Honesty: we can’t make any conclusions about this team based on the regular season

Zybalto

Registered User
Dec 28, 2012
9,489
8,761
Outside of a handful of players the North is a joke division.

Was gonna ask you to name the players but then I was thinking it would be interesting to come up with all star teams from every division and do a poll on that.

Dont have time right now but would just be cool to do, dont you agree?
 

dangomon

Registered User
Nov 4, 2017
1,800
1,760
Kingston, ON
The regular season is literally the only thing we can draw conclusions from.....

I get the sentiment that "it doesn't matter until the playoffs", but this is our team, with new players and a system thats had a year to set in now. Comparing this team to last years play-in team is unreasonable, and even more unreasonable to go back to the other playoffs exits.

Two Canadian teams are going to win a playoff round this year, and because of that the goal posts are going to shift from "well you haven't won a round" to "well you only beat the Canadian teams", and it's poppycock. Success is success.

The Canadian teams have a 25% chance at the cup, same as every division, so we gain steam now and hopefully carry it over to the playoffs.
 

Ciao

Registered User
Jul 15, 2010
9,917
5,735
Toronto
Outside of a handful of players the North is a joke division.
I think you're all wet.

There's no reason I know of to think the North is any better or worse than any other division.

Since teams don't play outside their division, there is no point of comparison between the divisions. It's rather like the National League and the American League within a season, without an All-Star game, and before they started interlocking play. There is simply no way to tell which league, or division, is better or worse.

Even when the division champions meet, it means little as to the overall strength of the division.
 

stopclickbait

Registered User
Aug 28, 2018
750
931
See you in a couple months, then!

Take care!

If only the same people who share this opinion after every win would do that.

1 lost happens

"this team cant beat the weak teams in the division they will never win a playoff series"

Leafs win

"So what they won, NoNE oF THiS mAtTers uNlEsS tHeY wIn A pLaYoFFs sErIeS"

We get it whiners you will never be happy, the worthless opinion of saying the same thing adds nothing.
 

Scion

Registered User
May 25, 2012
2,654
1,328
I love how many people bring up how bad the North division is defensively, but completely neglect to mention that it is also the best offensive division in hockey. Between: Matthews, Draisatl and McDavid you could argue this division has 3 of the 5 or so best offensive talents in hockey with Marner not far behind.
 

Scion

Registered User
May 25, 2012
2,654
1,328
Worst teams for Goals against/60 this year:

(Ill try to include Edmonton)

22. Oilers
23. Wings
24. Flyers
25. Pens
26. Jackets
27. Caps
28. Preds
29. Sharks
30. Canucks
31. Sens

Cant just go flat Goals against with the North playing so many games. Are the bottom 2 teams in the North? Yea....but the gulf between all the divisions in goals against/team average isnt as bad as you make it out. I think I might look at last years divisions....

The flip side to the argument is that the North is dominating the league in GF/60 as well. It's kind of a dumb argument to use GF and GA to rank the best or worst defensive divisions since the team who ranks first in GF will also rank last in GA and vice versa given that they are all playing the same teams.
 

Throw More Waffles

Unprecedented Dramatic Overpayments
Oct 9, 2015
12,889
9,737
If only the same people who share this opinion after every win would do that.

1 lost happens

"this team cant beat the weak teams in the division they will never win a playoff series"

Leafs win

"So what they won, NoNE oF THiS mAtTers uNlEsS tHeY wIn A pLaYoFFs sErIeS"

We get it whiners you will never be happy, the worthless opinion of saying the same thing adds nothing.
They will “never” be happy? The “whiners” as you call them have made it pretty clear what will make them happy. Playoff success. It says so in the title of this very thread.
 
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Zybalto

Registered User
Dec 28, 2012
9,489
8,761
The flip side to the argument is that the North is dominating the league in GF/60 as well. It's kind of a dumb argument to use GF and GA to rank the best or worst defensive divisions since the team who ranks first in GF will also rank last in GA and vice versa given that they are all playing the same teams.

Its why we have to be suspicious of those that use them to further their arguments in a way to disparage the North and, in particular, the Leafs.

It's actually troubling to see so many on the Leafs board running down the team with such arguments. You would have to figure that fans of a team would do the opposite and argue from a standpoint of the divisions offensive superiority instead of going to the negative version.
 

7even

Offered and lost
Feb 1, 2012
18,569
14,126
North Carolina
Alright look this is how it is, they dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins and then promptly lost to a zamboni driver, and that was after our trifecta of game 7s, so if you're comfortable believing in this team at this point then I wish you all the best in the rest of your short life because the only creature on gods green earth with the capacity for that much unwarranted, undying optimism is a golden retriever. But me, I'll believe it when I f***ing see it and not a minute before.
 
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Rondo Hatton

Registered User
Dec 20, 2013
234
197
I have a feeling if we were 9-8-2 right now we wouldn't be hearing that the regular season doesn't mean anything.

It's seems I can't "like" comments at the moment. Perhaps I'm in the penalty box for some reality based comment I made somewhere here. But I like this comment very much

Contrary to popular opinion, the regular season means a lot. Not only determining who you play in the PO and home ice, but on the more basic and obvious level. It has informed your players how to play your opponents, what your limitations and theirs are and the rest. Let's let the season play out and enjoy the success we're having now and not give in to the haters trolling of "haven't won in the play offs". Everybody always in such a rush to end the season before it begins.
 

PromisedLand

I need more FOOD
Dec 3, 2016
41,837
52,026
Hogwarts
We know and knew they can beat the likes of Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver. We know they can turn up the heat against these teams. We often seem to struggle in the crunch time against teams that play a more playoff style of hockey , something a large part of us have agreed upon here for a while.

This regular season doesn’t really answer questions about the improvements the team has made to better handle those teams. No Boston, no St. Louis, no Vegas, no Columbus. Can they play a tight game against teams that clog the neutral zone, forecheck heavy, and limit scoring, at least better than they used to? I don’t think we can say one way or another until the playoffs.

fair but quite frankly; if we make the conference finals watching the fans of other candian teams implode especially the habs, sens, jets, nucks, oilers would be pretty AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will be clear who is Canada's team once and for all ;)
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
The points thing I understand a little as you still have to earn the points to put them in the bank (even then points% is the way to go IMO)

People still don't understand that missed points get "banked" just like points get "banked", and that looking at just points alone ignores a massive part of a team's record.
 
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zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
The flip side to the argument is that the North is dominating the league in GF/60 as well. It's kind of a dumb argument to use GF and GA to rank the best or worst defensive divisions since the team who ranks first in GF will also rank last in GA and vice versa given that they are all playing the same teams.

Or at least, to be consistent, then the Leafs currently ranking 10th in goals against per game even against the highest scoring division in hockey means that they're actually closer to a top 5 defensive team in the league.

To be consistent.
 

BlueForever75

Registered User
Oct 4, 2017
5,691
2,303
People need to give it a rest. Regardless of what division the Leafs are playing in they are playing against the top players in the world. The best player McDavid 8 times this season. You do understand that the teams we play against is a rivalry every game. It is any time the Leafs play a Canadian team. Games are not easy, and just goes to show the Leafs have been up for mostly all games. And when they havent been, they still find a way to win even playing bad. That is a sign of a very good team.

So people can say that it would be different if they played Boston or TB or Florida. But reality is that they are playing good teams and their records are as bad as they are because the Leafs are beating mostly everyone in their division.
 

Gary Nylund

Registered User
Oct 10, 2013
29,783
21,959
Or at least, to be consistent, then the Leafs currently ranking 10th in goals against per game even against the highest scoring division in hockey means that they're actually closer to a top 5 defensive team in the league.

To be consistent.

Yup, we should be happy indeed with our defensive play this season.

IMHO our division is weak. But it's not THAT weak. And who cares anyway, the playoffs is where the winners and the losers get sorted out so we'll see what happens then.

GLG!!
 

willmma

Registered User
Jan 5, 2017
3,180
4,058
The regular season is literally the only thing we can draw conclusions from.....

I get the sentiment that "it doesn't matter until the playoffs", but this is our team, with new players and a system thats had a year to set in now. Comparing this team to last years play-in team is unreasonable, and even more unreasonable to go back to the other playoffs exits.

Two Canadian teams are going to win a playoff round this year, and because of that the goal posts are going to shift from "well you haven't won a round" to "well you only beat the Canadian teams", and it's poppycock. Success is success.

The Canadian teams have a 25% chance at the cup, same as every division, so we gain steam now and hopefully carry it over to the playoffs.


Imagine a Canadian team winning the cup. Well that means the entire league sucks. How bad is this league if someone from the suckiest division wins. Think about that.
 
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Lauro

Charlie Conacher
Jun 28, 2008
3,008
1,005
Berlin
Yes, regardless of the strength or weakness of the North Division, it would be interesting now to see how they do against teams they are less comfortable with. Like Boston, Carolina or the Islanders.
 
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MattySnipes

Registered User
Jan 26, 2018
12,457
12,447
'Mecca' of Hockey
Dont understand fans that think like this but hey more power to you.

We arguably have one of the most talented Leafs teams ever assembled in the past few years but all you hear fans say is...oh they have to prove it in playoffs. Regular season means nothing anymore.

56-82 games is a large sample size to see how team plays. I understand the playoffs is the holy grail and that's where great teams come through but a lot of things happen in playoff round and it's possible it doesn't go your way all the time. There have been issues with defending leads, winning 1 goal games, etc.

So far it seems they've worked on those issues (it shows the way they started season all 1 goal game wins), better and clean breakouts. Tight gaps and good NZ play.

Fans doing a disservice to themselves if all they want to see this team do is win a playoff round(s). You're missing the ride to get there.
 

willmma

Registered User
Jan 5, 2017
3,180
4,058
GF - GA / GP

Leafs #2 in the league

TeamGPGFGADiffGF/GPGA/GPDiff/GP
Tampa Bay Lightning155436183.62.41.20
Toronto Maple Leafs197251213.792.681.11
Colorado Avalanche144429153.142.071.07
Carolina Hurricanes165943163.692.691.00
Boston Bruins164936133.062.250.81
Vegas Golden Knights1545331232.20.80
Winnipeg Jets186148133.392.670.72
Dallas Stars12403283.332.670.67
Montréal Canadiens175746113.352.710.65
Florida Panthers16554693.442.880.56
Edmonton Oilers207262103.63.10.50
St. Louis Blues18585443.2230.22
Los Angeles Kings16504733.132.940.19
Minnesota Wild14383622.712.570.14
Philadelphia Flyers15514923.43.270.13
New Jersey Devils13363512.772.690.08
New York Islanders17414012.412.350.06
Chicago Blackhawks19555412.892.840.05
Washington Capitals175758-13.353.41-0.06
New York Rangers163941-22.442.56-0.13
Arizona Coyotes174347-42.532.76-0.24
Pittsburgh Penguins164853-533.31-0.31
Calgary Flames184654-82.563-0.44
Columbus Blue Jackets195463-92.843.32-0.47
Vancouver Canucks226478-142.913.55-0.64
Buffalo Sabres143342-92.363-0.64
Anaheim Ducks183349-161.832.72-0.89
San Jose Sharks164157-162.563.56-1.00
Nashville Predators173957-182.293.35-1.06
Detroit Red Wings203964-251.953.2-1.25
Ottawa Senators204780-332.354-1.65
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

If you are going to take away credit for GF you have to give credit for GA.
 

Martin Skoula

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
11,639
16,315
If the entire team gets Covid the day before the playoffs and the Marlies lose to Montreal round 1, does that mean this is a failure and we need to trade the core?
 

Notsince67

Papi and the Lamplighters
Apr 27, 2018
15,854
11,052
Alright look this is how it is, they dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins and then promptly lost to a zamboni driver, and that was after our trifecta of game 7s, so if you're comfortable believing in this team at this point then I wish you all the best in the rest of your short life because the only creature on gods green earth with the capacity for that much unwarranted, undying optimism is a golden retriever. But me, I'll believe it when I f***ing see it and not a minute before.
Cynicism, to me, is trying to make people as unhappy as you are - Ricky Gervais
 

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