Toronto Maple Leafs are surprisingly underperforming

[Tufted Titmouse]

So you can’t handle criticism of your team, and need to deflect because you’re insecure. It’s okay. At least you have 13 cups from when black and white tv was booming.

1 pt really giving you that moral high ground eh? Doesn't take much in Edmonton does it.

Anyone surprised that 60% of the activity in this thread is @Tad Mikowsky & @NyQuil ?

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

1 pt really giving you that moral high ground eh? Doesn't take much in Edmonton does it.

It’s amazing how you can’t grasp the concept that this thread is talking about the Leafs struggles.

If you have such a hard on about the one point, go make a thread about it.

This thread has nothing to do with the Oilers but you keep bringing them up to deflect your insecurities about your team sucking ass at the moment.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Read the thread again and get back to me.

Keefe should have been fired last season. Dubas this season if nothing changes.

But again, I get that it's fun to dunk on the Leafs but getting off to a poor start says nothing really unless they actually miss the post-season.

The way you say that, it's like you think us fans should storm the executive offices and sign the paperwork ourselves. We can't do shit.

BTW, our terrible start to the season, our completely pathetic play, all the doom and gloom...and we have a Sens fan (1 fewer pt in 1 fewer gp) and an Oilers fan (1pt up) going to town.

I expected the likes of Bruins and Flames fans to be going off, they look like Cup contenders. But Oilers and Sens fans?

 

[waitin425]

I see this thread is going down a certain path that should have been expected. #inb4thelock

 

[NyQuil]

Anyone surprised that 60% of the activity in this thread is @Tad Mikowsky & @NyQuil ?

I'm surprised that you're taking issue with the fact that I'm essentially saying:

(a) How the Leafs are performing right now has no real bearing on what will happen in April.

(b) The Leafs post-season performance is consistently poor regardless of who they are playing or what game they got their opponent to, or what penalty happened in which game. That works for one or two series, but not six straight.

BTW, our terrible start to the season, our completely pathetic play, all the doom and gloom...and we have a Sens fan (1 fewer pt in 1 fewer gp) and an Oilers fan (1pt up) going to town.

Going to town? Talk about a thin skin.

I could be saying the exact same thing on the Leafs board and I would fit right in among some posters.

As for the Senators, I'm not under any illusions about this team.

A doormat for years, some cautious optimism but a long way to go.

 

[Recipe Unlimited]

I have a feeling Matthews is walking to free agency

If he is, then he should be trying harder to score goals and get paid in free agency.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I have a feeling Matthews is walking to free agency

We will trade him before that happens.

 

[RickyLafleur]

You forgot to mention the amount of respect they got in the handshake line at the end of the season.

More respect than in any other year.

Just beating a dead horse at this point, with the previous comment saying the exact same thing.

 

[Cup or Bust]

It's way too early to panic or be concerned about any team. Such a long way to go in the season.

 

[tfwnogf]

They lost to Arizona...how could anyone be surprised at this point?

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

They're pacing themselves for a long playoff run.

Second round?

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

72% is about how many games the Leafs typically win in the first round.

The intellectual acrobatics to justify six years straight of choking in the first round astounds me.

I actually think getting out to a poor start is good for the Leafs, because maybe they'll have some urgency in the second half of the season if they're battling for a playoff spot.

Another 115 point season does nothing for them.

Don't care what the playoff player points say, but logically speaking they also missed the playoffs in that play-in year.

This happened last year and finished with 115 points.

This happened last year and finished with a first round exit.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

So after taking the Rangers down a peg with his praise thread ViD is now trying to reverse things and pump the Leafs back up with a diss thread. Bold strategy Cotton.

 

[Rob Brown]

They'll be fine. They likely partied too hard in Vegas and/or had some "entertainment" brought up to their rooms. I do think losing a pretty good player every year season after season because they (to their credit) they have had too many good players does catch up to a team a bit though.

They've lost over the years Kadri, Hyman, Mikyhev, Brown, Kapanen, etc. I think that does take a bit of a toll, but their shooting percentage is wonky right now, they'll likely snap out of it eventually.

Ah yes, the Leafs surely brought escorts back to their rooms. Thanks for letting us know!

The lengths some people here go to rip on the Leafs is funny.

 

[BaconNater]

I am sad I didn't pay attention much to Matthews peak last season, is he past his prime? That's too bad

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Soft cake schedule too. Haven't even played a contender. Once Samsonov cools down and they face a string of top teams, thats when the tailspin starts.

 

[Lahey]

It’s amazing how you can’t grasp the concept that this thread is talking about the Leafs struggles.

If you have such a hard on about the one point, go make a thread about it.

This thread has nothing to do with the Oilers but you keep bringing them up to deflect your insecurities about your team sucking ass at the moment.

Nah it’s just the fact that you can’t handle him coming at you for throwing stones when you live in a glass house.

It’s funny you speak the way you do about the leafs in almost every thread (checked your post history). Oilers are not great either, but don’t worry J5ck campbell is the answer!!

The oilers have a grand total of 1 more point than the leafs in the same amount of games, but you won’t mind if I say the oilers are “sucking ass at the moment” too?

Thought so.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

Didn't they start out a bit slow last season also? Takes a few games for some teams to find their groove. Hate to say it as I'm not fond of the Leafs but they have way too much talent stay in the middle of the pack for the whole season. I'd expect they start coming on soon and work their way towards the top of the standings.

 

[Divine]

Yep, then they went on to win the following three games, going up 3-1 in the best-of-seven first round series against a team that was initially seen as a pushover against the mighty Leafs.

What happened after that?

Montreal went to the Cup Finals never losing 3 games total to the entire Western Conference.

They obviously weren’t a pushover with one of the best goalies in the world in net and the Leafs could have used their second best goal scorer.

 

[Blowfish]

The team projected by many to be the clear favorite in Atlantic seems to be suffering a major performance crisis.

Their offense is underwhelming, Matthews has one goal this season, Marner is not playing his best, many defensive mistakes, Murray is injured, Kallgren is pretty mediocre.

Samsonov and Nylander look good though.

Will the Leafs rebound in style and go on a winning streak?

Surprisingly? Slow, overpaid 3, terrible D / goalie situation, and aging (yes aging).

 

[Sharkbomb]

They're on on the express lane to a first-round playoff elimination, which means all is right with the world.

 

[Number8]

- Keefe calls out "elite players" for not playing to an elite level. Which was true and also a pretty tame thing to say given the circumstances.

- Keefe then comes out with a mealy mouthed ramble about how he used the wrong words and actually said the players didn't even know what he was talking about ..... "which was a good thing"!!!!!! (yes, he actually said that was a good thing).

So what made Keefe eat his own shit?

Dubas -- Bad, shows he's afraid of players.
Shanahan -- Bad, shows he's afraid of players and he was supposed to be a tough guy.
Keefe himself -- Really bad. Means he has no clue what his role is.
Players -- Worst scenario of all. What? You've never had a coach call you out for playing down to competition?

Whatever it is, there is one weird ass culture up there in Toronto. I'm sure they'll have a good regular season, but does that culture scream "Champion" to anyone?

 

[tacogeoff]

I don't feel like it is very surprising

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

The Habs were a character team in 2021. The Leafs lack character.

 

[Davenport]

There's nothing surprising about a very good team being as inconsistent as the Leafs have been so far, and will probably continue to be all season. They - the Leafs' players - know they as a team are good enough to pick up 100 points, and - beyond that - know that they will. For them and everyone else the question is what will happen in the postseason.

The one game - so far - which really caught my attention was the game against the Knights. Vegas is one of the legitimate Cup contenders, and - after that game* - I wonder if the Leafs (players and management) now wonder where they rank. Do they consider themselves legitimate Cup contenders?

(* yes, it's just one game so far)