Give them a chance

[stuart5035]

The team I was told was elite is going to appear, probably about March 20th.

Then we’ll see Morgan Rielly, Tyson Barrie, Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin feeding the puck quickly to the number one offence in the league- we’ll see Ilya Milheyev and Kasperi Kapanen going into overdrive, we’ll see Mitch Marner threading the needle to a physical rampaging Austin Matthews, or a board battling Zachary Hyman stealing the puck, a bone crushing Kyle Clifford, a pugnacious John Tavares, a sublime William Nylander and a opportunistic Jason Spezza.

And we’ll see a Freddy Anderson with that November glint in his eyes!

seriously, give them a break:
1-I looked at the Boston Bruins year for injuries (Bergeron 9 games; Krug 8; Krejci 9 games=26 games total for key players)
2-I looked at the Tampa Bay year (Stamkos 8; Point 4; Hedman 2; Kucherov 2; Mcdonagh 20=36 games total)
3-Then I looked at the Leafs (Marner 11; Tavares 7; Hyman 19; Rielly 23; Mikheyev 30; Muzzin 16; Johnsson 26; Dermott 15=147 games)
4-I allowed for a save percentage of .895 for Anderson-Hutchinson (bit of a guess) and compared that to Boston’s (Tuukka Rask .928; Halak .919; ) and Tampa Bay (Vasilevskiy .916)
5-I allowed for their 9-10 start under Babcock and how they were treated so poorly by a bully
6-I allowed for the Faith I have always had for Brendan Shanahan, that he knew what he was doing when he handed the reins to Kyle Dubas, that Kyle Dubas knows what’s he is doing (look at the Nylander contract now, look at his creativity with the cap...) I acknowledged that every GM would have kept Sparks the way Dubas did and that Kadri had to go because of what he cost us and that what we got has produced more.
7-I allowed for the continuing maturity of a young team
8-I allowed for what appears to be a large salary cap increase coming that will bring us relief (could it be Shanahan-Dubas knew?)

So, I will cheer like crazy the last 15 games or so and for every playoff game if we make it- they haven’t been given the chance to show us what they are capable of and the potential is massive if they can put it all together

Click to read more...

 

[the squared circle]

All we are saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaying, is give them a chaaaaaance...

 

[Dave92]

Hopefully we're still in a playoff sport by then.

 

[Fogelhund]

Hopefully we're still in a playoff sport by then.

I mean, they could be playing basketball... that's a playoff sport.....

 

[egd27]

What do you mean by give them a chance?

Most people here have been watching them for years and even decades, so what is it you want us to do that we're not?

 

[Papa Cherry]

The team I was told was elite is going to appear, probably about March 20th.

Then we’ll see Morgan Rielly, Tyson Barrie, Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin feeding the puck quickly to the number one offence in the league- we’ll see Ilya Milheyev and Kasperi Kapanen going into overdrive, we’ll see Mitch Marner threading the needle to a physical rampaging Austin Matthews, or a board battling Zachary Hyman stealing the puck, a bone crushing Kyle Clifford, a pugnacious John Tavares, a sublime William Nylander and a opportunistic Jason Spezza.

And we’ll see a Freddy Anderson with that November glint in his eyes!

seriously, give them a break:
1-I looked at the Boston Bruins year for injuries (Bergeron 9 games; Krug 8; Krejci 9 games=26 games total for key players)
2-I looked at the Tampa Bay year (Stamkos 8; Point 4; Hedman 2; Kucherov 2; Mcdonagh 20=36 games total)
3-Then I looked at the Leafs (Marner 11; Tavares 7; Hyman 19; Rielly 23; Mikheyev 30; Muzzin 16; Johnsson 26; Dermott 15=147 games)
4-I allowed for a save percentage of .895 for Anderson-Hutchinson (bit of a guess) and compared that to Boston’s (Tuukka Rask .928; Halak .919; ) and Tampa Bay (Vasilevskiy .916)
5-I allowed for their 9-10 start under Babcock and how they were treated so poorly by a bully
6-I allowed for the Faith I have always had for Brendan Shanahan, that he knew what he was doing when he handed the reins to Kyle Dubas, that Kyle Dubas knows what’s he is doing (look at the Nylander contract now, look at his creativity with the cap...) I acknowledged that every GM would have kept Sparks the way Dubas did and that Kadri had to go because of what he cost us and that what we got has produced more.
7-I allowed for the continuing maturity of a young team
8-I allowed for what appears to be a large salary cap increase coming that will bring us relief (could it be Shanahan-Dubas knew?)

So, I will cheer like crazy the last 15 games or so and for every playoff game if we make it- they haven’t been given the chance to show us what they are capable of and the potential is massive if they can put it all together

I'm with ya buddy. I've been watching the team for years, decades even, and I can say that this is the best leaf team I have ever seen. We are blessed to have such young talent, and Mr. Matthews who will probably go down as the greatest leaf ever. It's just a matter of time before they bring a cup to Toronto.

Stay patient and enjoy the ride.

 

[stuart5035]

What do you mean by give them a chance?

I’m making a general plea for support for our precocious young team, for patience and for less vitriol directed at them. I’m hoping fans will cheer louder at games, that they realize it’s been a “perfect storm” against them this year and that comparisons to the teams we were supposed to be equal to are not fair this year. I’m saying that they shouldn’t be written off as mediocre, and that condemnation of Dubas is way premature.

What do you mean by give them a chance?

Most people here have been watching them for years and even decades, so what is it you want us to do that we're not?

 

[Stephen]

There'd be a lot more good will and patience around this group and some specific players if they didn't comport themselves the way they did during contract negotiations.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I'm with ya buddy. I've been watching the team for years, decades even, and I can say that this is the best leaf team I have ever seen. We are blessed to have such young talent, and Mr. Matthews who will probably go down as the greatest leaf ever. It's just a matter of time before they bring a cup to Toronto.

Stay patient and enjoy the ride.

Maybe it is the most top talented in years. It is not the best it can be yet. The depth players play to soft. Very disciplined i might add in fairness but thats because they engage physicality rarely. The top end forwards are a rare luxury among the league. Way to disengaged physically

 

[Advanced stats]

I'm with you OP. I think we're just rounding a corner too, learning how to play hard, good hockey. Add that with all the talent we have and 3 big players returning for us, we're going into the *jinx* playoffs as a team that can do some damage.

 

[Old and Tired]

The team I was told was elite is going to appear, probably about March 20th.

Then we’ll see Morgan Rielly, Tyson Barrie, Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin feeding the puck quickly to the number one offence in the league- we’ll see Ilya Milheyev and Kasperi Kapanen going into overdrive, we’ll see Mitch Marner threading the needle to a physical rampaging Austin Matthews, or a board battling Zachary Hyman stealing the puck, a bone crushing Kyle Clifford, a pugnacious John Tavares, a sublime William Nylander and a opportunistic Jason Spezza.

And we’ll see a Freddy Anderson with that November glint in his eyes!

seriously, give them a break:
1-I looked at the Boston Bruins year for injuries (Bergeron 9 games; Krug 8; Krejci 9 games=26 games total for key players)
2-I looked at the Tampa Bay year (Stamkos 8; Point 4; Hedman 2; Kucherov 2; Mcdonagh 20=36 games total)
3-Then I looked at the Leafs (Marner 11; Tavares 7; Hyman 19; Rielly 23; Mikheyev 30; Muzzin 16; Johnsson 26; Dermott 15=147 games)
4-I allowed for a save percentage of .895 for Anderson-Hutchinson (bit of a guess) and compared that to Boston’s (Tuukka Rask .928; Halak .919; ) and Tampa Bay (Vasilevskiy .916)
5-I allowed for their 9-10 start under Babcock and how they were treated so poorly by a bully
6-I allowed for the Faith I have always had for Brendan Shanahan, that he knew what he was doing when he handed the reins to Kyle Dubas, that Kyle Dubas knows what’s he is doing (look at the Nylander contract now, look at his creativity with the cap...) I acknowledged that every GM would have kept Sparks the way Dubas did and that Kadri had to go because of what he cost us and that what we got has produced more.
7-I allowed for the continuing maturity of a young team
8-I allowed for what appears to be a large salary cap increase coming that will bring us relief (could it be Shanahan-Dubas knew?)

So, I will cheer like crazy the last 15 games or so and for every playoff game if we make it- they haven’t been given the chance to show us what they are capable of and the potential is massive if they can put it all together

Ok, so let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya too...., give me a break.

 

[egd27]

I’m making a general plea for support for our precocious young team, for patience and for less vitriol directed at them. I’m hoping fans will cheer louder at games, that they realize it’s been a “perfect storm” against them this year and that comparisons to the teams we were supposed to be equal to are not fair this year. I’m saying that they shouldn’t be written off as mediocre, and that condemnation of Dubas is way premature.

Maybe if they were a little less "precocious" and a little more "workmanlike" there would be a lot less (valid) criticism.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

1967, no series wins since 2003. lol. these guys dont deserve our support, seriously.

 

[The90]

There'd be a lot more good will and patience around this group and some specific players if they didn't comport themselves the way they did during contract negotiations.

Other than nylander (who has surpassed his contract and proved himself right that he deserved more), who else did this? Marner to a small extent I guess

 

[All Mod Cons]

If the players look like they give a shit, I'm sure the fans will reciprocate the favour

 

[Stephen]

Other than nylander (who has surpassed his contract and proved himself right that he deserved more), who else did this? Marner to a small extent I guess

Speaking specifically of Marner.

 

[Iapyi]

Teams are going to go through up and downs.

All told we are still in a learning process as a team.

I expected a drop off this year.

In 2 years what we are going through right now is going to pay off.

I've been a fan of the team for decades and have learnt to not panic.

I understand it's a process and we are finally doing things the right way rather then give in to those fans that like band-aid solutions and expect everything to always be sunshine and roses.

 

[Peiskos]

I haven't posted here about the Leafs in a long while now, why? because I was actually serious about toning back my fandom for this organization after yet another playoff choke job last spring. I haven't even watched a full game all season, just score checking on an app.

For me the facts couldn't be more clear, this team is fundamentally flawed in its construction...a team with this much offensive firepower (supposedly) should not be barely hanging onto the 3rd spot in the division, in what is essentially a wild card team. Leafs are lucky Florida hasn't been great or the Leafs wouldn't even be in a playoff position.

I have no clue what Dubas is thinking building such a one dimensional team when time and time again there is proof literally every single year that to be a cup champion you need to play numerous styles of hockey, grind em out games, high scoring speed/skill games, you have to be able to stick up for teammates, you need character etc etc...Leafs have none of that.

Sorry but with that much money tied up to the "big 4" (Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares)...a ridiculous nickname for them I may add considering none of them have done anything in this league to warrant being awarded such a term.

This team would seriously need horseshoes up their you know where if they're going to beat either Tampa or Boston in round 1. The team as constructed has hit its ceiling as a 3rd place in the division/wildcard and 1st round playoff team. Just that simple.

 

[PromisedLand]

Hey OP I don’t know about you; but all of us still watching the games and then talking about it is basically giving the chance (or benefit of the doubt);

if we weren’t we wouldn’t watch the games and talk about them

 

[yubbers]

We've given them 69 this year alone. They look awful.

 

[hoglund]

What do you mean by give them a chance?

Most people here have been watching them for years and even decades, so what is it you want us to do that we're not?

I think that he's referring to the players not the franchise. Yes we've given the Leafs many years, but this team is still building and learning with each other.

 

[egd27]

I think that he's referring to the players not the franchise. Yes we've given the Leafs many years, but this team is still building and learning with each other.

Ok, so again I ask, what is it that is expected in order for us to "give them a chance"?

Not post critically on a discussion board when they are playing poorly?

 

[hoglund]

Ok, so again I ask, what is it that is expected in order for us to "give them a chance"?

Not post critically on a discussion board when they are playing poorly?

You have to expect an inconsistent team until they get all the peices and there are still many pieces missing. If things are bad 1 year from now, then giving this team a chance is over.

 

[egd27]

You have to expect an inconsistent team until they get all the peices and there are still many pieces missing. If things are bad 1 year from now, then giving this team a chance is over.

I can agree to a point, but there have been plenty of young, less talented teams that have shown much more consistency.

 

[Massew]

I still don't understand the lack of support for Kadri.

He cost us last year? You still believe that? By being one of the only ones with enough balls to try to do something about the embarrassing beat down the NHL was allowing the leafs to take from the bruins for the second straight year?

Just saying, someone on Boston does what Kadri did and it wouldn't even be talked about. Look at Charas $5,000 cross check this year. That thing looked vicious compared to Kadris IMO. You kick Kadri out of a heated playoff series for the rest of the series, but that vicious cross check from Chara in the regular season only = a $5,000 fine?

So what did we do with one of our only players that showed some push back? We moved him out of town for yet another 2 more completely soft boys! Can any of you actually say that you thought Kerfoot and Barrie were at all what this soft team needed more of? What was Dubas thinking?

Now you wonder why this team continues to trend in this downward direction?

But some of you say, what about his deal for Clifford? I'd honestly say it's another knee jerk reaction by dubas. I thought Moore was also one of the few that showed some balls last year in the playoffs, so it's unfortunate that he's the one we have to move for a guy like Clifford.

Dubas is getting to the point where you all need to start accepting that he may not have a clue what he's doing. I'm personally starting to question what Shanahans relationship with dubas actually is.

Anyways, as a positive I like Matthews game lately. Looks like he's got some fire in him after all.