And is having a hell of a season again now. So I am quite high on the player.

Woll is an incredible goalie. In his short career so far regular season and playoffs his good/great games to bad ones are 10-1. He is something special, not just a merely great young goaltender. If he and Stolarz can stay healthy in the playoffs the Leafs finally have a chance.
 

HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
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I used to think this way too, but the sad reality is that the leafs drawing Montreal and Columbus didn’t change any results either.

This team won’t win many series until they figure out how to do it. They haven’t figured that out yet.

Until they do, even a senators first round match up is just as scary to me as Boston or Florida or Tampa has been for years.

I don't put any stock into those series at this point. We all know how changed this team is from then and how much more experience they have. CBJ I never put stock into a random summer tournament.

The team also doesn't have a coach also waiting for things to go south. Berube doesn't have round 1 PTSD

Are they in big trouble? Are they?

Some people are saying this. Big trouble, yuge trouble even.
 

Strangle

Leafs Smol PP
May 4, 2009
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I don't put any stock into those series at this point. We all know how changed this team is from then and how much more experience they have. CBJ I never put stock into a random summer tournament.

The team also doesn't have a coach also waiting for things to go south. Berube doesn't have round 1 PTSD

No, I get it

But you’ve been through this rollercoaster as many times as I have. We always have rationalizations about why this time is different.

Maybe I’m just too broken, but nothing is going to be different until it’s actually over and proven
 
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Antropovsky

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Jun 2, 2007
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Berube is coaxing some blue collar effort out of them which is paying some dividends.
Yea, Berube style is hard to play when Marner and Nylander both are as soft as they are and play on separate lines. I'm not sure two players as soft as they are, being paid what they do can get a team to the finals. Playoffs is a war and these two don't like physical battles...they just don't take part.
 
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HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
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Yea, Berube style is hard to play when Marner and Nylander both are as soft as they are and play on separate lines. I'm not sure two players as soft as they are, being paid what they do can get a team to the finals. Playoffs is a war and these two don't like physical battles...they just don't take part.

I wonder if people actually believe this stuff or if it is part of a bit
 

Antropovsky

Registered User
Jun 2, 2007
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I wonder if people actually believe this stuff or if it is part of a bit
I wonder... would most people take your word or the words of several former NHL players who came out and said Marner is too soft for playoffs?

Four former players posted about the lack of engagement physically by Marner specifically in last year's playoffs...Avery, Whitney, Bissonette and Hrudey.

Guess you know more than former NHLers? Look forward to your response.

Sean Avery posted Marner avoiding a hit in the Montreal series way back a few years ago (indicating the soft play has been routine)



Former players posted about Marner avoiding a hit in the Boston series and how Marners play won't win in the Playoffs:



Bisonnette and Hrudey did separate segments on Marner for playing soft and avoiding physical play:




 

HFpapi

Registered User
Mar 6, 2010
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When it looked like the Leafs were in big trouble, someone emerges to save the day.

A faint voice in the shadows can be heard saying...... "why so serious?"


1735939422913.png
 
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HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
20,438
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I wonder... would most people take your word or the words of several former NHL players who came out and said Marner is too soft for playoffs?

Four former players posted about the lack of engagement physically by Marner specifically in last year's playoffs...Avery, Whitney, Bissonette and Hrudey.

Guess you know more than former NHLers? Look forward to your response.

Sean Avery posted Marner avoiding a hit in the Montreal series way back a few years ago (indicating the soft play has been routine)



Former players posted about Marner avoiding a hit in the Boston series and how Marners play won't win in the Playoffs:



Bisonnette and Hrudey did separate segments on Marner for playing soft and avoiding physical play:






That wasn't what was said. It was said he is unwilling to do it. Nonsense. He does it plenty of times. People think these guys are scoring 100 points flinging pucks from the outside?

Marner's playoff issues are well documented. He gets so much shit because he stops doing those things in those moments.
 

HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
20,438
31,338
I had a dream Montreal made the playoffs as the 8th seed on the last game of the season and eliminated Matthews-less Leafs #1 seed in 7 games on a Cole Caufield OT goal.

It was quite vivid. Premonitory?

That's quite the imagination you have. Sens/Habs it doesn't matter. I'll gladly take either of those flawed teams in the first round. With or without Matthews
 
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