Is this what the Leafs desperately lack ?

[Dog]

I have more of a problem with no one stepping up for Dermott. Let's just say I wish we could have a Tom Wilson in the lineup.

Could of got cheaper option of maybe Brendan Lemieux at deadline. At least he drops the gloves.

 

[Pookie]

Matthews would be shadowed and badgered even if he had Chara. Nylander would still gain zone and button hook only to find to no open lanes.
Brown would still lack in offensive flair.
Kapanen would still have tunnel vision.
What difference would having a chara make? The players might feel like they can act a bit tougher but we probably get scored on more as players walk around our lumbering aged giant.
Chara is the effective player that he is because Boston has their system worked out to the utmost potential and every player knows what works best. Put Chara on the leafs he would look like dog **** and probably retire in a month.

So if skilled players can walk around this lumbering aged giant... why have we been out in the first round against him?

 

[Guided by Veseys]

So if skilled players can walk around this lumbering aged giant... why have we been out in the first round against him?

I’m not sure why people keep missing the gist of the post which is: Boston know exactly how to utilize their strengths and Toronto does not. Therefore until Toronto figures out how to play properly we can’t truly assume that simply adding a tough guy is the answer.

Does anybody here think the team is playing to it’s potential? Do you think adding a tough guy is the answer to the issues I mentioned in the original post (kapanen tunnel vision, Nylander button hook with no passing lanes open, etc)?

The op is wondering if a colossal violent presence like Chara is what the Leafs desperately lack. I don’t think so. Our lack of complete system would likely expose a guy like Chara.

 

[IPS]

So if skilled players can walk around this lumbering aged giant... why have we been out in the first round against him?

Tampa's skilled players made that giant work his ass off and put his team out in 5 games.

 

[Menzinger]

was there even a single memorable fight that entire last playoff series?

The way some folks act it was as if the Leafs were playing the broadstreet bullies.... what sticks out the most in my mind was Pasta skating around on the power play lighting up Andersen....

 

[IPS]

was there even a single memorable fight that entire last playoff series?

The way some folks act it was as if the Leafs were playing the broadstreet bullies.... what sticks out the most in my mind was Pasta skating around on the power play lighting up Andersen....

Boston's top line which is all under 200lbs was the defining factor in that series.

People are looking way too much into this.

 

[Menzinger]

So if skilled players can walk around this lumbering aged giant... why have we been out in the first round against him?

It went to 7 games and the Bruins were nearly swept the next series.

Let’s not pretend the Bruins have an unstoppable formula for success.

Tyler Bozak was the 2nd best Leafs Centre for 1/2 of the series. This time around he’d be the 4th

 

[Menzinger]

Boston's top line which is all under 200lbs was the defining factor in that series.

People are looking way too much into this.

I swear half the people in this thread didn’t watch the series. Special teams killed the Leas not 5vv5 physicality

Edit: typo

 

[tellermine]

Every other team than Boston is missing that.

But yes. At playoffs guy like him would be nice

 

[ToneDog]

Bob MacKenzie made it clear that Leafs #1 target at the TDL was Simmonds and when Leafs refused to meed their asking price (Flyers probably not interested in Brown), they targeted Ferland. If that does not tell you something I don't know what to tell you.

 

[ToneDog]

I swear half the people in this thread didn’t watch the series. Special eans killed the Leas not 5vv5 physicality

What do you think caused Kadri to take the 3 game suspension ? Why has diceman been telling us for a year that Nylander played scared ?

 

[ACC1224]

They need to learn how to play fearless.
Hopefully that comes with experience.

 

[Menzinger]

Bob MacKenzie made it clear that Leafs #1 target at the TDL was Simmonds and when Leafs refused to meed their asking price (Flyers probably not interested in Brown), they targeted Ferland. If that does not tell you something I don't know what to tell you.

It depends on where he gets his information from.

Mirtle for example has hinted on his podcast that a lot of Leaks come from the coaching staff and may not necessarily reflect what Dubas and his AGMs are thinking.

That’s not to say that Mirtle didn’t have interest in a guy like Simmonds just that we should treat media links with a bit of scepticism

 

[Pookie]

Tampa's skilled players made that giant work his ass off and put his team out in 5 games.

So when I indicate that we lack compete and that hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard... the counter is that Tampa made him work hard?

Good for Tampa. And that’s exactly the point.

And the other point is that wr aren’t Tampa. Tampa has more skill and works hard. We have blue line holes.

We need to engineer a way to get by Boston first and then figure out Tampa.

 

[Menzinger]

What do you think caused Kadri to take the 3 game suspension ? Why has diceman been telling us for a year that Nylander played scared ?

Kadri’s stupidity caused it. His actions changed nothing and hurt the team.

Matthews and Nylander had Bergeron and Chara stapled to them for most of the series. That’s hard for even the best player to overcome.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Physicality is a huge issue with the team. But the Naysayers will continue to plead that Physicality has nothing to do with winning and losing.

So, essentially...Im gonna wait it out again until the playoffs to see how we respond.

Because if we somehow lose the Bruins again...then be prepared for this topic to be brought up every week in the off-season until we address it

No team had ever won a cup without a decent amount of physicality in their lineup. If anything the Leafs have been an example of why it won't work so far this season.

The Naysayers include Chicago and their three Cups. They were the second least physical team in the league. Some of the best teams in the league are not physical, including the one trying to shatter records. There is zero measurable correlation between physicality and wins.

Any claim that you can't win without it is pure ignorance, and a severely short memory.

 

[ShaneFalco]

If they did get Simmonds - who would Babs sit?

 

[Pookie]

It went to 7 games and the Bruins were nearly swept the next series.

Let’s not pretend the Bruins have an unstoppable formula for success.

Tyler Bozak was the 2nd best Leafs Centre for 1/2 of the series. This time around he’d be the 4th

They don’t have a formula for success but since playoffs are all about winning 4 series... you only have to match up well to 4 teams. You don’t play the whole league.

So... they are licking their chops to face us. They will probably get smoked against Tampa. Who have skill and grit.

And our path goes through Boston and Tampa. Neither of whom we match up well against.

I hope Tavares and Muzzin are the difference makers this year but I sure don’t feel confident.

Our game is soft. We rely on goaltending and offence to counter a weak D. Tampa out skills and out work us. Boston out works us. And we have a Coach that seemingly seems stuck in a roll 4 mind set.

 

[ToneDog]

Kadri’s stupidity caused it. His actions changed nothing and hurt the team.

Matthews and Nylander had Bergeron and Chara stapled to them for most of the series. That’s hard for even the best player to overcome.

Kadri freaked out because the Bruins were taking runs at Marner and you can bet that they do not change their game plan. Adding Tavares is huge. Bergeron likely shuts down the line he plays against so it will be up to our the other (2) Cs to win their matchups. If the Goat's line does no worse than plays even, we have a good chance to win.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I do think that toughness was something that gave Boston an edge in the series against us. I've talked about it before. Boston, for better or worse, never deviated from the game that made them good. Leafs were too busy trying to match them hit by hit to remember what made us good. They got in our heads so easily. We took a lot of dumb penalties in that series, that we normally wouldn't.

But what won the series for them was their PP. We were better than them at even strength.

Kadri freaked out because the Bruins were taking runs at Marner and you can bet that they do not change their game plan. Adding Tavares is huge. Bergeron likely shuts down the line he plays against so it will be up to our the other (2) Cs to win their matchups. If the Goat's line does no worse than plays even, we have a good chance to win.

If I was coach, I'd split all our best players on three different lines.

Like Zeke said, Chara is a monster. He is still absurdly good defensively, and he's definitely a menace. And Bergeron is unique. I saw numbers a while back on how the top centers fared against other top centers. A lot of them fell off hard. Seguin got eaten alive. Bergeron? He dominated them just as he dominates everyone.

We need three strong lines to expose Bruins relative weakness. That's what Tampa did to them.

 

[TML1967]

I'm

The 42 year old captain of the Bruins steps up against one of the toughest guys in the league who is 15 years younger than him . How important is this to the team ? Or is it a factor at all ? Forget about the fact that Chara stepped up in a fighting situation - the question is do the Leafs lack the compete level necessary to go all the way ?

I'm gonna go the opposite direction of most posters and say yes.
Having the biggest baddest guy in the league on your team makes average or smaller guys usually play larger/with more edge.

But this ONLY works if the guy can play legit minutes. A barely 4th liner or borderline #6D aren't on the ice enough to do it.

The issue is the cost to acquire and cost to retain these kind of guys seem to onl be growing.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I'm


I'm gonna go the opposite direction of most posters and say yes.
Having the biggest baddest guy in the league on your team makes average or smaller guys usually play larger/with more edge.

But this ONLY works if the guy can play legit minutes. A barely 4th liner or borderline #6D aren't on the ice enough to do it.

The issue is the cost to acquire and cost to retain these kind of guys seem to onl be growing.

That was the problem with Martin.

 

[I Believe]

A different mold of team wins the cup every year. Honestly, there's no "correct" way to build one.

We're a great team and our core is incredibly young. Just keep playing to our strengths and we have a decent shot at the cup over the next number of years.

Chara is amazing though, definitely a hall of famer.

 

[TML1967]

That was the problem with Martin.

Yup! With the way we play, Martin just didnt work. Hes back in a team with a gameplan he fits in and he looks solid.

 

[Cams]

As someone who will rail against the "toughness" cliche all day long....

.....Chara is special. He's a monster.

He is likely the singular most impactful defensive player in NHL history. And he's a nuclear deterrent physically as well - I would take Chara in a fight over any other player in league history.

I will be glad when age finally catches up to him.


The thing is, it's futile to try and match up to Chara. no other tough guy in the league comes close. let alone anyone who can still play and dominate top line matchups. Chara is chara. You either have him or you don't.

Really????? Even over a guy like Probert, Kocur, Twist, Grimson......?