Do You Like The Current Team As Much As Recent Years?

[Goose]

I know we’ve got a team with some legit expectations this year - the best in a long while - but I don’t find myself liking this team as much as I’ve liked previous teams.

The version of this team in Matthews’ rookie season was so much fun without expectations, and it now feels like it’s all business all the time with this core, especially with the way the contracts have played out for Matthews/Nylander/Marner.

I think the core we had the first time we blew a third period lead to Boston in Game 7 was my favourite though, I would have loved to see that team make a real run. Kadri/ JVR/ Bozak/ Kessel/ Lupul never got the big league wide attention but I really rooted for that group (even Kessel, who always seemed to be getting beat up by the media for one reason or another) and Phaneuf had started to become a punching bag for Toronto fans but still had a lot of value.

I’m curious how people feel about the current group, do people really “like” how the 19/20 team is stacking up? I find it kind of weird this year, I expect the Leafs will do well and have a good shot at making it into the 2nd round at least, but I’m not as excited for this team to start playing as I have been for other teams in past.

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[Jimmy Firecracker]

The contract stuff I feel has turned a not insignificant number of people off from the team. Some of us take it personally that the guys would hold out on contract negotiations rather than just signing and being ready to play with the team. I don’t mind that players want to be payed but it does rub me the wrong way that these contracts so far aren’t team friendly in the slightest and that we’re being forced to pay a premium to players who haven’t accomplished much of anything so far in this league. Once the final headache is signed no one will care but for now it’ll remain an annoyance until one side decides to budge.

 

[Nooodles]

Yes.

Never hated the Toronto Media this much though....These freaking losers are simply trying to ruin everything related to this franchise. Every relationship, whether it's player vs coach, player vs player, player vs fan, fan vs GM. They are sabotaging the whole thing with their constant bullshit on twitter and radio, basically everywhere.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

Yes.

Never hated the Toronto Media this much though....These freaking losers are simply trying to ruin everything related to this franchise. Every relationship, whether it's player vs coach, player vs player, player vs fan, fan vs GM. They are sabotaging the whole thing with their constant bull**** on twitter and radio, basically everywhere.

We should get John Tory to make a public appearance about this to eliminate this media sabotaging about the cities own hockey franchise

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Yes.

Never hated the Toronto Media this much though....These freaking losers are simply trying to ruin everything related to this franchise. Every relationship, whether it's player vs coach, player vs player, player vs fan, fan vs GM. They are sabotaging the whole thing with their constant bull**** on twitter and radio, basically everywhere.

Legit read half of this post 3 times wondering "what the hell is he talking about" until I clued in you said Toronto Media and not Toronto Maple Leafs

 

[ImpartialNHLfan]

I find this team not as fun to watch as in the earlier years. I get pretty tired watching the other team run Anderson and no one steps in. Or watching a Bruin Knee on knee Kadri with no response from his team. It's quite sad and I can't see how they can win a cup when they don't have eachothers backs. I feel the 2002 leaf team would wipe the floor with this current crop. Maybe im just too oldschool.

 

[al secord]

I don't blame the media. I blame the people who absorb it.

This team is only unlikeable because of the business side of things ie. salary cap.

Most of us, in the same situation, would be trying to get every dollar we can knowing our careers will only last about 15 years. Doesn't make us any more or less likeable people.

Imagine those "likeable" Pat Quinn teams under a salary cap.

 

[Joey Hoser]

I think the core we had the first time we blew a third period lead to Boston in Game 7 was my favourite though, I would have loved to see that team make a real run. Kadri/ JVR/ Bozak/ Kessel/ Lupul never got the big league wide attention but I really rooted for that group (even Kessel, who always seemed to be getting beat up by the media for one reason or another) and Phaneuf had started to become a punching bag for Toronto fans but still had a lot of value.

Really? I hated that team and couldn't wait for them to fail so we could rebuild. I literally viewed the "success" that they had as a bad thing.

 

[Brown Dog]

I love this edition of the Leafs like any other, but the contract stuff is exhausting and disappointing.

 

[SprDaVE]

I think you just prefer an underdog kind of story/team as opposed to what we know we are --- a good team. It's not as exciting when you already know the outcome as opposed to not knowing what can happen.

 

[Peasy]

Yes.

Never hated the Toronto Media this much though....These freaking losers are simply trying to ruin everything related to this franchise. Every relationship, whether it's player vs coach, player vs player, player vs fan, fan vs GM. They are sabotaging the whole thing with their constant bull**** on twitter and radio, basically everywhere.

2 days after Barrie gets traded here there are already articles about how much he is going to ask on his next contract. Like for real? Wouldn't hear a peep about it in any new source if he was anywhere else.

 

[Sypher04]

I don't think our team or even their demands is the problem.

I think our media and the salary cap are the problems. Our media because they are negative, often to the point of utter ridiculousness, and the salary cap because it's made contracts and the business side the dominant discussion instead of the actual hockey being played.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Yes I do because there is a lack of deadweight on the roster, particularly with term left on contract

 

[ACC1224]

Enjoy watching the games.
Since the cap was introduced,the off-season is painful.

 

[Terrible GM]

Yes.

Never hated the Toronto Media this much though....These freaking losers are simply trying to ruin everything related to this franchise. Every relationship, whether it's player vs coach, player vs player, player vs fan, fan vs GM. They are sabotaging the whole thing with their constant bull**** on twitter and radio, basically everywhere.

I hate it too. I hate listening to some idiot in the media scrum ask a extremely ill-timed and awkward/tasteless question. The solution to get rid of this is simple. Stop clicking their links. Obviously these stories are getting the clicks, thus advertising money. I saw that article on Barrie's next contract and didn't read it. Pass on the message to every Leaf fan you know. Remind people here. We see it already with Simmons. Once some goofball posts a link to his story, most of us bash it and as we just saw with the Cherry story.. more BS again. We don't need to click on it to know it is not real news or a story worth of our time.

Block idiots (Simmons, Feschuck, and whoever else you find terrible) on twitter. Shut them out. It may take time, but with time it can make a difference. To be clear I'm not saying ignore media that have bad things to say. Often those things are needed, and good writers (or broadcasters) balance the good and bad, but block the media that just feast on the negativity and sensationalism.

 

[robertmac43]

I do find being good to be a lot of fun and I'm so happy we are finally in a place where we can expect the playoffs every year. That being said every move has become a lot more taxing to watch as a fan and every contract battle has been some what stressful. Nylander for instance added a lot of anxiety to the early stages of last year and took away from some of the good things the team was doing at the time. Losing Kadri was unfortunate, same with Brown; they both represented something more than just hockey to me (I get the reasons behind both and we are definitely a better team now). Kadri was there for the dark days and Brown was the first bright spot prospect we had in a while, 6th rounder that had a dream of playing for the Leafs since he was a kid.

Basically everything to do with this team is just escalated now with expectations and things like that.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Love the team, and love watching games. I ignore most of the business stuff, and let the professionals in the organization handle that. A lot of you should try it. It’s liberating, and makes hockey fun. Stressing over the salary cap, and other nonsense that none of us have any power or decision making ability on is fruitless, and just makes it all less fun.

Sports are supposed to be fun, after all. We can experience the highest highs, and a good deal of heartbreak, but that’s the beauty of it all.

Spending less time on this board, and more time just watching and enjoying is a much better way to enjoy the game we love.

 

[Sypher04]

Love the team, and love watching games. I ignore most of the business stuff, and let the professionals in the organization handle that. A lot of you should try it. It’s liberating, and makes hockey fun. Stressing over the salary cap, and other nonsense that none of us have any power or decision making ability on is fruitless, and just makes it all less fun.

Sports are supposed to be fun, after all. We can experience the highest highs, and a good deal of heartbreak, but that’s the beauty of it all.

Spending less time on this board, and more time just watching and enjoying is a much better way to enjoy the game we love.

How are you not supposed to stress at all about the fact you grow attached to a lot of these players and the salary cap threatens not just the team's ability to retain them for the future, but also the team's ability to build a championship caliber roster around them? It's not only likely players you like have to leave, it's inevitable. And for what?

The NHL salary cap. Ruining hockey since 2005.

 

[meefer]

Love the team, and love watching games. I ignore most of the business stuff, and let the professionals in the organization handle that. A lot of you should try it. It’s liberating, and makes hockey fun. Stressing over the salary cap, and other nonsense that none of us have any power or decision making ability on is fruitless, and just makes it all less fun.

Sports are supposed to be fun, after all. We can experience the highest highs, and a good deal of heartbreak, but that’s the beauty of it all.

Spending less time on this board, and more time just watching and enjoying is a much better way to enjoy the game we love.

I drop in almost every day, but do so to see if there's something new and interesting to read. The angst and anguish that some pursue with fervor...why? You can't control things, relax and watch for fun.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

How are you not supposed to stress at all about the fact you grow attached to a lot of these players and the salary cap threatens not just the team's ability to retain them for the future, but also the team's ability to build a championship caliber roster around them? It's not only likely players you like have to leave, it's inevitable. And for what?

The NHL salary cap. Ruining hockey since 2005.

You don’t stress by realizing that there is absolutely NOTHING that you can control or do about it. You’re along for the ride. For better or worse. Just try to enjoy it, and take a more active role in your own life and the lives of those around you. Again, sports are supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be a respite from the rigours of living your life intensely. Stop allowing something you have no control over dictate your mood, how your day goes, etc. It’s just a game.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Kessel used to get torched on these boards. We have a great team and should probably take a break from the keyboard now and then.

 

[ShameOnYouZidlicky]

Yes and no.

This is by far the most skilled leafs team I have watched in my lifetime and they are an absolute treat to watch during the regular season.

That being said there are a few things that irk me about them. The contract situations make me wonder about the entitlement and selfishness that some of our core players possess. I also question their ability to do what it takes to win. It scares that I can only count 3 core players who raised their game in this years playoffs (Rielly, Muzzin, Matthews). We have an unbelievable group of individual talents on this team but until they start playing for each other, they are going no where.

I have hope for Matthews though. His intensity really picked up as the Boston series went on. I hope he can become a Rielly like player who is the perfect blend between skill and intensity.

 

[Sypher04]

You don’t stress by realizing that there is absolutely NOTHING that you can control or do about it. You’re along for the ride. For better or worse. Just try to enjoy it, and take a more active role in your own life and the lives of those around you. Again, sports are supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be a respite from the rigours of living your life intensely. Stop allowing something you have no control over dictate your mood, how your day goes, etc. It’s just a game.

I don't really let it dictate my mood at all, but it's human nature to care about the outcomes of things you have vested interest in imo.
Saying you just turn it off is a nice sentiment, but I'm pretty confident 99% of people wouldn't be able to just do it like that.
I'm not sure I possibly could take any more of an active role in my life or others. I only spent like an hour, maybe, a day doing this kind of stuff.

 

[Menzinger]

Yes, exponentially so.

 

[nsleaf]

Definitely like more now, winning does that.