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Jimmy Firecracker

Fire Sheldon.
Mar 30, 2010
35,559
34,104
Mississauga
The main board is toxic! every single poster ****ting on the Leafs and offer sheets

It's cause they're all scared shitless. Just take solace in the fact that they're only hope of seeing this team kneecapped is to pray for something that rarely happens and hasn't been tried in 6 years.

The only reason the offer sheet narrative is getting any traction is because of our media market and the incessant need for clicks. If we were some small market bunghole like Minnesota or Columbus this foolishness wouldn't even be thought of.

EDIT: I'll also add that since this team addressed it's number 1 need with the Muzzin trade, people have lost one of the main avenues for criticizing and shitting on this team, so now the offer sheet narrative is being ramped up. It's no coincidence that Dreger (who's become a real hack since Nonis left) came out with that "100% teams are preparing to offer sheet Marner" BS today.
 
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DanM

Registered User
Oct 2, 2017
5,584
3,516
It's cause they're all scared ****less. Just take solace in the fact that they're only hope of seeing this team kneecapped is to pray for something that rarely happens and hasn't been tried in 6 years.

The only reason the offer sheet narrative is getting any traction is because of our media market and the incessant need for clicks. If were some small market bunghole like Minnesota or Columbus this foolishness wouldn't even be thought of.

100% agree
 

Kiwi

Registered User
Mar 5, 2016
20,980
15,856
The Naki
just enjoy the taste of their jealous tears.

they're delicious.
It's cause they're all scared ****less. Just take solace in the fact that they're only hope of seeing this team kneecapped is to pray for something that rarely happens and hasn't been tried in 6 years.

The only reason the offer sheet narrative is getting any traction is because of our media market and the incessant need for clicks. If were some small market bunghole like Minnesota or Columbus this foolishness wouldn't even be thought of.

Seems to come from Oilers fans a lot, you'd think they would have other things to worry about right now
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
We definitely have a strong team. Very skilled, best Leafs team in ages, though even with Muzzin I think toughness could be a problem in the playoffs.

With that said, I think we’re closer to “outside shot” than serious contenders. I think there’s a good chance we play the Bruins in the 1st round, and we’d be significant underdogs there, they’ve got our number. If we get through them, it’s likely Tampa in the 2nd round, who are the top team in the league by a decent margin. Significant underdogs again.

Who knows, a lot could change over the rest of the season. But if it’s Bruins in the first round, and Tampa in the 2nd (if we get there), then simply making it out of our division will be extremely difficult.
 

Nineteen67

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Dec 12, 2017
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if grinding the puck into the boards is entertaining.

Sure, compared to short track speed skating without the crashes.

The 93 semi-final was downright entertaining. Fights, great goals, vicious hits, great saves, bad goals, Gilmour, clean hits, Kerry Fraser, Wendel’s hat trick on a wonky back, suspensions, child births, Burns, black eyes, bad calls, and at the end Gretzky.
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
We definitely have a strong team. Very skilled, best Leafs team in ages, though even with Muzzin I think toughness could be a problem in the playoffs.

With that said, I think we’re closer to “outside shot” than serious contenders. I think there’s a good chance we play the Bruins in the 1st round, and we’d be significant underdogs there, they’ve got our number. If we get through them, it’s likely Tampa in the 2nd round, who are the top team in the league by a decent margin. Significant underdogs again.

Who knows, a lot could change over the rest of the season. But if it’s Bruins in the first round, and Tampa in the 2nd (if we get there), then simply making it out of our division will be extremely difficult.

the leafs are 7-8 against the Bruins the last two seasons, regular season and playoffs. 5-2 at home, 2-6 on the road.

that's not having our number.
 
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Nineteen67

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Dec 12, 2017
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It's cause they're all scared ****less. Just take solace in the fact that they're only hope of seeing this team kneecapped is to pray for something that rarely happens and hasn't been tried in 6 years.

The only reason the offer sheet narrative is getting any traction is because of our media market and the incessant need for clicks. If we were some small market bunghole like Minnesota or Columbus this foolishness wouldn't even be thought of.

EDIT: I'll also add that since this team addressed it's number 1 need with the Muzzin trade, people have lost one of the main avenues for criticizing and ****ting on this team, so now the offer sheet narrative is being ramped up. It's no coincidence that Dreger (who's become a real hack since Nonis left) came out with that "100% teams are preparing to offer sheet Marner" BS today.

If Marner goes to July 1st you don’t think teams will contact his agent?
 

Jimmy Firecracker

Fire Sheldon.
Mar 30, 2010
35,559
34,104
Mississauga
If Marner goes to July 1st you don’t think teams will contact his agent?

Mitch has to actually sign the damned thing which a lot of people seem to forget. At worst it's a negotiation tactic by his agent to try and extort more money from the Leafs. I doubt Marner actually wants to risk signing an offer sheet and then watch the Leafs not match it and then the next thing he knows he's playing far from home.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
77,850
51,520
if grinding the puck into the boards is entertaining.

Before the New Jersey Devils took grinding to a new level, 90s defensive hockey was still pretty free flowing. Leafs games were lots of scoring chances either way, acrobatic goaltending, elbows all over the place, big hits, cheap shots and fights. They didn't have much amazing finesse, but were still pretty entertaining.
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
Before the New Jersey Devils took grinding to a new level, 90s defensive hockey was still pretty free flowing. Leafs games were lots of scoring chances either way, acrobatic goaltending, elbows all over the place, big hits, cheap shots and fights. They didn't have much amazing finesse, but were still pretty entertaining.

hey don't sell those burns leafs short - they showed the Devils the way.
 

Jimmy Firecracker

Fire Sheldon.
Mar 30, 2010
35,559
34,104
Mississauga
interesting how that goes though.

92-93: 8th place - beat 5th, beat 16th, lost to 11th
93-94: 5th place - beat 13th, beat 16th, lost to 14th

that team only managed to win one series they weren't the favorite in, only played one other top 10 team in the playoffs, and that was against the young wings who choked every year back then. and then the leafs choked against 2 inferior teams in the conference finals both years.

16-17: 14th place - lost to 1st place
17-18: 7th place - lost to 4th place

those leafs teams never faced teams as good as this leafs team has faced so far. and this leafs team has never lost in the playoffs to teams as bad as that leafs team did.

and that leafs team was a prime aged vet team. not a bunch of babies like this team.

When you look at it like that, the Quinn teams faced even easier competition than the Burns teams during their '99 and '02 Conference Finals runs in terms of teams beat. They were the favourite and home team in every series save the Carolina Conference Finals in '02, but that was due to garbage seeding rules about Division winners always having precedence.

98-99: 5th Place - beat 7th, beat 11th, lost to 9th
01-02: 3rd Place - beat 8th, beat 14th, lost to 16th

Damnit, that's frustrating. Also it was BS that Carolina had home ice in the Conference Finals despite finishing 13 places lower than us (not that it matters, we lost every home game that series). Jesus and even now the NHL still gets the seeding wrong, arguably even more so.
 
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Nineteen67

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Mitch has to actually sign the damned thing which a lot of people seem to forget. At worst it's a negotiation tactic by his agent to try and extort more money from the Leafs. I doubt Marner actually wants to risk signing an offer sheet and then watch the Leafs not match it and then the next thing he knows he's playing far from home.

If he gets an OS it would be under the assumption he would actually sign it. It’s not like it wouldn’t be negotiated.

If Dubas keeps Matthews over Marner, he’ll likely be fired on the spot.
 

Fogelhund

Registered User
Sep 15, 2007
21,055
23,161
Muzzin is a good addition, but it's only one player, and he hasn't played a single game for us, so we don't know how all of these LHD will work together. We also don't know if Dubas is done or not as of yet. Plus, while we have some very dynamic offensive talent, they just haven't been clicking as of late. Nylander hasn't really been contributing offensively, even though he's played pretty well lately. The PP hasn't been very good either. But, on paper, the team should be a contender, if it finds the chemistry with the D, and the offensive force we can be, starts to click again.
 

hfman

Registered User
Oct 30, 2013
3,074
1,380
muzzin might be a great addition but adding just him won't be enough.
 

kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,202
21,506
If Marner goes to July 1st you don’t think teams will contact his agent?
A) He would have to sign an offer sheet.
B) If he signs one, he will be villified for the rest of his career no matter what the outcome. Screwing the team and fanbase he grew up cheering for.
 
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kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,202
21,506
Holy crap. Addressing a weakness on the D isn't enough? Ridiculous. How many perfect teams were constructed, and even if so....how many won? Check out Pittsburgh's last 2 d-cores. Come on.
 

Havoc

Registered User
Jul 25, 2009
7,271
7,483
Still one thing bothering me.

Gardiner/Zaitsev have been trash and one of the biggest factors in us going .500 over the last 20 or so games.

After the trade, they're still together.

Is the defensive upgrade as big as we think? I feel a tad insecure still.

I mean, Rielly/Hainsey are both +23. It's not like they were getting smashed. The major issue was the bottom 4.

Until Dubas trades for another D for the second pairing I feel more confident splitting Rielly and Muzzin up. That means for 2/3 to 3/4 of the game, one or the other will be on the ice instead of 1/3 of Gardiner/Zaitsev.

I guess we'll see tonight and tomorrow how things go, then Dubas/Babcock can reassess.
 

LeafFever

Registered User
Feb 12, 2016
18,890
6,178
I like the fact we are under the radar. All the talk is 100% focused on the D. No one even puts a thought into place about how an opponent can matchup against our 3 centres.
IMO, we are elite cup contenders this year.
 
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