What does Vegas do differently than us?

[Hockeyholic]

It's crazy how fans have fallen in love with them this quick. Good story.

If the Leafs were in the Finals, it would be insane. Imagine how big a Leafs cup parade would be? I honestly think it may be 5 million at minimum.

 

[Boutette]

It's crazy how fans have fallen in love with them this quick. Good story.

If the Leafs were in the Finals, it would be insane. Imagine how big a Leafs cup parade would be? I honestly think it may be 5 million at minimum.

It would be like the 92-93 Jays Championships, for sure.

 

[Boutette]

How did Karlson make such a massive leap?

Opportunity? It was given and he ran with it? Been known to happen.

 

[Boutette]

I think we might be 6 forwards and 2 defensemen short of a cup.

:/

Well, we're replacing at least 4 of those forwards and 1 of those defencemen, so we should be closer next year.

 

[Boutette]

I didn't see a single outrageous "Side Deal" mentioned in that quote.

Here are the side deals:

FLA gave VGK Riley Smith in order to select Marchesault.

PIT gave VGK a 2nd to select M.A.F.

MIN give VGK Alex Touch so they would take Eric Hoala (and not Matt Dumba).

ANA gave VGK Shea Theodore so they would take Clayton Stoner

CBS gave VGK a 1st and a 2nd plus David Clarkson's contract to select William Karlsson.

Well, Florida ended up giving them 2 young forwards who would look good on many team's 1st lines when they were only obligated to offer them them a third liner at best. That's pretty outrageous.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Their fourth line scored 3 goals tonight and played a physical game. I don't see the leafs fourth line doing that.

 

[socko]

Their fourth line scored 3 goals tonight and played a physical game. I don't see the leafs fourth line doing that.

One was an empty netter and another shouldn't have counted and should have been a penalty. But yeah. Plekanec played himself off the 4th line.

 

[firstemperor]

Well Gallant is getting a ton of credit. He won the coach of the year award before Christmas hit.
I agree about goaltending, but I think we do have a legit #1. Fleury himself had a lot of lean playoff years that cost the Pens from 2010-14.

Fleury is a legit #1....he's fared far better than Andersen ever has in the playoffs. He's stolen a number of series now (not just games)....Andy has yet to prove he's yet to win a single one, yet steal a entire series...and I was a big Andy advocate (still am a fan). But the jury is still out on one, just not a huge fan of trying to throw Fleury under the bus for what he's accomplished.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Their fourth line scored 3 goals tonight and played a physical game. I don't see the leafs fourth line doing that.

why? Johnsson-Aaltonen-Kapanen are probably gonna start as our 4th line and they're extremely capable offensively

 

[Muston Atthews]

Win playoff hockey games apparently

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

Their fourth line scored 3 goals tonight and played a physical game. I don't see the leafs fourth line doing that.

Not with Komarov on it.

 

[Razz]

All this proves is that if the conditions are right, any team can win the cup. I seriously doubt that McPhee became clairvoyant or gallant is the second coming of Scotty Bowman.

Vegas will become normal NHL team soon enough.

Remember, Vegas is a city of fiction, this is something real. This is a huge deal for the real people who live in that cesspool. Talk about momentum. I'm happy for the fans of Vegas. Truly.

Vegas isn't in the finals because they have the best players or coach or gm, they are there because they have the best team. They are all inspired through circumstance and have been embraced by a people whom finally can have their own identity. This exuberance is all transient but for now we should all appreciate the historic and unprecedented series of events that will never occur again.

 

[PuckMagi]

I'm just speculating... but I think what Vegas shows us is that it's very important not to have bad players. If all of your players are average, but none are really bad... that can be better than having a mix of good players, average players, and bad players.

 

[AllDay28]

we can be happy cause someone who helped advise George McPhee and Vegas in the process of building Vegas, is now apart of the Leafs

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

why? Johnsson-Aaltonen-Kapanen are probably gonna start as our 4th line and they're extremely capable offensively

No one is saying that it won't be a bad line. I'm talking about the season that just passed with the revolving door of players on the fourth line. None of those were as good as Vegas. Plekanec, Komorov, Moore, Martin were all underwelming forth liners this season.

 

[MR4]

I'm just speculating... but I think what Vegas shows us is that it's very important not to have bad players. If all of your players are average, but none are really bad... that can be better than having a mix of good players, average players, and bad players.

I think it's a bit of that but more IF your coach has a successful system and IF your team fully buys into what he's selling, then you can do great things

 

[Semantics]

What Vegas has that the Leafs don't is no players who are defensively weak. They have an experienced core of players who, almost all, made their bones defensively first. Top flight goaltending will only get you so far, you have to have full team commitment to playing defense first. Toronto didn't have that last season, although they look better defensively this season than last. The departure of JVR and Bozak helps alot.

Yes, this is so true! I think people get too hung up on stats, and don't consider the context. A player's point production can be vastly different depending on how they're used. Case in point, Grabovski, who went from 29g/58p under Wilson to a 15g/35p pace under Carlyle who used him in a defensive role. Or guys like Komarov and Parenteau who produced on that last place team.

I think there are a lot of talented players around the league who're being used in defensive roles, but could produce a lot of points if given the opportunity. I'm pretty stoked that JVR and Bozak are leaving. Everyone says it'll be impossible to replace JVR's production, but it's not a zero-sum game like that. We're not losing 36g, because other players soaking up all of the opportunities he's had are going to score a bunch of goals too. And do a lot more to help keep them out of our net.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

lets also have a what did Boston, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Washington, San Jose better than us thread too!
and then we can have threads like, what did we do the same, but different as Minnesota, New jersey, Columbus, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Philadelphia and Colorado.

its endless content!!!
seriously though, they are a different team that has different players and a different coaching staff. they could fall back down to earth next year and we could win the cup. sports is just funny that way.

Difference between Vegas and all but one team you listed is that Vegas is in the Stanley Cup finals, in their first season no less. When was the last time the Leafs were in the Stanley Cup finals?

 

[horner]

Yes, this is so true! I think people get too hung up on stats, and don't consider the context. A player's point production can be vastly different depending on how they're used. Case in point, Grabovski, who went from 29g/58p under Wilson to a 15g/35p pace under Carlyle who used him in a defensive role. Or guys like Komarov and Parenteau who produced on that last place team.

I think there are a lot of talented players around the league who're being used in defensive roles, but could produce a lot of points if given the opportunity. I'm pretty stoked that JVR and Bozak are leaving. Everyone says it'll be impossible to replace JVR's production, but it's not a zero-sum game like that. We're not losing 36g, because other players soaking up all of the opportunities he's had are going to score a bunch of goals too. And do a lot more to help keep them out of our net.

Better defensive players
Better speed, hustle, passion
Johnson, kappy and grundstrom

AlSo one thing that. Vegas has that we didn't have hustle, passion and a never quit attitude.
All of there players get physically involved ( can't say the same thing about our players )

 

[GoldenGOOSE]

They don't have a 51 year old curse either.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

They picked all the scraps and players that other teams couldn't afford to keep/ want and are now in the Stanley cup finals 1-0. Some magical wizardry going on.

 

[thewave]

Better defensive players
Better speed, hustle, passion
Johnson, kappy and grundstrom

AlSo one thing that. Vegas has that we didn't have hustle, passion and a never quit attitude.
All of there players get physically involved ( can't say the same thing about our players )

You gotta want it. Marner seems to want it. Nylander and Matthews not so much. VGK picked players with high compete and got a better tender than we have as well.

Maybe our guys will understand next season.

 

[Nineteen67]

Vegas doesn’t share an ownership with a basketball team whose fans take precedent over the Hockey fans.

 

[Nineteen67]

You gotta want it. Marner seems to want it. Nylander and Matthews not so much. VGK picked players with high compete and got a better tender than we have as well.

Maybe our guys will understand next season.

Marner is trying to win a Cup, the other 2 are trying win contracts.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Vegas doesn’t share an ownership with a basketball team whose fans take precedent over the Hockey fans.

Lmao Full stop.

What in the world