ottomaddox
Registered User
I would like to reflect on our current team and the better Leaf teams in recent history. Specifically the 90's era where the Leafs had 4 semi-final appearances in 10 years.
Year and D-core:
1992-1993 (semi - finals, lost in 7 games)
R. Rouse, D. Ellett, J. Macoun, S. Lefebvre, T. Gill, D. Mironov
1993-1994 (semi - finals, lost in 5 games)
R. Rouse, D. Ellett, J. Macoun, S. Lefebvre, T. Gill, D. Mironov
1998-1999 (semi-finals, lost in 5 games)
A. Karpovtsev, T. Kaberle, D. Yushkevich, Bryan Berard, Daniel Markov, J. Smith, S. Cote
2001-2002 (semi-finals, lost in 6 games)
B. McCabe, T. Kaberle, D. Yushkevich, Cory Cross, Aki Berg, Jyrki Lumme
I think you might argue that "those were different times and this is a different league", but I still would take these team's D-core over our current one any day of the week.
If you watch VGK and WSH go at it tonight, you'll notice several things we are missing: toughness (not face punching toughness), a dedication to winning puck battles, a dedication to the defensive side of the position (I'm looking at you Gardiner), a simple puck moving game, some players who run into trouble flip the puck to the centre ice area, if there is no pass to be made they just put it off the boards just outside their blue line, no stretch passes (I'm looking at you Gardiner), and shot blocking (from most of their players).
This is what we should expect, and this is what I'd like on my leaf team. This is what those teams of the 90's had, and this is what we don't have at all.
If our team going forward is:
Rielly Hainsey
Gardiner Zaitsev
Dermott Polak
We will never win a playoff series.
I really don't buy that a good #2 RHD is going to make all the difference.
When comparing VGK, WSH, and the 90's leafs I would say we could use 3 more defensemen.
Year and D-core:
1992-1993 (semi - finals, lost in 7 games)
R. Rouse, D. Ellett, J. Macoun, S. Lefebvre, T. Gill, D. Mironov
1993-1994 (semi - finals, lost in 5 games)
R. Rouse, D. Ellett, J. Macoun, S. Lefebvre, T. Gill, D. Mironov
1998-1999 (semi-finals, lost in 5 games)
A. Karpovtsev, T. Kaberle, D. Yushkevich, Bryan Berard, Daniel Markov, J. Smith, S. Cote
2001-2002 (semi-finals, lost in 6 games)
B. McCabe, T. Kaberle, D. Yushkevich, Cory Cross, Aki Berg, Jyrki Lumme
I think you might argue that "those were different times and this is a different league", but I still would take these team's D-core over our current one any day of the week.
If you watch VGK and WSH go at it tonight, you'll notice several things we are missing: toughness (not face punching toughness), a dedication to winning puck battles, a dedication to the defensive side of the position (I'm looking at you Gardiner), a simple puck moving game, some players who run into trouble flip the puck to the centre ice area, if there is no pass to be made they just put it off the boards just outside their blue line, no stretch passes (I'm looking at you Gardiner), and shot blocking (from most of their players).
This is what we should expect, and this is what I'd like on my leaf team. This is what those teams of the 90's had, and this is what we don't have at all.
If our team going forward is:
Rielly Hainsey
Gardiner Zaitsev
Dermott Polak
We will never win a playoff series.
I really don't buy that a good #2 RHD is going to make all the difference.
When comparing VGK, WSH, and the 90's leafs I would say we could use 3 more defensemen.