GardinerTheForward
Registered User
Sees an atrocious post. Sees 2022 and 15 posts. Makes senseI think most people are not worked up that he didn't fight. Obviously, no one wants him to break a figure or something stupid during a fight.
The issue is that he instigated a scuffle and needed his teammates to do his dirty work. On top of that, he had his usual pompous smirk while everyone else had to get into it.
If a player is not prepared to drop the gloves, they should not be instigating, retaliating, or playing as if they would. How can Matthews ever be a captain when he pulls wheezily shit like this.
Despite not winning in forever in Toronto, we have been blessed with a handful of players who bleed the blue and the white. The problem with Matthews and Marner specifically is that the crest doesn't seem to matter to them. Sure Marner is from Toronto and talks a big game but compared to Dougie, Clark, Sundin, these two are little punks. Skill without heart gets you bounced from the playoffs in the first round each year.
I dont think this is a GM or coaching issue. A coach and GM can only do so much. At the end of the day the culture is driven by the players and if the stars on the team set a shit example, how can you expect the others to follow. This is why Toews/Kane, Crosby/Malkin, Ovy, Mackinnon, etc are so successful. They are without question the hardest working guys on the ice and they rally the troops. Not just with sound bites to the media but by action.
I know it would never happen but imagine if the the Leafs put their foot down and traded Matthews and Marner. Depending on the return, it might put us into a rebuild/retool but I think a team built around Reilly and Nylander with the returns from Matthews/Marner might make us better long term even though we would almost certainly be giving up the best players in the trades.
Welcome aboard
