Quinn era was much better than Burns era

[Stephen]

could not crack the trap. We had good enough teams, but couldnt play against trap team

Well keep in mind we had problems beating Philadelphia as well, going 1-2 against them in 1999-2004. Very similar to the Flyers veteran teams in terms of quality during the 2003 and 2004 runs but they seemed just a little deeper up front to overcome their horrible goaltending against Toronto.

 

[crump]

Naw, watching Gilmour in those 90’s series was incredible. I know he is just one player on the team but he single handedly brought the franchise out of perpetual losing. We didn’t win the cup but he brought the “dare to dream” back to the franchise.

 

[Bomber0104]

So far both of those eras have been better than the Dubas-eras, success-wise.

This era could learn a thing or two from that era.

 

[TheShape]

Quinn era were easily my favourite Leafs teams to watch. Just so much grit and personality, all in every year at the deadline. I remember being over the moon at the Brian Leetch and Owen Nolan acquisitions.

That 2004 team had everything, had Belfour not had problems with the Flyers I think they win it at all that year.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Dubas/Keefe era is expected better than both.

So far they haven't

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Does it matter? where are the championships?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

So far both of those eras have been better than the Dubas-eras, success-wise.

This era could learn a thing or two from that era.

Neither era has won a championship so does it matter?

 

[Bomber0104]

Neither era has won a championship so does it matter?

Yes it actually does.

There's elements of winning Stanley Cups that the Burns/Quinn-era teams possesed.

Until Dubas teams shed their well-established reputation of being physically/mentally/emotionally-weak they'll be looking for their first playoff round win for quite some time still..

Those other teams didn't have that sort of barrier, as history shows.

 

[Bomber0104]

So far they haven't

Expected playoff series wins over 3 seasons: 3/3

Actual playoff series wins over 3 seasons: 0/3

Quinn got 2 in 1 season alone

God that's bad...

 

[freshwind]

personally I enjoyed both those teams ... but the most frustrating to me was the 77/78 club ... they were young, dynamic. and very good ... lost in 4 to the habs and instead of building on the youth they traded skill for grit - thompson and a 1st for snowshoes maloney - (hhmm, where do we hear that today? move skill for grit)
a little patience and the team could have been a contender for a number of years .. lack of patience caused gregory to be let go and we got the second coming of punch imlach ...
be careful what you wish for sometimes ...

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Quinn era is still my favourite. Sundin my fave Leaf of all time. CuJo just a rock in goal that allowed the team to take the next step. Kaberle such a likeable guy both on and off the ice.

Skill, goaltending, hard working, intimidating coach. Those were some great years. Just too bad they couldn't get over the hump. Thought that was the best chance to break the drought.

 

[TheShape]

In some ways the Quinn era was the most frustrating because it was the era of free spending like the league has never seen and somehow the rich Leafs were never able to land a single other legit elite prime aged player to help Sundin. Pretty crazy tbh. Not one.

Alex Mogilny. Although he wasn't the same player after the lockout, I was gutted when he went back to New Jersey. But yeah, how could they not surround Sundin with at least two elite wingers at that time. It's crazy Gary Roberts was producing the way he was at 35+ at the time given his play style, leafs got everything and more out of him.

Skyline of Antropov Nieuwendyk Ponikarovsky was underrated.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Expected playoff series wins over 3 seasons: 3/3

Actual playoff series wins over 3 seasons: 0/3

Quinn got 2 in 1 season alone

God that's bad...

That's great but nobody has a championship.

I want a championship, and no the AHL title does not count.

Do you watch the Raptors parade?

I did, I want that for the Leafs

 

[Bomber0104]

That's great but nobody has a championship.

I want a championship, and no the AHL title does not count.

Do you watch the Raptors parade?

I did, I want that for the Leafs

So the measure of success for you is either a Cup, or nothing?

From last place regular season to Cup finalist is equal in nothingness? And then of course the Cup is the be-all, end-all?

That's very dumb, and there's no other way to describe that way of thinking so I'm sorry if I offend.

Name one Stanley Cup winner that didn't win a playoff round in the fifteen years preceding it...

Because that's where the Leafs are.

That should tell you roughly where they are in their Cup pursuit, quite plainly.

They aren't there.

Not even close.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

So the measure of success for you is either a Cup, or nothing?

From last place regular season to Cup finalist is equal in nothingness? And then of course the Cup is the be-all, end-all?

That's very dumb, and there's no other way to describe that way of thinking so I'm sorry if I offend.

Name one Stanley Cup winner that didn't win a playoff round in the fifteen years preceding it...

Because that's where the Leafs are.

That should tell you roughly where they are in their Cup pursuit, quite plainly.

They aren't there.

Not even close.

They didn't go from last place to the cup finals, they went from last place to the playoffs, as fun as that was and it was that's not enough anymore.

Yes for me right now it's cup or bust.

There is a reason why you aren't seeing me talk about how they are on pace for close to 58 wins and nearly 120 points, although they are it's because that's not success to me.

But at the same the fact that they are on pace for close to 58 wins and nearly 120 points tells me it's all in time.

TRUE all in time, not trading away a few picks and calling it all in. I'm talking about picks, prospects, young players all of it.

This is the best roster they have had in 20 years including last year.

If they add the right piece to this group yes they can win.

and that's the bar with a team with this much talent.

this isn't 2017 anymore

 

[Bomber0104]

They didn't go from last place to the cup finals, they went from last place to the playoffs, as fun as that was and it was that's not enough anymore.

Yes for me right now it's cup or bust.

There is a reason why you aren't seeing me talk about how they are on pace for close to 58 wins and nearly 120 points, although they are it's because that's not success to me.

But at the same the fact that they are on pace for close to 58 wins and nearly 120 points tells me it's all in time.

TRUE all in time, not trading away a few picks and calling it all in. I'm talking about picks, prospects, young players all of it.

This is the best roster they have had in 20 years including last year.

If they add the right piece to this group yes they can win.

and that's the bar with a team with this much talent.

this isn't 2017 anymore

Ok so you think there's no difference between a last place team and a Cup finalist?

I disagree, entirely, and for glaringly obvious reasons.

You believe that a team that hasn't won a playoff series in 16 years can win a Cup, overnight?

Again, I disagree, once again entirely.

Strange and completely inaccurate beliefs out of you, to say the least, neither history or statistics are on your side.

Sorry.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Ok so you think there's no difference between a last place team and a Cup finalist?

I disagree, entirely, and for glaringly obvious reasons.

You believe that a team that hasn't won a playoff series in 16 years can win a Cup, overnight?

Again, I disagree, once again entirely.

Strange and completely inaccurate beliefs out of you, to say the least, neither history or statistics are on your side.

Sorry.

History doesn't matter the past does not dictate the future.

Yes I do believe that this team as deep as it is can beat anybody especially if they add at the deadline.

Which I expect them to do and it's not just because they are on pace to smash the franchise record for wins and points.

It's because if I'm wrong I don't think Dubas has a job.

I expect Dubas to go all in, TRULY all in because I suspect he has to.

 

[Nylanderthal]

I'd flip that as the Burns era with Dougie was more Cup competitive with a better chance of final 4 or Stanley Cup. Circumstances outside of Leafs control determined some of those results that still spoken of today.

While the Quinn era had a pair of final 4 finishes as well, it was more expected because the Leafs would simply outspend $$$$ most teams to earn a playoff birth where back then in the late 1990's- early 2000's Leafs salary would be $90-$100 mil which is +$10-20 more than it is today at $81.5 mil. When you can add Ronnie Francis and Brian Leetch etc at a TD with no financial care it made a league of have's and have nots. Leafs were trying to Buy a Cup not win a Cup essentially along with a handfull of other teams.

This Era as a result brought change in terms of Salary Cap era to bring financial parity to the NHL so all teams could compete on an equal level. Once the Salary Cap was introduced in 2005 the Leafs who were among the Cup favorites prior would miss the playoffs 10 of the 11 next years including 7 straight. So confirmed that the Quinn Era prior to the Cap Era was more about money then team building and talent.

Cut it out mess, the leafs never spent $100m on salary

 

[Bomber0104]

History doesn't matter the past does not dictate the future.

Yes I do believe that this team as deep as it is can beat anybody especially if they add at the deadline.

They haven't won a series yet, with this lineup.

Why do you think this?

Which I expect them to do and it's not just because they are on pace to smash the franchise record for wins and points.

Regular season is a completely different colored horse than playoff hockey.

How many times does this need to be said before the lollipop guild starts clicking in?

It's because if I'm wrong I don't think Dubas has a job.

I expect Dubas to go all in, TRULY all in because I suspect he has to.

He already is all in.

It hasn't worked, clearly, and if it doesn't show that it works this year then even more fans are going to start checking out more than they have been, and yes his job is toast...

Leafs fans deserve better than this.

After the JFJ and Burke/Nonis years we were supposed to have something to show for it.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

They haven't won a series yet, with this lineup.

Why do you think this?



Regular season is a completely different colored horse than playoff hockey.

How many times does this need to be said before the lollipop guild starts clicking in?



He already is all in.

It hasn't worked, clearly, and if it doesn't show that it works this year then even more fans are going to start checking out more than they have been, and yes his job is toast...

Leafs fans deserve better than this.

After the JFJ and Burke/Nonis years we were supposed to have something to show for it.

He's hasn't gone all in, not yet, you can't be all in and keep all your prospects like he did last year.

last year he went half in, he traded a few picks but kept his prospects.

This year I think everything is on the table because his job is on the line

 

[Bomber0104]

He's hasn't gone all in, not yet, you can't be all in and keep all your prospects like he did last year.

last year he went half in, he traded a few picks but kept his prospects.

This year I think everything is on the table because his job is on the line

Trading three consecutive years' 1st round picks?

That's just business as usual for a team?

Please.

 

[Dekes For Days]

You believe that a team that hasn't won a playoff series in 16 years can win a Cup, overnight?

Not sure what 16 years ago has to do with anything right now. FYI, LA won the cup after not winning a playoff series for a decade.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I wasn't cognizant during the Burns Leafs but Quinn's Leafs were highly entertaining. Great cast of players and characters. Quinn himself of course was a character, skilled players in Sundin, Kaberle, Mogilny, McCabe, warriors like Tucker, Roberts, Domi, and in net Cujo and Belfour with their unique mask designs. And that's just the core guys, from 98-99 to 03-04 there were a ton of interesting players that made this team a joy to cheer for. "Stumpy" Thomas, Berezin, Yushkevich, Markov, Green, Corson, Belak, the list goes on.

I've seen footage of the Burns era Leafs, specifically the '93 run, and that era will always be the one that got us as close as we've been to Stanley Cup glory and resurrected this franchise after the nightmare that was Ballard. But Quinn's teams being successful for longer I think gives him the edge.

 

[zeke]

Alex Mogilny. Although he wasn't the same player after the lockout, I was gutted when he went back to New Jersey. But yeah, how could they not surround Sundin with at least two elite wingers at that time. It's crazy Gary Roberts was producing the way he was at 35+ at the time given his play style, leafs got everything and more out of him.

Skyline of Antropov Nieuwendyk Ponikarovsky was underrated.

Love mogilny but we got him at a discount at age 32 when he was well past his prime.

 

[CapspaceKiller]

Love mogilny but we got him at a discount at age 32 when he was well past his prime.

The leafs gave Mogilny 5.5m per for 4 years in 2001, which was more than any team was offering him. That was a massive contract for the time.