2020 Stanley Cup -- Tainted or Legit?

[Gary Nylund]

Yeah sorry I just don't see it. The first couple months of hockey to start a season is usually incredibly sloppy and only really tightens up about a month+ into the schedule. They simply won't be playing enough games to get to that point until half the teams are eliminated.

We'll be watching sloppy high offense hockey. Nobody will have their systems, fitness and timing down after 5 games. Motivation has nothing to do with it

The first couple of months are sloppy for a reason and motivation has everything to do with it. In 1987, the players were in peak form after playing for 2 weeks. That's not an isolated example either, it's a pattern that was repeated on a regular basis In Canada/World Cups.

You may not see it now, but you will.

 

[Nineteen67]

Did you skip math class much or whaaaa ha. What are these several reasons. There are no issues but you seem to have calculated there are several. I have to see this. What are they?

Count them and you’ll see

 

[Nineteen67]

this problem isn't exclusive. all teams have to deal with the virus. It's a fair playing field imo.
Therefor I vote Legit!

How many road games will the * Cup Chumpion have?

 

[Leafidelity]

The first couple of months are sloppy for a reason and motivation has everything to do with it. In 1987, the players were in peak form after playing for 2 weeks. That's not an isolated example either, it's a pattern that was repeated on a regular basis In Canada/World Cups.

You may not see it now, but you will.

I guess there's not much left to debate, the games will tell us everything

 

[The CyNick]

Massively tainted.

 

[Stephen]

Ok, then you’ve added another reason that this tainted, when some teams have to play an extra round.
Again because it’s up for debate, that in itself means it’s an asterisk Cup

Count the things that are different and tell me how it cant be anything but abnormal. .

If you want to buy yourself an NHL Guide and Record Book and mark down every championship or award earned under unusual circumstances, be my guest. Start with all the lockout shortened seasons and their champions, work your way back to when the first round of playoffs in the NHL was a best of 5, maybe cross out all the Original Six titles won in two playoff rounds.

Do what you want, but understand that 19 mandatory post season wins is more work than 16 post season wins to win a title. And everyone's playing by the same rules.

 

[ruaware41]

Problem with many fellow leaf fans on this board is they are very very short sighted. Honestly reeks of immaturity.

For example the same people who hyped up Kadri as a number 1 centre are the ones who now claim that Alex freaking Kerfoot is a better hockey player than Nazem Kadri the day he gets traded. It's ridiculous to be this immature and have this much solipsism towards your own team and disregard for what the NHL as a whole has to offer. Just blows my mind that some people on here can be like this.

So the results of this poll in large part are due to the timing. There's many people who genuinely believe it's not tainted and don't just switch their opinions as a coping mechanism which is respectable. But reask this question when/if the Leafs lose to Columbus in round 1 and all of a sudden you'll get completely different results.

The advanced stats cherry pickers (& nothing against advanced stats if you're not looking to selectively pick up stats with your conclusion made up before hand) will be the first to sway their opinions. I wonder where the hype for Kerfoot was when he was playing in Colorado? God, it pisses me off how people can be so mentally immature.

 

[Nineteen67]

Look around Europe and see the joy of the football teams and fans that have been winning their leagues.

Nothing tainted about those celebrations and nothing tainted for the NHL team that lifts the next Stanley Cup.

When football starts here, hockey will be an afterthought.

 

[Havoc]

There is only one possible answer to this question .

Not tainted if we win.

Drop a bunch of ****** on everything if we lose.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Well at the time of the shut down the Leafs had a 75% chance of making the playoffs to begin with so if they go on to win I wouldn't say it's tainted.

But then you look at teams that were not likely going to get a playoff spot, some extreme long shots (like Montreal, Arizona, and Chicago), if they went on a run I would certainly says that's tainted.

Teams like Montreal (0.1%), NYR (21.8%), Columbus (33.6%), Florida (37.8%), Chicago (2.5%), and Arizona (13.0%)

It would also depend how many of these teams make it through the play-in round. If very little do, it's like the playoff seeding were to go as expected. If a lot do, it would have been a highly unlikely scenario that gives better teams lesser competition in the first round.

 

[nsleaf]

Problem with many fellow leaf fans on this board is they are very very short sighted. Honestly reeks of immaturity.

For example the same people who hyped up Kadri as a number 1 centre are the ones who now claim that Alex freaking Kerfoot is a better hockey player than Nazem Kadri the day he gets traded. It's ridiculous to be this immature and have this much solipsism towards your own team and disregard for what the NHL as a whole has to offer. Just blows my mind that some people on here can be like this.

So the results of this poll in large part are due to the timing. There's many people who genuinely believe it's not tainted and don't just switch their opinions as a coping mechanism which is respectable. But reask this question when/if the Leafs lose to Columbus in round 1 and all of a sudden you'll get completely different results.

The advanced stats cherry pickers (& nothing against advanced stats if you're not looking to selectively pick up stats with your conclusion made up before hand) will be the first to sway their opinions. I wonder where the hype for Kerfoot was when he was playing in Colorado? God, it pisses me off how people can be so mentally immature.

 

[Nineteen67]

If you want to buy yourself an NHL Guide and Record Book and mark down every championship or award earned under unusual circumstances, be my guest. Start with all the lockout shortened seasons and their champions, work your way back to when the first round of playoffs in the NHL was a best of 5, maybe cross out all the Original Six titles won in two playoff rounds.

Do what you want, but understand that 19 mandatory post season wins is more work than 16 post season wins to win a title. And everyone's playing by the same rules.

19 wins are not mandatory to win this *Cup

 

[ruaware41]

Good shit

 

[deletethis]

Pro tip: always check for the consensus on social media before posting. You'll never be wrong again.

 

[Stephen]

19 wins are not mandatory to win this *Cup

It is if we win it. And isn't that all we care about, the legitimacy of our Stanley Cup?

 

[BertCorbeau]

19 wins are not mandatory to win this *Cup

That mean that teams who get a pass on the play-in round would be more tainted since their path to the cup only required 16 wins in 4 series ... The Leafs winning 19 games in 5 series is a more difficult path.

If the Leafs bow out of the playoffs early, I hope those who feel a cup win would be tainted won't complain about the loss.

 

[hoglund]

Now with losing the play in round you get a chance at getting 1st pick overall, it's better than winning a Stanley cup that's tainted.

 

[Pookie]

Clearly tainted for a couple of main reasons.

1. 3 month suspension before restarting. Basically a preseason tournament with a Cup at the end.

2. Format change for 1 season before (theoretically) reverting back to the current one

3. The inevitable scratches from the roster as a function of positive COVID tests. Perhaps even a team forfeit.


It’s just silly.

 

[Nineteen67]

That mean that teams who get a pass on the play-in round would be more tainted since their path to the cup only required 16 wins in 4 series ... The Leafs winning 19 games in 5 series is a more difficult path.

If the Leafs bow out of the playoffs early, I hope those who feel a cup win would be tainted won't complain about the loss.

The best of five is a method to determine which of the bubble teams makes the playoffs in lieu of completing the regular season. IMO it’s one many reasons this year should have an asterisk, regardless of who wins.
I think we all understand why they’re playing but it seems to lose more credibility each day.

 

[Pookie]

The best of five is a method to determine which of the bubble teams makes the playoffs in lieu of completing the regular season. IMO it’s one many reasons this year should have an asterisk, regardless of who wins.
I think we all understand why they’re playing but it seems to lose more credibility each day.

Seems weird that’s it’s ok to cancel a season when they can’t figure out how to share billions of dollars....

.... but somehow it’s not ok to cancel a season during an ongoing pandemic when 130,000 people have died in 4 months it’s getting worse in the USA.

 

[Nineteen67]

Clearly tainted for a couple of main reasons.

1. 3 month suspension before restarting. Basically a preseason tournament with a Cup at the end.

2. Format change for 1 season before (theoretically) reverting back to the current one

3. The inevitable scratches from the roster as a function of positive COVID tests. Perhaps even a team forfeit.


It’s just silly.

The biggest reason is how they determine the playoff teams and seeding.
As we keep accumulating reasons it should become clearer and clearer that this is the year of the * Cup.

 

[Nineteen67]

Seems weird that’s it’s ok to cancel a season when they can’t figure out how to share billions of dollars....

.... but somehow it’s not ok to cancel a season during an ongoing pandemic when 130,000 people have died in 4 months it’s getting worse in the USA.

that’s actually a pretty good point.

 

[qqaz]

It's already been said, but this Cup might be the hardest to win. It's legit. The winners will be cup Champs, without question.

 

[Sniper99]

The biggest reason is how they determine the playoff teams and seeding.
As we keep accumulating reasons it should become clearer and clearer that this is the year of the * Cup.

Boy are you going to be disappointed when you dont see an * in the record/history books.

 

[Metroid]

If it's tainted, f*** it, let's go for 1st overall
Let's lose , but then all the negative nancies can't shit on the leafs for losing, cuz who cares.. it's tainted. If we win, we get crapped on, if we lose we get crapped on.. no winning! Fun times on hfleafsboard!!