What impresses you the most about the season so far ?

[29Potvin]

I would say it has been how composed Matt Murray is. We can talk about the injuries all we want but for this team to have a goaltender that is mentally strong will do them wonders.
With Fred and Soup as the wheels were falling off for them it was very noticeable and the players played afraid to make a mistake

 

[Notsince67]

Other than the obvious stuff like goaltending, team defense etc etc...I am actually surprised that Kerfoot and Holl are still around. I honestly thought Dubas might be inclined to pluck the low hanging fruit to improve the team. Maybe he tried and couldn't find any willing trade partners. Not that Im impressed but it has left an impression

 

[slozo]

You stated it as if it was a fact, that's why I said I'll wait for the games to be played. The past does not dictate the future, and we are a top contender to win the cup. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

History always repeats itself.

Hopefully the history of 1967 when the Leafs were one of 6 teams repeats itself . . . but I am leaning a bit more towards the last three years with a very similar lineup repeating itself.

But here's hoping!

 

[PromisedLand]

What has impressed me the most this season, is the amount of posters on HOF Boards who have totally forgotten the last three seasons of first round failure, the pattern of team play (which we are once again repeating to a T), and what the weaknesses were and continue to be for this team.

That led to those playoff failures.

And just as impressive - the GM and President have the same inability to learn from history! Astounding.

I hear ya. No doubt the season success or lack there of will be judged by the playoff results. There is no denying that.

Its true that GMs get fired here and there and some have been GM in the league for a while without Cup(s) - for example, Nashville GM. But I saw a stat on twitter (not sure how true) that Dubas is the only GM who has been a GM for 4 years without a playoff series win and continues to be employed in comparison to other GMs currently

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Delete

Impresses?

Almost nothing.

This is the exact same team as before.

 

[kevsh]

I don't know what their record is, but they've won more games than lost when Holl has been the team's TOI leader. Let that sink in.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

spezza might be part of the reason they are playing well....hmmmmm

 

[Mickey Marner]

Goaltending has been surprisingly good.

 

[Niagara Bill]

Murray, Marner, Lily, Sandin, JT, Nylander.

 

[MAB1]

They just seem different this year, the previous years it was like they were less than the sum of their parts, now it's the opposite. As long as they have their big 4, doesn't matter who the d-men or goalie are, they find a way to win. I'm not worried in the slightest about teams like the Bruins, Lightning or Avs. The Leafs can dominate them, the team's biggest enemy is itself and reverting back to old habits.

They need to carry this effort into the playoffs and they'll be more than fine, just watch.

 

[TMLAM34]

I think it’s the goaltending. Both Murray and Samsonov have looked very good. Murray is on another level. Hopefully they can both keep it up.

 

[Stephen]

That defense and goaltending have been the strengths since the start of the season despite injuries to Murray, Samsonov, Muzzin, Rielly, Brodie, Benn.

 

[Metroid]

Delete

Impresses?

Almost nothing.

This is the exact same team as before.

Posts like this impress me, and not in a good way.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Posts like this impress me, and not in a good way.

I'm just like every other fan: impressed a little with the Regular Season, and not so in the Playoffs.

 

[Beaumaris]

Delete

Impresses?

Almost nothing.

This is the exact same team as before.

 

[Metroid]

I'm just like every other fan: impressed a little with the Regular Season, and not so in the Playoffs.

 

[LeafGrief]

Goaltending, Jordie Benn, and Liljegren.

Otherwise, this is largely the same team as last year. Our defense has stepped up to fill the hole that Muzzin (and other injuries) have left, but we were a good defensive team last year too. Forwards are a new batch of depth in the bottom six, but the core remains the same. We were nowhere near as bad as it seemed when the sky was falling, and we are only a month or so (if that) away from another skid. These are the Leafs and we need our quarterly dose of humiliation.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

#1a Team Defence - Everyone has bought in and is playing a good two way game.
#1b Murray/Samsonov - Especially Murray, when he’s healthy he’s a stud. Ottawa most likely paid us to take an All Star goalie from them

 

[Ianturnedbull]

sorry. You're going to have to live with it.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Our commitment to team defense in all three zones, particularly since the injuries on the blueline.

I just hope they will maintain it if and when everyone is healthy.

 

[Northernguy10]

It's a step in the right direction but it's a small sample size. We're still being outplayed quite often and winning on opportunistic scoring, a good PP and especially very good goaltending. I don't think this is sustainable long term. The most important thing is that the team maintains this "new mindset" when everyone returns and we add a forward and defenseman to solidify the team in a playoff-type sense. I'm not as excited as others about this recent run just as I wasn't as depressed by our earlier bad run. I'm an old geezer so I've seen it all throughout the decades of frustration and futility. Let's hope this season is finally different.

 

[Westlander]

Their record, given they’re playing with a half AHL defence at the moment and that they weren’t close to firing on all cylinders until very recently.

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm just like every other fan: impressed a little with the Regular Season, and not so in the Playoffs.

..and that's the irony... when the team is doing well, it's revert back to... but the playoffs... lose a couple of games, in the regular season and here is one of the leaders of the burn the house down, the sky is falling.

When we weren't doing great... I said, it's just a few games in October, don't get too worked up about it. It's a long season, and there will be ups and downs. Patience.

Now we are doing well, I will say, it's just a few more games in November... don't get too excited... It's a long season, there will be ups and downs. But do enjoy it.

I love how we've performed despite the goaltending injuries, and the defense injuries. I love how they are working together as a team defensively. It's a good direction. The regular season is fun, and we get to see some great hockey. But, where I agree... is we need success in the playoffs this year.

 

[HockeyVirus]

What impressed me is the team continuing to play hard despite everyone saying they wouldn't win anything in October and to blow up the team and fire everyone.

Half joking but a team who is known as mentally fragile had a convenient excuse to quit on their coach and they didn't.

 

[Ashdown2]

They keep proving the naysayers wrong ..

Every week since the beginning of the season we have seen numerous complaints about x and it gets crushed.
Murray sucks
Marner suck
Coaching sucks
Holl sucks
Sandin suck
Jarnkrok sucks

I would say all those guys are the keys to the turnaround