When did you know it was over for this group?

[Gary Nylund]

There are a lot of great quotables in this thread for sure.

I've been thinking it would be fun to go through the goalies thread and quote some of the gems there. I'm too mature for that though. I think. Maybe ...

 

[Gary Nylund]

It's a long season. Give it time.

You've been bitching and moaning since before the games even started, take your own advice mebbe?

 

[29Potvin]

It's a long season. Give it time.

I couldn't agree more. Soup turned a incredible November into an All Star game, Crazy how people forget how quick Soups season went south and that both our current goalies have shown the ability to do the same.
I believe that MM is more mentally equipped for bounce back from a bad string but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Don't like it? Too bad.

Besides, my "bitching and moaning" is because of YEARS of this team crapping the bed, not just the start to this season. I no longer feel like "rah rah rah-ing" like a zombie.

I don't like it or not like it. Don't care much one way or the other TBH.

There's a ton of ground between "bitching and moaning" and "rah rah rah-ing" and that's where most of us are. You keep being you though.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Last time I checked this group was still together

 

[Judas Tavares]

Don't like it? Too bad.

Besides, my "bitching and moaning" is because of YEARS of this team crapping the bed, not just the start to this season. I no longer feel like "rah rah rah-ing" like a zombie.

What's wrong with being a zombie? I have hope every year and if people want to point and laugh at me for that, I don't give a crap. That is what being a fan is all about. Sure you should expect the best results. They break my heart, I have a quick break in the summer and get back to it. If I couldn't do that and needed to wait each year until the period between April and June to gauge my fandom and excitement, I'd probably find a new passion/hobby.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Meh. I say lots of positive stuff, and I say negative stuff when I feel it's warranted. I shall continue to do so. Have fun out there! Stick on the ice, etc.

 

[kb]

I knew it was over when the Leafs went 11-1-3 in November with the top-3 D out simultaneously, and at times with the top 3G out simultaneously too.

 

[LeafSteel]

I knew it was over when we failed to trade for Nick Paul…

 

[Teeder Keon]

When Ballard took over

 

[Sniper99]

it was pretty depressing after we lost to Montreal in game 7. I was texting my friend in Toronto watching the last couple mins and my dad was here getting ready to leave and i pocket dialed my friend while ranting to my folks and my friend could hear it all.

I grabbed my phone and my friend sent a text, "are you standing on a ledge?" I said "no why?" "You sound pretty upset LOL"

We had them on the f***in ropes, No way should we have lost game 5. Then Galchenyuk did that bullshit blind pass. Then you probably thought "we'll get it done in Montreal", NOPE. Just felt like going into Game 7 that they didnt even need to play game 7 as there seemed to be no energy from this team for it.

What was a real piss off was watching a UFC card a week maybe a week after and there was Matthews Andersen and a couple other Leafs walking in with Biebs like nothing happened.

 

[ITM]

I knew it was over when the Leafs went 11-1-3 in November with the top-3 D out.

There's never not a time you don't want a successful run. But in the offset, ideally, we're doing this in April as well. Moreover having made a few key moves And we need to make moves whether we're on a losing streak or a winning streak; And please God protect our goaltending. Because the architecture of our club is still not that of a playoffs team.

Perhaps, persistence will pay off and enough memory and experience will push us through simply because the odds are in our favor. But they were last year and the year before certainly.

Great job by Keefe given our deleted defense, absolutely, credit where credit's due. Still, in a round of playoffs hockey, given the same club, I'd wager on a Trotz led Leafs over a Keefe led Leafs.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I knew it was over when their two new goalies went 12-3-1 with a .925sv% and 2.20 GAA.

 

[Nineteen67]

They are once again one of the best shinny teams in the league when there is time and space.

 

[Nineteen67]

it was pretty depressing after we lost to Montreal in game 7. I was texting my friend in Toronto watching the last couple mins and my dad was here getting ready to leave and i pocket dialed my friend while ranting to my folks and my friend could hear it all.

I grabbed my phone and my friend sent a text, "are you standing on a ledge?" I said "no why?" "You sound pretty upset LOL"

We had them on the f***in ropes, No way should we have lost game 5. Then Galchenyuk did that bullshit blind pass. Then you probably thought "we'll get it done in Montreal", NOPE. Just felt like going into Game 7 that they didnt even need to play game 7 as there seemed to be no energy from this team for it.

What was a real piss off was watching a UFC card a week maybe a week after and there was Matthews Andersen and a couple other Leafs walking in with Biebs like nothing happened.

Dont forget Nylander has his bags packed and in the car before he heads out to game 7.

 

[The Iceman]

They are once again one of the best shinny teams in the league when there is time and space.

Not even a bit reflective of their November play.
A much greater attention to the backcheck, being on the proper side of the puck, and not blowing the zone early.

You should tune back in, you missed a very solid month of November.

 

[Zybalto]

They are once again one of the best shinny teams in the league when there is time and space.

Shots against ranking: 5th in the NHL
XGA ranking: Tied for 9th in the NHL
Team save% ranking: 6th in the NHL
Goals against ranking: 3rd in the NHL

.....with an AHL goalie in net for like 40% of their games and the most injured dcore in the league.

Combined with the Leafs only being middle of the pack in goals scored so far, I would say they are a pretty awful shinny team with those numbers. Sort of the opposite of a shinny team.

 

[Nineteen67]

Not even a bit reflective of their November play.
A much greater attention to the backcheck, being on the proper side of the puck, and not blowing the zone early.

You should tune back in, you missed a very solid month of November.

I‘ve watched. Yes, much better team D.
This time last year we all knew they were pretenders, however, at the quarter point this year, I think they’re 1 of 4 contenders in the East.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I‘ve watched. Yes, much better team D.
This time last year we all knew they were pretenders, however, at the quarter point this year, I think they’re 1 of 4 contenders in the East.

Not me.

 

[willmma]

I am devastated everytime we are bounced out of the playoffs. When we lost to the Habs I swore off this team. Losing to the habs, blue jackets, bruins all sucked royally. We could have won each series. We had series leads. Sometimes we had leads in the third period. It all hurt.

To me sports are part of the entertainment business. It should entertain me. It is down time from work and real life stuff.

After the habs, I stopped watching everything hockey - cold turkey. It was too upsetting. I could do without this "entertainment"

For half of last season I knew nothing about the team, who our goalie was, who did the Kraken draft from us. I didn't know the schedule or the results of any games, I unsubscribed from everything hockey. I felt great.

Around Jan/Feb I was looking at some sports site, not related to hockey and they had the standings and the Leafs were doing well. So I slowly started following again.

Now I'm hooked again but I am not as emotionally invested in the team anymore. Wins are great, the story lines are nice. I'm enjoying the successes of the season. I didn't care when they lost four in a row in December and looked disappointing. I didn't care when they lost the series against Tampa. For me now, when I watch the leafs play badly is like watching a bad movie. Yes, it's disappointing, but I won't dwell on it.

For those reminiscing about the Babcock days or the Burke/Wilson days... really?? There wasn't much success there either. Leafs haven't won a playoff series since 2004. Dubas was a teenager back then. Blaming all our woes on Dubas or Keefe or Matthews or Marner or Tavares or Nylander is silly. The team hasn't won anything in almost 20 years. Let's hope they break through this year.

My advice to all fans, enjoy the good days, and brush off the bad ones. It's entertainment. Keep it like that.

 

[Mess]

Not even a bit reflective of their November play.
A much greater attention to the backcheck, being on the proper side of the puck, and not blowing the zone early.

You should tune back in, you missed a very solid month of November.

OK

But been there done that. Remember November 2021?

Leafs go 12-2 !!!

Leafs go 11-1-3 !!!

Leafs were 16-5-1 last year [22 games & 33 points] after Nov and they're 15-5-5 this year [25 games & 35 points].

What do you think makes this year different than the last one that the ending will be different?

 

[Recipe Unlimited]

OK

But been there done that. Remember November 2021?

View attachment 615997
View attachment 615996

Leafs go 12-2 !!!

View attachment 615998
View attachment 616000

Leafs go 11-1-3 !!!

Leafs were 16-5-1 last year after Nov and they're 15-5-5 this year.

What do you think makes this year different than the last one that the ending will be different?

Were the Leafs really that bad last year? I'm not sure how much better you would expect from them in the regular season.

 

[GoonieFace]

OK

But been there done that. Remember November 2021?

View attachment 615997
View attachment 615996

Leafs go 12-2 !!!

View attachment 615998
View attachment 616000

Leafs go 11-1-3 !!!

What do you think makes this year different than the last one?

Because they will just keep believing it. And they might very well win a round this year, than they will all beat their chests. However, anything less than ECF should be considered a fail at this point.

 

[The Iceman]

OK

But been there done that. Remember November 2021?

View attachment 615997
View attachment 615996

Leafs go 12-2 !!!

View attachment 615998
View attachment 616000

Leafs go 11-1-3 !!!

What do you think makes this year different than the last one?

This will be met with a rolled up nose but the eye test maybe backed up by analytics that I don't spend time with.

In watching all the games with a finger on the rewind button I watch the games carefully.
Quite frankly the teams defenseman are well below league average, but the forwards played different this month once the injuries hit on the back end.

Much more attention to the D side and a sense of urgency not previously on display. Literally the d-zone filled with Leaf jerseys, in shooting lanes, not blowing the zone early.
Very much a flash back to me to the Burns era with more talent available up front.

IMO there is a reason certain teams/coaches goalies always look good. It is the way the team plays in front of them.

Kallgren is back with the Marlies and I think Leafs fans are happy with his results.
Truth is he had a save % that starts with a .8 and a 3-6 W-L. But the team slowed the game down and still allowed us to get 10 points in 9 games with Kallgren in.
I believe this was a concious effort by the coaches and the team with a comprimised backend.
IF the team continues with this style of play they have a chance come Spring.

 

[Mess]

Because they will just keep believing it. And they might very well win a round this year, than they will all beat their chests. However, anything less than ECF should be considered a fail at this point.

You have to simply believe the law of averages odds of eventually winning a round has to be in the Leafs favour. That is where my Leafs hope reside.

If you flip a coin 10 X and its tails every time, eventually if you keep flipping it will come up heads as the law of averages suggests its inevitable.

0-10 in elimination games is already setting records across multiple team sports.

PS. I said that last year, and was wrong and the streak continued, so this must be the year