ULF_55
Moderator
Tier 1:
matthews, tavares, marner
Tier 2:
nylander, rielly, andersen
Tier 3:
muzzin, brodie, Kerfoot, Campbell
Bar None:
everyone else
Series Talk: Which Leaf has the most to prove in the postseason?
- Thread starter ShaneFalco
- Start date
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Tier 1:
matthews, tavares, marner
Tier 2:
nylander, rielly, andersen
Tier 3:
muzzin, brodie, Kerfoot, Campbell
Bar None:
everyone else
nuck
Registered User
- Aug 18, 2005
- 11,761
- 2,774
All they need is just average goaltending and they will get out of the North, lets not talk about going out in the 1st round. Keefe cut his teeth last playoff and 3 of the big 4 are outperforming their last season effectiveness. They have Brodie instead of Barrie and a lot more veteran grit up front. This looks like a club built for the post season and with no obvious holes that weren't filled. I'm not a big Dubas booster but I can't see how he could have done much better in a flat cap environment. Lets see some failure before we start worrying about who to blame.
roosterman
Registered User
- Feb 4, 2008
- 984
- 156
Nylander has the most to prove out of the top 6, he’s not been great in the post season. He’s gets unfairly maligned at times, but he needs to be better.
ULF_55
Moderator
maybe they need a euro coach who knows how to let him play?
If his post-season underachieving center remains the same maybe they should create a new line?
It’s Tavares for me. The reason that Dubas signed him is to have 2 top level centres and create matchup problems for other teams. There is absolutely no excuse for Tavares not to win his matchup with any 2nd line in the North division.
Mess
Global Moderator
The Barrie vs Brodie debate is an interesting one that I was just thinking about yesterday.
Tyson Barrie carries a Cap hit of $3,750,000 and T.J. Brodie signed for $5,000,000 per AAV.
In terms of points this year Barrie lead all NHL dmen in 2020-21 regular season scoring and Brodie tied for 90th with a pack of players and just cracking the top 100.
2020-21 Dman Scoring Leaders
#1st ......... Tyson Barrie , D - EDM .... .. 56 games 8 goals 40 assists 48 points
#90th.......T.J. Brodie, D - TOR .............. 56 games 1 goal 13 assists 14 points
I don't think you will find a Leaf fan alive bemoaning the loss of Barrie thinking the Leafs didn't get better. However not too long ago Barrie who finished with + 34 more points than Brodie and cost the Leafs + $1.25 mil more Cap wouldn't have been seen as better because offensive stats always drove perception and discussion when it came to player impact and value to his team.
For contrast #70th OA Nikita Zaitsev finished +20 spots above Brodie in the Dman standings posting 55 games 4 goals 13 assists 17 points and his $4.5 mil was once seen as an albatross contract, when Brodie signing for 4 years @ $5 mil costs even more cap and produces less points.
There seems to be greater shift towards "Defense win championships" belief otherwise the above wouldn't track with those that believed it was "Offense" because then Brodie would be a big step down offensively from the NHL's leading scoring Dman this season, and not even replacing Zaitsev at par as far as point production goes.
The Leafs let the NHL highest scoring Dman walk away for Free, but got better and more competitive, despite replacing him with an older, less productive and more expensive cap player, in a flat cap environment no less !!!
PS. Now Barrie's 4 goals 19 assists and 23 PP points might come in handy right now based on how the Leafs PP has struggled lately.
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just seeing this TB vs Fla game and boy the Leafs better come with their big boy pants on. The softies on the Leafs better understand this year they gotta man up and play hard hockey. This won't be shinny hockey but grind hard hockey.
If they learned from last year especially Marner who was surprised how hard CBJ played him.
If they learned from last year especially Marner who was surprised how hard CBJ played him.
ShaneFalco
Registered User
Peasy
Registered User
Matthews was great last year.
Everyone else was mostly a disappointment. Lets hope its not a repeat.
They all need to elevate their games.
Everyone else was mostly a disappointment. Lets hope its not a repeat.
They all need to elevate their games.
beyond the big boys I think Thornton and Simmonds also have a lot to prove. Simmonds has been a liability basically all season and Thornton has had good stretches but has also had absolutely brutal stretches while still getting prime usage.
Both were signed for the playoffs, we need them to step up.
Both were signed for the playoffs, we need them to step up.
Matty and JT will decide da series and ultimately decide how far we go
Brodie, Muzzy and Soup will play key roles
I don't expect much from Mitch or Willy but they will get their points on da perimeter
Brodie, Muzzy and Soup will play key roles
I don't expect much from Mitch or Willy but they will get their points on da perimeter
Fogelhund
Registered User
- Sep 15, 2007
- 24,412
- 29,555
Willy may not be a hard player, but he isn't a perimeter player either. He scores many of his goals in tight. Goal map below... as seen, 60% of his goals, not on the perimeter.
No, there isn't at all. Defense has always been an important aspect of defensemen, but that doesn't change what team defense's relative impact on winning championships is. Your representations and comments on Barrie, Brodie, and Zaitsev are wildly misleading.
Yes I am a big Willy fan .. he has got much better past 2 regular seasons .. now da issue is playoff hockey .. last play in against CLB was bad .. lets hope this year he shows up for HabsWilly may not be a hard player, but he isn't a perimeter player either. He scores many of his goals in tight. Goal map below... as seen, 60% of his goals, not on the perimeter.
Fogelhund
Registered User
- Sep 15, 2007
- 24,412
- 29,555
Everyone needs to show up this year, no passengers. This is good team, but they need to show a will to win, to compete in playoff hockey.
Keefe and Campbell.
Keefe because the play in didn't go well he NEEDS to win this round because if he doesn't then fair or not i'm not sure Dubas is GM next year and if there is a new GM there could be a new coach.
Campbell because he's going into his first ever playoffs and he's doing it after just 22 games, if he's going to be the #1 next year, and I don't think he's going to be then he has to be healthy and win.
Keefe because the play in didn't go well he NEEDS to win this round because if he doesn't then fair or not i'm not sure Dubas is GM next year and if there is a new GM there could be a new coach.
Campbell because he's going into his first ever playoffs and he's doing it after just 22 games, if he's going to be the #1 next year, and I don't think he's going to be then he has to be healthy and win.
Not sure if “prove” is the right word, but Matthews, Marner and Tavares have the most to gain. Heck, all three would probably punch their ticket to the hall of fame right then and there if they won the cup and produced well along the way.
How often could you say that about someone just 5 years into their careers? But the cultural impact on hockey alone with a Leafs cup would probably put Matthews and Marner 95% of the way there.
How often could you say that about someone just 5 years into their careers? But the cultural impact on hockey alone with a Leafs cup would probably put Matthews and Marner 95% of the way there.
For the uneducated, would you kindly define what a "softie" player looks like, and which Leaf players fit the mold.
Mess
Global Moderator
Since taking over as GM, a move that was made to get the Leafs beyond round #1 after losing to Washington in 6 and Boston in 7 games albeit as underdogs, Dubas record is ...
Lost in round #1 Boston in 7 games. (with Babcock as coach)
Lost in the preliminary play-in round to Columbus in 5 games. (with Keefe as coach)
Leafs vs Montreal in round #1 ... TBD ??
Dubas played his last get out of jail free card when he switched coaches. Now in attempt #3 it might be 3 strikes and you're out if he doesn't show some positive results.
Lucky for Dubas and Keefe the hockey Gods tossed them a lifeline with this pandemic realignment so going up against lesser composition has paved the path for success at least through the 1st X 2 rounds. However that nonetheless has put the pressure squarely on the GM and Coach to deliver as the most to prove in a results oriented business.
Expectations with this roster and this talent are high. Leafs could go all the way, and so underachieving really isn't an option without consequences.
Fogelhund
Registered User
- Sep 15, 2007
- 24,412
- 29,555
Leafs 3-in-3: Who's the X-factor? Who's facing the most pressure?
Who will be the Leafs X-factor in the series against the Canadiens? Which Leaf is facing the most pressure entering the playoffs? And, which game within the game is most intriguing against Montreal? TSN reporters Kristen Shilton and Mark Masters offer their takes in the latest edition of Leafs 3-in-3.
Leafs 3-in-3: Who's the X-factor? Who's facing the most pressure?
Who will be the Leafs X-factor in the series against the Canadiens? Which Leaf is facing the most pressure entering the playoffs? And, which game within the game is most intriguing against Montreal? TSN reporters Kristen Shilton and Mark Masters offer their takes in the latest edition of Leafs 3-in-3.
Leafs 3-in-3: Who's the X-factor? Who's facing the most pressure?
The Apologist
Apologizing for Leaf garbage since 1979
Campbell. Starter is his to lose. Win and he is set for life.
Jumbo. May be his last chance.
JT. He's the captain. He came here to win. He needs to set the stage.
Riles. He's gonna be looking for that big contract. He's had a tough second half. He needs to establish he is the #1.
Mitch/Nylander. They can play pretty. They can play tough. We've seen it. They need to establish they can do it consistently.
Jumbo. May be his last chance.
JT. He's the captain. He came here to win. He needs to set the stage.
Riles. He's gonna be looking for that big contract. He's had a tough second half. He needs to establish he is the #1.
Mitch/Nylander. They can play pretty. They can play tough. We've seen it. They need to establish they can do it consistently.
SoVi3t
Registered User
- Sep 16, 2009
- 1,145
- 1,276
