⭐2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs Season Discussion Thread⭐

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
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definitely there have been some stumbles against those middle teams that are the reason we're not right near the top of the standings.
 

Warden of the North

Ned Stark's head
Apr 28, 2006
46,263
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Muskoka
Well, everyone in the East got points tonight.

Yikes

Habs
Sens
Flyers
Canes
Sabres
Panthers
Caps
Devils
Islanders
Penguins

All got points

Jackets currently winning
 
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Fixxer

Registered User
Jul 28, 2016
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Remember this guy 20 years ago???
100_1079.JPG
98-99 season...
 

Mr Hockey

Toronto
May 11, 2017
11,156
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  • ? ~ Matthews
  • Gretzky ~ Marner
  • Messier ~ Tavares
  • Kurri ~ Willie
  • Anderson - Kappy
  • Coffey ~ Rielly
  • Tikkanen ~ Kadri
  • Huddy ~ Gardiner
  • Lowe ~ Dermott
  • Smith ~ Muzzin
  • McTavish ~ Hyman
  • Simpson ~ Marleau
  • Krushelnyski ~ Goat, and Brown combined?
  • ? ~ Johnsson
  • Fuhr ~ Freddy
 

wingman75

Registered User
Dec 3, 2008
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The QC
It's crazy to think we are 2nd in the NHL standings, and yet you look at our division standings and can think, man we suck, we're 15 points behind the friggin Lightning!! Talk about machine like. Wouldn't it be something if Tampa Bay got saddled with Pittsburgh in the first round?
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
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It's crazy to think we are 2nd in the NHL standings, and yet you look at our division standings and can think, man we suck, we're 15 points behind the friggin Lightning!! Talk about machine like. Wouldn't it be something if Tampa Bay got saddled with Pittsburgh in the first round?

Interesting observation. What jumps out at me is how tightly packed the standings are. By PTS% were tied for 2nd and Boston who's one point behind having played just one more game is 7th.

TB deserves to be considered the best team in the NHL at this point, putting the next dozen teams in order however, you could pull names out of a hat and do pretty well IMO. The playoffs are going to be interesting to say the least.
 
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BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
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Interesting observation. What jumps out at me is how tightly packed the standings are. By PTS% were tied for 2nd and Boston who's one point behind having played just one more game is 7th.

TB deserves to be considered the best team in the NHL at this point, putting the next dozen teams in order however, you could pull names out of a hat and do pretty well IMO. The playoffs are going to be interesting to say the least.

It is very 'tiered' this year for sure .. Based on the standings:

Cup Favourites: Lightning

Cup Contenders: Leafs, Jets, Flames, Sharks, Preds, Caps, Isles, Bruins

In playoff no-mans land: Golden Knights

The bubble: Habs, Blue Jackets, Pens, Canes, Sabres, Blues, Stars, Wild, Canucks, Av's, Hawks

And then there's the rest.

Some interesting playoff races heating up. The Blues have come on strong as have the Hawks in the West. The Canes are pushing in the east .. The Pens could easily heat up again. While teams like the Sabres and Av's are sinking.

There are some teams that should be in that contender status but other teams who are still proving themselves to be in that bracket like the Isles and Bruins.
 

Gary Nylund

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Oct 10, 2013
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It is very 'tiered' this year for sure .. Based on the standings:

Cup Favourites: Lightning

Cup Contenders: Leafs, Jets, Flames, Sharks, Preds, Caps, Isles, Bruins

In playoff no-mans land: Golden Knights

The bubble: Habs, Blue Jackets, Pens, Canes, Sabres, Blues, Stars, Wild, Canucks, Av's, Hawks

And then there's the rest.

Some interesting playoff races heating up. The Blues have come on strong as have the Hawks in the West. The Canes are pushing in the east .. The Pens could easily heat up again. While teams like the Sabres and Av's are sinking.

There are some teams that should be in that contender status but other teams who are still proving themselves to be in that bracket like the Isles and Bruins.

That looks about right. Only questions to me are does PIT really belong in the bubble group and is NYI really a contender, which only goes to show how muddy the waters are. The playoffs are going to be so interesting, the mere thought of us not still being in the mix after the 1st round make feel a bit ill. No reason that should happen of course, but it could.
 

BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
55,037
35,304
Simcoe County
That looks about right. Only questions to me are does PIT really belong in the bubble group and is NYI really a contender, which only goes to show how muddy the waters are. The playoffs are going to be so interesting, the mere thought of us not still being in the mix after the 1st round make feel a bit ill. No reason that should happen of course, but it could.

I have a hard time not considering the Pens a contender but we're nearly 3/4 through the season and they're still lingering in that bubble area. That's why I say they could easily heat up and be a contender. they're only 1 point up on a playoff spot with a hot Canes team nipping at their heels.

The Isles I also agree with. It's hard to see them as a contender but again through this mark in the season, they're still playing strong. Vegas has shown that these underdogs can prevail through the stretch. I have a hard time counting them out right now.
 

hockeywiz542

Registered User
May 26, 2008
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Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs' Dubas gives peek into Babcock alliance - Sportsnet.ca
Kyle Dubas does walk into Mike Babcock’s room post-game. He mostly listens and nods. He agrees with Chayka: Leave the on-ice strategy to the expert; the next morning is best for a deep discussion; and the scoreboard doesn’t always align with how well the team played.

“There are games where we don’t play well and we win that aren’t pretty,” Dubas said. “One of the things I’ve been most impressed about is how [Babcock] handles losses.”

Dubas said he and Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe would occasionally engage in blowups post-game, and they were both fine with it because of their long working history and an inherent understanding that both men were working toward the same goal.

As long as GM and coach are on the same page when communicating with players and no one is going around the other’s back, it’s all good. Things get ugly when the messages are mixed.

“That’s when the organization starts to crack,” Dubas warns.
 

nuck

Schrodingers Cat
Aug 18, 2005
11,340
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I have a hard time not considering the Pens a contender but we're nearly 3/4 through the season and they're still lingering in that bubble area. That's why I say they could easily heat up and be a contender. they're only 1 point up on a playoff spot with a hot Canes team nipping at their heels.

The Isles I also agree with. It's hard to see them as a contender but again through this mark in the season, they're still playing strong. Vegas has shown that these underdogs can prevail through the stretch. I have a hard time counting them out right now.

I think neither Isles or Pens are contenders this year although I would hate to meet either one in the first round of the playoffs. Isles don't have the firepower to get out shot every night and walk away with the victory. Trotz teams have always been hard to play against in the regular season but it took him 18 years to get past round two. Everyone plays harder hockey in the playoffs so structure and work ethic can only take you so far. They do look for real though. With Barzal not performing that well you wonder what they would look like when he is having a big year. They are also supposed to be a potential Panarin destination. An interesting team to watch. As far as Pens they have the horses up front but things just aren't clicking for them. The Matt Murray magic has been gone for a while and if he doesn't find that level again they aren't going anywhere.
 

Judas Tavares

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Boston needs to stop winning. They do have a bitch of the schedule the rest of the month. Hopefully that helps us....
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
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Boston needs to stop winning. They do have a ***** of the schedule the rest of the month. Hopefully that helps us....

I had a quick peek, not sure what's so tough about their schedule. Maybe I'm missing something but I do know that they've played two more games than us so that's in their favour. Wasn't is last season at about this time when people said Boston would slow down and we'd pass them because of injuries or whatever?

The last time Boston lost a game in regulation was a month ago. They've won 6 in a row and ATM, this "one line team" is doing it without one third of that top line. Scary team.
 
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Faltorvo

Registered User
Feb 18, 2008
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I had a quick peek, not sure what's so tough about their schedule. Maybe I'm missing something but I do know that they've played two more games than us so that's in their favour. Wasn't is last season at about this time when people said Boston would slow down and we'd pass them because of injuries or whatever?

The last time Boston lost a game in regulation was a month ago. They've won 6 in a row and ATM, this "one line team" is doing it without one third of that top line. Scary team.

you want to see "scary" look at how many PPs Boston has had in the last 30 days , it's huge.
 

Judas Tavares

S2S (Sundin2Sandin)
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Feb 9, 2007
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I had a quick peek, not sure what's so tough about their schedule. Maybe I'm missing something but I do know that they've played two more games than us so that's in their favour. Wasn't is last season at about this time when people said Boston would slow down and we'd pass them because of injuries or whatever?

The last time Boston lost a game in regulation was a month ago. They've won 6 in a row and ATM, this "one line team" is doing it without one third of that top line. Scary team.
I just meant for the rest of Feb. 2 SJ (they’ve pulled off a win since), 1 Vegas, 1 STL, 1 Tampa. Pretty tough 5 game stretch. Didn’t look at their March, but if it’s light, that’s further trouble for us. Our March looks “easy”, which at this point seems like “Let’s get comfy and coast”.
 

1specter

Registered User
Sep 27, 2016
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I had a quick peek, not sure what's so tough about their schedule. Maybe I'm missing something but I do know that they've played two more games than us so that's in their favour. Wasn't is last season at about this time when people said Boston would slow down and we'd pass them because of injuries or whatever?

The last time Boston lost a game in regulation was a month ago. They've won 6 in a row and ATM, this "one line team" is doing it without one third of that top line. Scary team.
It's frustrating that even after adding JT and Muzzin, the Leafs may not get home ice in the first round still. f***ing sucks
 

Faltorvo

Registered User
Feb 18, 2008
21,067
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Thanks but I'm scared enough as it is. :laugh:

I am not scared brother

I would be afraid if i thought we was the favorites and could suffer a upset

I only give us a 35% chance against the Bs if they have HIA

and 45% if we have HIA

the "stars" are just lined up way way way too poorly

take on the Bs AND Tbay both with HIA JUST to make it to the CFs???? bahahah, ummmm nope
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
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I am not scared brother

I would be afraid if i thought we was the favorites and could suffer a upset

I only give us a 35% chance against the Bs if they have HIA

and 45% if we have HIA


the "stars" are just lined up way way way too poorly

take on the Bs AND Tbay both with HIA JUST to make it to the CFs???? bahahah, ummmm nope

If that's what you think the odds are then you're way more scared than I am.
 

Faltorvo

Registered User
Feb 18, 2008
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If that's what you think the odds are then you're way more scared than I am.

Common gary, you know me by now, i only post what i think

I am not scared , not winning the cup is something that i don't fear.

The path we need to plow is pretty clear and full of boulders.

BUT our key core is very young , lots of time for them to turn into men and tweek the roster.

Boston will flatten out in a couple of seasons

and Tbay "should" run into their own cap hell

unless , what Dubas "saw as the new RFA market" was actually his own inability to bargain well

we could get wrecked if the other GMs get their prime RFAs back inline.
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
29,787
21,962
Common gary, you know me by now, i only post what i think

I am not scared , not winning the cup is something that i don't fear.

The path we need to plow is pretty clear and full of boulders.

BUT our key core is very young , lots of time for them to turn into men and tweek the roster.

Boston will flatten out in a couple of seasons

and Tbay "should" run into their own cap hell

unless , what Dubas "saw as the new RFA market" was actually his own inability to bargain well

we could get wrecked if the other GMs get their prime RFAs back inline.

OK, put the word "scared" in quotes then. I'm not "scared" either, but Boston is "scary". Assuming both teams are healthy, If we have HIA then we'll favoured so our chances will be above 50% and if we're the underdogs, there's no way we'll be below 40% and I'd bet heavily that both those statements are true.
 

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