Speculation: What is this team identity?

[Hellcat]

Simple question what is the identity of this team, what style do we play? I see a scrambly undisciplined opportunistic team with no real structure.

You watch Boston, their style is really obvious, Carolina very obvious, I watch the Leafs and I don't see as much of a style of game as hold on long enough to hopefully score game plan.

We are not a physical team, we are not a quick team, we are not a pressure team or a hard forechecking team, we are not structurally a defensivly elite team, but yet we win more than 95% of the teams.

I see us activating the D in the offensive zone, that is one consistent approach. We don't do the left wing lock, we don't do the trap, maybe the beauty of our system being so chaotic the other teams don't know how to defend us? For every system there is a counter way to break it, perhaps that is the thought?

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[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Clearly a defensive team. Every player aside from Rielly has some sort of useful defensive ability. Especially the depth players. The plan is for the top players to create offense and everyone else to hold their own

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Hopefully we're going to identify as 1st round winners at the very least

 

[X66]

Hard working defensive team with elite top end forwards.

Defence but commitee

 

[WillyC]

Extremely entertaining and certainly a team to be very proud of.

 

[ACC1224]

Consistently inconsistent.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Simple question what is the identity of this team, what style do we play? I see a scrambly undisciplined opportunistic team with no real structure.

You watch Boston, their style is really obvious, Carolina very obvious, I watch the Leafs and I don't see as much of a style of game as hold on long enough to hopefully score game plan.

We are not a physical team, we are not a quick team, we are not a pressure team or a hard forechecking team, we are not structurally a defensivly elite team, but yet we win more than 95% of the teams.

I see us activating the D in the offensive zone, that is one consistent approach. We don't do the left wing lock, we don't do the trap, maybe the beauty of our system being so chaotic the other teams don't know how to defend us? For every system there is a counter way to break it, perhaps that is the thought?

The Leafs are easy to defend. Teams have done it repeatedly. Keep them to the outside, be physical, collapse to the front of the net when required, and take away their rush chances. What they have learned is to do that to other teams, minus the "be physical", part which I think will happen more frequently in the playoffs.

 

[AvroArrow]

Puck possession team with lots of skill. They play a very strong defensive structured game and capitalize on scoring chances when they get them. They have tons of offensive firepower, but don't take liberties defensively for a chance to score. They know they are more than good enough to capitalize on the chances they generate as well as the PP.

 

[andora]

I dont think they have one to be honest.. i think they develop one once they win that first round

An identity should be 1 to 3 words almost when you think of a team

 

[Leafsfan74]

Tenacious, two way forward group.

With Schenn and McCabe in the back end, more physical and difficult to penetrate.

 

[Stephen]

They seem to be trying to replicate the 2016 and 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins. Elite 1-2 C punch and skilled forwards at the top, surprisingly effective forward support cast throughout and a kind of a budget defense by committee with a veteran-youngster goalie tandem.

 

[IPS]

The Leafs are easy to defend. Teams have done it repeatedly. Keep them to the outside, be physical, collapse to the front of the net when required, and take away their rush chances. What they have learned is to do that to other teams, minus the "be physical", part which I think will happen more frequently in the playoffs.

And they tend to double down on these things in those last few grueling games of a playoff series, and it always costs them.

Same story on the PP too, instead of changing things up they just try to force what they know, and it results in our PP being trash every playoffs.

 

[Morbo]

Simple question what is the identity of this team, what style do we play? I see a scrambly undisciplined opportunistic team with no real structure.

You watch Boston, their style is really obvious, Carolina very obvious, I watch the Leafs and I don't see as much of a style of game as hold on long enough to hopefully score game plan.

We are not a physical team, we are not a quick team, we are not a pressure team or a hard forechecking team, we are not structurally a defensivly elite team, but yet we win more than 95% of the teams.

I see us activating the D in the offensive zone, that is one consistent approach. We don't do the left wing lock, we don't do the trap, maybe the beauty of our system being so chaotic the other teams don't know how to defend us? For every system there is a counter way to break it, perhaps that is the thought?

nah except we kind of are...top 5 in goals against. we don't have an elite goaltender causing that and we don't play the trap either as you mentioned.

so how else is it happening? the results are the results. it's not magic.

simple answer is that their identity is a more strong defensive team that still has some potent weapons at the top of the lineup but is no longer one of the league's best offences.

I would definitely take this kind of team over your typical no-chance Leaf squad which is top 10 offence and bottom 10 in defence.

The Leafs are easy to defend. Teams have done it repeatedly. Keep them to the outside, be physical, collapse to the front of the net when required, and take away their rush chances. What they have learned is to do that to other teams, minus the "be physical", part which I think will happen more frequently in the playoffs.

you're describing the ideal way to defend any team.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Unfortunately for this team, it does have an identity.

It just isn't a good one.

The ball and chain of being chockers and losers will haunt this franchise until they finally do something meaningful on the playoffs.

And I'm not talking about lucking into a single series playoffs win either.

If Dubas' apologists can say they got unlucky six years in a row, it is just as fair to say they can get lucky once.

Anything but a deep.playoff run won't change this teams identity.

At this point they'll always remain losers and chokers until they contend for a cup.

 

[Nhlpowerweek]

Clearly a defensive team. Every player aside from Rielly has some sort of useful defensive ability. Especially the depth players. The plan is for the top players to create offense and everyone else to hold their own

I agree on that and its a good one sire we have good structure. Also good special teams. Our PK killas is ready always and steady like rocksteady and bebob in the turtles.

Also our identity is profile players. Tavvy. Matty. Marnie. Nylund. O'Reilly now. Some of them even look like Hollywood actors... tavares for example. That guy can sell anythang in the sports bidness. We look good and sexy. Thats also our identity. Yall already know that Liam O'Brien, that Conan's cousin, Boeser and Matthews are getting more ladies than anybody else in the nhl bidness. They clear out the whole field. The nose is really getting it done sire.

 

[notbias]

The Leafs are easy to defend. Teams have done it repeatedly. Keep them to the outside, be physical, collapse to the front of the net when required, and take away their rush chances. What they have learned is to do that to other teams, minus the "be physical", part which I think will happen more frequently in the playoffs.

Exactly this! It's why we get bounced in 4 each year and barely scrape into the playoffs...

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Definitely moved away from the high-flying rush team that they once were. Strong defensively, surprisingly physical after the new additions (wont rock your world, but relentless and will wear down the opposition). Strong on the forchek, most opportunities are generated on the cycle (as opposed to the Babcock stretch pass) - a game that really suits Matthews, Tavares and O'Rielly (i hope).

 

[IPS]

Exactly this! It's why we get bounced in 4 each year and barely scrape into the playoffs...

Leafs are the most elite losers in the league.

 

[notbias]

Leafs are the most elite losers in the league.

Saying they are easy to defend against is hilarious as they are usually one of the top-scoring teams during the regular season and in the playoffs, I believe they have outscored each team they played in recent rounds. You'd think if it was easy they would score less.

Obviously, there are some people who make up stories in their heads and think they are easy to defend against, but those people don't live in reality.

 

[Gilmour1996]

I think it would be easier to have an identity if we had less turnover every year and were more consistent about developing and keeping our prospects long term. Starts at the top though.

 

[IPS]

Saying they are easy to defend against is hilarious as they are usually one of the top-scoring teams during the regular season and in the playoffs, I believe they have outscored each team they played in recent rounds. You'd think if it was easy they would score less.

Obviously, there are some people who make up stories in their heads and think they are easy to defend against, but those people don't live in reality.

Easy to defend against in the playoffs - not the regular season. In both series with the Habs and Blue Jackets, their downfall was being easy to defend, specifically in the latter half of the series.

 

[Notsince67]

Ugliest backstabbing fanbase

 

[Dekes For Days]

Easy to defend against in the playoffs - not the regular season. In both series with the Habs and Blue Jackets, their downfall was being easy to defend, specifically in the latter half of the series.

Our offensive generation in the playoffs against Columbus and Montreal was equal to or better than it was in the regular season those years, even though Columbus was the best defensive team in the league. Our conversion was limited those years, but that was by a mixture of top tier goaltending, injuries to top converters, puck luck (like Matthews hitting the most posts in the playoffs that year, despite only playing 1 round), a 5 month break before playoffs, etc., not by "being easy to defend against".

 

[Advanced stats]

How would you describe Tampa bays identity in the last 3 years?

Whatever you describe it as is obviously what we're trying to replicate

Elite forwards, gritty pain in the ass depth, large steady two way defensemen and a large Russian bear of a goalie.

 

[Hellcat]

nah except we kind of are...top 5 in goals against. we don't have an elite goaltender causing that and we don't play the trap either as you mentioned.

so how else is it happening? the results are the results. it's not magic.

simple answer is that their identity is a more strong defensive team that still has some potent weapons at the top of the lineup but is no longer one of the league's best offences.

I would definitely take this kind of team over your typical no-chance Leaf squad which is top 10 offence and bottom 10 in defence.

That question you asked, is why I started the thread, I in all honesty cannot remember a more scrambly team than this one, yet we win, we just win games we shouldn't win. I never get the feeling that we consistently control the game. What I see is a team with 4 very high end, elite scoring talent a team that hopes to hold on long enough until one of their world class forwards scores. We don't generate a lot of offence from the back end.

Are we relying a little too much on individual talent vs team structure? Maybe the scrambly game is actually the plan, swarm style offences have worked well in the past.