How Will The Team Respond Going Forward?

[NewEraGM]

Is the pick they have to Carolina top 10 protected post lottery or pre lottery?

 

[BertCorbeau]

Would Barrie for Dumba help?

Probably not this year but as a first step in an overhaul of the roster in the off-season, it wouldn't be too bad. At least get something solid of value back that's has some term for a rental

Minnesota isn't doing that though

 

[Jojalu]

I predict the Leafs will come out hard against Tampa. If they surrender the first goal and can't tie it up quickly they will most likely fall apart.

If they score first and get a couple big saves I can see them pulling out the win.

Their inability to gut it out when things don't go their way is a obvious sign of immaturity.

I don't buy into they don't care. They are just immature and havn't learned to handle adversity.

25 times now they have allowed 3+ goals in a period.

Most of those games they were leading or tied. They play well, don't get the results they think they deserve and quickly fall apart once a goal goes in against them.

It is too hard to make any professional sport without having pride or work ethic. Most of them are all used to either individual or team success and have not had to deal with a tonne of adversity.

Thankfully I see Matthews getting fed up and trying to take the team on his back. Hopefully Kap continues his play from the last two games. As quick as complacency can set in, a couple of them can fire the rest up by giving their all.

 

[DanM]

Honestly.

They probably have their summer holidays planned somewhere on a boat in the south of France.

They pay a lot of lip service but think about it like this.

If you had a friend who always let you down, and every time they said sorry but never fixed the problem. Would you keep trusting them?

Why the hell should we trust that a damn thing will change.

What I do know is that we as a fan base do NOT f***ING DESERVE this disgrace. Man we have been suffering way to damn long.

 

[Ports]

Don’t expect much to change. Too many floaters and players who don’t work want to work. Changes are needed.

 

[Ports]

To be honest I care more about how they respond to a couple performances like that in a few years rather than this season.

The meteoric rise of the Leafs is a media driven narrative.

They must follow the same path that current contenders walked and stay the course.

If they keep regressing like they have the last two seasons they will be in the draft lottery.

 

[Space Coyote]

They will probably win in Tampa and fold against the Panthers.

 

[Tak7]

To be honest I care more about how they respond to a couple performances like that in a few years rather than this season.

The meteoric rise of the Leafs is a media driven narrative.

No, it isn't.

This team went from the worst team in the National Hockey League, last place in the standings, to a playoff team the next season. They've steadily improved in their position and play since.

Until this season - this was the year they were meant to take that next step, and they've failed woefully at almost every hurdle.

I agree with you, that there's still a lot of long term growth this team needs to undergo. But that doesn't change the fact that this season has been a colossal failure

 

[ShaneFalco]

Who cares

 

[Buds17]

I'm not really sure. Quite possibly the strongest effort of the season was just sandwiched by quite possibly the two most questionable.

 

[michi510]

I don’t think they can rebound from such a demoralizing lost. Their recent play has shown that this team doesn’t have heart. They won’t be able to turn this season around.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

They'll continue to fail in comical fashion

 

[joeyjojojrshabadoo]

They won't. Be serious. Look at their faces. Look at the history. You think Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander are rallying this bunch? They don't give a flying fu c k

 

[seanlinden]

The Leafs have 19 games remaining... their opponents (bolded for "easy" games, underlined for games against top 5 teams in the league).
@ Tampa
@ Florida
vs Vancouver
@ San Jose
@ Los Angeles
@ Anaheim
vs Tampa
vs Nashville
@ Boston
vs NJ
vs NYI
vs Columbus
vs Florida
@ Tampa
@ Carolina
@ Ottawa
@ Washington
vs Detroit
vs Montreal

When you've got 5 of 19 remaining games against the league's best, and only 6 pushover games, it doesn't really bode well for your playoff chances if you're currently sitting on the bubble.

 

[joeyjojojrshabadoo]

This is a new level of embarrassment.

The players can run, but they can't hide.

Are they going to crumble and mail it in from here on out or are they going Rocky mode?

Spoiler alert: crumble

 

[Stephen]

It doesn’t matter how they respond going forward anymore. Any team that can play like this after the Buffalo and Pittsburgh games, play out of their mind and then respond with this abomination at home should never be trusted again.

 

[Ratboy]

They'll turtle. Or at least that's how it feels tonight

 

[ShameOnYouZidlicky]

They won't respond at all. This team has no second gear. They have no ability to elevate their game when it is needed. See the past 3 playoff series, the end of the past two seasons where they had the opportunity to gain home ice advantage and most embarrassingly, tonight.

This begins with the so -called leadership group (how the hell are Matthews and Marner considered assisntant captains?). they don't know how to win, they only know how to look out for themselves

 

[Leaf4Life]

Who cares. They don't care so why should we?

 

[Mats13]

I’m gonna go ahead and say it.

Phil Kessel’s Maple Leads weren’t a talented bunch but even they tried out there.

This team is absolutely garbage. I don’t even want them to make the playoffs anymore.

 

[diehardleafsfan9878]

This is a new level of embarrassment.

The players can run, but they can't hide.

Are they going to crumble and mail it in from here on out or are they going Rocky mode?

My own personal belief is that they intentionally chose to lose during the second intermission. I'm betting they go Rocky mode the rest of the way. But I also don't think they anticipated this amount of backlash for the game. So ultimately we will see if this team is mentally weak. Tampa may be the only team in the league with similar raw skill, so they could still lose even if they play to their absolute highest potential.

 

[Stephen]

I’m gonna go ahead and say it.

Phil Kessel’s Maple Leads weren’t a talented bunch but even they tried out there.

This team is absolutely garbage. I don’t even want them to make the playoffs anymore.

We don't need to uplift the Kessel team to tear down this one. It's the same rush happy garbage.

Sometimes you wish they could just fold the organization and give us an expansion team here in Toronto.

 

[Stephen]

My own personal belief is that they intentionally chose to lose during the second intermission. I'm betting they go Rocky mode the rest of the way. But I also don't think they anticipated this amount of backlash for the game. So ultimately we will see if this team is mentally weak. Tampa may be the only team in the league with similar raw skill, so they could still lose even if they play to their absolute highest potential.

Why would anyone tank a game like that?

 

[Mats13]

We don't need to uplift the Kessel team to tear down this one. It's the same rush happy garbage.

Sometimes you wish they could just fold the organization and give us an expansion team here in Toronto.

Let me put it like this. If a defenceman on Kessel’s Leafs got hit like Barrie did today, at least Phaneuf would’ve gone after them.

Tavares just stood there. Pathetic.

 

[Leaf4Life]

My own personal belief is that they intentionally chose to lose during the second intermission. I'm betting they go Rocky mode the rest of the way. But I also don't think they anticipated this amount of backlash for the game. So ultimately we will see if this team is mentally weak. Tampa may be the only team in the league with similar raw skill, so they could still lose even if they play to their absolute highest potential.

Why would they intentionally lose? Because they're all best buddies with the Zamboni driver and don't want to hurt his feelings?