Line Combos: What is the likelihood that Dubas adds toughness to the team next season?

[18leafsfan18]

I want compete more than toughness. Another Hyman/Kapanen type.

I also don't think we're that far off. Other than Game 2, we at least matched Boston's physicality and had them chasing the play a lot with our speed. Only an inept PK kept us from bouncing Boston in Round 1.

Totally agree, if they can add compete while making the team better (not instead).

PP and PK lost that series, not toughness (obviously can argue a lot of other factors as well).

Many like to avoid the positives for the Leafs. They are really not far off from being a cup favorite.

The first year in the playoffs no one ever thought the Leafs would win against Washington, but good experience and brought them to 6 games. Better then expected.

The last 2 they went up against the team regarded as the favorite in many insiders and fans minds.

They brought the Bruins to game 7 in both series and lost. Why would they go and make sweeping changes when they were literally as close as they could have been to round 2, 2 years in a row.

 

[ULF_55]

Agree 100% they need a very tough PK.
With a tough PK they might be the team lining up against the Blues.
Everything else was pretty good.

 

[ShaneFalco]

With Moore, possibly Marchment, another d-man, Engvall in the mix, Rosen...... they should be well on the way to being "tougher"

 

[Nineteen67]

Boston's 4th line in the playoffs has been instrumental combining for 15 points and about 1000 hits in the playoffs, and Blues 4th line including Ivan Barbashev was unloading physically with 6 hits in this game and is physically imposing every shift.

Bruins littlest player Krug threw this hit to spark his team to victory.

Helmetless Krug sparks Bruins with huge hit



These playoffs have been so physical that any GM worth his weight in salt has to be watching and recognizing the impact this is having.

When I say that develop last night I finally realized why Nylander was scared to go near him.
Still I don’t understand why normal players don’t pound the heck out of him, all game long.

ETA. this is toughness that wins championships. Look at that bench, beautiful.

 

[Sypher04]

If Dubas can find a quality player who happens to have some added toughness then great.
If we have some guys from the Marlies who make it on quality of their game and have those things, that's also great.

But, Dubas shouldn't and I'm sure won't be just out looking to acquire a player or bring them BECAUSE OF those qualities.
We didn't lose to the Bruins because of a lack of toughness. It's a false narrative that needs to die.

 

[hoglund]

3 playoff first round exits might change his tune. He was a big part of the MGMT team in those years.

toughness isn't the reason for 3 first round exits, playing Boston 2 times and Washington once is the reason.

 

[ottomaddox]

toughness isn't the reason for 3 first round exits, playing Boston 2 times and Washington once is the reason.

Coming soon reason: the next team we play in the 1st round.

 

[hoglund]

Coming soon reason: the next team we play in the 1st round.

What?

 

[paulhiggins]

Chances of Dubas adding significant toughness are:

The same chance as them advancing past round one next year if they make the playoffs.
The same chance that "the rich ones" give up some of their salaries to improve the team.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Chances of Dubas adding significant toughness are:

The same chance as them advancing past round one next year if they make the playoffs.
The same chance that "the rich ones" give up some of their salaries to improve the team.

So in your opinion toughness is all that matters ?

 

[sparxx87]

What?

He’s saying it’ll just be a new excuse with the next opponent. He’s right.

It does no good to whine or think about the other guys. The Leafs need to look in the mirror. The whistles go away in the playoffs and the Leafs roster is full of guys who don’t want to play that way.... They’ve got some great talent but it desperately needs to be insulated with some sandpaper.


The most impactful move the Leafs could make would be take Dubas’ keys and suit. He seemed very good as Robin but he’s clearly not ready to be Batman.

 

[sparxx87]

So in your opinion toughness is all that matters ?

Not at all. But again, referees put their whistles away in the playoffs. Do you really want 11 forwards and 5 defenseman who don’t want to play that way? .... or do you think a bit of a mix might be more useful?

Nuckle draggers like Matt Martin aren’t the answer. The Bruins made a great pickup in Charlie Coyle - that’s an example of a player type the Leafs sorely lack; a power forward.


Boston gets it, and that’s why they are where they are.... again.... and with a less talented team.

 

[18leafsfan18]

Not at all. But again, referees put their whistles away in the playoffs. Do you really want 11 forwards and 5 defenseman who don’t want to play that way? .... or do you think a bit of a mix might be more useful?

Nuckle draggers like Matt Martin aren’t the answer. The Bruins made a great pickup in Charlie Coyle - that’s an example of a player type the Leafs sorely lack; a power forward.


Boston gets it, and that’s why they are where they are.... again.... and with a less talented team.

You think they won that series based on guys like Coyle ?

Look at the special teams, Kadri being out, Playoff Experience, Andersen's game 7 etc.

They went to game 7 with the Eastern Conference Champions. And for most of the series were the better team.

There are many more factors then the Leafs not having Coyle type players.

At the very least the Leafs matched the Bruins in physicality. That is not the issue.

 

[ACC1224]

Not at all. But again, referees put their whistles away in the playoffs. Do you really want 11 forwards and 5 defenseman who don’t want to play that way? .... or do you think a bit of a mix might be more useful?

Nuckle draggers like Matt Martin aren’t the answer. The Bruins made a great pickup in Charlie Coyle - that’s an example of a player type the Leafs sorely lack; a power forward.


Boston gets it, and that’s why they are where they are.... again.... and with a less talented team.

Yep, you get it too.

 

[ryno23]

i see Mason Marchment as a guy they can bring up from the Marlies. He is a gritty guy who can play 4th line and has some offensive skills. Don't need bangers or goons just guys while to engage physically and make life hard for the opposition D while chipping in a few goals.

 

[sparxx87]

You think they won that series based on guys like Coyle ?

Look at the special teams, Kadri being out, Playoff Experience, Andersen's game 7 etc.

They went to game 7 with the Eastern Conference Champions. And for most of the series were the better team.

There are many more factors then the Leafs not having Coyle type players.

At the very least the Leafs matched the Bruins in physicality. That is not the issue.

No, but playing with emotion is important and the Bruins understand that. Look at the players that raise their game? It’s almost always the gritty and emotional players. Coyle was an example because he’s playing above himself and it’s a scenario you may have envisioned if you were Boston... I know I thought it was huge at the time, and it’s only gotten better.


The Leafs should be in the finals right now... but Dubas failed chemistry and Sweeney didn’t.

 

[Sypher04]

He’s saying it’ll just be a new excuse with the next opponent. He’s right.

It does no good to whine or think about the other guys. The Leafs need to look in the mirror. The whistles go away in the playoffs and the Leafs roster is full of guys who don’t want to play that way.... They’ve got some great talent but it desperately needs to be insulated with some sandpaper.

The most impactful move the Leafs could make would be take Dubas’ keys and suit. He seemed very good as Robin but he’s clearly not ready to be Batman.

You had a good post going and then you just decided to throw it away with a stupid statement to end.

 

[Sypher04]

I also disagree with the sandpaper comment. And the excuse part :lol

It's kinda comical that people keep clinging to the sandpaper argument like it has any bearing on why we didn't advance to the 2nd round...

It didn't.

 

[18leafsfan18]

No, but playing with emotion is important and the Bruins understand that. Look at the players that raise their game? It’s almost always the gritty and emotional players. Coyle was an example because he’s playing above himself and it’s a scenario you may have envisioned if you were Boston... I know I thought it was huge at the time, and it’s only gotten better.

The Leafs did raise their game in the playoffs.

They were as physical as Boston. Many of the insiders were writing off the Leafs before the series.

When you are already skilled you don't have to raise your skill in the playoffs, you raise your physicality.

 

[sparxx87]

I also disagree with the sandpaper comment. And the excuse part :lol

It's kinda comical that people keep clinging to the sandpaper argument like it has any bearing on why we didn't advance to the 2nd round...

It didn't.

You may disagree, but look at the teams in the finals... look at the team that won last year.

Bruins, Blues, Caps are built for the playoffs... ****, the Carolina Hurricanes are a harder team to play against right now.

 

[Sypher04]

You may disagree, but look at the teams in the finals... look at the team that won last year.

Bruins, Blues, Caps are built for the playoffs... ****, the Carolina Hurricanes are a harder team to play against right now.

And all that means absolutely nothing.
The Bruins team that happens to be in the SCF right now was never winning the series against us until they took game 7. They took game 7 for a number of reasons that we need to be better about, namely the penalty kill and some subpar goaltending, not because all of a sudden their physicality took over and they grinded out the win against us.

Neither Columbus, nor Carolina were able to push the Bruins as far as we did in their respective series. Neither one was ever winning. Carolina got SWEPT by the same team we took to the brink...

We get a timely save or a big penalty kill in game 7 and we very well could be sitting here today in the Finals, who knows.

The only thing we can focus on is ourselves and fixing the actual issues like our penalty kill that went from excellent to utter shit in a year, or our powerplay with all it's talent that kept misfiring, or getting the saves at those critical moments. That is what needs to happen. Not fixing the make believe problems like we don't have enough grit.

 

[18leafsfan18]

You may disagree, but look at the teams in the finals... look at the team that won last year.

Bruins, Blues, Caps are built for the playoffs... ****, the Carolina Hurricanes are a harder team to play against right now.

Bruins (30.1) and St.Louis (29.6) are 11th and 13th in playoff hits/gm.

Toronto was 8th (35.6)

Carolina was 9th (34.7)

 

[sparxx87]

And all that means absolutely nothing.
The Bruins team that happens to be in the SCF right now was never winning the series against us until they took game 7. They took game 7 for a number of reasons that we need to be better about, namely the penalty kill and some subpar goaltending, not because all of a sudden their physicality took over and they grinded out the win against us.

Neither Columbus, nor Carolina were able to push the Bruins as far as we did in their respective series. Neither one was ever winning. Carolina got SWEPT by the same team we took to the brink...

We get a timely save or a big penalty kill in game 7 and we very well could be sitting here today in the Finals, who knows.

The only thing we can focus on is ourselves and fixing the actual issues like our penalty kill that went from excellent to utter **** in a year, or our powerplay with all it's talent that kept misfiring, or getting the saves at those critical moments. That is what needs to happen. Not fixing the make believe problems like we don't have enough grit.

That’s what makes this so blatant - the Leafs were clearly the better team.

The glaring hole is in grit and ‘hard to play against’ ... the teams who’ve been successful recently, have it in spades. The elite talent at the top is important, but the composition of your depth support matters.

Bringing in cheap players like Nick Petan shows Dubas just doesn’t get it. Trevor Moore? Yes, he has balls. Petan? For what?

 

[Bomber0104]

Bruins (30.1) and St.Louis (29.6) are 11th and 13th in playoff hits/gm.

Toronto was 8th (35.6)

Carolina was 9th (34.7)

Counting hits is not how you measure the requisite toughness/grit/character needed for playoff hockey.

 

[ACC1224]

Bruins (30.1) and St.Louis (29.6) are 11th and 13th in playoff hits/gm.

Toronto was 8th (35.6)

Carolina was 9th (34.7)

Yes, Teams that have the puck typically deliver less hits.
They have the puck more because they play a heavier playoff type game.
Not the one and done the Leafs have shown.