What is wrong with this team - rant thread

[Highlander23]

Ok you all know the big picture, not going to repeat what has been said.

But i want to say that it was obvious this team was going no where with the way it has been managed/coached (not an excuse for players far from it)

No trades made= again, no risk taking, wait and see approach

what bothers me the most, is that we let young players scramble and not bring veterans who could calm the locker room !!

Clarktard, lets pretend he doesn't have that stupid contract, is he still on the NHL roster ?

Coaching, so many head-scratching decisions (orr playing, clarkson, franson, reimer, PK...)


Again, it seems that play (draft) it safe is the Leafs mojo !! show some emotions damn it

People may not like it but i would buy out clarkson, not resign bolland, trade reimer/franson, play without a captain, trade lupul, adopt the nashville model for the bottom 6...

Click to read more...

 

[BonMorrison]

People may not like it but i would buy out clarkson, not resign bolland, trade reimer/franson, play without a captain, trade lupul, adopt the nashville model for the bottom 6...

As a Predators fan, you don't want to adopt any model that we have - trust me.

 

[pucci2001]

As a Predators fan, you don't want to adopt any model that we have - trust me.

As a leaf fan, I agree with everything he is saying.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

the only thing i want from nashville is barry trotz. which is a real possibility this season especially with fans calling for his head and poile's head as well.

 

[Daisy Jane]

the only thing i want from nashville is barry trotz. which is a real possibility this season especially with fans calling for his head and poile's head as well.

it would actually be interesting to see what Barry Trotz could do with actual offense in his lineup.

 

[BonMorrison]

it would actually be interesting to see what Barry Trotz could do with actual offense in his lineup.

He would smother it and drain it out of the players. Trotz is not the coach he used to be.

He's alot like Carlyle in his stubbornness and refusal to adapt.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

it would actually be interesting to see what Barry Trotz could do with actual offense in his lineup.

yea exactly. if the team buys into his AMAZING defensive system, and the offense continues to produce like it does under carlyle/wilson, we're going to excel. granted, we still need to fix our D this summer though.

 

[613Leafer]

-We committed to a coach who doesnt have any recent history of being a good coach defensively.
-We committed to a youthful blueline mostly composed of offensive D.
-We committed to a second line made of one-dimensional forwards.
-We committed to an injury prone 3rd line C.

Not a big surprise that we suck defensively and have played without our 3rd line C for most of the year. When you commit to crappy defensive players and commit to a crappy defensive coach, youre going to have a crappy defensive team.

And while guys like Kessel, JVR, Phaneuf, Bozak, etc are all good pieces. We still lack an elite two-way forward which most contenders have (Toews, Backes, Pavelski, Bergeron, Kopitar, etc) and our #1 D while being a very good player, is below the calibre that a lot of the contenders have PLUS has a weaker supporting cast then them.

 

[BonMorrison]

yea exactly. if the team buys into his AMAZING defensive system, and the offense continues to produce like it does under carlyle/wilson, we're going to excel. granted, we still need to fix our D this summer though.

There is no amazing defensive system - that is a myth that keeps being perpetrated by people who don't watch Predator games. The Predators defensive core makes just as many brainfarts as the Leafs core.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

There is no amazing defensive system - that is a myth that keeps being perpetrated by people who don't watch Predator games. The Predators defensive core makes just as many brainfarts as the Leafs core.

really? damn, guess i was wrong...

 

[Daisy Jane]

Okay - and i'm going to tackle the management issue.

Our cupboards aren't to the point where we can just easily flip pieces to help supplement things. to get significant help we're going to have to trade from a position where I don't think any fan really wants to trade from: the youth. that's what cost this team over and over and over again. Nonis flat out said he doesn't want to trade Jake, Morgan, Nazem, JVR and Bernier (and he's getting offers on all of them) - to get instant help.

Also - let's be honest - even if Nonis DID something [and I'm still irritated that we didn't get Robidas, broken leg and all] - if the general consensus is we're not going ANYWHERE this year, why trade at the deadline, when Nonis wants to concentrate on hockey deals for long term help which happens at the Draft, and in the summer?

Pi brought up some points that I didn't hear [ie: he doesn't mind being outshot etc - but again, I don't know what the Leafs use, I heard on Leafs lunch a lot of gms/management staff don't use shots against as much as other criteria - i'm not excusing him, i'm just putting that out there], and 'happy with Carlyle' etc]. I don't know what he's going to say re: Carlyle ont he radio "well, we're just binding our time until we can get him out of here."

I am willing to give him one more summer to fix this team of obvious issues [and I think Leiweke will too -again he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who puts up with crap for too long]. I said it last night, and i even wrote an article about it, this has now become a game of chicken.

Randy isn't changing.
so it's vs. Nonis and Leiweke. Nonis fires Randy or Tim fires both.

 

[Daisy Jane]

really? damn, guess i was wrong...

I feel Bon just told me there's no Santa.

 

[BonMorrison]

really? damn, guess i was wrong...

Granted, the team played without Rinne for most of the season but that doesn't excuse the fact that after the top pairing of Weber/Josi, the depth is tested and usually fails on a nightly basis. They've been better recently but that's a direct correlation of Rinne coming back (kinda like if Bernier came back for us). Suter leaving had a much deeper defensive and offensive impact on the Preds then initially thought.

 

[BonMorrison]

On the note of a new coach, I think Laviolette is a guy that would work with our style but that's just speculation on my part.

 

[Schennanigans]

The defense is not good enough. I think it's more of a coaching problem than the players though. We need a good system for these guys.

 

[Igy]

Okay - and i'm going to tackle the management issue.

Our cupboards aren't to the point where we can just easily flip pieces to help supplement things. to get significant help we're going to have to trade from a position where I don't think any fan really wants to trade from: the youth. that's what cost this team over and over and over again. Nonis flat out said he doesn't want to trade Jake, Morgan, Nazem, JVR and Bernier (and he's getting offers on all of them) - to get instant help.

Also - let's be honest - even if Nonis DID something [and I'm still irritated that we didn't get Robidas, broken leg and all] - if the general consensus is we're not going ANYWHERE this year, why trade at the deadline, when Nonis wants to concentrate on hockey deals for long term help which happens at the Draft, and in the summer?

Pi brought up some points that I didn't hear [ie: he doesn't mind being outshot etc - but again, I don't know what the Leafs use, I heard on Leafs lunch a lot of gms/management staff don't use shots against as much as other criteria - i'm not excusing him, i'm just putting that out there], and 'happy with Carlyle' etc]. I don't know what he's going to say re: Carlyle ont he radio "well, we're just binding our time until we can get him out of here."

I am willing to give him one more summer to fix this team of obvious issues [and I think Leiweke will too -again he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who puts up with crap for too long]. I said it last night, and i even wrote an article about it, this has now become a game of chicken.

Randy isn't changing.
so it's vs. Nonis and Leiweke. Nonis fires Randy or Tim fires both.

I honestly think this should happen at this point.

 

[Tak7]

1st - The coach. Either the players are not listening to his message, or his message is the wrong one. Either way, it's not working.

2nd - The defense is awful. Maybe a bi-product of the coaching, but as a group of players they aren't good at all and need to be uprooted and changed in the summer.

Solution?

1 - Fire the coach.

2 - Change the composition of the blue line in the off-season

 

[Trapper]

We have some good players.
We don't have a great team.

 

[Wendigo]

Because it's a rant thread I reserve the right to make no sense.

The best run we had was just before the Olympics and the common thread through that run -- strong starts in the first 10 mins of every game. Meanwhile, every game since the break has been just the opposite.

Since Bernier's injury Reimer's been inadequate - obviously he has to take the brunt of the load on this but honestly -- what possible benefit did it serve Carlyle with his "just OK" comments: he does realize he's coaching Toronto, right? Everything is a controversy.

I haven't been happy with Carlyle's system all year. I admire his tenacity for line matchups but how many times in the past 7 games have we seen breakaways or 2-on-1's because of on-the-fly line changes while juggling lines? I know Scotty Bowman used to devote practice time to line-changes, I'm not sure Carlyle has done the same perhaps someone here knows.

And what's with all the pinching lately? If we're down 1-0 in the first we don't need to start pinching right away, there's lots of game to be played, yet 4 out of the last 7 games have us down by 2 goals, largely on this ill-advised play.

Finally, seeing Kadri put in on defensive zone faceoffs, just highlights Carlyle's stubborn adherence to line-matching in a manner that makes no sense. Kadri is statistically among the worst centres on faceoffs; you're literally asking for a fire drill almost every time.

I had hoped this would be a year we wouldn't see the wheels fall off the bus but it's appearing that time is now, at the most critical stage in the season. The players need to execute, but I feel the coaching has been listless and inadequate in making any adjustments. It's like watching a repeat EVERY GAME. How about keeping it simple: play for a tie; stick to a dump and chase format; change your forecheck; try a left-wing lock --- anything for goodness sake! The status quo is NOT working.

 

[Daisy Jane]

On the note of a new coach, I think Laviolette is a guy that would work with our style but that's just speculation on my part.

Here's the thing - I don't think Lavi was ever an option - because he would have been hired by now. [well I guess not, Randy did manage to have the team's head above water for most of the season, so I suppose there's that], and I do believe a reason why any change hasn't been done in season - was because that's generally how this organization ALWAYS does thing.

fire so and so in the middle, let him ride out the season, rinse and repeat. [also - it gives the players a little onus on themselves, that crap play doesn't = trade, and/or firings]. so it hurts now, but let the bomb drop in the summer, again - Im fine with it because realistically, as much as I'd love to see it happen - they weren't going to make massive fireworks this year.

I don't know why I'm clinging onto this belief that the person Nonis wants isn't available until summer, but I do. it just makes too much sense.

I honestly think this should happen at this point.

Im surprised that Nonis was the only one who survived the MLSE purging. it wouldn't bother me if BOTH went, but I can see why he would ideally like to wait a bit. I've been saying it all along - probably 1/2 the problem here is too is the 100th Anniversary. We're too close to it to really strip and really re-tinker

 

[Faltorvo]

I honestly think this should happen at this point.

see, I think this sends the wrong message , the coach and GM should be punished for failing to produce a cup contender and NOT punished for failing to produce a team that just makes the gawd damn playoffs.

and anyone who thinks DN/RC have had the time or player personnel to produce a cup contender are over valuing this roster.

 

[Faltorvo]

We have some good players.
We don't have a great team.

nice to hear the harsh truth . shows guts,.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

1st - The coach. Either the players are not listening to his message, or his message is the wrong one. Either way, it's not working.

2nd - The defense is awful. Maybe a bi-product of the coaching, but as a group of players they aren't good at all and need to be uprooted and changed in the summer.

Solution?

1 - Fire the coach.

2 - Change the composition of the blue line in the off-season

this is pretty much what i want this off-season.

 

[nsleaf]

Been a Leaf fan far too long to bother ranting anymore. But right from the season start I was un-easy on how they were playing despite winning many games.
Don't really like to single out players to lay blame but the coaching I have found bewildering at times.

 

[DaveT83*]

An abundance of fans with no competition are what fuel this Organizational Negligence.

Until a 2nd - or even 3rd team is introduced to Southern Ontario you can expect more of the same results regardless of personnel.


Competitive Intrusion