Will the Panthers let the Leafs make the playoffs?

[Kamiccolo]

I can't decide who would get embarrassed more in the first round. Florida or Toronto. Its a toughie.

On paper, both will get embarrassed. It's really on Tampa to just not choke this year and it should be an easy win for them no matter what.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

I feel like the Leafs embarass themselves enough and have enough problems that there is more than enough to pick from if you want ammo. But some people choose to try and take things to the extremes.

Reading the past few pages are people talking about the Leafs or the Wings? Like, god damn have the Leafs been straight up terrible at times this year. But, they have also been pretty dominate at other times.

The problem with the Leafs is not that the team is garbage. It's that the team has no consistency.

I would not be shocked at all for this Leafs team to get into the playoffs and absolutely destroy a team in one round, and then get destroyed in the next. Or hell, even game to game.

And the main thing people point to is the sense of urgency. It's not even a systems issue. It's just urgency. Leafs you know in the first 5 min how the game will go. Either they have a pace to their puck movement, or it looks like they just woke up and are trying to warm up in practice.

Not really an inbetween.

I disagree, they are garbage. Their defense has been AHL quality at times. You can use injuries as an excuse but depth is important in this league and Dumbass Dubas thinks you can just load up the top 2 lines and win a cup. Their top 6 keeps them respectable, this team is Detroit level bad without Matthews and Marner, those 2 guys are keeping the mirage going.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

The context was playoff seeding. If it was 1-8 the leafs would not make it. Metro bubble teams are superior.

I get the point you are trying to make but at the end of the day Krug and Carlo are at least equal to Reilly and Muzzin and to state they can be replaced by pylons because of a system is pretty shortsighted.

lol "at least equal"

Injuries really aren’t much of an excuse for why the Leafs are where they are.

Did you see the Bruins injury list last season:
Bergeron- 17 games
Pastrnak- 16 games
McAvoy- 28 games
Krug - 18 games
DeBrusk- 14 games
Chara - 20 games
Carlo - 10 games

and that’s just their key players. If you want me to add depth players like you did with Ceci then it gets even more hilarious.

Most of these injuries all happened at the same time and at one point they were playing without 5 of their top 7D and down to like #12 on the depth chart on D.

Yet they finished 3rd in the league.

Toronto is simply a very poorly built team.

Still at it eh nbwingsfan

 

[Kamiccolo]

I disagree, they are garbage. Their defense has been AHL quality at times. You can use injuries as an excuse but depth is important in this league and Dumbass Dubas thinks you can just load up the top 2 lines and win a cup. Their top 6 keeps them respectable, this team is Detroit level bad without Matthews and Marner, those 2 guys are keeping the mirage going.

Well this is certainly a take lol. Detroit level bad just shows what kind of opinions people are arguing with and shows why it's not worth the energy.

Defensively they've been middle of the pack under Keefe for a while now. Had some pretty bad goaltending most of the season which seems to be picking back up now. And they also were without their 2 best D most of the season on top of all of that. I'd say that's pretty respectable for a team that is called as bad defensively as they are.

Not to mention it's been Nylander and Matthews as the two most consistent forwards so you don't even have that part right lol.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Well this is certainly a take lol. Detroit level bad just shows what kind of opinions people are arguing with and shows why it's not worth the energy.

Defensively they've been middle of the pack under Keefe for a while now. Had some pretty bad goaltending most of the season which seems to be picking back up now. And they also were without their 2 best D most of the season on top of all of that. I'd say that's pretty respectable for a team that is called as bad defensively as they are.

Not to mention it's been Nylander and Matthews as the two most consistent forwards so you don't even have that part right lol.

Nylander is the guy you trade for value in terms of defensive help while his value is high. Marner has had some consistency issues but nobody is going to argue that Nylander is the better player overall.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Using them as an example is comparing sister. What does taking a top 3 team to game 7 twice and the presidents cup winning team Washington to game 6 the year before mean?

im not going to argue with your reading comprehension. It’s not my fault you can’t understand using something as an example to illustrate a point.

And it means they got bounced in the first round twice???

 

[Ratsreign]

I can't decide who would get embarrassed more in the first round. Florida or Toronto. Its a toughie.

Or, one of them gets on a hot streak to secure their spot and continues that roll into the playoffs....

 

[Kamiccolo]

Nylander is the guy you trade for value in terms of defensive help while his value is high. Marner has had some consistency issues but nobody is going to argue that Nylander is the better player overall.

That's exactly what we hope other GM's think. Hopefully one of them takes Marner's full contract and gives us a true top pairing D in return.

 

[The90]

im not going to argue with your reading comprehension. It’s not my fault you can’t understand using something as an example to illustrate a point.

And it means they got bounced in the first round twice???

Well, your comprehension must be lacking because it means they lost 3x. But that’s neither here nor there. I can’t be at fault for you trying to take a pretentious high ground about comprehension and screwing it up.

You’d think by them coming close 3x to beating the best teams in the league you could comprehend they have the talent to beat anyone. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen. But again, comprehension seems to be an issue here so...

Anywho

 

[Maplebeasts]

I disagree, they are garbage. Their defense has been AHL quality at times. You can use injuries as an excuse but depth is important in this league and Dumbass Dubas thinks you can just load up the top 2 lines and win a cup. Their top 6 keeps them respectable, this team is Detroit level bad without Matthews and Marner, those 2 guys are keeping the mirage going.

You know how I know to disregard this post entirely? You think Marner has been the second best player on the team after Matthews. He's actually played pretty bad hockey for a lot of the season points aside

 

[TheDoldrums]

Their top 6 keeps them respectable, this team is Detroit level bad without Matthews and Marner, those 2 guys are keeping the mirage going.

why do people lose all sense of rationality when talking about toronto

 

[The90]

You know how I know to disregard this post entirely? You think Marner has been the second best player on the team after Matthews. He's actually played pretty bad hockey for a lot of the season points aside

Last night is a good example. 2 powerplay points, never noticed him for a second.

 

[nbwingsfan]

The only thing poorly built here, is your argument.

I’m excited to hear why.

seeing plenty of Leaf fans saying they’re only battling for a playoff spot because of injuries yet when you point to a team with more injuries to even better players yet were still a top team all you here back is “pfftt doesn’t count”.

 

[nbwingsfan]

lol "at least equal"



Still at it eh nbwingsfan

So you have no actual rebuttal? Not surprising

 

[TheDoldrums]

seeing plenty of Leaf fans saying they’re only battling for a playoff spot because of injuries yet when you point to a team with more injuries to even better players yet we’re still a top team all you here back is “pfftt doesn’t count”.

Are you using "we" for the Bruins now?

Why would one example from a team that everyone already considers superior prove anything?

San Jose had the worst goaltending in the league last year and still made the conference finals. Am I to conclude goaltending doesn't matter? Of course not.

I don't think injuries have been the biggest issue for the team but your argument is definitely weaker.

 

[The Podium]

Injuries really aren’t much of an excuse for why the Leafs are where they are.

Did you see the Bruins injury list last season:
Bergeron- 17 games
Pastrnak- 16 games
McAvoy- 28 games
Krug - 18 games
DeBrusk- 14 games
Chara - 20 games
Carlo - 10 games

and that’s just their key players. If you want me to add depth players like you did with Ceci then it gets even more hilarious.

Most of these injuries all happened at the same time and at one point they were playing without 5 of their top 7D and down to like #12 on the depth chart on D.

Yet they finished 3rd in the league.

Toronto is simply a very poorly built team.

Leafs that missed games this season
Marner 11 games
Tavares 7 games
Rielly 23 games
Muzzin 17 games
Hyman 19 games
Dermott 14 games
Andersen 5 games
Johnsson 27 games
Mikheyev 31 games

2 first liners, their #1-3 D, 3 depth wingers and their starting goalie... seems pretty comparable to the Boston injuries of last year

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

why do people lose all sense of rationality when talking about toronto

A converse version of this statement is more fitting: Why does Toronto lose all sense of rationality?

 

[Pi]

You know how I know to disregard this post entirely? You think Marner has been the second best player on the team after Matthews. He's actually played pretty bad hockey for a lot of the season points aside

Yep Marner is really talented, he could have 5 bad games out of 7 and still end up with 7-10 points somehow which in the end determines trade value. That's why he's the guy I would trade if we need to make room to add D.

If Pietrangelo hits UFA and he wants to come here, I'd even trade Marner for some good futures to get rid of the cap hit.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Are you using "we" for the Bruins now?

Why would one example from a team that everyone already considers superior prove anything?

San Jose had the worst goaltending in the league last year and still made the conference finals. Am I to conclude goaltending doesn't matter? Of course not.

I don't think injuries have been the biggest issue for the team but your argument is definitely weaker.

Were* autocorrect gets us all.

And yes stating that injuries are the only reason the Leafs are in a bad spot is just plain wrong. Also many Leaf fans predicted the Leafs to be better than the Bruins this season so many of you believe them to be at the same level as the Bruins.

If your team can’t handle injuries issues then you’re not a well constructed team.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Leafs that missed games this season
Marner 11 games
Tavares 7 games
Rielly 23 games
Muzzin 17 games
Hyman 19 games
Dermott 14 games
Andersen 5 games
Johnsson 27 games
Mikheyev 31 games

2 first liners, their #1-3 D, 3 depth wingers and their starting goalie... seems pretty comparable to the Boston injuries of last year

As I said if you want to add depth players like Dermottthen players like Grez missed almost 20 games as well and Rask missed around 5. It’s fairly comparable to the Bruins (although the Bruins had more) but that’s also the point.

The Bruins had all these injuries last season yet finished with 107pts, tied for 2nd most. The Leafs, with less injuries issues, are struggling for what? 93?

It should really come to no surprise. Theyre just not a well constructed team compared to actual top teams.

 

[danpantz]

Leafs that missed games this season
Marner 11 games
Tavares 7 games
Rielly 23 games
Muzzin 17 games
Hyman 19 games
Dermott 14 games
Andersen 5 games
Johnsson 27 games
Mikheyev 31 games

2 first liners, their #1-3 D, 3 depth wingers and their starting goalie... seems pretty comparable to the Boston injuries of last year

Dermott is your#3 defenseman?

 

[Lahey]

Dermott is your#3 defenseman?

I would say he’s the #4 or 5. Reilly, Muzzin, Barrie, Dermott/Holl

 

[danpantz]

I would say he’s the #4. Reilly, Muzzin, Barrie, Dermott

He's 6th in average ice-time among your defense-man.

 

[TheDoldrums]

He's 6th in average ice-time among your defense-man.

He was hurt at the beginning of the year after missing six months with shoulder surgery, he was brought along slowly at first. He's played 25+ minutes in two of the last three games.

He's probably played his way into the top 4 even with everyone healthy at this point, though we'll see when Muzzin returns.

 

[danpantz]

He was hurt at the beginning of the year after missing six months with shoulder surgery, he was brought along slowly at first. He's played 25+ minutes in two of the last three games.

He's probably played his way into the top 4 even with everyone healthy at this point, though we'll see when Muzzin returns.

Is he your #3 when everyone is healthy? That poster says he's your #3.

I figured he's at least behind Reilly, Muzzin, and Barrie. Maybe not Ceci and Holl, but both of them average more time this season than him.