Speculation: Babcock Turning Matthews Into A Checker & The Leafs Into Boring Chumps
- Thread starter david999
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stickty111
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- Jan 23, 2017
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Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
There hasn’t been a single cup wing team that didn’t out-score their opponents.
“Offense wins championships”.
saffronleaf
Registered User
I'd say this team is playing pretty offensively. I know I'm offended.
Mess
Global Moderator
Somebody started this thread complaining about how the Leafs were winning and they've lost every game since.
I tried to save the Leafs by changing the title, but was overruled and the thread changed to negative again.
Be careful what you wish for.
Maybe you should change the title back to a positive one if you want the Leafs to beat the Canes.
My problem isn't with the Leafs losing. Shit happens.
However, last year at this time, I was excited every night. It was the most fun I've ever had watching hockey, or at least in a while.
This season, and specifically this month, I've been bored out of my mind. It's not even entertaining. Even the wins are boring.
However, last year at this time, I was excited every night. It was the most fun I've ever had watching hockey, or at least in a while.
This season, and specifically this month, I've been bored out of my mind. It's not even entertaining. Even the wins are boring.
When was the last time the Leafs made a great passing play to shred apart a defense or executed a clinical odd-man rush? The last even vaguely nice goal I can think of is Rielly setting up Brown to score against Jarry. The low percentage stretch passages aren't generating a damn thing.
Instead of odd-man rushes, we have Marner/Nylander streaking down the wing, then pulling up and circling back to the blue line because there are 3-4 opposing players back and nobody to pass to. Half of the Leafs' shifts seem to be getting trapped in their own zone for 30 seconds, finally breaking out and then dumping it in to go for a change. The powerplay involves Rielly/Gardiner at the point sliding it to Marner/Nylander, who take weak shots into defenders' shins or miss the net entirely. Kadri gets the puck down low and everyone's standing still waiting for a miracle to happen. It's all predictable and intensely boring.
Instead of odd-man rushes, we have Marner/Nylander streaking down the wing, then pulling up and circling back to the blue line because there are 3-4 opposing players back and nobody to pass to. Half of the Leafs' shifts seem to be getting trapped in their own zone for 30 seconds, finally breaking out and then dumping it in to go for a change. The powerplay involves Rielly/Gardiner at the point sliding it to Marner/Nylander, who take weak shots into defenders' shins or miss the net entirely. Kadri gets the puck down low and everyone's standing still waiting for a miracle to happen. It's all predictable and intensely boring.
CantLoseWithMatthews
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- Sep 28, 2015
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People were complaining about how the leafs were winning because we were playing like losers. We've been playing like losers since November but it hasn't really caught up with usSomebody started this thread complaining about how the Leafs were winning and they've lost every game since.
I tried to save the Leafs by changing the title, but was overruled and the thread changed to negative again.
Be careful what you wish for.
Maybe you should change the title back to a positive one if you want the Leafs to beat the Canes.
Holy shit that’s deep.
Our goal is to score many points while at the same time limiting our opponent to fewer points.
There’s a difference between playing like losers and not completely dominating.
This is a parity league. The worst team is only slightly worse than the best, and no wins are givens.
Expecting the Leafs to win every game 10-0 with 75%+ corsi rating is apparently the threshold to acceptable around here.
CantLoseWithMatthews
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- Sep 28, 2015
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Nithoniniel
Registered User
I don't understand this post. We've been a highly mediocre team that rode unsustainable goaltending for a while, and we should be much better than that. That's why there are complaints. People don't expect Leafs to dominate. We expect them to play like a solid team, which they absolutely should be, and have been.
Mess
Global Moderator
Leafs have scored 11 goals in 7 games in December = averaging 1.57 goals/game.
We lucked out beating Oilers 1-0 while getting dominated and giving up 41 shots against.
Hard to win many games if scoring 2 goals is a struggle, and you're getting outshot, outplayed and outworked night after night.
Hopefully the players start playing better soon.
Matthews34
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56 Years No Cup
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Mess
Global Moderator
You're in the wrong thread.
Those posts you're referring to are in the PDT from last night.
Link : Post-Game Talk: A goal! Baby steps. 3-1 Wings
56 Years No Cup
New and Improved Username!
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No I am not. I had made posts in here last night after the game as well, basically echoing what I said in the PGT because it fits this topic. Where are they?
Stephen
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- Feb 28, 2002
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I feel like there's two brands of Mike Babcock hockey, and we've got the brand that I don't like right now.
First introduction to him was the insane Anaheim Ducks run to the finals in 2003 when J-S Giguere took an underdog, checking team to the finals. I forget exactly how many goals were scored in the conference finals against Minnesota, but there were probably as many shutouts as goals scored that series. Boring, winning hockey.
Then there's the Detroit Red Wings of 2008 and 2009. I was rooting for the Pens those years and the Wings were a machine, playing a very beautiful, very frustrating brand of puck possession hockey. They literally held the puck the whole game and it looked like the ice was tilted towards the Pittsburgh net the whole time.
Then we have the 2014 Canadian Olympic and 2016 World Cup Teams, two of the most expensive rosters ever assembled, and yet it looked like they were programmed to win by scores of 2-1. Heavy, puck possession team where every star player seemed to turn into a high end grinder, whole operation built around elite goaltending.
Then we have the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Leafs, oscillating back and forth between boring, offensively dry grind it out teams and offensively spectacular tire fires.
Out of all these teams, the Wings of those two years were probably the most entertaining to watch, most balanced and also successful, but I don't understand the checking, grind it out mentality he's promoting with this core at all. I think we all just want that 2017 Leaf team, just more mature, with tweaks and defensive upgrades along the way.
First introduction to him was the insane Anaheim Ducks run to the finals in 2003 when J-S Giguere took an underdog, checking team to the finals. I forget exactly how many goals were scored in the conference finals against Minnesota, but there were probably as many shutouts as goals scored that series. Boring, winning hockey.
Then there's the Detroit Red Wings of 2008 and 2009. I was rooting for the Pens those years and the Wings were a machine, playing a very beautiful, very frustrating brand of puck possession hockey. They literally held the puck the whole game and it looked like the ice was tilted towards the Pittsburgh net the whole time.
Then we have the 2014 Canadian Olympic and 2016 World Cup Teams, two of the most expensive rosters ever assembled, and yet it looked like they were programmed to win by scores of 2-1. Heavy, puck possession team where every star player seemed to turn into a high end grinder, whole operation built around elite goaltending.
Then we have the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Leafs, oscillating back and forth between boring, offensively dry grind it out teams and offensively spectacular tire fires.
Out of all these teams, the Wings of those two years were probably the most entertaining to watch, most balanced and also successful, but I don't understand the checking, grind it out mentality he's promoting with this core at all. I think we all just want that 2017 Leaf team, just more mature, with tweaks and defensive upgrades along the way.
56 Years No Cup
New and Improved Username!
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Stephen- Like 100%. I live down here in Red Wing country and I remember those teams. I wanna see a hybrid of that adapted to last years Leafs not what we're seeing right now.
One of the biggest problem around here is that the Leafs made the playoffs last season and suddenly everyones expectations sky rocketed.
The Leafs are not Stanley cup contenders yet. Most of their young core are still figuring out how to play in the NHL both consisently and physically.
It is like the Leafs are automatically expected to follow the Chicago trajectory.... we should definitely unload the UFAs at the deadline. The Leafs are not going to win multiple playoffs series this year...
The Leafs are not Stanley cup contenders yet. Most of their young core are still figuring out how to play in the NHL both consisently and physically.
It is like the Leafs are automatically expected to follow the Chicago trajectory.... we should definitely unload the UFAs at the deadline. The Leafs are not going to win multiple playoffs series this year...
Anthrax442
Registered User
This team made to 20 wins 3 fastest then ever and people here still lose their crap.
HamiltonNHL
Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
- Jan 4, 2012
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HamiltonNHL
Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
- Jan 4, 2012
- 20,815
- 11,309
There is a lot of parity in the NHL now, look at any nhl team.... most can match our roster without Matthews.
Our defense currently consists of
Rielly hainsey
Gardiner zaitsev
Polak borgman
2 ufa signings polak in hainsey
2 European ufa's in zaitsev and borgman
Gardiner - career enigma
Rielly - only 1st round organizational developed talent
People act like our team is stacked or something... it's really not. Without Matthews I'd say we are an average roster at best at this point.
We're still in the early stages of the rebuild, guys like dermott, kapanen, liljegren, timashov, Johnsson maybe a bracco... once a couple of these players are making an impact then we should be dangerous.
Babcock hasn't said it as much, but there still will be pain.
In my opinion, jvr, gardiner and bozak are all part of the remaining pain.
Our defense currently consists of
Rielly hainsey
Gardiner zaitsev
Polak borgman
2 ufa signings polak in hainsey
2 European ufa's in zaitsev and borgman
Gardiner - career enigma
Rielly - only 1st round organizational developed talent
People act like our team is stacked or something... it's really not. Without Matthews I'd say we are an average roster at best at this point.
We're still in the early stages of the rebuild, guys like dermott, kapanen, liljegren, timashov, Johnsson maybe a bracco... once a couple of these players are making an impact then we should be dangerous.
Babcock hasn't said it as much, but there still will be pain.
In my opinion, jvr, gardiner and bozak are all part of the remaining pain.
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