robertmac43
Forever 43!
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Once you make the dance anything can happen, so I would not say the expectations were too high!
Leafs biggest issue... Fan expectations set by the team
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robertmac43
Forever 43!
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False. Better goalie, better offense, Better Defense.
Matthews is an elite center, never had one of those in 2013.
Iapyi
Registered User
Seems to me the OP is contradictory.
The reason we secured the services of some older players is to help bridge the learning and developing process of the young guys.
I'm not happy we lost the first two games but I'm not a doom and gloomer and I like to think long term. Their are benefits to what is happening right now.
The reason we secured the services of some older players is to help bridge the learning and developing process of the young guys.
I'm not happy we lost the first two games but I'm not a doom and gloomer and I like to think long term. Their are benefits to what is happening right now.
robertmac43
Forever 43!
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Yeah and I'm saying this is false. This current 2018 team is far from similar to that of 2013 .
robertmac43
Forever 43!
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good offence, shit defense, goaltending that is heavily relied upon, outplayed by a lot
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
I’m not sure how you can make that claim?
This team is younger, more depth in offense (they iced Orr and Mclaren on the 4th line together) had Kostka and Frazier on D......
The two teams seem nothing alike other than having a couple of the same players
the team can score a lot of goals, like they did in 2013. the team has lousy defense, like 2013. the team relies on goaltending to bail them out because of terrible defense, like 2013. the team usually gets outplayed and outshot, like 2013. this team will also lose to boston in the first round, like 2013. you see a pattern? its virtually the same team, except younger. we went through a rebuild and lo and behold, nothing really has changed.
How can the current team be similar to 2013?
In 2013, Leafs wins when Phil was great and you have Orr and Mclaren playing in the 4th line.
The current team can score all over the place, if Babs allow, they have arguably one of the fastest line in NHL with Kap and Johnsson on the wings.
Then there is Matthews, Willie, Marner, Kadri, JVR, and Marleau.
If anything, the current Leafs is built quite similar to the Sundin and Quinn Leafs minus Tucker, Robert and Corson.
In 2013, Leafs wins when Phil was great and you have Orr and Mclaren playing in the 4th line.
The current team can score all over the place, if Babs allow, they have arguably one of the fastest line in NHL with Kap and Johnsson on the wings.
Then there is Matthews, Willie, Marner, Kadri, JVR, and Marleau.
If anything, the current Leafs is built quite similar to the Sundin and Quinn Leafs minus Tucker, Robert and Corson.
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
There are a few broad similarities (ie both teams being more offensively orientated), but heard notn”virtually the same team” the current Leafs roster clearly has much more skilled talent at literally every position.
A1LeafNation
Obsession beats talent everytime!!
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Daisy Jane
everything is gonna be okay!
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New playoff format has a bit to do with it. I also think the Leafs are a better team than these first two games would suggest. Boston was not a great matchup though, plain and simple. Their skill, structure, and will is top notch and they were I think the best team in the NHL from Dec. 1st (?) on despite some injuries and funky scheduling. Oh well.. like Matthews said, **** happens. Leafs’ll be a better team for it I think.
After reading through some of the Nylander and Matthews threads today (not even touching the Andersen ones...) I have determined that yes, many fans' expectations are way, way too high this year.
I still firmly believe that those with major complaints about Nylander or Matthews in this series, or with Babcock's line combos - really any major complaints about this team and its operations at all, frankly - have completely forgotten, or are completely ignoring, what kind of rebuild process our management team is trying to undergo, and how long that process could/should take / where we are in that process.
It's never too early for optimism and hope. But year 2 of this core is absolutely too early for doom and gloom. People trying to trade Willy or Matthews need to give their heads a shake, and those hoping we'll simply get bigger and tougher in order to compete with teams like Boston in the future need to remember how that worked out for us after 2013...
This group needs patience.
Personally, I've taken this series as an opportunity to realize how much I'd been underrating this Boston team - It's been humbling, but hasn't detracted at all from my belief in this group (management or players) moving forward.
I still firmly believe that those with major complaints about Nylander or Matthews in this series, or with Babcock's line combos - really any major complaints about this team and its operations at all, frankly - have completely forgotten, or are completely ignoring, what kind of rebuild process our management team is trying to undergo, and how long that process could/should take / where we are in that process.
It's never too early for optimism and hope. But year 2 of this core is absolutely too early for doom and gloom. People trying to trade Willy or Matthews need to give their heads a shake, and those hoping we'll simply get bigger and tougher in order to compete with teams like Boston in the future need to remember how that worked out for us after 2013...
This group needs patience.
Personally, I've taken this series as an opportunity to realize how much I'd been underrating this Boston team - It's been humbling, but hasn't detracted at all from my belief in this group (management or players) moving forward.
Expectations for most were a competitive series, I had it at 50/50 for a win in the series and that seemed to be common. Not exactly a crazy expectation set by the Marleau signing or deadline.
This right here is the problem.
We did not go through a rebuild.
We are currently in the process of our rebuild. There's a massive difference.
Expecting all players to be fully developed in year 2 is unreasonable.
Expecting all players to know how to play "Playoff Hockey" in year 2 is unreasonable.
Expecting the coach to put all priority on skill in year 2, when trying to change a culture of losing and entitlement, is unreasonable.
If Nylander and Matthews are still having the same issues in years 4 or 5, then we might have a bit of a problem. Right now, this is still a learning experience for a lot of these kids. The standard they're being held to is unreasonable, even despite how great a season (throughout the course of which many people were still complaining...) we just had.
We're not still in a rebuild at all. Teams arhat are in a rebuild don't trade a 1st and another pick for a goalie. Teams in a rebuild don't trade 2 2nds for 4th line centres. Teams that are in a rebuild don't make the playoffs. We're not rebuilding at all. Our rebuild ended when we won the lottery.
A competitive series is not a crazy expectation, by any stretch - We're a good team, and people are rightly disappointed in the outcome we've witnessed so far.
But the logical response (to me, anyway) is to realize that, while not a "crazy" expectation, it may have been a little loftier than we ourselves anticipated, when going up against an experienced, talented team like the Bruins. Like I said previously, my disappointment right now is a result of my own underrating of just how good and tight this Bruins team is. We're a talented enough team to beat them, but the core of that Boston team has not only already had those experiences and learning curves, they've done it together as a group over the course of the past 5-10 years.
In a couple years, we'll have that experience too, and people will be wondering how they ever doubted Nylander's or Matthews' ability to play in meaningful games.
A successful rebuild isn't just getting certain players in certain positions in place, at least not when you're doing it through the draft.
We've got a bunch of 20-to-25-year-olds making up our core who have only been playing together for 2 years - Their development is as much a part of our rebuild's success (if not more so) than the simple acquisition of those players.
As long as our core is still developing, our rebuild is still ongoing. Just because our management acknowledges their current abilities, and supplements that core with veterans to help further their development and success, doesn't mean they're no longer building for the future.
FerrisRox
"Wanna go, Prettyboy?"
imo they weren't rebuilding at that time because they just drafted eichel. they wanted to start competing since then and have failed to do so.
