Let's Take A Second To Enjoy

[Big Cactus]

Sharks were never picks to win the cup and a team failing to win the cup means nothing for other teams.

Yes they 100% were picks to win.

League Standings

06/07: 5th
07/08: 2nd
08/09: 1st (Presidents Trophy)
09/10: 2nd
10/11: 5th
13/14: 5th

That’s six top 5 finishes in the entire league over a 9 year span including a Presidents Trophy. They were favourites for many years.

 

[BertCorbeau]

In terms of points %, this 18-19 version of the Leafs is on pace to be best ever in franchise history.

Currently at 0.694%

The next highest are:

1950-51 (0.679% over a 70 game season)
1934-35 (0.667% over a 48 game season)
1940-41 (0.646% over a 48 game season)
1960-61 (0.643% over a a 70 game season)
1947-48 (0.642% over a 60 game season)

And then last year's Leaf team was at 0.640%

So given that context I hope that no one takes what we're seeing for granted, because it's pretty damn special and something we haven't seen in almost 70 years. Sure the team has some warts and kinks that need to be worked out, but they're seemingly minor in the big picture.

 

[nobody]

For all the fans in here bitching and pumping their type A personalities I think your time would be better served elsewhere. For those of us who are older and have gone through years of misery with very little hope, I am beyond elated to have a team where I expect to win. I don't think I can honestly remember the last time we had a team where on a nightly basis I expected us to win and on most nights where we fall short it's because of our boys not putting in the work.

I am so greatful for Shanny and his vision. I don't know about winning a cup since that's a whole different beast in and of itself. But I sure as hell am proud to be a Leafs fan with so many tremendous players and superstars on the team. Usually we have over the hill superstars not fresh 20 year old ones.

Happy holidays and merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

 

[Throw More Waffles]

I agree with most of this.

After the horrors of Burke’s reign of terror, I started to think the leafs will never be good again. Mlse meddles, it will never go away, always band aid short term solutions, never a legitimate rebuild.

But the Shanaplan has been remarkable.

We’re one of the best teams in the league, and I thought our future was so bright.

But then our GM dramatically overpaid a 20 goal/60 point player. An overpayment that will have direct impacts on future negotiations on an already very tight cap situation.

And that’s why I hate the contract so much. I was so so so so happy with this young team, and the Nylander overpayment has me terrified that it will be short lived and we won’t be able to keep it together.

After all the horrors we went through to finally be in this situation, it may fall apart in a blink of an eye.

It’s why so many of us are very very upset st the Nylander overpayment.

 

[GodEmperor]

I agree with most of this.

After the horrors of Burke’s reign of terror, I started to think the leafs will never be good again. Mlse meddles, it will never go away, always band aid short term solutions, never a legitimate rebuild.

But the Shanaplan has been remarkable.

We’re one of the best teams in the league, and I thought our future was so bright.

But then our GM dramatically overpaid a 20 goal/60 point player. An overpayment that will have direct impacts on future negotiations on an already very tight cap situation.

And that’s why I hate the contract so much. I was so so so so happy with this young team, and the Nylander overpayment has me terrified that it will be short lived and we won’t be able to keep it together.

After all the horrors we went through to finally be in this situation, it may fall apart in a blink of an eye.

It’s why so many of us are very very upset st the Nylander overpayment.

Nylander basically got the same deal as Ehlers proportionally speaking (cap went up).

The overpayment may have been at most 3-400k, certainly not anything more than that. A team that spends to the cap shouldn't be hampered by 3-400k, we can always trade Zaitsev+2nd if we need to dump cap space.

 

[Cor]

It boggles my mind how some people can't just enjoy this team.

Most skilled Leaf team to ever play, and some people still find the need to crap on everything.

This season is somehow even more negative.


And no, I'm not saying you can't disagree with personnel decisions or anything, but the obsessive way some go about it, constantly being negative about everything, using childish nicknames, and just... it must be exhausting. I don't understand it.

 

[TootooTrain]

It boggles my mind how some people can't just enjoy this team.

Most skilled Leaf team to ever play, and some people still find the need to crap on everything.

This season is somehow even more negative.


And no, I'm not saying you can't disagree with personnel decisions or anything, but the obsessive way some go about it, constantly being negative about everything, using childish nicknames, and just... it must be exhausting. I don't understand it.

There will always be people who say "ok yes they're good....but [insert an opinion on individual's icetime/performance/salary]."

I haven't questioned/been worried about as many things of late surrounding this team. Why? Cuz they're good.

 

[Da Cool Rula]

Agree....but for some of us it’s been a decade ++++

For some it's been over 50 years

 

[IPS]

I think it was obvious going into the season. On paper - this team is insane. A couple of coaching miscues are still stifling this team's potential, but one of them is already being rectified via injury.

 

[frog]

We also have either a hall of fame coach... or a complete idiot... Depends who you ask

 

[Big Cactus]

But then our GM dramatically overpaid a 20 goal/60 point player. An overpayment that will have direct impacts on future negotiations on an already very tight cap situation.

And that’s why I hate the contract so much. I was so so so so happy with this young team, and the Nylander overpayment has me terrified that it will be short lived and we won’t be able to keep it together.

After all the horrors we went through to finally be in this situation, it may fall apart in a blink of an eye.

It’s why so many of us are very very upset st the Nylander overpayment.

What are you even saying dude!? Nylanders comparables put him in the 6-6.67 million dollar range. The cap went up and shockingly so did his contract.

I’ll throw you a bone here. If Nylander (who has had better career numbers than Larkin) took the same amount as he did you can argue he got paid 900,000 too much. Do you seriously believe 900K is going to ruin this franchise!?!? That’s the money we just gave to Tyler Ennis. 900k. The money to sign a replacement level player does not ruin a franchise, figure it out bud.

 

[GodEmperor]

And let's take a second to enjoy that the game we just played v Detroit was our ENTIRE POST LOCKOUT EXPERIENCE

Outplay better team
They capitalize on their chances
We find a way to get a lead in the third
We blow the lead in spectacular fashion
We find a new way to lose and make complete asses of ourselves

BUT NOW THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT AND IT FEELSGOODMAN.

 

[AreBe]

None of what you said changes the fact that this team is the best product we've seen in a very long time.

But we have too much Eurotrash skill with all of this excessive skating, passing, and scoring!
Where's the room for the Good Canadian Kid, the penalty box sitting lover of grime?
It's all just fact- based analytics, concern about the cap, and speed. Where's the blood? How boring!
After all, we all dream of the Broad Street Bullies, and aside from Post Concussion Syndrome suicides, all the fighting is a victim-less crime!

 

[saltming]

But we have too much Eurotrash skill with all of this excessive skating, passing, and scoring!
Where's the room for the Good Canadian Kid, the penalty box sitting lover of grime?
It's all just fact- based analytics, concern about the cap, and speed. Where's the blood? How boring!
After all, we all dream of the Broad Street Bullies, and aside from Post Concussion Syndrome suicides, all the fighting is a victim-less crime!

It's funny because I think we are a pretty tough resilient team. It's just not the rough and tumble old west of hockey past.

 

[Vaive50]

The fact that this may be the best Leafs team ever assembled.

We have a Vezina caliber goalie
We have a Norris caliber d man
We have two guys who can honestly challenge for the Hart
We just signed perhaps the biggest free agent signing of all time and he WANTED to come back despite it being an incredibly difficult decision
We have two amazing d prospects which could have number 1 upside themselves
We were a top 3 team WITHOUT a 60 point scorer who we just signed to a decent contract that doesn't make Matthews and Mitch's value go through the roof
Having signed Tavares, now other people will also know they can come back to Toronto, maybe not in the next 2-3 years, but after that people will know how AWESOME it can be

After a decade+ of a purely garbage product, we have an AMAZING product on the ice, yes it's not perfect, but apart from Tampa, which team really is "perfect?" Enjoy this UNREAL young team, enjoy being a Leafs fan and enjoy the future, it is SO bright!

This is pretty exciting but you forgot to mention that we also have a player (maybe 2) that can easily challenge for the Rocket Richard trophy with a possibility of the Jack Adams.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I literally came to post the same thing OP.

We have a great team.

They are an absolute joy to watch.

 

[Vaive50]

All that being said and recognized Leafs have not won anything. No PO rounds no trophies, excepting the Calder. Great teams not only look great and play great but have the hardware, ie the Cup to prove it. Time will tell. Let’s enjoy the moment. A 1st round exit will destroy the season.

Look at the growth and how fast it came. Just three seasons ago, finished last. Two seasons ago, they broke all sorts of rookie records and made the playoffs on the last day with half the team being rookies who had to face the President Trophy winners and lost in 6 with almost every game in overtime, who would of expected more than that.

Last season was a record season in points and they had the bad luck of facing the team that had 7 points more than them. They pushed it to 7 games after being down in games 3-1 and lead game seven 4-3 going into the third. Then had a bad period.

Now they replaced JVR and Bozak with Tavares and Johnson and are on pace for all kinds of team and player records. So this is why we want to enjoy the moment rather than enjoy only after they've won a PO series or the SC. Pittsburgh and Chicago also didn't win immediately as their star draft picks started playing.

 

[Stephen]

All that being said and recognized Leafs have not won anything. No PO rounds no trophies, excepting the Calder. Great teams not only look great and play great but have the hardware, ie the Cup to prove it. Time will tell. Let’s enjoy the moment. A 1st round exit will destroy the season.

It's not technically possible to have won the Stanley Cup or any personal awards by this time in the season. Just relax with the 'perspective.'

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

leafs need a good dman reliable cool under pressure can take the body.

 

[Confucius]

God's team.

 

[GodEmperor]

God's team.

There are two types of Hockey fans.

Leafs fans

Non-Leaf fans that don't know they're going to be Leafs fans yet

 

[LeafShark]

Mood killers. It's party time.

 

[supermann_98]

Great thread and I gotta concur, this is the most excited I’ve ever been as a leaf fan. If we don’t win this year we still got years and years and years of this ridiculous offensive core.

I cannot even fathom how good Marner and Matthews could be if they keep improving year after year until they hit their primes into their mid 20’s.

It’s not a matter of will we win a cup ... to me I want multiple cups and with this core that is not out of the realm of possibilities.

Let’s be positive for all Shanny has done to completely 180 this franchise. Glad to finally see a Leaf fan take over the team and do the right thing and blow it all up to start fresh. It is a refreshing feeling

 

[DoobieDubas]

and ottawa/habs are trash/mediocore for years to come !

 

[freshwind]

have to say, I remember the 67 cup win, and vaguely the 64 one .... seen many a game in the interlude.... have to admit, this build has been the best I remember...although I have to say I really did enjoy the team jim gregory built in the late 70's... a few tweaks and that team could have won, unfortunately ballard canned gregory and brought back punch and that was the end of that run

i agree with the premise, this is an exciting young team... we need to enjoy it and realize this club is not being assembled for a one off... we should be enjoying this for a number of years ..let's sit back and enjoy the ride .......