Tampa didn't win either for a long time, they were even swept after tying an NHL record for wins, then they broke through after they found the right support pieces.
Washington didn't win for YEARS, then they broke through after they found the right support pieces.
St Louis had star studded teams for YEARS that didn't win until they broke through after they found the right support pieces.
I could go on forever.
I refuse to believe a core of Matthews, Marner, Tavares Rielly and Nylander is not talented enough to win, but like the 3 examples above, and the countless others I could have used they need to find the right support pieces in this case those pieces are mostly forwards as that's what failed them last year is it right support pieces this time? that answer comes in April
It's quite obvious you refuse to believe it.
That's probably why you have made up silly excuses to try and to make yourself feel better. For example, it's kind of silly to claim that Tampa "didn't win for a long time." Tampa lost in the 2015 finals for example. You are acting as if the issue for the Leafs is "winning the Cup" when the issue for the Leafs is "losing in the first round."
Surely you see there is a WORLD of difference between those two things.
If Tampa Bay lost in the first round and blew 3-1 series leads and lost in the spectacular way the Maple Leafs keep losing, it would be an interesting comparison. But that quite obviously is not the case here and yet here you are - at a hockey discussion board where everyone clearly knows that - trying to sell us that silly story.
Then you want to pretend that the Capitals are somehow an apt comparison? The Capitals made significant changes and said goodbye to star players like Mike Green and Alex Semin - guys who were major parts of the core - before they figured out the recipe to win. The Leafs General Manager has refused to do what the Capitals did, and that is why he and his team are drawing so much criticism. So again, you are pointing to an example of what the Leafs *should* do, not what they are doing, and somehow you're pretending it's supporting your stance.
With the Blues I don't even know what you think they illustrate as an example. The Blues management didn't stubbornly and stupidly stand by a group of guys who couldn't win a single playoff round. But furthermore, they actively went out and sought out the kind of players you need to win the gritty, physically demanding and defence first hockey that happens in the Playoffs. If the Leafs saw what happened the last few springs and went out to get a guy like Ryan O'Rielly who plays a gritty grinding game or Bryaden Schenn who delivers a 200 foot two way effort on the ice, the team would be applauded for having a management that understands what is needed to win. If the Leafs had the kind of balance that Blues team had, with guys like Tarasenko, Perron, Schenn and O'Rielly upfront and studs like Pieterangelo, Parayko and Bouwmeester on the backend nobody would laugh when their fans pretended they were in the mix to win the Cup. It's a bizarre example because the Leafs are nothing like that Blues team.
You claim that "all they need to do is find the right support pieces" yet you somehow are ignoring that with the money they have left over after their inept mismanagement they are bringing in players their fans have to google to find out who they even are.
