Speculation: "This is the new NHL"

[Whaleafs]

Talent is nice, but it takes more than talent to win in the playoffs. Maybe, we are overestimating the talent level on this team. Regular season and playoffs are 2 different animals. Look at our forwards.

Marleau, Brown, Hyman not exactly talented.
Johnsson and Kapanen are unproven. To be honest Kapanen was underwhelming this playoff. Seems like a straight ahead type player with no real vision. Johnsson showed some flashes, but was largely inconsistent
Nylander has talent, but is beyond lazy.
Thats 6 of the top 9 forwards right there.
Tavares/Marner did a nice job defensively, but contributed next to nothing on offence.
Matthews had a good series, no complaints there.

Our D - I can see 3 of them for sure back (Reilly/Muzzin/Dermott) and the rest is up in the air

Reilly/Muzzin - very good
Dermott - young and looked terrible last night, some growing to do
Gardiner - was a disaster last night again, he was playing hurt, but still
Zaitsev - fairly solid, but at $4.5/year, you can get that for half the price
Hainsey- old and needs to go

All in all, this team has alot of flaws and question marks. They are not a finished product yet. Its on Dubas to make this roster better, but with so much money tied up in (Matthews/Tavares/Nylander and soon Marner), that is going to be a task. Nylander and Marleau need to go for this to happen.

The roster was set a month before the trade deadline. The power play has been anemic since November. All those underwhelming playoff performers kept their regular shifts if not gaining more ice time based on no merit. No line juggling to get the most out of our top offensive guys when it came to closing out the series or trying to claw back late in several games. The PK was adjusted only in the final elimination game of the series after 6 previous displays of absolute ineffectiveness. These are all coaching issues.

 

[FlatIron]

Habs and Leafs are both soft, speed and skill is all good but come playoff time both teams need grit, toughness and size, just look at Columbus. Same goes for TB, skill but no grit or edge.

 

[GoonieFace]

The roster was set a month before the trade deadline. The power play has been anemic since November. All those underwhelming playoff performers kept their regular shifts if not gaining more ice time based on no merit. No line juggling to get the most out of our top offensive guys when it came to closing out the series or trying to claw back late in several games. The PK was adjusted only in the final elimination game of the series after 6 previous displays of absolute ineffectiveness. These are all coaching issues.

I agree that there was a lack of juggling around players, but realistically, besides Matthews, all the top guns were completely absent offensively. They played the minutes, they just didn't produce. A good team should not have to resort to desperation tactics to win. Boston moved around Pastrnak here and there, but they are essentially a one line team so that is understandable. If the Leafs are so deep with talent, it sure didn't show itself this series.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

It is hard to win in the parity era.

Exhibit A: Tampa Bay

 

[CDN24]

Matthews had a good series, no complaints there.

Our D - I can see 3 of them for sure back (Reilly/Muzzin/Dermott) and the rest is up in the air

Reilly/Muzzin - very good
Dermott - young and looked terrible last night, some growing to do
Gardiner - was a disaster last night again, he was playing hurt, but still
Zaitsev - fairly solid, but at $4.5/year, you can get that for half the price
Hainsey- old and needs to go

All in all, this team has alot of flaws and question marks. They are not a finished product yet. Its on Dubas to make this roster better, but with so much money tied up in (Matthews/Tavares/Nylander and soon Marner), that is going to be a task. Nylander and Marleau need to go for this to happen.

Agree completely on the bolded. The biggest challenge will be D. Its not good enough and its going to lose some key parts, Gardiner definitely and hainsey maybe to free agency or age.

Reilly is what he is a great young offensive puck mover. ideally needs someone like a Hainsey (preferably younger so the pair can play more minutes) to cover the occasional gaffe
Dermott is young and looks good but D take time. my fear is that he will be rushed into a role he is not ready for because of Cap issues
Gardiner - I like him a lot. Yes he is prone to defensive lapses but drives the offense. Needs a steady partner. (this Habs fan would love to see him with Weber next year)
Zaitsev - played better than I expected this series but he is overpaid for too long.
Muzzin physical, great complimentary D but needs to play with a offensive stud (if he was a righty Leafs might be getting ready for 2nd round) awful -6 this series.

We saw what a D with Muzzin and without Gardiner looked like down the stretch and it was not pretty. Lots of blame to share for this years game 7 loss but if Dubas does not fix the D he will be solely to blame for next years 5 game opening round loss to the Bruins.

 

[Bomber0104]

The "new NHL" is basically a term some Leafs fans have come up with to rationalize the style of play our GM is shoving down our throats.

I remember Habs fans parroting the same type of stuff when they were the Smurfs and look how that turned out for them.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Dubas designed TOR the new way and we lost the old way.

It doesn't surprise me at all. I remember Leaf teams that knew how to win a playoff series. They looked much different than what we have now.

What did he design? Can you list some specific moves he made to make us play "the new way"?

 

[Not My Tempo]

Dubas designed TOR the new way and we lost the old way.

It doesn't surprise me at all. I remember Leaf teams that knew how to win a playoff series. They looked much different than what we have now.

Lol Dubas brought in Ennis, Tavares, Moore and Muzzin and that’s about it. How did he “design” this team?

 

[Not My Tempo]

Dubler Dubas is a entitled brat who got his job from his dad. He is in good track to ruin Leafs for years to come. Softness will only prevail in Dubas's soy fulled head. Leafs and their millennial GM is the laughing stock in the NHL.

Only thing why Dubas is survived so far is that he have Mirtle and Athletic on his corner. And Mirtles tactics have worked very well. There is a lot of people who get their opinions from Athletic and Mirtle on one way or another. Either they read their paper or they will listen talking heads like Steve Dangle and believe everything what they say.

Are you the real life King Joffrey? You’re actually insufferable. “Soy fulled head” lol shut up you edge lord. Seriously how is this homophobic stuff allowed here?

 

[Carltons Cup]

This whole "new NHL" is a loaded term that doesn't always mean much. Look at all the series upsets this year - Calgary, Winnipeg, TB, Nashville etc...

In ANY sport since the dawn of time, it comes down to one simple fundamental trait that makes a champion - DESIRE.

We have just about more talent than any other team in this "new NHL". While their desire to win may be there, their passion of winning the Cup needs to be something that drives them to win at any cost. Right now it isn't there. Hopefully that comes with age and maturity.

 

[Its not your fault]

I remeber when the goal was to build a play off team that can compete they still need to learn to not stop moving there legs and win some more Puck battles and face offs. They arnt f*** blow it up. More like no Hainesy Marner didn't look 11.6 million dollar player so I expect a bridge threw Marleau. I do think Brown won't be back and they might sell high on Hyman.

 

[Warden of the North]

So Cassidy is the better coach because their 4th line scrubs won the game last night?

His special teams were terrific. Thats coaching. He made key changes to his lineup throughout the series

 

[Leafsfan74]

Toronto was built on skill, and speed. Our 3-4 scoring/skilled lines was supposed to make us successful. Our underlying numbers was supposed to take us far. Our smaller / skilled players were supposed to take advantage of other teams.

In the "New NHL" we were supposed to beat the Boston Bruins.

Why did TOR lose that series in "the new NHL"?

How.can Dubas justify what this team has become?

Imagine how TB is feeling? They got swept.

Leafs took it to 7. Should have finished it off in 6. It's sports. The unstoppable force vs the immovable object, and something has to give.

How many different championship teams would there be in history if a bounce or two had gone the other way?

It's just a distraction from life, spectator sports. They got to the dance and faced a tough opponent, again.

 

[middletoe]

Yes

The topic is about "the new NHL".

Maybe ‘the new NHL’ helps sell the game during the regular season.

And maybe the playoffs don’t need that help to be sold.

Id like the NHL’s game management to stay consistent from regular season to playoffs ... or if not, then a separate playoff rulebook would be nice. I know I’d enjoy the game more if I knew what was allowed and what wasn’t out there.

 

[Nineteen67]

His special teams were terrific. Thats coaching. He made key changes to his lineup throughout the series

Throughout the season. He moved Pastrnak and it’s like no one missed a beat. I bet they did that before.

Babcock switched Marner and Matthews on the PP once in Jan and they didn’t score in the 45 seconds they tried it, so he abandon it until game 7.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Yes. If a team keeps losing, you've already fired your coach, who goes next? It's not the equipment manager.

How's your short-term memory?
Who got fired after Wilson?
Who got fired after Carlyle?

They got fired because they couldn't get a team into the playoffs.

Dubas is building a contender.

Different situation.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Dubas designed TOR the new way and we lost the old way.

It doesn't surprise me at all. I remember Leaf teams that knew how to win a playoff series. They looked much different than what we have now.

Dubas took Lou's team and added Tavares and Muzzin to it.

 

[Boxscore]

This is why analytics are baloney. They don't account for the physical war of attrition required to win game-7 battles. They don't account for Logan Couture getting pumped up and screaming, "that's one!" when the Sharks scored the first PP goal, and motivating the team to end up scoring four.

Hockey, more than any other sport, is built on emotion, energy and intangibles that cannot be measured on a spreadsheet. Everyone and their mother on this board said the Leafs weren't tough enough or their D wasn't deep enough to beat a team like Boston in the playoffs. What did the Leafs do to address it? They locked all their money up into top-heavy forwards who can score points, but they are not a well-rounded team.

All that money spent on elite forwards resulted in a single goal by Tavares in a monumental game 7. Not for anything, but Lou knows how to "build a team" and it's not done just by looking at spreadsheets and swanky stats.

 

[IPS]

What did he design? Can you list some specific moves he made to make us play "the new way"?

Reality : it's actually Lou who "designed" the team

But don't expect the dimwits to acknowledge it.

 

[killer1980]

This was the year the Leafs should have moved to the next level and they didn't. The team is not designed to win in the playoffs. They have no players to compliment the guys that can score. Nylander is way too soft for the playoffs and bails when it looks like he might get hit. No matter what all the Leaf faithful say, Boston was never losing this series. They stepped up when they had to. I didn't see many sacrifices by the Leafs except the 4th line and Marner blocking shots. You can't coach heart and desire. The team is not designed for playoff success. That is on the GM. Don't forget, with all the hype and additions, the team regressed from last year. Oh ya, get a goalie who can win the BIG game.

 

[mallory67]

Lack of grit did not cost us the series. Speed+Brains is the new NHL.

But you have to have speed and puck possesion without MISTAKES.
We beat ourselves:

- Kadri get his ass ejected in Game #2
- Too many defensive brain farts (more Gardiner anyone?, Nylander mistakes, Dermott)
- Andersen crapping the bed in another Game 7 (Rask made less mistakes)
- too many penalties (Ennis penalty in the O-zone?)
- Special teams weak (and not fixed all year)

These are all mental issues, not physical.
We skated and hit just fine.

 

[ottomaddox]

They got fired because they couldn't get a team into the playoffs.

Dubas is building a contender.

Different situation.

Not at all. All situations in professional sports are the same: winning.

Firing a coach almost always leads to the firing of a GM.

 

[Pookie]

Well, we werent out gritted.

Depends how you define it.

Seemed like the Bruins responded when down in the series.

They had the gumption and confidence to rally.

When it mattered... say Game 6... we were held to 6 shots for much of the first 30 minutes.

Just don’t think our skilled players can fight through when the other guys are stronger and giving 100%.

Moore really stood out. We need more Moore’s to surround the skill and give it confidence

 

[IPS]

Not at all. All situations in professional sports are the same: winning.

Firing a coach almost always leads to the firing of a GM.

Yeah but not when the timelines line up how ours do.

Dubas' first year on the job versus Babcock's 4th year on the job.

 

[Pookie]

Every team is fast. I don’t think the Leafs are faster and they’re certainly not more skilled. They have a couple of high end skilled players but there are a lot of guys that are in between.

This is why the regular season is such a dangerous place to make conclusions.

When there are 16,8,4,2 teams left... very little separates them. Good goalies. Good special teams. Skill. They all have video

Desire and confidence is about the only thing that can separate them.