Speculation: Patrick Marleau discussion Part II

[X66]

Are people acting like Boston’s defence was good in that series against us? Lmao.

They won the special teams battle and had their goalie show up in game 7.

That’s it.

 

[sparxx87]

Leafs literally played one of them and matched their physicality. They can't match their defense, but they are the better offensive team. The margin was so small that it came to a Game 7.

I don’t think the grit and grind are on that level but that’s my opinion. I also like an elite D core over an elite top 6 in a 7 game series.

You’re right, game 7 was a great and shows how far talent can take you, they almost upset them... but the Bruins are built for the playoffs and were able to grind out some wins and move on. The Leafs can only consistently win 2 ways while top contenders have 3-4.. Until that changes it’ll be a lot of early exits IMO.

 

[ULF_55]

I don’t think the grit and grind are on that level but that’s my opinion. I also like an elite D core over an elite top 6 in a 7 game series.

You’re right, game 7 was a great and shows how far talent can take you, they almost upset them... but the Bruins are built for the playoffs and were able to grind out some wins and move on. The Leafs can only consistently win 2 ways while top contenders have 3-4.. Until that changes it’ll be a lot of early exits IMO.

I'd be curious how many games the Bruins won at even strength?

They beat the Leafs with their PP.

 

[sparxx87]

I'd be curious how many games the Bruins won at even strength?

They beat the Leafs with their PP.

Yeah, with Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey as their best PK d men.

The Bruins almost ran the table on a hot PP... the Leafs didn’t have the man power to slow it down. They’re built for offense with very few defensive players. Babcock resorted to Tavares-Marner at times because his options were so sad. I was almost shocked to see it as someone whose watched Babcock for years... but again, he just has such a poorly built team at the bottom that he was throwing **** at the wall to see what’d stick.

Testament to the talent when they almost upset the conference champs with such a flawed team.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Well if the reports are true about SJ or bust, be prepared to see the bench and press-box a lot PM if you're game doesn't improve. Oh wait, Babcock is still coach.....

 

[ToneDog]

He was absolutely useless in both the playoffs and the season. If it wasn't for that contract, you'd forget he was even playing.

Marleau was actually OK in the series 2 years ago. He fell off a cliff last summer and should keep free falling this summer.

 

[Nineteen67]

Sad story this Marleau character. When he signed there was all this talk about what a gud pro he is, wants to play for a winner so bad he'll even uproot his family and move across the continent to chase his dream of winning the cup.

It's clear now that as some of us suspected, money was his only motivation for signing here. Now that he's gotten the dough and he has all the leverage one could dream of we find out what he really wants. Is it to play for a top contender? Why no, of course not. We were supposedly that contender but it's not us and apparently no other contender is satisfactory either. Nope, the man has his money and now that he's cashed in, he wants to go home.

Character guy, gud pro my ass. And LOL at us Leaf fans who thought that we'd benefit because he was teaching our young guys like Marner everything he knows. Well I guess he did teach him alright, too bad that what he taught him was that pro hockey is all about the money, winning is somewhere way down the list.

Did Marleau say any of that?

 

[Gary Nylund]

Did Marleau say any of that?

I don't remember exactly what he said or didn't say, I'm talking about what Leaf fans here were saying when he was signed.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Marleau was actually OK in the series 2 years ago. He fell off a cliff last summer and should keep free falling this summer.

Agreed. He was serviceable last year but lost whatever gear he had left this season. It's almost like everyone knew 2 years would have been the perfect contract length but Lou just had to give him 3 apparently.

 

[ULF_55]

Agreed. He was serviceable last year but lost whatever gear he had left this season. It's almost like everyone knew 2 years would have been the perfect contract length but Lou just had to give him 3 apparently.

To be fair, it worked out very well for Lou.

 

[ryno23]

If I am the Leafs I am being upfront with Marleau and letting him know we are going to manage your minutes be on the 4th line and you will be sitting out at least 20 games this year to save your energy for the playofffs. Sorry about that iron man streak but the team is more important than that silly streak. He should have been on the same load management as Khawi.

 

[HeroNtF]

Question, is it even possible for marleau to waive and both parties terminate the contract on / just after july 1st or is there windows for that ? Like philly with macdonald, would the contract fully disappear ?

Thought on that being once he gets his bonus that would essentially be that (3mil?) Hidden on his cap hit for the previous 2 years if that was their plan all along. While this is wild speculation, it would be nice seeing the leafs using their cap/cba specialists to do something new and sneaky.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Yeah, with Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey as their best PK d men.

The Bruins almost ran the table on a hot PP... the Leafs didn’t have the man power to slow it down. They’re built for offense with very few defensive players. Babcock resorted to Tavares-Marner at times because his options were so sad. I was almost shocked to see it as someone whose watched Babcock for years... but again, he just has such a poorly built team at the bottom that he was throwing **** at the wall to see what’d stick.

Testament to the talent when they almost upset the conference champs with such a flawed team.

Babcock could have used Kapanen, Hyman (which he did even though he was injured), Brown and Gauthier on the PK. Even Moore and Johnsson were capable PKers in the AHL, and Tavares has PK experience from NYI.

So he had other options. He just chose to use Marner.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Marleau was actually OK in the series 2 years ago. He fell off a cliff last summer and should keep free falling this summer.

People forget quickly once a guy is done. Guys that stick around past their due date always get that treatment from fans. But Babs will likely play him on 3rd line no matter what if he is still on the team. He has too much invested with Shanny in the contract promotion end. and look for the iron man streak to continue too as the rot gets more stinky. It will be really sad to see the boo birds come out next season but it will happen if he can't be traded.

 

[sparxx87]

Babcock could have used Kapanen, Hyman (which he did even though he was injured), Brown and Gauthier on the PK. Even Moore and Johnsson were capable PKers in the AHL, and Tavares has PK experience from NYI.

So he had other options. He just chose to use Marner.

Yeah, he had a bunch of mediocre to choose from. Hyman is the only one I’d say is good while Kapanen and Brown have their moments. Everyone else is just mediocre although I can’t really remember isolating Moore on the PK so I’ll get back to you on that one.


Among a group of mediocre, Babcock tried to use the most dynamic of the bunch. That makes a lot of sense to me considering the alternatives.

 

[GrunbeldDragonKnight]

Of all the veterans we could have signed we decided on one of the softest, least intense players in NHL history. The only time Marleau has won anything of significance is at irrelevant international tournaments while he was a glorified spectator. Read about what Jeremy Roenick has said about this guy...

I would bring him back just to spite him. Bury him in the pressbox. People talk about respecting these guys... Do they respect the fanbase when they sign obscene contracts and never live up to them? You think Marleau signed here because he had a greater chance to win? No, it was clearly for the money and the third year. He used us to get get one last retirement package.

In order for this team to move forward it needs to be cleansed of selfish garbage like Marleau and Nylander. Fans should boo them mercilessly. Give them the Larry Murphy treatment (who was a complete abomination here).

 

[Martin Skoula]

Yeah, with Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey as their best PK d men.

The Bruins almost ran the table on a hot PP... the Leafs didn’t have the man power to slow it down. They’re built for offense with very few defensive players. Babcock resorted to Tavares-Marner at times because his options were so sad. I was almost shocked to see it as someone whose watched Babcock for years... but again, he just has such a poorly built team at the bottom that he was throwing **** at the wall to see what’d stick.

Testament to the talent when they almost upset the conference champs with such a flawed team.

Zatisev and Hainsey actually did their jobs. Maybe if we didn't have a crippled winger out there taking faceoffs against the best faceoff man of the last decade, we wouldn't be giving Boston free possession on 80% of their PP faceoffs.

 

[X66]

Yeah, he had a bunch of mediocre to choose from. Hyman is the only one I’d say is good while Kapanen and Brown have their moments. Everyone else is just mediocre although I can’t really remember isolating Moore on the PK so I’ll get back to you on that one.


Among a group of mediocre, Babcock tried to use the most dynamic of the bunch. That makes a lot of sense to me considering the alternatives.

Whoever was in charge of the PP, Babcock or Smith, there is no excuse for playing a player with a torn ACL on the PK, let alone one of the best ones in the NHL and against one of the best faceoff men of all time lol.

No centers on the PK doesn't make sense at any level, should have had Tavares and Matthews there.

Should have been giving Matthews PK time for a while now.

 

[X66]

Zatisev and Hainsey actually did their jobs. Maybe if we didn't have a crippled winger out there taking faceoffs against the best faceoff man of the last decade, we wouldn't be giving Boston free possession on 80% of their PP faceoffs.

x10

 

[sparxx87]

Zatisev and Hainsey actually did their jobs. Maybe if we didn't have a crippled winger out there taking faceoffs against the best faceoff man of the last decade, we wouldn't be giving Boston free possession on 80% of their PP faceoffs.

And if he had a better RH PK’er to take faceoffs he wouldn’t have had to rely so heavily on a crippled winger.

Unfortunate, really.

 

[Martin Skoula]

And if he had a better RH PK’er to take faceoffs he wouldn’t have had to rely so heavily on a crippled winger.

Unfortunate, really.

Literally any one of our forwards would have been better at taking those faceoffs than Hyman. 20% is comically bad.

 

[sparxx87]

Literally any one of our forwards would have been better at taking those faceoffs than Hyman. 20% is comically bad.

It is. Almost as comically bad as the personnel he had to choose from in his bottom 6... apparently it makes sense to have Freddy Gauthier and Tyler Ennis wasting roster spots when you can afford a PK specialist or two with the top 3 lines being as potent as they are.

Blaming the HOF coach for the poor roster make-up couldn’t sound more foolish yet here you are. Again.

 

[Martin Skoula]

It is. Almost as comically bad as the personnel he had to choose from in his bottom 6... apparently it makes sense to have Freddy Gauthier and Tyler Ennis wasting roster spots when you can afford a PK specialist or two with the top 3 lines being as potent as they are.

Blaming the HOF coach for the poor roster make-up couldn’t sound more foolish yet here you are. Again.

He had centers available. He had other defensive wingers available. We just needed someone who could go 40-45% on faceoffs and get off, the exact same way he used Steckel, Bozak, and Boyle in years past. Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Marleau are fully capable of going at least 40% against Bergeron and swapping out for Moore or Kapanen. There's absolutely no excuse no matter how much you want to complain about the roster, we had a multitude of options for those faceoffs and he refused to use any of them.

 

[sparxx87]

He had centers available. He had other defensive wingers available. We just needed someone who could go 40-45% on faceoffs and get off, the exact same way he used Steckel, Bozak, and Boyle in years past. Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Marleau are fully capable of going at least 40% against Bergeron and swapping out for Moore or Kapanen. There's absolutely no excuse no matter how much you want to complain about the roster, we had a multitude of options for those faceoffs and he refused to use any of them.

It’s not that I want to complain about the roster, I just want the roster to improve so this team can contend.

If he had Steckel, Bozak or Boyle he would have used them, but he didn’t.... I would have done the same thing when half my team looked indifferent. You know your guy is better than 20% and believe in him to go get the next one.


Anyone else that’s never coached before wanna take a swing?

 

[GrunbeldDragonKnight]

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Marleau should never have been signed. I am afraid his softness has rubbed off on some of our young players. This guy has zero desire to win. He merely signed here for the money and the third year. His iron man streak is laughable considering this guy has been one of the softest players in the entire history of the NHL.