Its so clear we have to get some grindyness (toughness and thugness)

[Stephen]

What about that Ben Harpur kid?

That's idiotic. You can be 6'4" and play too you know.

 

[ToneDog]

"Overreaction" is just in the nature of some posters here.

Fun fact, everytime Andersen goes on a stretch of playing terribly we always hear folks bemoan the apparent lack of physical play (as if a couple extra checks would stop Andersen from having a sv% of under. 900).

When he starts playing well the voices die down. It happens like clockwork. Just watch itll happen again

Too bad Andy has not been able to save us in game #7s.

 

[meefer]

Same game play, same major players, same coach same issues

No heart no compete no results

10+ different players on the team. 3 new defence pairings, 3 new lines up front. 5 games into an 82 game season. I’m not suggesting we’re perfect, or ever will be, but I’ll give them 25/30 games, the return of Hyman and Dermott and the chance to jell as a group before I start worrying too much.

 

[Duffman955]

10+ different players on the team. 3 new defence pairings, 3 new lines up front. 5 games into an 82 game season. I’m not suggesting we’re perfect, or ever will be, but I’ll give them 25/30 games, the return of Hyman and Dermott and the chance to jell as a group before I start worrying too much.

Andy still inconsistent,

Still no top pairing RHD. No Barrie can not play against top lines, so hes not a top pairing D.

Tavares and Marner still cant play against top opposition

Defense still sucks balls

No system, even though our coach has been here for 4+ years

PP still sucks, PK still mediocre

Same team, still sucks

 

[OVO16]

Petan + Marincin for Kevan Miller (once he gets back from Injury).

Reilly - Ceci
Muzzin - Barrie
Sandin - Miller

 

[OVO16]

Wayne Simmonds signed a 1yr - 5mill deal with the devils.

Any way we can fit him in if the Devils continue to suck

 

[meefer]

Andy still inconsistent,

Still no top pairing RHD. No Barrie can not play against top lines, so hes not a top pairing D.

Tavares and Marner still cant play against top opposition

Defense still sucks balls

No system, even though our coach has been here for 4+ years

PP still sucks, PK still mediocre

Same team, still sucks

My god, Duffman, why do you follow the team if all you see are negatives? It must be awful for you. Give them some time and try to enjoy, really you might find the game and team more fun.

 

[Gabriel426]

Wayne Simmonds signed a 1yr - 5mill deal with the devils.

Any way we can fit him in if the Devils continue to suck

Hall +50%retention for Bracco, draft picks and AJ, that will be the dream

 

[OVO16]

Hall +50%retention for Bracco, draft picks and AJ, that will be the dream

Well its definitely a dream alright.

Let stick to realistic opportunities

 

[Gabriel426]

Well its definitely a dream alright.

Let stick to realistic opportunities

I think a trade or two are going to happen once Hyman is back. ESP since Kerfoot-Soup and Moore are playing fantastic together and seem to have great chemistry.
Would be interesting to see if Babs going to switch AJ and Kap and see if that could work.

 

[Superstar]

Want to improve on some grit and toughness, how about Dubas calling Holland and offering up Marner for Draisaitl? Of course Holland would hang up the phone before Dubas could even finish talking.

 

[ottomaddox]

Serious question:


Can Shanahan still skate and will be play for a league minimum?

____________

I have no idea how he could allow Dubas to design this team filled with ballet dancers and figure skaters.

 

[Superstar]

Serious question:


Can Shanahan still skate and will be play for a league minimum?

____________

I have no idea how he could allow Dubas to design this team filled with ballet dancers and figure skaters.

I have no idea why Shanahan would let Dubas build the team the way it is considering the type of player he was when he played. Dubas is demasculinizing this Leafs team.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Trade for some sandpaper

 

[Duffman955]

My god, Duffman, why do you follow the team if all you see are negatives? It must be awful for you. Give them some time and try to enjoy, really you might find the game and team more fun.

Whether the team is good or bad doesnt determine if I support a team or not. Im a die hard leafs, but im not blinded by bad management

I support my team no matter what. Players and management are temporary, being a fan is forever.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Our stars will be targeted and injured not to mention demoralized.

 

[Myopic]

Team toughness is not just about hitting and dropping the gloves. It's having players who get to the puck first (without fear) and controlling the boards. It's being heavy on the puck and wanting to control it more than the other guy. It's having d-men who get to the puck first while taking a hit to make a pass. Rielly and Barrie are great offensively but they stink defensively. Barrie is just Jake part two. My god Dubas has been a disaster.

Yes I miss uncle Leo and Matt Martin who consistently finished their checks and made the other team fear them. That little hesitation, when knowing a hit is certainly coming, is often the difference between winning a puck battle or causing a turnover. Opposing teams have ZERO fear of the Leafs hitting them. That is a HUGE advantage in the playoffs.

This team is top heavy with soft skilled players and the Leafs are stuck with this makeup for several more years. Those soft skilled players (with outrageous contracts) won't be easy to trade either. The dumb one will probably have to pay some of their salary or include a draft pick.

 

[Whaleafs]

Explaining this every year is getting tiresome. Having a high skill team with high offensive output is fine. Even if most of your skilled guys are undersized. The point is you need guys that are capable of playing a grinding game if it comes to it. More importantly you need your skilled guys to be willing to adapt when time and space is hard to find in the playoffs. Meaning if you are an offensive player but aren’t putting up numbers you have to contribute in other ways. Being hard on the forecheck, finishing checks, winning puck battles in corners. The Leafs did practically none of this last year against Boston. Watching Kapanen, Nylander & Johnsson literally jump out of the way so they wouldn’t have to take a check, thereby just giving the Bruins the puck was sickening. This is also why I was extremely disappointed in Marleau and lost respect for him after last season. An older guy who had lost a step and wasn’t putting up any points, but instead of doing anything to win & adapting to a grinding role he would just float around avoiding body contact. Teams that win don’t do this. The Pittsburgh comparison is a farce, Crosby & Malkin are not perimeter star players and will fight through traffic and in corners.

 

[ITM]

I have no idea why Shanahan would let Dubas build the team the way it is considering the type of player he was when he played. Dubas is demasculinizing this Leafs team.

Bettman isn’t spelled D-u-b-a-s.

Moving Kadri - or rather - having to move Kadri was a canary in the coal mine moment. Granted he didn’t work as a 3C. But his physicality and his decision-making demonstrated if not a clear bias in the BOS vs TOR series, then a bias against retaliatory physicality that has encroached gradually over the years as the preferred league norm.

Boston got away with murder. Another era and either their crap gets called or the refs put their whistles away.

If Dubas is guilty of feminizing this club, his guilt is mitigated by the environment demanding it under pain of constant penalty.

 

[CelticDruid]

I hope Sandin is OK after that dirty hit last night.

Hughson "Welcome to the NHL". (Moronic statement)

 

[Faltorvo]

Whether the team is good or bad doesnt determine if I support a team or not. Im a die hard leafs, but im not blinded by bad management

I support my team no matter what. Players and management are temporary, being a fan is forever.

chill big fella ,chill

remember the days when this was a cap maxed team and could not even qualify for the POs? and our long term looked deadly hopeless as phat fill, the 7 million dollar fraud, the tin man, bozo the clown and the likes lead us?

i am not sure what you expected , last season was the first POs where some expected better results , i did not

this though, is the season where our core needs to get things done

not just because they are at the age/experience to have those expectations but now they are also being paid to do it.

 

[Stephen]

Moore and Timashov have been doing well playing a feisty game despite size. If they can throw a hit, surely our bigger stars can too once in a while.

 

[Duffman955]

chill big fella ,chill

remember the days when this was a cap maxed team and could not even qualify for the POs? and our long term looked deadly hopeless as phat fill, the 7 million dollar fraud, the tin man, bozo the clown and the likes lead us?

i am not sure what you expected , last season was the first POs where some expected better results , i did not

this though, is the season where our core needs to get things done

not just because they are at the age/experience to have those expectations but now they are also being paid to do it.

Funny enough Phil the Thrill and Phanny the captain lead us farther into the playoffs than these frauds.

A team that has 2 better forwards than Tavares and a Norris candidate defensemen should go farther than the first round. If you don't expect them to do that, then you are delerious. On paper, our team was far better than the St. Louis team, yet we didnt get a fraction of the results.

Fact remains that this team is a bunch of gutless pukes who choke harder than years past. Kessel and crew were badly outgunned and put together a better performance than these chokers.

If they dont win a round this year, you have to seriously consider that this is a character issue that will not fix itself.

 

[Faltorvo]

Funny enough Phil the Thrill and Phanny the captain lead us farther into the playoffs than these frauds.

A team that has 2 better forwards than Tavares and a Norris candidate defensemen should go farther than the first round. If you don't expect them to do that, then you are delerious. On paper, our team was far better than the St. Louis team, yet we didnt get a fraction of the results. Not sure how you measure that on paper , paper is normally 0 calory numbers, kinda like what fat fill posted here.

Fact remains that this team is a bunch of gutless pukes who choke harder than years past. Kessel and crew were badly outgunned and put together a better performance than these chokers. I completely agree, there are gut issues here.

If they dont win a round this year, you have to seriously consider that this is a character issue that will not fix itself.

Agreed and i am unsure a coach can change what is inside a player.

ahh,,,ummmmm, when did fat fill and the 7m fraud lead us farther??????? you do know that they never ever qualified for the POs in a normal 82 game season.

 

[Ifittex il Verita]

Agreed and i am unsure a coach can change what is inside a player.

ahh,,,ummmmm, when did fat fill and the 7m fraud lead us farther??????? you do know that they never ever qualified for the POs in a normal 82 game season.

It kinda looks like the coaching change argument is hinged on whether or not our players will really make that crucial change to their game and have our top-6 play with the ferocity of Boston's top line.
IMO, it could atleast expose the problem further for management to start making some moves to fix it.