When did you know it was over for this group?

[slozo]

For this group the "worm turned" for me after losing to Montreal two playoffs ago. If they couldn't defeat what for me was a non-playoff calibre team, they're most historic rival, especially after being up 3 games to 1 (while not even being that dominant) . . . I knew they didn't have it. And not until they added some key elements would it change.

Past two years been looking for those changes to happen but they never have . . . and quite honestly, if after 5 years of Matthews and Marner in their prime and they still don't have
- one big physical defenceman to play in the top 4
- a quality starting goaltender
- at least 2 bruising wingers that play in the top 9
... then they're never going to win in the playoffs. And they've known the issues for 5 years and have done nothing to rectify it, it boggles the mind . . . especially when looking at the executive at the top (Shanahan) who was literally the type of player you need to win cups with and exactly the type of player we have never had since Gary Roberts.

Dubas should have been gone after Montreal. Any other organisation and he would have been gone then.

 

[frizzer1]

Lots of reasons but ultimately signing Tavares was the beginning of the end.

 

[CaptainCrunch17]

Just ain't feeling it anymore tbh

I hear ya.

But with change comes hope.

 

[Steven1562]

So many moments to count. I give them a pass for that 1st playoff series against Washington. Young team happy to be there. No one expected us to be there and we gave a good effort.

2018 - Down 3-1 in the series we fight back and are leading 4-3 going into the 3rd period of game 7 and guess what? We give up 4!?!?!? in the 3rd. We choke another series against Boston.
2019- Now we are up 3-2 in the series headed home and we score the 1st goal in game 6 on home ice. Wow we are doing it! Finally we are going to defeat our demons. Nope give up the next 3 goals and head back to Boston for another game 7. Game 7 we get our doors blown off 5-1. Soft goals and terrible effort. We should have known at this point this "team" doesn't have "it"
2020 - Team is playing like crap with Babcock coaching. Let's go with Keefe that will solve everything. We lose to a 42 year old zamboni driver. It can't get lower than that can it? Yes it can. We face Columbus who on "paper" we are better than them. Well we are tied after 2 games and leading game 3 by 3 goals. We blow it and lose in OT. Next game we come back down from a 3 goal deficit and win in OT. We are going to do it right? Nope once again we shit the bed in a win or go home game 7. Do you see a trend here?
2021 - We are gifted an "all Canadian division" finally we won't have to play Boston or Tampa right? Well we cruise through and win the division. We face the Habs who are literally one of the worst teams in the playoffs. They had a negative goal differential in the regular season/lowest points in the standings of any team in the playoffs. We jump out to 3-1 series lead. Looking good and finally going to do it right? Nope we blow it again in 2 more overtimes. Then shit the bed in game 7. I'm thinking this is a bit of a trend.
2022- Back to the regular divisions. We have our best regular season in years - Our best player Matthews hits 60 goals/ Hart trophy favorite. We face the Lightning coming off 2 cup runs. They are vulnerable right? Well once again we are leading 3-2 in the series. Game 6 we are "leading" 3-2 going into the 3rd period. What do we do? we blow it again in another overtime period. After all of this do you have faith in this team in game 7? I know i didn't. We blow it again in game 7 this time on home ice. We now own the longest playoff series win drought and cup drought - breaking records for losing.

After all this management said " we believe in this group" let's run it back. All this group has shown is they know how to lose in spectacular fashion.

 

[hfman]

2.) people need to realize that “ebug” games are a joke and the players don’t try. You saw it when Scott foster came in. A literal accountant and got a shutout. Dallas played a game against an ebug with one eye.

So the best players in the world really can’t score on an accountant. A zamboni driver and a guy with one eye? They are amazing stories for the families but they clearly are no win situations.

The leafs scored twice on Ayres in 2 shots. He was falling all over the place and then they stopped. They were hitting his pads between periods. And stopped scoring. They had scored 8 goals against the team right before.

That was a terrible scenario. Your friend. A playoff competitor…..

Anyone who thinks that “oh they should have just scored” has never been good enough at anything to understand.

Finally someone else who gets it.

Doesn't matter if it was the Leafs or any other team, they gave Ayres (the Zamboni driver and basically 'teammate' as he also works for the Leafs) the win. It was either be complete jerks and pummel the poor guy with 20 easy goals or give the guy and his family the win and a memory for the rest of their lives.

They didn't lose to a zamboni driver they gave the zamboni driver a win lol.

 

[Legion34]

Finally someone else who gets it.

Doesn't matter if it was the Leafs or any other team, they gave Ayres (the Zamboni driver and basically 'teammate' as he also works for the Leafs) the win. It was either be complete jerks and pummel the poor guy with 20 easy goals or give the guy and his family the win and a memory for the rest of their lives.

They didn't lose to a zamboni driver they gave the zamboni driver a win lol.

I said it the day after. They literally scored twice in a row. The coaches GM etc getting text messages. Rod losing it. Competitors.

There was no winning. Even dallas was tied 2-2 going into period 3 against Anaheim. They need to win. They got 2 shots on a one eyed ebug. It was a deflection of his own guy

So was dallas so much worse than anaheim?

 

[leafsfan5]

In hindsight, JT's return to long Island showed us everything about this core and the state of the team

They knew they were going into enemy territory, they knew the fans would be all over him and this is something they should rally around. Yet they were limp, had no fight, no passion or desire to outwork the opposition

Instead we celebrated "John Tavares day" and gave him a standing ovation his next home game. So f***ing soft

 

[Americanadian]

1.) If it is over…. Why are you watching?

2.) people need to realize that “ebug” games are a joke and the players don’t try. You saw it when Scott foster came in. A literal accountant and got a shutout. Dallas played a game against an ebug with one eye.

So the best players in the world really can’t score on an accountant. A zamboni driver and a guy with one eye? They are amazing stories for the families but they clearly are no win situations.

The leafs scored twice on Ayres in 2 shots. He was falling all over the place and then they stopped. They were hitting his pads between periods. And stopped scoring. They had scored 8 goals against the team right before.

That was a terrible scenario. Your friend. A playoff competitor…..

Anyone who thinks that “oh they should have just scored” has never been good enough at anything to understand.

This is peak Dubas fandom.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

I said it the day after. They literally scored twice in a row. The coaches GM etc getting text messages. Rod losing it. Competitors.

There was no winning. Even dallas was tied 2-2 going into period 3 against Anaheim. They need to win. They got 2 shots on a one eyed ebug. It was a deflection of his own guy

So was dallas so much worse than anaheim?

So they were fine to score two goals on two shots... and THEN decided that scoring on him was "meany-means"?

Carolina boxed them out after those two goals. The end.

And, to be honest, if the leafs lost ON PURPOSE in a competitive NHL game because they were scared of "hurting the feelings" of a zamboni driver... then that is a MUCH worse scenario than the alternative. THAT'S how weak these kids are? They lose on purpose to spare "feelings"?

What's next? The leafs are throwing every round one so that they don't hurt the feelings of the opposing goaltender? This is too much. It's TOO MUCH!!!!

 

[WTFMAN99]

Honestly? Arizona game.

Just all the same concerns rearing their ugly head.

 

[leafsfan5]

So they were fine to score two goals on two shots... and THEN decided that scoring on him was "meany-means"?

Carolina boxed them out after those two goals. The end.

And, to be honest, if the leafs lost ON PURPOSE in a competitive NHL game because they were scared of "hurting the feelings" of a zamboni driver... then that is a MUCH worse scenario than the alternative. THAT'S how weak these kids are? They lose on purpose to spare "feelings"?

What's next? The leafs are throwing every round one so that they don't hurt the feelings of the opposing goaltender? This is too much. It's TOO MUCH!!!!

To add onto this, at that time the Leafs were in a fight for their playoff life. They were just 2 points ahead of Florida for third in the atlantic with both wild card spots being occupied by Metro teams

What that person is saying is that the leafs didn't want to hurt another person's feelings so badly that they threw away 2 points in a playoff race

 

[NinjaKick]

David who? Zamboni what?
I don't know what those things are, keep in mind I did see a hypnotherapist

 

[Machinae]

Havent worn my Marner jersey since the contract hold out and I loathe having to cheer for the team he plays for.

Every other team drafted team first guys and we got stuck with this core..

 

[Tak7]

Montreal series.
1 - There were no fans. Couldn't use that as an excuse
2 - Media avail were all through time limited Zoom calls. Couldn't use that as an excuse.
3 - Home ice advantage. Couldn't use hostile TD Gardens etc as an excuse
4 - Three opportunities to close it out. Couldn't use the excuse of chasing the series

The second Galchenyuk put the puck on a Habs stick in game 5 OT, a sense of panic & dread overcame this market. We knew what was coming. I remember listening to radio & podcasts before both game 6 and 7, and it was as if the team had already lost; no one had faith that they'd turn it around, because we knew they couldn't.

The fact that we are still here, 2 years later, with the same core, coach, etc., and have just re-arranged the deck chairs, is probably going to be the detail that doesn't end favorably for Dubas & co.

 

[Legion34]

So they were fine to score two goals on two shots... and THEN decided that scoring on him was "meany-means"?

Carolina boxed them out after those two goals. The end.

And, to be honest, if the leafs lost ON PURPOSE in a competitive NHL game because they were scared of "hurting the feelings" of a zamboni driver... then that is a MUCH worse scenario than the alternative. THAT'S how weak these kids are? They lose on purpose to spare "feelings"?

What's next? The leafs are throwing every round one so that they don't hurt the feelings of the opposing goaltender? This is too much. It's TOO MUCH!!!!

Again. This is the 3rd time an ebug has been used. They let in

0 Scott foster goals against the 110 pt final 4 jets. Laine. Schiefle. Wheeler. Buff. Ehlers couldn’t score on an accountant? Chicago was just so good that they could block the jets but couldn’t make the playoffs?


2 goals on 2 shots for ayres. Then the leafs went over and all tapped his pads. Then during the intermission it was a huge scandal where Friedman was reporting on how bad it was and how he was getting multiple calls from GMs about playoff seeding.

Then all of the sudden the team thar scored 8 against them the previous game couldn’t score. Coincidentally right after intermission?? When GMs were known to be calling the league as reported by Friedman

Then last year dallas was tied with Anaheim. A literal one eyed goalie came in and a puck bounced off a player and in.

The Dallas stars fighting for their playoff lives got 2 accidental shots on an ebug

Sooooo 3 playoff teams. 2 of the top scoring teams I thr league all just can no longer play offense or score on 40 year olds with severe medical complications ??????

Sure. Sounds legit.

Are all the other teams weak? Really the leafs scored more goals against ebug s in NHL history. Is that a good thing?

 

[Maple Leaf]

Some good assets to sell

 

[Mr_Fun]

I knew it was over for this group back in 2018 when on a late January night, Ron Hainsey hit the crossbar in the 2nd period on a wrister from 40 feet out.

 

[34]

When Matt Murray was brought in to be the #1 goalie. It is Dubas admitting defeat.

 

[Matthews4Calder]

When Dubas caved in to Nylander and then got bent over by M&M.

 

[SoVi3t]

Too many things. The Leafs not even attempting to show up for Tavares first game back against his old team. Mitch and Nylander holding out on their contracts. Watching Dubas do nothing every single off season except hope his core will show up next year.

 

[horner]

When they signed Taveras before having a complete team .
Our defence wasn't ready and our Core players hadn't been signed.
I thought at that her we go the rebuild is done and we aren't ready.
Then we started letting players go at free agency without getting anything in return to build the defence.
We still have a shit defence.

 

[horner]

For this group the "worm turned" for me after losing to Montreal two playoffs ago. If they couldn't defeat what for me was a non-playoff calibre team, they're most historic rival, especially after being up 3 games to 1 (while not even being that dominant) . . . I knew they didn't have it. And not until they added some key elements would it change.

Past two years been looking for those changes to happen but they never have . . . and quite honestly, if after 5 years of Matthews and Marner in their prime and they still don't have
- one big physical defenceman to play in the top 4
- a quality starting goaltender
- at least 2 bruising wingers that play in the top 9
... then they're never going to win in the playoffs. And they've known the issues for 5 years and have done nothing to rectify it, it boggles the mind . . . especially when looking at the executive at the top (Shanahan) who was literally the type of player you need to win cups with and exactly the type of player we have never had since Gary Roberts.

Dubas should have been gone after Montreal. Any other organisation and he would have been gone then.

The raptors had a great season and let there coach go to hire Nurse. Great GM's have pulse on there team . Dubas doesn't

 

[notbias]

When Dubas caved in to Nylander and then got bent over by M&M.

No clue why the false claim about Dubas caving to Nylander still exists.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Every

This has been going on for years. When is the right time to overreact if not now 6 years and they haven’t made it past that first round. So like a ostrich do we stick our head in the sand and say it’s not that bad

Every year they preach patience. Why write off what's left of the 5 year build before Mathews walks? We are runni

 

[Legion34]

Every

Every year they preach patience. Why write off what's left of the 5 year build before Mathews walks? We are runni

Pretty much every major insider agreed that there is no chance we let him play out the contract if he isn’t staying

There is absolutely zero reason for him to give up the extra year and come back to Toronto to be hounded about his contract. It would be insane

If it does happen it would be an absolute debacle.

I could see Dallas (no taxes high hispanic)
La (Hollywood/hispanic)
Anaheim…… less likely
NYR as places he could go.