Was the Leafs season a regression?

[NetflixandPhil]

Wondering what the general consensus is.

Click to read more...

 

[GlitchMarner]

Not really. Maybe more of a stagnation. They went just as far in the playoffs and finished third in their division again. They really need to find a way to get to the next level.

 

[illpucks]

agree with @GlitchMarner. Stagnation

 

[Fugazy]

Slightly, but wouldn’t classify as a regression.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Not really. Maybe more of a stagnation. They went just as far in the playoffs and finished third in their division again. They really need to find a way to get to the next level.

Yeah, they didn't exactly regress, but they also didn't progress to take that next step that folks said they would when signing Tavares as the thing to get them over the hump and Muzzin being the missing piece on the blueline.

Andersen did Andersen things, Kadri did Kadri things, Gardiner did Gardiner Game 7 things, and Matthews played less than 20 minutes in an elimination game. Same old, same old.

 

[c9777666]

Technically, yes. Fewer points than last year, didn't even have a game 7 lead.

 

[34]

Meh, it ended exactly how most Leaf fans expected. Failed coaching, poor goaltending. There will be no changes this offseason.

I am predicting the Leafs will miss the playoffs next season.

 

[McFlyingV]

Stagnation because cap space was supposed to take them to the next level, but by next season they won't have any and the team did not improve.

 

[jetsforever]

Yeah, same thing seemed to happen to Jets and Leafs
Hope they can both rebound next season

 

[LaMasquerade]

I vote for regression. The biggest problem is that they started paying too much for average players.. this will haunt them in future.

 

[bigbabybuda]

The majority of their best players on their team are still under the age of when players typically begin to start having success in the playoffs.

They didn't progress as much as one would have hoped but Reilly, Marner, Kapanen, Johansson and Matthews all grew as individual players. There nothing to worry about. The core of players is good enough where eventually the playoff success will come.

 

[Sting]

They are a good example of why you need depth throughout the lineup and not a top heavy lineup. If you're going to go top heavy, they have to be all-world talents like Crosby/Malkin or Kane/Toews in their prime. Matthews/Marner may get there...but not impressed with Marner's play. He looked overwhelmed at times.

 

[the paisanos guy]

Leafs fans need to relax. In the age of parity, having a good team gets you into the playoffs and a very off-chance at the cup. That's it. Expecting more like it's a given is why you now have people trying to figure out how things went wrong when in reality we are talking about the difference of a single game.

 

[Leafsrock95]

Meh, it ended exactly how most Leaf fans expected. Failed coaching, poor goaltending. There will be no changes this offseason.

I am predicting the Leafs will miss the playoffs next season.

Poor goaltending?? Do you watch hockey. If every team played without a goalie Toronto would be the worst team in the league. Can’t even hold onto the puck.

 

[lomiller1]

The Leafs had one of the highest PDO’s in the NHL, that’s the opposite of regression.

 

[bobholly39]

Leafs fans need to relax. In the age of parity, having a good team gets you into the playoffs and a very off-chance at the cup. That's it. Expecting more like it's a given is why you now have people trying to figure out how things went wrong when in reality we are talking about the difference of a single game.

Yeah but they also lost 3 straight times in round 1.

After signing one of the biggest names in UFA history and having talent like Matthews/Marner/Nylander together for 3 years now - and supposedly the best coach in hockey.

I don't think it's unwarranted for Leaf fans to be upset and demand results.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Meh, it ended exactly how most Leaf fans expected.

IIRC, at the beginning of the season Leafs fans were saying the Leafs roster was comparable or superior to the Lightning.

 

[lomiller1]

Yeah but they also lost 3 straight times in round 1.

After signing one of the biggest names in UFA history and having talent like Matthews/Marner/Nylander together for 3 years now - and supposedly the best coach in hockey.

I don't think it's unwarranted for Leaf fans to be upset and demand results.

They lost to a considerably better team 3 times. The best team doesn’t always win, but why would the weaker team expect to win?

 

[bobholly39]

They lost to a considerably better team 3 times. The best team doesn’t always win, but why would the weaker team expect to win?

Boston/Toronto was 1A/1B this year. A bit like San Jose/Vegas. And it was like that last year too. Against Washington 2 years ago - sure, Washington clear better team then.

Maybe more people favored Boston over Toronto (though to be fair - a lot of that is because Boston seems to have Toronto's number) - but as teams they were really close. This was the closest matched series in the east. It's easy to justify losing by saying "well they weren't expected to win". At some point you have to win though - especially in close matchups like this.

Boston - 'considerably better' - that's a huge stretch.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

going to be worse next year.

what you saw is a glimpse into the world of a top heavy, loaded with big contracts team that is forced to have zero depth and cut corners on D.

Adding in $10m for Marner means even more depth out

 

[King In The North]

IIRC, at the beginning of the season Leafs fans were saying the Leafs roster was comparable or superior to the Lightning.

You are right, I also remember this during a TBL v TOR game.

Although to be fair, this might have also been before Tampa began their historic run.

 

[thadd]

Their management knows they don't have a team built for the playoffs.
First goal was to make a team that can get them there, now they need to refine things so that they'll be better for the post season.
Look at the Jets. They're even more built for the playoffs than the Leafs and they didn't even make it to game 7.

 

[613Leafer]

Despite a similar result, they were much better in the playoffs this year. Last year, they had no business getting to game 7 and were really lucky. Virtually every game the Bruins had the Leafs stuck in their own zone the majority of the time with the Leafs desperately floundering around trying to get the puck out.

This year, even the games they lost (aside from game 6), they generally matched the Bruins quite well and the bounces / special teams just didn't go their way.

 

[sansabri]

Mentally it is.

 

[Emerz]

Finished with less points with an arguably better roster. As always the playoff games were close but their 6 wins vs the Bruins in the past 2 playoffs have been off the back of 1st/2nd star Andersen performance. They didn't seem to have any depth scoring this year.