are the Leafs too skilled

Are the Leafs too skilled for their own good


  • Total voters
    84

SML2

Registered User
Jan 1, 2018
4,751
6,790
Too skilled: Translation: Soft.
Nobody ever lost a playoff round for being too good. They have lost by getting run out of the rink by a lesser skilled team and not having the sand to do anything about it.
 

nORRis8

The NHL, the stupidest League ever.
Sep 16, 2015
3,621
6,107
RedDeer, Alberta
Can't vote yes, because they are so fractured as a team.

Strange poll for a team clinging to a playoff spot, has one defenceman signed for next year and he's the only good one. Questionable goaltending which also includes no sound backup.
Their young forwards can score however they are so inept at playing a "team" game.

Perhaps blowing 1/2 their cap space on 4 players has something to do with it with their lack of depth. :/
 

All Mod Cons

Registered User
Sep 7, 2018
9,826
10,122
They're certainly not constructed well enough. Hopefully after next season we can get a change in mindset.
 

BlueForever75

Registered User
Oct 4, 2017
5,691
2,303
The issue I have is not so much the skill level but the reluctance to shoot the puck. If Marner, Matthews, Kapanen, Tavares, Nylander and others shot more we would be better off.

The extra passes kill us and that is why I voted yes. Skill can also be shooting the puck not only passing. Too many passes. In the offensive zone shoot the puck on net.

In the past 10 games the Leafs have had about 12 goals on my count that have been wrist shots from the blue line and simple putting the puck on net. With the hands that our forwards have our dmen should be peppering shots on net all the time. But there is too much carrying the puck along the boards and cycling the puck all the time. Shoot damit.
 

mulefarm

Registered User
Oct 9, 2011
1,385
365
Sheldon Keefe plays a skilled possession game. When guys like Ceci can't keep up, we get in trouble.

That's wby Dubas has mentioned time and time again that he wants his defensive group to be composed of quick, efficient defensemen (i.e get the puck out of the zone to our skilled forwards as fast and cleanly as possible).
That’s why Dubas let Gardiner walk?
 
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Todd03

Registered User
May 28, 2016
109
61
Fact of the matter is the leafs are just to soft and have no grit.
And people who are real leafs fans know Dubass should not be
the General Manager of this team. Having all skill and no grit or toughness
will not win a Stanley Cup. Playoffs are a total different thing
then the league season. After two season with this guy the leafs
should have kept lou. That team (The Islanders) has no real stars but have toughness,
grit and lots of heart. And if the leafs don't make the playoffs you wait
and see Shanahan will fire Dubass.
 

7even

Offered and lost
Feb 1, 2012
18,569
14,126
North Carolina
Bad "puck management" and turning the puck over when attempting to handle it would be a lack of skill, not an excess.

The problem isn't that the players have too much of one dimension, it's that they only have one dimension.
 
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666

Registered User
Jun 27, 2005
2,982
739
Connor Brown ... AAV $2.1 mil ................. 52 games 10 goals 23 assists 33 points.

vs

Alex Kerfoot .. $3.5 mil AAV ................ 48 games 8 goals 13 assists 21 points
or
Kasperi Kapanen .. $3.2 mil AAV ..... 52 games 10 goals 19 assists 29 points
or
A Johnsson .. $3.4 mil AAV ................. 38 games 7 goals 12 assists 19 points

Sometimes more speed and skill doesn't always mean better or more impact, and having more 2-way players might help.

Dude. Connor Brown has 326 more minutes than Kerfoot so far. At 15 minutes per games that's the equivalent of 21 more games played. Think man.
 

AreBe

This is the Real Are Be and not a Burner account!
Apr 1, 2013
880
313
You know what the Leafs gotta do? Get rid of that excessive skill such as that young and athletic Ivan Svensky and bring in that veteran Patrick O'Thuggo! He won the cup 15 years ago! Bring him here! Harold Ballard knew to do that, but not this stats geek Dubas with his stupid scientific method!

This is what I need you to know: When the Leafs are tough, they get a penalty. For clarity: the game is called in such a manner that helps the National Hockey League's national broadcast partners, and of course, the nation at issue is the United States.

The Leafs only chance of success is to out skill the other team.

Teams that play in the Canadian Branch Plant Division,such as the Leafs, of the American Association of United States Ice Hockey Teams can only advance by outscoring the opponent. It's not penalties called, it's penalties not called. If you want toughness, you will get a penalty box parade. And the penalties called against the Leafs will be legitimate calls. All the video will be clear- legitimate call each and every one. But the puck being in the net is another thing you can verify, and that is the Leafs chance.

The AAUSIHT is seeking a fat US TV deal and must show Madison Ave. that they have no reason to fear the Canadian Branch Plant Division, that only pays the bills during the regular season.

Bettman came from the NBA. When the NBA was run by boy scouts it was in trouble. But since it has been run by ruthless Ivy League lawyer MBA accountant types, it is a cash cow.

I ask you to believe that the NHL is also run by whip smart Ivy League lawyer MBA accountant types and not boy scouts.

I know Ron MacLean preaches the gospel of hockey infallibility, but we need to start taking those red pills and not the blue ones.

This too much skill issue is the favorite whipping boy of Leafs Nation Philosopher Moron Man, who likes to say, "Damn Ivan Svensky! Mom's a Soviet gold medal figure skater who taught him how to turn on a dime, leap into the clear, skate quickly, and have great spacial awareness. Father taught him how to read plays, the fundamentals of hockey, puck control, passing, and where to position oneself in the offensive and defensive zone. Trade him out of here! Trade him now! Patrick O'Thuggo! That's what we need. So what if he did not want to sign here before. Now that he has had all that surgery he is well rested and would love to play for his home town!
 
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Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
86,912
11,862
Leafs Home Board
Dude. Connor Brown has 326 more minutes than Kerfoot so far. At 15 minutes per games that's the equivalent of 21 more games played. Think man.

Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander

That should account for something to balance minutes played to line-mates play with. ;)

15 minutes a night playing with JT and Nylander vs playing 20 minutes a night (less 2:30 pk) playing with no one.

Besides we shouldn't punish Brown for SH TOI/g which averages a little over 2:30 a game or 136:29 minutes on the season. We should praise him as OTTAWA's pk% > LEAFS.

Which further solidifies my point .. You need more than just skill and speed.

Maybe having Brown an excellent PKer out there in the 3rd to kill off the Marner penalty and solid 2-way player might have prevented the 4 goals against in the 3rd period and Leafs might have come away with points. :)

Maybe the AAV difference between Kerfoot $3.5 mil and Brown $2.1 mil could have been spent on a better backup than Hutch and also changed the outcome.
 
Last edited:

ryno23

Registered User
Feb 5, 2010
5,419
1,778
i think my premise on the too much skill is that they don't have enough puck management awareness cause they are so good with the puck they think they can make that high danger saucer pass or dangle at each blue line. I think that can be taught by Keefe during practices or video sessions even though he wants to play a puck possession game. Sometimes you need to chip the puck out or dump it in to avoid worse case happening.

They dangle or like an earlier poster said they force and extra pass instead of shot on net and jam for a rebound. Caps, Blues have the same skill but also have the grit and grind coupled with awareness.

Can the Leafs change that part of the game?
 

Rants Mulliniks

Registered User
Jun 22, 2008
22,958
6,029
Can't vote yes, because they are so fractured as a team.

Strange poll for a team clinging to a playoff spot, has one defenceman signed for next year and he's the only good one. Questionable goaltending which also includes no sound backup.
Their young forwards can score however they are so inept at playing a "team" game.

Perhaps blowing 1/2 their cap space on 4 players has something to do with it with their lack of depth. :/

They actually have 4 d-men signed for next year and if you haven't noticed, have lots of depth coming through. Otherwise solid post.
 

nORRis8

The NHL, the stupidest League ever.
Sep 16, 2015
3,621
6,107
RedDeer, Alberta
They actually have 4 d-men signed for next year and if you haven't noticed, have lots of depth coming through. Otherwise solid post.

Then they sure must have been on a signing rampage in the last month or so.
Not too long ago all they had was Reiley signed.
I heard a few new names on their line up, nobody noteworthy.
Sitting 26th in Goals Against proves that aside from a poor backcheck
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,973
32,364
St. Paul, MN
Connor Brown ... AAV $2.1 mil ................. 52 games 10 goals 23 assists 33 points.

vs

Alex Kerfoot .. $3.5 mil AAV ................ 48 games 8 goals 13 assists 21 points
or
Kasperi Kapanen .. $3.2 mil AAV ..... 52 games 10 goals 19 assists 29 points
or
A Johnsson .. $3.4 mil AAV ................. 38 games 7 goals 12 assists 19 points

Sometimes more speed and skill doesn't always mean better or more impact, and having more 2-way players might help.

Brown looked like absolute garbage over his last season with the Leafs.

And that was playing for a coach who loved him
 
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Polaris1010

Registered User
Mar 23, 2017
3,800
1,300
grandma's cellar
Do we have to much skill where guys are trying to get too cute or does Keefe need to real in the players to make better puck decisions in high danger zones. Is this team still immature where they don't understand high danger will it chance as they get older and more experienced.
You sound like that Mikey fellow . . .

Protect the puck . . . and all that dinosaur hockey stuff . . .

:thumbu:
 

FireBabcock

Registered User
Apr 21, 2019
102
103
They beed a snarly, centre who can spark the team but contribute offensively. I wonder who that could be ...

Dubas’ biggest f*** up bar none.
 

LeafingTheWay

Registered User
May 31, 2014
6,726
1,855
That’s why Dubas let Gardiner walk?

Yes, that was obvious. You've seen our LHD group right? Muzzin and Rielly are locks, and then you have Dermott and Sandin who both fit our system perfectly and are very cheap. That reason alone should have been enough, but that coupled with Gardiner's back injury last season made it a no-brainer.

We had nothing on the right-side though, until Justin Holl and Tyson Barrie become our top-4D (both great puck-movers). Lilijegren replacing Ceci would be perfect.
 

Big Muddy

Registered User
Dec 15, 2019
8,583
4,085
I think they must be too skilled because we never like the players we get back in trades or trade proposals. ;)
 
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AreBe

This is the Real Are Be and not a Burner account!
Apr 1, 2013
880
313
I think they must be too skilled because we never like the players we get back in trades or trade proposals. ;)
See ya later, Ivan Svensky!
Come on in, Patrick O'Thuggo
We are Leafs Nation, We are Talent Disposals!

Darn Speed, Darn Skating, Darn passing- we need brains that are absentee!
We are Canadian and we know what we know!
Don't need no analytics, for we are hopefuls!

Poetry is hard
Leafs Nation is stupid.
American Associations of United States Ice Hockey Teams is going to screw the Canadian Branch Plant Division teams like the Leafs, so we need more talent or it will all be sorrowful !
 

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