Playoffs of Laine/Matthews

[The Winter Soldier]

Perhaps you just missed the previous post? I doubt many hockey fans outside Toronto would expect Matthews to hit PPG on a regular season while averaging 16+ minutes a game either.

Am I somehow responsible for the <x> amount of topics created about Laine and Matthews? Geez, so sorry, didn't know! In fact can you point out how many threads about these two have I even created all together the past year? Would zero be the correct number? What does your mirror tell you?

Well I don't think even 300 games would change your opinion. There's always a fresh excuse out of the gates everytime when you man isn't performing. Nevertheless, we are not talking about regular season today but playoffs. One has 4 points in 4 games where the other has 1 point in 3 games? Oh sorry I forgot, but the competition. This makes a great slogan for all the losing teams "but we faced superior competition so..." How strange that I don't see other team's fans complaining for playoffs being tough. Perhaps it's got something to do with pride, who knows.

Also the defensive narrative is getting a bit stretched. Matthews has been described as a soft playoff performer so far. Meanwhile nearly each time Laine makes a hit on a player you can hear it even if you don't see it. All the while he's been playing absolutely stellar two-way game. Lets not forget that these are Laine's first NHL playoffs either and should we put that aside and look past even further, howabout the Matthews exiting after round one in NLA playoffs while Laine leading his team to the cup?

Now lets pray Bergeron goes easy on Matthews the next game so he can maybe get another point in the series so we can continue on this interesting topic!

Bergeron didn't play tonight Kelsier. No points for Matthews, barely noticable in game 4. You can be partial or impartial Laine has had a better playoffs this year.

 

[TheJadePipe]

I certainly don’t think Matthews is as good as Scheifele is today... he has potential to be but not there yet

LOL! Of all the days to say such a thing... today is Laine's birthday! He's 20 on April 19th! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATRIK!!!!! He and Marner are both 20 for the next 15 days, so I guess we better get all of those comparisons in while we can! These next two weeks they will all fight it out for 20 year old supremacy until Marner ages out.

But I guess if you want to handicap for age and 11.5 months is such a big deal, I am looking forward to your thoughts on how Matthews stacks up with Sheifele (5.5 years older than Matthews) or Marner against Wheeler (dude's ancient!) and Connor (six months older). Nik Ehlers is only three months older than Nylander, but surely three months is nothing, so I'll give you a pass on that one, nobody would be foolish enough to think that a three month age gap would make a difference for players. Perhaps we should draw the line at seven months, that's where the big gap lies! Those extra four months make all the difference I tell ya.

Marner is only four months older than Matthews (which is below our age-comparison threshold and therefore equal!!), so I do in fact look forward to your thoughts on how Marner is the better player. I think that it's blindingly obvious that Matthews is better and that those three extra points in the playoffs and higher point total in the regular season mean diddly squat, but I know that Marner's numbers match up pretty well with your guy and if you're going to make some arguments I hope that you're going to be consistent.

 

[Frosty415]

Laine has been better this post season

 

[Critical13]

Here they come to pile on.

 

[TheJadePipe]

Here they come to pile on.

Like Marchand on Marner

 

[Critical13]

Like Marchand on Marner

This is why I should avoid the mainboards. I like the Jets a lot, but some of you mainboard Jets fans are the worst.

 

[TheJadePipe]

This is why I should avoid the mainboards. I like the Jets a lot, but some of you mainboard Jets fans are the worst.

Just a little fun. Sheeesh.

 

[mammothCacti]

Surprisingly Marner has been better than both. This guy is trying his hardest to drag the Leafs forward.

Marner has overshadowed Matthews by far this series.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Here they come to pile on.

Your team is doing poorly and your best player isn’t producing. It’s fair criticism.

 

[BigTruzz]

Here they come to pile on.

And leafs fans don't do that to other fanbases?

If you can dish it out you better be able to take it. Not you specifically, but the majority of yall.

 

[Leafs87]

Jets are a great team right now. Leafs are a little too soft and raw but on the right track. Not to take anything away from Laine but put him in the leafs and he’s not going to have the playoffs he’s having and same with putting Matthews on the jets he wouldn’t struggle this way. The Leafs and Matthews are their own worst enemies at the moment. They look like they’re coming in ready to lose

Don’t count the leafs out quite yet though.

 

[Guffman]

This is why I should avoid the mainboards. I like the Jets a lot, but some of you mainboard Jets fans are the worst.

We haven’t won a playoff series in over 30 years. Cut us some slack!!

 

[lomiller1]

What?

You said if Matthews played "better", Leafs would have finished like the Jets and played a weaker opponent. Well, the Jets finished 2nd in their division.

If the Leafs finished 2nd, they would still play Boston since TB won the division.

The Jets finished second in the NHL. If the Leafs finished second in the NHL they would be playing NJ

 

[Nizdizzle]

Your team is doing poorly and your best player isn’t producing. It’s fair criticism.

Plus, Oilers fans have nothing better to do during this time of the season.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

The Jets finished second in the NHL. If the Leafs finished second in the NHL they would be playing NJ

Even if the Jets had finished with Toronto's points total, they still get Minnesota. That's the luck of the draw with divisional playoffs.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Plus, Oilers fans have nothing better to do during this time of the season.

That’s okay, your team gets an imaginary participation ribbon and continues its playoff win drought for another year.

15 years right?

 

[snowkiddin]

This is why I should avoid the mainboards. I like the Jets a lot, but some of you mainboard Jets fans are the worst.

The mainboards are a constant battle zone with jabs, insults, chirps and thorough flapdoodle being spewed by overzealous and anonymous posters of varying intellect from all fanbases. Leaf fans are just as guilty as Jet fans.

Welcome to the party.

 

[Magic Man]

Who's better Minnesota or Boston?

 

[Hunter368]

The mainboards are a constant battle zone with jabs, insults, chirps and thorough flapdoodle being spewed by overzealous and anonymous posters of varying intellect from all fanbases. Leaf fans are just as guilty as Jet fans.

Welcome to the party.

Very true statement......Leafs & Jets fans are just as guilty as each other.

 

[RageQuit77]

Laine has been better this post season

True. We have seen that tides can change, and we know how short the memory can be in these things.

Your team is doing poorly and your best player isn’t producing. It’s fair criticism.

Wouldn't be any kind surprise if Matthews just play one good game with excellent production (that isn't anyway in the realm of impossibility or implausibility with Auston), and current narrative would change very fast. Few consecutive wins for Toronto, and...

One thing that annoys me with this eternal 'AM versus PL' -megathread is that 'Insecure' -argument's (regardless of who uses it is) expiration date has gone old already some year ago (if not already before that) for both guys and still it is used routinely like it would have still some meaning at all. Guys should just stop throwing it every time they go out of real arguments. It's just ridiculous in big picture with these players.

How anyone can be truly "insecure" with these guys when their career samples strongly hint that they're among players people should feel least insecure with, considering their expected and projected career paths?

 

[lomiller1]

Who's better Minnesota or Boston?

Both near the top of the NHL since Jan 1. That's just life in the Central though, nothing that remotely resembles an easy divisional game finish second in the NHL and you still have to play are really good team in round 1.

 

[libertarian]

As someone that is extremely tired of the Laine/Matthews threads I have just this to say.

The leafs success is dependent on Matthews being the best player on the ice. This is a lot to ask of a young player in his 2nd year in the NHL. If Laine can dominate that is a bonus for the Jets but not crucial to their success. Laine is in a position to succeed without the pressure to be the best player on the Jets while Matthews has to be that guy for the Leafs to win. Add the fact that Matthews plays at C and Laine at wing is simply not a fair to compare the two players.

I am a Jet fan that believes this. If the Jets would of picked first in that draft they would of picked Matthews and not Laine. While both Matthews and Laine ended up what both teams needed you always go after the elite C then elite winger even if you have a Scheifele playing for you.

Laine is in a position to succeed playing for the Jets even if he is not the best player on the team. Matthews does not have that luxury playing for the Leafs.

 

[Magic Man]

Both near the top of the NHL since Jan 1. That's just life in the Central though, nothing that remotely resembles an easy divisional game finish second in the NHL and you still have to play are really good team in round 1.

Boston finished 11 points better than Minnesota. Winnipeg finished 13 points better than Minnesota. The better team is producing more offense than the weaker team. Look at the stats Pastrnak is putting up. It's not because he's better than Matthews, the same way Laine is not better than Matthews because of this playoff round. They play for a superior team with a superior supporting cast which gives them a better opportunity to put up points. Minnesota lost Suter as well. Similarly Kadri was suspended 3 games. Suter was supposed to face Laine, like Kadri was supposed to go against Pastrnak.

 

[Moon Man]

Both near the top of the NHL since Jan 1. That's just life in the Central though, nothing that remotely resembles an easy divisional game finish second in the NHL and you still have to play are really good team in round 1.

When the Central rains, it pours.

 

[Festinator]

I am a Jet fan that believes this. If the Jets would of picked first in that draft they would of picked Matthews and not Laine. While both Matthews and Laine ended up what both teams needed you always go after the elite C then elite winger even if you have a Scheifele playing for you.

Geez, sometimes I forget how close the Jets were to becoming the next Pittsburgh with Scheifele-Matthews as a 1-2 center punch.

More than okay with how things turned out though