Speculation: Are you happy with our TML Franchise ?

[Teeder Keon]

Been a fan for 50 plus years, team's never been more stable, but playoffs are..... well you know. Still waiting and hoping.

Nicely said
GLG
That’s the rub here , perfectly managed organization ( Business wise ) and no success whatsoever on the ice when it counts ….

 

[Dekes For Days]

They kept hitting Gardiner while he wasn’t healthy. That’s why it was a major storyline and he was talking about fighting through the hits from Boston leading up to the game. Which resulted in a 5-1 loss.

You're trying to paint a picture here where Gardiner got worn down by physicality through a 7 game series, and that accumulated wear and tear was the reason for bad game 7 performances, but that's not true.

In 2018, Gardiner wasn't even hit that much. He did not have a great game 7, but that had nothing to do with wear and tear throughout the series, and none of the game 7 goals were a result of physical play.

In 2019, Gardiner was already significantly injured long before the playoffs. He was having back spasms in January, he sat out for over a month, and then came back for the playoffs and was playing injured in reduced minutes and role through the whole series. He wasn't bad in game 7 because of being worn down throughout the series. He was bad in the whole series because he was playing through a debilitating herniated disc, and by his own words, he was feeling better each game, not worse. And once again, none of the goals in that game 7 were because of physicality.

 

[Mess]

If one is in their 60's and been following the Leafs since the 1960's and the best times of support were in the 1960's, then the past 50+ years has felt like doing hard time without parole as a Leafs fan.

Its been 19 years since this team's won a bloody playoff series and hold the longest NHL Stanley Cup drought.

 

[ShaneFalco]

If he does, accountability is out the window

If it isn't already

 

[Larcos_Unal]

If he does, accountability is out the window

Dubas' pitch to Shanny at the end of each year

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

How ANY fan of this team who has been following them for the last five years could be happy with the performance to date is beyond my simple mind.

It boggles what little brain cells I have that I still follow them.

The overpaid underachieving win nothing losers have accomplished exactly that: nothing.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't take seven tries to win a first round. It just doesn't. That's why it's a record of futility in a major sports, not just hockey.

Someone should call Guiness.

Make sure they are on hand for the playoffs this year. So if it happens again they can be there for the big moment. Put it in their book for all eternity.

So it shall be written.

 

[geo25]

If one is in their 60's and been following the Leafs since the 1960's and the best times of support were in the 1960's, then the past 50+ years has felt like doing hard time without parole as a Leafs fan.

Its been 19 years since this team's won a bloody playoff series and hold the longest NHL Stanley Cup drought.

You got that right...it's been difficult to comprehend. I think Corporate ownership is the biggest cause...but, then, there are so many others as well...When the 3 amigos came on the scene it gave us all some hope but after several tries I think the drought continues until the teams culture, mindset and philosophy changes. The talent is there for all to see...but...

 

[Its not your fault]

5 of the top 40 all time points on one team. That's up to you how you choose to hate or love this team. Either way you won't see another like it for 50 years.

 

[Dave92]

You're gonna be in for a treat when he gets a 5 year extension

He'll likely have to win a playoff series to get it so i will be in for a treat if he does....but I seriously doubt it.

 

[Teeder Keon]

You got that right...it's been difficult to comprehend. I think Corporate ownership is the biggest cause...but, then, there are so many others as well...When the 3 amigos came on the scene it gave us all some hope but after several tries I think the drought continues until the teams culture, mindset and philosophy changes. The talent is there for all to see...but...

It’s mind boggling for sure ??
How was and is that no one in the entire hockey side of things , especially Shanny hasn’t picked up on the utter negligence of the lack of balance in terms of tough , in your face bottom 6 makeup of this team and at least 1 real tough talented Dman ???
GLG

 

[Maple Leaf]

No

 

[centipede2233]

How could any sports fan of any sports team especially the Toronto maple leafs in a hockey crazed city be happy with no cup in 55 yrs and no playoff rd win in 18 yrs ever be happy, you’d have to be sniffing the good stuff to be happy

 

[MoreMogilny]

Of course not.

How could you be happy with how inept this franchise has been.

Figure out the damn formula and stick to it.

This team should have the most abundant resources at its disposal to figure out how to maintain success. The fact that they can’t even figure out how to win one lousy series in nearly two decades is mind blowing.

I won’t be happy until I see an actual sign that things are finally different. Still waiting.

 

[yubbers]

I plain don't watch anymore. It's pointless with our current management.

I'd still watch the Ron WIlson Leafs though. LOL. Dubas has made this team impossible to like. I can't stand the man.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

Horrible Media. Woke GM. Decent Coach. Top End Roster.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

I plain don't watch anymore. It's pointless with our current management.

I'd still watch the Ron WIlson Leafs though. LOL. Dubas has made this team impossible to like. I can't stand the man.

Everything from the End of Pat Quinn's tenure as GM until the Auston Matthews draft was horrible.

 

[Gilmour1996]

Everything from the End of Pat Quinn's tenure as GM until the Auston Matthews draft was horrible.

Colton Orr gave more recent teams some life a few times.

 

[Cournoyer12]

Being one of the meanest, toughest teams to play against was pure enjoyment. The fact they let people run over them breaks my heart.

My son’s, who were born in Alabama and Florida and didn’t grow up in a hockey culture, asked me why I watch this team when they are the complete opposite of how we raised them.…… I showed them clips of Wendel, Dougie, Tie……

In private, I wonder what Gilmour, Clark, Sittler, Tucker, Tie, Mats, etc. think.

I’m an anomaly here because I follow both the Leafs and the Habs, to be honest I shade toward the Habs, all apologies. But I firmly believe the league is much better when both the Leafs and Habs are relevant. Obviously the Habs are not at this moment! The Leafs have all the talent in the world and hopefully they advance, however to quote King Clancy “If your can’t beat them in the alley you can’t beat them on the ice”, know it sounds archaic but still has a ring of truth to it. Any of Wendell, Dougie,T. Domi or a Bobby Baun,Tim Horton type would help immensely.

 

[WillyC]

I absolutely love these Leafs… been watching since I was a kid in the 60s. Those playoffs with Clark and Gilmour were top shelf.

I cherish every game I get to watch with these incredibly talented players we have on this team… the playoffs are going to be off the charts.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one stacked hockey team and I fully expect them to bring everything they have during this year’s playoffs.

I don’t fret what I can’t control… only thing about the Leafs within my control?… cheering for them to win.

Buffalo goes tonight

 

[ErnieLeafs]

I’m happy with just about everything, with the one hiccup being the breakthrough in the postseason. Once they break through and make progress toward ending the cup drought, I feel like people will relax a little.

I have no control over it. I’m a fan. I cheer for the club and hope for the best. It doesn’t ruin my life when they don’t win, but it would go a long way to making my life more joyful if they did

 

[slozo]

I am still around b/c I bleed blue and white.

But no I am not happy.

here is a progression of my emotions:

• loss against caps
  • happy that buds competed with rookies against a contender
• loss against bruins
  • angry at the refs, NHL
• loss against bruins
  • angry at the refs and babock for benching matthews when we needed goal and he kept on playing marleau
• loss against CBJ
  • angry at dubas for f***ing up the cap structure and no offense from the big4;
  • got really pissed at posters blaming Freddie while 50% of the cap couldn't f***ing score goals,
  • players' attitude after the playoffs loss
• loss against Habs
  • angry at dubas
  • keefe's inability to f***ing adjust pissed me off
  • angry at some of the players for not taking responsibility
  • really pissed for blowing a 3-1 series lead and the easiest route to the cup finals
  • montreal colors on the CN Tower and habs fans trolling really pissed me off
  • Shanny's "we need killer instinct comments"
• loss against bolts
  • still pissed at Dubas (start and during season)
  • got really ticked at the refs in Game 6
    • kerfoot pissed me off for that stupid penalty giving bolts 5 on 3
    • Holl pissed me the F-OFF the entire series but especially in Gm6 OT the asshat was sleeping as point score the OT winner
    • Marner's stupid long distance hail mary pass that got caught by the bolts in OT and they scored
      • Marner should have f***ing learned from the f***ed up turnover in Gm7 against the habs as Habs scored to take the lead
  • but then realized leafs sucked ass and threw away Gm2 and Gm4
    • absolutely NO EXCUSE to play like that in Gm2 and Gm4; no the argument that tampa sucked in Gm1 and Gm3 so its ok does not fly with me.
  • Expected management/coaches to be fired or at least have one big trade for a shake up -> nothing happened
  • Dubas/Shanny/Keefe pissed the absolute shit out of me at the season ending presser
    • Keefe:
      • Respect in the handshake WTF is that have some f***ing pride
      • Refusal to play Lily and playing Holl out of spite because Keefe was called out in the media; including one of his post game interviews. Keefe comments (paraphrasing): "We think holl is very important, we don't care about media"
        • everyone saw how much Holl f***ing sucked in that series.
    • Shanny/Dubas: Oh we are close
      • close to what dumbass? making the f***ing 2nd round.
      • Their attitude at the press conference really pissed the F outta me
      • also shanny completely forgot I guess about the "killer instinct" comment he had made after the habs loss
• THIS SEASON:
  • I am not as much into it as past seasons b/c the hole dug by dubas is too great to fill in a jiffy unless there is a miracle.
  • Post season: TBD

Dude, with you on almost all thoughts during those playoff losses.
Totally agree - and obviously anywhere but in Toronto, at least the coach gets fired after that series loss to the lowly Habs.

But that being said - the overall organisation I feel looks/feels better, classier than in the past, and however misguided or incorrect at times, the organisation is putting forth it's 100% best effort to produce a great team.

I went through times where I was happier with the team and how it did (during past conference finals appearances) but at those times, I was also upset and annoyed at many misses or non-actions taken by management at those times . . . I remember feeling so frustrated that they refused to get Sundin a true first line winger back in the day . . . or not upgrading the defence or scoring when it was Gilmour leading the charge.

I'm at 65% happy with them.

 

[Notsince67]

I plain don't watch anymore. It's pointless with our current management.

I'd still watch the Ron WIlson Leafs though. LOL. Dubas has made this team impossible to like. I can't stand the man.

I hated Ron Wison so much, it made me like Mike Nykoluk

 

[LeafsFan89]

I am in my early 30s now. I was not a functional human being for the 1993 team; however, I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the Quinn years, and having seen clips from the 93 playoffs, some of the Quinn teams I think captured some of that magic.

No, I am not happy with the franchise overall. I am happy we now make the playoffs, but I am more upset at the random rules enforcement between regular season games and especially between playoff games. For me, this has sucked a lot of my enjoyment from NHL hockey.

That being said, it would be foolish to blame the Leafs' recent playoff woes solely on officiating. They haven't been good enough. I feel the drive that ROR and Acciari have (similar to the "gritty" Leaf teams from the past) is lacking on this younger generation of Leafs stars. They lack grit. I am not sure if the core will ever develop these traits, but I hope they do.

 

[blue stick]

Grew up out on the prairies and I've been a fan for well over 50 years. I have a vague recollection as a youngin' of the win in '67 - not so much the actual game on the old B/W television - but vividly remember my dad and uncles celebrating. The franchise is what it is... yes, well run but I don't like the expensive tickets and obviously hate the Stanley Cup drought.

One thing that I have always wondered is how another NHL franchise in the GTA would be received - not that it's likely to ever happen in my life - but personally I wouldn't mind.