News Article: Mirtle: It’s time to ask some tough questions about these Maple Leafs

[rumman]

Successful programs follow a top down hierarchy, where the GM develop a strategy and everything else falls in line. If a coach and GM can’t get on the same page, one will eventually need to go, and it would be dysfunctional and backwards thinking imo to let the coach run the entire organization, it would run counter to the very structure of how most teams operate.

what's your point? I never said keep coach fire GM. I said if changing the coach is the answer, get on with it, but that won't happen because the GM would be accountable if the new coach didn't get them any farther than Babcock.

 

[diceman934]

It's what you do when you don't want to clutter the whole page with your own posts. But I'll try to avoid doing that with you in the future, no problem.


Based on what? The guy spent two full series with two points. He was accused by his own fanbase for exactly your issues with Nylander. He then improved and became a Conn Smythe candidate. How is it baseless?


I didn't talk about them being soft. I said that they don't hit a lot. You then mocked me for claiming that they don't hit a lot, with this exact quote: "Chicago did not win without hitting my god you can not be serious."¨

At no point in this conversation did we talk about something else than hitting. You're just backpedaling after I produced stats that corroborated what I said.

Like I said please tell me who we have that is anything like the players I used as example being soft is not just hits is more avoiding hits and being easy to play against. My mistake as I thought we were on the same page as it was you referring to me about Nylander being soft so I thought we were talking about the same thing. It appears not.

 

[rumman]

Unless it is written on paper ... See Ujiri. Things change. Sorry, we need to trade you.

bad optics no matter how it's spun. GM shouldn't be making promises he very well might not keep. Why risk other players questioning your integrity when he simply has to say your RFA status doesn't entitle you to a NTC. It's making a problem where one didn't exist.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Like I said please tell me who we have that is anything like the players I used as example being soft is not just hits is more avoiding hits and being easy to play against. My mistake as I thought we were on the same page as it was you referring to me about Nylander being soft so I thought we were talking about the same thing. It appears not.

Me: Chicago doesn't hit a lot.
You: That's not true, they do.
Me: Here's stats that prove they don't hit a lot.
You: They are not soft at all!
Me: I talked about hitting, not being soft.
You: They are not soft at all!

I remember you telling me that you have no problem admitting when you're wrong. Just take the loss, man.

 

[diceman934]

Me: Chicago doesn't hit a lot.
You: That's not true, they do.
Me: Here's stats that prove they don't hit a lot.
You: They are not soft at all!
Me: I talked about hitting, not being soft.
You: They are not soft at all!

I remember you telling me that you have no problem admitting when you're wrong. Just take the loss, man.

Thought we were talking about the same thing. I guess not. I was talking about your boy being soft and avoids hits and bingo bango we are talking about hits.

So if we were talking about just plain hits my bad they did not hit as much. In that vein I was wrong. However we were talking about how soft we are as a team and Nylander leads the charge. So in that vein I am not wrong and bang on with my assessment. You still never admit when you are wrong catch you a lot and yet nothing buck back pedaling.

So getting back to my point just who do the leafs have that compare to the players the hawks had when they won cups that were not soft. Chicago was not soft as I said. I asked the question but you have avoided it. Why is that? It does not fall in line with your agenda that Chicago was soft and won the cup which was totally wrong.

 

[diceman934]

Just for record's sake (and maybe I'm reading this incorrectly), isn't Marleau 6th?

TOI/GP:

1. Marner 19:39
2. Tavares 19:03
3. Matthews 18:24
4. Hyman 17:17
5. Kapanen 16:34
6. Marleau 16:31

Lol yes my bad I had them mixed up. 6 th is corrrct. Not 3rd.

 

[diceman934]

We couldn't keep JvR. That is not on Dubas, it was never going to happen.

Bozak is not a difference-maker. Polak, Martin, and Komarov is replacement level players who makes no difference for anyone. What they provide, they give back in other areas. They were replaced by other replacement level players, with the same kind of flaws. I don't see how you can argue that this is a big difference maker. Unless you think teams can't win without hits. Chicago won three times without hitting.

What would be a big difference maker is adding one of the best players in the game. Or adding a top pairing d-man. That's the kind of things that make a difference.


The reigning champs have a lesson to teach there. Kuznetsov was all you accuse Nylander of for years, and then he was a Conn Smythe runner up when they won.

Keep the talent, and let them gain enough experience to become a force in the playoffs as well. It might pay off huge down the line.


When The Point showed some of their player tracking data, the guys who caused the most turnovers on the forecheck was Hyman, Marner, Matthews, and Nylander. I agree with you, time and space is key. You remove that by closing fast, not by finishing checks.


Criticizing Nylander's transition and chance creating is pretty weird.

Just to be clear. You stated Chicago won 3 cups without hitting.

Care to admit you were wrong? As they never won the cup without hitting!

I replied “Chicago did not win without hitting my god you can not be serious”.

So like you said above when you fabricated our conversation just take the loss.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Well that’s all quite obvious. Marleau should be sitting, but as far Zaitsev goes, there’s no other option.

And as far as next year is concerned, the problem on defense is not easily addressed either. The big UFA names (Karlsson, Myers, Nate Schmidt or Chara) are probably too expensive or will get resigned. We could always trade, but we will give up something off value to get anything decent (no not Brown & a 2nd).

Best hope is for Lil/Sandin to make the leap. Reports on Liljegren seem rather muted and somewhat underwhelming.

 

[Nineteen67]

And as far as next year is concerned, the problem on defense is not easily addressed either. The big UFA names (Karlsson, Ryan Ellis, Myers, Nate Schmidt or Chara) are probably too expensive or will get resigned. We could always trade, but we will give up something off value to get anything decent (no not Brown & a 2nd).

Best hope is for Lil/Sandin to make the leap. Reports on Liljegren seem rather muted and somewhat underwhelming.

If Liljegren can’t play now he must have a long way to go.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

I know, but he has a nmc and can just turn down a trade if he chooses to play next season.

If he retires, the leafs can trade his cap space, as it's only $1.2 million in real salary.

That's possible of course, but it will come at a cost. No team is going to bail us out. They will extract something of value from us.

 

[17 Clark]

Anyone get a chance to see the Boston game tonight steamrolled Islanders Sorry to say it doesn’t look good for Toronto

 

[FraumBallard]

No. Since 67 the only time I ever thought they were going to win a Cup was in the spring of 93.

Just when you think the road is hard.
I feel blessed.
I always think they can win.
I have great faith in the only important things in life.
Faith Family Leafs.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

Just for record's sake (and maybe I'm reading this incorrectly), isn't Marleau 6th?

TOI/GP:

1. Marner 19:39
2. Tavares 19:03
3. Matthews 18:24
4. Hyman 17:17
5. Kapanen 16:34
6. Marleau 16:31

WAY TOO HIGH STILL.

 

[Nineteen67]

Just when you think the road is hard.
I feel blessed.
I always think they can win.
I have great faith in the only important things in life.
Faith Family Leafs.

God
Family
.
.
.
.
.
.
Leafs/Jays

 

[Pilky01]

This roster is soft. All of our top guys are soft.

At least expectations are in check now.

 

[diceman934]

Just to be clear. You stated Chicago won 3 cups without hitting.

Care to admit you were wrong? As they never won the cup without hitting!

I replied “Chicago did not win without hitting my god you can not be serious”.

So like you said above when you fabricated our conversation just take the loss.

Bueller ...Bueller ....Bueller

 

[Sypher04]

Is Mirtle now having affair with Dubas? They are already BFF's and this article is so sad. Blame Babcock and zero blame towards Dubas.

Aside from Sparks decision being questionable (though I believe the logic is pretty clear) I fail to see what Dubas has done to deserve blame tbh

He subtracted polak, komarov and Martin from our lineup, who were all terrible. Added John Tavares, who Babs wanted. Added Jake Muzzin, by far the most significant defensive upgrade we've made since Babs arrived, and Babs has refused to use him properly because of some misguided notion of right vs left defenders that he seems to be entirely selective about, as he seems to have no issue doing it with Hainsey

Dubas has added far more to this team than he's subtracted.

 

[justafan22]

Aside from Sparks decision being questionable (though I believe the logic is pretty clear) I fail to see what Dubas has done to deserve blame tbh

He subtracted polak, komarov and Martin from our lineup, who were all terrible. Added John Tavares, who Babs wanted. Added Jake Muzzin, by far the most significant defensive upgrade we've made since Babs arrived, and Babs has refused to use him properly because of some misguided notion of right vs left defenders that he seems to be entirely selective about, as he seems to have no issue doing it with Hainsey

Dubas has added far more to this team than he's subtracted.

You could argue depth defense, but that's hindsight and no one good was out there

 

[ShaneFalco]

This roster is soft. All of our top guys are soft.

At least expectations are in check now.

Moore, Kap, AJ, Kadri, Muzzin, Hainsey, Dermott, Hyman, JT, AM, Marner - you'd consider them all soft?

 

[Pilky01]

Moore, Kap, AJ, Kadri, Muzzin, Hainsey, Dermott, Hyman, JT, AM, Marner - you'd consider them all soft?

They can't beat the Bruins, Lightning or even the Islanders in a high pressure situation.

As a collective they are a very soft team. I dont know how you are arguing otherwise. Its like arguing that we are well equipped to beat Boston. It doesn't make any sense.

The results speak for themselves.

 

[ShaneFalco]

They can't beat the Bruins, Lightning or even the Islanders in a high pressure situation.

You may be right. We'll see. Playoffs are a different beast

 

[Pilky01]

You may be right. We'll see. Playoffs are a different beast

The results there are pretty overwhelming as well.

I am just looking for this team to gain some experience and hopefully learn how to play like a hard team. I have zero expectations of going past the first round nor do I think this squad, based on their performance this season, really deserves to go any further than that.

Hopefully they catch fire and shoot the lights out against Boston, but nothing this squad has done in their history gives me any reason to believe that is a realistic possibility.

 

[IBeL34f]

Bueller ...Bueller ....Bueller

Are you serious with this shit? You need someone to say they were wrong because you don't understand hyperbole? Good lord.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Bueller ...Bueller ....Bueller

So you're saying that instead of taking issues with me saying that Chicago didn't hit a lot, you thought that I literally meant that while all other teams had approximately 10'000 hits during that period, Chicago had zero? And you think that somehow looks better for you?

You're just being ridiculous now, Dice.

 

[diceman934]

So you're saying that instead of taking issues with me saying that Chicago didn't hit a lot, you thought that I literally meant that while all other teams had approximately 10'000 hits during that period, Chicago had zero? And you think that somehow looks better for you?

You're just being ridiculous now, Dice.

You were wrong and can not admit it. Calling me out and you misrepresent what you said and what I said. Take the loss as you said.